OKPrProf

My last post...

I have been blogging about all things PR for more than two years at OKPRProf and have enjoyed every second of it. As you might of guessed by the title, OKRRProf is coming to an end. My blogging, however, isn't. You can now find me here...

Goals Objectives Strategies and Tactics

Anyone who has spent a semester in my classroom knows the importance I place on not just knowing the definitions of goals, objectives, strategies and tactics but the ability to articulate examples of each. Don't think you will need to know this information after you graduate... I will let Zach, a past student of mine, do the talking - (a facebook chat from this evening, copied and pasted):

Bill, thank you for drilling into my head the definition of a goal, objective and tactic and how to write them.

9:38pm Zach

I was in this problem solving training course last week and my teacher and old classmates (everyone in "work force" is old by the way) were really impressed that I knew not only the definitions but also how to effectively write a good goal, objective and tactic

so thanks

9:47pm Bill

My pleasure! Thanks for sharing!!

and, You Rock for remembering!!!

9:48pm Zach

i couldnt believe that i remembered the definitions almost word for word

i think it was on every test

9:48pm Bill

As a matter of fact, it was - and always will be... ;)

9:48pm Zach

ha ha.. Good to hear

Branding is Dead

I love headlines like the one above. How can you resist not reading. It's like looking down at a gallon of  milk past its expiration date - your gripping hand brings it close to your nose. No difference. We know what we are about to read/smell won't be good for our senses.

"Branding is Dead" is the new book from Jonathan Salem Baskins in which he argues that, you guessed it, branding is dead.

"Sure, we need to know about the stuff we want to buy, but the billions of dollars spent on logos, sponsorships, and jingles have little, if anything, to do with actual consumer behavior. For example: Dinosaur-headed execs in Microsoft ads didn't help sell software. Citibank's artsy "live richly" billboards didn't prompt a single new account. United Airlines' animated TV commercials didn't fill more seats on airplanes."

Best of all, we've got multimedia:

My book is on its way and I will keep you posted.

It’s Your Professors PR Now More Than Ever

Cross posted on STFPR

I was asked to be a guest blogger on Schnake|Turnbo|Frank PR. The request came from a past student of mine and a current intern for STF. Full disclosure, I was a bit wordy and came close to using all the space on the internet but I think I made my point. The category was for the post was "Not Your Professor's PR." As you will see, especially with regard to Social Media, I think...

It's Your Professors PR Now More Than Ever

First let me share with you that I am honored to be a guest blogger at Schnake, Turnbo, Frank| PR. I have always held this firm in the highest regard and to be affiliated with them, even as a guest blogger, just makes my day.

It is my understanding that this blog post will be filed under the “Not your Professor’s PR” category. It took me a while to wrap my arms around why the category title but from what I can tell, the impetus is, what you learn in the classroom is nothing like what you will learn on the job. Put another way, the on the job education is better than the one in the classroom.

I would argue just the opposite – with regard to Public Relations, what you learn in the classroom sets the foundation and removes just about any surprise for everything you do on the job. And, in today’s rapidly changing communicative environment, this foundation, the information learned in text books, case studies and even from your professor, is critical.  In fact, I would go so far as to say, in the two thousand year history of Public Relations it’s your professor’s PR now more than ever before.

Let me offer a foundation for this statement. Right now, all kinds of technological buzz words are flying around. Word of Mouth Marketing, Social Media, Web 2.0 (although I just received an invite to attend a Web 3.0 seminar), etc. All are related to the way we now communicate. More to the point, the way we are able engage in two-way symmetrical communication utilizing a variety of available technologies on the web.

A single person can create a campaign which will reach one, one hundred or one million people in a matter of days hours with the click of a mouse scroll bar on their phone. The receivers of this information can talk back or pass along the same message to another one, one hundred or one million.

New tools are being developed at breakneck speed and their usage has become ubiquitous. Some of the more popular among the average person include blogs, facebook and, the newest entry, twitter.

Some interesting facts:
Technorati, a website that collects, tracks, highlights and ultimately distributes the online global conversation recently released their State of the Blogosphere for 2008. They report they have indexed 133 million blog records since 2002 and 7.4 million blogs have been posted in the last 120 days. In just the last 24 hours there have been 900,000 blog posts (this being 900,001).

Facebook has more than 110 million active users, is the fourth most trafficked website in the world and ranks number one with regards to social media sites.

Twitter has 3.1 million users who collectively “tweet” more than three million times a day. The company is only a year old and is growing rapidly.

Bottom line, social media is quickly moving into the mainstream. So much so you don’t need a professor or PR Executive to tell you this, my seventeen year old daughter shares this information freely.

Like many of my academic peers, we knew these tools would not only be popular but, more important, be enormously effective in communicating and promoting products and ideas, shaping the way individuals and communities think, feel, act, etc.  We knew this for one simple reason: these new tools amplify the basics of communication theory. Before there was WOM, MySpace, Twitter, etc. there was Two Step Flow, Diffusion of Innovation and even Technological Determinism, to name a few.

Warning, lecture begins in 3 – 2 - 1…
The Two-Step Flow (of communication) Theory was first introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet in 1944. This theory asserts that information from the media moves in two distinct stages. First, opinion leaders who pay close attention to the mass media and its messages receive the information. Opinion leaders pass on their own interpretations in addition to the actual media content.

Back in 1966 Marshall Mcluhan developed the Technological Determinism Theory which state that media technology shapes how individuals in a society think, feel, act (communicate), and how our society operates as we move from one technological age to another.

Diffusion of Innovations Theory (aka multi step theory) has been around since the early nineteen hundreds. This theory centers on the conditions which increase or decrease the likelihood that a new idea, product, or practice will be adopted by members of a given culture. The theory predicts that media as well as interpersonal contacts provide information and influence opinion and judgment of others.

In college we teach communication theory and communication strategy, even at the undergraduate level, because knowing how to communicate effectively (when, where, what words to use depending on the audience, who should speak,  etc.) is of paramount importance regardless of whether you are using Twitter or a bullhorn as the tool to carry the message. This is important because, as we say in academia, “things change.”

When I started in PR I didn’t have any foundation for my work. I had a degree in Business Administration. I remember the first website I saw, way back when I worked in the PR department for the nation’s largest insurance company. At the time we debated whether our company should have a website and I remember thinking about how this new tool/tactic will revolutionize how we communicate. For the most part, I was wrong. It had no greater effect than the first telegraph or telephone. In fact, when you evaluate the evolution of the tools we use to communicate the creation of the internet makes perfect sense, just as an evolution toward three dimensional communications makes perfect sense (3-D Web is just around the corner).

After I received my Masters in Mass Communication I remember writing my first blog post, creating my first facebook  page and sending my first tweet and thought about how it will rev… be just another tool in a never ending line of evolutionary communication tools.

Do we need more gadgets strategic tools to communicate? I say sure, bring ‘em on. It only ensures my future and the future of my peers. Using these new tools to reach out and engage in two-way symmetrical communication is the easy part and it gets easier every day. The hard, part for those not aware of the applied science of PR, is how to communicate effectively with all these new tools.

Tools and tactics are just that. Anyone can posses a saw and hammer. But a true craftsman, someone with the experience, training and skill can construct a beautiful piece of furniture. It’s not about the tools, it’s about the ability.  Anyone can blog or have their own personal social media site and someday everyone will (my prediction). While the whole world is communicating with a frenzied, resonating, static sound which is culminating to a critical mass and you aren’t sure how to communicate with persuade a specific group to take action, go back to your text books or visit with your college professor.

The tools and tactics might will change but the science won’t. The faster the change, the more important it is to have a firm grasp of this knowledge. Without it, everyday on the job will seem like a new day of learning.

About
Bill Handy is a Visiting Professor at Oklahoma State University in the School of Journalism and Broadcast. He has more than fifteen years of advancing technical, management and academic experience in the field of public relations. He recently started the Oklahoma Social Media Club, a collaborative effort of students, academia and professionals to explore social media tactics and he and his wife, Shelli Holland-Handy, co-own the Dog Dish, an upscale retail boutique for pets and pet owners.

Bill can be found on twitter, facebook and his blog, OKPRProf.

Dog Dish

Visit me at the Dog Dish

The Critic Doesn't Count

Easy post but probably the most thought provoking of any I have every made. Too bad I didn't really write it.

I keep this quote with me all the time. I have other ditties which I am sure I will share in time (the equation for rate of return, a few measurement quotes, etc.) but this one, most of all, reminds me of who I want to be.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
 
-Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

So, I have shared and now it is your turn. Tell me your favorite quote or even advice.

p.s. Try to find a quote like this from the last five or ten years. Something as eloquent, thought provoking and timeless.  With so much "conversation" taking place these days I wonder why nothing stands out.

Xvxryonx Makxs a Diffxrxncx

I remember seeing this years ago but it is worth sharing again, and again, and again. I found it in my mail box this morning from my business partner (best friend and wife) and we plan on sharing it tonight with our employees, at our staff meeting.

A gentle reminder that everyone makes a difference and our every effort makes a difference. Please feel free to forward it but please include the credit at the bottom.

Xvxryonx makxs a diffxrxncx
Somxtimxs I gxt to thinking that what I do doxsn't mattxr. But whxn I start thinking that way, I rxmxm­bxr my old typxwritxr. Most of thx kxys workxd finx most of thx timx. But onx day, onx of thx kxys stop­pxd working altogxthxr. Only onx, and that rxally mxssxd xvxrything up. So whxn I'm txmptxd to say, I'm only onx pxrson, it won't makx much diffxrncx if I don't do this quitx right, I rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr.  And I say to mysxlf: "I am a kxy pxrson and nxxdxd vxry much."

'Adapted from the book Inside the Magic Kingdom, used with the permission of the publisher'.

Is Your Resume Flying First or Second Class?

Back in January, 2008 I wrote about creating a resume. Go ahead and read it, I think it will have value as you read through this post. Really, go ahead, I'll wait...

For those of you who already read the post way back when and don't need to read it again (are you sure you remember everything??) I would suggest you watch my favorite video, The Fact Checker, while we wait for the others to get back. Let's say  we meet back here in five minutes.

-tick-tock-

Okay, thanks for coming back. There are some additional points I want to make about your resume.

First, don't let it look like a second class resume. Your resume has every reason, at least as far as formatting goes, to look like one of the best resume out there. Go find some resumes, (trust me, they are all over the internet) and look them over. What makes the best look like the best? Do you like the format, the choice of words, the order of things, etc. Take what you like and, so long as it isn't something completely inappropriate or unlike you (guys, no pink hearts for bullets unless it really, really fits your style) do it to your resume. Personalize it so it is truly your work, no plagiarism please, and move on.

My second point comes from the most often asked question I get - should you put it online... let me think about this for a second - you are a PR Student (for those not in this degree program I bet what I am about to say will still apply) who is supposed to be experienced in all forms of tactical communication. Would you ever tell a client they shouldn't have an online presence? Do you have a facebook page? Nuff said?? For those of you who are just a bit scared to do this, don't be. Tons of tools out there, blogs, ning sites and my new favorite tool, Visual CV. In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't yet created my own, but it will be coming soon. Am I looking for a job? Nope, have enough of those for the moment, but it never hurts to be prepared. If you have created a Visual CV, send me a link, I would love to see it.

Third point is to strategically forwarding your resume to everyone you know who might think you would make a good candidate for any position they are aware of. Make it easy for these people to pitch you as a possibility for your next job. Case in point - I was at a press conference last week and in conversation with the person in charge of hiring for the Tulsa communications division and she asked if I had anyone I could recommend for some future positions. Sure, I have tons. Do I have their resumes? Nope, not a one. Do I know of anyone looking for a position... maybe, not too sure. No concrete conversations that I can remember and I definitely don't have any e-mails asking for my support.

Last point and off topic just a bit. Regarding your portfolio - For every writing/creative sample you give, give them the background of the effort - walk them through how you got to the final product. Having been on the other side of the desk I can assure you the more insight you give about how you work (or your mind works) the better. Your future employer, most of all, wants someone who can fix things for them or their client, someone who can think though any challenge and offer a rational solutions. Giving background information on your portfolio samples will show your mental process of doing just that.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I love the video below for so many reasons. Probably most of all because it took me to the youtube site, created by Professor Michael Wesch, where it was originally posted, which took me to mediatedcultures.net which took me to the concept of digital ethnography and the theories of anthropology. In the interest of full disclosure, I am still trying to fully wrap my arms around both and their role is social media.

All that to say, enjoy. When you are done watching I hope you will join me at the Oklahoma Social Media Club.

One last thought. If you have an hour to spare, watch “An anthropological introduction to YouTube” video of Library of Congress presentation. The best 60 minutes you will spend this week - unless you are attending one of my classes. Scratch that, it will be the best 60 minutes you spend.

Multimedia On the Cheap

How expensive and time consuming is it to shoot a video and post it to the internet?

• Camera - Flip $145
• Time - From beginning to end, including editing of the video and uploading, 20 minutes
• Youtube to host - free
• Blog to post - $89 per year (I pay for mine but others are free)
• Knowledge to make it all work - very, very little

Let me offer an example - I turn on my camera, hit the record button, Mr. Paul walks into my office, I ask him a question, he answers, it's over. End result is below -

Is it pretty? The answer to that question is in the eye of the beholder but my opinion is, in today's world quality of video isn't as important as content. Regarding the video above, add a little more light, bring him in closer, etc. and the quality of the video will be improved. We did this on the fly, tripod on my desk, Germaine off to the side, etc.

Is it effective? Again, what are you trying to achieve? An on the fly introduction placed on the front page of your online portfolio which welcomes the PR firm you just interviewed with to your site - yes, very effective.

Just some thoughts off the top of my head. More to come, I promise.