Calling out XM Canada, an old client at the Wilcox Group and something I subscribe to, for bad writing is painful but this is too good (bad) to pass up. I am indebted to my Humber College class for pointing it out—the individual herself will remain nameless to protect her later job prospects but thanks just the same. We review good and bad writing as a way of trying to articulate how it works or not. It was very clear to her that this did not adhere to what we learn as best practices. Here’s the story:

XM Canada Kicks Off Search for The Ultimate Soccer Party Guest with Online Video Challenge

Best Seats in the House Up for Grabs for 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Game at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant in Toronto

TORONTO, June 25 /CNW/ – There is no bigger event in sports than the FIFA World Cup(TM) and no better destination for sports fans than XM Canada(TM), the country’s leading audio entertainment company. In celebration of its in-depth sports coverage, from MLB(R) and The PGA TOUR(R) to the final 10 playoff matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, XM today kicked-off The Ultimate Soccer Party Guest Challenge in search of the best party guest in Canada. The lucky winner will celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final in front-row style with 24 friends at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant in Toronto on July 11th.

Note how many questions this writing raises:

1. There is no bigger event in sports than the FIFA World Cup(TM) Is that news? While it’s true now is it intrinsically reality at all times? Why begin with it; is it something editors need to be informed about while it’s happening? Why the TM? Not necessary in a news release, which isn’t advertising or marketing copy and never ever used in media. Just annoys editors who have to take it out.
2. And no better destination for sports fans (TM) than XM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company. Another useless TM with more wasted commercial message.Where’s the news? Aren’t news releases supposed to start with the story? Are we reading an ad here?
3. In celebration of its in-depth sports coverage, from MLB(R) and The PGA TOUR(R) to the final 10 playoff matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa…Still wondering what the story is and why we need to know about and celebrate MLB and PGA (in unnecessary caps, no less, and the two R marks, ever seen those in the news)? This is not inverted pyramid style, following news values, it’s the pyramid right side up.
4. XM today kicked-off The Ultimate Soccer Party Guest Challenge in search of the best party guest in Canada. The lucky winner will celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final in front-row style with 24 friends at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant Finally…some news! In the fifth line of the story. Not the biggest story in the world but certainly more useful to editors than ‘celebrating in-depth sports coverage.’

After considering writing various company leaders about this release, the class urged me contact the author directly to avoid creating difficulty for her and we said:

“Today in our PR writing class at Humber College, we were looking at examples of different types of PR writing and we came across your release for XM Canada and the best party guest competition. 

We were puzzled by your lead and second paragraph; it struck us that it buried the news and we were also wondering about the usage of TM in a news release when it is never published in media. 

Also the sentences appear to be lengthy as well as there were many company acronyms mentioned. 

Could you tell us for PR educational purposes what was your thought processes concerning this news release? Is there a specific format to be followed? What is the rationale for this style?”

She responded promptly with a certain candour:

“Thanks for your note.  I agree with your points about what typically are good approaches for releases. As I am sure you can understand, unfortunately, we can’t give you and your class much more context on how this specific release was developed due to standard confidentiality about client projects and processes.

I’d be more than happy to share our general point-of-view of writing for the media and social media.”

We will be inviting her soon….

Wilcox was Mat and Mat was Wilcox. The firm was inseparable from her shadow; there was a heavy component of micromanagement, which kept some clients happy and often alienated and disturbed professionals who believed they should be accorded more space and intellectual liberty. It was her firm though and she built it from the ground up. Who am I to say how she should run it? (Although I did, mistakenly).

Mat had had some serious health problems, well documented in a highly revealing account when she was named one of the  country’s 100 most influential women. It broke her heart to close the Toronto office, which she dutifully visited every other week, flying cross country, a daunting schedule for anyone, especially a person who arose at 4 am almost daily–even after her dual cancer treatments.

One of the most telling comments in Wilcox’s valedictory was her thoughts about social media. Expressing her unbridled enthusiasm for the communications revolution of our time, she also noted that “the financial model” for it does not exist–meaning the energy and time required to develop an online brand, either personally or in a corporate sense has not found its proper financial reward.

It’s always sad when an organization one has known and loved is no more. LA PR guru Martin Cooper expressed this well when Harshe-Rotman & Druck, Inc collapsed in the arms of Ruder Finn. Mat Wilcox was one of a kind and so was her firm, with its crisis communications “War Room,” total devotion to clients, brutal honesty — even about Matt’s illness. Although Mat herself will carry on, a plus for the PR world, the firm is gone, and that is a definite minus.

Professor of PR, Humber College and PR Writer Extraordinaire

Here’s some ways I’ve used my iPad in its first week…

Walked into the Dean’s office at the college where I teach, and dazzled him with simply having an iPad a day or so after launch and he also appreciated its many fantastic features. Also showed the all-female media faculty the machine, with one person saying, “I didn’t think I’d get to see one for several weeks.” Another faculty member already had one from a U.S. purchase.

Sat on my front porch on a nice warm summery night, answering emails with my new case, which came separately, securing the pad. The case is useful; makes it a bit heavier but the feature by which it’s propped up makes it easier to type and to use as pad for notes when giving a talk. It came separately and when Sheldon, the FedEx guy delivered it, he asked what it was, as each iPad owner received a second shipment. I told him and then asked, “Did anyone show it to you?” and then told him to sit down on a chair next to me and showed him what magic he’d been delivering.

I am definitely in the habit of reading the media in the morning at breakfast with the iPad. I haven’t missed my daily newspaper delivery and in fact now believe the iPad is more convenient than a big broadsheet. I’ve read it on the subway, on a bus and well…in the bathroom.

Today, I had to deliver a talk to a small group of people and it wasn’t feasible to use a projector. I outlined my talk in Word, emailed to myself, then opened it in Pages—a great App, all for $9.99. It was a great way to have a prompter, as I flipped up the pages with my fingers and kept talking. I also looked quite au courant to media studies teachers.

Starting to replace some Blackberry usages with it, too. Calendar for sure. A calorie counter to watch my weight. Blackberry mail is great and convenient but do I need it? My kids and a close friend use Blackberry Messenger. But I could do without it. Thinking of cutting off those usages with Blackberry as much as I love them. Saved on newspaper purchases and on telecom too?

So after one week, what do I think of it? I agree with Walt Mossberg even more. It could “profoundly” change personal computing. Its size is very convenient and it’s so much better to use in a meeting than a laptop—and for sitting on a porch using WiFi, it’s not only less obtrusive but also more convenient. The main reason for which I purchased it—media and books—will come to pass. I like it. I wonder what the next improved versions will be like?

Professor of Public Relations, Humber College

PR Writer Extraordinaire

Part I

It arrived from China as scheduled but not on time. I had been tracking its journey from Shenzen to Anchorage, Alaska. It then flew to the FedEx hub in Memphis and on to Mississagua, ON, where it arrived at my home office at 2:00 pm. Sheldon, the FedEx delivery guy, said his station delivered 500 iPads and that he personally was responsible for 30.  Sheldon added that often no one is home when he must obtain signatures. I asked if he knew what he was delivering and he said, “Yes, I do and everyone is home today.” Immediately sent my kids a photo of it out of the box.

Is it the future of computing?

As was once said about Bruce Springsteen and the future of rock ‘n’ roll, I have seen the dawn of something new in computing and it’s called iPad. I agree with The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg that the touch entry could take over the mouse, which has dominated computing since the Mac’s intro in 1984.

Why do I have one? Because I had the very first Mac the first week it came out and two Apple Newtons, the first ever PDA? Partially but I believe that this venture will ultimately mean more.

I spent much of the first and second days exploring and opening my eyes to how it works.

General observations:

1. It is as good as the hype: seeing the high-resolution photos and fast processor at work is remarkable.
2. Some things are so amazing they are freakish: turning the pages in the Apple library and seeing how they wrinkle and can be partially turned is almost too dazzling. It comes with a copy of Winnie the Pooh, one of my old favorites; it almost makes me want to read it again.
3. The Kindle app from Amazon simply moves the pages forward with a finger. I downloaded a chapter from Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists, a journalism novel, and read it in bed at night. I wanted to read the third book in the Dragon Tattoo series but Amazon said it wasn’t available in Canada. Boo!

Apart from participating in the technology, my main purpose in getting an iPad was two-fold: read media online and eliminate paper; read books and reduce paper. On both those counts, it does appear to work as promised. As I cancelled my newspaper subscriptions, this is important.

App review:

• New York Times: great but not enough stories; still need the online version. No doubt I will be paying for the iPad version soon.
• Globe and Mail: Haven’t worked out the paid app but the one for Blackberry/iPhone is a masterpiece and it works on the iPad.
• Guardian Eyewitness (all photos) and BBC, both wonderful.
• Best app so far: Instapaper: This killer app repurposes web articles by eliminating ads, graphics and links and then turning the entire article into a news story with a headline and saving it for later reference.

Part II: people’s reactions, Apple’s Pages and Notepad.

Prepared with the assistance of Humber PR grad student Heather Smith…

As the ever changing landscape of public relations continues to evolve, social media has become a central focus. From blogs to Twitter to Facebook, social media is being used like never before.

For businesses looking to capitalize on this fast-growing trend, there are several ways to go about it. Before the networking begins though, you must first consider the following.

• What is the goal of your social media campaign?
• What do you want to accomplish?
• Who is your target audience?
• Which social media networks are you going to use? Facebook? Twitter? MySpace?
• All of the above?

Once you have decided which social media networking sites you are going to use, you can get down to business. Outlined below are three of the most popular social networking tools used today. All three can aid in brand recognition and online social media marketing.

Twitter

A free social networking service, users post ‘tweets’ of 140 characters or less for other Tweeters to see. Businesses using Twitter can use the site to post ‘tweets’ about their company, topics relating to their company’s services, events, etc. Twitter can be used to publicize your company’s website or blog, and allows for optimal business marketing. Users can engage in conversations with other Tweeters, thus allowing for effective word of mouth marketing. Another benefit of Twitter, as with most social media services nowadays, is that posts are made seamlessly from wireless mobile devices. Users can post a comment from their BlackBerry, and instantly it appears on their Twitter page.

HOW TO: All new Twitter users must create an account. Following registration, one must begin to grow their contact list by following other users, and encouraging them to follow you. The more followers one has, the more opportunities exist for conversation and networking. Twitter offers several applications that can be used to better organize your contact list, for instance, Tweet Deck allows you to categorize incoming posts by topic.

Facebook

Another free social networking service, Facebook offers many more features than does Twitter. It is the ideal way for a company to build a fan following with features like fan pages and groups. Businesses can target users by demographic, age, interests, gender, etc. Fan pages and groups allow users to post pictures, videos, hold discussions and post information related to their company. Companies can create events and invite users to attend. They can create ads to market their company. The opportunities for SEO and brand recognition are endless.

HOW TO: First time Facebook users must create an account profile. This includes contact information, interests, etc. From there, users will start to build their contact list by adding friends to their list. Now, users can take advantage of the many features offered by Facebook. Create a fan page for your company, or a group pertaining to a topic of interest. Create events to launch or publicize a product. The more friends you have on your list, the more people there are to network with. Videos, photos and discussions go a long way in engaging current and prospective customers.

Blogs

The blogosphere is a never ending world of online commentary. Individuals can develop blogs, but so can companies. Blogs are a great way to post information relevant to the company’s products or services. You can post links to blogs on Facebook, Twitter and company websites. Blogs attract readers that can then contribute to the conversation, therefore building the company’s online reputation.

HOW TO: There are a variety of ways to start a blog. One must first contact a web host that will allow the blog to be accessible to the World Wide Web. Programs like WordPress are used to design and develop the blog. Graphics can be added and posts created. Depending on the purpose of the blog, web designers can tailor blogs based on the company’s business goals.

While there are tens of social networking sites that can be used in social media campaigns, the above are just three places to start. With millions of users, Twitter, Facebook and blogs can serve to increase brand recognition, improve sales, and encourage new customers.

Amidst the pomp and pageantry of Beijing 2008’s opening week, one may be excused for an inherent reluctance to prematurely rain on the Chinese parade. This is, of course, a historic event years in the making, with lofty expectations on many fronts – human rights, the environment and press freedoms, to name but a few. The ensuing pressure on China to justify holding the Olympic Games has been enormous.

Ironically, in trying to ‘get it right,’ on the PR front the Chinese international “coming out party” instead has been a ruinous affront. They have pushed too hard, creating a glaring irony plainly visible on the Games’ austere veneer. In painting an idyllic picture to the media and outside world, the Chinese have forgotten their most crucial audience: everyday citizens.

By catering their message to the newsroom instead of the living room, they forgot an invaluable contemporary communications lesson:

No matter the money invested, the number of mouths shut or your message’s totality, one-way or Web 1.0 communications will simply not work in today’s Web 2.0 environment.

Take the opening ceremonies, for example: what was meant to appear as a simultaneous sequence of giant firework ‘footprints’ ended up being an elaborate forgery.  Then it was revealed that the nine year-old poster child who sang Ode to the Motherland was lip-syncing. The real singer, who was 7, unfortunately had crooked teeth and was deemed too chubby for TV. Both cases were uncovered promptly on Chinese blogs, with ensuing international media coverage.

Should the Chinese have done anything differently? It’s easy to say that avoiding dishonesty would have been a smart idea but that’s applying our open society model to a semi-closed one. Evidently, even with the eyes of the world watching, the People’s Republic hadn’t listened to sophisticated advisors who clearly would have predicted that the lip-syncing, for example, would be found out. Acknowledging and embracing the harsh realities of today’s China could have been endearing, somewhat of a rallying cry for Western audiences. Instead, they tried to emulate (or trump) the West, and it’s ultimately proven embarrassing. From a communications perspective, it would have been intelligent to portray themselves as what they truly are: a rapidly developing state that is making vast economic and political strides, yet still has far to go.

This illustrates the importance of two-way dialogue in today’s communications environment. The blogosphere allows for anyone to be a credible journalist. Messages will inevitably get out, stories will leak and speculation often reigns. Regardless of the resources available, people now want to be engaged, to share in the discussion, to shape thoughts and, in many instances, to foment controversy.

This principle also holds tremendous weight here at home. As the Chinese are quickly learning, ignoring the relevance of blogs, social networks and everyday citizens is not only ignorant, it’s increasingly costly. Keep on watching – there are undoubtedly more lessons to follow.

News flash: communications will never be the same. The social media revolution has altered the landscape of public relations. It is not apparent to most practitioners yet but it has happened. My students at Humber College know it and they are eager to embrace it if someone could just explain it to them. It is more than Facebook, MySpace,YouTube and Linked in. It is a way of thinking that changes the entire model of communications as it’s been practiced perhaps since Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays launched public relations as a means of communications during and after World War I.

The previous top down model is best described in the hit TV series Mad Men, which if you have not seen it, you owe it to yourself to tune in. It’s all about the sexist, racist, tobacco-addicted advertising world of the early 60s. At the time, television, with its famed three networks, served a connected, unified hypermarket. You could really sell a mass product like cigarettes to a mass audience.

Today, you can sell to a mass audience but you must effect a communications plan that is collaborative,inclusive and quasi-democratic. It invites audience participation and the influence of the audience. There is even a new template for the Social Media News Release, which describes all the ways that multi-media, RSS feeds, video and blogs become part of the new equation.

For additional information about the Social Media News Release is all about, visit these URLS.

Social Media News Release Template:

http://www.shiftcomm.com/downloads/smprtemplate.pdf

Monologue has given way to dialogue:

http://www.briansolis.com/2007/06/future-of-communications-manifesto-for.html

Brian Solis of San Francisco has emerged as one of the leading thinkers in the social media landscape.

Die! Press Release! Die! Die! Die!

http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/02/die_press_relea.php

The first manifesto in the war against top-down communications.

We will return to this topic frequently.