A letter to CMO's, Brand Managers and in-house Marketers

Hi there:

More and more I hear from brands who've been disappointed by the work (or lack thereof) of a social media specialist. Some of these complaints are about well-known names in social media and practitioners backed by credible organizations like WOMMA, PRSA, and the AMA. With so-called "earned media" there are always going to be successes and failures, there are no guarantees here, but there are ways for brands to better vet who they work with in this field.

A Social Media search checklist:

1. Define your needs. Do you need a high-level strategist, creative, an educator on the tools, or a day-to-day team in the trenches with you? If you don't know what you need, survey your team or discuss your business goals during the RFP/vetting process and ask for input on a recommended scope of work.
2. Ask trusted sources for recommended SM specialists.
3. Find an example of a successful social media campaign that wowed you. Research who executed that and how. Share that example with your candidates so they better understand your idea of success.
   
4. Research the SM agency or individual. Check out their pages/accounts/blogs. Find out who they are. Look into their experience in the field.
5. Ask for case studies. While social media is still young, a lot of great work/campaigns have been done. Ask them what they've done. The proof is in the pudding. Even if they are providing high level strategy, I firmly believe they should have current work under their belt. How can you make a solid recommendation on approach, if you're not actively out there, working and accountable for the success of your ideas?
6. Ask direct questions about their work/role in their case studies. What was this person's contribution to the work? Who else contributed and how?
7. Ask for client references. Connect with their clients and seek feedback on the project or campaign.
   
8. Agree upon quantifiable program goals.
   
9. State clear timing expectations.
   
10. Be nimble. If an agreed upon approach isn't working, challenge your SM partner to develop a new approach. One of the best things about SM is that it IS a changing landscape and you can switch gears and try new things without a huge spend set in stone.
    

Good luck out there.

PRSA to launch monthly podcast on diversity

I just received an email from the Public Relations Society of America announcing the launch of a new monthly podcast series that will feature in-depth and frank discussions on the role diversity plays in our profession.

“PRSA Diversity Today,” which launches on July 21, 2008, will delve into diversity theory and practice and will feature best practices and interviews with PRSA and diversity professionals that can help prepare PRSSA members for a rapidly changing business environment.

This would be a good series to add to your feed reader/aggregator!

PRSA refutes CBS' derogatory remarks about the PR industry on YouTube

Last Sunday, CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen challenged the integrity of the public relations profession while commenting on former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's controversial new book about his work as part of the Bush Administration. The CBS story, entitled, The Flak Over Flacks: In The Wake Of Scott McClellan's New Book, Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Says PR People Are Aghast At The Truth charges that the very essence of the PR industry is based on lies. Cohen also pokes fun at the PRSA code of ethics, claiming that the PRSA principle to adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth was akin to the Burglars Association of America adopting the rule "Thou Shalt Not Steal" as its creed.

It goes without saying that PRSA was less than amused by Cohen's comments and that the organization has launched a series of responses to Cohen's attack. The first response came in form of a a letter to CBS submitted by Julin on behalf of PRSA and its Board of Directors. Three days after issuing its intial response, PRSA took the fight to Youtube by releasing a video response to Cohen.



Interesting to note that PRSA did not have a YouTube channel prior to this incident. The PRSA channel was created on June 2nd - a day after Cohen made his derogatory remarks about the PR industry. Seems like sometimes it takes a crisis to get businesses and organizations to adopt social media as a communication vehicle.

Learning from the 2007 PRSA Conference & Conference Blog

Today marks the end of the annual Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) international conference. Although the conference might be over, the discussion surrounding some of this year's hottest PR topics continues at the PRSA conference blog.

If you are still wondering whether or not we are in the middle of a technology revolution and whether PR professionals really need to understand new social media technologies, take a look at this year's session highlights and at the conference theme: "PR Evolution: Innovation. Collaboration. Influence." Conference highlights included:

- Campaigning on YouTube and in Second Life
- Video Blogging to Build Brand Reputation
- New Media, New Metrics: How to Survive in the New Consumer-Driven Media World
- Strategic Blogging for Successful Marketing
- Understanding and Influencing the New Influencers

The neat thing about this year's conference is the conference blog which is supposed to carry on the conversation about all these issues online. So take this blog as your chance to catch a glimpse of the conference and join the conversation.