by Scott Young

Economic turmoil causes organizations of all sizes to seek immediate relief from economic burdens that threaten their very existence. Executives find themselves wondering what is essential for their organizations to survive. They may be faced with tough decisions about whether or not to lay off employees. They may be tempted to ignore social responsibilities or pretend issues regarding reputation management involving community relationships between the organization and its stakeholders are nonexistent. Unable to see tangible connections between public relations and the financial stability of their organizations, some executives choose to downsize their PR staff.

Organizations interested in improving their reputations and relationships understand the importance of utilizing public relations in their everyday operations. By following ethical guidelines, building lasting relationships through community stewardship and listening to stakeholder needs, organizations are able to accomplish reputation management. Even though concerned organizations feel public relations is important, does economic hardship affect the importance of organizational public relations in the minds of executive decision makers?

In an early 2009 article published by the Boston Business Journal, Lisa van der Pool noted how PR professionals in the Boston area have experienced job cuts in recent years. “Nationally, public relations spending has been growing in recent years, although that growth slowed in 2008,” said van der Pool. “PR spending grew an estimated 10 percent in 2008 to $4.7 billion, compared with a 12 percent growth rate in 2007.” According to the article, in-house PR professionals as well as those working for outside agencies have experienced job cuts; however, it is possible to attribute increased PR spending to the trend of organizations using outside agencies more than in-house PR departments. In a recent Journalist blog post, Jeremy Porter noted how PR spending has continually increased in 2008 and 2009 through services like word-of-mouth marketing and social networking. While these trends support a growth in PR, it is limited mostly to agency-related PR.

Reductions in PR staff and resources force PR professionals to seek cost-efficient alternatives to promote their client or organization. Rapid development in social media has affected the way organizations interact with their publics, opening up two-way communication that can foster long-term brand loyalty. However, many PR agencies report requests by client organizations for nothing but social media marketing. While social media marketing is important to organizations, reputation management still depends on more traditional facets of PR, like media relations, community relations and crisis management. While social media can enhance these efforts, certain situations still require organizations to provide a face with the message.

A successful organization incorporates public relations initiatives into its daily operations at all levels, including the executive level. By implementing solid communication plans tied to the organization’s long-term business goals, the executives and their PR staff are able to keep a finger on the pulse of the organization and the reputation management issues it faces.

Outside agency vs. In-house

For those organizations that understand the importance of ongoing reputation management, the choice is not whether to eliminate PR from their daily operations but whether to use in-house PR departments or outside agencies. Julie Bonn Heath, founder of Julie Bonn Heath Marketing & PR, believes organizations and their public relations personnel have been greatly affected by economic hardships. Named one of the “Top 60 PR Peeps to Follow on Twitter” by Social Media Today, Heath explained in a recent interview the difficulties executives face when low budgets force cuts in personnel. She said many executive staff members prefer in-house PR because it is usually cheaper for the organization.

While in-house PR is often cheaper, Heath said in-house PR professionals often lack experience in working with the media. Outside agencies tend to have better media relationships. Heath said, “Outside firms can allow the company to benefit from the relationships of the agency, including relationships that involve other PR agencies. The level of experience the organization can gain by using an outside firm can be unlimited.”

Heath believes that public relations, whether the organization uses in-house PR or an outside agency, is now more important than ever. “In a recession, companies seem to cut their marketing budgets first,” said Heath. “In fact, companies should increase their budget. It is even more important to brand a name and become the choice of the consumer in today’s market.”

Consumers today have to budget their shrinking expendable incomes more because of a struggling economy. This makes today’s consumers very picky purchasers. Heath believes companies who budget more money for PR will stand out from their competition. With so many choices, where will your company be?

Combine your efforts for maximum potential

For some organizations, a combination of both in-house and outside agencies to handle the PR efforts of the organization works best. This allows internal PR professionals to handle marketing through social networking and events while the outside agency works closely with the media. Using a combination of PR efforts can save organizations money by reducing the number of PR staff employed. Companies can employ one person to handle daily public relations and utilize the endless benefits from using an outside agency only when necessary.

Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR, recently posted a blog about some differences between in-house PR and agency PR. He believes students and recent graduates need to know how each type of PR functions. It is equally important for top executives to know the differences. PR is very broad and can offer a variety of choices. Depending on whether the focus of the organization involves in-house PR or services from an outside agency, top executives must decide how the organization will communicate with stakeholders. Executives who arm themselves with this knowledge have a better chance of surviving in a struggling economy. While one effort may work best for an organization at one particular time, situations can change very rapidly in the business world. Now more than ever, it is important to know your publics. Companies can’t rely on family traditions in the marketplace anymore. Consumers seek the best anticipated value.

Good news for PR

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations employment is expected to grow more than 24 percent from 2008 to 2018. The site also predicts many organizations will choose to utilize outside firms instead of in-house PR professionals. The cost of an in-house staff may or may not be comparable to the cost of hiring an outside PR agency; every situation is different. Whether your organization chooses to use an in-house PR department, an outside agency or a combination, the important thing to remember is reputation is everything. Good news travels fast but bad news travels faster. Have a plan in place to handle all of your PR needs by incorporating communication into top management and utilizing PR professionals who are most beneficial to your organization’s survival.

by Josh Morris

If work or pleasure takes you to Boston, and a friend suggests you go to Faneuil Hall and eat at Houston's – for lunch or dinner (they don't serve breakfast) – because it is the best restaurant in the city, would you believe your friend is working for Houston's, or just giving you his opinion?

Certainly you've had a friend suggest a product or service before, and most likely you've done some suggesting yourself, but have you ever considered the implications of what it is you're really doing?

What exactly is word of mouth marketing?

Word of mouth (WOM), as defined by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), is "the act of consumers providing information to other consumers." So your friend was giving you good word of mouth; he believes Houston's is great and thought you would enjoy eating at his favorite restaurant in Boston.

In turn, word of mouth marketing (WOMM), according to WOMMA's WOM 101, is "giving people a reason to talk about your products and services, and making it easier for that conversation to take place. It is the art and science of building active, mutually beneficial consumer-to-consumer and consumer-to-marketer communications."

So, wait: did Houston's provide your friend with incentive to drive business once he left the restaurant? If it's called marketing, it must mean they've spent money on it, right?

Carin Galletta, founder of Ink Foundry Public Relations, a full-service word of mouth marketing agency, put WOM into an easy perspective: "I'm giving you my recommendation for a product or service. If you respect my opinion, my recommendation can encourage you to purchase a product."

What actually happened was Houston's staff are so good at what they do, assumedly providing great food and excellent service, that your friend was compelled enough to tell you about his experience, in turn providing free marketing for Houston's. Are we getting closer? I think so!

Advertising, public relations and marketing all cost companies money – at times, very big money – and are ultimately meant to impact business. But Galletta believes all of the money in the world won't create a successful WOMM campaign; WOM must start with a great product.

"We tell all of our clients to make sure the product or service is the best it can be before engaging in a word of mouth marketing campaign," she said.

Sure, Houston's spent money on products and staff, but the food and service themselves were what made your friend recommend the restaurant. So, whether or not the business is intentionally creating it, WOM is an inherent result of a great product or service.

Is WOMM something new?

Yes. According to WOMMA, WOM has been around forever but businesses are just now getting around to harnessing it effectively within marketing objectives, resulting in the formation of WOMM. Although it is new, there are already many types of WOMM, but to better understand the different tactics, WOM should be broken into two categories: organic and amplified.

WOMMA defined organic word of mouth as the daily interaction of consumers and amplified word of mouth as the result of a WOMM campaign. Organic WOM has been going on throughout history and the only control businesses have over it is the quality of its service or product. Amplified WOM, according to Galletta, is the result of businesses harnessing and encouraging the consumer interaction and can be achieved through many different tactics, channels and strategies.

For example, two types of WOMM to create amplified WOM, defined by WOMMA, are: 1) "buzz marketing: using high-profile entertainment or news to get people to talk about your brand;" and 2) "viral marketing: creating entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion, often electronically or by e-mail."

A great example of a WOMM campaign is one Ink Foundry recently held. It was an immersive influencer event, where key influences are identified and invited to a brand event at the Playboy Mansion for a Las Vegas casino client.

Galletta said, "We brought in gaming tables, dealers, Vegas girls and everything else that we could to recreate the casino experience at the Playboy Mansion. We even took the Vegas experience into the famous Playboy Mansion grotto."

If that didn't "encourage" the invite-only guests to talk over the next few days, or weeks, I'm not sure they still have a pulse.

Where does PR play a role?

Earlier I mentioned Ink Foundry is a public relations, word of mouth marketing agency. Sure, its emphasis is on WOMM, but its foundation is public relations. Galletta said that even after 20 years her parents still don't know what it is, but that's because PR is very misunderstood by most everyone.

"It can encompass many, many different elements including managing crises, keeping brands out of the news, community events and many other things that people don't really think about," Galletta said. "However, everything that PR does should support the company's larger marketing objectives."

It's this supporting of every part of a company, beyond marketing, that keeps PR vital to everyday operations. WOMM campaigns rely on PR ethics and strategies to be successful and create the most positive WOM possible.

While discussing the PR foundation for Ink Foundry, Galletta said it began about 10 years ago as a public relations company that specialized in word of mouth marketing, brand immersion events and influencer engagement, and that it is still doing that today.

"[That's] corporate speak for: we found the people most likely to enjoy a brand and found cool ways to make the introduction and let the people do the rest," Galletta said.

WOMMA defined the basic elements of WOMM to include: researching how, when and where opinions are being shared; engaging in conversation with supporters, detractors or neutrals; and identifying key publics to educate about your products or services. Each basic element of WOMM is also a basic element of PR; where doesn't PR play a role in WOMM?

Ethical WOMM

"Nothing is more important for a business than upholding the highest ethical standards," Galletta said, and her Ink Foundry Web site has an Ethics section that states it abides by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code. And after review, the WOMMA Ethics Code closely resembles the core values of the PRSA Code of Ethics – further establishing the relationship between the two industries.

"We want everyone to know where we stand and how we work," Galletta said. "We also want to set a visible example of how we believe ethical word of mouth marketing should be done. It's not cool to try to pull the wool over anyone's eyes."

WOMMA agreed in its WOM 101 guide, and said, "Word of mouth can't be faked or invented. Attempting to fake word of mouth is unethical and creates a backlash, damages the brand, and tarnishes the corporate reputation."

If WOM, at least in its organic form, has been around for so long, and is going to happen whether or not you intend for it to, businesses might as well participate proactively and ethically.

Galletta believes that WOMM is the untouched division of marketing as far as power and impact are concerned, and said, "Across the board, WOM is the number one way that people hear about and then decide to purchase a product."

Then if engaging in and harnessing amplified WOM is the most powerful and effective form of positive marketing, certainly remaining passive and allowing uncontrolled, organic WOM must be the most destructive and critical form of negative promotion.

Galletta recommended joining the conversation whether your company is experiencing positive or negative WOM. "Get in the conversation and define who you are and what your brand is; don't let someone define your brand for you," she said.

If the word out about your business is negative, there is no better time to join the conversation and defend your products and services, providing accurate WOM. But remember, unethically creating buzz around a product or service, even in defense, poses far greater risk than reward; if word gets out you're lying, customers have a far greater incentive to share negative information with their friends.

Go ahead and chime in!

Did you just feel a little power shift from producer to consumer? Now that you know a little bit more about the implications of word of mouth and the power of word of mouth marketing, why not consider vocally supporting your favorite brands more often, or more objectively criticizing one bad customer experience? Try not to abuse the power of WOM, but if the next time you're unhappy with a product or service, speak up! You never know who's out there listening, waiting to join the conversation.

by Ashley Ross

Public relations is all around us. Every day we get a firsthand glimpse at companies dealing with PR through various modes of communication with the public. Oftentimes, we forget, or overlook, the fact that those companies are utilizing pubic relations within their very own walls to effectively communicate with all levels of employment.

“Internal communications is vital for a successful organization," said Stefanie Asin, the director of public relations at the Methodist Hospital System in the Medical Center in Houston, Texas. "It fosters trust among employees, provides information about the company and their jobs, and connects employees to each other,”

Alabama Power Corporate Communications Director Pat Wylie said, “Alabama Power uses internal communication with employees, retirees and other key stakeholders to actively communicate messages intended to enable successful achievement of corporate goals and objectives.”

By effectively identifying and explaining corporate missions and ideals to its employees, a company can actually achieve some of its long-term goals simply because no confusion is present. Internal PR guarantees this success through better participation amongst employees because everyone is striving for the same clearly explained goals.

So, for what other reasons do companies incorporate internal PR into their corporate culture?

According to an article written by Peter TerHorst and posted on the Ezine Articles Web site, “When employees are informed about what their organization is doing and recognized for their role in its success, they will become some of your best spokespeople.”

Both large and small companies must understand that employees possess the capabilities of creating either positive or negative word of mouth about a company, which directly affects the company’s reputation. By effectively exercising internal PR, a company can maintain a healthy and strong relationship with the employees, thereby stirring up positive outlooks amongst them.

“The role of internal or employee communications is critical to Alabama Power,” Wylie said. “Properly informed and motivated, Alabama Power’s 6,800 active employees and 5,000 retired employees serve as ambassadors for the company all over the state in civic organizations and churches, in everyday life and with professional engagements with customers.”

Asin said, “Employees are the best ambassadors for a company. So the employees must understand the company’s mission and values — which can be accomplished through internal communications.”

Because employees demonstrate that they are one of the main sources for external communication with your customers and the public, why not improve your internal public relations to ensure that positive word of mouth is created amongst your best company ambassadors? By creating a healthy, positive corporate culture, employees will be satisfied with the company workplace and continue to put forth their best effort toward the company’s goals.

In his article, TerHorst explains that a company should tell the employees what the company is doing, what their role is and why it is important, as well as solicit their comments and suggestions.

David Brown’s article for The Business Review stated, “Without a dedicated, effective internal communications program, an organization allows others to determine what information (or disinformation) is communicated to employees about their organization.”

Exactly how are corporations carrying out the steps suggested by TerHorst?

To communicate its messages to employees, Alabama Power uses internal PR through printed publications, Web sites, social media and employee events and meetings. These simple, yet effective, means of communicating, provide the exact solutions for Alabama Power to reach out to its thousands of employees.

Asin said, “We [Methodist Hospital System] have an online employee newsletter, weekly e-mail newsletter from the boss, internal blog, lots of other e-mails," and social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate with employees. 

The Methodist Hospital System also uses magazines, posters in the hallways, tent cards in the cafeteria, and stickers to better communication with the employees.

In his article, Brown suggests a few steps to implement a good internal communications strategy:
•“Make sure communications is from all directions. The process of communicating internally should include an information flow that goes throughout the organization.”
•“Make sure messages are clear, consistent and credible.”
•“Assure that all information is accessible, accurate and accountable.”
•“Take advantage of technology.”
•“Printed material such as newsletters and company magazines, etc., still are important.”
•“Don't forget personal interaction. The most effective internal communications vehicles are still face-to-face meetings and small group interactions.”

By applying these processes, a company can effectively communicate with its employees to motivate and encourage them to put their best efforts back into the company. Internal public relations is simple and easily executed for any size organization. It proves to be the heart of a company’s operations because it provides positive communication with employees, which will boost the company into success. From the outside looking in, we may not notice a company’s internal public relations tactics, but we understand the importance of good communication within an organization.

by Amanda Aviles

Curious about what it would be like to live in another country? Or form business relationships with people from exotic backgrounds, whose customs and beliefs vary drastically from yours? Have you ever considered working for an international company in the U.S.? Ever dreamed of a career that could present opportunities for you to travel the world and learn global PR practices? All of these possibilities, and more, are available with international PR, a quickly growing career path that many young hopefuls are considering, and for good reasons.

What is international PR?
Jim Holtje, senior manager of leadership communications at Siemens Corporation in New York, lectured on international PR at the 2009 PRSSA National Conference and defined international PR as working for a company, agency or non-governmental organization (NGO) overseas or working for a foreign company, agency or NGO in the U.S.

Throughout his presentation, which he titled, “International PR: Go Global, Get an Edge,” Holtje talked about the benefits of working abroad, but also touched on less common international practices, like insourcing (quite literally the opposite of outsourcing), Americans working for foreign companies in the U.S. Unlike outsourcing, however, where workers in other countries are paid a fraction of what Americans would be paid to do the same work, insourced PR professionals are actually paid an average of 32 percent more than their counterparts working for American firms. Holtje went on to say that 5.1 million U.S. workers are currently being insourced.

In the book “Legacies from Legends in Public Relations,” John Reed, APR, Fellow PRSA chairman, Consultants in Public Relations, gave another definition of international PR: “International public relations simply means you ‘do it someplace else.’ By ‘someplace else,’ I mean places where the audience or public is different from the persuader, where geographic, linguistic, historical, religious and other boundaries are crossed.”

What companies provide opportunities in international PR?
PR agencies like Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton and Fleishman Hillard are all international agencies with offices throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world.

The international divisions of each agency are incredibly profitable. For example, Holtje said in his presentation that Edelman reported a total revenue of $450 million in 2008, with 64 percent of it being international revenue.

Because larger agencies have offices around the world as well as international clients, it is much easier to pursue international opportunities when employed by a larger agency than with a smaller firm, or in a corporate PR position.

What are some characteristics you need to succeed in international PR?
In essence, a main function of PR is relationship building, and a large part of international PR is being able to build these relationships with and for people from different cultures. Reed stated that ”International PR requires the persuader or PR person to have an extra skill set that includes linguistic ability, a knack for and desire to engage in cross-cultural persuasion.” While it takes a special type of person to be able to connect and build these cross-cultural relationships, the outcome could be greater than ever imagined.

An article in the New York Times about the current trend of American students pursuing jobs in China highlighted another plus Americans bring to the table. When looking for prospective employees, one employer said he “needed someone who was capable of communicating with the Western world.” Believe it or not, having American connections gives us a leg up, considering how much business most countries do with English-speaking countries.

Holtje recommended these five tips for young professionals hoping to land a job in International PR:
1. Travel! While it will help you become acquainted with other cultures and customs prior to settling down, it will also help you decide if you really do have the passion for international relations and traveling. Studying abroad is the obvious choice to fulfill this recommendation, but if it is too late in your schooling to pursue a semester overseas, consider a summer program or short vacation post-graduation.
2. Learn a foreign language(s). Even if you decide not to pursue international PR, it gives you a huge marketplace advantage.
3. Sharpen your core PR skills. No matter what aspect of PR one chooses to pursue, it is important to keep the basics in the forefront of one’s mind.?
4. Broaden your horizons. Pursue opportunities that you hadn’t thought of; meet people you normally wouldn’t; take chances.?
5. Network! With this, always give more than you take in new friendships.

Based on his experiences around the world in international PR, Reed said, “The important concept to be learned is that peoples differ markedly from place to place in terms of their histories, religions, interests, values and so forth.” To succeed in international PR, hopefuls must understand and embrace these differences.

How do international PR practices differ from U.S. practices?
While international PR requires many of the same skills as PR in the U.S., there are also special PR needs for every country, region and industry within each. Holtje alluded to common foreign needs like translations and help with everyday English “slang” phrases that could help their company succeed in the Western world. PR practitioners will also have to devote time and energy to immersing themselves in the culture, in order to best meet the needs of the market they serve. Many of these “special needs” will not be laid out on the table, and it may take time to adjust to and learn the real needs of a company and the best way to handle them.

He elaborated on this thought in a later interview by saying that while U.S. practitioners have a wealth of knowledge to share overseas, "there's some really creative and cutting-edge public relations work being done around the world that all practitioners can benefit and learn from. Good ideas don't need a passport."

One Chinese executive, quoted in the article in the New York Times, said another dynamic Americans have to offer is a knowledge of skills that are hard to find in natives of other countries, like the Chinese. He lists some of these traits as taking initiative and thinking ahead, while a common Chinese practice would be to take orders instead. This difference is refreshing for most international companies, as an American’s perspective and attitudes vary greatly from the Chinese culture of listening as opposed to initiating.

Not only do practices and tactics differ around the world, but in some countries, PR campaigns may have to be altered to comply with local regulations. Natalie Murphy, account supervisor at Weber Shandwick in NYC, works on global healthcare accounts, and advised that it is important to bear in mind that every tactic may not work in every country due to rules and regulations, so developing different components to each campaign is crucial.

Murphy also touched on the fact that practices may fluctuate from country to country simply based on their understanding of PR. She stated that as corporations begin to realize the importance of their image to all stakeholders, and the fact that one small story could develop in to overnight global headlines, they understand PR more. This, in turn, leads to hiring agencies like Weber Shandwick or others listed above to improve upon what they have, and help them develop their PR practices even more.

Holtje advised that, "if you're planning an international PR effort, the local conditions on the ground should be your first consideration and take precedent over what headquarters thinks everyone should say," as many people based in the U.S. may not understand what you see by being there.

Finally, as social media has become the hottest PR topic in the U.S., and most U.S. companies are jumping in head first, companies abroad are much more reluctant. Murphy attributed this to the aforementioned regulations, and the fact that the companies would prefer to let others test the waters first, thus predicting their success on the success (or failure) of other companies and deciding the next steps to take from there.

Why work in international PR??
Why not? As a soon-to-be or recent college graduate, the time is right to get out in the world and see and do things you’ve never done. If you love to travel or are fascinated by other cultures and their practices, adding PR to the mix makes international PR an ideal first job. We have the opportunity to practice PR, exchange knowledge with other countries and, most importantly, spread our wings and expand our portfolios by learning culturally diverse PR practices.

by Jessica Boyd

Many people have compared the current war in Iraq to the Vietnam War. Like Vietnam, the Iraq War is an undeclared war that has grown increasingly unpopular in recent months and has lasted longer than most people expected.

According to the Historian article “Unsell the War: Vietnam and Antiwar Advertising” by Mitchell Hall, the Vietnam War was marked with scandal as the United States military was accused of using propaganda to “sell” the war to the American people. During the war, the Department of Defense fed the national press carefully selected information, oftentimes not representative of the true nature of the conflict. The Army prepared more than two million press releases a year, keeping the American people at arm’s length away from the conflict. Additionally, military television crews would often supplement network news coverage with combat footage that was staged.

In this new millennium, however, the American people are no longer left in the dark when it comes to the Army. The public affairs division of the Army has adopted the phrase, “Maximum disclosure, minimum delay” to describe its public relations philosophy. As a public affairs officer at Red Star Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., Kim Henry believes it is the Army’s duty to let the taxpayers know where their money is going. She said, “Public affairs officers are the face and voice for the Army because we are the official spokespersons.”

Frederick P. Wellman, a former chief of public relations in Iraq and a retired veteran, agrees. He said, “The military public affairs officer stands between the two worlds of openness and confidentiality and is constantly engaged in the balancing act between their duty to share information and protect their fellow service members.” Wellman admits there is a constant tension between the need to be open with the public and the need to keep our Army’s operations and soldiers safe. In order to maintain this balance between the two worlds, public affairs officers must follow strict guidelines and policies set forth by the government.

As a current public affairs officer for the Army, Henry said her duties are different every day. Public affairs officers must be able to be versatile and adapt well to change as every day brings new responsibilities. These officers must write press releases, handle the media and serve as the conduit between the Army and the American people, as well as a host of other responsibilities.

According to both Wellman and Henry, the main goal of the public affairs division is to inform the public, which is done in several ways. The public affairs division of the Army is broken down into three tenets: media relations, community relations and command information. Media relations involves working with the press to disseminate information, and community relations involves promoting events to raise Army awareness within the national and local community. Command information refers to any communication the public affairs office has with its service members, employees and families of service members.

The public affairs division of the Army continues to progress away from the days of Vietnam to maintain a high level of openness with the public. Its officers still sends press releases to the national press, but the Army has also begun to imbed reporters in the Iraq War, giving the press and American people an in-depth look at our troops. According to Henry, this process allows reporters to be trained and imbedded in different units in Iraq and Afghanistan, giving the reporters a firsthand look at the status of combat situations and the American public an objective view of the conflict.

Perhaps an even more dramatic change in the Army’s public affairs department is the adoption of social media to communicate with the public. Wellman said the Army has even created a new division in the public affairs office, the Online Social Media Division, to oversee the Army and its members’ use of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and different blogging sites. “This has allowed us a whole new menu of ways to tell our story directly to the public,” Wellman said.

The Army’s social media Web site offers links to official Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube pages of Army units around the world. The Army regularly posts updates to its own Twitter page, offering the public a chance to connect with the Army and receive updates about its soldiers serving stateside and overseas. Henry said, “Public affairs has done a great job of harnessing social networking for public relations purposes and convincing the national government to use social media.”

However, the Army must still maintain certain boundaries when dealing with social networking sites. Only a few months ago, Army bases were forced to ban their soldiers from using social networking sites to prevent sensitive information from being leaked to the Internet. In June, the Army lifted this ban and now allows soldiers to interact with the American people through social media. However, the Army was initially against the use of social media sites due to the dangers associated with information falling into the enemy’s hands, according to Henry. Now, the Army’s Web site features a blog, and it even includes information on how to replicate the Army’s personal branding for individual Army unit’s Web sites.

The Army has made significant strides since the days of subterfuge during the Vietnam War and continues to live by its motto of communicating quickly and openly with the public. The job of public affairs officers, however, is complicated because they must balance the ability of instant communication with the safety of that communication for the people who serve and the nation they protect. Their efforts have been noted and appreciated as we continue to support our troops.

Photo ed. by Niki Gautier

by Josh Morris

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by Alysar Alameddin

In recent years, Food Network has become more than just a household name. The network, known for its cooking segments, competitions and travels, reaches 98 million U.S. households and continues to grow more each day. Carrie Welch, vice president of public relations at Food Network, said there is much planning, strategizing and executing that goes into PR for each of its shows.

“About six months before each show launches, we create a press plan where we decide what types of media we’ll focus on given the type of show,” Welch said. “We start contacting long-lead magazines at that time to begin to interest them in the show and chef or cook featured. We plan for select outlets to cover behind the scenes as the show shoots for articles and segments that we ask run closer to the show’s premiere date.”

But one of the main challenges at Food Network is the sheer amount of shows it premieres in a given year, Welch said. “Sometimes we’ll premiere more than one show a month, which is very rare for cable networks. We are one of the only cable channels that programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so that’s a lot of shows to promote at once.”

The public relations team at the Food Network is made up of six people.

“Many of us have worked together for over five years, so we love the people we work with and our chefs and cooks,” Welch said. “It’s always fun to go on set when Iron Chef America is filming and stand in Kitchen Stadium; it really makes you remember what you’re working for. And, we do get to eat great food a lot.”

The six team members are in charge of the PR for the entire network.

“Our team handles PR for the shows, network, brand extensions and much more,” Welch said. “We divide the shows up between about five people who are designated as the point person for that show or talent for the production companies and internal programming directors to communicate with. We also handle talent relations as for any network needs like photo shoots, etc., so we are in touch with the chefs very often.”

Welch started as an administrative assistant in the Food Network’s PR department nine years ago and now runs the PR department. She said she shows up to work every day not knowing exactly what it will hold, but knows it will be exciting.

“It’s fun showing up to work every day not really knowing where that day will take you,” Welch said. “You could be escorting talent to a morning show at 7 a.m., making sure the food is correct and the plugs are in the segment, then back to office attending lots of meetings where we love to brainstorm and update, then out to lunch with a food writer or fellow publicist, then back to pitching, following up, tracking clips, then even dinner out with a producer, talent or vendor. Not to mention we all travel often to promote the shows and chefs while on the road. It can be a really intense schedule, but we are all very detail oriented and make sure we all know who’s coming and going at all times.”

Recently, the PR team started incorporating social media into their list of effective tactics. Welch said they have fully embraced Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more. She said it’s a great promotional tool, so immediate and helpful in many ways, but as a PR professional you always have to think about leaks.

“Because social networking sites are usually more personal than professional, people sometimes forget that there is information they have access to that’s not ready for release,” Welch said. “Many media companies have begun instituting rules for employees on what can and can’t be posted, and we are taking a look at our security measures as well. At Food Network, our online department manages our Facebook and Twitter pages, but we give them information and tidbits to promote on a weekly basis to be sure our priorities are being posted.”

Food Network’s mission is to connect people to the power and joy of food. Welch said the Food Network views itself as its viewers’ best friend in food – “an encouraging resource on-air and online as you’re navigating the world of food.”

“We are an interesting mix of a corporate office, television network with sets and production teams, and professional kitchen all wrapped up in orange and green décor above the Chelsea Market,” Welch said. “Chelsea Market is an old cookie factory, originally owned by Nabisco (the Oreo cookie was invented here), which is the perfect home for Food Network. We have the normal corporate structure you would expect for a mature cable network, but many of us have worked here for a long time and everyone is seriously, seriously NICE. Many describe it as the nicest place they have ever worked.”

Having been at the Food Network for nine years, Welch said she has many favorite moments, which include traveling to almost every major city in the U.S. with their chefs and having had the most amazing meals.

“I’ve eaten with Emeril at an elegant restaurant outside of Detroit, had margaritas at a fancy L.A. bar with Bobby, and eaten down home Atlanta food with Alton, to name a few,” Welch said. “But my real favorite moment is not really a moment, but the opportunity the network gave me.”

Advice Welch gives to future PR professionals is for everyone to understand their place in the world. She said it is difficult to balance when to talk, when not to talk, when to be aggressive and when to be patient.

“I think future PR professionals should pay attention to every detail and learn from every person they meet,” Welch said. “Don’t discount someone because you think they’re not important enough or quick enough. Make sure people know you respect them, and they’ll respect you too. And you need that credibility to formulate the relationships that help you do your job. It will be surprising to practitioners entering TV PR now just how many people you depend on just to make your job happen each day. But, I think that’s the fun part.”

As for advice for students wanting to eventually work in network PR, Welch said there are three important areas of PR for an internal person at a cable network.

1. “Phone – Decide if you like pitching and talking on the phone. It’s a huge part of the job.”

2. “Writing – An even bigger part of the job. Take a PR writing course, if not a full English minor! You will be writing every day of your life so make sure you either love it, or learn how to do it really well.”

3. “Cocktail parties – Learn how to engage people in conversations at cocktail parties, make smooth introductions, remember people’s names and work the room in a way that doesn’t look like you’re ‘working the room.’”

She also said, especially in TV, to get to know the entire crew when you’re on set during a show.

“It’s good to do this even when you’re on the set at a morning show or other press appearances,” Welch said. “These guys have been doing it a lot longer than you, and you can learn a lot from them. Plus they’re usually freelancers and move from show to show, so if you’re nice to them once or twice, they’ll probably remember you. You have no idea how many times my crew guys have saved me. And one more – get tight with your mailroom. They can make or break your very expensive press mailings, so make sure they are well taken care of with lunch once in a while, coffee, whatever small gesture wins them over.”

by Ashley Ross

In today's lackluster economy, more and more companies are searching for ways to keep their heads above water. Companies rely on public relations more than ever to create optimistic financial outlooks for the public. For a company to survive these difficult economic times, it is key that public relations practitioners understand how to communicate a positive company reputation, despite negative financial issues.

Forming potential strategies to combat declining monetary issues should be the first undertaking for companies to maintain a positive public image during tough times. Preparation is the single most important step in managing financial crises.

Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management Inc., located in California, holds more than 25 years of experience within the field of crisis management. He agrees preparation is crucial. "The first step is intelligence gathering," Bernstein said. "I play investigative reporter, only on behalf of the company. It's vital to know the truth of the matter before finalizing strategy and messages."

As General Motors knows all too well, without a plan, failure is eminent. John McDonald, GM's spokesman for consumer incentives, sales and marketing trends said, "We didn't react. For us, it was a matter of planning and then executing the plan."

GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early June 2009. GM then hired Bob Lutz to update its advertising, internal communications and public relations. The public relations department determined GM's course of communication throughout the bankruptcy, and Lutz was there to make sure the job was completed. With much dedication and diligence, the company came out of bankruptcy by July 10, 2009. McDonald said, "GM's departments focused their attention toward minimizing the damage to their reputation, supporting customers and businesses and ultimately securing financing and reorganizing the company."

GM began preparing to restructure the organization more than a year ago. "We had communications programs around that were modified, and as the plan changed over time, the preparation and restructuring shifted," McDonald said. Initially, it was estimated that GM needed 90 days for restructure during bankruptcy; to the surprise of many it only took it 40. GM accomplished such a feat through its "Reinvention" campaign, which launched immediately after filing for bankruptcy. The campaign included a Web site with links to the GM Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts and a 60-second spot that appeared on YouTube, Facebook, television and radio.

What exactly did the campaign do for GM? "The campaign showed customers and the public how we were changing," McDonald said. "It was successful for GM by the fact that we secured government funding and maintained market share."

When asked about the role of public relations during a bankruptcy, Bernstein said, "To the greatest extent possible, it preserves the reputation of the principals involved and also effectively lets stakeholders know what the bankruptcy means to them."

In order to regain the trust of the public, customers and stakeholders, the GM "Reinvention" openly and honestly explained the issues it encountered while facing bankruptcy. For example, the "Reinvention" commercial GM launched said, "Let's be completely honest. No company wants to go through this, but we're not witnessing the end of the American car. We're witnessing the rebirth of the American car. GM needs to start over in order to get stronger."

Bernstein said the ultimate goal is to minimize damage. GM's efforts throughout bankruptcy exemplified this same belief. Not only does a company have to minimize the damage done within the infrastructure during bankruptcy, but it must also be conscious of the damage stakeholders and customers will endure and handle it accordingly.

With the goals set and the right preparation on hand to achieve those goals, a company will create an increased opportunity to have a better financial standing. To help a company through it all, public relations should be at the forefront of the situation, managing the entire process by laying out the groundwork and ultimately accomplishing the goal of minimizing damage.

Any company facing financial downturns during this recession can look to GM's situation to prepare for such financial binds and learn how to manage crises within their businesses. GM's Bob Lutz and its public relations department accomplished numerous feats while GM rose out of bankruptcy. GM's biggest challenge was winning back faith of the public, but McDonald advised, "You can't just talk about change, you have to show the change."

Graphic by Niki Gautier

by Philip Turkowitsch, Contributing Writer

On Feb. 25, 2009, a Turkish Airlines aircraft crashed upon landing at Amsterdam International Airport. Nine people were killed and another 86 were injured in this tragic accident. I happened to watch a report on CNN that day, when all of a sudden the breaking news came in. The Amsterdam Airport Authority confirmed an incident but was unable to give any further information a few minutes into the rescue operation. CNN had to get the story from different sources and found them on Twitter.

Here is what happened: The accident occurred just a few meters off a main road. Cars stopped and people started taking photos of the crash site on their cell phones. Within seconds, pictures of the wrecked aircraft made their way online and from there to major news networks. The so-called iReporters allowed news channels all over the world to broadcast pictures of a live rescue operation. As expected, CNN dealt with the situation in a very professional way. They stated that these initial reports were eyewitness' comments and unconfirmed by authorities. No CNN reporter allowed speculation or offered rumors.

Turkish Airlines was under pressure from the start. By the time airline officials were informed about the accident, reports had already made their way online and on TV. During the critical first few hours, Turkish Airlines personnel had to react to reports rather than being able to handle the crisis in a proactive way. They did well during their response for one single reason: They had a crisis plan prepared.

This example shows how quickly an accident can become breaking news. Companies that are unprepared put their organizations' and their employees' futures at stake. For all of us working in public relations, the above case study proves one thing: Whether we are prepared or not, we need to respond.

Today, media can broadcast stories from the most remote locations of our planet in a matter of minutes. Contrary to popular belief, news media is not the priority audience in a crisis. They report about the situation and distribute messages to the people they are actually targeting: the crisis stakeholders. Those could be victims of the crisis, families of the victims, dissatisfied customers, potential customers, investors, employees, etc. If I could give one piece of advice on modern crisis management, it would be to put the people first and the rest of the business will follow.

How do you put the people first?

To start, give the public information. In a crisis, PR practitioners need to talk. If they do not talk, someone else will do it for them. Their competitors, dissatisfied customers, industry experts and former employees will all have something to say about the situation. But only the practitioners have the company's best interest at heart.

Be honest! Crisis management is also about regaining trust. PR practitioners cannot lie their way out of a crisis – it will always backfire. Being dishonest during an emergency response campaign is a sure way to navigate the company into troubled waters. If investors, customers or business partners find out that the company is trying to finagle them, credibility is gone. A crisis is the time to step up and show competency and commitment to honesty. The victims of a crisis deserve to know the truth.

In any crisis situation, you should be prepared to answer the "Big Three" crisis media questions. These questions are asked with surprising consistency in any emergency situation, regardless of the nature of the crisis. Answers to these questions set the tone for general media coverage.

The "Big Three" crisis media questions are as follows:

Q: What happened?

A: Be honest and provide as many facts as possible. Send out updates as further information becomes available. The goal when answering question one is to appear competent and transparent. Show stakeholders that you know what you are talking about, have gathered all relevant information and are forwarding all available facts. Do not hide anything!

Q: Why did it happen?

A: Give the reasons as to why the situation occurred. When responding to an accident, you might not be able to answer this question right away. Investigations often take months and you might find yourself in a position where you will have to deal with rumors and accusations. Do not speculate; it will not help the victims of your crisis.

Q: What are you going to do about it?

A: As you might have guessed, this is your chance to shine. This question gives the company the opportunity to show that it is professional, responsible and prepared. Tell stakeholders what actions will be taken to help them during this difficult situation. Make sure to get the answer to this question right because you might only have one try.

For more on this topic, go to Turkowitsch's blog post "Disaster.com — How the Internet Can Help You in a Crisis."

by Jaclyn White

When many students majoring in public relations think about post-graduate work, they imagine sexy jobs at PR agencies or big corporations, or saving the world with a nonprofit company. The option of working in higher education PR rarely occurs to them. But it should.

The work of a higher ed PR professional is similar to that of other PR professionals; they manage social networks, deal with media contacts, monitor the news and are constantly writing various materials. The differences for these professionals are the client and focus. Dealing with faculty, especially experts, requires unique understanding of their perspectives and workloads.

Brian Camen is the author of the blog The PR Practitioner and public relations coordinator of Thunderbird School of Global Management. He says that faculty members, who are the clients in higher ed PR, consider teaching students their top priority. Media relations is not as important to them as it is to the PR professional. However, Camen says that he has had wonderful experiences with his faculty, and emphasizes the importance of flexibility.

Camen also says that the focus in higher ed PR is different from the focus in agency PR. In his blog, he says, “Having many experts as your clients presents a time management issue for any higher education PR pro. With over 50 Ph.D.s on my faculty, prioritizing is a key.” So when something newsworthy happens that a faculty member can give expert insight into, it’s the PR professional’s job to know about it and get it to the media fast. Constantly having various faculty members in the news for their expert opinions is great publicity for the school.

Using social media is more important in the higher ed sector than most PR professionals would think. According to a recent study by the Society for New Communications Research, almost 90 percent of admissions boards for the schools surveyed believed that social media was “somewhat to very important for their future strategy.” PR staff members are generally responsible for creating and maintaining many of the social media tools for an institution.

Cathy Andreen, director of media relations at The University of Alabama, said that media tools as a whole have changed during her career. Andreen has been working in the higher ed PR field for more than 30 years, and says that there have been many changes in technology and communications since she entered the field. “One of the biggest changes is the 24-hour news cycle. We have to be much faster in our responses to reporters. We can no longer plan for a story that will land in the next morning’s newspaper or on the 10 p.m. news; stories can be posted online immediately and updated as more information becomes available. We can communicate instantly with students, faculty and staff and other constituents.”

Colleges and universities also have to engage in crisis management. For example, The University of Alabama recently had an H1N1 outbreak on campus, and the media relations department needed to effectively communicate what was being done to manage the situation. Andreen said her role in this crisis was to “work with senior UA administrators, the Student Health Center and others to assess the situation and communicate appropriate information to students, parents, faculty and staff. As media relations director, I also responded to numerous media calls from both local and national media.”

While media attention for higher education institutions is often positive, there are times that the media can be frustrating. This fall the Princeton Review released its list of the “Top Party Schools” in the country, naming Penn State University as number one. Bill Mahon, Penn State University’s vice president of University Relations, said that the rankings have no effect on the school. Mahon said that Penn State continues to improve as an academic institution every year, and that the Princeton Review’s list is merely a popularity test. However, he did say, “What the ranking does reveal for me is that we have a lot of students and they are enthusiastic supporters of Penn State.”

Mahon has been working in higher ed PR for more than 25 years and says that he loves his job. “I can’t believe I get paid to be around tens of thousands of energetic young people and thousands of fascinating faculty who are working on research that will save lives and make the world a better place. This is a dream job.”

As in any PR field, internal and external communications are crucial in higher ed PR. Camen says that at a higher education institution you are constantly writing for different audiences. Parents, students, faculty and alumni all have different views and different expectations for communication.

Overall, working in higher ed PR does not differ much from working in other areas of PR, but it is an industry that both new and current professionals should consider. Like Camen says, it’s not a flashy industry, but it can be extremely rewarding. “Institutions don’t put out fluff or spam… They help promote thought leadership,” said Camen on his blog.

by Cara Cramer

Are negative political ads the key to victory? Most political candidates spend significant amounts of money on television advertising for their campaigns. The bigger the election is, the more money that is spent on advertising. But how effective are these ads? Many voters do not take the time to fully educate themselves on each candidate’s policies before making a decision. So, what catches the eye of the potential voter the most? In recent elections, the use of negative campaign ads against the opponent has been successful.

The up side of negative advertising
For example, during the 2004 election one of the most popular ads was funded by George W. Bush and featured John Kerry windsurfing different directions, alluding to his unclear stance on issues. Often referred to as the Windsurfing Ad, the ending line of “John Kerry: whichever way the wind blows,” stuck in people’s minds and became increasingly popular on the Internet. Although the ad only mentions Bush’s name one time, it effectively promotes Bush’s clear stance on important policies over Kerry’s changing views.

When did negative campaigning really start to make a difference in elections? Most political scientists point to an ad released in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign. The controversial ad, often called Daisy Girl, features a young girl picking petals off a flower and ends with a nuclear explosion. Although the ad was aired only once, it was shown repeatedly on numerous news broadcasts. This simple and highly effective ad helped Johnson convince America that Barry Goldwater was a nuclear war threat and thus was a major factor in Johnson’s landslide defeat of Goldwater.

But negative ads aren’t all about bashing the other candidate. A significant amount of research and time goes into creating a successful negative ad. The creation of a negative ad campaign involves knowing the opponent’s stance on issues, their claims for change as well as any slip-ups or mishaps in their policy platforms. Voters can get tired of hearing countless accounts of a candidate’s own attributes. When done correctly, negative campaigns can dramatically impact an election.

The down side of negative advertising
Although negative ads are often successful, there are many who believe that they increase the corruption in politics. Often referred to as “mudslingers,” some candidates will go to just about any extreme to bring down an opponent, even if it means exposing personal choices of that person or their family. Per Watergate, the methods used to obtain information about an opponent can be extreme and, at times, illegal. Nowadays, candidates have multiple forms of technology to find out potentially damaging information about an opponent.

With so much attention going into presidential elections, voters often tire of political ads altogether. Most campaigns prepare their strategies and tactics years in advance. The 2008 presidential election captivated the media for months, and was not free of negative ads. John McCain famously mocked Barack Obama’s celebrity status with a Celebrity Ad comparing him to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Obama also ran an ad, titled the 90 Percent Ad that pointed to the fact that McCain voted with Bush 90 percent of the time and would be just like Bush if he won the presidency.

Negativing advertising and a candidate’s long-term image
The success of negative campaign ads is palpable; however, how do these ads help the candidate’s overall image? Besides winning an election, candidates should hope to build trust in their service to constituents. If a candidate only focuses on the negative aspects of his or her opponent, it can become unclear to voters who they are actually voting for. As far as conveying a trustworthy image, putting too much focus on negative campaigning can have an adverse effect.

In a 1985 study, political research analyst Gina M. Garamone suggests that negative campaigning can backfire for two reasons.

“First, many viewers disapprove of advertising that attacks a candidate and such viewers may develop negative feelings toward the sponsor of the advertising. Second, viewers may perceive the negative advertising as an infringement upon their right to decide for themselves. Such a perception may result in reactance, a boomerang effect in which the individual reacts in a manner opposite to the persuader’s intention,” Garamone said.

Not all political scientists are in agreement about possible effects of negative advertising, however. Dr. Carol Cassel, professor of political science at The University of Alabama and election public opinion specialist, has noted trends in different studies.

“Some studies show that negative ads harm the opposition, but others show that negative ads may backfire and bring attackers down, too. A few things do seem certain. Voters dislike personal attacks, as opposed to attacks about issues or performance,and candidates who are behind in campaigns are the ones most likely to gain from negative ads, given they have little to lose,” she suggests.

Despite a possible boomerang effect, campaigns spend massive amounts of money on negative ads, particularly as the election nears. There is no doubt that these ads are highly effective and informative to potential voters who are not educated on every issue. From a PR perspective, the amount of negative campaigning needs to be strictly tailored to each election specifically. Although winning the election is the ultimate goal, restricting negative campaigning can have better long-term benefits for the candidate.