PR

HAPPO to Help Out

Life, Public Relations

The opportunity to help out is always a great privilege.   I’m very thankful to so many people who took time out from their careers to teach me or offer advice that has helped me along the way.  They didn’t have to do so, but they did.  The PR industry is extremely competitive at times but, at its best, there is a sense of community around the fact that we’re all working to improve the quality of the profession.

Looking for a way you can help?  How about paying it forward a bit by supporting Help A PR Pro Out (HAPPO) to assist some of our fellow PR pros connect with employers that could benefit from their skills.  The idea for HAPPO was created by Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon as a community-based initiative to help friends and colleagues who are struggling to find jobs in the current economic climate. 

On Friday, February 19, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. PR bloggers, agency leaders and PR professionals from across the country will donate their time and talents to help fellow PR pros connect with employers.  With the help of the global PR community, we believe we can make a significant difference for PR job seekers everywhere. Even if HAPPO doesn’t land candidates a job, we hope it will provide considerable momentum to their search and connect them with new and different opportunities and great people.

Leading up to Feb. 19, job seekers are encouraged to develop creative blog posts, pitching themselves to prospective employers and sharing via Twitter during the event on Feb. 19 using the hashtag #HAPPO.

This is one of those times you can make a real difference in someone’s career.  If you’re in a position to help, please do so.  If you’re looking for new opportunities in Minneapolis, please let me know.  Seeking a forum to highlight yourself? You’re welcome to use the virtual real estate right here at CommUnity Business.

Not in the Twin Cities?  That’s o.k. too as a laundry list of prominent PR bloggers and influencers have been engaged across the U.S.  Let me know and we’ll find a contact for you.

Let’s work together to improve the profession and see if we can change a few lives along the way.

Big Brands Don’t Always = Bad

Public Relations, Social Media

In response to the ever-increasing barrage of branded messages in our culture, many tune out entirely or have actually made the assumption that big brands are equivalent to the axis of evil or the evil empire.  Now, there are cases where some big brands have had questionable or downright lousy ideas and caught flack but the fact that someone is encouraging me to like their brand or buy a product doesn’t make us adversaries.  I actually do want some of the products these brands offer.

Every so often, there are some efforts that I really like that can significantly improve the brand in communities the company serves. I’ve been watching the current Pepsi Refresh Project with interest.  It made a big splash when Pepsi decided to forego its traditional Super Bowl ad presence to invest $20 million into social media.   As the project formally launched this week, I began to hear of ideas all across the country and I like a lot of them.  I’ve seen some creative plans that could genuinely improve the lives of hundreds or thousands of people.  According to Jill Beraud, CMO and president of joint ventures for PepsiCo Americas Beverages,  “this is the people’s project, it’s in their hands,” and I hope that proves true.

One element I’ve seen this first week is participation and engagement from a lot of younger people, which is a wonderful trend.  Each generation seeks ways to express themselves and make change in the world in a manner that fits their values, style, and ideals.  With a chance to find some elusive funding like this, many bright young adults may view this as a viable way to chase their goals.  Will it work for all of them?  No, but some will be given the chance to try and that’s a tremendous opportunity.

I don’t know how this effort will work out.  Maybe it’ll produce dramatic change through a handful of the funded programs.  But, even if it doesn’t change the world, the fact that Pepsi is giving this a shot impresses me.  Are they hoping for a boost to their brand and improved sales?  Of course they are, but who cares.  Only time will tell if this effort enhances the connection that consumers have to the brand but to write off big brands on principle and take on an “us versus them” mentality is foolish.  At its best, strong brand loyalty works both ways and an effort like this one might actually benefit thousands more through the programs that are ultimately funded. 

Let’s see what happens…

Disclosures- I’ve not been paid or otherwise compensated in any way by Pepsi related to this post.  I have had many of their products over the years but that cuts both ways… Diet Pepsi is great but I’m still not over the trainwreck known as Crystal Pepsi.

Photo- Courtesy L. Marie via Creative Commons

Network in a Variety of Networks

Public Relations

I was fortunate enough to catch part of the Under 30 Pro chat on Twitter a while back surrounding the perceived value of resume in today’s world.  There were a variety of views including many who felt they didn’t serve any real purpose anymore when all the information may be available online.  It’s true that with sites like LinkedIn, personal sites or blogs, and social networks there are many ways to get attention from great contacts.  But, what if they’re not there?

Before everyone starts to shout or hashtag #FAIL and holler that anyone in the communications field needs to be comfortable with the change, here’s my point.  Many of the smartest people I’ve met in our field aren’t Twitter junkies or Facebook fiends.  It’s not that they don’t see that social media is an outstanding way to reach select audiences but it’s that they’re amazing at what they do.  They’re guiding clients through a crisis or helping layout a management vision for the next five years.  They may be backed up for months with requests for their skills.

There’s a temptation to equate online presence and leadership but it’s important to recognize that there are many ways to learn and succeed.  Seek out people who have succeeded and done what you want to do.  Meet with people locally to begin that networking, keep your resumé in good shape, take part in the digital world but remain balanced in your efforts.  Much like any communications effort, it can’t be a single strategy or channel.

Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Started

Business Communications, Public Relations

Photo Courtesy of Plutor

To be fully transparent, since that’s still a favorite buzzword thanks to our FTC friends, this list could be much longer.  However, “The 77 Things Dave Didn’t Know” doesn’t have a great ring to it.  We all like lists and tips so here are a few things that could have helped me as I transitioned into the day-to-day world of communications and public relations.

1. Asking Questions is a Good Thing

I came into the working world with a misconception that asking question was somehow admitting defeat.  After all, I’d just graduated and felt like I’d accomplished a great deal in my time at school.  I had a hard time admitting that I didn’t know something.  What would everyone think?

Over the years, I’ve seen a strong pattern that those who ask questions, and listen closely to the answers, are often times the smartest ones in the room.

2. Business Background Buys Credibility

I’d done the econ and finance classes throughout college but really hadn’t thought of really spending time studying how the best business leaders achieved their goals.  Organizational management wasn’t a common crossover for communications students but I wish I would have thought of it.  Understanding operations and management styles are critical for communicators.

3. Confidence- Trust Yourself

*Caution on this one – it can easily go the wrong way if confidence moves to ego.  As long as you’re really putting in the work, be comfortable speaking up about your areas of responsibility.  It help others understand that you’re making the transition to a true pro and that you’re capable of providing immediate value to the organization.

4. Watch the Office Politics Closely

I had no idea how important this is when coming out of school.  It only takes one big miss to get off on the wrong foot with someone you’ll need as an ally down the road.  I don’t like power plays.  Those that use internal status to move their own agendas but I won’t pretend they don’t exist.  Watch closely and see where both friction and allegiances lie.  Think of it as high-stakes Survivor. You don’t want to quickly become tied to the person in the office that’s sinking or on their way out.  Take the time to watch and learn from the dynamics you see.

5. School Isn’t Over

Something changes every day in the communications industry.  Might be new technology or a new contact you should meet but there should never be a day when you don’t learn something new.  Literally, keep notes on who you met today that will help down the road or tag your calendar with an idea for tomorrow before you go home for the day.  Simple steps like this will keep you learning and keep you ahead of the pack.

This is in no way a comprehensive list.  As I said, I could add more on my own but what have others learning in the first years of a communications career?  What other tips do you have for the future of our industry?

Common Sense in Communications

Business Communications, Public Relations

There are times I really shake my head at some businesses and what they try to roll out as “good policy” to consumers.  I had one of these moments recently with the H&M fiasco regarding shredding clothing that doesn’t sell versus finding a better way to remove inventory. 

This situation hits a number of important issues where communicators should have stepped forward to raise questions that could have improved the situation.

  • Ethical Inquiries- O.k. this could be raised to anyone in leadership frankly.  Common sense says that destroying clothing while so many are in need is a waste.  At a bare minimum, I hold communicators to a higher standard in at least thinking about this perception if nothing else.  Why didn’t anyone raise this issue internally?  Too scared of internal arguments or do they just really not care.
  • Policy Issues- If you have to write a two-page explanation justifying your corporate viewpoint, there’s probably something wrong. 
  • Leading the Culture- As communicators, wheat we say publicly has a major impact on how a culture operates internally.  Trainwrecks like this H&M incident have a very real impact on everyone associated with the company.  If your public communications appear phony, you’re hurting the reputation of every employee in that company.  Not a great long-term retention tool is it?

I think most communicators have a good sense of judgment and should understand how audiences will view and evaluate these types of problems.  Let’s collectively step-up and put our skills in understanding audiences, and some common sense, to good use.