Over the holiday weekend I have had the opportunity to do some reading and investigation to attempt to put together the facts from a PR perspective of how things could go so terribly wrong in terms of the “they against us” attitude most folks now have towards the TSA. A number of PR gaffs has lead to this perception.
First off the lame TSA Administrator John Pistole used a worn out administration card saying the TSA knows what right for our citizens but unfortunately they haven’t done a good enough job educating people. Again, we’re so stupid that the wonderful changes they put in place and the stellar way in which they presented it to the public is above our scope of appreciation.
There has long been a battle over the defining line between marketing and public relations. A goal of many of us in PR for many years was to take command of all communications functions, including advertising and marketing. Well it appears that this is finally coming to fruition.
When I departed Long Island for Las Vegas a few days ago I noticed that the TSA was profiling blue hair. Oh I understand everyone is on edge with recent breeches, put this was the definitive example of perhaps spending too much time on the wrong person.
I was cleaning out my favorites file from Internet Explorer last night. Many websites that you initially list as a favorite fade fast from the memory. I came across a site I made a favorite about a year ago. The “Ambassablog” is an employee blog of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Since I last looked several months ago, it has become an “award winning blog.”
I recently hosted a webinar for a freelance marketing assignment I am working on. There were about 100 people in the audience, so I knew, since they couldn’t see my face that I would have to create some quick rapport with them to grab attention.
We held our 102nd Installation of Officers this past Saturday night. I wrote a post on public perception of installations a few days ago. Contrary to popular belief we did not have to tap the nuclear arsenal to quell any disturbances in the community from rampaging firefighters.
An interesting incident took place at work late yesterday afternoon. I was sitting at my desk reading a copy of MEDIAWEEK when a colleague came into the office to report on a meeting he had attended. He asked if I had time to chat with him and I told him I was reading an article and could he shoot back in ten minutes. He gave me the strangest look and then I realized that I had committed the most heinous workplace crime of all – reading while on the job.
I thank Doug Walton for reminding me to let you know about the SMILE Conference (Social Media in Law Enforcement) taking place this week on April 7-9 in Washington DC. I had planned to attend this conference when I first learned about it a few months ago but could not fit it into my schedule. I’m happy that I can attend the Los Angeles version tentatively scheduled to be held in October.
The first piece Bill brought to my attention was written by Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post. It is about stressed newroom budgets and how reporters must multi task to get a story out.
So many of us benefit from the use of Motorola radios and equipment. There flawless performance is something we many times take for granted. I just want you to know how Motorola gives back. I just accepted a check on behalf of America’s VetDogs for $30,000 at a Motorola corporate and authorized dealer event at the new Aria hotel in Las Vegas.
I have recently read a number of articles about whether hard copy print materials should be distributed as freely as in the past. The volume of printed materials distributed by public service organizations is massive. Just think about how many department newsletters, brochures, and flyers go out to your community.
I’m writing this post as an introduction to a topic I will frequently cover. I understand that the core job of a PIO, whether it be in a volunteer or paid department, is to provide information to the public and media. In our world this task is a 24/7 job that keeps our plates quite full. Many PIO’s do not engage in marketing or brand identity, but solely concentrate on providing public information. For those PIO’s whose responsibilities extend into the marketing arena, developing your departments brand is essential to maintain a high public perception of the type of service you provide to the community.
