I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

What would the holiday be without a good old PIO, PR, social media take on what if the first Christmas happened in the era of Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Wikipedia, Farmville and Google?

Portuguese digital marketing company Excentric produced the clever and touching video above, following Mary and Joseph in their journey to Nazareth (no hotels available). Farm animals are purchased, the Three Kings connect, then check in at The Stable (to #worshipthebaby) and complete the most viral story ever.

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I lucked out a few weeks ago. I was in a hotel in DC setting up for an evening event when I heard a session starting in the adjoining room from a daylong conference. The topic was managing your time to perform social media duties. I heard the whole session through the wall and was actually able to glom the handout from the session afterwards when a kind participant gave me an extra copy.

In my regular PR and marketing job I have on staff a social media specialist who does an outstanding job of juggling those responsibilities with other daily work assignments.

As a fire PIO I am an office of one. A big problem for me is the ongoing desire to maintain and update Twitter, Facebook and YouTube but the reality is that extra time is not my friend.

I share the handout with you in hopes it can give you some insight into how to time manage social media to be able to make it an integral part of your departments PR efforts.

Here are the pearls of wisdom derived from the handout -

1. Don’t just jump into the social networking world. Many organizations feel that they need to set up a page on Twitter, a Facebook Fan page or launch a blog, but then are unsure of what do next. Determine which sites work best for you.

2. Develop a social networking strategy. Similar to creating a traditional public relations plan, you need to build a social networking strategy for your organization. Determine why your organization needs a strategy, the overall goals of it and what type of content you can/will provide. It’s a good idea to review your organization’s overall communications goals and develop content recommendations and tactics for each profile.

3. Set up a schedule and utilize some of the tools that are available to help you manage your time. By setting up a schedule, you are able to better organize your day, i.e.,  tweet 2-4 times a day, update Facebook status once a day about an organization activity, add a new video to YouTube once a month, blog twice a month, etc. Also, consider using tools like Hootsuite to schedule updates in advance so you don’t find yourself worried if you forgot to tweet one day.

4. Evaluate. Evaluate. Evaluate. Similar to any public relations plan, always benchmark your social networking activities against your goals. Determine what’s working and what’s not.

Social networking is an integral part of our work today, but it is not the only activity and should not consume your entire day–so keep that in mind when you are developing and maintaining your organization’s social networking outreach.

What are your thoughts? How are you managing your social networking activities without making it a time suck?

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As a PR and marketing guy I have over the year been confronted, when a consumer or customer thinks that an injustice has been done to them, spew the old line “I’m going to the papers with this.”

I used to love to hear this sentence spoken when I knew someone with no case, truth or validation to their complaint assumed the “papers” would hold the presses so the masses could hear that we were out of blue logo tees or a donation receipt was not mailed to a donor within moments of the envelope being opened. The chance a journalist or reporter had in receiving a Pulitzer Prize for the irate information usually tended to have them pass on the story.

While this type of unfounded consumer threat used to make me laugh, today that same threat needs to be taken seriously when anyone with a computer can post their grievances on Facebook, Twitter or even set up their own blog to pound on who they conceive to be the perpetrator of the injustice.

We as PIO’s and PAO’s have to grit our teeth and bear it in how we answer members of the community and their perceived grievances. I know it can become tedious and time consuming but our jobs now dictates we cross every T and dot every I or else suffer the consequences of being smeared in the cyber world.

 A case in point was how Alaska Airlines recently handled a flyers complaint and how the world including I found out about every sordid detail. The example does involve though a consumer with what I think was a legitimate complaint.

Alaska Airlines stepped into a PR mess that could’ve been avoided with a “dotting” patience I mentioned.

A few weeks ago, Colleen Roberge, Dan Blais, and their son had to make a last-minute restroom pit stop before boarding their flight. Blais spoke with the airline agent about the situation, but in the time that it took to change a diaper, the airline had given away two of the family’s tickets. And, according to Blais, when he said he wouldn’t board without his family, the agent said she’d give away his ticket too.

Mom and baby were crying, the family’s bags left with the plane, and it cost more than $1,000 to rebook the next day. Now Blais has started a blog called “Alaska Airlines Hates Families.” If that isn’t bad enough, there’s the response from the airline.

The airline’s social media manager Elliott Pesut replied via blog, Business Insider reports: “Reservations are subject to cancellation if customers aren’t ready at the gate within those times because many tasks must be completed before departure…We can’t push the plane back from the gate till everyone is sitting down. And so on.”

The best part is the “And so on.” Way to go Alaska Airlines.

Update: Way to go Alaska Airlines. The family behind “Alaska Airlines Hates Families” now says “Alaska Airlines Doesn’t Hate Families.” Apparently, the family has been reimbursed and the issue resolved.

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In one of the more bizarre recent occurrences surrounding the amazing story of the 33 trapped Chilean miners it seems that need to express themselves clearly is towards the top of the agenda. It appears that PR types are yelling instructions down the shaft telling these guys the appropriate way to speak to the media upon rescue. If there ever was a way for the miners to get good nights sleep it would come as the result of some media consultant telling them what to say upon seeing the sunlight for the first time in months. Enough for anyone to go into a catatonic state!

The good word now is that the 33, who have been trapped a half mile underground since their shaft collapsed on August 5 will be pulled from the mine ahead of schedule, possibly in just a few weeks.  At first, it was anticipated that the miners wouldn’t be rescued until the end of the year

Alberto Iturra, head of the team of psychologists working with the miners told reporters from Agence France-Presse and The Daily Telegraph that media trainers have begun working with the men on “public speaking and public relations” to prepare them for the 700 international journalists that are expected to show up for their rescue.

“The training aims ‘to teach them to express clearly their ideas and how to handle situations so that the microphones and cameras do not turn out to be stressful for them, or become a problem that they do not know how to face,’” the article says.

No doubt there will massive media coverage the day these men are rescued and they should be prepared for the frenzy. But I’m sure these men have more on their minds besides how to respond clearly to a reporter’s question. And it would seem maybe psychologists and authorities would work to keep the media away from them while they get hugs from their families and go have a hot meal. No one can really expect that these guys are going to emerge from this mine and start giving interviews, can they?

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There is a certain group of trend arbiters around whom I envision being skinny, wearing all black, with black framed glasses who think that when they speak the entire work of public relations will turn on a dime to do their bidding.

Over the last several years I am becoming progressively irritated when PR pundits keep saying that the standard press release is dead. Maybe the body is cold from where they sit, but in our line of work the old tried and true, boring and predictable press release is our lifeline to the media.

I read both the hard copy and online editions of Advertising Age. I get great perspective of trends and ideas in the for profit world of advertising, PR and marketing that in many instances can be transcribed to the not for profit segment in which we work.

I just read a story by Simon Dumenco, the media columnist for Advertising Age who says that Twitter is killing the press release. As you can see by Simon’s picture he wears black but does not have glasses. Simon says:

The long-suffering, much-maligned press release, I’d argue, finally died this summer, thanks particularly to JetBlue and BP, with a little moral support from Kanye West and just about every other celebrity with thumbs. (Of course, press releases will probably continue to stumble along, zombie-like, for years to come, because too many PR folks are still heavily invested in grinding them out.)

I don’t think it is zombie like when we have to report deaths in a fatal fire, or a devastating MVA. According to those dressed in black we should Tweet or Facebook these occurrences as though they are trivialities.

Maybe in your work of pr and advertising glitz, the press release is dead, but don’t speak on behalf of our sector, where news is still delivered to the media in a straightforward and dignified manner.

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A couple of years ago one of the guys at the firehouse was showing me how to use Photoshop. I needed to learn some simple skills – specifically how to erase license plates from MVA photos I wanted to send to the press.  As a result of boredom over the lesson the famed “sock on fire” trick photo shot was created.

It’s pretty funny when you look at some of the altered images people create with programs like Photoshop, but it is no laughing matter when the press or a news source uses these tools to create something that isn’t really there.

I remember a PR seminar I went to a few years back about the dangers of altering photo’s to slant a news story. Back in 2006 a Reuters photographer took it upon himself to alter a photo of an Israeli air attack on Beirut. As you can see the picture was photo shopped to make the incident appear worse than it actually was. After condemnation of Reuters, the news service put into place strict guidelines about the altering of original photo’s.

Speed ahead to last month. The June 19th issue of the Economist featured a cover image of President Obama standing on a beach in Louisiana, looking down in deep thought and seemingly pondering, as President, the enormous responsibility he has of how to make things bearable once again for those who are suffering though this disaster.

However, that’s not what the picture is actually about. It is deceiving. A New York Times article recently reported that the Economist modified the cover image which was shot by a Reuters photographer.

The unaltered image, shot on May 28 by a Reuters photographer, Larry Downing, shows Adm. Thad W. Allen of the Coast Guard and Charlotte Randolph, a local Parish President, standing alongside the President. But in the image that appeared on The Economist’s cover, Admiral Allen and Randolph had been scrubbed out, replaced by the blue water of the Gulf of Mexico.

In an email, Economist deputy editor Emma Duncan told the Times that Admiral Allen was removed by the crop, and that Charlotte Randolph was edited out of the picture because no one knew who she was. Duncan claims that goal was not to isolate President Obama, but to have readers focus on him while the article examines the oil spills damage to business in America, not the President.

Was the picture cropped and altered to make the President look rock solid in his handling of the spill, or was it true that the photo included non familiar faces that were of little interest to readers?

In either case, this is a question we should not be pondering at all. The altering of this picture is a dangerous precedent in allowing a media outlet to editorialize through the use of something that never really happened.

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With the line getting longer for businesses, government entities and displaced workers seeking funds from BP and the federal government to assist in a crucial time of need, one does not exactly think of PR services as a fundable project – well think again.

One of the most devastating loses from the oil spill has been tourism revenue from the summer travelers staying away in droves from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida shores.

Stephen Perry who is president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, said last week  that $500 million is needed for tourism and marketing campaigns, to tell the current story of conditions around gulf beaches and waterfront tourist attractions.

“Everything is perception and image in our business,” Perry said.

Perry and fellow tourism executives have been asking for marketing and PR funds since at least mid-May and have yet to receive word from the state, federal government or BP.

When you really think about it the flow of public information to potential visitors is crucial.

Many are saying that the media only shows the worst of oil on beachfronts. Although this is a true disaster in every sense of the word the fact is that most beaches currently are oil free. For sure a large amount of oil will eventually appear on these beaches, but part of the tourism summer season can be saved and the economic picture of the region enhanced, if the flow of information can allay public fears.

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Kind of a strange post today that takes us to a world of public relations we never see. Last month I had a meeting with some of my staff to figure out ways to make our press presentation packages look better. We have outstanding brochures and flyers, but were lacking in ways to present customized materials.

Both in the Department, and in my regular job, budgets continue to get crunched so there is not much latitude to be creative if it increases cost. The big brainstorm was to get a machine that allows us to do spiral binding of presentation folders.

I was recently reviewing some of the press packages that various PR and marketing firms were producing for the World Cup.

Many were mega bucks costly, pretentious and over the top, but certainly creative. I give you this link to a NIKE “Write the Future” campaign that they are doing in conjunction with the games. What would we do if we had million dollar budgets to produce just one press kit?

The press kit included hand carved crayons of soccer player.

As a bonus, if any of you can figure out what the “Write the Future’ commercial is all about I’ll give you a free subscription to FIRE RESCUE magazine.

HERE’S THE LINK:  http://www.notcot.com/archives/2010/06/wk-crayola-nike-write-the-futu.php

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When we look at any crisis communications scenario we work hard to anticipate the unanticipated and deal with it using the best knowledge base we have accumulated over the years. Maybe a certain technique we learned at an industry seminar or college class, maybe a case study of another crisis incident that we garnered good intelligence and experience from.

While it’s great to be book smart and learn from others experience, the top element, in my mind, of dealing with any crisis communications incident is to have COMMON SENSE. Yes, PR is allot about COMMON SENSE. There are many out there who make good livings in PR, are book smart and savvy, but totally lack COMMON SENSE.

This lack of COMMON SENSE can be traced to both the doors of the White House and hallowed hall of BP corporate headquarters in the way these two organizations blatantly lacked any tact in three incidents that happened over the weekend.

Moses led the Children of Israel using his rod and staff; I guess President Obama will lead us to prosperity through the raising of his three iron. Who at the White House lacked the COMMON SENSE to allow the President, not only to play golf with the VP, but while people are ringing their hands in the Gulf of Mexico, devote 5 hours of “quality time” to the pursuit of bettering his short game?

Who at the White House lacked the COMMON SENSE to allow the President to go to a Washington Nationals game on Friday night? While shrimpers worry about their future the President not only attended the game but stayed into the ninth inning!  He even sang Take me out to the Ball Game.

Not to let the uber high paid PR consultants at BP off the hook for their lack of COMMON SENSE, they allowed their CEO to be photographed on a yacht during a race near the Isle of Wight in obviously clean waters.

The White House blamed BP for their lack of tact in allowing Tony Hayward to sail while the Gulf becomes more and more polluted. So I guess it’s acceptable then for the President to give Biden a Mulligan for a whiff.

Both these incidents show a lack of COMMON SENSE on the part of the PR and media handlers of these two ‘leaders.”

The tragedy in the Gulf is of unprecedented proportions. There is so much to be done by both the federal government and BP.

Maybe it would be of greater COMMON SENSE, just like the government put a moratorium on the current operation of oil rigs, that both BP and the White House put a similar moratorium on frivolous activities until this mess shows some signs of resolution.

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I’m sitting in the airport setting sail for some business in south Texas. Two areas to cover while I wait for the flight.

First, I’m honored that my Brothers at Firefighter Netcast have asked me to be a guest on their program this Thursday, June 17th. John and Rhett will be interviewing me at 9:00pm EST.

To get the link to the broadcast visit http://www.firefighternetcast.com/ Call in and say hi!

Banned for Life

I tell this story to PR pros and PIO’s and it always has them laughing until I tell them I am dead serious.  A couple of years ago a former consumer from the not for profit where I earn my dollars versus points at the fire house, lodged some totally erroneous and unjustified charges about the application process for services we offer. Most media outlets had the common sense to vet the story and see the accusations were unfounded and surmised that in essence this was a non story. News 12 Long Island, with obvious extra time on their hands, thought this would be a good way to look like crusading journalists. Pit the poor defenseless consumer against the large not for profit. Unfortunately with little concern for the true facts I got ambushed when I appeared for an interview. I thought the questioning would be based on an understanding of the position on both sides. I went into crisis communications mode at the line of questioning which frustrated the reporter Drew Scott. He was perturbed that I didn’t feed off his somewhat hostile probing. The piece aired, it was one sided and inaccurate. They were the only media outlet that covered the non story. I have banned News 12 for life from the grounds of my not for profit. Hard news?, justifiable coverage?, come on down, but all other access for story lines, event coverage etc. is banned. Many ask how I can do that. Nobody ever told me in my years in PR that I couldn’t, so I did.

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