Orange Slices

By Jennie Klahre

The Bachelor, ABC’s popular reality television show, has been helping people find love since 2002. And this season is no exception as lovestruck contestants recently introduced the Bachelor, Ben Flajnik, to their families on the “hometown date” episode.

Contestant Courtney Robertson takes the Bachelor to her hometown. Photo courtesy of ABC.

But while many have loved, loved and lost, or just simply lost this season, everyone has had the opportunity to learn.

For example, contestants this year have learned how to make an appropriate entrance onto the show (preferably on a horse or with your grandmother at your side), how to compare any activity to falling in love or getting married, and how to spend more airtime crying than talking to the Bachelor.

You can also learn some equally important lessons from the show. They may not be quite as riveting or dramatic, but they are more useful in public relations, especially when it comes to pitching media.

Use your time wisely

With The Bachelor

Host Chris Harrison has warned many a Bachelor contestant this season to use her time with Prince Charming wisely. The contestants are vying for the attention of one man, so it’s important they be interesting and memorable. This generally means:  Avoid trash talking the Bachelor’s other girlfriends during one-on-one time, attempt to make intelligent conversation rather than commenting on the pretty ocean, and divulge every personal life detail (like that time you were dumped via text message). After all, if you’re unable to impress the Bachelor with your sparkling personality while shark diving off the coast of Belize, it’s pretty safe to conclude you aren’t worthy of his time.

With reporters

While public relations professionals don’t generally have to gain the attention of reporters by jumping 500 feet out of moving helicopters, they do face the challenge of standing out in a crowd. As reporters juggle tight deadlines and limited time to report and write stories, PR specialists must make their email and phone pitches quick and enticing. A good pitch will grab the reporter’s attention and persuade him or her to ask for more information. On her blog, Erica Swallow, a contributing writer for Mashable and CNN, urges PR professionals to “limit the PR jargon and just be a human.” So, don’t get lost in the details while writing a pitch, but instead focus on hitting main points and ideas. Clarity and conciseness will go a long way.

Don’t burn bridges

With other Bachelor contestants

Bachelor contestants are notorious for passive-aggressive cat fights, trash talking and backstabbing – either because they are too infatuated with the Bachelor to think straight or because they think it will put them on the fast-track to stardom.  When contestant Emily O’Brien told the Bachelor about her on-camera tiff with contestant Courtney Robertson this season, it didn’t go over smoothly. The Bachelor reminded her that she’s on the show to win his affection, not Robertson’s. While this is true, I also would have told her that grudges and the stress they bring are rarely worth it.

With reporters

It’s always important to be honest and professional with reporters, both in and out of the office. Cultivating relationships through effective communication is important because it helps both parties do their jobs a little better. Reporters have go-to sources they can call for information and PR specialists have media professionals they can reach out to with story ideas. Stirring up bad blood will only make things more difficult in the long-run because reporters have a network of connections. So, avoid negative exchanges, take the high road if you are being treated unfairly or disrespectfully, and don’t say anything you might regret later.

Accept and move on

To the Bachelorette

If you don’t get a rose from the Bachelor, it’s time to move on. While contestants have been known to sob hysterically, make a dramatic exit, or even almost faint, life does go on after the show ends. As Robertson said this season, “Ben’s not the only guy in the world.” And she’s right. There’s always The Bachelorette, a spin-off of The Bachelor, for the losers other women.

To the next story idea

If a reporter can’t use a particular story idea, don’t sweat it. Not every pitch will be a perfect match for every news outlet. The reporter may be going in a different direction with a particular story or may be too close to deadline. Avoid taking a rejected story idea personally and simply move on to the next opportunity. Learn each publication’s niche and tailor your pitch to fit a specific topic that’s covered.

As the contestants head off to Switzerland next week, the stakes will be even higher and the goal of finding love (in a hopeless place) will be that much closer. Hopefully a few lessons will be learned along the way – be they learning to ski on fake snow in San Francisco or pitching media outlets successfully. Either way, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize… er, rose.

Last night, at the annual PRWeek Awards, RLF Communications’ campaign for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum’s grand opening won the Promotional Event of the Year award. RLF’s campaign was recognized over successful campaigns from much larger agencies.

One of the judges noted that the RLF team “hit it out of the park” with the opening.

The event drew 3,000 spectators; more than 200 members of various media; 500 VIPs; and elected federal and state officials – far exceeding the museum’s objectives of attracting between 2,000 and 2,500 diverse attendees to the ceremony.

With 192 million media impressions and 700 broadcast stories nationally, coverage included ABC World News and CBS Evening News, as well as a USA Today cover, among others. The museum’s Facebook fan page attracted more than 11,000 fans in the six weeks before and immediately after the opening.

This is not the first time RLF’s work for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum has been recognized. For more details about the PRWeek award, go to PRWeek’s website.

Even in a deep recession, the public relations profession is turning out amazing and meaningful work for clients.

That thought has resonated for me during the last month, since I attended the SABRE awards dinner at the gorgeous Cipriani building across from Grand Central Station in New York City in May. More than 1,000 public relations professionals had gathered for one of the big three awards shows to honor the best campaigns and teams in our industry (the PR Week Awards and Silver Anvil Awards are the other two major national awards).

Paul Holmes, the organizer of the SABRE Awards – which stands for Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation – set the tone for the evening when he remarked that despite all of the economic troubles that have challenged our industry, the number of entries for SABRE recognition set a record (1,700) and the quality had never been higher.

As Paul noted, public relations has demonstrated that reach and frequency are not enough to create successful outcomes in today’s world. There must be engagement as well, and public relations has taken a leadership position among the communications disciplines in creating engaging, meaningful campaigns. This is particularly true in the realm of social media, which our profession has done a remarkable job of weaving into the overall communications mix.

Over the course of five hours (from the first cocktail to the closing coffee), Aleasha Vuncannon and I had the opportunity to talk with fascinating professionals from around the country, review the lists of finalists for the awards in each category, and enjoy the pageantry of an event as a participant (instead of as a behind-the-scenes organizer, which is our normal role!).

And when our time came, when the finalists for the top campaign in the category of Educational & Cultural Institutions were announced, we were thrilled to hear that our work in partnership with the International Civil Rights Center & Museum had been recognized as the best in our business. We had felt like it was worthy of this recognition. We knew how hard our team had worked and how much had been accomplished. Yet, we still held our breath in anticipation as the winner was announced, because every campaign that had made the finals had strong results.  It felt good to scream when we heard the results.

Here is a brief glimpse into the work that we did for the grand opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum:

After the dinner, Aleasha and I walked through Times Square at midnight, dressed in our best clothes, carrying a deceptively heavy trophy and reflecting on the evening (not surprisingly, no one batted an eye at us or thought we were out-of-place in the crazy scene that is Times Square). It feels good to do great work for clients, to create campaigns that generate meaningful results and advance our client’s objectives. We do this work not for awards, but when we strive to be one of the very best agencies in our industry, it is evenings like this that provide the mileposts to let us know that our agency is on the right road.

CREDIT: Photo by richelleantipolo via Flickr (CC)

Part of my fitness routine these days is swimming with a Master’s team three mornings a week. At the beginning of the year, I made a simple sounding resolution — stick with the workout from start to finish. But it’s really not that simple.

Swimming, like many things in life, is more mental than physical. Once you are in relatively decent shape, it’s not that hard to swim 3,000 – 3,500 yards each workout. But mentally it is very hard to push through each set and not quit before the last lap. I have a bad habit of not finishing the final 20 laps and slipping out of the pool early.

After nearly four decades of competitive swimming and training, I call it The Grind. A quality workout is important, but there is no substitute for quantity. The Grind is about putting in the time and effort when it would be easy to slack off.

What applies to swimming is equally true for work. We are already seeing that 2010 is the year of The Grind. It requires long hours from virtually every level of an organization to get things done. The economy is improving, but it has not negated the need for perservance and hard work. In fact I believe in this environment those qualities are equally as important as being smart, creative and strategic in our business.

In January, I watched several members of the RLF team grind it out as they prepared for the opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. You know your staff is working hard when the security guard tells you that people are working too late.

The opening was a big success, and looking back, we cannot point to what particularly late night or extra effort made the difference. The work and commitment built upon itself, day after day, minute task after minute task. It would have been easy to leave things undone in the belief that small details were not important. But in the end, we know that they are. So we stick it out. We grind it out. And our clients and agency are better off for it.

The past year has seen the unfortunate folding of many magazines, including the recent announcement by Conde Nast that they are closing Gourmet, along with three other titles. Earlier this year, Conde Nast folded another RLF favorite – Domino. The death of this popular magazine was mourned by many and it seemed there was really no substitute. Enter Lonny.

Lonny is an online-only magazine cofounded by the former editor of Domino. Their mission:

“By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live. “

I spent hours “flipping” through the pages of this pretty pub, oozing over the beautiful photographs, great interviews and quality (not to mention quantity!) content.

I love that many of the elements featured in Lonny are directly accessible to me as a reader. For instance, a simple point and click on the gorgeous gilded mirror from page 28,  and I’m instantly taken to the online retailer who sells that mirror. Although this feature could be bad for my bank account, it’s definitely great for the future of online content. Let’s hope this trend continues and we see even more magazines being reborn on the Web.

It’s the end of June and summer is in full swing. School is out and pedestrians puddle on the sidewalks as the temperature surpasses 90 degrees. So why am I drafting stories about haunted houses for Halloween and the Great Backyard Bird Count schedule for December? The same reason fashion models suffer through swimwear photo shoots in the dead of winter and don fur-lined overcoats in July… to make editorial deadlines for long-lead publications.

Press outlets– print in particular– have what’s called a “lead time,” a (usually) reasonable time interval between the initiation and the completion of the production process of each issue. Lead times for publications can vary tremendously, but on average stand at about three to six months for monthly consumer magazines.

However, to say “lead time” to a television reporter or an online blogger could be like speaking a foreign tongue — most of their careers are spent in real time. A hurricane hits the Florida coast at 11:15 a.m.; it goes on the 12:00 o’clock news. They announce Michael Jackson’s death at 6:15 p.m. EST; it’s on the blogs at 6:24 p.m. This is because television, radio and online news outlets often operate with zero lead times. When breaking news hits, these news outlets need to instantaneously respond to stay on top. This is definitely different than the longer lead time expected with magazines, so it’s imperative that you know and understand the specific needs of your outlet type before you start the pitching process.

Now any media relations specialist worth her salt knows the pitch process for these long-lead publications. You want to:

1. Identify your targeted media outlets
2. Gather corresponding editorial calendars (schedules outlining specific topics the publication will address within each issue that year)
3. Compare and contrast to find overarching themes in content
4. Plan your story calendar accordingly

Or better yet, call your target editor directly and ask them what stories they’re working on in the next six months. You’ll be surprised how much they’re willing to divulge.

The media relations take on editorial calendars is this: if you know what’s coming up, you can plan for it - get the research done in advance, conduct any necessary interviews, polish the writing, make sure all the images are in place, etc.

You can also plan based on the type of coverage that you’d like to receive. Will it be a feature, a round-up story or a short blurb? Once you determined the coverage, plan for it. For example, a round-up story you’re after will require you to identify specific trends that editors will cover and then align your product or service with that trend. If your trend forecast research shows that periwinkle will be the new black next fall, it will be relatively easy to convince editors that your periwinkle-colored products will fit nicely into this periwinkle fad.

Wondering where you can find these calendars?

More likely than not, editorial calendars can be found with relative ease on a publication’s Web site.  Calendar catalogues can be found at PR resources like MyEdCals.com or MediaBistro.com. Media databases like Cision Media Source or Vocus often include editorial calendars as well.

If there is one thing that should be crystal clear to today’s C-suite, it’s that you can’t create a cover up without being smoked out.

I don’t need a Harvard study or a PhD to make my point. Enron, WorldCom, Martha Stewart, Tyco, Madoff and Bear Stearns, to name a few, have already done so.

The lesson from this – other than don’t cook the books – is that communication is powerful and permanent. The phone notes that implicated Martha Stewart, the shredded files of Arthur Andersen, the video of Dennis Kozlowski’s Sardinian party are communications that the guilty tried to take back, hide, ignore or deny. But there is no amount of privilege, fame, money or power that can keep you in total control.

I once held a highly coordinated press conference to announce a business deal between two companies. To the public and the media, everything went smoothly, but behind closed doors it was another story. Both companies wanted to cancel the press conference on the day of the event. One executive demanded another’s quotes be changed in the press release. Another threatened to lock up the event location a few hours before show time. Drama ensued at every turn.

Of course, none of these things happened. Why? Because they made decisions at a point where their power no longer held jurisdiction. CEOs must realize that there are stronger forces in the world than their executive orders. The media, bloggers, special interest groups, legislators and whistle blowers are powerful and mostly credible sources of information in our society. It’s not to say that executive orders don’t matter, but they must be thought of in a larger context than the company itself.

Faced with a situation that questions your decisions, the best option is to be truthful. If you ask me, the best thing that President Barack Obama has done in office was to admit his mistake in the handling of Tom Daschle’s Cabinet nomination.

This excerpt is taken from the FOX News story on the subject:

“I consider this a mistake on my part, one that I intend to fix and correct and make sure that we’re not screwing up again,” Obama said. “Ultimately I have to take responsibility for a process that resulted in us not having a (health and human services) secretary at a time when people need relief on their health care costs.

“So this is a mistake — probably not the first one I’m going to be making in this office, but what I’m absolutely committed to doing is fixing it,” he said.

What else can you say to the man? He admitted his wrong doing, promised to fix it and moved on.  Granted, President Obama may have learned the right moves by watching his predecessor being raked over the coals for the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ comment. Perhaps executives should take note of his honestly policy. You’ll find that the public is more forgiving and the media is less interested in dragging out continuing coverage when people tell the truth.

Online newsrooms have become vital for companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. In the past, public relations professionals faxed and mailed press releases. Mailed press kits are still often an essential part of media relations campaigns, but they can be time consuming to produce and expensive to distribute, especially when the media list is lengthy.

Online news rooms can change all that. Once the Web site is complete with a media relations section and an online newsroom, a URL can be shared with a reporter instantly over the phone or through email. The online newsroom can save significant time and money for PR practitioners and journalists. The traditional press kit is not gone completely, but the online newsroom is beginning to take over.

Creating an online newsroom is fairly easy once the Web site is in place. Here are the five most important elements to add to an online newsroom:

1. Press Releases – All press releases should be posted in chronological order for the current year in the newsroom. You may also set up an archive with press releases from previous years, depending on the amount of data and space available.
2. Backgrounder / Fact Sheets – Include background information or fact sheets for reporters about the company. Also add FAQ sheets, white papers, investor relations documents, speeches or other relevant information that is available.
3. Media Request Form – This form provides a way for the media to request more information or an interview with a company executive. The form should provide a place for the journalist to fill in their name and contact info along with the specific request. Online requests should go to a designated media relations contact who can respond quickly in case of tight news deadlines. Along with the request form, provide any contact information for media to reach the public relations office, including a 24-hour contact phone number.
4. Hi-res Photography – The newsroom should include high-quality images available for download. An image gallery may have executive head-shots, company logos and images of relevant products. Provide multiple versions of each image with lower resolution for online and higher resolution for print.
5. Executive Bios – Biographies of top executives who are available for interviews should be included in the newsroom.
6. Subscribe to Updates – Provide a way for journalists to subscribe, either via email or RSS feed, to updates about the company, including new press releases and other information.

Journalists now expect companies to have online newsrooms and will come back to visit them often if the information is valuable. A centralized location on the Web site is essential for success.

The online newsroom helps the company because it allows for measurement of communication efforts through traffic to the site. However, it’s wise not to ask media to register to enter the site. They’re busy and it should be easy for them to retrieve the information.

All companies can create an online newsroom. It’s an invaluable tool for enhancing media relations efforts and ensuring that the media can more easily and quickly get accurate, up-to-date information about the company.

A year ago, I sold my beloved Lexus GS 300 and bought a scooter. It is Carolina blue, gets 75 miles per gallon and can exceed the speed limit on my short one mile commute to work.

Most people thought I was nuts when I made the switch. My wife was skeptical about our ability to “share” a car.   The RLF staff took up an office pool to see how long it would last. Clients lobbed in calls to laugh when the temperature was in the teens.  But some 750 miles later, the scooter is still my primary form of transportation (although RLF employees have learned to hide their car keys when I look like I am running late to a meeting.)

Many people ask if I sold my car because of a commitment to “go green.” As much as I would like to claim that mantle, I have resisted the urge.  Yes, there have been environmental benefits, but I cannot claim to be a leading edge environmentalist. I don’t recycle very well. I waste energy in many ways. And I’m virtually positive that I will own a car again in the future, and it may or may not be a fuel efficient vehicle (although no car can have worse gas mileage than our current Jeep).

The point is, I do not want to hold myself up to a standard that is not true to who I am or motivates my actions. Over the long run, my reputation and credibility will be damaged.

That is the advice we give clients who want to get credit for their environmental friendliness. Companies should absolutely get credit for environmental efforts, but there are short and long-term consequences to overstating ones actions. Charges of greenwashing (the unjustified appropriation of environmental virtue) are difficult and messy to fight.

So, as I embark on my second year of scooter life, I want to thank my wife, staff and Avis Rental Car for helping keep me on the road when I need more than 2 wheels.

I’m going to violate our Orange Slices policy of not commenting on how companies handle public relations and media relations. In reading this morning’s Wall Street Journal, I was stunned to read the comments [subscription required] by Bayer CropScience CEO Bill Buckner regarding a tragic explosion at one of its chemical plants in 2008. Buckner is quoted as acknowledging that his company’s response efforts created “confusion and concern” because the company had tried to keep details of the explosion confidential out of a desire to “limit negative publicity.”

Note: If you cannot get to the WSJ article through the link above, you may be able to access it by searching for “bayer wall street journal” and then clicking on the first link, which apparently bypasses the newspaper’s pay wall.

I thought we had moved past the time when corporate CEOs think that they can hide or obscure information simply because they want it that way. That is difficult to do in the best of circumstances. It is virtually impossible to do when your building explodes, fireballs shoot hundreds of feet in the air, two employees are killed and rescue workers are injured. And it did not go unnoted that the chemical the plant produced was the same chemical that leaked from the Union Carbide plant in India that killed 4,000 people in 1984.

However, for our profession, the real issue is not the misguided desire to “limit negative publicity.” It is the continued misunderstanding and misperception that public relations is about good or negative publicity. Public relations is about managing communications with stakeholders who can help or hurt an organization’s mission by what they think, believe, say and do. It is an interactive process and it is an open process that builds trust, understanding and credibility. When the CEO of a major company talks about limiting information and obscuring details so that it could better shape the “public debate,” then we know our profession still has a long way to go in making our voice heard at the management table.