Thursday, March 30, 2006

Another grad student’s survey

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I know, you get invited to these surveys all the time. Another grad student working on a thesis or dissertation tosses a survey up onto the web and asks for as many PR pros as possible to participate.

I have another one for you. This one comes from Leika Lewis, who’s pursuing her master’s at American University in DC. She attended the keynote session that Neville and I did for the IAOC and PRSA in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, last week. In her email to me, she also noted a regular For Immediate Release listener. So how could I refuse?

Besides, the survey asks some questions I haven’t seen before about the perceptions PR people have of blogs and other social media. On top of that, I completed the survey in less than three minutes. What’s not to like?

Take the survey here.

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #124: March 30, 2006

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Content summary: Social tagging as an enterprise tactic; a look at the eyebrow-raising Strumpette blog; an update on our discussion of employee bloggers as authoritative sources; the CEO’s changing responsibilities: the example of Procter & Gamble; a new PR trade weekly in the UK; Dan York reports; listeners’ comments discussion (double-act via Skype; sharing FIR; the power of podcasting; Windows Vista communication; Flash websites); the music.

Show notes for March 30, 2006

Welcome to For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report, an 80-minute podcast recorded live from Concord, California, USA, and nearly live from Manchester, UK.

Download the file here (MP3, 38MB), or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For automatic synchronization with your iPod or other digital player, you’ll also need a podcatcher such as the free Juice, DopplerRadio, iTunes or Yahoo! Podcasts, or an RSS aggregator that supports podcasts such as FeedDemon).

Listen to this podcast now:

In This Edition:

Intro:

• 00:29 Shel introduces the show; what the show’s about; how to give your feedback; show notes

News and Commentary:

• 03:08 Neville in Manchester, England, reports on the Melcrum workshop he’s co-presenting on March 30 about intranets and social media
• 06:43 Strumpette raises quite a few eyebrows in the PR community and beyond - is it a refreshing satire of the PR industry or a collection of offensive cheap shots? Or something else? And who is Strumpette (Amanda Chapel) anyway?
• 20:24 An update on the question of whether employee bloggers are authoritative sources - it only looks like ‘maybe’ at Microsoft; comment on a report of a Watson Wyatt survey on the bottom-line benefit of effective communication
• 33:18 Dan York reports - clarity about spam (report in show #118); dates as well as show numbers; companies’ blocking RSS; upcoming National Association of Broadcasters conference; the IAOC presentation; speaking at upcoming Yankee IABC Chapter conference
• 39:30 The spam problem: unauthorized use of content from blogs and now podcasts - this will become a big issue
• 41:35 Robert Scoble shouts out!
• 41:57 The CEO’s changing responsibilities - the example of Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley
• 50:10 First PR Week and now PR Business - a new PR trade weekly hits the UK newsstands this month

Listeners’ Comments Discussion:

• 52:19 Sallie Goetsch likes the double-act via Skype with the IAOC presentation and suggests a webcam; an iPod nano just for podcasts
• 54:42 Steve Fielding shares FIR listening with his colleagues; thinks Sparklines is a great tip (show #122); and has suggestions for the potential new intro music
• 56:54 Clarence Jones muses on the power of podcasting to get one’s voice out there; authority is the key issue for Microsoft on the Windows Vista communication issue; and likes the potential new intro music
• 61:33 Sebastian Keil is confused about the Windows Vista code rewrite issue
• 62:10 Bryan Person was impressed overall with the Flash website discussed in show #122, but has some caveats; and wonders why we don’t record the show together a day early if one of us is travelling

Outro:

• 68:27 A special episode of the show coming up soon - a mashup between FIR and Across The Sound with Joseph Jaffe
• 69:26 The growing FIR Frappr community - why not join?
• 70:45 Thanks for voting for FIR at Podcast Alley
• 71:17 Shel wraps the show; let us know your views about today’s discussions; how and where to send your comments; where to find the show notes
• 75:01 Outro podsafe music from the Podsafe Music Network - Wasted by Kevin Reeves

Links for the blogs, individuals, companies and organizations we discussed or mentioned in the show are posted to the FIR Show Links pages at The New PR Wiki. You can contribute - see the home page for info. If you have comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for our future shows, email us at fircomments@gmail.com, or call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

So, until Monday, April 3…

Strumpette sends unsolicited email, then redirects to another site

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I have stayed away from the Strumpette fray. It struck me as a lose-lose proposition. Applaud Amanda Chapel (whoever he or she may really be) for injecting a bit of fun into the sometimes strident and self-important PR blogosphere and get flogged for endorsing an effort that drags PR back into the gutter from which we’ve been trying so hard to extricate ourselves. Attack Strumpette for the oh-so-many levels at which the blog is bad and suffer attacks for having no sense of humor. Besides, so many of my peers have done such a great job of giving Strumpette the attention she/he so desparately seeks. Even Doc Searls has written about her. Twice.

A couple things have prompted me to go ahead and comment, though. First, I checked my Gmail account last night and found two messages from Amanda herself, one on March 26 and one on March 27. The subject line of the first messagewas preceded in all caps by the words: COMMENTS REQUESTED; the message was a cut-and-paste of the first Strumpette blog entry, the one speculating on the duration of Steve Rubel’s tenure at Edelman. The subject line of the second was preceded, again in all caps, merely with STRUMPETTE. It was another cut-and-paste of another blog post.

I don’t remember signing up for emails from Amanda. Come to think of it, I don’t remember an offer to opt in. Which I wouldn’t have. So Amanda (whoever he she is) sent me unsolicited email to draw me to her blog. I don’t know about you, but I would avoid any blog that send me an unsolicited email. Amanda clearly has never been to TheNewPR to read any of the many entries on how to pitch bloggers.

But I’d already been to Strumpette and read all the various opinions appearing throughout the blogosphere. I read about how the site was up and down, up and down (kinda like Amanda, I guess). Multiple visits by the curious and not-too-busy might account for that, if the server hosting the site wasn’t prepared for the load. This morning, though, Strumpette redirects me to a demonstration page for a service called WePublishing, a service that lets you set up your own online newspaper for a mere $200 setup fee and $150 per month. Searls points out that WePublishing has been around since “back when Technorati still counted only 7.8 million blogs.”

It could be that the whole Strumpette exercise was a PR agency’s plan to get a lot of people—particularly PR people—to take a look at WePublishing. You gotta hand it to whatever agency came up with this plan: “Lure people to our client’s site by sending unsolicited emails and manipulating word-of-mouth marketing, then pandering to their taste for a bit of controversy (e.g., the Rubel exit date pool) and a bit of smut. Then pull the ol’ bait-and-switch on ‘em.”

Truly a campaign that would make any agency proud. I see a Silver Anvil in their future.

Or, I suppose, the whole WePublishing redirect could just be some kind of technical glitch. If you believe that, I suspect you’re also still waiting for US forces to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Who is Amanda really? I really don’t care. But if all this truly does wind up being a publicity campaign for a web property, then she/he is certainly nobody I’d want to work with or recommend.

UPDATE: Well, well. An hour later, the URL takes us to this:

Due to a huge spike in traffic, we are having to move to a new server.  In less than 3 days!  That’s got to be a record.

We should have this all set up within the next 48 hours.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

For Amanda’s fans, she’d like you to know that she is deeply grateful for your patience ad concern.  She asks that you stay tuned.  She’s got a few zingers written and just iching to be published.

Thanks Again.  See you soon.

So what’s the real story? I still don’t care.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

PR: Most bang for the marketing buck

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Back in late December, I wrote a post for my blog about the disagreement between Katie Paine and John Wagner over the value of measuring communication. For some unknown reason, the Ragan Report just covered this in its latest issue. Go figure. But Delahaye President Mark Weiner thought it was interesting enough to comment on, and his comment was inspiring enough that I thought it was worth spotlighting (given that a comment to a post from December 05 might never get seen by most readers). Here goes:

First:  The IPR’s position on AVEs is actually relatively moderate as compared to what this discussion suggests.  Read the white paper (PDF file) written by Bruce Jeffries-Fox.  While I believe that AVEs are an incomplete and inadequate measure most of the time, I’ve seen them correlate to sales when no other PR measure could.  Even if they are not the preferred measure and even if I believe that AVEs should be highly qualifed in their use if they are used at all, I’d rather be partially right than totally in the dark.  AVEs do provide some gauge to the amount of coverage (minutes/column inches) and the reach/prestige of the medium.  Even an incomplete measure can be abused and I think this is what so many of us find offensive.

Second, the irony is that AVEs greatly undervalue PR’s unique role within the marketing mix. As the research provider who worked with P&G and helped to create PRevaluate, and after having done similar marketing mix analysis in dozens of categories for scores of companies over the years, we’ve discovered that PR consistantly delivers the best ROI of any marketing agent.  On average, mass marketing advertising delivers about $1.25 on a dollar; price promotions only $.75 on the dollar and PR between $3.00 and $8.00 on the dollar.  The trouble is that most companies don’t use marketing mix modeling, and even those who do prefer to track only those marketing elements on which they spend the most money (TV and promotions) rather on those elements which deliver the best ROI (PR).  When viewed within the context of the complete marketing mix, PR is the only marketing option that provides a lift to all other forms of marketing (meaning that when the PR is good, the advertising is more effective, the direct marketing more efficient, etc).  It’s what every PR person hopes is true, and maybe in their gut believes is true...now the truth is being revealed time and time again.

The question to ask is not “what will marketers do with this information,” but rather “what will the PR profession do with this information?” Will this be another lost opportunity for PR or will the leaders of our profession and the professional associations which represent us break free from conventional wisdom?  Will they take the lead in promoting PR not because it “generates buzz” or “delivers a high equivelant ad value” but because PR delivers on meaningful business objectives?  The story of P&G, Wachovia and Miller Brewing broke in the advertising and marketing trades rather than the PR trades.  The evidence of PR’s unique power to drive businesses forward should be our call to action: Instead of squabbling among ourselves and finger-pointing, we should unite to promote PR simply because it works in meaningful and measurable ways.

Monday, March 27, 2006

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #123: March 27, 2006

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Content summary: The IAOC/PRSA keynote presentation; Allan Jenkins’ latest on Mobitype; followup on South West Airlines; Windows Vista “isn’t people-ready”; Microsoft employee bloggers: credibility vs. authority; exoneration/whitewash of The Lincoln Group; Eric Schwartzman interviews Jakob Nielsen; RICO lawsuit against Skype: PR and IR implications; David Phillips reports; listeners’ comments discussion (Flash-enabled websites; calendar of events; tips for subscribing via iTunes); the music.

Show notes for March 27, 2006

Welcome to For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report, a 91-minute podcast recorded live from Concord, California, USA, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Download the file here (MP3, 37MB), or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For automatic synchronization with your iPod or other digital player, you’ll also need a podcatcher such as the free Juice, DopplerRadio, iTunes or Yahoo! Podcasts, or an RSS aggregator that supports podcasts such as FeedDemon).

Listen to this podcast now:

In This Edition:

Intro:

• 00:28 Shel introduces the show; what the show’s about; what’s in this edition; how to give your feedback; show notes

News and Commentary:

• 02:40 The IAOC/PRSA keynote - podcast and PowerPoint presentation available for download
• 06:46 Allan Jenkins places Mobitype on double-secret probation
• 10:07 South West Airlines and gaming the online check-in system - what the PR implications could have been
• 14:29 Windows Vista “isn’t people-ready,” says Forbes magazine (via Mike Soulier)
• 16:10 Microsoft and employee bloggers: the delay in the launch of Windows Vista, allegations of code rewrites, blogger denials, weekend blog discussions, and the regulatory and financial framework - are Microsoft employee bloggers official spokepeople? They may have credibility but do they speak with authority on behalf of the company to represent official views? And how ready is blogging to assume a primary role in organizational communication?
• 42:30 Exoneration of The Lincoln Group - whitewash, says Paul Holmes
• 48:32 From the Spinfluencer in LA - Eric Schwartzman talks to web usability guru Jakob Nielsen
• 62:03 RICO lawsuit filed against Skype, reports Andy Abramson; summary of the key issues; Skype is blowing it from the PR point of view, says Jeremy Pepper; a look at the PR and IR implications
• 71:44 Josh Hallett shouts out!
• 72:05 David Phillips reports from Wiltshire, England - Why are publishers so bad at providing new media conferences? Is it because they no longer have the asset of well-informed, finger-on-the-pulse journalists? Did the baby go out with the MBA’s bathwater?

Listeners’ Comments Discussion:

• 76:42 Mike Soulier has more on Windows Vista - the public perception is anything but confident in this upcoming release
• 77:27 Warren Allan Johnson on a good Flash-enabled website (show #119)
• 69:29 Justin Hunt’s $0.02 on adding info about upcoming events and presentations
• 80:32 Tips for Craig Coleman on subscribing to FIR via iTunes from Fred Zelders and Sebastian Keil

Outro:

• 82:19 Neville wraps the show; let us know your views about today’s discussions; how and where to send your comments; where to find the show notes
• 84:22 Either Neville or Shel will be doing the next three shows solo
• 85:13 Outro podsafe music from the Podsafe Music Network - The Enron Song: Where Dat Money Go? by David Ippolito

Links for the blogs, individuals, companies and organizations we discussed or mentioned in the show are posted to the FIR Show Links pages at The New PR Wiki. You can contribute - see the home page for info.

If you have comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for our future shows, email us at fircomments@gmail.com, or call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

So, until Thursday March 30…

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Speakers & Speeches - Neville and Shel at IAOC/PRSA luncheon: March 24, 2006

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Content summary:Shel (in person) and Neville (via Skype) present the keynote address at the luncheon session of “Where Content and Technology Meet” on Friday, March 24, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The conference was organized by the International Association for Online Communications, and members of the Philadelphia chapter of PRSA were invited (about 20 attended). You can download the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied the talk so you can follow along as you listen. Note, the Skype connection wasn’t the best, so Neville’s voice drops every now and then.

Show notes for March 23, 2006

Welcome to For Immediate Release: Speakers & Speeches, a 64-minute podcast recorded live from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA.

Download the file here (MP3, 25.5MB), or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For automatic synchronization with your iPod or other digital player, you’ll also need a podcatcher such as the free Juice, DopplerRadio, iTunes or Yahoo! Podcasts, or an RSS aggregator that supports podcasts such as FeedDemon).

Listen to this podcast now:

Links for the blogs, individuals, companies and organizations we discussed or mentioned in the show are posted to the FIR Show Links pages at The New PR Wiki. You can contribute - see the home page for info.

If you have comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for our future shows, email us at fircomments@gmail.com, or call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Cross-posted from the For Immediate Release blog

Podcasting: What’s in a name?

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A mini brouhaha has erupted over a report from Bridge Data that “reveals” most people who retrieve podcasts don’t transfer them to their portable digital media devices. According to the study, more than 80% of podcasts are played directly from the PC. Blogging about this, Colin Dixon and Michael Greeson of TDG Research suggest:

We find ourselves in a bit of pickle: either (a) our definition of podcasting is insufficient or inaccurate, or (b) 80% of those who we call “podcasters” are nothing of the sort.

Steve Rubel also weighed in, saying, “It seems like some people are calling programs podcasts that really aren’t.”

I think I need to start a new category on this blog called “Take a deep breath.” It would certainly apply to this post. Why is a deep breath needed? Two points. First, I believe the 80% number is being misinterpreted. Second, who gives a damn?

The first point: It’s not that 80% of podcasts aren’t available for subscription. It’s that 80% of the downloads of podcasts aren’t available for transfer to an iPod. It’s that 80% of the people who download any given podcast, for whatever reason, aren’t opting to transfer it to a portable device. (Podcasters are the people producing the podcast, not the people listening.)

But it’s not even the portability of the audio file that makes it a podcast. After all, you could do that with an audio file well before podcasting was introduced. it’s the ability to subscribe via RSS that makes it a podcast. While the TDG post refers to the Oxford dictionary’s definition, I prefer Wikipedia’s: “Podcasting is the distribution of audio or video files, such as radio programs or music videos, over the Internet using either RSS or Atom syndication for listening on mobile devices and personal computers.” Note that the RSS distribution is referenced before the portability.

Even with that, many people opt to download podcast files directly from a site rather than subscribing. Looking at the LibSyn stats for my own podcast, I can see that just under half of the retrievals of the files come from direct downloads instead of subscriptions. I have no idea how many are listening to the stream we make available. But even if more than half don’t subscribe, and most of them listen at their computer, does that mean it’s not a podcast?

Of course not. And that’s the second point. The fact that the podcast can be retrieved via RSS subscription and can be transferred to an MP3 player makes it a podcast. How people choose to get and listen to one is entirely up to them. I’m working on a podcasting project with a client. One of the requirements I set for the effort is to ensure the podcast can be subscribed to, downloaded directly, and streamed, giving the control to the listener so they can exercise their personal preferences.

And let’s not forget that podcasting isn’t even two years old. Any number of reasons could account for the slow uptake of the RSS and portability characteristics of podcasts: Confusion about subscribing, failure to understand the portability issue, the convenience of listening at the computer immediately after downloading, already-formed PC-listening habits, the list goes on.

So rather than get hung up on semantics, let’s stay focused on the potential for the medium. Okay? Now, everybody, exhale…