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Lessons Learned from (Bad) News of the Day

Tony Sapienza — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:35:26 +0000

It’s interesting to look at everyday news happenings and think about how it relates to the world of PR. And there is plenty of news — mostly bad news — to consider. There’s LeBron James and his mishandling of the public announcement of his decision to leave Cleveland — and the Cleveland Cavaliers owner’s emotional public reaction. There’s the ongoing and unchecked Mel Gibson saga, where we’re now seeing his plummeting public image taking a toll on his work (Leo DiCarprio backing out of a Gibson film). A few weeks back there was Apple icon Steve Jobs awkardly trying to side-step reported iPhone problems and getting slammed by critics. And this week there are all sorts of PR issues resulting from Red Sox hero Curt Shilling’s decision to take his gaming company across the border to Rhode Island. There was anger directed at Shilling (for turning his back on Boston), at Massachusetts government officials (for letting him go) and from some in Rhode Island who disagreed with the deal they made to lure the company down the highway. Best of all (especially for a NY Yankee fan like me) there were the comments from RI gubernatorial candidate and former senator Lincoln Chafee who went on a Providence radio show and questioned the famed Shilling “bloody sock” while criticizing the RI deal. The lesson learned here: be careful with your public comments — especially when you’re dealing with a beloved piece of Massachusetts sports history.

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Mobile Explosion is Impacting Everyone…Especially PR Professionals

Tony Sapienza — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:03:55 +0000

I attended a Mass Tech Leadership Council event last night focused on “the mobile data deluge” — a topic we hear about more and more these days. But some of the figures presented last night surprised me. Every 30 minutes nearly 23,000 mobile subscribers are added, and more than 73,000 cellphones are shipped (14,000 of them smartphones). Over the next five years, we can expect to see a 4000% increase in data traffic. I’ve seen alot of data on mobile use, but this surprised me. And it got me thinking about the impact smartphones and the mobile internet have had on PR (what also jogged my mind: during the hour-long presentation I was able to use my Blackberry to check email, text a team member and browse the net to get info on one of the speakers). Mobile devices are everywhere in our lives, but for PR people it’s making a big impact professionally. At a recent trade show, I’ve been able to access photos of the editor I was planning to meet, text my client when the editor arrived and later check for coverage. Now, I don’t want to sound like a PR dinosaur, but I can remember the day when my employer gave me a much-appreciated phone card I could use when calling the office from a trade show payphone (when did you last see one of these relics). I also remember the days when my four PR co-workers and I are shared a single PC that we rolled around the office (and we worked for a computer company); when I stood in line waiting to send off a news release using a tech PR agency’s single networked terminal to connect with Businesswire; when doing research meant pouring over huge bound directories or trudging off to a local library; when media pitches where printed and mailed; when we watched for the mailman to arrive with the latest issue of Computerworld, to see if our story ran. Laptops, email, the web, social media and other technology advances have allowed us to work faster, reach broader audiences, access more intelligence and disemminate more information than we ever thought possible. We have to add mobile devices to that list — and from what we’re seeing, it’s likely an even greater impact in the years ahead.

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PR Media Adapts to Consolidation, Change

Tony Sapienza — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:48:36 +0000

We’ve been talking a lot about changes in the media recently, and these changes have impacted the media that covers PR as well. Just like tech trades, daily newspapers and other media, we’ve seen the evolution — and some cases disappearance — of print publications and the emergence of online news sites among the organizations that follow the PR community. While there has been great change in the PR media, I think it’s been for the better. PR professionals have never had access to as much news and perspective on our industry as we do today. Longtime industry-watchers like Ragan’s, the Bulldog Reporter , the Holmes Report and PRWeek are just some examples. I get almost all of the daily news feeds these outlets offer — and if you’re in PR you should as well. And there are still more bloggers who cover developments and trends in the PR world. But back to the evolution of the media — a good example in our industry is PRWeek. I just attended a PRWeek breakfast here in Boston, and editor in chief Steve Barrett spotlighted the channels they use to reach folks like me. Online there is a daily”breakfast briefing” newsletter, a weekly update on tech PR (and others on healthcare, products & tools and careers) and a weekly edition that features news and analysis. And there’s the montly print edition that offers longer features, special reports and opinions. I remember when there was no PRWeek — today, not a day goes by when PRWeek or these other PR industry followers don’t provide me with some useful insight. In our meeting yesterday, we talked about the challenges media in general faces as they adapt to a new world incorporating print and online. PRWeek and these others seem to have figured this out — and PR professional like me are benefitting.

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In Content-Driven PR and other New Directions, Smaller Firms are Trendsetters

Tony Sapienza — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:57:34 +0000

I met with PRWeek editor in chief Steve Barrett along with some other Boston PR folks this morning and that conversation got me thinking…I may be biased, but I think some of the most creative and innovative PR thinking is coming out of smaller agencies (OK…as a founder of a small firm I’m definitely biased). Seriously though, we often point out that smaller tech firms — and/or smaller customers of tech firms — are the innovators breaking new ground and taking chances in their markets. Having worked with agencies of all sizes (including the biggest in the world at one time) I can honestly say that firms like Topaz are proving my point when it comes to PR. Take the topic of our most recent Topaz news release — content-driven PR. This is a trend many agencies are heralding these days — but it’s one Topaz has embodied since its beginnings. While other PR folks pushed their contacts, we developed a focus on content — content development, not just content placement. Don’t get me wrong…media contacts are a very valuable part of our work, as are the increasingly influential community of bloggers and online contacts. But it has been our abilty to develop and place content — bylined articles, blog posts, annual reports, podcast scripts — that stands out for me. I think our profession will see more of an increase in content-focused PR (that’s the subject of our second-half 2010 news release), and that’s positive news for PR people.

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PR Miscues Abound in LeBron James “Decision”

Tony Sapienza — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:32:00 +0000

The recent LeBron James spectacle got me thinking of the lessons that could be learned by PR folks. First off is the spectacle itself — an embarrassing ESPN special on “The Decision” that ran Thursday evening. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t deny LeBron’s right to leave his current team and sign with the Heat, but I do take issue with how he announced his decision. Reportedly, he didn’t inform the Cavaliers beforehand – I think that’s bad form (approporiate communications with key stakeholders is an important consideration for PR people). They found out along with the rest of us sitting in front of our screens last night. And do we really need an ESPN special — complete with glowing video clips and related commercials. And all this after months — no, years — of speculation about where he was going. As a PR person, I’m OK with working to build buzz around an announcement, but I think this went too far — and I bet there will be backlash. And LeBron wasn’t the only one in this story that deserves knocks. There’s the former ESPN and NBC reporter Jim Gray playing inquisitor last night, asking a bunch of fawning questions before leading up to the big pay-off. And what about Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who trashed LeBron immediately after his decision, criticizing him for quitting on the team. Interestingly, Gilbert had nothing bad to say about his star player before this emotional outburst. I understand his anger, but wasn’t there a PR person around who could have controlled this rant. LeBron has a new team, ESPN had tons of viewers, and Gilbert had his say, but all in all none of these folks emerged from “The Decision” looking good from a PR standpoint, in my opinion.

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Professional Associations — A Sign of the Times for PR

Tony Sapienza — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:12:47 +0000

First there was PRSA and the Publicity Club of New England — organizations for public relations professionals, internationally (in the case of PRSA) and across the northeast (with the PubClub). A few years back, Topaz was involved in the launch of a group that brought PR folks together with others involved in the emerging world of digital media — the Social Media Club of Boston. And just this morning, I spotted an email on a group that seems to speak to yet another extension of PR — the Custom Content Council. It’s interesting that most of the members are like traditional media publishers. The fact is, PR agencies like Topaz are much more content-focused these days — much more like a new age of publishers that develops and places content. Maybe it’s time for PR agencies to weigh in on groups like this — and to make sure that the associations mentioned earlier continue to reflect this shift toward more content-centric PR and social media.

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Advancing Innovation by Supporting Start-Ups

Tony Sapienza — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:07:04 +0000

If you’re looking for an example of innovation in New England, you can start with Bill Warner. Paula and I know Bill from our very early days, when he was a product manager at Apollo Computer (a very innovative company in its day). Bill went on to create companies like Avid and Wildfire, and recently he has been focused on helping foster entrepreneurship and innovation, through his work with the Mass Tech Leadership Council (he was integral in the launch of the Council’s unConferences, which also celebrates and supports innovation) and now, with an incubator for start-ups. The recent issue of Mass High Tech features an interview with Bill, talking about this latest venture, which he’s named Anything Goes Accelerator Lab. The kind of start-ups Bill is looking to support are a big part of our region’s innovation landscape, so it’s worth checking this out.

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Mobile Heats Up As a Backdrop for Innovation

Tony Sapienza — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:31:43 +0000

Continuing on the innovation theme….yesterday’s iPhone 4 announcement sparked a thought — one I’ve spotlighted in past blog posts. The mobile space continues to be a hotbed of innovation — there’s perhaps more happening here than in any other tech segment. I’ve never been a huge Apple fan (much of my early tech experience was in the Compaq/HP/IBM PC space — where we saw tremendous innovation a generation ago) and reports are that there were few surprises in yesterday’s Apple announcement. But the new iPhone features we’re seeing (like video calling) and the intense competition happening in smartphones reinforces the point about mobile-focused innovation. We’re seeing it with clients as diverse as Acision (a leader in mobile data — a very hot area), Fairchild (the semiconductors that power many of our mobile device features) Black Duck (mobile application development) and the Mass Tech Leadership Council (which merged with MassNetComms and beefed up its mobile focus) to name just a few. As we celebrate innovation this month, we should tip our hat to the mobile market for providing a backdrop for some of today’s most exciting and impactful tech developments.

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Celebrating Innovation — in Technology and in PR

Tony Sapienza — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:23:06 +0000

Last year, Boston Globe columnist Scott Kirsner gathered a group of folks and proclaimed June would be Innovation Month in New England. This has carried over to 2010, with a full schedule of innovation-related events throughout this month. When he launched this effort in 2009, Scott admitted that they did this with no authority – but who cares. Any celebration of innovation is worthwhile – particular for those of us in the tech PR space. Innovative companies, products and services is an important focus of our work – the more innovative, the more interesting the story we’re telling. We’re fortunate to based in New England, where our colleges and universities, tech legacy and broad-based tech-hungry business community provides a breeding ground for innovation. For example, Topaz just began working with Millivision, a central Massachusetts based company doing breakthrough work in the area of full-body scanning technology being introduced in airports and other security checkpoints. At Topaz, innovation extends beyond New England – we’re working with clients from from Brazil to Burlington, Ireland to Waltham, San Jose to Springfield, MA. And the innovation these companies are developing includes hardware, software, semiconductor, mobile and industrial technologies. There’s another aspect of innovation worth celebrating – innovative PR strategies. Whether it’s embracing social media, finding new ways to distribute content or taking new “issues-driven” approaches to media relations, we’re constantly discovering exciting examples of innovation in PR. So, we’re very supportive of this celebration of innovation and plan to spotlight some of these examples — or innovative technology and innovative PR — in the month ahead.

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BP’s Environmental (and PR) Disaster Spotlights Power of Mobile Giving

Tony Sapienza — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:57:44 +0000

The BP oil disaster is clearly an environmental — and PR — nightmare of epic porportions, but it is helping another cause…or rather many causes. As WirelessWeek points out, there’s a mobile giving effort launched by the National Wildlife Foundation to raise money to help save animals ravaged by the spill — and it points to the same mobile giving phenomenon that is benefiting many smaller charities. A few months back, I blogged about the earthquake in Haiti and how mobile device users stepped up and were able to make quick and easy donations from their cellphones. When one of our clients, Acision — the company that enables the mobile messaging we do on our devices — looked more closely at this, we realized a growing number of charities were benefiting from mobile giving. And the mobile giving efforts around Haiti — and now around the oil disaster — are exposing more and more of the public to the mobile messaging power of their devices. Let’s hope we don’t see any more disasters of this kind — but if they do occur, let’s remember how we can use our mobile devices to help address these problems…and help other charities that do other important work.

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