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PRobecast #142: SOPA, GM’s halo car, and Weight Watchers’ rebrand

Renatta Siewert — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:58:49 +0000

In this episode of PRobecast, Justin Martell, Caitlin Smith and Josh DeStefano join me in talking about SOPA and websites going dark, GM’s taking steps to avoid becoming the next Toyota, and Weight Watchers’ secret recipe to branding. The SOPA bill has been all over the web, literally, and as tech PR people, it’s pretty impossible to support this piece of legislation.

SOPA Bill Faces New Hurdles – Over 10,000 websites went dark yesterday to protest the Stop Online Piracy Bill, which has now become a fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The bill’s roots aren’t inherently bad (all it seeks to do is stop piracy) but along the way, the bill’s language would allow every single website – especially Wikipedia – to be shut down by the copyright holder. Imagine you’re a student doing a report for school, and you Google some books or keywords. If any of that information had been reposted, it would immediately be taken down. In the scope of the Internet, a small percentage of websites actually seek to harm the copyright holder. South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint tweeted, “I support intellectual property rights, but I oppose SOPA & PIPA.” This seems to be the new position of a lot of former supporters. The Internet hosts free knowledge, so where would we be without it? In the Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley fight, who’d win?

GM Looks to Protect Green Image with Volt Fixes – The Chevy Volt is being referred to as a “halo car”, or the image of everything Chevy wants to become. GM will ask Volt owners to return the cars to dealers for structural modifications — repairs that fall under a “customer service campaign,” which is similar to a safety recall but allows GM to avoid the bad publicity and federal monitoring that come with a formal recall. The fixes are similar to a recall and involve about 8,000 Volts sold in the U.S.in the past two years. GM is making the repairs after three Volt batteries caught fire following crash tests done by federal safety regulators. Although GM has fallen far below its sales projections for the Volt, the image of this car improve GM’s image for the future.

Weight Watchers Secret Recipe for Rebranding? Patience – You know me, I love a good corporate branding story. And add a fitness component? I’m all over it. Weight Watchers has been known for being the most successful lifestyle change program, because it doesn’t have a “diet” element as much as its portion control element. WW overhauled its points system, giving 0 points to fruits and veggies, and giving lower points to foods based on their nutrients. However, they waited an entire year before launching it – why, you ask? It’s because they dedicated an entire year to training staff and nutritionists, holding focus groups, and signing powerful people like Jennifer Hudson and Charles Barkley. What do you think, knowing what you do about WW? Was waiting a whole year the right way to go?

We chose the SOPA story as this week’s PR Power Ranker. It grew as a national campaign over the course of a few weeks, and with website blackouts like Wikipedia’s, it forces everyone, even our nation’s non-political teenagers, to face what could happen to the Internet if SOPA passes. But what comes next? We think it’s important to recognize this isn’t the end of bills like this, and we should be able to handle it next time around.

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PRobecast #141 Special Edition: Republican Primary Season!

Renatta Siewert — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:41:43 +0000

In this special edition episode of PRobecast, Topazers Justin Martell, Liz O’Donnell, and Caitlin Smith join me in talking about the only thing we could be talking about – election primary season!

We brought back Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann, plus recounted some famous debate gaffes. We voted who was responsible for most unforgettable primary moment.

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Was it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

Generally we’d pick a company, or a product, etc, that fits the bill. This time, we voted on Rick Perry’s “oops” moment during one of the first debates, when he couldn’t remember that pesky third agency he’d get rid of. It was a moment of levity that none of us, least of all Mr. Perry, will forget!

Share your thoughts! Here are the questions we answered:

- What have been the highlights of the primaries for you?

- Who do you think will make the general election?

- What’s the worst thing a candidate has done thus far to push positive attention either onto him or herself, OR to push negative attention onto a fellow candidate?

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PRobecast #137: Special Edition: Doug Banks Talks Tech & Media Changes at Topaz

Renatta Siewert — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:32:17 +0000

We had a special guest joining us during this week’s PRobecast – Doug Banks, publisher and editor of Mass High Tech, which specializes in covering the region’s next generation technologies, and the people and companies behind New England’s success.

Along with Doug, Topazer Tony Sapienza joins me for a round table discussion about journalism these days, as well as a few tips for PR pros like us.

Add to our discussion – how else have PR and journalism changed?

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PRobecast #86: Free Speech, Branding & More!

Alison Raymond — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:33:32 +0000

This week’s PRobecast, Alison Raymond, Tony Sapienza, Amy Krigman and Renatta Siewart talk California’s bill that makes it illegal to impersonate someone on the Web, cardless check-ins at the gym, business logos and more. Here are the issues we covered:

CA Bill says it’s illegal to impersonate – California recently passed a bill that makes it illegal to impersonate someone else on the web – and this means person or corporation. While instances like the whole Phoebe Price bullying case, would make me want to agree with this bill. What happened to freedom of speech?

Fingerprints at the Gym – An article in DailyFinance talked about a gym in the Silicon Valley installing fingerprint scanners at their front desk – as part of their national cardless check-in program. So gym-goers will scan their right and left index finders and the machine would keep in on file. The article brings up a good point, identity theft is already a problem but at least you can get a new account number. You can’t get a new fingerprint. Would you scan your print so you didn’t have to remember your card?

What to Consider when Creating a Business Logo – A mashable article talked about the 4 key things to consider when creating a logo and these included: Make sure your logo gives a good impression, Make your logo “sticky” – meaning non-changing, Find a great designer and introduce yourself into the social marketplace. I think this article brought up a good point – logos really need a good first impression. If it doesn’t look good, your audience will likely look elsewhere. And, secondly – introduce yourself to the social sphere, but think about where you want to go. Don’t spread yourself too thin. You want to make sure you have a plan as to what you want to accomplish and then proceed to do so.

Firefox 4’s Beta 4: Hello, Sync and Panorama – Mozilla just released its beta version of Firefox 4 which includes 2 features: Panorama and Sync. Panorama is a visual tool that allows you to see all of your open tabs in a group. It has a drag and drop interface so you can more easily manage them. Which is helpful for the tab-fiends. The Sync allows users to synchronize all their bookmarks, history, passwords, etc. across multiple computers. What are your thoughts on these new features

Could ‘Social Network’ hurt Facebook? – There’s a film coming out in October called “The Social Network” that is supposed to be about Mark Zuckerberg and how facebook was created. Apparently Zuckerberg didn’t have anything to do with the film and the film casts him in some bad light. If true, do you think this is going to effect how people will think of facebook?

Lindsay Lohan’s Potential New Radio Gig – Lindsay Lohan just got out of rehab and there is talk of her calling the East Coast home again. A radio show in Long Island is now offering her and her mother Dina $1M to host the morning radio show and talk fashion, tips, etc. Do you want tips from Lindsay

The Most Dangerous Celebrities to Google – McAfee recently put out a top 10 list of the most dangerous celebrities to Google. The Top 3 being Jessica Biel at 3, Julia Roberts at #2 and Cameron Diaz being the top dangerous celebrity. According to McAfee, the risk is greater when you include “nake” or “nude,” which isn’t really surprising. This really just goes back to the fact that you have to be careful what you click on, whether it’s a link that was sent to you or on Google.

The 15 Most Bedbug-Infested Cities in the US- There was a recent study of the top 15 bedbug-infested cities in the US and Boston came out as number 11. Gross! What are your thoughts on this epidemic?

Lastly, this week we are starting a PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which we go around the room and everyone votes on what story did the best job PR-wise. This week’s winner is Terminix who released the study on the top bedbug-infested cities. Not only does this story have the “yuck” – it also grabbed a lot of attention.

So, Congratulations, Terminix!

Hope you enjoyed PRobecast, Topaz Partners’ loosely edited weekly podcast!

Let us know what your thoughts are on these matters!

MP3 File

Technorati Tags: bedbugs, Facebook, free speech, Lindsay Lohan, Terminix

PRobecast #79: Mobile Devices, Facebook Rivals, Location-based services and more

Alison Raymond — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:12:51 +0000

In this episode of PRobecast, Alison Raymond, Tony Sapienza, Amy Krigman and Joanna DiTrapano talk PR, social media, location based services and Mel Gibson. Here are some topics we covered:

iPhone 4 – Was Apple rushing to get out the newest version of the iPhone without flushing out the kinks first?

KIN – Why is Motorola pushing promotion yet cutting the phone?

Facebook Rivals – Is Google building a facebook rival? How will these new rivals to the social networking giant work out?

Toyota recalls – Toyota was aware of a problem with certain Lexus models for the since 2008, yet they just announced the recall. Why are they trying to mask their issues?

Location-based services – Location-based technologies are now the new rage. How much information are you willing to give to people. Do you really want everyone to know where you are at all times? Is stalking going to be an issue?

You can send your feedback to bmoc@topazpartners.com. You can also call your feedback into 781-404-2403. Or leave a comment on our blog!

Click To Play:

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Google, Location+Based+Services, Mel+Gibson, Mobile+Devices, Topaz+Partners

Why Businesses Should Care about the ‘Social Media Revolution’

Katelyn D'Eramo — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:39:18 +0000

The following video, “Social Media Revolution,” does an excellent job of capturing why social media is such a force for businesses today and why companies should take notice. Social media is changing the way advertisers, marketers, public relations professionals and businesses reach their target audiences. The research and predictions outlined here provide a persuasive argument for using social media strategically as part of your outreach efforts.

Thanks to Socialnomics for putting this together.

What are your thoughts about this video? What do you think of social media and the latest trends? How will social media affect your life in the future?

Technorati Tags: Social Media, social media revolution, Social Networks, statistics, video

Creating PR ‘Story Arcs’ that Lead Customers Your Company’s Way

Ann Dalrymple — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:52:50 +0000

Although we’re not dramatists, we talk to clients frequently about building story arcs that link the elements of PR, communications and marketing programs. Deciding early in a PR campaign to tell a long-running story, with supporting data, commentary from industry influencers and analysts, and objectives that are measurable, supports demand-generation efforts and illustrates PR’s value to your company’s stakeholders.

Story arcs allow us to manage the ebb and flow of news by creating events or episodes – trends and predictions viewpoints, data analyses, podcasts and more – that take a few big issues or message points and build smaller, component stories that evolve and draw the sustained interest of multiple audiences. This approach creates an opportunity for industry participants to enter into a dialogue with your company’s thought leaders.

Development of story arcs also supports the repurposing and evolution of content assets across multiple channels. Among the approaches we use:

- Evaluate the company’s demand generation goals and refine a few big messages that support those goals

- Plot a story timeline against company marketing programs, industry events, and corporate milestones

- Mine content assets – white papers, podcasts, presentations – for supporting messages

- Look for opportunities to influence industry trends by providing commentary that links client issues to the ideas and concerns of other big thinkers.

- Work closely with analysts and influencers to validate messages.

How do you develop stories that hold readers’ interest and provide seed ideas for media?

Technorati Tags: Client Service, Marketing, podcast, Social Media, Topaz Partners

Reaching Sisters in New Ways: Sororities and Social Media

Katelyn D'Eramo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:31:29 +0000

In college, I was part of a sorority, Alpha Phi at Bentley, Zeta Rho to be exact. It made my college years very enjoyable and I still am best friends with many of the sorority sisters. Since graduation, I’ve received direct mail from Alpha Phi International executive offices as well as attended my own chapter alumnae events.

As a member of the organization, I have joined their Facebook page and now follow them on Twitter. The well-organized Alpha Phi website features RSS feeds, monthly podcasts, online newsletters, a travel blog, a Facebook page and now Twitter (@AlphaPhiIntl). They are able to connect alumnae, collegians, and potential new members using social media. Whether it’s sending out an event reminder for National Wear Red Day, posting job opportunities or uploading pictures, they are connecting all Alpha Phi’s. They are reaching their demographics using all different methods.

This will help with many of Alpha Phi’s causes. The Alpha Phi Foundation will now have many resources to use for donations and support. This was a great extension for the organization. Many other charity organizations can learn from the footsteps Alpha Phi is making.

Joining a sorority meant that you had sisters all over the world (trust me, you ask when you see someone wearing Alpha Phi letters). Sororities’ use of social media is now making it even easier to connect to others outside your chapter or region.

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Social Media, Twitter

Mass TLC Social Media Seminar: Dec. 11, 2008 – Setting Priorities, Using Tools

Tim Allik — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:14:20 +0000

I’m pleased to be an advisory member of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council’s Social Media Cluster. Mass TLC is planning some informative and interesting events over the next few months.

I invite you to join us at the Communispace headquarters in Watertown On December 11, 2008 from 8 to 10 a.m. for the next Mass TLC Social Media Seminar.

Here’s the description:

Social media is a fast, efficient and relatively inexpensive way to get your message directly to an audience, but the variety of available tools can be intimidating.

Blogs, podcasts, online video and social networks each present intriguing opportunities for audience engagement, but one size doesn’t fit all. Successful social media strategies start with defining strategic objectives and then selecting the appropriate mix of tools to achieve them. In this session, successful social media practitioners share their secrets for getting initiatives off the ground and pointed in the right direction.

Panelists:

Dan Kennedy, Assistant Professor, Northeastern University School of Journalism; blogger, Media Nation, Medianation.blogspot.com.

Perry Allison, Vice President, Social Marketing Innovation, EONS.com

Chris Penn, CTO, Edvisors and the Student Loan Network; Founder and Producer, the Financial Aid Podcast, www.finacialaidpodcast.com

There are student discounts available for this event. For more information email me at tallik@topazpartners.com.

Even if you’re not a member of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council you can get the member discount to by using the promotional code socmed08.

You can register here. Tickets are still available!

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Boston, Events, Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, online communities, Podcasting, seminars, Social Media