Programming for the Proletariat

A recent story about the Cuban government converting all of its computer to open-source software. One of the officials in charge of the project has this to say:

"It’s basically a problem of technological sovereignty, a problem of ideology,"

The article also points out that:

Other countries have tried similar moves. China, Brazil and Norway have encouraged the development of Linux for a variety of reasons: Microsoft’s near-monopoly over operating systems, the high cost of proprietary software and security problems.

Will Cuba fly in the face of closed society trends and let blogging and consumer generated media in next? I doubt it. First, Fidel will have to get better at keeping it short and letting someone share (have) the stage.

Tags: Cuba, open-source, socialism, bloggers

Linking Me, Linking You

Neat article from New York magazine that demonstrates how the Top 50 blogs (by amount of incoming link-love) connect to each other:

No surprise here that there’s a bit of an echo chamber effect. We can even see it among Canadian PR/Marketing bloggers. How many of us link to David Jones or Ed Lee or Tamera Kremer or Sean Moffitt, any of H & K’s bloggers or anyone else found on the Canadian PR Toolbar? The article refrains from editorializing, so here it goes.

Social media, in all its forms, has gained strength from its ability to link together like-minded individuals and create forums for dialogue, interaction and community/relationship building. It’s natural for people with common interests to find each other – on blogs, in SecondLife – and isn’t this what social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn etc are all about?

Personally, I feel there’s a fertile area of study in this "linkology". It has the potential to be the anthropological hallmark of our age. So much can be learned about someone or something by what they post, where they link, who links to them, what’s in their internet favourites, how they work with technology. But let’s not forget that these platforms are merely the enablers. They are what allow us to form meaningful connections or relationships with other users. It’s not the blogs/sites that are social, it’s us as human beings. The tools are only as effective as we are in using them.

Let us also remember that these tools are powerful drivers in fracturing the divide between the public and the private. You may think it’s funny to post about your debaucherous weekend (complete with pics) on your facebook page, but what happens when you are applying for a position and an astute recruiter unearths your (mis)deeds?

Despite curmudgeonly commentary from those who feel the internet age is breeding a race of insular and anti-social beings, let them see how our arsenal of tools makes us more social and connected than ever.

PS. For those who are counting, this post links to 8 blogs directly. 38 if you count the individuals on the PR toolbar (and even more than that if you dissect the blogs with multiple authors).

PPS. Ed, you can contact my lawyers if you have questions/concerns about the title of the post…;-)

Tags: Linkology, New York magazine, social media, PR, technology, anthropology

ID Please….

A post from Carly Suppa over at H&K on a proposed law in New York state that would make it a fineable offense to cross the street while operating handheld device (mp3 players, PDAs, etc..) reminded me of my own run-in with inane policies and practices.

During a visit to my then girlfriend in Boston, we went to a Black Eye Peas concert held at Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University. Not being a huge of BEP, I wanted to numb myself to the experience with a frosty glass (or rather plastic cup) of Samuel Adams (for the record, one of the finer beers produced south of the border).

Upon reaching the front of the line, I was told that my Ontario drivers license was not an acceptable form of ID. I was told that only a Mass drivers license or passport was acceptable. Scouring the arena, I did manage to find some covertly placed signs informing patrons of this policy. It was not, however, mentioned anywhere on the event tickets or on the arena’s website (which I had visited to find directions).

My explanation to the arena’s service manager that my license has been perfectly adequate to cross the US border and gain access to bars & clubs in at least a dozen countries fell on deaf ears. It is also quite clear that I am over 21 yrs old.

The problem here is not so much with the policy itself (though I do think it’s unnecessarily restrictive). After all, BU & the Agganis Arena is private institution and entitled to make rules that it feels are in the best interests of its students (I imagine it was put in place after underage kids used out-of-state licenses to acquire booze and then make fools of themselves and the school). Oh yeah, and there’s those pesky liability issues. The issue is one of knowing your audience and communicating information to them in a way that ensures they have a positive experience with your product/service.

So here’s my tip sheet for the good folk at Agganis Arena

• Recognize that Boston is a university town. It has two of the world’s most prestigious schools – Harvard & MIT – and draws students from around the globe. This is important if you are hosting events that will draw a non-BU audience that is likely to be unfamiliar with your policies.
• Students from other countries are unlikely to have their Mass drivers license and would be unlikely to bring their passport to an event unless told that they would need it (who brings a passport to a concert/sporting event???)
• You are in the service industry. To ensure your customers have an enjoyable experience – post ALL important details of your building’s policy.
• When someone takes the time to write to you offering comments on their experience with your services, take the time to respond. Even a “Thank you for your feedback. Your comments have been noted.” is appreciated.
• Make sure your staff are well-versed on the rationale behind a policy. A blank stare, shrug of the shoulders and “well, that’s just our policy” doesn’t make a situation any better.

Tags: Customer Service, PR, Boston, Agganis Arena




Marketing mag gets blogging

Marketing magazine has launched a blog. It’s written under the "Mark Etting" psuedonym. Bonus points for comments that correctly identify the staff member who wrote each post.

Welcome to the convesation guys.

Disclosure: Used to work there. Still like them. (Now looking for a PR job.)

Will get around to updating my profile….——->

Tags: Marketing magazine, Blog, Social Media, Mark Etting

Looking Over A Four-Letter Clover

I’m glad to see I was not alone in the disgust I felt after Ireland’s 2-1 escape from San Marino in Euro2008 qualifying. It was a truly abject display and deserving of the harshest criticism (for non football fans out there, San Marino has lost their previous 37 matches by conceding an astonishing 168 goals).

Kudos to Michael O’Connor Clarke for pointing out that in the aftermath of the match, a bitter fan (s) made some crude and highly critical changes to the Football Association of Ireland’s entry on Wikipedia (the link is to the edited page, but it may not last long). As Michael astutely points out in his comments:

An object lesson in social media crisis communications here, too. A blog & wiki-savvy communicator would have foreseen something like this and kept a much closer eye on the page.

I suppose this speaks to the inherant risk with social media. As much as it can offer legitimate two-way communication and transparent and authentic interaction, there are equal opportunities for those with mischevious intentions to exploit these conditions. Of course, this not the first time we’ve seen something like this: ‘Dub-yah" Bush’s page has been locked down for ages as a result of cyber terrorism and companies setting up their brands in SecondLife have been subject to ‘attacks’.

Tags: Social Media, Cyber Terrorism, Football, Ireland, San Marino, FAI

Democracy Has A Pulse

Yesterday, the BBC reported that an online petition service launched by Number 10 and a non-profit called My Society has reached 1 million signatures – including over 600 000 signatures for a petition to replace road tax with pricing based on vehicle use. I won’t claim to be familiar with all the issues facing the British government and its constituents, but it seems that the service has been warmly (and sensibly) embraced by British voters. Of course there are people who abuse the system (including a petition to have broccoli reclassified as a toxic substance) but

"Downing Street said e-petitions were ‘proving to be a popular way for people to get their views heard.’ The service was launched 3 months ago, with more than 2,400 petitions being posted so far."

A full list of petitions filed so far can be found here and you can also read about the goal and operational parameters of the project.

I am hugely in favour of anything that allows citizens to have a more open channel of communications with their representatives and that fosters participatory democracy. It’s a far too common problem that people don’t vote, don’t get involved, don’t care about politics and public policy because they feel they have neither the resources to get involved nor the sense that their voice carries sway in the ‘corridors of power’.

The service claims to be designed to be both transparent and trustworthy. I suppose the litmus test for trustworthiness is whether these petitions impact policy-making. I was also pleased to learn that even those petitions deemed to be in poor taste, frivolous or incendiary can still be found in a separate section of the site.

This can be a great PR tool for the party (not so much for Tony Blair who is set to step down sometime soon). It demonstrates the party/government values the input of its constituents and recognizes that an engaged citizenry is beneficial to the political health of the country. The site claims that any serious petition that raises an appropriate number of signatures (the benchmark is pretty low) will be reviewed by officials and will receive a response (depending on the issue that response may even come from the PM or a relevant minister).

Political discourse is far too often a monologue. Even politicians seem to be talking at each other rather than to each other and the voice of the common citizen is generally left out in the cold once polling stations close. I admire the leadership shown by Number 10 and applaud this effort to directly engage concerned citizens in an accessible and (it appears) transparent fashion.

Tags: Engagement, politics, e-government, democracy, PR

Demotivating the Masses

Finally I have found the counter-point to the vast and insidious ‘motivational’ industry. Despair.com has developed a line of demotivating calendars and posters that mocks the tried, tested and cliched slogans that can found in offices and basements around the world.

 I should mention that I have no issue with the concepts of leadership and motivation as such. When applied well they can inform and inspire and there are many out there who are legitimate experts in the fields and well worth listening to.

 I do have an issue with cheap and obvious sloganeering that tries to give people a false sense of hope and plays on their fears and dreams while offering nothing but a hackneyed phrase in return.

So remember, persistence wears down resistance after you’ve planned the work and worked the plan and you should always be closing. Do this and you’ll find that every cloud has a silver lining, every dog has its day, there is no ‘I’ in team, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Tags: Leadership, motivation, marketing, slogans

Canuck Slang. Eh Hoser?

I was surfing around Wikipedia and came across an entry for Canadian Slang words.

We often deride ourselves for lacking a readily defineable culture. While we may not be as creative cursers as the Brits or Aussies, we have a rich and vibrant lexicon of our own that speaks of a uniquely Canadian history, culture and sense of humour.

Here’s a sentence to test how Canadian you are:

Hey Hoser. Stop f*cking the dog, finish up your double-double and get over to Crappy Tire and pick up a tipper so we can finish off this swish.

Comprende?

Tags: Canuck, slang, language, hoser

Top Brands 2006

Brandchannel.com has released its list of the world’s top brands for 2006. Not surprisingly, Google tops the charts and the rest of the Top 5 reads a bit like a who’s-who of the sexiest & most news-worthy of companies.

1. Google

2. Apple

3. Youtube

 4. Wikipedia

 5. Starbucks

Here’s the breakout of Top 5’s by geographic region:

It’s noteworthy that local companies make up the Top 5 in their respective regions. All Japanese companies in the Asia-Pacific ranking; all European companies in the Euro-rankings; all South American companies in the Central & Latin America rankings; all American companies in the North American rankings. To save you time, I’ve done a further break-out by industry:

• Technology: 9 companies (includes Wikipedia)
• Consumer Goods: 7 (includes Food & Beverage)
• Automotive: 2
• Financial Services: 1
• Misc: 1 (I can’t figure out what Bimbo does…)

For a Canadian perspective, Marketing releases an annual Reputation Survey.

What I find most interesting about all of is how the companies at the top of the Global list have done an excellent job at empowering the consumer (with information, entertainment and coffee that goes beyond the double-double). For some solid insight into the on-demand consumer check out Collin Douma’s post on his Radical Trust blog.

Tags: Top brands, marketing, consumer, on-demand

Why Sales is Good Training for PR

I’ll start by admitting this post is a blatant bit of self-promotion. But I’m unapologetic as it’s an issue that’s very important to me – my career. Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked at Marketing magazine where I’ve handled the PR category (among other things). I’ve also been taking my PR diploma and volunteering for a non profit organization as their national director of communications. All of this was done with a view to moving from sales into public relations. I realize that this is not without its challenges. Though I have nearly 3 years volunteer PR experience, it’s my sales experience that has been paying the bills and it’s inevitably the first thing that prospective employers consider. Additionally, while I am committed to making this move and will start back at the bottom if necessary, I don’t feel that would make the best use of my knowledge, skills and experience and would end up doing a disservice to both myself and my employer (just being honest). As I am now very actively looking for a suitable PR position (agency preferred, but open to client-side), I want to make the case for why my sales experience will prove to be an asset for my PR career.

Sales is Like Media Relations

In my view (and in the view of other PR pros I’ve talked to about this), there is very little difference between sales and media relations. Sure, there are subtle differences, but they are fundamentally the same. In both, you have to:

• Identify your prospects and make sure they are the right person to speak to;
• Understand their needs and deliver solutions/information that meets those needs and delivers benefits to them;
• Do good research;
• Be persuasive;
• Be willing and able to pick up the phone, call someone you may have never spoken to before in your life and build a rapport with them so they will trust the information you are giving them and look to you as a valuable resource.

Sales breeds client service excellence

If you want clients to trust you and view you as a valued member of their ‘team’, you have to do a bang-up job servicing their accounts. You need to:

• Anticipate their needs and be ready with solutions;
• Be responsive – return calls in a timely fashion and with the information they need;
• Manage multiple accounts, priorities, tasks, etc…simultaneously and deliver top quality work at all times;
• If you say you’re going to do something, do it – do it well & deliver it on time;
• Be adept at managing client expectations. Know what you can do for your client and what you can’t. You also have to be able to say no to a client.

Sales Makes You a Good Communicator

Verbal and written communication skills are just as important in sales as they are in public relations. You need to:

• Be able to write clearly, concisely and persuasively;
• You must be able to write well for a variety of audiences and mediums;
• You must have a good presence – dress well, carry yourself well;
• You must be able to communicate your ideas well in presentations. Can you hold someone’s attention? Can you read a room? A person?

Sales Requires Business Knowledge

Okay, you don’t need to have a Harvard MBA, but you need to be able to understand & assess a client’s business, its goals, objectives, competitive landscape, potential risks and develop strategies and tactics that will address those issues. It’s my sense that this business knowledge is something that is not always present with junior to intermediate PR practitioners. This is also speaks to having an interest in the world around you. You have to voraciously consume information and be able to identify how to best use it yourself or for your client. Of course, there are differences between the two disciplines. There are unique tactics, strategies and knowledge required for success. But there are fundamental and highly transferable skills that are used in sales that can readily and effectively be applied to working in public relations. Hopefully, if you’re still reading, this argument makes sense to you. Hopefully, you’re someone who’s in a position to make hiring decisions for your firm. Hopefully, you have an opening for an intermediate PR practitioner. Hopefully, you’ll look to right and see my contact info and drop me a line so we can chat about this in greater depth.

Tags: PR, Sales, Training, Job Search