A great example of crisis management done well on the world stage

By: Cole Buergi, Sr. Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

If there was ever time when crisis management was done, and done well, it was at during the Grammys on Sunday night. Just more than 24 hours before the start of the live awards show, word came that past Grammy winner and music diva Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room.

At the young age of 48, her death was very much unexpected. And, although the autopsy results have not been released at the time of this post, the rumors are circulating. Houston has had a very troubled history with drugs and alcohol and has arrived at several recent public events appearing disoriented.

Although there was and continues to be great speculation on the cause of her death and with only 24 hours to revise the show, the producers created a tribute to Houston that tastefully and, with dignity, paid respect to her accomplishments as a singer. In addition, the host’s script was revised to include kind words of her musical talent and recognize her impact on the music industry and performers throughout the evening paid tribute to her.

The clips of her performances and the comments by the host were very well done and didn’t interrupt or overshadow the purpose of the Grammys which is a celebration of today’s accomplished artists.

With a show that is timed to the second for broadcasting purposes, I can only imagine the stress the producers faced to work this tribute into the show, determine where to put it and what needed to be removed from the scheduled performances to accommodate it. Despite the pressure, I feel they managed it well. The lead in to the tribute and tribute itself were seamless as if it had been a part of the show the entire time and not a last minute addition

What are your thoughts on how they handled it? Do you think they could have done more considering Houston’s accomplishments or do you feel they did too much considering the speculation on her cause of death?

Watch…Play…Win

By: Angela Raleigh, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

In less than two weeks the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will meet again in the biggest football game of the year, Super Bowl XLVI. Millions of viewers will tune in to the big game, but as an added incentive businesses are utilizing social media to connect with viewers in a whole new way during the game.

I recently read about Chevy’s take on engaging viewers during the Super Bowl….and I have to be honest, I found it rather intriguing. If you haven’t heard, Chevy has developed the Chevy Game Time app, which will bring interaction to the big game by allowing football fans to answer live trivia about the game and commercials, participate in polls and engage with others through Twitter.

But what I found most fascinating, as I am sure others will as well, is the chance to win one of twenty Chevy automobiles and thousands of other prizes. Those who choose to download the app will automatically be entered to win a Chevy Camaro just for registering and will also receive a unique custom plate ID.

Super Bowl commercials have always been viewed as an important part of the big game and this couldn’t be more true this year. As the Chevy commercials air, viewers who downloaded the app will be crossing their fingers in hopes their plate ID appears on the screen. For the lucky viewers whose plate ID actually appears in any of the Chevy commercials, will be the winner of the vehicle its on. How cool is that!?! It’s one smart way to keep viewers watching every minute of the game and in between.

I give kudos to Chevy on this app, as I believe it’s a clever way to engage with and allow fans to interact during the game.

Social media and apps are definitely changing the way in which we interact and get information. Have you downloaded this app or others apps to help you say on top of your game?

Going Dark to See the Light

By: Scott Stein, Sr. Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

If you’ve ever doubted the power of the Internet, this week is a good example of just what can happen.

I was among the many, I assume, that really had no idea what the letters SOPA and PIPA stood for before this week. But the well-orchestrated 24-hour blackouts on websites like Wikipedia certainly got my attention and piqued my interest in these two pieces of federal legislation.

SOPA is the House bill that many believe is now dead, while PIPA is the Senate version that is losing support as I write this. While well-intentioned as vehicles to stop Internet piracy, the list of opponents who believe the bills would cause far more damage than good continues to grow.

Opponents point out that the main problem with the two piece of legislation is that the language is too vague. Many believe that the bills will actually do little to fight piracy, but the impact on legitimate social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube could be dramatic.

Under SOPA and PIPA, a website can get in trouble for any user content. Simply put, any sight that contains some content that infringes on a copyright could be shut down. Of course, most websites would likely self-police before it even gets to that point with the result that everyone would see less content which would dramatically change what we’ve come to expect from the Internet.

It’s a complicated issue with far-reaching implications. But until this week, I was in the dark on SOPA and PIPA. It took several key website going dark for just one day to get my attention.

Did the January 18th blackout get your attention too? What are your thoughts on SOPA and PIPA?

You’re Posting – But Are You Listening?

By: Kristen Paquet, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

If you’ve been keeping up with to your social media accounts for your business, then you are only doing half the job it takes to maintain a quality Facebook page or Twitter feed (or any social media account for that matter).

We’ve been given some great lessons on the importance of listening to our follower and fans over the past several months. Netflix is the big one, with the subscriber uproar that came when the streaming service said they were separating services under two different websites and charging for both. The public’s voice was overwhelming and people canceled subscriptions in record numbers. Ultimately, Netflix, abandoned the idea of two different websites, but the increase in charges remains intact.

More recently, Verizon said it was going to start to charge a $2 “convenience fee” for online or by-phone single payments in an effort to boost customer payments by electronic check or Auto Pay. Within hours, there was a huge outcry from customers via social media. It only took one day for Verizon to change its mind on the fee (and hooray for me – as I’m a Verizon customer).

You don’t have to be a huge company to learn the two lessons that have come from these examples. Even small businesses, especially if you are offering a service or a product, need to pay attention:

1. Listen to what your followers, fans and bloggers are saying. They will give you more insight than any market study or survey ever will. The comments shared are more real and raw and are most likely a better representation of what you really need to hear. That being said, you do need to take all of the data into consideration before making a decision.
2. After you have listened, react quickly. Online comments and blog posts go up fast so you need to react as soon as possible good, bad or otherwise. In the case of Netflix, it took the company’s CEO to issue an apology to customers on the way they were informed of the changes, giving people more time to get hot under the collar (and more time for negative news stories to run). The take away here: the more you linger, the louder your audience is likely to get.

If you’re not seeing a lot of conversation or comments on Facebook or Twitter, get your followers talking by asking questions, asking for user feedback or offering a special promotion for those that respond to one of your posts. Once your followers know they can use your page as a sounding board, the more they will be willing to comment – especially if they feel their voice is being heard. So be sure to listen!

Does anyone have an example of when listening paid off just as much (if not more) than posting? Please share? Hey…is anyone out there listening??

The new Facebook Timeline. It’s our new “permanent record”

By: Susan Finco, President, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

Remember in grade school or high school, when you were faced with the threat of something going into your “permanent record?” We always wondered who kept those permanent records and how long would they follow us through life. Then, as adults, the thought of a permanent record became a bit of a joke (maybe with the exception of our personnel files at work – never a joke).

But now it looks like your permanent record has become a reality. Facebook’s Timeline is very much like a permanent record of your life. As with all things Facebook, any major changes to the existing format are met with skepticism, criticism and eventually, acceptance (after all, who has a choice in the matter?)

The Facebook Timeline is a new kind of profile; one that literally turns everything you’ve ever posted on Facebook into a personal history. I would highly recommend you not simply accept whatever Facebook gives you for your Timeline. The Timeline can be changed and edited, and you’ll want to do that so it reflects who you are right now. Eliminate those college beer party pictures, comments by your ex partners/spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends, etc. Do you really want future employers or associates to see all of that?

There’s plenty of help available online to help you sort through the new feature. A couple of stories I found useful include:

• An article in Discovery news has some good tips on getting the Timeline to look like you want it to look in his article: Facebook’s Timeline: We are All Historians Now. Go to: http://bit.ly/s9N0h3 
• A post on The Huffington Post also walks you through the settings. Go to: http://huff.to/tPtfHq

Love it or hate it, the Timeline will be implemented on all Facebook accounts, so now’s the time to learn about it and figure out what you want included in your personal history, or I should say permanent record. It’ll be there…until the next Facebook change comes along.

Have you tried out Timeline…do you love it? Hate it? What tips do you have for customizing the Timeline?

2012 PR trends…what’s on your radar?

By: Angela Raleigh, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

With only days left in 2011 it’s that time of year when the PR pros are looking ahead to the opportunities and challenge that 2012 will bring. Here are five trends to keep in mind.

1. Relationships remain critical. PR has always been about creating and enhancing relationships and connections with others. But in the social media world, this also couldn’t be more true. Look for new people and organizations to connect with, but don’t forget to say connected with the people who you already have relationships established with.

2. Crises will continue. Whether a crisis hits the news media or social media channels, crises will continue to occur in 2012. Some will flare up quick and die out just as fast, while others might lag around. In either case, knowing how to handle the situation properly will help mitigate the crisis.

3. Social media integration. With social media platforms continuing to expand and develop, concentrate your efforts on the channels that offer your organization the greatest ROI and compliment current PR strategies. It might be Google+ Business page for one organization and a Facebook Fan page for another. Remember to not get overwhelmed. Pick your channels, keep it simple, listen to what others in your industry are saying and engage in the conversation.

4. Traditional media is not dead. Traditional PR tactics will be enhanced with new and innovative ways for engaging audiences through social media. For instance, you may choose to pitch a reporter via Twitter instead of email. The brief nature of social media makes it the perfect place for reporters to get information quickly.

5. Continued Improvement. The one thing constant in PR is change. As PR professionals we must embrace change because it is a part of our daily working environment. One of the most important aspects of effectively implementing change is ensuring that everyone involved clearly understand the reasons for the change, the likely impacts, as well as the methods used to create the change and the expected benefits.

What’s on your PR radar for the New Year? Will any of the above be a factor in your PR success in 2012? I’d welcome hearing your predictions.

2012: Time for a PR refresher

By: Kristen Paquet, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

The holidays make many of us think about the future and the inevitable list of resolutions: lose weight, read more, be more community minded. The New Year is a great time to renew yourself and your lifestyle. But it’s also a good time to renew the company PR plan.

Just as people can fall into a mundane routine or a rut, so can the actions you take with your PR plan. Taking time now to review your plan (or develop a plan if you don’t have one) and making just a few updates can help ensure success throughout the year.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Do you have a big event coming up? Launching a new product? Working on a special project? Determine if anything your company is doing is newsworthy well in advance so you have time to plan ways to attract local media. 
• Take a look at your website and social media accounts like Facebook. Can any of these tools use an upgrade or be refreshed in any way? Make sure the content is current and that all links work properly.
•  Start a photo archive of activities and events and make it a point to include photos with any news releases that go out. 
• Scan national headlines on a regular basis and contact area media outlets to offer a local perspective when appropriate. 
• Develop or update the company media kit and send it to local media outlets so they know they can tap into your expertise for any stories. Make hard and electronic copies.

You took the right step to develop a PR plan for your company – now make sure you use it! Making simple updates can yield a big benefit in the long run. Who else has ideas to help renew a PR plan for the New Year? Please share!