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The Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe Antitrust Conspiracy And PR

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Credit: Mashable

Credit: Mashable

Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe Systems conspired in the biggest hiring antitrust case the U.S. legal system has ever seen. Please tell me you’ve heard the news. I’m still reeling from the true ramifications of what it means for our allegedly anti-monopolistic economy.

It feels like political parties ran roughshod over the electorate, or the monarchies of Great Britain and the Saudi Arabia launched a war. Alas, it’s merely four giant Fortune 10 publicly traded U.S. corporations named Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe Systems that conspired against their very own employees as if they were chattel.

The four leadership teams agreed behind closed doors the contents of which stayed hidden from 2005 to 2009 to a series of no-recruit agreements. Neither of them could recruit programmers from the other’s company. If they did, it was going to be war as stated by Steve Jobs to Sergey Brin, “If you hire a single one of these people, that means war,” extracted from Bloomberg Businessweek cover story May 5, 2014. [Read more…]

National Business Media, PR And Newtonian Theory

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If you’ve kept abreast of news about national business media of late, you’d know a few are on the auction block while others are undergoing close scrutiny about revenue and future performance. Still more venerable brands are splitting partnerships.

What does this have to do with media relations, the arm of the public relations discipline oriented to earned media – getting stories to appear in news outlets based on the strength of clients’ news?
It is turning the entire media chain on its head; let’s take a closer look:

  • National media need owners with deep pockets.
  • Business leaders in the executive suite are leaving in droves.
  • Journalists writing for the publication know their necks are on the chopping block, too.
  • Editors are trying for business as usual, while crooking the head over the shoulder to see what’s coming.
  • Media relations experts who have built strong relationships with these business reporters now find these relationships drying up with uncertainty and the inability to say “maybe” to a national news story.
  • Clients who shell out oodles of retainer fees to agencies that promise results by way of earned media now may be seeing less positive confirmed responses about media relations projects.

I bet you didn’t know that Newtonian theory applied to national business media and PR did you?

So, what’s a guy to do? I’m just going to come clean and say, “Run, and take cover!”

Forbes is for sale. Fortune is splitting from CNNMoney.com due to a Time Warner divestiture, and Bloomberg Businessweek is under review in spite of its new found success being owned by Bloomberg Media. Time, Inc. is seeking new ways to improve its bottom line while Money magazine is also part of the split from CNNMoney.

Why The Shift in National Business Magazines?

The reason is quite simple; digital. Advertisers are truly hungry for more reach for the dollar, and the way to make this happen is by making websites work on higher digital scale than in the past.
Everyone knows how critical advertising revenue has been for journalism. It’s the elephant in the room. With now playing strong, business media executives are becoming hot commodities for this expertise so magazines can strengthen revenue.

Online publications designed for smart devices create opportunities for media to build new ad streams, too. If these, sometimes archaically thinking executives don’t get on board with digital and online publishing, then opportunities are weak to maintain a healthy bottom line.
I subscribe to about 25 different news outlets and other magazines monthly. The majority come via hard copy to my door because the deals I get are too good to pass up; something like $10 for the year with a gift subscription. Sadly, I’ve seen the ‘zines I rely on get thinner and thinner and then consolidate with sister publications. So, this shift in media is not just happening with the national business press; it’s happening in the verticals, too.

Media Relations Professionals

What this means for we who pitch media is the need to absolutely be on the money with stories reporters can’t refuse. Have you ever seen HARO lists of the queries reporters are seeking to write stories? They’re so bizarre and unconventional I’ve nearly stopped scanning for pitching opportunities.

It’s no wonder journalists are complaining every more forcefully about we who pitch stories. If you’re being paid by a client to pitch a story regardless of whether there’s news value, then please push back on the client and take a look at other ways to get that story some air time.

It will save your reputation; trust me. Meanwhile, media relations and public relations professionals need to and identify outlets, content marketing strategies, and other communication vehicles to share client news.

Because we come from a creative profession, this shouldn’t be too hard to do. I would look to content marketing and digital marketing as an opportunity to get some creative legs on client stories; it’s the next big thing in PR.

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Citigroup CEO Launches Citi Bike With Best Messaging Ever

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Credit: https://citibikenyc.com

In a recent issue of , scored a huge tandem win in New York City with Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The financial behemoth put $41 million into a and tourists to traverse the narrow streets of Manhattan on three-speed blue Citi Bikes with puncture-resistant tires. After three years of study, the program launched May 27, 2013 (in time for a three-day weekend).

The program has been hugely successful with 4.7 million trips and 9.4 million pedaled miles “obliterating projections.”

That’s not all.

Mr. Pandit delivered messaging that so completely blew me away, I had to share.

Here is what he said word for word as extrapolated in the Bloomberg Businessweek story,

“Pandit smiled and took the microphone. ‘Citi Bike is kind of like the Zipcar for bikes. It’s better for the environment. It’s also good exercise. People will be able to borrow a Citi Bike wherever they want and return it at their destination. This should lead to fewer cars on the road. It should lead to less crowding on subways and buses and better access to neighborhoods far from public transit.’ And best of all: ‘As the mayor said – all of this without using any taxpayer money!’”

The Citi Bike Message Map

When we dissect these neat sound bites packed with punch, we can see a perfect message map that covers all the benefits Citi Bike has to offer and squarely positions Citigroup directly on top; not to mention the expert delivery of Mr. Pandit.

Let’s take a look:

  • Home Base Message – this is the primary descriptor of Citi Bike; the easy message everyone can recall and relate to.
    Citi Bike is like the Zipcar for bikes. Mr. Pandit added “kind of like” to the description which is perfectly fine as he made the factoid his and personalized it.
  • Second Tier Messages – Each of these, usually four, second tier messages provide further explanation about the company or program. They could be about customers, price, innovation, benefits, investment, etc.
  • Citi Bike is better for the environment.
  • It’s good exercise.
  • It’s convenient – people can borrow a Citi Bike at origin and return it at their destination.
  • Less crowding. There will be fewer cars on the road, fewer people on subways and better access in neighborhoods.
  • Cost to taxpayers? FREE!

How Citigroup CEO Scored

Typically, the delivery of quick, spot-on messages is rare by CEOs of companies. What’s also rare is the fact that a journalist reported the messages in the story. Mr. Pandit earned something like 14 lines of a quote in the Bloomberg BusinessWeek story. Wonderful.

Let’s address one more thing – the subject of the story. Who can resist such a feel-good story for Manhattan? I love the point that the cost to tax payers is zilch; not to mention the proven mileage pedaled and trips tracked already!

When a publicly traded company the size of Citigroup is front and center with media, it’s customary for the highest executive to take the lead position. Mr. Pandit hit this one out of the park, and why not? He knew it was a homerun before he stepped up to the plate.

P.S. Hat tip to the Citi Bike website; it’s one of the best I’ve seen…take a look when you get a chance!

Read More, Blog Better

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content-is-king.jpg

You can’t always write about personal experiences as a blogger unless, of course, you are a personal blogger.

When you write to monetize, earn money online, generate leads via digital marketing, and lure others to your perspective, then here’s the absolute secret:

READ MORE.

When you read more, you write better. I promise you this is true; I know this from direct and hands-on experience. If someone does not read the news, industry publications, leading and cutting-edge blogs, white papers, or other sites where you learn, then when you sit down to write your slate is empty.

There are no new ideas and concepts or angles to blend into your perspective.

You can only revisit old content and hope that it’s fresh with another posting.

What’s worse, you bore your audience.

Who is Your Audience?

YOU!

You are your first critical audience. Present yourself to the world with the freshest perspective you can offer on news of the day or issues of interest. Put yourself on the receiving end of what you write; is it worthy of others? Are you trying your hardest to bring readers in and keep them?

I picked up Bloomberg BusinessWeek tonight to leaf through. I was treated to the first five stories on a variety of global topics that immediately piqued my interest in writing with those inspired angles.

As I was climbing into the car, this title came to me…my mind was not done mulling over its overflow of jumbled ideas, but guess what? My day is jammed with others who demand my attention. When I can open a business publication and let my mind explore the endless possibilities to write for myself, then I’m fulfilled.  

Is that how you are inspired? Do you think like this all the time with your blog?

I have trouble shutting it off, and I have trouble focusing on one arena of topics because I do hybrid PR – I know a little about a lot with a thirst to know more.

How do you write, get inspired, find topics and share them?  

Tell me is there’s a topic you’d like to see written about here. I am happy to accommodate a try!Thank you for reading me; I appreciate you.

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Is A Blogger A Writer?

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What kind of merry-go-round are we on, folks?

The questions keep flying in circles:

  • Is a blogger a writer?
  • Is a blogger an author?
  • Is a blogger bona fide?
  • Should a journalist become a blogger?
  • Is a blogger a reporter?
  • Is a freelancer a consultant?
  • Should I write in the first person or third person if I’m one person?

OHMYGOSH, already!

Let’s set the record straight so everyone knows the following:

Bloggers are writers. They write every day they post an article. Sometimes the piece is short, sometimes it’s personal, sometimes it’s in-depth investigative journalism like this piece by Amy Tobin on Sunday Social Justice.

Would bloggers be able to pass muster every day writing by journalistic standards? Nope, but they’re not trying. On occasion a piece comes along the likes of squarely on the rump, and that piece deserves high praise and slotting into a publication the likes of Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Oh, did I already mention Amy Tobin’s work?  I’ve never given double link love in a blog post before and I’m gifting Amy with that first…and, she knows why!

Bloggers as Authors

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Photo Credit: Jayme Soulati via iPhone 4S on AA flight to LA

Are bloggers authors if they write books? Many a blogger has written a book; I’m not the first to re-purpose a treasure of archived content into a useful and educational business book.

In case you didn’t know, I recently self published, . So, bloggers can write books; have you? Does that make a blogger any less of an author? NOPE! But, some do believe so; and, that’s OK. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

Journos as Bloggers

For sure a journalist ought to blog, but I bet the topic of the blog would not be akin to their daily beat. That would be a bit strange. Perhaps a journo could blog about a hobby or something; that way, the blog would not interfere with daily writings for the online or offline publication.

Is a freelancer a consultant? Well, you can read on that topic right here and see if you can come up with an answer any better than we could!

First Person or Third Person

Should you write in the first person or third person if you’re one person? A subscriber suggested my newsletters should be written in the first person. That shows I’m writing the content about myself.

Why?

Doesn’t everyone want to give the impression their practice is larger than one person? If you write in first person, it’s too personal and seems full of braggadocio. I can’t, and public relations professionals rarely if ever write in the first person as we’re writing for others.

I’m all about ghost writing for myself; the ones who really know me under the cover will know who’s minding the store. What about you? First person or third?

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