tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157328972024-03-13T06:54:41.215-05:00Abbott Public Relations Blog...blogging about public relations and how it affects our work and our lives.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-56464731271254703862021-01-26T13:53:00.002-05:002021-01-26T13:53:28.153-05:007 Common Pitfalls of First-Time Political Candidates [Abbott PR]As first-time candidates throughout the U.S. begin to prepare for elections this year and in 2022, it's a good time to take a look at some pitfalls these candidates often encounter.<br />
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<b>1. Trying to self-manage a campaign.</b> If you serve as your own campaign manager, you're being managed by a fool. Why? Because you cannot objectively make decisions affecting yourself. For example, you cannot objectively tell yourself that your wardrobe is inappropriate, that you must tone down your favorite diatribe, or that you're speaking too long. This is true for your spouse and other close family members, too. They cannot be totally objective. To run a winning campaign, it takes an outsider's clear view of the campaign to make these kinds of decisions - objectively. Sometimes it's hard to hear that you're approaching a campaign from the wrong direction, and you may even be upset, but better you hear it from someone who WANTS you to win, rather than from voters on election day. (Note: For some races for smaller offices with smaller budgets, a strong campaign adviser - or a communications consultant - may be fine as a substitute for a full-fledged, full-time manager. But the advice holds - get outside help.)<br />
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<b>2. Failing to raise and spend the right amount of money. </b>Speaking of money, if you don't have the cash, you must raise it. First-time candidates often delude themselves into thinking money doesn't matter. It does. Without money, there isn't a campaign. And it must be not only raised, but spent, wisely. Even if you think you only need a small amount of money, media and voters will be watching to see if you have the ability to raise more than you need. The truth is, candidates need professionals to help them to raise money - or force them to, if necessary.<br />
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<b>3. Focusing on the wrong issues.</b> You have 40 issues that you want to tackle in your campaign: abortion, the IRS, Federal defense spending, social security, etc., etc. But wait a minute, you're running for a seat in the state legislature! Much of this will be irrelevant to the office you're seeking. Spending time on issues you would have no control over if you're elected is a waste of time, and can unnecessarily give voters reasons to vote against you. A campaign must focus on a select few, relevant local issues, and not deviate from them.<br />
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<b>4. Talking about the wrong issues ... to the wrong people. </b>You should never lie or change your views to chase poll results in order to get votes. Voters can sniff out a phony. But it simply makes sense to speak to groups and individuals about things they care about. Making wildly irrelevant speeches to influential groups is a sure way of looking foolish - and irrelevant, yourself. Relying on speech writers, your manager and/or your communications consultant to direct your campaign's focus on issues is a wise move. It will likely keep you from looking completely out of touch, and will give your campaign a polished look and feel, without compromising your principles.<br />
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<b>5. Steering out of the Mainstream.</b> Okay, so you believe in UFOs and aliens, you think flying cars can solve traffic jams, and that JFK was shot five times by CIA operatives, Castro and the Mob working together. <u>Keep it to yourself.</u> While some of this may seem "folksy" coming from long-time politicians, remember this: nuts don't often get elected. And if they do slip in, they frequently don't stay elected. Say something off-the-wall and it by very well be the only thing voters remember about you, and the only thing the media will focus on, and can easily destroy your chances of victory. In short, keep irrelevant views to yourself. A speechwriter will be able to "filter out" items that you may not notice in a first draft, and keep you from saying things that will "ALIENate" voters.<br />
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<b>6. Running to lose.</b> Sometimes, the better part of valor is not running at all. If you don't have the financial resources, if you don't have the support of colleagues and family members, or if you don't have the willpower, health, time or effort to run an effective campaign, don't do it. (And if you can't keep your head above water in one of these areas at any point in the campaign, consider dropping out.) If you do run, however, you must run to win, not to make a point. People don't vote to make a point, they vote for winners. And voters sense when you're just riding a hobby horse, and don't really care about winning.<br />
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<b>6. Being Unprofessional. </b>Failing to present your campaign as professional is a sure sign you haven't hired professionals to design your campaign. For example, you had better use professional design and printing, because if you don't, you may be viewed as not credible as a candidate. Independent candidates often get carried away with their message, filling a sign, website, or brochure with trite slogans and LOADS of text, resulting in unreadable nonsense no one will actually read. This is the sure sign of an amateur candidate - one who will not be taken seriously. Keep it brief and keep it professional, and the best way to do this is to have it written by a professional.<br />
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A professional campaign consultant will help you to avoid these pitfalls, and many more, in the course of your campaign. Abbott Public Relations offers a wide array of reputation building and campaign consulting services for right-of-center candidates and future candidates in Florida and throughout the US.<br />
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<i>Stephen Abbott is a
public relations consultant and political messaging specialist, and the
principal of Abbott Media Group, specializing in helping political candidates,
business leaders, groups and start-ups craft effective messages. Visit <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">Abbott Media Group</a> for more information.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright © 2000-2021 Abbott Public Relations/Abbott Media Group. All Rights Reserved</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-71991649033852356752015-11-25T19:01:00.000-05:002016-04-01T14:19:24.352-05:00"#MostUsedWords App" Launches #PR Offensive After Criticism [Abbott PR Blog]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Not that giving all one's personal data to a third party has ever been safe, and not that Facebook "quizzes" have ever been safe, either, but the firestorm around the new Facebook app "Most Used Words" really struck a chord with the 17 million Facebook users gave it permission to use its data.<br />
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And after the <a href="https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/that-most-used-words-facebook-quiz-is-a-privacy-nightmare/">Comparitech</a> blog did a breathless take-down of the Korean-based <a href="http://en.vonvon.me/about">Vonvon, creator of the App</a>, on its site Sunday, Nov. 22 in which it called it a "privacy nightmare." Comparitech specifically attacked the App's "oxymoronic privacy policy And called the company and the App a "shady data dealer" but not the only one to "masquerade behind a viral quiz mill."<br />
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The "nightmare" angle spread like a virus, shared across Facebook, becoming a trending topic there and also on twitter, where many accused the App of "stealing" personal data.<br />
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<b>By Tuesday, the company had already sprung into action.</b><br />
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It <a href="http://help.vonvon.me/knowledge_base/topics/why-do-you-need-access-to-facebook">posted updated language on its website</a> that it was, as of Tuesday, Nov. 24, acting to "proactively" address the concerns by "significantly" reducing "the magnitude of access privilege" required by the App. It also clarified that the App does not collect users' email addresses, "so there is no way we can spam you." It also note<br />
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It's CEO Jonghwa Kim also took to the battle to Comparitech itself, sending a rather predictable legalistic and threatening message to the firm (noting that he was "deeply concerned about your false accusation") but also mentioning the positive steps it had taken, and explaining that the information collected, "is never stored in our databases." Comparitech published his letter as an update to the original post.<br />
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As for emails, Kim notes bluntly that, "As we do not store any personal information, we have nothing to sell. Period." He swears that the App never deals with Third Parties.<br />
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The company has been in existence for less than a year, but says it has more than 100 million unique users from US, UK, France, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc. and operates in 15 languages.<br />
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<b>THE BOTTOM LINE:</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">It remains to be seen whether this coverage will damage this Korean startup. It also remains to be seen whether this App is any more damaging or dangerous than any other Facebook App.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: yellow;">But the PR response by Kim and his company seems on point, and an effective demonstration of how crisis management is done: directly address both the alleged technical and ethical problems, then let people know.</span><br />
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<i>By Stephen Abbott, Principal of <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">Abbott Public Relations</a>, a division of <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">Abbott Media Group</a>, which creates written messages which inspire, inform, educate and engage, in mass media, publishing and public relations. On <a href="http://twitter.com/abbottmedia">twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/abbottmediagroup">Facebook</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-67317846671233268392015-10-05T08:50:00.000-05:002015-10-05T08:50:00.496-05:00Sorority Sisters Turn Selfie "Sin" Into PR "Win" [Abbott PR Blog]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Video of some sorority sisters who attended an Arizona Diamondbacks game but spent the entire game taking "selfies" of themselves and their food went viral this past week, but the episode turned into an excellent PR lesson.<br />
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The girls' actions went viral on social media when FOX Sports announcers caught them taking selfies of themselves and their food during the game, repeatedly pointing the camera on the sorority sisters as they continued to NOT watch the Diamondbacks play the Denver Broncos, instead making "duck faces" and laughing at their own camera phones throughout the game.<br />
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When the video went viral on TV news shows and on social media, the Diamondbacks offered to give them all tickets for a "re-do" - and attend yet another game.<br />
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But the sisters, on their facebook page, said "thanks, but no thanks." And then turned their gaffe around <a href="https://www.facebook.com/axoasu/posts/950038358385816">by posting:</a><br />
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"Alpha Chi Omega at Arizona State University would like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports for reaching out to the chapter after last night’s game and subsequent media frenzy. We appreciate their generous offer of tickets to tonight’s game. However, instead of chapter members attending the game, we have asked the Diamondbacks and Fox Sports to provide tickets to a future game for families at A New Leaf, a local non-profit that helps support victims of domestic violence."</blockquote>
Whether the ingenious and socially responsible response was their own idea or that of the organization's PR team is unknown - and not really relevant. The fact that someone was smart enough to capitalize on the sorority's instant fame from their sports "sin" of not paying attention to the game to do some good for an organization is a PR "win."<br />
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[See also: the original story on <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/10/02/selfie-girls-charity">Mashable</a>]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-56577053503334417362015-08-10T09:00:00.000-05:002016-04-01T14:20:02.194-05:00#PR Isn't About "Happy-Talking" Customers [Abbott PR]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I’m sure it’s happened to you before. You drive by a
business, and, perhaps not even noticing it at first, you cringe. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"It’s funny," you may think to yourself, "but I haven’t been in the place since last November." Maybe you can't even remember why.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One way or another,
you were put off by the place, and never went back.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Then you drive by a second business, and you
almost want to invent a reason to stop and go back in, even though you may have no
business to transact there. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">How does that happen? And (you might be thinking) how can I make THAT happen for MY business?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Some people view public relations as the domain of
glad-handing, back-slapping "yes-men" or pretty faces who tell clients
whatever they want to hear.</span> But the truth is, this kind of PR person wouldn’t be much help
to the client who cringed, above, or to that client’s business. These efforts instead could be an expensive distraction; or worse, a waste of money. Simply trying to distract customers from a bad experience doesn't fix the underlying reasons for the bad experience. And it won't change perceptions if they have new bad experiences if they return.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Changing a negative reputation into a good one, or at
least a neutral one, or reinforcing a business’ already-positive image, is
really what public relations is all about.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In the negative example above, becoming aware of the company's problems - whether it's </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">poor service, shoddy
merchandise or even the bad odor of the establishment</span></span></span></span> - by using customer feedback effectively, then making sure that current and past customers know you are aware of their past
bad experiences and are taking steps to correct them, are the first steps to changing bad perceptions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Perhaps
a sign out front, reading, "Newly remodeled," touting a new product line, or, even
better, new management, would help entice disgruntled customers back into the door. But of course, real changes will have had to have been made. Customers are savvy, and can see through the old "new paint job" or "new signage" approach, IF there aren't real changes made along with them.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An ad in
the paper and a mailer to past customers trumpeting a totally new approach to customer service,
may help, too, as long as that claim is then TRULY backed up with EXCELLENT
service and products and a clean environment when customers begin to return. (Because, again, savvy customers can not and will not be fooled - and you should not try.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">For the business with an already good reputation, but with
little repeat business, a company e-newsletter, mailed every other month to
regular customers and containing special deals to reward their loyalty may help remind them why they liked the business so much on
previous visits. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Facebook page is also a great way to interact with customers on a daily basis, posting specials, customer and employee profiles and promoting new services and products.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Special programs to reward regular customers solidify that important base, and increase word-of-mouth buzz about a company. And of course, an effective social media presence on facebook and twitter, with perhaps a video element on YouTube, also backs up a company's reputation and are channels for effective and immediate feedback.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A paid advertising campaign highlighting satisfied
customers may also be necessary to let people know that they, too, can have
good experiences there. Advertising - online and in print - can also reinforce the good work you've done to improve customer experiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All of this underlines the seriousness of the profession of public relations. It involves the art of effective communication, writing skill, and the ability to determine a course of action that will truly be effective in widely varying situations and appealing to diverse publics. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">PR isn’t just happy talk, it’s a profession that helps
make companies more successful through an approach of identifying
positives and negatives and creating plans to addressing them in a
systematic way.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">================</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Stephen Abbott is a public relations consultant and political messaging specialist, and the principal of Abbott Media Group, specializing in helping political candidates, business leaders, groups and start-ups craft effective messages. Visit <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">Abbott Media Group</a> for more information.</i></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-88839135248059499452015-06-16T12:37:00.004-05:002016-04-01T14:20:39.854-05:00Donald #Trump's Disastrous Announcement Speech<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YECpi-8UKM4/VYBdhh2oJNI/AAAAAAAADLM/6SQ40-Sa0hw/s1600/donaldtrump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YECpi-8UKM4/VYBdhh2oJNI/AAAAAAAADLM/6SQ40-Sa0hw/s400/donaldtrump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Donald Trump's announcement speech stands as a perfect example of why using a professional speech writer is vital to making a candidate's views coherent to voters and giving an elevated, Statesmanlike tone to a campaign, especially on the Federal level.<br />
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While managing and advising campaigns, I've found that wealthy candidates (and particularly, self-funding candidates like Trump) believe they have a "right" to simply spew forth whatever is contained in their brain at the moment. Trump's announcement speech demonstrates why this approach is horribly, disastrously wrong.<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">The fact that he apparently had a beautifully written, 20-minute prepared speech that he chucked at the last minute tells me he doesn't take professional advice, which speaks volumes about his character and his attitude towards taking advice from others.</span><br />
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How does he expect to govern if he doesn't take advice? Well, he actually tells us: He's going to bully China, bully Putin, bully Mexico, bully the CEO of Ford.<br />
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Not that we shouldn't stand up to them all, and the sad thing is that he isn't RIGHT when he says that 'free trade' deals have been detrimental to our economy, <b>b<span style="background-color: yellow;">ut he must bring Congress and the American people along with him.</span></b><span style="background-color: yellow;"> <b>And he does that that with the proper tone and the correct political rhetoric that inspires us to come along with him.</b></span><br />
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Listening to a blowhard at a coffee shop or a bar blow off steam with irrational "bomb them all" language and simple, but wrong-headed, solutions is one thing, and can easily be excused as the ramblings of someone who hasn't studied any of these issues in depth.<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">But a presidential candidate isn't simply making thoughtless statements in a coffee shop, he's placing himself into history.</span><br />
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And that makes hearing a self-obsessed braggart make arrogant bloviations from a presidential announcement podium is historically inexcusable.<br />
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Unless Donald Trump now gives a series of serious, scripted policy speeches in the coming weeks - which is extremely unlikely - his candidacy is doomed, and it was a long shot to begin with, so he'd better start listening to people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-10703161187156789612015-04-20T10:34:00.000-05:002015-04-20T10:34:51.531-05:005 Ways to Fix America's Nightly Network "News"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1D2veOpwWmQ/VIOfoDSbv8I/AAAAAAAACZs/Bbq_MsgWD0k/s1600/nbcnightlyset_NOISE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1D2veOpwWmQ/VIOfoDSbv8I/AAAAAAAACZs/Bbq_MsgWD0k/s1600/nbcnightlyset_NOISE.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Network news - news programs shown on the original Big Three networks and other, newer, upstarts - is broken. Below are five examples, and what I believe they need to do to fix their news programs to better serve the American people:<br />
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More International Focus - A "world news" program that focuses solely on domestic news is not worthy of the name. And international celebrities getting into trouble or the latest plane crash overseas doesn't count as "news." Americans who are insular and insulated from the news of the world are suddenly surprised by trends both friendly and ferocious when they hit without warning. When that happens, that's a failure of the "world news" programs we watch. <b>Network newscasts must rededicate themselves to covering the entire world.</b><br />
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More International Politics - Political trends are also vital to our full and complete awareness as voters and as citizens. It may not, at first glance, seem important that a new anti-American party is rising in the polls in a nation traditionally friendly to the USA, or that a certain governor was elected in a prefecture in Japan. But if that nation turns hostile, or if that governor is more hostile to Americans remaining in a military base there than his predecessor, then that indeed is a problem that will have regional and international repercussions. <b>Network newscasts should commit to covering international politics, because it's relevant.</b><br />
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The Weather Is NOT "news" - It's snowy in the winter in the Northern half of the United States. It's a fact. It's not, however, news. It's exciting to show cars skidding off the road, rivers frozen and, in other climes, wet summers, minor hurricanes and tornadoes. But aside from an in-depth analyses of how slowly the aid got there after the storm, or how we are adapting to changing weather patterns, it's not "news." <b>Network newscasts should stop wasting time covering routine and expected weather, and blowing storms out of all proportion.</b><br />
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Less "Special Kid Plays On the Team" Stories - I love the stories in which a young person - who is disabled in some way or is a terminal patient - gets to play on their favorite professional sports team or on their high school team, especially when they actually score for the team! These stories (and there are many of them) are inspirational, interesting, heart-warming, and emotional. Note that none of those words are "news," and are not newsWORTHY. They should exist in a separate show, which I'm sure would get great ratings, but they should not be taking up time in the nightly newscast, crowding out actual news.<b> Network newscasts should leave the "feel good" stories to other shows on the network.</b><br />
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Fewer YouTube Videos - What's truly shocking about today's American nightly "newscast" is the inclusion of actual YouTube videos. ABC News includes these (and the aforementioned "kids play on teams" videos) in its "Index" segment near the end of the program. It literally shows YouTube videos of animals doing funny things, near-miss car accidents and other hilarity, which we can see with better justification on shows like "America's Funniest Videos" or its cable show equivalents. <b>The YouTubization <span style="font-size: x-small;">(tm)</span> of Network news must end. </b><br />
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"If it bleeds, it leads" was the old saying about the nightly news and the local paper. National Network newscasts shouldn't fear though. There is plenty of blood in the political turmoil around the world to quench their viewers' hearts. Demonstrations, corruption, trade deals, hard-fought elections, coups and uprisings, and much of it with consequences for American voters and consumers.<br />
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That's one of the reasons why I founded <a href="http://worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com/">"World Politics News,"</a> a news aggregation service that points American readers to the news they're missing on the nightly network newscasts.<br />
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American news organizations owe it to us to bring us the world, and to show us accurately and fairly what's happening THERE before it happens HERE. And if they begin to do this again, the nightly "World News" programs will once again be true to their names.<br />
<br />
Stephen Abbott<br />
Abbott Media Group<br />
<a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">www.abbottmediagroup.com</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-3824967938392614752015-03-09T09:00:00.000-05:002018-06-04T17:44:25.776-05:004 Ways To Build #Trust With Your Customers [Abbott Media Group]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtm1-qTL21w/WxXAUFXdtjI/AAAAAAAAIHc/g38hYRQmTUc35gsQe9h9Eu2r9TLnTzu_QCLcBGAs/s1600/building%2Btrust%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="160" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtm1-qTL21w/WxXAUFXdtjI/AAAAAAAAIHc/g38hYRQmTUc35gsQe9h9Eu2r9TLnTzu_QCLcBGAs/s320/building%2Btrust%2Blogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4 Ways Your Business Can Build Trust With Customers</span></b><br />
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People will do business with those that they trust. Public Relations can help to build that trust.<br />
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There are several ways a business can begin to build trust with their customers and future (potential) customers. Among them are Consistency, Courtesy, Care, and Community Involvement.<br />
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Being Consistent is critically important to a business. There's a reason why restaurants, pet stores, hotels, and hardware chains, among others, are so popular. Ideally, they offer consistent service and products offered professionally in multiple locations. Customers know they can get the same products and services offered for about the same price, wherever they go. For some, that may seem "boring," but customers actually yearn for boring over the alternative: inconsistent service and the inability to get their favorite products. Public Relations professionals can guide a business to accept and disseminate internal policies and standard graphics and messaging that will help create a consistent experience for customers.<br />
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Courtesy is also an important factor in building Trust. If service is offered in a cold manner, or worse, in a rude manner, the bond of Trust between a customer and a business is broken. This is even the case in a long-term relationship. There's no such thing anymore as a small incident of discourteous conduct. Even one incident in which a customer is treated poorly can ruin a company's reputation in this era of instant online reviews. A Public Relations professional can help isolate and identify areas in which internal standards aren't being met, and can, once those are addressed, help repair and rebuild Trust with customers who experienced a lack of courtesy during a business transaction.<br />
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Care is shown in a multitude of ways by a business, and customers recognize when it's not there, contributing to a lack of Trust. Products or services offered in a sloppy, slapdash way can instantly signal to the customer that the business doesn't really care about them. Caring isn't a small thing, it's a major thing, and in fact, should be the top concern of any business. If you're not in business to care for the customer, why are you in business at all? Care can be demonstrated by proper training and internal messaging that makes it clear that business owners have high expectations of their employees. PR can deliver those messages in a compelling and clear way that leaves no doubt that Care is required from everyone.<br />
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Finally, Community Involvement can be a tremendous trust-building tool. While some effort should be made not to alienate a customer base with involvement with overtly political or controversial causes, showing concern for one's community is more than a gimmick to grab headlines. Instead, it shows that a business is intimately tied to the community in which they do business, and that they care about their customers' well-being, more than just as a source of cash. Public Relations professionals can help identify community activities that reflect well on a business and help show that concern that leads to stronger feelings of trust with their current and future customers.<br />
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For more information about building Trust, visit Abbott Media Group at <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">www.abbottmediagroup.com</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-21819858999797983102015-01-30T14:02:00.002-05:002016-04-08T09:27:19.154-05:004 Keys to Building a Positive #Reputation [Abbott Media Group]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ehsZQSIY04w/VMvUIfSFGJI/AAAAAAAACnQ/7qP6tmYuJYQ/s1600/circleofmegaphones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ehsZQSIY04w/VMvUIfSFGJI/AAAAAAAACnQ/7qP6tmYuJYQ/s1600/circleofmegaphones.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Your reputation - how you're perceived by others - is bound up in a host of factors, the most important of which your clients or customers are observing when they interact with you, or when they interact with people who have had dealings with you.<br />
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And in this Internet age, even millions who have never dealt with you can form an opinion of you based on what OTHERS who have never heard of you are saying!<br />
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So it's more important than ever to take control of your reputation and mold it in a favorable way, because uninformed people and forces well beyond your control will take hold of it if you don't. An like a boat that's left un-moored at the dock, it will be drawn out by the tides and tossed with the winds whichever way they choose.<br />
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What factors will help "tie down" your reputation so these capricious winds can't get hold of it?<br />
<br />
1. First to consider is the quality of your service or product. No amount of PR can paper over a consistently horrible product. The job of PR isn't to make a bad thing look great, because people can easily see through a snow job. And that snow job boomerangs back onto you rather quickly. But a great product, well conceived, unique and useful to customers, speaks for itself. The core of a good reputation is something of good repute to give to the world.<br />
<br />
2. Similar to the first, the second point is to ensure that the way in which you deliver products or services is professional. It's not enough to have a great product or service. If you deliver it without passion, care and true professionalism, it will still be seen as a "negative." Having great food will bring them back to the restaurant. Once or twice. But a rude wait staff will cause them to forgo the experience again, and lead to bad-mouthing online.<br />
<br />
3. How you treat your clients and customers is the third point that can make or break your reputation. Not only will an overworked and under-appreciated staff be less productive, they'll fall down on points 1 and 2 - the quality of the product and the professionalism of how it's delivered to the customer or client. You'll also experience heavier turnover of staff, and dozens or thousands of unhappy former employees again will not bode well for your company's reputation.<br />
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4. The final point of reputation is how the public perceives the good you do in the community. Good works is a plus and definitely has value in Public Relations and reputation-building efforts. In fact, it's seen by many as the key tool in the tool bag of Public Relations. While it can be over-used and its value overstated, good works done in the community is counted as a positive and helps "move the needle" towards a good reputation. However, as noted in 1 above, no amount of good deeds (charity and other things that are unrelated to your business model) can paper over a horrible product, poorly delivered, by unhappy or disgruntled employees. And doing charity work as a way to paper over some bad press is transparent, and is easily seen for the fraudulent effort it is.<br />
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All of these keys to a good reputation work together to create a positive reputation among your "publics." This includes your current customers, your past customers, your future customers, your employees, local and regional news media, these publics and others online, and those these various groups happen to encounter second- and third-hand.<br />
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A professional Public Relations person who is skilled in how to build a positive image for you and your business can reach out to these groups, tailoring just the right messages for each.<br />
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Let <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/" target="_blank">Abbott Media Group</a>'s <a href="http://http%3B//www.abbottpr.com">PR division</a> help you present these to publics that need to hear more about what you're doing!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-62854177993417929022014-12-17T09:15:00.000-05:002015-01-13T11:52:32.500-05:00#SydneyCafe Hostage Drama Showed Power of #SocialMediaDuring the #SydneyCafe hostage crisis on December 15, once again the power and importance of social media and the Internet as major sources how we get news in the 21st Century was on full display.<br />
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It seems with every major event - be it a natural disaster, a political event, an entertainment death, or a terrorist event such as this one - <b>the Age of the Internet shows just how interconnected the world has become, and how events even on the other side of the world can reach out and change us and our attitudes.</b><br />
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While cable news kept to their scheduled, pre-taped shows, millions, like me, streamed Australian TV stations live throughout the world, and we followed frequent twitter and facebook updates, and made many of our own observations, passing along data as it became known.<br />
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<b>The dangers and pitfalls of the immediacy of Social Media as a source of news were also on full display.</b><br />
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Misinformation was rife - one online newspaper flashed a screenshot of a supposed twitter feed of an Islamic terror group taking credit for the Lindt cafe attack, only to be discovered later that it was a "parody" account, much to the paper's embarrassment (though the correction was swift - another benefit of instant media.)<br />
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Speculation was also rampant, with fears that this was a carefully coordinate attack with others immanent, rather than (as it turned out) a lone gunman who was facing charges in other cases and who was well-known to police and local Muslims as a fake, wanna-be Imam.<br />
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But the same could be said of TV reports, streaming from Australia (and eventually from the US) which were desperately trying to fill the air with speculative statements that turned out to be just that.<br />
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Coming back to the TV networks in the US, what was shocking was their failure to break in and report the news on what in the US was a lazy Sunday afternoon. FOX News, which seems obsessed with reporting on Islamic extremist terrorism, eventually, hours after the attack began, broke in on a re-run of "Huckabee" to show a rather nervous young woman - whom they had apparently just thrown in front of the camera - stumbling through the basic facts, before letting an Australian news network stream for a few moments, then back to regular programming. CNN also broke into regular programming, but only for a half hour.<br />
<br />
<b>Blame cutbacks or the fact that it was Sunday, but the coverage was inexcusably poor,</b> especially since this could have ended up much worse than it did.<br />
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The real winner of the day, in terms of coverage, was Bloomberg TV. With offices in Sydney just above the chocolate shop, the network dominated coverage and broke away with business news and other commentary in just the right balance, proving that there was no reason the older networks couldn't have done the same.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, twitter again, as in the Arab Spring and in other major events, demonstrated the sheer power of crowd-sourced news to demonstrate how well it can inform us.<br />
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<b>The world has changed. When will the Mass Media catch up? </b>Only time will tell whether they'll wake up to the changes, or whether they'll go the way of the "Big Three" American networks' news departments: a shadow of what they once were, and irrelevant.<br />
<br />
Stephen Abbott<br />
Principal, <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/" target="_blank">The Abbott Media Group</a><br />
<br />
Also visit: <a href="http://www.worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">World Politics News</a>, dedicated to expanding our knowledge of politics around the worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-66309617212020319872014-05-27T14:26:00.001-05:002014-05-27T15:01:15.176-05:00How reclaiming your PAST customers can save your current ones<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">APR's mission statement reads, in part: "Abbott Public Relations offers written communications services and strategies that strengthen your reputation with your past, present and future clients, within your company and in your community."</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cbaSPflzNw/U4TqPnJUWNI/AAAAAAAACGg/V6_cxWU_Fv0/s1600/Recycle001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cbaSPflzNw/U4TqPnJUWNI/AAAAAAAACGg/V6_cxWU_Fv0/s1600/Recycle001.png" height="193" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wait... "PAST" clients? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes. While it seems counter-intuitive, APR believes that reaching out to those who haven't been using your products and services lately, but still might, is a great, untapped resource many businesses fail to re-tap.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Going back to a well that you thought was dry and finding water (or business) is an amazing experience. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It also yields valuable information from these past clients, such as: W</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">hy did they stop using our products and services? What would bring them back?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Learning the answers to these questions is really invaluable to your business and its ongoing reputation, because they can help you to identify ongoing problem areas and avoid problems that avoid making your CURRENT customers into PAST ones.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Obviously, not all prior customers or clients are WORTH reaching out to and bringing back. Those who didn't pay you, were difficult to deal with, or were not a good "fit" in other ways are best left in the past.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Once you have reached out to your past customers, you've taken the first step to bringing them back, and you could have prevented your current customers from fleeing, as well.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-65598603551707650412013-11-16T11:31:00.001-05:002014-09-25T09:53:03.225-05:00The Value of Bad News and Negative Feedback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z-_M1YCvrM/UoebFjods9I/AAAAAAAABuM/Achi15pfBiI/s1600/Justin-Bieber-Mom-Tattoo-Feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z-_M1YCvrM/UoebFjods9I/AAAAAAAABuM/Achi15pfBiI/s400/Justin-Bieber-Mom-Tattoo-Feature.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
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Justin Bieber has a tattoo of his mother's birthday (1975) to show how much he loves her. How sweet.<br />
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The tat, which he got in January, 2013, joined 15 others, including a crown, an Indian head (his high school mascot) and an owl, a Jesus portrait, along with LOVE spelled out on his knuckles. How bad-ass of the boy.<br />
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But there's a tiny problem with his inky tribute.<br />
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The tattoo reads: "I IX VII V" which is NOT the year 1975, but simply "1, 9, 7, 5" - a mere list of numbers. The year 1975 in Roman Numerals is ACTUALLY rendered "MCMLXXV." M = 1000, CM = 900 (or 1000-100) LXX = 70 (50 + two 10s) and V = five.<br />
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So, yeah, that was unfortunate. And it received heavy and snarky coverage online when he first revealed it. (see <a href="http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=1082016&showcomments=true" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.newnownext.com/justin-bieber-tattoo-wrong-roman-numeral/01/2013/" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/01/justin-biebers-new-tattoo-meaning-roman-numerals-on-his-clavicle.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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This raises a couple of questions. Who got this wrong - was it the tattoo artist? Unlikely. Even an artist who's been in business for a week would have known better.<br />
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Or did he come up with it himself? Well, that's possible. He might have looked in a book and seen the numbers, and put this together himself, presenting it to his friends and then to a tattoo artist.<br />
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But the most important question is: If he showed this list of Roman Numerals to others and to an experienced tattoo artist, why didn't someone tell him it was not a rendering of the year?<br />
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If he did show others, it's entirely possible that they simply were too afraid to tell him it was wrong - a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes," in which no one will tell the emperor that he's not wearing an invisible cloak, but is simply naked - out of fear of offending the emperor.<br />
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In the case of Bieber, is he surrounded by sycophants who were afraid to say "no, you're plan is wrong" to the Star who may send them packing for scuttling his poorly laid out plans?<br />
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If this is true, he’s not alone. Business owners and political leaders are often presented with “bad news,” by their advisers, including their public relations consultants. </div>
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Sure, negative feedback is not always welcome, and not always fun to hear. It also should be offered tactfully and presented gracefully.</div>
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But it must be presented, and should be welcomed. </div>
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To demand that, “We want only positive feedback here,” is a remarkably bad policy, which can lead to something far worse than a tattoo, which can in most cases be fixed.<br />
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As Elon Musk <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy9y_YSpYxA" target="_blank">said recently</a>, "I think it's important to take as much feedback as you can from as many people as you can about whatever idea you have. You should seek negative feedback, especially from friends." This is a lesson Justin Beiber needs to heed, as do we all.</div>
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<div name="f481">
What those in business and politics (as well as the arts, the military and any other institution) can take from Bieber’s tattoo flub is that it pays to listen to your consultants in good faith. They are not simply paid to be “yes men” and sycophants, but to give honest and frank advice designed to both avoid reputation-damaging mistakes and help to claw your way back when you make them.</div>
<div name="f481">
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<div name="2bf0">
Another problem is that often, consultants are not included in major decision-making meetings, and are left out of the loop. That’s a huge mistake, because they are there to prevent major screw ups and poor ethical decisions that can quickly come back to haunt them — like Bieber’s tattoo.</div>
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</section><br />
Sadly, either no one has told young Mr. Bieber that he made an error or he didn't care, because a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2451661/Justin-Bieber-poses-shirtless-personal-trainer.html" target="_blank">recent photo</a> shows the same erroneous numerals on his chest.<br />
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Don't likewise ignore the good advice of your PR professional when it's offered. Even if it's "negative."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-4311479684319619942013-09-30T14:58:00.002-05:002013-10-04T17:01:52.145-05:00Martha Stewart's latest misstep (and how to fix it)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/gty_martha_stewart_apple_confernce_thg_130927_16x9_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/gty_martha_stewart_apple_confernce_thg_130927_16x9_992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha actually has been in an Apple Store, back in 2010.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Martha Stewart, apparently distraught at breaking her iPad, went on a tirade against the Apple Corporation and risked damaging her brand and her own public reputation and image.<br />
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<br />
As <a href="http://read.bi/1bmrzbN" target="_blank">Business Insider (and many others) reported</a>, Stewart dropped the iPad - which was given to her personally by the late Steve Jobs - and the glass shattered.<br />
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Her tweet, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/statuses/382999062020390912" target="_blank"><u><i>"I just dropped my iPad on the ground and shattered two glass corners. What to do?does one call Apple to come and pick it up or do I take it?"</i></u></a> made her come off as completely detached from the millions of average Joes and Joans who have to get off their butts and go to the Apple Store to have it fixed or replaced.<br />
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She noted, in a clearly exasperated tone even detectable on twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/statuses/383405142462042113" target="_blank"><i>"i cannot believe that Apple Public Relations is mad at me for tweeting about my Ipad and how to get it fixed! steve jobs gave it to me!"</i></a> <br />
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She later explained it was a "<a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/09/27/martha-stewarts-twitter-meltdown-broken-ipad-rant-was-a-joke-she-says/" target="_blank">silly joke</a>" but the following day, was still at it, noting that <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/status/383546221987520512" target="_blank"><i>"Let's now talk turkey: Ipads addictive,awesome,expensive. Glass should /could be unbreakable. That the iPad works with cracked corners-great.</i></a> ... <i><a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/status/383546803640991744" target="_blank">But the cracked glass is sharp and can cut. I was just upset that I(someone)was clumsy and let the iPad fall out of the car. To fix is time..."</a></i><br />
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Leaving aside the fact that the billionaire Stewart has many assistants who could have not only explained this to her or could have taken it themselves (or, God forbid, that could easily have quietly bought another iPad!)<br />
<br />
She continued to rant and rave about it on twitter until, apparently,
Apple’s PR department stepped into tell her to stop talking about it.
And yet, because they didn’t solve the problem, she continued to rant
about the incident and Apple’s failure to act, making the perception of
her detachment even worse — even though her atrocious spelling does
bring her a bit down to earth a bit.<br />
<br />
Stewart is no stranger to either controversy or potential career-ending moves. In 2004, Stewart was convicted of charges related to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImClone_stock_trading_case" title="ImClone stock trading case">ImClone insider trading affair</a> and there was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire.<br />
<br />
But she launched a rather successful comeback campaign in 2005<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart#cite_note-5"></a></sup> - begun when she deplaned from the flight from her prison wearing the now-famous poncho that was made for her by her fellow prisoners - and her company returned to profitability in 2006.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart#cite_note-6"></a></sup> She rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart#cite_note-7"></a></sup> and became chairman of the company again in 2012. [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart" target="_blank">wikipedia</a>]<br />
<br />
But this misstep, while seemingly small compared to insider trading, reignites the image that she is a privileged, out-of-touch multimillionaire who doesn't, and can't, relate to readers and viewers of her online, print and television productions.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I don't really believe that's true, frankly</b>, but the perception is clearly driven home by the tweets, which are bound to be retweeted many, many times and - if the writers at SNL are still on the ball - will surely be the subject of a rather nasty, and even possibly funny, skit.<br />
<br />
NEXT STEPS<br />
Were I her PR consultant (and <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/" target="_blank">call me</a>,
Martha! I’ll even come to your house!) I’d advise her to come clean and
admit that she was clearly distraught over the situation and tweeted
without considering her next steps to make the situation right. This
means she abandons her first reaction, which was to claim the entire
thing was a “joke” which wasn’t the case, clearly. The fact that she was
distraught over losing a precious memento is understandable. We can all
relate.<br />
<br />
<div class="" name="4916">
Then I’d find a way to make “iPad”
and “Martha Stewart” more than a punchline when they are Googled
together. (Hint: Elementary schools need iPads, even in Connecticut.
Perhaps not in wealthy neighborhoods, though.) While this seems
crass — and gets PR people in trouble — if it is meant from the heart,
and isn’t a ‘stunt,’ people will at least give her credit for honoring
the legacy of Steve Jobs, and the intention of his gift to her.<br /><br />Press
photos (or even iPhone photos posted online by average Joes and Joans)
of her standing in line at an Apple Store would also go a long way to
repairing not only the damaged iPad but also her once-again tarnished
image.</div>
<div class="" name="4916">
<br /></div>
<div class="" name="5a6b">
I have no doubt Martha Stewart will
bounce back. She is a remarkably resilient woman and businessperson and
she always seem to be able to do so. And that, of course, is a “good
thing.”</div>
<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8"></sup><br />
<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart#cite_note-8"></a></sup>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-43530816476060002452013-06-03T16:42:00.000-05:002013-06-03T16:56:02.068-05:00Taco Bell "Shell Licking" PR Crisis Goes Away Only After Better Training<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWhLtXhmIbk/Ua0EBcJszKI/AAAAAAAABH4/5AohPG1Tkmk/s1600/tacobelltagged.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWhLtXhmIbk/Ua0EBcJszKI/AAAAAAAABH4/5AohPG1Tkmk/s400/tacobelltagged.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Taco Bell is facing yet another PR nightmare Monday after an employee was pictured brazenly licking a stack of taco shells and then uploaded the photo to Reddit and facebook, where it was duplicated and shared endlessly online. The story hit "old media" throughout the world (<a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/03/taco-bells-facebook-page-features-employee-licking-shells" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://now.msn.com/taco-bell-shells-apparently-being-licked-by-worker-sparks-outrage" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2335184/Photos-Taco-Bell-employee-licking-taco-shells-posted-Facebook.html" target="_blank">here</a>) almost immediately and spread like a Western wildfire.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The company is just coming off <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/taco-bell-beef-meat-lawsuit-ads_n_815303.html" target="_blank">a scandal</a> about its meat's composition, and fast food giant Burger King had a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-burger-king-lettuce-4chan-20120718,0,3874620.story" target="_blank">similar incident</a> last year with the employee standing in two pans of lettuce, which was exposed on 4chan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The dangers of social media are on full display here, and it's another lesson teaching us that mishandling it can get you burned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Usually a great tool used by customers to show off how they enjoy a company's products, dozens of the "licking" photo were being "tagged" by facebook users with Taco Bell's name, making the photo instantly and repeatedly show up under "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tacobell/photos">Photos of Taco Bell</a>" on the company's official facebook page.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The social media meltdown was being handled gingerly and cautiously by Taco Bell PR people who maintain the company's facebook page. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Typical responses on Monday were: "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200576617550187&set=o.18595834696" target="_blank">Hi Jen</a> - We have spoken with the restaurant and confirmed that the shells were never served to customers. This is completely unacceptable and we are taking the appropriate action against everyone involved." and "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101464008327467&set=o.18595834696&type=3&permPage=1" target="_blank">Hi Kyle</a> - We have 100% confirmed that the taco shells were never served to customers. Plain and simple, this is unacceptable and we are taking the appropriate action against everyone involved."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(Despite skepticism of these statements, they certainly CAN confirm this because these restaurants are completely covered in closed circuit cameras to discourage theft, and in some cases, build a case for firing. Obviously the case for firing makes itself in this situation.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Both of these are good statements, the only kind a company can really make in such a crisis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Clearly, there are "haters" online urging this crisis on - as they do with every crisis - posting the image repeatedly and saying they will NEVER eat at ANY Taco Bell again. That seems like overkill and piling on, but it's clear that this has an emotional kick to it that will put many people off Taco Bell and change their image of their product.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The fact is, franchises desperate to cut labor costs helped bring this on themselves. Companies seem far less likely to even bother to train lower-wage employees in basic ethics, due in part to high turnover. The same seems true of food-handling procedures, which is even more frightening. <i>THIS is the result of that lack of training.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>NEXT STEPS </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">PR can never be used to cover up or "make the story go away" without something positive coming out of it. Customers are wise to a whitewash, and are incredibly savvy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Any PR response MUST include corrective action not just with this franchise, but with the entire company. And it should be a wake-up call for other fast food outlets, too, that a crash course in ethical behavior must be taught to each and every employee, and that enjoying oneself on the job is one thing, but crossing the line with unsafe food handling can never be tolerated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If I was the CEO of Taco Bell's parent company, I'd demand that all employees be huddled into a meeting THIS WEEK in each restaurant that would start a comprehensive review of ethics and food handling, and begin to stress the seriousness of the situation to each employee. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Bad publicity hurts where it counts: In profits. </span>A dip in sales from weeks of bad press <b>will </b>mean a cut in hours at every single restaurant around the country. Actions have immediate consequences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">With a renewed commitment to decent food handling practices, the company may actually do a great service to the industry. A "teaching moment," if you will. It's either that, or this becomes a story that tears down years of good image-building efforts with weeks of bad press. Your call, Taco Bell.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-60532782506280929982013-05-21T13:42:00.003-05:002013-05-21T13:45:20.800-05:00Nutella Goes Nutty, Bans Fan's Celebration of Its Brand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://cdn.hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2341580658_5ecb8982eb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://cdn.hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2341580658_5ecb8982eb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">Fans of the hazelnut-flavored spread Nutella are going nuts over the company's lawyers sending a "cease and desist" letter to fan Sara Rosso, who, since 2007, has sponsored an unofficial "World Nutella Day" on Feb. 5th each year. (See <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/21/world-nutella-day-to-cease-and-desist/">Time magazine</a> and <a href="http://gawker.com/nutella-maker-shuts-down-fan-holiday-dedicated-to-buy-508891199">Gawker</a> reports.)</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">While I'm not a fan of hazelnuts, or hazelnut
spreads, sending out the lawyers to attack an unofficial FAN holiday
celebration of your product is a rather NUTTY way to handle a fan base. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">As Gawker notes, </span>"Many brands would kill for a hugely popular, entirely fan-fueled
International "holiday" dedicated to expressing affection for their
product by buying it by the boatload."<br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">A post on Rosso's facebook fan page notes that the factory in Italy doesn't
even have tours. The company clearly is missing out on generating a lot
of goodwill here, and may not know how to reach out to customers
properly.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">This is all the more amazing when we learn that Russo had frequent (though unofficial) contact with the company's PR department to coordinate activities. In her farewell address on the fan page, she <a href="http://www.nutelladay.com/">writes</a>,</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The cease-and-desist letter was a bit of a surprise and a
disappointment, as over the years I’ve had contact and positive
experiences with several employees of Ferrero, SpA., and with their
public relations and brand strategy consultants, and I’ve always tried
to collaborate and work together in the spirit and goodwill of a fan-run
celebration of a spread I (to this day) still eat.</blockquote>
Let's hope the company comes to its senses and realizes the massive PR error it's making by deliberately antagonizing its huge fan base across the globe. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-88618461795232215302013-04-15T14:08:00.000-05:002013-04-15T14:08:28.209-05:00Why I Believe The Jay Leno/Jimmy Fallon "Spat" Was Faked (at Least in Part)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aa6QFp-i97Y/UWxMDkEuDVI/AAAAAAAAA5w/Uo2sSzE0-70/s1600/LenoTonightShowScreenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aa6QFp-i97Y/UWxMDkEuDVI/AAAAAAAAA5w/Uo2sSzE0-70/s400/LenoTonightShowScreenshot.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't believe in the old saying "any publicity is good publicity."<br />
<br />
As a Public Relations consultant, I'm naturally averse to it. <br />
<br />
<br />
Is being arrested good publicity (unless you're a rapper)? No. Is being recorded spewing racist epithets during your stand-up routine good publicity? Not at all. Is <i>dying </i>good publicity for a superstar? Only for the heirs.<br />
<br />
But there's always an exception to the rule, and the recent Late Night "spat" between Tonight Show host Jay Leno and future host Jimmy Fallon WAS, I believe, that exception.<br />
<br />
For about a month, both stars traded barbs about yet another messy Tonight Show host transition. Well, it was mostly Leno, a living legend and comic genius, appearing to vivaciously attack his own network's executives in his monologues.<br />
<br />
Each snipe - like <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jay-leno-calls-nbc-execs-429653">the St. Patty's Day snipe</a> about NBC execs being the very same "snakes" that Patrick drove out of Ireland - was repeated eagerly on the news the next evening, and even before that, was breathlessly tweeted out by millions who love to follow the foibles of late night TV, as well as by the Tonight Show itself.<br />
<br />
Finally, on April 1, Leno and Fallon got together and, with the help of some talented tenors, who contributed their voices for the voice-over, taped a long-distance duet about the "feud" via telephone in <a href="http://youtu.be/YS0jVU8fLc4">an extremely popular segment</a>, which aired on Fallon's show the next night. The video has had over 790,000 views on YouTube, to date.<br />
<br />
The next day, it was announced that Fallon was indeed going to take over for Leno in Spring, 2014, ending Leno's 22-year tenure on the show - excepting, of course, the abortive stint of Conan O'Brien hosting it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Tonight_Show_conflict">for seven months in 2010</a>, which ended in Leno's triumphant return to his position.<br />
<br />
Ratings soared during this little "spat" between Leno and Fallon, as the entire nation tuned into hear Leno's feathers get ruffled by ruffling the <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=NBC+peacock">NBC Peacock's</a> feathers. <i>And ratings are the bread and butter of television.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Which got me thinking: Something's not quite right, here, this time. And while I have NO inside information, I believe my hunch is right.<br />
<br />
While the tension between Leno and the network during the 2010 abortive retirement fiasco was demonstrably real, and tangible, this latest event didn't have the same <i>feel</i>.<br />
<br />
Sure there was animus, and some of that has clearly built up over the years between the likes of NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt and others who <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-leno-nbc-feud-20130320,0,5131279.story">reportedly</a> were angry with Leno.<br />
<br />
Clearly, some TV execs don't understand that late night comedians have to regularly "snark" at their employers to retain credibility, and because it is enormously funny when Leno attacks his own network's often horrific programming! (He said of NBC: "<i>The Biggest Loser </i>isn’t just a TV show anymore; it’s our new motto. It’s so bad, NBC called Manti Te'o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers.”) <br />
<br />
But the key for me in comprehending the brilliant publicity tactics used during Leno's latest, and likely last, retirement was the timing of that Leno-Fallon duet.<br />
<br />
The fact that it was done at all means that, at least by April 1, both knew that a peaceful, friendly transition was going to happen. But the fact that attacks on NBC were being spewed by Leno right up until that last day (<a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/04/02/leno-nbc-and-i-have-reached-peaceful-amicable-agreementapril-fools">he said on April 1</a>: "NBC and I have reached a peaceful,
amicable agreement that is both beneficial to both sides.... April Fools! I got nothing to do with that! Silly! Silly! Ridiculous! [Will] never happen!") tells me that, unless a (literal) last-minute rapprochement was reached between NBC and Leno that night, he knew, likely a week or two earlier, that this was going to happen.<br />
<br />
So my question is: <b>What did Leno know, and when did he know it?</b> Did he and Greenblatt, or others at the network, plan this all out together, months ago, to milk the ensuing "controversy" and ratings that could be garnered from it?<br />
<br />
And another question: Is Leno the most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavellianism">Machiavellian</a>, clever, comedic and timing genius on the face of the earth for pulling off a ratings coup as his last, great act on the American Television stage?<br />
<br />
Now, THAT wouldn't surprise me one bit. And if so, well played, Jay Leno! Well played!<br />
<br />
====================<br />
Stephen Abbott is a public relations consultant from New England. He can be found online at <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">abbottpr.com.</a> He founded and edits <a href="http://worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com/">world politics news</a>, a blog covering politics throughout the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-83661781485189305262013-03-26T12:07:00.001-05:002013-05-02T12:10:18.985-05:00NEWS RELEASE: A Challenge to Pope Francis to Release Hidden Gospel Records (LDCJC)<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>BRITISH MORMON PROPHET </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CHALLENGES POPE FRANCIS </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>TO RELEASE HIDDEN GOSPEL RECORDS </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Says Vatican Must Reveal the Truth About Early Christian Writings</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
Thursday, 27 March, 2013 <br />
Contact: Elder Phil Gill 01283 585972 (UK); 1-44-1283-585972(from US)<br />
<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br />
<br />
ASHBOURNE,
DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prophet of a British Mormon sect is
challenging Pope Francis to come clean about possible “secret Gospels”
hidden in the Vatican’s vaults and release them to the world.<br />
<br />
Matthew
P. Gill, the Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Latter Day Church of
Jesus Christ, says the new pope should be honest with the world about
the Vatican’s contents.<br />
<br />
“The new pope has made statements
to the effect that he wants to govern a more open church,” he said. “I
applaud that effort, but I challenge him to fully live up to his word,
and release a list of all materials lying in the dark recesses of the
Vatican about early Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ.”<br />
<br />
There
were many books not included in the New Testament Christian scriptures
by the Roman Catholic Church, and many were unknown until the 20th
Century. In 1945, a large cache of Gnostic Gospels were found in Egypt,
and last year, a scrap of papyrus was acquired and translated by a
Harvard Divinity School professor showing evidence that Jesus was
married. Gill says the world should be told about all such writings.<br />
<br />
“There
are likely to be many such unknown fragments that could shed light on
the earliest years of the Christian Church, and we all deserve to know
about them,” he said.<br />
<br />
Gill’s church, which is not
affiliated with the Utah-based Latter-Day Saints, traces its origin to
the revelations Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830 and Gill's revelation of the
Book of Jeraneck in 2006. Latter Day Mormons believe in ongoing
revelation by Gill, the Living Prophet, but do not believe in polygamy,
and reject the authority of all Latter-Day Saint prophets after the
death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844. They are online at
<a href="http://www.latterdaychurch.co.uk/">www.latterdaychurch.co.uk</a>.<br />
<br />
<u><b>The full statement is below: </b></u><br />
<br />
<i>In
his first weeks in office, Pope Francis has made statements to the
effect that he wants to govern a more open church. I applaud that
effort, but I challenge him to fully live up to his word, and release a
list of all materials lying in the dark recesses of the Vatican about
early Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Gospel
fragments
have surfaced throughout the last century that have given us new
insights into the Lord’s message and teachings. This includes the
Gnostic Gospels and the Gospel of Judas, which Catholics have known to
have existed since the time of Ireneaus, a Catholic Bishop living around
AD 180, but has only been published within the past decade. </i><br />
<br />
<i>What
other Secret Gospels and writings has the Vatican withheld from
Catholics and the rest of the world? There are likely to be many such
unknown fragments that could shed light on the earliest years of the
Christian church, and we all deserve to know about them. </i><br />
<br />
<i>With
the greatest of respect, I challenge the pope to immediately release a
full list of Gospels and fragments of Gospel writings hidden in the
Vatican, whether or not his church will be embarrassed by their
contents. Only then will we know Pope Francis is serious about living up
to Christ’s words, "The Truth shall set you free." </i><br />
<br />
### </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-76018630344814203422013-03-20T12:16:00.002-05:002013-03-20T12:16:47.451-05:00English-Language Signs in Cyprus Shows PR Savvy<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nIzc8JOx7M/UUntLTIh68I/AAAAAAAAA0M/yulp50eNLSQ/s1600/handsoffcyprus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nIzc8JOx7M/UUntLTIh68I/AAAAAAAAA0M/yulp50eNLSQ/s400/handsoffcyprus.jpg" width="400" /></a>I have to commend those protesting the Cyprus bank account levy for creating protest signs in ENGLISH. From a PR point of view, this is just smart.<br />
<br />
Protest signs written in English allows UK and American news cameras to capture the anger in a way that appeals to news consumers in the UK and US, and even Europeans, most of whom read English.<br />
<br />
It instantly transforms what could have seemed a far-off problem - with signs written in Greek, which is literally "Greek" to most Americans and Britons - to something close, easily understandable and "real."<br />
<br />
Signs legible to hundreds of millions of people around the world allows the protest to be "branded" as something of international, not just local, interest. And that makes it far more valuable as a news story.<br />
<br />
I'll also note that most of the signs look like they are from a single protest. The lettering on on "Hands off Cyprus" sign looks the same in several (meaning: dozens) of wire service photos that have been used for four days in a row now (this coming from an informal Google image search.)<br />
<br />
This is even more amazing, since a small number of signs have been effectively transformed into the LOOK of this story for days now. This shows the power of the idea of non-English-speaking protesters appealing to English-language readers.<br />
<br />
I often wonder why protesters in Middle Eastern nations like Egypt and even in the Palestinian West Bank don't use more signage in English, and adopt protest techniques proven to be successful in Western nations. My advice to them is to watch the Cyprus experience and learn from it.<br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-23181201896323618782013-01-30T20:33:00.001-05:002013-01-30T20:34:50.762-05:00Abbott PR Retained to Promote The Jesus Followers<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-itXIThspFrQ/UD4ZaXJrNfI/AAAAAAAAAic/Bary63A_jc0/s1600/APR+LOGO_Crafting_whitebkgr.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-itXIThspFrQ/UD4ZaXJrNfI/AAAAAAAAAic/Bary63A_jc0/s1600/APR+LOGO_Crafting_whitebkgr.PNG" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">NEWS RELEASE</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
<br />
</span></b>Contact: Stephen Abbott, Owner, Abbott Public Relations 603.341.0372
www.abbottpr.com<br />
Thursday, January 31, 2013<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<h1 align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abbott Public Relations Retained to Promote<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<h1 align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Jesus Followers<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">NEW ENGLAND - Stephen Abbott of Abbott Public
Relations, a New England-based Public Relations and Reputation Agency, will
promote the Jesus Followers, a religious group seeking to form a church
denomination within the next five years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Jesus Followers are a new organization, laying the
groundwork to launch a movement dedicated to Jesus, the Anointed (that is,
"Christ") - God's spokesman and Prophet. They plan to launch a
revolutionary church dedicated solely to the revolutionary, relevant, timeless
teachings of Jesus, and the God he revealed to the world through those
teachings and his perfect life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Along with maintaining an online presence for The Jesus
Followers (who can be found on Facebook and their blog) Abbott has been
actively writing sermons for the group and has entered the active ministry of
The Jesus Followers to extend its mission.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abbott said the group represents a unique counterpoint
to current Christian denominations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"The Jesus Followers approach Jesus as the sole
voice to whom we must listen to obtain salvation and learn how to live,"
he said. "That alone makes The Jesus Followers unique and stand out as a
special witness of Jesus, God’s Anointed One. Drawing attention to him as God's
prophet and spokesman is also a different emphasis than many mainline
Christians are used to. But there is a dire need for them, and the rest of the world, to hear these differing views, and that's
what we will bring to them."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The group stresses the humanity of Jesus, his
Prophethood, teachings and life; our ability to fully obey God and our duty to
do Good Works; understanding the Scriptures in their historical context; and
the use of our God-given Reason.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abbott said he would promote the group and lay the
groundwork for physical locations for church meetings that would eventually
lead to churches planted around the world. The Jesus Followers can be found on
Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/theprophetjesus">http://www.facebook.com/theprophetjesus </a>and their blog can be found
at <a href="http://thejesusfollowers.blogspot.com/">http://thejesusfollowers.blogspot.com</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abbott Public Relations
offers affordable written communications and social media services that build, strengthen
and repair reputations. They can be found online at <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">http://www.abbottpr.com</a> and at
603.341.0372.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">###</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-91556412025954832732012-12-21T10:08:00.005-05:002012-12-21T12:06:13.645-05:00Former Caseworker Rips the Mask Off Welfare Fraud, Calls for Reforms in “An Eye into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">News Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Contact: Deb Shorter,<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8.5pt;"> </span>deb@debshorter.com; 603-523-9549;
<a href="http://www.debshorter.com/">www.debshorter.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Former Caseworker Rips the Mask Off Welfare Fraud,
Calls for Reforms in “An Eye into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars”</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or4eGbi4EGI/UNR5wIyVSLI/AAAAAAAAApc/3aE41mVf0jc/s1600/COVER_eyeintowelfare_smaller.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or4eGbi4EGI/UNR5wIyVSLI/AAAAAAAAApc/3aE41mVf0jc/s320/COVER_eyeintowelfare_smaller.JPG" width="212" /></a>Author Deb Shorter is proud to announce the publication of
her first book, "An Eye Into Welfare - Giving Away Your Tax Dollars,”
exposing the games, tricks and fraud used by many seeking welfare, and answers
why some who truly deserve it are denied.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter, who worked as a case worker for ten years, brings
her many valuable, first-hand insights to the topic of welfare, which she
considers in urgent need of reform.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In “An Eye Into Welfare,” Shorter delves into the twisted,
turbulent and troubled world of the Welfare System, exposing who gets help, and
who doesn't, and the reasons why. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the interview room of a caseworker, she hears client’s
troubles and works her way through the government policies that determine if
aid will be distributed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Readers will run the gamut of emotions as they read this
book,” she says. “They’ll laugh, they’ll cry, and they'll get angry. Then, they’ll
want to fix the system.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This entertaining and informative book offers ways to do
just that, and spells out Ten Easy Solutions to America's budget problems
within Human Services, especially Social Security.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1961, Shorter now lives
in New Hampshire's beautiful North Country with her husband, Ron and two Red
Bone Coonhounds. She writes in lovely a cabin in the woods called "The Pen
Den." She is a grandmother of seven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter loves to hear from her readers, and enjoys their
reactions to her work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They are my enthusiasm,” she says. “It’s weird how so many
people love the emotional roller coaster I send them on - and that is EXACTLY
what I wanted!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An Eye Into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars is
available in an affordable print edition from Amazon Createspace for $12.99 at <a href="https://www.createspace.com/4067938">https://www.createspace.com/4067938</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and as a Kindle eBook for $2.99 at <a href="http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM">http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM</a>. For more
information, visit <a href="http://www.debshorter.com/">www.debshorter.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
###</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-60331896769570524652012-12-21T09:54:00.001-05:002012-12-21T10:01:31.898-05:00Author Deb Shorter Secures Abbott PR to Promote Career, First Book, "An Eye Into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars"<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, Dec. 21, 2012</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or4eGbi4EGI/UNR5wIyVSLI/AAAAAAAAApc/3aE41mVf0jc/s1600/COVER_eyeintowelfare_smaller.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or4eGbi4EGI/UNR5wIyVSLI/AAAAAAAAApc/3aE41mVf0jc/s320/COVER_eyeintowelfare_smaller.JPG" width="212" /></a>Abbott Public Relations is pleased to announce it has been secured by author Deb Shorter of New Hampshire to promote her first and upcoming books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter, a native of New Hampshire's North Country, has just released her explosive first book, "An Eye Into Welfare - Giving Away Your Tax Dollars,”
exposing the games, tricks and fraud used by many seeking welfare, and answers
why some who truly deserve it are denied.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter worked as a case worker for ten years, and brings
her many valuable, first-hand insights to the topic of welfare, which she
considers in urgent need of reform.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In “An Eye Into Welfare,” Shorter delves into the twisted,
turbulent and troubled world of the Welfare System, exposing who gets help, and
who doesn't, and the reasons why. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abbott PR Owner Stephen Abbott said he is honored to be representing Shorter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Deb is a unique talent, and her experiences have prepared her for an incredibly successful writing career, of which I am thrilled to be a part at the start of her journey as an author," he said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter is already preparing her next works, he said. "An Eye Into Welfare" officially launches on Dec. 24, 2012, but was given a "soft release" Friday, Dec. 21, and has already been selling well in both print and Kindle e-book formats, said Abbott.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1961, Shorter now lives
in New Hampshire's beautiful North Country with her husband, Ron and two Red
Bone Coonhounds. She writes in lovely a cabin in the woods called "The Pen
Den." She is a grandmother of seven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shorter said she loves to hear from her readers, and enjoys their
reactions to her work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They are my enthusiasm,” she said. “It’s weird how so many
people love the emotional roller coaster I send them on - and that is EXACTLY
what I wanted!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An Eye Into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars is
available in an affordable print edition from Amazon Createspace for $12.99 at <a href="https://www.createspace.com/4067938">https://www.createspace.com/4067938</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and as a Kindle eBook for $2.99 at <a href="http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM">http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM</a>. For more
information, visit <a href="http://www.debshorter.com/">www.debshorter.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abbott PR is a New England-based PR firm. They can be found online at <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">www.abbottpr.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
###</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-87816674962151787322012-10-28T14:04:00.000-05:002012-10-28T14:04:00.448-05:00What is "Public Relations?" A brief definitionPeople often ask, "What <em>IS</em> Public Relations, anyway?" For those people, I've come up with a brief definition that helps address many of the important issues that PR consultants deal with on behalf of their clients. Here it is:<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: 21px;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 21px;">pub·lic re·la·tions (noun)</span><br />
<br />
the communications management function that seeks to:<br />
<ul>
<li>build, maintain and protect reputations</li>
<li>develop and maintain positive images and perceptions</li>
<li>change negative perceptions into neutral ones, and eventually, into positive ones</li>
<li>create positive, clear and satisfying communications with customers and others being served</li>
<li>manage outside communication to ensure accuracy and positive perceptions</li>
</ul>
Please also take a look at the bold new look of <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">www.abbottpr.com</a>.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-82996397234856449792012-10-03T16:26:00.000-05:002015-08-08T15:05:14.585-05:00No More Back-Slapping Hucksters: The True Role of Public Relations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://leavinglaw.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/businessman-masks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://leavinglaw.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/businessman-masks.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m sure it’s happened to you before. You drive by a
business, and, perhaps not even noticing it at first, you cringe. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It’s funny," you may think to yourself, "but I haven’t been in the place since last November." Maybe you can't even remember why.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">One way or another,
you were put off by the place, and never went back.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then you drive by a second business, and you
almost want to invent a reason to stop and go back in, even though you may have no
business to transact there. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">How does that happen? And (you might be thinking) how can I make THAT happen for MY business?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Some people view public relations as the domain of
glad-handing, back-slapping "yes-men" or pretty faces who tell clients
whatever they want to hear. But the truth is, this kind of PR person wouldn’t be much help
to the client who cringed, above, or to that client’s business. They instead could be an expensive distraction. Or worse, as waste of money. Simply trying to distract customers from a bad experience doesn't fix the underlying reasons for the bad experience. And it won't change perceptions if they have new bad experiences if they return.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: small;">Changing a negative reputation into a good one, or at
least a neutral one, or reinforcing a business’ already-positive image, is
really what public relations is all about.</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In the negative example above, becoming aware of the company's problems - whether it's </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">poor service, shoddy
merchandise or even the bad odor of the establishment</span></span></span></span> - by using customer feedback effectively, then making sure that current and past customers know you are aware of their past
bad experiences and are taking steps to correct them, are the first steps to changing bad perceptions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps
a sign out front, reading, "Newly remodeled," touting a new product line, or, even
better, new management, would help entice disgruntled customers back into the door. But of course, real changes will have had to have been made. Customers are savvy, and can see through the old "new paint job" or "new signage" approach, IF there aren't real changes made along with them.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">An ad in
the paper and a mailer to past customers trumpeting a totally new approach to customer service,
may help, too, as long as that claim is then TRULY backed up with EXCELLENT
service and products and a clean environment when customers begin to return. (Because, again, savvy customers can not and will not be fooled - and you should not try.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">For the business with an already good reputation, but with
little repeat business, a company e-newsletter, mailed every other month to
regular customers and containing special deals to reward their loyalty may help remind them why they liked the business so much on
previous visits. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Special programs to reward regular customers solidify that important base, and increase word-of-mouth buzz about a company. And of course, an effective social media presence on facebook and twitter, with perhaps a video element on YouTube, also backs up a company's reputation and are channels for effective and immediate feedback.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A paid advertising campaign highlighting satisfied
customers may also be necessary to let people know that they, too, may have
good experiences there.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">All of this underlines the seriousness of the profession of public relations. It involves the art of effective communication, writing skill, and the ability to determine a course of action that will truly be effective in widely varying situations and appealing to diverse publics. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: yellow; font-size: small;">PR isn’t just happy talk, it’s a profession that helps
make companies more successful through an approach of identifying
positives and negatives and creating plans to addressing them in a
systematic way.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">================</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Stephen Abbott is owner and principal of Abbott Public Relations, a division of Abbott Media Group, which can be found online at <a href="http://www.abbottmediagroup.com/">www.abbottmediagroup.com</a></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-62228896093003909632012-08-29T09:08:00.001-05:002012-08-29T09:11:08.856-05:00When cutting your business expenses is foolish<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-itXIThspFrQ/UD4ZaXJrNfI/AAAAAAAAAic/Bary63A_jc0/s1600/APR+LOGO_Crafting_whitebkgr.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-itXIThspFrQ/UD4ZaXJrNfI/AAAAAAAAAic/Bary63A_jc0/s1600/APR+LOGO_Crafting_whitebkgr.PNG" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
Often, the first thing to be cut in hard economic times is the advertising and Public Relations budgets.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Of course some ads continue to run: ads for large auto dealerships, chain furniture stores or national fast food chains run perpetually. They've got the money to stay on the air and keep people aware of their great car prices, deals on sectional couches and Big Macs, just in case we ever want these things.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Some smaller companies, however, pull their TV and newspaper ads and are never heard from again, <b>because of their over-reliance on ads to bring in customers</b>. I know of one company that decided to rely solely on small newspaper ads, and then they pulled the ads. They were gone within six months.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">When they couldn’t afford to run ads, what little visibility they had created dried up, because the awareness an ads-only strategy provides is fleeting.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Smarter business owners – the ones who have employed Public Relations and reputation management strategies as well as running ads that back up their PR messages – know that these strategies WORK even when ads stop working. That’s because <b>using PR to build a reputation has LASTING and POSITIVE influences on customers and potential customers.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Long after a TV ad is forgotten, people remember that a company raised $10,000 for a local charity they cared deeply about, or that a group of employees were there with a crew to clean up after a natural disaster, or they recall that local pizza parlor owner who gave free pizzas to their kid's class when they won a spelling bee (and they have the newspaper clippings to prove all three events!)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span">But when these businesses consider cutting back on reputation-building efforts, they are failing to understand not only the power of ongoing PR, but the nature of the news media.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Newspapers have been cutting back on their reporting staffs for more than a decade now. That fact alone should prove the ongoing value of PR. Why? Because papers have remained the same size, and editors are hungry for content. That means they rely on PR pros to provide them with news-rich and new-worthy content (via news releases, events and news availabilities) more than ever before.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span">That’s why PR pros like Stephen Abbott, principal of Abbott Public Relations, can be a Godsend to a company lacking the vast sums required for ad campaigns.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Abbott has years of experience in both the public relations field and in the field of news gathering, and can connect these kind of dots for clients.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
As a writer skilled in creating content for news media that will appeal to editors, Abbott can create content that can get you noticed – at a time when competitors are foolishly cutting back on BOTH advertising and Public Relations campaigns.</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span">And while it’s understandable that EXPENSIVE Public Relations firms can be a tough pill to swallow during tough times, <b>APR can work with clients to make it affordable to keep building your company’s reputation.</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">APR can be found online at <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/" style="color: #940f04;">http://www.abbottpr.com</a>, or by phone at 603.341.0372.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-88642074642168311732012-01-26T16:30:00.003-05:002012-01-26T16:57:02.862-05:00Abbott Media Launches World Politics News MicroBlog<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14pt;">News
Release</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Thursday, January
26, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Contact: Stephen
Abbott 603.341.0372; stephen(at)abbott-media.net<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Abbott Media Launches World Politics News MicroBlog</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Abbott Media, a New
England-based company that innovates and inspires micro-businesses that serve
others, has launched World Politics News (<a href="http://worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com/">worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com</a>) a
MicroBlog dedicated to expanding our knowledge of politics around the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Each day, World
Politics News seeks out links to news stories that inform readers of the vital
political and cultural stories that are shaping the world, but are
under-reported (and sometimes completely ignored) by American media companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The site not only
links to stories, in the format pioneered by Matt Drudge, but will feature
short MicroStories</span><sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 11pt;">TM</span></sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> of up to 250 words or less that encapsulate
vital world events and bring them to readers in a smart, efficient and easily
understandable way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Abbott Media
founder Stephen Abbott, a former newspaper reporter and public relations
consultant, will serve at the project’s administrator and chief editor. He says
the project will fill important gaps in American news coverage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">“News media in the
United States are dropping the ball by not delivering world news effectively
and in a way that informs us about the political currents shaping our world,”
he said. “These currents could, as they reach our shores, turn into tidal waves
or Tsunamis that effect our quality of life. To be ill-informed about politics
in Asia, Europe, Latin America or Africa is to be blind to what’s going to
happen to us in the next decade, or even next week.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
Abbott says the project will seek out guest reporters and will accept
advertising, grants and donations to fund a full-time staffing operation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Abbott Media<b> innovates </b>and<b> inspires </b>micro-businesses
that <b>serve others</b> in a positive way</span></i><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Abbott
Media is located online at <a href="http://www.abbott-media.net/">www.abbott-media.net</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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###</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732897.post-44789940124811217512011-11-15T11:38:00.001-05:002011-11-15T11:40:29.176-05:00Doing What it Takes - Trusting the PR Process<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By Stephen Abbott, principal, Abbott Public Relations</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is one of those times when someone dares to say: “The
Client isn’t always right.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Success isn’t guaranteed. You have to work at it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seems obvious, right? But in my career, I’ve had a handful
of clients, and have heard of many others, who wound up failing because they
didn’t understand that they needed to do what it takes to BE successful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And in public relations, as in any endeavor, you have to actually
do something to be successful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yet, a few of my past clients simply didn’t believe me, and
we parted ways, only for me to later hear of them floundering and then failing
in the very tasks to which they refused to dedicate themselves when I was
working with them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, this breaks my heart to see, and I never gloat
about it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Still, without naming names (and in the most general of
ways) I think it would be instructive to take note of some of the ways in which
they failed to connect with PR, because as I’ve said before, public relations
is a greatly misunderstood profession.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They included political clients who insisted that they
didn’t need to convey clear, concise messages to the right voters, only to
learn, tragically, that targeting a great message matters as much as wearing
the right tie during a speech or making the right political contacts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve also heard of some would-be politicians who believed
they could campaign part-time, while their opponents worked full-time
campaigning. Their opponents learned quickly that these are the times to one-up
them over and over and over again at events while their opponent was home in
bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There were a couple of business clients of mine who insisted
that they did NOT need to build up their reputations over long periods of time in
order to generate positive images that would lead directly to sales (a plan
that works, if you keep at it!) Instead, they felt only a quick burst of
exposure would do the trick. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That works as effectively as the quick “exposure” a streaker
at a college game earns. It doesn’t help their reputation at all, and their
name, if it’s even known, is quickly forgotten or turns into a local punch
line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, some thought they didn’t need to remain in constant
and regular communication with me while I directed their PR efforts. Bad idea. Communication
in a couple of cases became sporadic and then dried up altogether, either
through miscommunication or new people in the company not knowing they should
keep tabs on the campaign. This
basically means the client gave up on PR, despite clear goals and great tactics
that would have borne positive fruit. Neither of them used PR services again,
with tragic consequences for their businesses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By failing to keep doing what it takes, a client leaves a PR
campaign in limbo and may leave a consultant unaware of changing conditions or of
possible new, positive things being done that could boost their reputation
immensely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In fact, many failures of public relations to yield results can
be attributed to a failure of the client to remain dedicated to the process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Failure to stick with a PR campaign because one doesn’t
understand PR is inexcusable, and it’s certainly rare in the case of my clients,
because I go to great lengths to educate them about how PR works. I discuss,
for example,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How PR
must be a long-term effort, requiring frequent interaction between client
and the consultant</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How PR
campaigns must be planned with a full picture of the client’s needs and
problems, so these can be properly addressed in a campaign and measured
afterwards</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How PR
encompasses reputation management, image creation and online and off-line marketing
techniques, and that this is likely to require a commitment to real CHANGE
in a corporate attitude towards their customers (yes, REAL and authentic change!)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And how
it uses tactics such as media releases and events to generate positive
buzz among a targeted group of early adopters and thought-leaders who will
later become their customers, and that a series of un-serious “stunts” and
“getting mentioned in the local paper” isn’t always the best, or even the
most effective, goal</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite this, I hear from PR consultants whose clients tell
them they want to see results OVER NIGHT, especially from companies and
candidates that have done real harm to themselves that must be repaired in
order for them to survive. The truth? That’s not possible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lawyers need more than one meeting to begin forming an
effective case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many diseases require more than a day or two of treatment by
medical professionals for the treatments to pay off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Students can hardly proclaim themselves fully “educated”
after just one semester at college.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the same way, a PR consultant can hardly be expected to
make miracles happen with only a half-hearted dedication to their efforts, or with
a poor understanding on the part of his or her client of what needs to be done,
how, and why.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remaining dedicated to any task – especially building or
re-building a reputation – is crucial to success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That’s a main reason why PR consultants insist on receiving
paid retainers at least on a quarterly basis, and often for six-month or even
annual installments. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reputations aren’t built, or certainly not re-built, of the
course of a few days or even a week. A PR-developed reputation isn’t a one-off
item a business can buy off the shelf like a can of soup and then forget about
it. And like all good things in life, both patience and dedication to the task are
required to make PR work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking for myself, I’ve been blessed with many
understanding and wise clients over the years, and I’m very grateful for this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would urge clients of PR consultants and those who are
considering hiring one to craft a PR campaign, or to hopefully establish an
ongoing working relationship with one, to understand that it WILL take time.
But chances are, public relations WILL pay off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Abbott Public
Relations can be reached online at <a href="http://www.abbottpr.com/">http://www.abbottpr.com</a>.</span></i>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0