History in the Making

8.5 years ago, our country nearly encountered a global crisis.  In the face of Y2K, many people truly believed the end of the world was just a few weeks away.  I, on the other hand, wanted to do something great.  Yes; I wanted to be the very first person this century to do something.  After days of contemplating, I finally decided upon my infamous task: I decided that I would be the first person in America to flush a toilet.  

Looking back through history, our country is characterized by a fear of the unknown.  The unknown that, 'hey, maybe the world isn't flat,' to 'hm.. do you think consumers are finally sick of us shouting?'  

Tonight, another unknown event went down in history; the election of Barak Obama as President.  As much as I'd like to say, 'woo hoo! This cat-fight election is finally over!' I'll leave it at my take-aways from Y2K that seemed oh so long ago: Yes; change is scary.  But in times of change, one thing remains constant - change brings about a world of opportunity.  Americans found an opportunity to explore the world, from one end and right back home again.  Web 2.0 allowed companies the opportunity to personally connect with consumers, instead of shouting at them.  And Barak Obama?  He has the opportunity to turn this country around, if only we remain optimistic.  

And Y2K?  Well, that made me a legend ;)  Will you be the first to flush a toilet in this new age?

Could the Collapse of the Magazine Industry be Upon Us?

I may have put my foot in my mouth when I wrote this post... because, just a few days later, I read this in the Huffington Post. Yes, it's true, Radar Magazine and Radar Online have folded. Though the magazine seems to have steady readership, both in print and online, and was even nominated for a National Magazine Award, it failed to meet financial expectations. The print version of the magazine will be discontinued, while it's online counterpart is being sold to AMI and will likely exist as somewhat of a TMZ-type site.

I still hold true to my claim that magazines offer the depth of coverage that blogs simply can't provide and thus won't completely abandon print in favor of fancy, interactive Web sites anytime soon, however with a 9.5% drop in magazine ad revenue this past year, investors are begining to lose faith that the industry will remain monetizable.

While I personally hope that magazines continue to stay afloat, this is proof that advertisers are begining to follow customers' desire to go digital and looking to spend more of their dollars online. In this industry and amidst Web 2.0, the magazines that will win are the ones who can show advertisers that print offers true value that digital sites can not.

In the Changing Media Landscape, Will Magazines Become Extinct?

Following last week's Politics 2008 event, PRSA posted a great summary of the Keynote Roundtable discussion, entitled, "The Changing Face of News: The Power, The Influence and the Challenge of the Future."

In recent conversations, many have cited increasing online readership and decreasing revenue as evidence of the fall of print... but what about the magazine industry? (In fact, the above noted PRSA article mentions an interesting point: During the panel, Time magazine's Richard Stengel has become "a digital publication that puts out a weekly print publication" in efforts to adapt to new media.)

As more readers turn to the Web to get their daily dose of news, one might expect that magazines would be forced to adapt too. However, Graydon Carter, editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair noted that magazines and the new digital news are nearly completely separate industries. He said, "The one thing a monthly magazine can do is be slower and tell a story because there is so much information and everything's so fast, that if you compete with the notions of speed or immediacy or just information, you lose to the Internet." Interesting, but a great way of viewing the situation.

Looking at my own media consumption, I realized that I, too, use new and traditional media for different purposes - I like receiving up-to-date news via my RSS, and I like the opinionated slant some bloggers take, but nothing will ever take the place of a good "old-fashioned" eight page spread in Newsweek. Fear not, my friends - magazines are here to stay.

The Power of Web 2.0

My Blog Action Day post from the ZENO Group blog, Acropolis:

Today is Blog Action Day, a day where thousands of bloggers worldwide will come together and write about poverty. We all know poverty is a big problem. Here in Santa Monica, for example, 277 people were considered homeless at the turn of the new year. 277 – That’s huge in comparison to Santa Monica’s relatively small size (pop: 87,212). While providing a real solution to poverty is critical, what inspires me is the way the event organizers are engaging the blogosphere in efforts to bring this pressing issue to the masses.

As we continue to evaluate the reach and effectiveness of non-traditional media outlets, many clients still put their faith in the traditional. We continually ask ourselves which is better – a small hit in The Wall Street Journal or a story in TechCrunch? Most would prefer The WSJ, largely because the reach is predictable and measurable, so blogger relations programs tend to be the first thing cut out of PR plans as budgets tighten. But another question to ask is, can bloggers act as a means to an end, instead of just an end in themselves? Last year’s Blogger Awareness Day proved YES, as the campaign was picked up in traditional outlets such as BBC, Reuters, FOX, Sydney Morning Herald, and Kathimerini Greece on an international scale – a reach far beyond expectations with relatively little financial investment. That’s the power of social media for you. And this year’s event, with 11,438 bloggers participating, is expected to generate a minimum of 12,437,788 impressions based on RSS numbers. By comparison, an article in USA Today would generate 2,284,219 impressions, but with nearly 13 million people reading about it on the Web, well, what traditional outlet wouldn’t want to tag along?

It is interesting to look at how social marketing has evolved throughout history, and how social media is feeding into this evolution. I can only think of a similar campaign that might have been initiated 10 years back – Smart PR person instigates Poverty Awareness day. Savvy PR staff organizes an event and writes a press release. Desperately-wanting-to-get-hired interns rigorously pitch the event to mainstream media outlets. Poverty Awareness Day garners international coverage and is a huge success. 700 more smart PR people catch on and do the same…

This campaign, however, is innovative, largely because it hasn’t been done before, and it has the potential to be more effective taking into account the discussion element (something traditional media lacks). Kudos to the organizers for taking an innovative approach to poverty; this truly showcases the power Web 2.0 has to reach the masses.

Paris is... Painting the White House 'Pink'?!

I'm sure you've all heard about McCain and Obama's new competitor. That's right, Paris Hilton takes the stand and is now in the running for President... or for "Fake President," that is.  Her fake campaign is not what I would call sincere, and obviously just her way of retailating McCain's recent commercials, but the PR side of me questions her motives in 'running' - to gain publicity for Obama, or for herself... or to bring more young people to the poles, if I dare ask?  



Despite my, well, less-than-love (if you will) for Paris, she does make some good fake points in her fake press interview - "Nowadays sound bytes, not sound policy, determine our country's course" she boasts.  Hm... I suppose there is some good truth to that statement, especially looking at how recent media coverage is affecting poll results and political chatter.   

On a broader note, there's been a slew of celebs jumping on the political bandwagon - Leo and camp, and P. Diddy for starters.  I'm interested to see how the combination of celebrities and their use of social media will affect this year's general election, especially amongst young voters.  Oh, and Paris? Can't wait to hear more about your "FoPo" plan; you've got my vote. 

Now, one last video to leave you with - "Does Celebrity Endorsements Matter in Politics" (Please don't fault me for bad grammar, it was contextual!) :)  What do you think?

My New Job!

After a long few weeks, application after application, interview after interview (and plenty of "You're a great candidate, but we're just not hiring"s) I am excited to announce that I am finally employed!  I interviewed a few different places and received a coupe of different offers, but ultimately decided to go with a small firm called Zeno Group (owned by Edelman).  I was very attracted to the small agency environment, intelligent employees, and creative work they generate for clients; and their stellar work in Web 2.0 was icing on the cake.  But the best part?  The LA office is 4 blocks walking from the Santa Monica pier ;)  My first day with the firm was Wednesday, and I love it so far!  I'm an AE in their Digital Lifestyle Group, so moving forward I'll be doing mostly digital campaigns for a variety of different consumer and tech. clients.   

I'll keep you all posted :)  Oh, and check out Zeno Group's blog, Acropolis, located here.  Another good one to check out: The Digital Deep, written by my new colleague, Nick.

PS: Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me throughout my job search; couldn't have done it without you!

Social Surfing

The past few weeks, I have been trying to learn how to surf (no, not the Web... like, the actual sport.)  But I'm really bad at it (like, really bad), so after a few failed attempts I finally did a YouTube search for videos on "how to surf."  Through my search, I came up with this series of viral videos by Florida Surf Lessons.  Not only were the videos very informative, but the series is an example of a company that really understands both it's consumer-base and the power of viral video campaigns.  

If you think about surfing, what age group comes to mind?  Well, aside from the occasional 60-year-old going through a mid-life crisis, the majority of people looking to take surf lessons is likely the younger age group... the group that is most engaged in social media.  So naturally, a viral video campaign would work well for a surf shop.  And the 'how to' format of the videos are great for anyone who is just starting out.  The videos are short, sweet and to the point, and at the beginning of each segment the instructor says his name, company, location and Web address.  Obviously a viral marketing tactic created by the company, but very tactfully used.  

UPDATE:  So I spent the day surfing yesterday in Santa Monica, and I used the advice from these videos - they worked!  I actually caught waves!  I am now an enthusiast :)  

Bake Your Network From Scratch

As we begin the long transition from college into the professional world, the number one thing we are told is build your network, build your network, BUILD YOUR NETWORK!  (OK, we get it already!)  But what if, a few years down the road, we decide that the place we built our network isn't quite right?

OK, take me for example: I attended college in Oregon and was actively involved in PRSSA, PRSA and AHPR, attending meetings and conferences on a regular basis.  Through these organizations I was able to build a solid network in Oregon throughout college, so when it came time for me to look for jobs in Portland all I had to do was call up a few of the people I had networked with!  Landing a great job seemed almost too easy... 

But job-hunting in LA has been a bit frustrating for me, largely because I haven't had a chance to build a network down here.  Sad, but true, that our resumes are worthless unless we can get them in front of the right people.  And that usually takes knowing someone.  Aka, networking.  While job hunting in LA over the past month, I have picked up a few good techniques to build a network... from scratch.    

• Join a local PRSA chapter as soon as you arrive in your new town.  Begin attending meetings, and let it be known that you are an excellent candidate on the prowl.    
• Pick up the phone.  Call companies you are interested in and ask to set up a time for an informational interview.  Most companies, even if they aren't hiring, won't say no.  And if you wow them during the interview, any smart company will try to make room for you.  
• If the prior fails, try turning to social media.  More and more companies are begining to use social media to find qualified candidates, and if you are active in the social space it could work to your advantage.  I found several jobs I applied for through LinkedIn, and I even spent some time browsing LinkedIn Exec. resumes to surface good companies in the area.  
• Start your own blog.  As more clients are beginning to ask their agency counterparts for social media guidance, having a knowledge of social media is a huge value that young professionals can bring to an agency environment.  And there is no better way to showcase your knowledge than by blogging about it.        
• Ask former coworkers, friends - anyone - if they know someone in PR and if they wouldn't mind sharing the person's contact info. with you.  For example, my roommate (who has nothing to do with PR) mentioned she knows a guy in PR, and two days later I had an interview!  I never would have even thought to ask her, so sometimes the least likely people can have the best connections.  
• Last but not least... Building a network from scratch is hard work, and it takes some time.  Don't expect to move somewhere and get a job right away, but definitely do all you can to build your network prior to relocating.  

For the Pros or All Age-Olds?

Last night as I was spending some time blogging, my roommate came into the kitchen (yes, I write in the kitchen) and our conversation went something like this:

My RM: "Whatcha doing?"

Me: "Writing in my blog."

My RM: "Blog? What's that?" (It took all my strength to not respond Really?! Did you not grow up in the 21st century?!)

Me: "Well, a blog is like..."

My RM: (Looks over my shoulder) "Oh my gosh, are you writing about smart people stuff?! You nerd!"

RM exits scene to the left.

For those of us who work in tech. PR - or PR in general for that matter - social media such as Web blogs and Twitter have become second nature.  Example: I used to get my daily news from television, and maybe the occasional newspaper (when I felt like sifting through one ;) ).  But now I get nearly all my news sent straight to my RSS feed and Google Reader.  Social media has, in a sense, become part of my daily routine.  I wake up, check my Google Reader, then my facebook, head to work (ok, well let's pretend like I actually have a job for this post), start up my computer, sift through my target influential blogs for news that may have posted over night, send a good-morning e-mail to the analyst whose blog post I particularly enjoyed reading, jot down a few morning thoughts into my own blog, IM a coworker (whose desk is likely not more than 20 feet away) in search of a 10am coffee break buddy, respond to a tweet StaceyPR posted about her "manic Monday morning," open up a pitch saved in SkyDrive I had been working on from home the night before, add a few more things to my "To Do" Google widget...  Oh my gosh I could go on forever, and it's not even noon!  But then again, if you're reading this, you probably have already had a day similar to mine.  

But reflecting upon my pre-PR days, I can only barely remember a much different schedule (which probably actually included picking up a copy of the Register-Guard, since I didn't have cable, throwing rocks at tweeters, and poking my crushes in person).  So could it be that the PR and tech-savvy are just ahead of the times?  

On the contraire, could it just be that social media is so ingrained in our lives that we don't even think twice?  Could it be that when people, like my roommate, visit sites like LAist and MSNBC, they don't realize that they're looking at blogs?  I went to college just as social media was beginning to emerge (ah, I remember the article I wrote for the PRSSA newsletter once upon a time entitled, plain and simple, "What's a blog?"  I barely even knew what I was writing about at that point in time!  Oh, and does anyone remember the first facebook, where the wall was just a solid block with text?!  Come on, don't make me feel too old...)  Fast-forward three years, where 1 in 4 online Americans, according to Forrester Research, read blogs, social media and many social apps have become mainstream for many (particularly those younger than my age group).  But they still have a long way to go before they become the norm for everyone.  Aka, those 3 out of every 4 Americans who don't read blogs.  Heck, I just helped my grandma set up an e-mail address!    

Anyway, I feel like I'm running around in circles right now, but now that you've heard my thoughts, what do you think?  Are blogs and other social apps becoming mainstream?  Or are they still only for the PRos?  

**A third alternative - Maybe I just need to give my "behind the times" roommate a lesson or two in blogging :)  

  

PR and Politics

I just got back from a weekend of sightseeing in Washington DC, which I think merits some sort of political PR post, wouldn't you agree?

This was my first trip out to see the East Coast (well, unless you count the PRSSA National Conference in Miami or the 10 hours I spent on layover in the Phili airport) and I have to say, I was quite impressed!  Traveling Europe inspired me to want to see more of my own country, and what better place to start than DC?  It was nice to spend some time in our nation's capital, doing some sightseeing, etc. (although, I have to say, the White House was quite a bit smaller than I had originally anticipated).  But all in all, seeing the great monuments and learning a bit about the history helped me find a renewed faith in my country, and I was inspired to immerse myself in politics once again (it was, after all, my minor).  

As I mentioned in an earlier post, while in France I was surprised at how interested and engaged in politics everyone seemed to be.  Our dinner conversations centered around questions on my views toward certain American policy issues, or the political agenda of Nicolas Sarkozy.  Even most of the young people I met fired off political questions.  But of course, when I mentioned I was American many people would immediately bring up Barak Obama... the celebrity.

This election sure has been an interesting one, and more hyped than any I can ever remember (which, granted, account for maybe 2 past Presidential elections...)  Whatever happened to fair and balanced political news coverage? (um, take last night's VMA show for example?)  Now a days, while most people can ramble on about Hillary's 'incredible' fashion sense or the exact size of Palin's cinnamon-roll bun, if you ask someone about Obama's main platform points you're likely to hear something along the lines of, "um, change?"  The media is so drawn to the drama in elections that they fail to provide the American public with an accurate view of  the issues our potential leaders stand for and how they will use their time in office.  And as a consequence, the Paris vs. Nicole-esque media coverage is pulling, not only GOP and Dems, but also like parties apart instead of uniting us as a nation.  

But to a second degree, I don't completely fault the media.  This is what we want to see and hear about, right?

If the candidates want to really connect with the people in the upcoming election, they need to break through the media hype and show constituents what they're really about.  Meaning, their publicists need to work overtime.