In PR, a Good Roadie Goes a Long Way

A night out

A couple of weeks ago, we went to see a live show at one of our favorite spots around Dallas. We like it because the atmosphere is a little laid back and the bands that they book are pretty solid.

This night was no exception – the music was interesting and the overall performance was enjoyable.

At least, the part of the performance that we caught.

You see, the sound levels were just WAY OFF.

Even though we watched one of the band members “test” their levels to a point that was satisfactory (to them); and even though they asked for some corrections on their levels during the show… they never quite made it work.

In fact, the more they fussed around with it all, the worse it got.

It’s not like they were holding their microphones upside down (yes… upside down)…

But the sound quality was so bad, we ended up leaving after four songs… and we weren’t the only ones leaving.

Here’s the thing, PR pros.

We don’t work around with sound levels or do mic-checks before a show.

But we do serve the “roadie” role from time to time by providing support for a “featured act.”

This could come in the form of making copies for a client presentation; getting an editorial calendar for a pitch; or even physically cutting and pasting a news article to make it look nice for a client that may not have access to the piece itself.

These “little” things go an exceedingly long way when done right.

Truly.

Because if any of those “little” things come out sloppy, EVERYONE in your team (top to bottom) looks sloppy.

And you lose trust. Rightfully so.

Would YOU trust your money; your time; your IDENTITY with a team that can’t handle being a “roadie” from time to time…?

Roadies make shows happen.

Plain and simple. Doesn’t matter how great your music is.

If you don’t have someone handling your equipment, levels, lights, etc. correctly, you’re only prepping for a bad show.

Image: Mike Schmid, Creative Commons

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic young voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on Twitter.

Farewell, World Cup; Hello, Misogynistic Media

This is a guest post by Bryce Keane

I’m aware that it’s now been more than a month since the World Cup ended, with Spain taking home their very first victory ever. And, in all fairness, I almost let this post go.

Image: Axel Bührmann, Creative Commons

But the truth is that there was something that really really began to grind my gears as the Cup went on.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually got quite into the spirit of the whole thing (not bad for a guy from a country in which “soccer” is far down the list in terms of national support levels) and really enjoyed the getting along to the local pub to catch as many games as I could.

What I didn’t like was reading about those very same games the next day.

Why?

Because I quickly grew tired of what I perceived to be an ongoing, latent, misogynistic response from the UK sports media here as they increasingly looked for any wife and/or girlfriend (known as “WAGs” here in the UK) on which to blame a team’s entirely lacklustre performance.

It started with the infamous story that UK captain John Terry’s affair with team mate Wayne Bridge’s ex, Vanessa Perroncel, not only cost him the team captaincy, but also completely destabilized the team.

This story that continued to rear its ugly head in the UK press; but the real deal-breaker for me was the early coverage of Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas and his high profile sports journalist girlfriend Sara Carbonero.

Why?

Because, unlike any English player’s wife or girlfriend, Carbonero was in South Africa to do her job.

Namely, to cover the World Cup for high-rating Spanish TV station Telecino.

However, any credibility associated with her job quickly dissipated when her physical appearance came under the spotlight as she was blamed for Spain’s first round loss against Switzerland (photo: Getty image via the Guardian’s website).

This, despite the fact that she then grilled her real-life boyfriend in a live post-match interview demanding to know “How did you muck that up?!” in an article published by The Times, complete with the headline: “Spanish Inquisition Blames WAG After Swiss Vanquish The Favourites” and a follow-up article which went into more detail (unfortunately I can’t link to those for you because of The Times’ paywall).

What followed, however, became one of the most famous media slinging matches that I’ve seen in some time as the Spanish media went into a frenzy, accusing the generally respectable Times of tabloid behavior and getting behind Ms. Carbonero.

It even made it all the way to The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph in Australia.

Quite frankly, I was fed up with this constant need to look for anything beyond the pitch to blame for a team’s failure.

Especially since women seem constantly on the top of the hit list.

In my opinion, these men are paid literally millions of pounds (and millions of pounds are spent annually providing them with the best training in the world) to be the best at what they do.

And I wasn’t the only one.

In one of the greatest and, frankly downright gutsy, moves I’ve seen, Miriam Gonzalez – wife of current UK Deputy Prime Minister and accomplished international lawyer – wrote to the editor of The Times upon Spain’s eventual victory to say:

“Sir, Now that Spain has won the World Cup and Iker Casillas demonstrated on Sunday that he is an outstanding goalkeeper regardless of whether his girlfriend, Sara Carbonero, watches him from the touchline or not, it may be time for you to eat a bit of humble pie.

“Trying to blame Sara for Spain’s initial lacklustre performance while she was simply doing her job was not worthy of a newspaper that should treat women for who they are and not simply what their male partners do.”

The paper responded rather arrogantly by not only standing by their story, but also saying they were “not fond of humble pie” and offering Ms Gonzalez “a slice of tortilla next time she was in the neighbourhood.”

Well, that just tore it for me.

So I did what I always do in these situations. I decided to investigate (sometimes anger is an amazing networking tool, by the way!).

I managed to get together for a beer with Eva Martínez Millán, London Correspondent for Spanish financial newspaper El Economista, freelance journalist for Europa Press and a number of other Spanish media outlets; and Eduardo Suárez, London Correspondent for El Mundo (and based within The Times’ offices, pictured at right) to get their thoughts.

Their responses surprised me.

According to Suárez, it is a matter of perspective as his paper El Mundo published a similar story two weeks before The Times piece came out, asking whether or not Carbonero would destabilize the team.

“For The Times, it was the perfect story because it was something the Spanish media had already said, and it capitalized on the UK’s two main football obsessions – wives/girlfriends and goalkeepers.

“It was particularly timely because the UK goalkeeper, Robert Green, had just made a costly error in the England vs. USA match and the wives and girlfriends of UK players were banned from attending. So, from their point of view, The Times had to find a way around these issues whilst still garnering the attention of the public that buy the paper.

“The key here is not the story, but the Spanish media response to it – a complete turn-around from this earlier article to fiercely defending her and then starting a media slinging match by criticizing The Times.”

Suárez knew that The Times story was a recap of the El Mundo article as soon as he saw it, but was also quick to point out (to the contradiction of my own view) that Carbonero is not your typical journalist.

“She is a celebrity journalist and has lived her life exposed, in FHM and other glossy men’s magazines, and is sadly paid an extraordinary amount more than any other female journalist in Spain.

“I know it may sound cynical but this is not a result of her skills as a journalist.

“I’m not saying it’s right but the focus, in short, is that you will rarely see dedicated sports coverage in the main section of any UK paper – that is what the sports section is for.

“The main section of any paper will only run stories that will net the widest range of people possible so, in this context and with this journalist and with the UK press lacking their own alternative angles that appeal to UK readers, it was easy to see this coming.”

I could see his point, and granted there were a few more contextual factors at play here than I had first considered (at least from the point of view of the modern day journalist’s dilemma about whether to focus on selling papers or selling facts).

But I was still not convinced that this woman should have been the focus of any story relating to Spain’s loss in the first place.

So I turned to Millán, a confident, strong-willed and hard-working female journalist, for answers.

Millán exudes many of the traits of a dedicated journalist – incredibly intelligent, world-aware, perceptive, analytical and never one to shy away from a debate.

According to Millán, “In the UK there are no dedicated high-profile sports media outlets – it is all integrated into the mainstream press. So, though I don’t think it’s right and I don’t think it is necessarily what people want, you must remember that it’s always going to be easier to ‘blame the girl rather than St Casillas’.

“As a comparison, let me ask you this: of the 12 Russian spies recently arrested in America, how many people do you think can recall the name of a single one of them besides Anna Chapman? Why? Because she was the attractive face that could sell the story!”

She had a point.

Suárez hammered this point home by pointing out that – regardless of one’s moral view – “WAGs” are now part of the “celebrity culture show” that is international football.

“It’s the same in politics whenever a politician gets divorced or caught out having an affair. At the end of the day, a politician’s personal life is completely irrelevant and  it is their politics and policies that are important. But the public rarely cares about these things when there is ‘something on the sidelines’ to focus on!”

This gives me a much wider perspective on the factors at play.

But then I see articles like the Terry/Peroncel one six days before the infamous England vs. Germany elimination match, and read the official response from The Times editor to the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister.

And then, quite frankly, I wish the world would stop mothering these multimillionaire sporting professionals by giving them an easy way out instead of making them accountable for their errors.

Listen up, mainstream media

Sometimes you should just take a step back and remember that it is your job to report the facts.

Especially when it comes to sport, just  analyze the game, the players, the plays, the skills and the techniques on the day…

… and then shut up.

Because, when that whistle blows, everything aside from what’s on the pitch is completely irrelevant – context or not.

I think the world has had enough of blaming women for men’s mistakes. It might be nice, in four years time, if the press would grow up a little and realize that this kind of “news” really only resembles that bright shiny glass ceiling that everyone claims is a thing of the past.

I’m keen to hear the thoughts of US readers as to whether you feel your sports media holds any similarities?

Bryce Keane is an international communications professional with experience managing a wide variety of communications campaigns in both the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. Originally from Melbourne, he now works in London as an Account Manager for Mulberry Marketing Communications. His experience includes devising and executing local, national and regional campaigns across a variety of industries, from Agri-Business, to Government, to Corporate Social Responsibility and Technology. He has a keen interest in exploring issues that affect the global communications industry, and is always interested in hearing from other communications professionals with thoughts, feedback or just for a chat. You can reach him on LinkedIn or  Twitter.

The Marketing that Took “Jersey Shore” From Zero To Hero

Guest post by Dea Surjadi

First of all, I don’t watch Jersey Shore and I’m not suggesting that you should.

I like Top Chef, Mad Men, and that’s it.

The second season of Jersey Shore premiered a couple of weeks ago. The show apparently isn’t all about six packs, orange skins, and drama.

Nielsen ratings confirm about 5.3 million viewers tuned in that Thursday night. Apparently it’s the best season premiere since the season 2 launch of The Osbournes in 2002.

It’s also about what could be one of the best marketing opportunities on television. Here are a few basics of MTV’s marketing mix (which concepts are familiar, but they score by kicking it up a notch):

1. Drama and controversy sell.

A lot of people have claimed that the show is “so stupid that it’s so entertaining.” They just can’t stop watching it. Most tune in because they enjoy watching the drama, and the rest do because they simply want to know what the hype is all about. So all the semi-criminal acts in the show are a true interpretation of “any publicity is good publicity.”

2. Online presence and social media apps help sell even more.

The show has a Twitter Tracker, for which MTV teamed up with social media monitoring company Radian6, and exclusive online videos. Facebook and iPhone apps (image: Photo Giddy, Creative Commons) were also recently released.

The apps allow fans to have all the Jersey Shore fun with the cast members being cartoon characters. Mashable quoted Row Feeder, saying there were 16,000 tweets per hour at 10 pm ET when the 2^nd season of the show premiered.

3. Link #2 to #1 to optimize the results.

In an episode during Season One, a cast member called Snooki got punched by a random person in a bar.

MTV teased this scene during their promo but later decided to not air it.

The uncensored video was viewed more than millions of times on YouTube (it’s since been removed). Even some people who initially didn’t watch the show started watching after viewing the YouTube video.

Some of my friends who are not a big fan of the characters actually said, “It’s fun seeing someone you don’t like getting punched. I wanted to know what other mishaps they’re gonna get into.”

What’s important here is that #1 and #2 go together. Online presence (if handled correctly) can reach out to an entirely different audience, or add more to the ones existing already.

4. Take a risk.

When the show premiered, several of its sponsors were unhappy with how it turned out and all the controversies it created.

Domino’s pulled its sponsorship, as did Dell and American Family Insurance. They claimed that it’s just another reality show with its “15 minutes of fame.”

Well, that 15 minutes turned out to be a very, very long 15 minutes.

Still, Jersey Shore isn’t for everyone.

There’s no way my grandma could watch this show without having a heart attack. My grandma is a homeowner, loyal Williams-Sonoma customer, and an avid home magazine reader.

She belongs to a completely different demography with its own revenue-generating potentials.

But for the demographic that Jersey Shore and its ilk reaches, and for us marketers who need to reach them? We can learn a lot from how Snooki and crew went from zero to hero.

Dea Surjadi is a freelance public relations professional specializing in media relations and social media. Having worked in various newsrooms including television, radio, and the web, Dea applies her journalism and marketing background to the PR industry. A graduate of Missouri School of Journalism, you can reach Dea through email: dea[dot]surjadi[at]gmail[dot] com, or connect with her on Twitter.

Real Character, Real Work

Guest post by Narciso Tovar

I was born in October 1971.

Image: marilyn d., Creative Commons

Some of you may think, “WHOA!  This dude is ancient!”  While some others of you may think, “He’s older than I thought.”

Although I’m sure most of you don’t even care.

I bring it up because I’ve been feeling like an old-timer these days when I see idiocy like the stunt that Lindsay Lohan pulled in court a few weeks back.

It seems like some kids (yes, KIDS) feel like they are entitled to do things like this or that it’s ok to fall back on an “it was only a joke” kind of excuse.

Thankfully, it looks like everyone in is in the same line of thinking that this kind of behavior does no one any favors.

But here’s the thing:

There are lots of young, smart people (in business and in Hollywood) that don’t even approach this level of stupidity – bright people in PR & Social Media like Lauren Fernandez , David Spinks, Heather Whaling and Tom O’Keefe (to name a few) just don’t go there.

Because at the end of the day, they realize (just like the rest of us) that there is work that needs to be done – real work.

Even if it’s something like:

• Making copies the first half of the day
• Getting editorial calendars the second half of the day
• Stuffing press kit folders after hours for a conference
• Making a caffeine run for the team so they can keep stuffing until midnight

Because we’ve all done it at one point or another.

It’s not so much about paying your dues

It’s a matter of recognizing that this “mundane” work is still work.  A lot of the “important” stuff could not happen without that stuff getting done. And beyond that, it creates some grit and character in your work style. Yes, Lindsay Lohan may not be doing this kind of stuff; but look at Lindsay Lohan.

Apples… oranges, yes.

But character is character. And respect comes to those with character. Not someone who’s in danger of contempt of court for putting a slur on her fingernails.

At the end of the day, we’re all part of the same machine. The more we work together, the better the machine operates.

And the better the machine moves, the happier our clients may be.

What’s the “most mundane” work you’ve had to do in your career? How did it help your team?

Recommended – and perhaps contradictory – reading:

• Tom Murphy says, “PR people: if you want respect, pay your dues”
• Is “paying your dues” an outdated concept? (Employee Evolution)

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic young voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on   Twitter.

How The UK’s NHS Broke Into Social Media

This is a guest post by Bryce Keane

Reaching out… touching me… touching you…

Over the past month, much like the many months before it, I have been listening to and absorbing a wide variety of stories on social media and how various brands are using it – for better or worse – to reach out to new audiences.

I happened to be browsing one of the UK’s preeminent social media news outlets (and a personal favorite of mine for breaking stories in the world of social media and business) – Reputation Online – when I came across a story that struck a chord with me.

The story focused on the first-ever “Twitter-view” to be conducted with the NHS Salford’s Head of Communications, Karl Brookes, by Reputation Online’s editor Vikki Chowney (pictured above).

Now, for any North American readers out there who may be unfamiliar with the NHS, it’s the UK’s National Health Service, which is completely publicly funded.

That means that any resident of the UK can basically receive a vast majority of medical care for free. Sounds pretty good, right?

Not exactly.

As you can probably guess, the NHS is at the mercy of successive governments in terms of ongoing funding levels, often publicly criticized for lack of available resources, and always under scrutiny (especially when it comes to any form of external communications efforts) as to where the public funding that is available is going.

However, this is what makes this – their first-ever (and pretty darn brave if you ask me) foray into the world of social media – just too darn interesting to pass up.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Reputation Online editor, prolific music blogger, social media expert and all round “digital native” Vikki Chowney, and ask her a few questions on what makes this such a different, interesting and ongoing social media initiative.

As the editor of RO, what makes the NHS’ adoption of Social Media a unique story when compared to other Government entities?

Well first of all, the fact that they are actually using social media properly.

They have not just set up a Twitter account and Facebook page for the sake of it, but are using these channels to engage both stakeholders and members of the public alike and keeping everything updated regularly.

Secondly, they are proactively talking about it and encouraging people to get involved. And finally, they have done their research.

In an earlier article, prior to the Twitter interview, the NHS Salford contacted us about a survey they had done showing only a third (36%) of the 148 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England were found to be active on Facebook, and 28% on Twitter.

However, during the interview, it also emerged that they had also found that 20+% of residents were asking that they communicate with them electronically which was the driving force behind it all.

Editor’s note: See? Research drives good communication!

What did you find to be the main points of interest to emerge from the “Twitter-view”?

Well, following on from the NHS’ initial research, I was fascinated to learn that not only was this an organically generated and implemented idea from NHS staffers in the first place, but that they are staffing it entirely with an internal team rota, based on existing resources (with those that are more keen tending to chip in), with a focus on leveraging a lot of the good work that the NHS does that often goes unnoticed.

This is particularly pertinent because, traditionally for any publicly-funded government entity, any kind of external pro-active communications work has been frowned upon due to the inevitable public demands to know where the money is coming from.

By internally generating this idea and implementing it, they have found a way to pro-actively open themselves up to, and engage with, a wide variety of stakeholders without requiring any extra funding or agency fees etc.

What’s more, if the interview is anything to go by, it’s working. We expected to only have a few digital industry people taking part over the course of the hour, but ended up with a headcount of 262 tweets from 66 participants.

I was also struck by how well thought-out all the questions were, which to me shows some very promising early signs of real engagement with a growing target audience.

This is no doubt a progressive move for the NHS. But as the publicly-funded national health care provider for the UK, it regularly deals with issues around (limited) funding from the government and criticism from the public for limited resources/availability of those resources.

What are your thoughts on whether this will open up the NHS to a veritable “Pandora’s Box” of public complaints about day-to-day issues? And, if so, how would you see the NHS handling such a situation?

At the beginning of the interview we did have a few negative tweets about both the editorial credibility of the interview and, of course, where the money was coming from to pay for this social media push.

However, I was impressed with the professionalism shown by Karl when dealing with these, and in the end we were actually able to bring a few participants around – but again this was a direct result of them doing their research and knowing how to implement properly within the constraints of being a government entity.

I think that the NHS will definitely open themselves up to public complaints about lots of the day-to-day stuff with this.

If there is one thing that we’ve learned here it is that if you reach out to people and offer them something of value they will respond.

I personally received some criticism from readers about why the interview was conducted on Twitter, which some thought only appealed to a niche community. But if we go back to the point about offering value, it is important to remember that with SM the NHS can deal with any complaint one-on-one, but it’s also public, so that information has the potential to benefit many.

One of Karl’s responses that really stood out to me during the interview was that, “There are always reasons for not doing something, but true innovation occurs when people have the courage to try these things,” and “The #NHS should always be communicating via forums that people use. We should be where the audience is.”

You mentioned an article earlier on the “low uptake of social media within the 148 PCTs in England.” Do you think this initiative is a) sustainable and b) will see increased usage across the entire NHS in future?

I think that with any social media initiative, you have to start somewhere. The fact that an organization like the NHS has an internal “Just Do It” attitude to this is certainly encouraging.

Since the interview I have been told that a number of NHS bodies have since stepped forward to support the roll-out and I am hoping that articles like ours and yours will get people talking.

Aside from that, time will tell, but I will definitely be keen to see where it goes from here.

If you’ve been reading this: what do you think about this initiative? Do you think social media is the right forum for bodies like the NHS?

Do you think it’s sustainable? Could you see, or do you know of, any other health care bodies adopting a similar approach around the world? Please do share your thoughts.

Bryce Keane is an international communications professional with experience managing a wide variety of communications campaigns in both the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. Originally from Melbourne, he now works in London as an Account Manager for Mulberry Marketing Communications. His experience includes devising and executing local, national and regional campaigns across a variety of industries, from Agri-Business, to Government, to Corporate Social Responsibility and Technology. He has a keen interest in exploring issues that affect the global communications industry, and is always interested in hearing from other communications professionals with thoughts, feedback or just for a chat. You can reach him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

We All Play in the Same Sandbox

Guest post by Narciso Tovar

Early on in my career, much like everyone else in PR, one of the things that I was called to do was get some editorial calendars together.  This was right around 1996 and 1997, and since these kinds of things weren’t online just yet, I had to talk to the editorial assistant to get that information.

Even though this was a very timely task (especially since these were faxed back, providing the additional chore to make sure that these faxes came though clearly enough and, if so, enter in all of the data), I actually liked doing it.

At that time, I wasn’t really allowed to speak with anyone from the press; so, conversing with a “fellow grunt in the field” was great for me.

I saw it as a way to speak with someone at TIME Magazine, ComputerWorld or Forbes…!

Turns out, I was right.

Because, you see those editorial assistants I spoke with

• at Forbes turned out to be a feature writer at ABC News a few years later
• at ComputerWorld soon became a news editor
• at TIME ended up at Fast Company as a writer

Not that I had really planned on it, but since I was nice to those people when I was asking for the stuff that was easy enough for them to pass along, it paid off. I was the fella with the interesting name that actually treated them like a human being.

In truth, I treated them the way I wanted to be treated. I saw the game as well as they did and knew enough to know that being a good person went a long way.

So, PR pros, new & old, play nice.  You may very well be in a different part of the sandbox this time next year – the part that has you dealing with “widgets” instead of “knobs.”

Who knows, there may be a writer that you’ve been cordial to who’s in the same boat.

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic young voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on  Twitter.

PR Pros: Protect What Is Important

One of the things I love about Eddie is that he is both lovable and loyal – he’s never really met a human that he doesn’t love, while, at the same time, he’s never backed down from the ‘monsters’ behind the front door… at least until they come inside.

And even though Eddie is great about loving family and strangers once we invite them in, his initial reaction to protecting the family is what impresses me.

There’s a lesson for PR professionals here: Protect What’s Important.

Your Client’s Reputation

If it comes in the form of an interview or in the process of getting some news out about the company, we, as PR pros, must protect our clients.  We do this in media training, as we streamline their messaging and when we push back…yes…when we push back.

Just because a client may think that they have something that comes close to being worthy enough of being featured in the Financial Times, that doesn’t necessarily make it true.

Sometimes we have to save our clients from themselves.

Your Own Reputation

Much in the same way of protecting a client from putting out some lackluster news, we cannot allow this kind of thing to happen for ourselves either.  Think about it. The moment we start presenting members of the press with “ho-hum” news from any of our clients (even a brand name one), they start putting you in the “look at it later” pile (or, even worse, “ignore” pile).

We have to be ready and willing to push back on bad ideas.  Our clients hired us not just because of our expertise, but because of our counsel – our advice is just as important as setting up an interview with USA Today.

Moreover, like my little corgi, we have to differentiate between what’s worth fighting for and what requires drawing a line in the sand.

Don’t get caught up in the chaos or drama of your team or client – not everything is as imperative as saving kittens from a fire (even though they may think it).

So, we should keep ourselves and our teams in check.

While we may not be in the business of saving lives, it’s safe to say that we’re certainly in the business of saving a brand’s livelihood.

Image: Joel Goodman, Creative Commons

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, guest contributor Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on  Twitter.

HAPPO: Why Ida Lupino Inspires a PR Student

For today’s HAPPO initiative, I asked Lindsay Worek, a student at Towson University whom I was very impressed by, to guest post on what inspires her and her career choice. She decided to write about film pioneer Ida Lupino. Read on to see why.

A pioneer is “someone who ventures into the unknown or unclaimed territory to settle” or “someone who opens up new areas of thought, research or development.” Ida Lupino (image: dovima_is_devine‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons) is my inspirational pioneer figure.

Lupino was one of the first American female film directors. Not only was she unique in the industry because she was a female, but because her films were extremely controversial for the time period (1940s-1950s). Her films addressed issues such as rape, marital infidelity, pregnancy before marriage, murder, disability and maternal pressure on a daughter to succeed.

Lupino is a role model for professionals: she took risks, she took initiative and she wasn’t afraid to be controversial.

Ida Lupino was a risk taker. After she debuted in London as an actress at the age of 13, she moved to the United States to pursue an acting career. Lupino was often type-cast as a prostitute, criminal and/or generally bad girl.  Her most notorious role was of a murderess in They Drive by Night starring Humphrey Bogart. Her scene is absolutely chilling to watch. Her ability to capture evil in this character is horrifying.

After years of being called “a poor man’s Bette Davis” and receiving less-than-worthy roles, Lupino took the initiative. She decided to start her own production company called The Filmmakers with her then-husband Collier Young.  Instead of waiting for the perfect role, she took matters into her own hands. It was through this company that she produced, wrote and directed low-budget, issue-oriented films.

It is vital to take risks and take the initiative to survive in the professional world.

Lupino was not afraid to be the first. In this case, I am referring to the fact that she was the first female film director at the time. She didn’t make ordinary films, either. She was controversial and stood behind her creativity and her ideas.

Was Lupino a feminist? Her films blatantly portray controversial issues about women, yet she claimed that she didn’t want to be “too messagey” or “too preachy.” Lupino would even avoid the idea that her films were feminist. They often portrayed the mainstream patriarchal ideology. Quart* says that Lupino “visually portrayed defiance disguised as compliance.” It is a bipolar situation. There were gaps in what she said and what she did. She clearly was a brilliant woman but she would use self-depreciating language when she was asked about her work. I think Lupino knew that the only way to get what she wanted was to recognize and adhere to her place as a woman in 1950s society (whether she really agreed with it or not).

Ida Lupino was a woman who knew what she wanted her whole life. She was a fighter who never ever gave up or gave in. She called herself, “A terror- slaving long and hard to make things happen.”

This woman is an inspiration to me because I thrive to take risks and take initiative. I try to be the first and I am not afraid to be controversial and stir a great conversation. Lupino is the kind of pioneer that I hope to be as a professional. For more information, please follow @IdaLupinoFan or check out the official website: www.idalupino.com.

So, has Lindsay been bitten by the acting bug? This is what she said:

“I don’t necessarily want to be an actress. Lupino started her own company, which impresses me. I don’t necessarily want to start my own company but I would like to try my best and work my way up the professional ladder to eventually get to a high position that is well-respected.

I do absolutely love film and film production, especially writing. She wrote, acted in, produced and directed films so the fact that she accomplished all of those things is extremely inspiring (especially because she did it during a time where women didn’t do those things, except act, of course).

Throughout my career, I want to be able to express myself creatively. I would like to take risks and express my ideas. I want to venture into the unknown as she did and be unafraid. I want to stay determined, persevere and stay driven as she did, too.

Can you help this emerging PR professional find the right job? One in which her passion, drive and commitment are rewarded? And she’s a great writer, as you can see from her post. If so, please do contact her, either by leaving a comment below, connecting with her on LinkedIn, or sending her a tweet. Thank you!

*Reference used: Quart, Barbara Koenig. (1988). Women’s Directors: The Emergence of a New Cinema. New York: Praeger Publishers.

Working “The Ant Principle” Of Public Relations

PRs: Are you the Grasshopper or the Ant?

When it comes to creating tales that have a good moral lesson to ‘em, Aesop is a fella that almost immediately comes to mind.  He is credited as authoring such fables as The Lion and The Mouse, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and (drum roll please) The Ant and the Grasshopper (also known as The Grasshopper and the Ant or The Grasshopper and the Ants).

The reason I dig The Grasshopper and The Ant is because it provides a strong message about the value of hard work and preparation.

Image: dierken’s Flickrstream, Creative Commons

If you don’t know it, here’s the Reader’s Digest version:

The story is about a grasshopper that pretty much spends his summer days singing away, while the ant (or ants in some editions) work and toil to store up food for the winter.

When winter comes around, the grasshopper finds himself in a bit of a pickle, dying of hunger. He eventually finds himself going to the ant, begging for food, only to get sent away and chastised for his laziness and lack of foresight.

A little harsh, yes; but one could say he had it coming… which still seems a bit mean. This is why I’m so grateful for Disney providing a much “nicer” version of the tale as a Silly Symphony…

Ahh, yes—there’s big value in that little tale.

Which brings me to this question: why, oh why, do we allow ourselves to act like the grasshopper when it comes to dealing with the press?

While we’re not dealing with the threat of starving to death, the danger of ruining your reputation and company’s brand is very real.

Whether your interview is slated to last 5 minutes or 50, things can go awry in 5 seconds.

This is no exaggeration.

What you may think is a throw-away comment can sink your corporate ship in a jiffy. This is why it will serve you extremely well to be like the ant when it comes to preparing for an interview.

When you have a game plan, it

• Ensures Consistency
• Reminds You About What You Can/Cannot Say
• Limits Surprises – doing your homework better prepares you for different types of “encounters” you may have with the media.

What to plan for:

Type of interview: having an on-camera interview calls for a different kind of game plan than having an interview on the phone.

Know their story angle: among other things, this will give you an idea on the types of questions they may be asking.

Know the Interviewer: if this person is known for getting to the “personality” of a company or digging into the origins of a corporate culture, it will most certainly make you prepare for your time in a different way.

Know the media: because doing an interview for the Financial Times is going to be a little different than having a face-to-face with “Good Morning America.”

While using this “ant principle” may not keep you from messing up an interview or inserting your foot in your mouth, it will give you a level of preparedness – even if your prep time only lasts 5 minutes.  Because, unlike the grasshopper, you will have, at the very least, given yourself a level of comfort …however big or small that may be.

What do you to adhere to this “ant principle” in your work?  How do you keep your “inner grasshopper” at bay?

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, guest contributor Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on Twitter.

The Scorsese School of PR

I’m delighted that today’s post is a guest feature by Narciso Tovar, who reminds us the silver screen has more than a few lessons for communicators.

Filmmakers come and go – some have the staying power to make a real career out of it, while most fizzle out after a few films.  As a lead player in cinema, until you’ve earned some street cred in the business, studios and executives look for any kind of upward trend in your work – even though you were well-received in your last feature, you could very well tank (hard) in your next flick.

This is why veterans always tell newcomers that you’re only as good as your last picture.

One filmmaker who has earned his stripes (and then some) is Martin Scorsese.  He has not only made a career out his cinematic ventures, Mr. Scorsese has made his name synonymous with brilliant movies.  And even though he’s got some interesting eccentricities like never really wanting to go to Central Park and is listed as one of 50 people barred from entering Tibet, Martin Scorsese can teach us a thing or two in PR.

Martin Scorsese is:

1. A consummate student – his knowledge of films is encyclopedic and his mastery of various techniques is remarkable…the guy served a tour of duty at NYU and taught the likes of Oliver Stone and Spike Lee.  Moreover, Mr. Scorsese’s love of films has led him to establish The Film Foundation to promote the preservation and appreciation of film history.

Regardless where you may be in your career, there is ALWAYS time to learn something new in PR.

Yes, you have to stick to the basic tenets of public relations…and, yes, you have to be a strong writer…but there will always be a new way to skin that communications cat – it’s our job to find out how we can leverage their power for our company / client(s) and be smart about using these tools…wisely.

2. A guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously – how many other film legends can you say would be even open to the idea of being a shark character in an animation film, poke fun at his own eyebrows or take some fun jabs on national TV about his fondness for film reels.

Be it from our clients, bosses, colleagues, whatever – working in PR can be a bit stressful.  There’s a lot to handle and it has to be done in a timely manner – now more than ever.  Who the heck has time to breathe…?…YOU DO.  This is not rocket science and it’s not like we’re working on a cure to end world hunger.

Yes, it’s important, and yes, there is a great deal of value that we bring to the table; but the work we do is not so imperative that you can’t take a break or get some perspective by having a laugh or two at your own expense.

3. Always trying new things in his work – from directing Michael Jackson’s Bad video, to a film like The Age of Innocence and then onto Casino takes a tremendous amount of stretching…not only from the dynamics of the actors he had to work with, but from a storytelling perspective as well.

Hold fast to the tried and true methods of communicating your ideas, both internally and externally; but explore these new social media devices that are well within your reach.  Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, CrowdCampaign – they are easy to use, manageable and effective in communicating your client’s /company’s message.

So go out there and be the ‘Good Fella’ in your PR team.  Keep refining your methods & approach… never get ‘too big for your britches’ and keep yourself in ‘sponge mode’ – there’s always more to do in the Scorsese School of PR.

With more than 14 years of public relations experience, Narciso Tovar is president and founder of Big Noise Communications, that runs on Method + Moxie. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Rhonda, and has a strong track record in media communications, both “old” and “new,” with organizations such as Vonage and the Wall Street Journal Online. One of the most energetic young voices in social media, you can easily connect with Narciso on Twitter.

Why Little Things Matter

Today, I’m sending you away from my blog – yes, you read that right – to read my guest post on “Communication Overtones.”

As you know, that’s written by the brilliant, perceptive and generous Kami Huyse, and I am honored to be one of several guest-bloggers visiting with her over the next few days. I had a tough act to follow in Lauren Vargas, and her guest post, along with several conversations I’ve had on Twitter recently, led to mine: why PR should sweat the small stuff.

I do hope you will let us know what you think. Come back and visit with me soon, won’t you?

Image: fesoj‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons