It was around this time last year that I wrote my Top Ten of 2007. It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed here at Dittoe Public Relations and at the same time, looking back, a lot has happened in the past 12 months that is worth mentioning. With that being said, here you have it, Littlefield's Top Ten of 2008!

1. I started using Twitter on a regular basis. I've made a few friends, business and press contacts in the process. If you're not "tweeting," you're really behind the times!
2. I read Randy Pausch's Last Lecture... there's not a day that has passed since reading it that I don't think about one of his many words of wisdom.
3. I cooked my very first Christmas dinner this year for family. It actually turned out good! Want some leftovers?
4. I got to see THE BOSS, live in concert at Conseco... from a suite thanks to a super nice business contact and an awesome boss here at Dittoe!
5. The Dittoe PR girls went to the Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey concert - it was a blast, and we still talk about the shenanigans that occurred that night!
6. Along the concert theme, my husband and I along with several friends went to the Augustana, Maroon 5 and Counting Crows concert this year. It was phenomenal (Maroon 5 is my favorite band).
7. My clients. Not only do they keep me busy, but I learn so much from each of them. Without them, my days would be boring. They keep business interesting!
8. I turned 26... the big 3-0 is looming in front of me.
9. My wonderful husband and I bought our first new car! Unfortunately, I also got in my first car wreck this year, too.
10. And, last but not least, I got some major coverage this year! It helps to have some great clients with interesting stories, products and/or services - but I can't help but feel a great amount of satisfaction over the work I did this year.

Well, there you have it. My Top Ten for 2008. I hope your year was interesting and that you were more often happier than sad. Here's to a great 2009!

A few days ago,  the co-founder of TechCrunch, a weblog dedicated to profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies, expressed his extreme frustration with PR people and the industry in one of his frequently read blog posts. He had been continually receiving mass, off-topic pitches of no interest to him from the same company and was simply fed up with it. While his response is seemingly extreme since we aren't all "the bad guys", I have to say I really don't blame him.

As a PR professional who actively studied journalism in college the whole thing is pretty offensive. Not what he says about PR people, he has had some really terrible experiences, but the manner in which this industry professional who had been contacting him was conducting business. As people whose job involves speaking with journalists, editors and writers everyday, PR professionals must learn to respect their craft.

In my opinion, good and effective public relations is all about doing your research. Just because someone has the title, Technology Columnist, doesn't mean they are the appropriate contact for your client's product. Before sending them a pitch they will delete immediately spend some time online reading their past articles or see what they have covered recently. And I am not just talking about conducting this research when you have a specific pitch to go out, this should be a part of your every day routine. If you do PR in a specific industry, pick the top ten to twenty writers/columnists you would love to cover your client and truly get to know them. Make their columns a daily read, follow them on Twitter, comment on their stories. As PR professionals we must care about developing real relationships and ensuring we are providing all those we pitch to with something of value. We should be joining their conversation, as Joseph Jaffe would tell us, instead of interrupting it.

PR professionals and journalists can develop mutually beneficial relationships and it is our job to make sure that this is what we are always striving to accomplish.

In an industry saturated with people conducting business as always, try something diffferent and make business personal. It will do you and your career a world of good.

A little over two weeks ago I was involved in a car accident, nothing serious - I wasn't hurt, and while my car looked bad, I didn't think it looked THAT bad. Apparently, it was pretty bad and I'm having trouble believing that I'm going to be driving a rental car well into the New Year.

So why am I blogging on my public relations blog about it? Because no one, not my insurance adjuster or the collision center, ever took the time to explain to me what was going on with my car or how long it was going to take to repair the damage.

Customer service is such an important aspect of business and external public relations. A customer's only experience with many companies is through a 1-800 customer service number. How that representative handles a call can make or break a lifelong customer relationship. What's sad is that so many companies (*ahem* American Express) outsource these customer service call rooms to foreign countries and speaking to someone who you don't understand over the phone or who doesn't understand you, doesn't really make your problem any easier to deal with.

Not only was my insurance adjuster unhelpful but the collision repair center never provided me with an ETA on when I would get my car back. When I called both parties to get answers, they treated me like I was stupid for calling. I'm sorry, I'm driving a rental that smells like a dead body's been in it and I want my car back. My bad.

If it wasn't for my amazing insurance agent, I'd take my business elsewhere. He's been incredibly helpful - even making calls for me to get some answers.

At Dittoe PR, when a client or media contact has a problem we tackle the issue head-on and provide solutions to the best of our ability. Sometimes we have to get creative and sometimes people aren't satisfied - but no one can say that we didn't try our very hardest to make something right. I can't say that for some of the people I've been forced to deal with since my accident back on December 4th.

Do you have a customer service horror story worth sharing?

1. If you typically hold a party and give out a bonus to employees, have them vote on one or the other (personally, I’d rather have a little extra cash than one night of partying).
2. Give gift cards instead of bonuses, these are gifts and not income – so they’re not taxed!
3. Throw a holiday party at work for a low or no cost to the employer by asking employees to bring in one of their favorite dishes. Over lunch, your team can have a feast and toast each other on the holiday season. This is a great idea for a Friday (say, December 19th?)!
4. Invite your team to your home for cocktails, and ask each employee to bring a bottle of wine or appetizer. It doesn’t need to be fancy – but it tells your team you appreciate them.
5. Personally hand out handwritten holiday cards to employees. This is a great idea for CEOs or presidents that are typically “removed” from the everyday hustle and bustle of the office. It’s unexpected and personal.
6. Have lunch brought in before the team takes vacation time by reasonably priced caterers like Panera, Qdoba, McAllister’s or Paradise Café. Nothing fancy, but a “free” lunch for your team nonetheless!
7. Arrange a Secret Santa gift exchange for your office or team with a 10, 15 or $20 limit.
8. Put up a Christmas tree, twinkle lights and/or play holiday music (softly) at work.
9. Personally tell each member of your staff how much you appreciate their hard work on XYZ and wish them a happy holiday. This costs nothing at all and sometimes, means more than anything else I’ve listed above.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” folks, and there’s no reason why a recession should stop us all from enjoying the spirit of the season. A happy office is usually a more productive office, and productivity along with teamwork will benefit customers and your bottom line.

What are some of your ideas on how to celebrate the holidays without spending too much?

In this week's PR Fuel eNewsletter, Ben Silverman wrote what he is thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday. One of his many "thanks" struck a chord with me and I just had to share it with all of you:

“... a survey conducted by BIGfrontier Communications Group in Chicago. The survey found that startups which utilize public relations campaigns are 30% more successful in finding financing than startups that do not. The same study also found that 78% of the companies in the first group planned to spend some of their funding on public relations and that only 18% of startups had a public relations program in place during the fundraising stage. That latter figure presents a huge opportunity.”

In bad economic times, agencies like Dittoe PR are fortunate to have amazing clients that realize the value of media coverage. Whether coverage comes from bylines, case studies, interviews, press releases, word of mouth, social networking or analyst briefings – our clients see the benefit of working with us.

One startup we have currently begun working with is Indianapolis-based Precise Path Robotics. Co-founded by serial entrepreneur and local businessman Scott A. Jones, Precise Path has developed a robotic technology that will change the way we maintain the outdoors. The company’s first product, the RG3 greens mower, is geared towards the golf industry as it perfectly cuts greens autonomously – making greens more consistent while increasing ROI and productivity for the golf course superintendent.

The RG3, however, is just the tip of the iceberg! Imagine the possibilities with this technology Precise Path has developed: commercial and residential snow removal, highway line painting, sports field line/logo painting, a robotic lawn mower for the home – that works fast and cuts straight lines!

Precise Path is working with us because they know you can’t get something for nothing. You can’t increase sales or gain funding by not doing anything. With the help of public relations professionals, Precise Path is making a name for itself and gaining interest from golf superintendents to robotic technology gurus, and venture capitalists to consumer electronic buffs.

So this Thanksgiving, I’m personally thankful for Precise Path Robotics, Useful Networks, Corinex Communications and Fidelitone Logistics – as all four of these companies value the work we do for them day in and day out, and realize the value of public relations in their business strategies. 

I hope you have many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving – and that you are able to enjoy the holiday with the people who mean the most to you. Blessings!

In my blog post today I want to put aside personal feelings and lend my professional advice to a member of the University of Michigan family: football coach Rich Rodriguez.

For those who don’t know, the first-year coach out of West Virginia isn’t the most popular guy in Ann Arbor. Michigan (3-8), a long-standing Big 10 powerhouse, is having the worst year in recent history, and fans have been quite vocal about their distaste for RRod (ex: http://www.firerrod.com/, the I HATE RICH RODRIGUEZ facebook page, or, yeah, just about every Michigan message board).

But this week, Rodriguez had about all he could take, saying in a press conference:

"It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature. You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.' … There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy.”

 

OK, yes, Michigan fans have been extremely hard on Rodriguez. Too hard, I would agree. But c’mon, Rich, they live in Michigan—they’re aware of the crappy economy. What’s more, they probably don’t want to be reminded of their situation from a guy who makes millions poorly coaching the team they love.

If Rich ever needed the support of his fans, it’s this weekend when the Wolverines take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2) at The Horseshoe. In 2000, ESPN named the 111-year-old rivalry the greatest North American sports rivalry of all time. But it’s not looking good for the Wolverines this weekend in Columbus.

Rather than buckling under the fans’ negativity, Rodriguez should have looked at the bigger picture. No, his team probably isn’t going to win this weekend, and if you ask most of the Michigan fans, they really don’t expect him to. He’s a new coach, he has a new team, and a legacy takes years to build. Fans (especially at UM) are often temperamental, but that’s just because they are so passionate about the team they love. Be patient, stay positive—they will come around.

One coach that had it right this week was my beloved Mark Dantonio, second year Michigan State head coach. A new kid in his own right, Dantonio has lost his cool in the media, but never at the expense of the fans. The now 15^th ranked Spartans need a win this weekend against Penn State AND for the Wolverines to miraculously defeat the Buckeyes to earn a place at the Rose Bowl this year.

But Dantonio knows his fans—and they hate the Wolverines. A lot. Yes, he’d love a Rose Bowl appearance, but when asked this week by a reporter who he’d be rooting for this weekend, he said:

"I'm not rooting for Michigan. I'm going to focus on our task at hand here and worry about the things we can control here. I have too many good friends and too many people that would not let me back into their house if I did that, so, uh, you know... go Bucks."

What it boils down to is this: You can only control your actions and how you respond to others. Good PR about effective messaging and communication to key publics. And the number one key public to a sports team is its fans.

Can Dantonio control the outcome of the UM vs. OSU game? No. Can he control how he responds and his messaging? Yes. And the MSU fans loved his response.

On the same token, Rodriguez can only control how he prepares his team and communicates to his fans, and if he does that well, both will come around. Until then coach, avoid those message boards, maybe the Internet entirely. Those college kids can be brutal.

I read a very interesting article in this fall’s issue of The Strategist and it’s really stuck with me. The article, “From manager to leader: The nine action steps to get you to a leadership role,” asserts that “…making the leap from manager to leader may be the most important move in one’s PR career” and lists nine actions we can all take to become true leaders.

1. Articulate the values. By what standards does your organization live? Here at Dittoe, our mantra can be taken off of the blackboard in co-founder Liza Dittoe’s office: Do what you love. Love what you do. We live by this “golden rule” and not only does it make our job more fulfilling and fun, but we are – as a whole – very successful because of it.
2. Create a vision. Real leaders are constantly looking beyond tomorrow to visualize what their company can be and where it is headed. Once you have your vision of “after tomorrow” it’s necessary for the entire team to buy into it – so it becomes our vision. This is crucial for PR firms during such uncertain economic times. Without a vision, how can you set goals and objectives – how can you measure success?
3. Build trust. People don’t follow other people because their title is president or CEO – they follow them because they trust them. If you can’t trust your leader, there’s no buy-in to the company’s vision.
4. Provide inspiration. People follow people who inspire them. Be inspiring. If you think about it, three body parts are used by employees on a regular basis: heads, hearts and feet. If a leader can cause people to think about the possibilities and imagine what we could do together, feel the passion to attain it and then act to make it happen – then they are truly successful.
5. Act courageously. It’s one thing to think or say “this is where we are going” – it’s another thing to make it happen.
6. Share the credit. Let your team share the spotlight.
7. Establish empathy and listen. I can’t tell you how important this is. Who wants to work for someone who never listens to your concerns or suggestions? A good leader understands his or her team’s motivations, worldviews and aspirations.
8. Be open. There are two ways a leader can do this: 1) be approachable, and 2) admit failures. No one knows everything, and trust can be gained when leaders admit they don’t have the answer. After all, we’re all human.
9. Empower your followers. Learn when to let go. There are more leaders to be found in your team. There’s no such thing as an organization of one. Encourage followers to create their own vision.

For more details on what to do once you become a leader, check out the whole article by Ken Jacobs online. I think you’ll find it just as interesting and inspiring as I do.

I was preparing a client for a phone interview this week, pulling together a reporter backgrounder, key messages, and a couple of interview tips, and I discovered something shocking: apparently the phone interview is dead. Or at least dying, for some.

If you’re like me, this is the first you’re hearing of this. I missed the big “to do” last April when Internet entrepreneur, blogger, and tech celebrity Jason Calacanis politely turned down a phone interview with Wired reporter Fred Vogelstein and requested Vogelstein conduct the interview via e-mail—citing this as his personal policy.

As a result of Calacanis’ refusal, the two engaged in a back-and-forth debate on interview etiquette and legitimate fears and preferences on behalf of both. Vogelstein published the pre-interview email communication with Calacanis, another Wired reporter printed a follow-up editorial to the debate, and Vogelstein and Calacanis conducted a very civil podcast together on the topic.

Calacanis later blogged the reasoning behind his policy: "journalists have been burning subjects for so long with paraphrased quotes, half quotes, and misquotes that I think a lot of folks (especially ones who don't need the press) are taking an email only interview policy."

The (mostly tech) media frenzy that followed debated the need for in-person interviews, the true intentions of a reporter during an interview (the “Gotcha!” moment) and the warranted, or unwarranted, paranoia of public interview subjects.

Calacanis is certainly not the only public figure that limits reporters to email interviews, and he isn’t the only one whose principle has generated media coverage. But my question is this: Who is right, and who has the real say in how an interview is conducted?

As a former journalism student and editorial intern and now practicing PR maven *insert horn tooting here*, I’ve been on both sides of this debate. No, I’ve not been a reporter for a top tier media outlet or blog, but I’ve conducted my share of interviews. I’ve experienced articulate subjects, divas, dreaded two-word responders, and even one who completely fabricated events (but we’ll save that lovely tale for another post). In my experience, an in-person interview gives you context and a depth that a typed interview never could.

Conversely, I know how it is to want to look after a client and guard them from potentially uncomfortable media experiences. And what one learns in PR is that if you aren’t, say, Oprah, Bill Clinton, Kanye West, or, in this case, Jason Calacanis, often the choice isn’t yours. The journalist trumps your request, and for the most part, the phone interview will win.  

Maybe the phone interview is dead to you. But in my world, the phone interview isn’t dead, dying, or coming down with a cold—it’s very much a part of my clients’ media routine. I take the responsibility of preparing them and the reporter extremely seriously, and until I get them Oprah status, I'll work tirelessly to that end.

The other night I came across a story in Fast Company that really struck me. The article, titled Made To Stick, analyzes why corporations make it so difficult or feel so pointless to say "thank you" to the appropriate person. They cited car companies as an example, saying that maybe you love how your cup holder fits your travel coffee cup perfectly and you want to show your appreciation to the responsible individual. Your note would most likely be sent to corporate communications and never seen by the engineer who actually conceptualized larger dimensions for the cup holder.

I deem it a small travesty that those who serve us receive much more negative feedback than positive. Yes, this is in part due to the fact that people in general love to complain, but I also think that we hold this belief that the right person will never get our message or even worse, that if they did, they would receive it with apathy.

 

I contend this to be completely untrue. As someone who has worked many stressful shifts serving people their eggs scrambled, over easy and basted (yes, this is actually a popular way to eat them although I have no idea why) just one or two encouraging words from a nice table or a comment to a manager regarding good service can go a long way to boost the quality of your work day.

 

Too often, we adopt a defeatist mindset when it comes to showing gratitude. When I listen to my favorite music artist, Corey Smith, I often think that I should let him know what his music means to me. This thought is quickly followed by discouragement and an assumption that my letter would meet an inevitable fate inside a trash can along with all the other fan mail. And maybe that’s true but then again, maybe it isn’t.  Maybe Corey does sit on his bus and open up letter after letter. After all, don’t many musicians get some of their inspiration from their fans?

The bottom line is, too often we are too lazy to take the time to tell someone that we appreciate what they do.  The world would be a different place if we all took a little time to say a sincere "thank you" once in a while and even if that gratitude doesn’t reach the right person, I guarantee you will feel better for having made the effort.

This morning as I was talking with co-worker Laura Kassenbrock, it occurred to me that this friend and colleague of mine graduated college a full two years after I did – and here we are in the same position at the same company.  Both of us have taken very different paths to get here and both of us love what we do at Dittoe PR.

In college, we both were members of a team, sorority and various other student organizations that kept us busy throughout our four years of undergraduate studies.  After graduation, Laura pursued her M.A. while I worked my way up from an entry-level position at a software company.  It was during this time period we both gained valuable experiences and education (in and out of the classroom) that prepared us for our current roles at Dittoe Public Relations.

The point of my post is to show the merits of masters programs and “real world experience.”  Both are extremely important – and most professionals, regardless of their field, struggle with the decision to continue their education full-time or part-time, or to focus 100% of their efforts on their career.  The question that always comes up is, “Do I need a masters to land my dream job?”

Tonight I’m participating in a panel discussion of advertising, marketing and public relations professionals at my alma mater, Hanover College.  The goal of this panel is to enlighten the class of 2009 on what it took to get us where we are.  What did we study in school?  How has that helped us?  What would we do differently?  Inevitably, there will be alumni on this panel who attended graduate school – and, for sure, there will be me.

If you ask Kassenbrock what the difference between the two of us is, she will say, “About $30,000 in loans,” with a smile on her face.  From my perspective, we are both so different, with very different PR backgrounds and it's because of this that  am able to learn from her (as I do all of my colleagues) on a regular basis.  Whether her input and advice stems from a graduate program required course or from her internship experience is irrelevant. 
 
So, for now, my answer to the question, “Do I need a masters to get my dream job?” is not necessarily.  However, if it is your dream to earn a graduate degree – go for it!

It's been a long time since I've logged into my blog, but in honor of one of the greatest holidays of the year I thought I would "spook" you with a blog post. 

Dittoe Public Relations is not only is the best public relations firm in Indianapolis with talented professionals, but when it comes to Halloween we are an expert at these skills too. 

Today, many of us transformed our look into a "SPOOKTACULAR" costume for our office party. 

Happy Halloween from Dittoe Public Relations!

  

Meet my boss, Liza Dittoe...

After being told she looked a lot like Sarah Palin, without trying to, Liza decided to be the Vice Presidential nominee for Halloween.  This picture, taken at a Halloween party last weeked, is now available on the Indianapolis Star online and has resulted in an influx of calls to our famous boss.

Here's what the Indy Star's eNewsletter reported yesterday afternoon:

"When it comes to look-a-likes, actress Tina Fey has nothing on Liza Dittoe, founder of Indianapolis-based Dittoe Public Relations. Dittoe also looks a lot like Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Said Dittoe: 'Everywhere I go I'm told I look like Palin, so I decided to dress up like her for (a Halloween) party. I found her glasses at Wal-Mart.' Dittoe said she won the party's first-place female award. She said she is enjoying a little spotlight after years of being behind the scenes."

Liza has been getting invitations to appear on local morning news programs and even professional sports events - because of a Halloween costume! 

Now that all of Indianapolis knows about our famous boss, we're experiencing a little bit of Dittoe pride here at the office.  You see, we've known forever how famous and connected Liza is.  Check out these pictures... taken before most of us knew who Sarah Palin is.

So there you have it, that's my famous boss: Liza Dittoe.

OK. I’m embarrassed. It’s been two months since “Part 1” ran. But I have an excuse, I promise—I’ve been on Twitter.

When last I blogged, I spoke about how I first discovered Twitter, how inept I was in social media, and my desire to engage in the conversation. I joined Twitter in January of 2008, and while that’s well over a year after it launched in October of 2006 (thank you very much, Wikipedia), I was very much among a crowd of early adopters.

I had no clue who to follow. I had one friend in all the Twittersphere (@kaseyincharge), who was a co-worker of mine at the time (and a fabulous follow!). In time, I learned of the social media staples: @chrisbrogan, @jowyang, @scobleizer, @charleneli, @jasoncalacanis, the list goes on…

But of course, no one would follow me. Truth be told, I was really intimidated to type anything that clued people into who I really was, which consequently made me EXTREMELY boring. After a while, I lost my inhibition because I figured no one was listening to me anyway, and guess what—@LKassenbrock got some followers.

From there, I was addicted. Of course a little part of social media taps into our egotistical side. I’d get so excited when someone would follow me, and when someone would leave, I’d wonder what I’d done wrong. Had I been boring? Annoying? Simply not worth their time?

But that “concern” drove me to be more relevant, more honest, more engaged, and hopefully more interesting. These people didn’t know me like my friends did, and I needed to earn their interest, like they had mine.

I recently posed this question on Twitter, “What makes you follow people back on Twitter? I mainly do people who @reply a lot, but is that the best indicator of a worthy follow?”

I received eight responses (which for me, is a heck of a lot), some agreeing that engaging in the conversation was the number one reason, but other responses varied--from a cool picture or avatar (thanks @bnpositive) to some that said they didn’t follow people with protected updates (thank you @evanspatrick). And I have to agree with both.

The thing about Twitter is that the reasons people like and follow you are a lot like the reasons people are attracted to others in the real world: humor, intelligence, charm, similar interests and values, appearance … with some exceptions. I mean, if Twitter were the real world, Robert Scoble would be homecoming queen. And really, how likely is that?

Are you following the @DittoePR team on Twitter? NO?! You should be. Check out @becht001, @meganlawler, @dittoe, @coberley, @lllittlefield, @laurensanders2, @laurlye, @mcharlebois,

 

With the current state of our economy many big and small businesses are forced to review budgets to determine what’s expendable. “What can we get rid of and still be OK without?”

Typically, advertising, marketing and public relations are the first to go. To some people, these might be considered business luxuries. To me, they are business necessities and while we can scale back our spending, we cannot stop these very important efforts. 

It may sound trite, but if anyone could successfully defend someone in court and get them acquitted of all charges, why would there be defense attorneys? We all have our expertise and passions that set us apart from everyone else. The trick is how we utilize each other.

Recently here at Dittoe Public Relations, I was working to develop a whole new Web site, something really eye-catching and interesting for our site visitors to browse through. Now I’m taking a step back and finding less expensive ways to share our news with folks like you. Through our blog we are enhancing SEO every day and as long as I can update our current Web site with new content on a monthly or quarterly basis, I believe we are providing current news and interesting bits of information to current and prospective clients (at a lower cost).

Currently, we are all facing tough times in one form or another, some worse than others, but regardless – we’re all in the same boat. We’re all trying to muddle through this mess of an economy. It’s imperative we realize the strengths of those around us and either utilize them more efficiently or let them go if they are no longer needed.

If you are a business owner or a businessperson considering cutting your advertising, marketing and public relations efforts back – I urge you to rethink that decision. Without effective advertising and PR, your prospective customers won’t know who you are – and without marketing, how will your sales team be effective?

I haven’t been working at Dittoe PR very long but it is pretty safe to say that I love my job and feel at home here.  From the beginning, I have been welcomed with open arms, which unfortunately, is rarely the case when you start working at a new company.  Often people have already formed cliques or feel threatened by the prospect that someone new may outshine them.

 

I have yet to encounter the slightest hint of resentment or competition from any of my coworkers.

 

Everyone was willing to take time out of their day to help me learn the ropes as I dug into my work, even better; they were excited to get to know me.  It was clear they were concerned with more than just being helpful coworkers, they wanted to be my friends.

One of my co-workers and I share a passionate love for great coffee.  One rough morning, I was complaining about the absence of a Dunkin Donuts on every corner here in Indy and she shared she hadn’t ever tried their coffee.  Although it’s not the best coffee out there, I told her she had to give it a whirl at least once.  The next morning I walked up next to her as she was unlocking our building, two Dunkin cups in hand.  “Oh, this one’s for you,” she says, “I know how much you like it.”

 

Not only had she taken my advice, she picked one up for me as well!  Now, I think I am pretty lucky to work in a place where the people are genuine, considerate and go the extra mile.

 

That is a perfect example of what makes Dittoe’s approach to PR so different.  Our relationships with our clients and the media are very similar to those we have with each other.  We are genuine.  We are truly interested in our clients’ needs and while working with them, we become invested in their goals.  Business cannot just be business anymore; it has to be personal—personal touches with the media, personal investment in our clients, and personal connections with each other. After all, true success starts with a happy home, and I’ve found mine at Dittoe PR.

Having spent a good portion of my college career studying marketing campaigns and advertising, I often find myself analyzing advertisements and integrated marketing campaigns, judging creative originality and effectiveness. I look at an ad's purpose and target audience as well as its impact on the consumer and how memorable the product, service or company is as a result of the ad.

One type of advertising that I've never been a big fan of is negative or attack advertising - in which a company tries to promote itself or its product(s) by directly attacking its competitor(s). An example of this type of advertising can be seen in the current-day Apple ads, which feature two men - each representing a Mac or PC computer - in which Apple tries to make PCs seem nerdy and not as good as Macintosh computers. Other traditional examples of attack advertising can be seen in many Pepsi vs Coke and McDonald's vs Burger King ads.

While some such ads are funny or amusing, I largely dislike this type of advertising and generally consider it to be the lowest (and most desperate) form of promotion. A company should concentrate on its own strengths and positively promote its products instead of trying to tear down its competitors.

I remember a specific example of negative promotion when I was visiting colleges during high school. Granted, I had always been biased about where I wanted to go to college - my dad went to Notre Dame, and my mom went to Saint Mary's (which is across the street from ND) and I had grown up singing the Notre Dame Victory March, watching Irish football and wearing ND sweatshirts. However, I still had a fairly open mind when visiting potential schools. Since I grew up outside of Boston, it seemed to make sense to visit Boston College. On the campus tour, I remember the guide talking more about how certain things BC had were "better than Notre Dame" than he did about why BC was a good place to be. This, to me, epitomizes what I disliked (and continue to dislike) about that school - they're too concerned with comparing themselves to ND and beating them out that they fail to create any greatness of their own. A negative focus is never a good thing, and I believe it resonates negatively with potential consumers, students, etc.

In today's presidential campaign, I've seen and heard a good number of attack ads from both candidates. Instead of focusing on their own strengths, what policies they support, and how they plan to run the country, they attack their opponent. In the first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, I couldn't stand listening to them interrupt one another, tear each other down and abandon civility and common courtesy in an effort to appear "strong" and "win" the debate. Honestly, I liked both candidates less after watching this debate. I found last night's vice presidential debate much more enjoyable to watch, easier to follow and less stressful. While the candidates disagreed on many issues and voiced their opinions, they seemed to have a greater degree of respect for each other and for the debate itself.

I believe that in all types of marketing, it's important to focus on what a company or organization has to offer and how its products or services can improve people's lives. A company can only accomplish so much by dragging down its competitors, and it might even alienate potential consumers by its negative advertising. The best bet is to stay positive. After all, isn't there enough negativity in the world today?

I just had to share this article by Ben Silverman with all of you... Enjoy and let me know what you think.

"A $700 Bill PR Blunder"
By Ben Silverman

It was politics at its worst and representative democracy at its best.

On Monday, the United States Congress voted down a plan engineered to bail out financial institutions. Investors responded by selling stocks at a record pace and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its largest single-day point decline in history. Many Congressmen and Congresswomen who voted against the bill cited opposition from their constituents.

The bailout package failed to get through Congress mainly because of bad public relations. The bad PR started at the top and trickled down to the bottom, resulting in a political and financial nightmare.

First, and foremost, referring to the bill as a "bailout" package was and has been a colossal blunder. The term "bailout" is extremely negative and is associated with rescuing someone or something at a cost (i.e., the bail). A wiser choice would have been for politicians to refer to the bailout as "The Financial Stability Act" or "The Home Owners Rights Bill."

"What if this had been called a 'rescue' from the beginning? Or the 'Save Our Homes Act'? Supporting a 'rescue' is a bear of an entirely different species. It is not only a redemptive act, restoring things to their rightful order - it is heroic," Andrew Benett, CEO of Euro RSCG New York, told Ad Age.

The second major problem is that the need for the bill most likely shocked many Americans. Why? Because politicians (I won't name names) were saying less than two weeks ago that the economy was not only sound, but growing. If that was the case, then why would we need to "rescue" the most important sector of the economy?

This leads us to our third big problem: people talking about things they know nothing about.

The sad truth is that the vast majority of our elected officials have little financial or economic intelligence. They rely on staffers to remain informed, but you can't replace education with mere information. Either you understand how the financial system works - and what exactly these assets that must be "eaten" are - or you don't.

Based on my experience and knowledge base, most of what's been said by politicians over the past week or so has been garbage. They simply don't understand the situation, the assets in question, the type of financial instruments that have brought banks and others to their knees, and exactly who would and would not benefit from a "bailout." You will never get good PR by sounding stupid (unless you're Jessica Simpson).

Finally, the evolution of this situation took a long time, but it wasn't until the stuff hit the fan about a dozen times before action was taken. Despite all the time that went by, the powers that be tried to ram home legislation in the blink of an eye, leaving almost no time for real debate and an honest dissemination of information. The poor planning inevitably led to bad PR.

The "bailout" package is a controversial piece of legislation, and as I write this, the ultimate fate of the bill is still undecided. All parties involved - for or against - have done themselves and their constituents a disservice by ignoring basic tenets of public relations.

Come November 4th, many may pay a big price.
___

Ben Silverman is currently the Director of Research for an investment intelligence service. Previously, Ben was a business news columnist for The New York Post and the founder/publisher of DotcomScoop.com. He can be reached via email at bensilverman (at) gmail.com.

This morning in my inbox I found one of my favorite newsletters, "The Firm Voice," from the Council of Public Relations Firms.  Most of the time the articles are more for owners and presidents of PR firms but I am usually able to find some morsel of wisdom in each edition.

Today was no different.  "The Firm Voice" offered a link to Cision's free white paper on "What Never to Do When Targeting the Media."  I highly recommend all PR folks out there download this document as it is really helpful.

"A lot of PR people and agencies just blast out blanket e-mails to anyone on the lists they bought. That's glorified spam. The e-mails that work are those that are targeted. They open with something like, 'Dear David, I saw your story about cell phones and thought…' This shows they did their homework. If you take the time to personalize your pitches or e-mails to us, you will get a thousand times more bang for the buck in terms of responses." - David Pogue, Columnist for the New York Times

Dittoe PR is an anti-spam agency.  You won't find one of our email addresses on the Bad Pitch Blog or mention of our firm any journalist's rant on poor PR techniques.  However, it is important to stay up-to-date on all things public relations related and this white paper is worth a download, no matter how amazing you are at your job.

One aspect of public relations that is not always practiced well by its professionals is building relationships with the media. At Dittoe PR, we pride ourselves not only on getting great coverage for our clients but also on building and maintaining positive relationships with members of the media and earning their respect as PR professionals.

Inexperienced PR people - and those who are just lazy or indifferent - often don't take the time to research members of the media prior to reaching out to them. Consequently, they'll pitch something that's completely off-topic from a reporter's beat. Most reporters get hundreds of emails a day (many of which are from PR professionals) which they have to sort through. It's certainly very frustrating if a good portion of these emails are irrelevant and unhelpful, so many reporters are forced to quickly scan their email and delete most messages without replying.

As a PR professional who relies on my ability to reach out to the media and grab their attention, I don't want reporters to lump all PR people together as "spammers." I completely understand their frustration at receiving off-topic pitches, which is why PR pros everywhere need to make it a priority to do their research, pitch on-topic, and foster positive give-and-take relationships with members of the media. To not make an effort to do so is irresponsible on the part of these individuals, and it brings down the quality of the PR industry as a whole.

A positive relationship between a PR pro and a reporter or journalist should be one of mutual respect as professionals and involve give-and-take from both sides. PR pros should be willing to offer helpful information or data to a reporter, even if it doesn't benefit their clients. Journalists will appreciate this assistance and hopefully be more willing to work on a story for their clients somewhere down the road. On the flip side, reporters must be open and honest with PR pros - if a story suggested is something that the journalist would never write about it, he or she should let the PR pro know this right away. Stringing the PR pro along won't help either party.

All in all, PR pros everywhere could take a few tips from Dittoe PR's philosophy. Always be professional, do the proper background research, and give - don't just take. This benefits reporters and PR pros alike. Isn't everyone better off this way?

OK, so I'm late to the whole Twitter thing but I did sign up for it today and I'm gradually getting the hand of things.  Who would have thought the age old question, "Whacha doin'?" would lead to this?

Just when I thought updating my status on Facebook was a hassle...

Anyways, if you're not on Twitter - what are you waiting for?  Everyone's doing it.

OK, enough peer pressure.  The truth of the matter is, I've been able to connect with some great outlets and media contacts in the few hours I've been utilizing Twitter.  What's even more exciting is that I designed the Dittoe PR Twitter page. 

The times, they are a changing!  If you want to learn more about the benefits of microblogging with Twitter or Tumblr, check out this YouTube video.

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