Whatever...

“I hate to have to ask this, but…”

By Joe Banks

They’re the words that every PR dreads - “of course, we’ll need to have full approval of what the journalist writes”. 

Well, we heard them yet again the other day (thankfully from a client’s customer, rather than a client), which inevitably led to the usual attempt on our part to dissuade the company rep from making us ask this of the journalist… which just as inevitably led us to say “OK, we’ll see what we can do”.  Why?  Because it’s often a case of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.  If you say ‘absolutely not’, you risk either souring client relations or losing that customer that you’re desperate to have speak to a journalist.

But if you say ‘yes’, you then risk compromising your relationship with the journalist, most of whom regard such requests as, at best, an inconvenience, at worst, a serious infringement of their professional integrity/independence - none of which reflects well on the unfortunate PR who has to make the request.

Why does the attitude persist among certain organisations that they have a right to pass final judgement on a journalist’s editorial copy before publication?  I’m sure that all of the people who make this kind of request happily subscribe to the concept of a free press - but as soon as it’s their spokesperson in the ‘firing line’, they start issuing the kind of demands that would make your average oppressive regime blush.

Here are a few possible reasons as to why we’re still being asked to request final copy approval:

1) It’s the marketing department.  The request gets made because of rampant paranoia within certain marcoms departments - they remember what happened the last time they let the CEO out on his own, and they’re sure as hell not going to let it happen again.  Easier to pull up the drawbridge rather than have to deal with the hassle of providing proper media training (which is usually the reason why spokespeople go ‘off message’ in the first place).

2) It’s the culture.  The request gets made because, let’s face it, we’re all Hollywood celebs these days, and why on earth would we allow one single word to escape out into the world without first inspecting it, dissecting it, and then removing anything that could possibly be construed as being an opinion.  Who do these journalist guys think they are anyway??  OK, that might be a little over the top, but you get the idea - some companies increasingly think that it’s their divine right to have the final say over everything.

3) It’s the media.  The request gets made because “that’s the way the media works, isn’t it?”  It’s a depressing fact of the PR life that you still regularly come into contact with people who think that getting into the FT is as simple as ringing them up and asking them to ‘place’ the company’s story on page 4, thank you very much…  There’s also the growing trend among certain journalists to happily accept potted/vetted email comment from companies without actually speaking to anybody - but that’s a whole other blog…

4) It’s the PRs.  The request gets made because, well, far too often, we just play along with it.  Sometimes it’s easier to say ‘yes’ than ‘no’, particularly if the client’s giving you a hard time or if you really need a user to speak to a journalist.  Should we be putting our foot down more firmly?  Almost certainly - but unfortunately, this issue all comes back to how seriously PR itself is perceived as an industry that provides both a professional and ethical service.  We continue to get asked because too many of us have said ‘OK’ in the past.

For my part, I’d just like to say to the control freaks in these organisations: get some perspective - you ain’t made it to the Oscars yet…

Evaluate this!

By Mike King

I see that the never-ending discussion about how best to evaluate the business benefits that PR delivers has raised its tired head again - this time in the FT.  But I for one am fed up with the PR industry’s constant state of self-doubt, and its struggle to find new ways to demonstrate its value and justify its existence. Surely, its time for the PR industry to grow up and show a bit more self-confidence in the service it delivers. 

We all know that it’s not just about counting cuts, producing advertising value equivalents or even looking at how many direct sales leads a PR campaign has generated.  PR is about much more than that - its key deliverable for any organisation is surely building reputation and establishing market/sector credibility. 

It is well documented that business leaders view corporate reputation as one of their most valuable assets. Yet bizarrely, the PR industry - which plays an integral role in establishing and maintaining this reputation - seems to operate with an in-built inferiority complex, forever bowing to requests from jittery marketing departments to measure ROI based on arbitrary and often meaningless criteria. 

Yes, of course a successful campaign needs to be generating positive coverage, and measurable targets are great for setting expectations and determining the scope and extent of any campaign.  Yet surely the honest answer to the question ‘What ROI am I going to get from my PR spend?’ is increased credibility and an enhanced reputation.  It really is as simple as that.

Other professions providing business services don’t suffer the same lack of self-worth.  Take accountants for instance, a profession that, if called upon, could no doubt calculate the answer to the ROI question to at least three decimal places. But think about it - what ROI do you get from your own firm’s accountants?  Most of us need to use professional accountants, but can you put a figure on the actual ‘value’ of this expertise? 

I’m sure if I asked a firm of accountants what ROI they delivered, they’d perhaps talk about savings made over employing in-house staff to carry out the work, access to their expertise, the ability to handle peaks in activity. But it’s unlikely that they’d attempt to come up with some kind of ‘bottom line impactfulness index’ or have a crisis of confidence whenever the word ‘accountability’ is mentioned - unlike PR.

I just wish that the PR industry would stop acting like a moody teenager, one minute loudly proclaiming how brilliant it is, then the next bleating 'nobody understands me'. Let's just get a grip, get on with the job we've been contracted to do, and do that job well - then maybe the business world might start taking us a bit more seriously.

Germans issue cutting riposte to 40 years of English harping

This is Johnson King's German office (well, Central European office actually - PR also available in Austria and Switzerland!). They sent us these lovely pics in response to Mr King's previous provocative blog...

Words fail us...

Well, they did, until we decided to have a caption competition here in Blighty.  Here's our top three:

- Claims that the new German World Cup footballs are too lightweight appear to have been grossly exaggerated

- German supporters don Ronaldo suits in the hope that their team will perform like Brazilians

- The German's enthusiasm for the World Cup gets blown up out of all proportion

Join in the crazeeness here: http://www.funny-costumes.com/

Petty rivalries make the World Cup what it is

By Mike King

One of the best things about the World Cup is being able to poke fun at foreign colleagues and generally have laugh at their expense, or at least at the expense of their underperforming football teams. Being English, of course, we are well used to being on the receiving end of such stick and I find it strangely enjoyable when our colleagues in other countries have a go at us too. 

Actually, it is quite bizarre how something like the World Cup can bring colleagues together through the banter and insults that result from such petty national rivalries. 

The French tell us that even if they are eliminated from the competition (in the first round again with a bit of luck), they will never, ever support the English. Apparently, it is in their genes and something that they are incapable of ever doing. 

The Germans mock that after 40 years we still haven’t learnt that we will never again beat them in the World Cup (and the one time we did it wasn’t really a goal, so we didn’t win properly anyway). 

The Americans, of course, are for the most part oblivious to the fact that the biggest sporting event in the world, ever, is even taking place. And when you do explain it to them they fail to understand the concept of a ‘World’ competition that has teams from different countries. Or how a game called football actually involves the players using their feet to kick the ball.

My problem this time around is that I’ve mistakenly booked a business trip to the states on 8^th July.  Yes, if it isn’t bad enough that I’m leaving the country the day before the World Cup final, I’m going to be in the one country on earth where there isn't any interest in the competition. Not only will there be no banter, I’ll probably have a job to find somewhere where I can watch England’s finest sporting moment. 

Virtual reality check

By Claire Gibson

So there I was watching a programme on social interaction on the internet whilst pedalling away like a madwoman in the gym last week - socially, a pretty strange place in itself. However, the discussion on BBC Two’s ‘The Happiness Formula’ programme turned out to be more engaging than I anticipated.

Rightly or wrongly, I’ve long been scornful of those shadowy groups of people who spend hours locked in fantasy battles, or directing an avatar (3D representation of themselves) around the photo-realistic dancefloor of a virtual club. Come on dorks, what’s wrong with going out and making friends with real people?!

I do have to concede though, that, while relationships struck up via the internet don't have the benefit of body language, eye contact and the ‘feel’ of a person gained during a ‘real’ introduction, the benefits of the global social interaction enabled online should not be understated. And it's not all about avatars or alternative personalities - just consider the variety of blogs, message boards and chatrooms that already exist, and have led to some remarkable stories of families reunited, friendships struck up and love found.

In an age where it often seems as though we’re being programmed to fear other people, an increase in global communication and understanding (particularly amongst young people) must be encouraged. Although the web shouldn’t be a substitute for real life social interaction, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be an enhancement of that.

And with that, I’m off down the gym, to spend another hour staring at a TV and sweating in a room full of strangers. If only I could get my avatar to do it for me...

Microsoft struggles to be at the Forefront of security

By Natalie Shamshoum

So not only has Microsoft just launched OneCare (careful how you say it), its security solution for home users, it's now also after a slice of the enterprise security pie.  Named Forefront, this new offering - intended to launch next year - consists of anti-virus and anti-spyware tools designed to secure enterprise networks.  However, just days after news of ForeFront, we hear that Microsoft has issued the largest bundle of new security updates and patches for over a year - addressing a total of 21 vulnerabilities in its own software products.

This doesn't exactly bode well for Forefront, does it?

While OneCare will undoubtedly do well with consumers (probably by aggressively undercutting offerings from McAfee and Symantec), Forefront could well be on shaky ground in the enterprise space, where security solutions have to be fast, supportive and responsive - and not be full of holes that need constant patching.

Microsoft could also be a victim of its 'me, myself and I' attitude.  IT professionals need their security solutions to cater for several operating systems, such as Apple Mac and Unix, something that Microsoft just isn't interested in.  And what of protecting users of Windows 98, which can still be found in most schools?  No - Microsoft won't cater for this either, since that wouldn't encourage people to upgrade.

Admittedly Microsoft is a company to be applauded for the many great things it's done, including its attempts to sharpen its security image.  However, my concern is that you can't be all things to all people. I just can't see Forefront being the security of choice for today's enterprises, which already face an increasingly complex threat environment - the last thing they need is yet another buggy Micosoft product to add to their woes.

"WHAT THE XXXX ARE YOU CALLING ME AT THIS TIME FOR??!"

By Tom Kirkham

Debate is rife in workplaces up and down the land regarding the plan of action for tomorrow (June 15th), when England take on Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup.  In some cases, the discussion will focus on whether people can sneak out early to make the five o'clock kick off in the pub; in our office, it's more a question of 'where's the television going to go?'.  Not that the JK faithful are a bunch of slackers - it's just that none of us fancy scoring a PR own goal by ringing journalists at a time when, like the rest of the nation, they've probably got more important things to concentrate on.

Of course, this is a perennial problem for PRs throughout the rest of the year too - there are times when a journalist just doesn't want to hear from you.  In fact, for that growing band of journalists apparently spending their entire working lives exclusively on email, it could be argued that all times appear to be out of bounds. 

It's a real minefield - if you call someone at the 'wrong' time, it could literally be the last time they pick up the phone to you.  Of course, herein lies a problem - PRs are not generally employed on the basis of their psychic abilities.  While press days and deadlines can be easily established (though can become surprisingly fluid if a journalist doesn't want to speak to you), it's considerably more difficult to anticipate headaches, marital problems or last minute holidays to Antigua.  The sensation when you call up a reporter to find out that it's 2am where they are does not bear repeating.

The key to success is combining common sense with a good knowledge of the journalist and the publication they write for.  If you can get it right a few times, it's a great relationship-builder, and is likely to get you off the hook if you ever slip up in the future.  So come tomorrow, we'll be giving journalists a 90 minute rest, and sitting down instead to watch the match, beers held proudly aloft... in the sure knowledge that as soon as it gets underway, the phone will ring, and it'll be "Hey guys, how you doin'... What? You mean there's a soccer game on???"

Imagineers go World Cup crazy

By Claire Ayles

There's nothing like a World Cup to send the marketing industry into overdrive.  Apart from the likes of Coca Cola, Yahoo! and Gillette spending zillions on becoming official sponsors of the tournament, we're seeing a raft of other firms 'adopting' the World Cup or England team in order to flog more stuff.  On some occasions, the links to football are so tenuous they are almost genius.

For me, top prize goes to UK kids store Mothercare, which is offering a Cross of St George pushchair, complete with matching parasol.  If I was a toddler, these would be the only wheels to be seen in this summer.  (That is until the England team crash and burn in a penalty shoot out, when I would order my mum to replace it with a Brazilian branded one.  Note to Mothercare: you may want to extend your range.) 

A 'highly commended' also goes to DIY giant B&Q, which is selling England branded bags of BBQ coal.  Presumably, they make the food taste more like... errr...roast beef?  I guess there's only one way to find out.

Whatever next?  Maybe MB Games should bring out a Wayne Rooney version of 'Operation', where you have to fix the Big Man's metatarsals or face the wrath of a nation...

PRs aren't immune to World Cup fever either.  Take SmartTrust, which has secured column inches by predicting fans will take 4.5 million snaps at this year's tournament.  Don't worry SmartTrust, I won't ask to see your workings. 

Other creative examples include Keynote, which has used its nous to assess the performance of popular fantasy football league websites and Packeteer, which warns businesses of the perils of allowing employees to watch games online.

(Errr, these last two are JK clients - wonder where they got their ideas from...?)

Anyway... Come On England!!!

Would You Buy A Phone From This Mouse?

By Amy Mills

Anyone who spends any time with children cannot help but be aware of the prominent role that brands, advertising and marketing ploys play in their lives. Hearing my younger siblings insisting that they want a certain cereal simply because of the "cool" cartoon characters featured on its packaging has led me to question the morality of this type of marketing.

My own, private debate went office-wide recently, when we heard of Disney's plans to begin selling a new, branded mobile phone this June, specifically targeted at children and their parents. While the special security features of the phone are being promoted to the parents, the success of this latest product from Disney will no doubt be based on the concept of 'pester power', where children harass their parents until they agree to enter into long-term and costly phone contracts. A spokesperson from Sprint, the network supporting the Disney-branded mobile phone service, has said that Disney Mobile could be targeting children as young as 8 years old, and that the organisation 'is fully capable of focusing on that market and causing an acceleration' of growth. Well, there's something to boast about!

In other areas of life, communicating with children is vitally important eg. health, anti-bullying, and road safety campaigns. And there are, of course, people who argue in favour of targeting consumer marketing campaigns at children - living in a consumer society as we do, they believe it is important that children are given the opportunity to develop the ability to detect and assess marketing messages.

This makes sense as long as companies do so ethically, and don't merely set out to take advantage of children's natural naivety in order to boost their profits.  But in the case of Disney, I don't buy its parent-friendly branded phone spiel - it's a money-making tactic, pure and simple, and one that many children, and their parents, will unfortunately buy into.

The Real Big Brother

By Jacqui Depares

This week, Amnesty International and The Observer launched irrepressible.info, a campaign demanding freedom of expression over the internet and the end to repression online, as people continue to be persecuted just for voicing their opinion on the net.

In a country where freedom of expression is taken as the norm, we often close our eyes to the fact that this is not a right afforded to all. In countries such as China, Vietnam, Tunisia and Iran, governments censor access to the internet and imprison political dissidents, using cameras in internet cafes, internet police and even search engine providers, such as Yahoo, to track down and convict so-called offenders.

The Web as we know it is a constantly evolving source of communication - allowing us to see, at a click of a button, the views and opinions of people worldwide. It has revolutionised not only the way we communicate, but more importantly, the way we think. It is this that has struck fear into governments abroad and prompted them to restrict what their people view and say online.

Like the Big Brother of '1984', repressive governments watch their citizens' every move on the web. Some even place a little policeman in the corner of all screens as a reminder that the government has changed the very nature of the World Wide Web to We Will be Watching. However, unlike the Big Brother of 2006, getting caught breaking the rules doesn't just lead to a verbal warning - it all too often means prison, for anything up to 12 years, for simply Googling the term "democracy".

Amnesty International has called upon us to question the acts of these governments and do something to stop it. If you would like to join the campaign, go to: http://irrepressible.info/