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Know your PR proverbs

By Oliver Fischer

 

I really like those old proverbs, quotes and sayings.  Everyone can recite them, and though they are rarely useful, they at least make you appear quite intellectual. And polite.  For example, ‘Speech is silver, but silence is golden,’ is just a nice way to tell someone to shut up.

 

This good old proverb comes to my mind quite often these days as more and more people publish their opinions online.  A prime example is Wolfgang Grupp, the owner of the German textile manufacturing company Trigema, who was interviewed for a German blog just last week.  Mr Grupp is well known for his straight talking and, true to form, he just said what he thought about the internet and particularly the users of a well known social media platform.

 

I quote: ‘Twitter ist für mich einfach nur dumm und die Menschen, die das nutzen, sind für mich Idioten.’  (‘In my opinion, Twitter is just stupid and the people using it are idiots.’)

 

Needless to say, as soon as the interview was published, an online discussion erupted, as people debated whether he’d been misquoted, if he was just misunderstood or if he just didn’t care.  His words were quoted in several other blogs, retweeted more than 700 times and an argument raged on Trigema’s Facebook site, as people tried to decide whether the company – which has a speaking chimpanzee in its TV adverts (and as its avatar on Twitter) – was unkind or courageous.

 

To its credit, Trigema’s crisis management team acted fast and used appropriate channels, responding via Twitter and on Facebook.  It also set up a discussion between Mr. Grupp, the blogger who wrote the interview, and some prominent online community members on web radio station, cliq.fm.  Essentially, it used the very platforms that, just a day before, were being exploited to slate Trigema’s reputation.

 

We can only guess about what would have happened if Trigema had tried to ignore the problem.  Worse still, it could have decided to take legal action against the blog (see here, here, here and here for just some examples).

 

Trigema and others would perhaps do well to always remember another very true (although slightly readjusted) proverb: ‘bad news will fly around the whole world while your apology is getting its boots on.’

It wasn’t like this in the old days

By Claire Ayles

Forgive my self-indulgent naval gazing, but this week marks my tenth anniversary at Johnson King, and it’s got me thinking about what’s changed and what hasn’t in a decade’s worth of technology PR.

When you bear in mind that my mobile at the time didn’t even have SMS capabilities (and that my days are now dictated by my BlackBerry’s flashing red light), you can see that things have moved on a fair way.

I spent my early days convincing the print media, as well as an emerging number of websites (“they’ll never catch on!’’), to cover my clients’ news and opinions.  The phone was the number one way of communicating with journalists and clients alike, a far cry from today’s email and Skype-centred conversations.

While some titles – most notably, Computing, Computer Weekly, Silicon and The Register – have stood the test of time, I also can’t help but reminisce over the huge number of magazines and newspapers that have fallen by the way side over the years.  IT Week, Business 2.0, The Industry Standard, Network News, Communications News, Communications Week International and The Business (and they’re just the tip of the iceberg) have all met their maker. Most depressingly, the ever dependable (not to mention chunky) FT IT and FT Telecoms supplements were ditched for a slimmer, online equivalent.

I realise I’m in danger of sounding like a pensioner trying to convince her grandkids that it was better to live with rationing and the Blitz than get on the bus full of today’s school children, so I should point out that it’s not all doom and gloom. PR’s simply changed, and in many ways, for the better.

With online news sites outnumbering print outlets, the stories needs to keep flowing, so PR tactics have become short, sharp and decisive.  The days of slogging over 3,000 word technical articles on a regular basis are thankfully long gone.

However, perhaps the most interesting shift is in how firms are looking to PRs to develop digital and social media campaigns, which speak directly to their audiences and bypass journalists completely.  It would be way off the mark to suggest the media has had its day, but it’s clear it’s no longer the only kid on the block.

So, while ten years ago it was all about VC firms dishing out money to potential dotcom millionaires (who newspapers were happy to profile before they’d even made a penny); today’s buzz is all about social media.  Stay tuned for my 2020 post, but let’s hope it’s not a retrospective of the late, great Facebook, the modern equivalent of Boo.com.

Short term pain is sign of good times to come

By Mike King

A sure sign that the technology industry recovery is well underway comes from the level of mergers and acquisitions we’re now starting to see.  Last week’s announcement that Johnson King client PGP is to be acquired by Symantec though not particularly welcome from our point of view (a client acquired is more often than not a client lost) is a good illustration of how technology industry consolidation is gaining momentum.

There’s been a big increase in the number of acquisitions since the turn of the year. According to the National Venture Capital Association in the US, Q1 2010 saw the highest number of venture backed companies being acquired since their records began in 1975.

It is a similar story when it comes to IPOs.  Though nowhere near the level of the late 90s, they are also on the increase.  And there are plenty of others ready to go, including our very own Force10 Networks, a company that announced its plans to IPO back in March.

Of course, all this financial activity is good news for the tech PR industry.  It increases levels of VC funding because realistic exit routes once again exist.  And well funded companies look to invest in developing their markets and deliver sales growth to increase their value.

As the Wall Street Journal predicted when Force10 announced its IPO plans, if Force10 is successful, the flood gates will open. Here’s hoping there are good times ahead.

Johnson King Blog – The ‘Internet election’?

During the run up to this year’s General Election there’s been much talk about the use and potential of previously unused or unavailable communication tools such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.  On the eve of voting day, Johnson King asks how the political parties’ use of digital media compares to more traditional channels and whether the use of new tools has had any real impact.

Under embargo: break or comply?

By Alexandra Radius

 

I recently read this interesting article, which rails against the use of embargos by PR agencies, providing a friendly reminder that journalists reserve the right to publish information honestly, and won’t put their names to articles that are tantamount to advertising. It is in this context that the author goes on to explain what an embargo actually is. (For those not in the know, an embargo is “a request by a source that the information or news provided by that source not be published until a certain date or certain conditions have been met”.)

 

Generally, PR agencies use embargos with caution to inform key journalists about an upcoming announcement and offer them an interview with a spokesperson in order for them to gain additional information. The offer of an interview (or at least extra details that aren’t included in the press release) is absolutely key, because you’re essentially giving the journalist an opportunity to publish a more in-depth article on the day the actual news breaks. By comparison, simply sending out a press release under embargo with no offer of additional input is just asking for trouble.

 

A radio journalist friend of mine told me that she won’t honour embargos when they relate to important information of public interest, e.g. the number of swine flu infections. However, when the news isn’t quite so major, she’ll comply if it means she gets the chance of a more relevant and interesting interview than rival stations.

 

Nevertheless, according the French Press Agency AFP "embargos breakers" are becoming more and more numerous. Maybe this is because, in an age when information circulates so quickly through the internet and social media, some journalists don’t like to wait.

 

What about you? Do you think journalists should comply with embargoes, or should they have total control over when their news stories drop? 

Promoted tweets – how will Twitter users react?

Twitter announced plans this week to start introducing ‘promoted tweets’ at the top of some of its search results pages, in a style similar to keyword advertising models – a move that’s been branded highly controversial given how vehemently the company has avoided commercialisation until now.  Already, Twitter’s new revenue model has attracted several big name companies, from Red Bull to Starbucks, and has been broadly welcomed by advertising and marketing communities worldwide.

 

However, user reaction to the announcement has been mixed – already one survey suggests that 68 percent of users are unhappy with the prospect of receiving branded tweets. 

 

So what does the future hold for Twitter, in light of this week’s announcement?  We asked one of our social media experts Richard Scarlett to canvas the JK office and gauge reaction to the prospect of promotional tweeting.  Here’s what he uncovered:

Murdoch intensifies the paywall battle

By Laura Mead

 

Is it just me or is anyone else growing a bit tired of Rupert Murdoch’s ‘paywall’ rants?  Maybe I was naive in thinking we’d seen the backend of this now that the Times and Sunday Times has announced it will start charging for content come June.  However, Murdoch is still marching on, with the latest being yet another assault on search engines, appealing newspaper publishers to stand up to the likes of Google and Bing because he thinks it unfair that they continue to provide free access to newspaper articles online. 

 

Is it though?  Or is this just the way the world is moving? 

 

Of course I can understand and sympathise with the position that the newspaper industry now finds itself in (and why a solution is quickly needed) but I’m still on the fence as to just how this paywall war that Murdoch is raging is going to pan out.  As I noted in my previous blog on this back in August of last year, as sites like the BBC, CNN, and MSNBC continue to offer free content online, surely most readers will simply defect to another news site? 

 

Perhaps more importantly, the situation heightens when you look at how people use content today – it’s no longer just about seeking out news and information, it’s about sharing this with friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else willing to listen.  And with paywalls, this takes on a whole new convoluted level when, for example, I want to share that great article on TimesOnline via Twitter or Facebook that no one else can access it without handing over their card details.

 

While I for one don’t have an issue with paying for good newspaper content (and certainly have a vested interest in papers being around in one format or another for the foreseeable future), I’m not exactly sure how or when this story ends...

 

Computer says 8013013D

By Jonathan Mathias

 

One evening earlier this week my brother and I had set some time aside to play video games online (pretty lame, but 25 million people can’t be wrong), except we had one problem - my console wouldn’t connect to the wireless network. 

 

Now, I’ve had this problem many times before and have probably spent what seems like over 100 hours trying to fix it.  So often do I have to deal with it I’ve committed the, typically uninformative, error message to memory (It’s an 8013013D error if anyone happens to know a reliable fix?).

 

In fairness, I think it’s probably got something to do with my console being quite far from the router and, as I get older, I’ve started spending my free time on other things (like training for Sport Relief :-)), but it got me thinking about some computer gaming news I’d seen earlier last week.

 

The OnLive service, which Ben first blogged about in April last year has been given the availability date of June 17 in the US.  Now - just as I was then - I’m somewhat sceptical of whether or not this will work.  Pricing is obviously going to be extremely important for OnLive, so too will the availability of broadband networks that can take the strain.

 

This video demonstrates the service pretty well (albeit under no load).  With OnLive you’re just seeing a video of a game that you’re controlling at home, but it’s being processed far away in a data centre somewhere.  Still, gaming is very much HD these days, and the data will still have to traverse a series of tubes.

 

But aside from all of that, what about the connection errors, bugs and outages that we still have to put up with?  When your internet connection flakes out these days, at least you can still play single-player games, some of which are the best out there.  Failing that, you could always take up a new hobby. 

 

Not such a cloudy outlook for German firms

By Michaela Grassl

 

The advantages of cloud computing are obvious, right?  Companies have constantly changing IT requirements, want to do more and more business online, have masses of data to store, yet have shrinking budgets. The cloud just has to be the answer for all those companies that want to concentrate on their core competencies and gain greater flexibility.

 

Except in Germany it’s not the answer.  Businesses here are showing a distinct lack of interest in cloud computing.

 

For German firms, it’s a question of trust. They need assurances that cloud service providers will guarantee security and data privacy because, at the moment, operating in the cloud means losing control over their data.

 

Think of it from a personal perspective.  Over the last week or so there’s been quite a lot of media attention about storing medical records in the cloud.  On a practical level this makes sense – there is masses of information to store, all of which might need to be accessed by any number of hospitals or doctors.  However, I’m not sure if I want my radiograph flying in the cloud without knowing where it’s saved or who can access it. The same argument applies to corporate data.

 

To win over the German market, cloud providers need to be completely transparent about the service they offer customers.  Security and data privacy are an essential part of the cloud proposition and consequently service providers invest lots of money in these areas, more than any in-house IT-department could ever afford.  

 

It’s aspects like this that cloud providers need to shout about if they are to build trustful relationships with German companies.

Sony becomes the Toyota for gamers – at least when it comes to PR

By Richard Scarlett

 

For a moment it was touch and go.  Nobody knew what the outcome would be, nobody dared to predict it.  Thousands – no, millions – were left stranded, confused, waiting with bated breath for some form of respite, anything.  Thankfully, by some celestial power, a miracle came on Tuesday 2 March and the world breathed a heavy sigh of relief... 

 

The PS3 was working again.

 

Yep, Playstation became the latest brand to fall foul of some form of electronic malfunction when the old-style consoles (you know, the fat ones) suffered an internal bug that tricked it into thinking it was a leap year.  Gamers lost hard earned rewards, medals, downloaded games, movies and other data, and were told not to use the machine until further notice.  However, it literally was a case of time being a great healer, as 24 hours and one somewhat conceited statement later (in which Sony seemed to be taking full responsibility for fixing the bug), the problem was fixed.

 

What happened in the period between problem and resolution, and even shortly after, was of particular interest to me.  As expected, the social web was instantly ablaze with venomous comments from frustrated gamers – serving the Sony brand with a particularly harsh beating.  X-Box owners were also out in force, using the bug as fresh ammo in the long-running battle of the consoles (which has inevitably converted to angry Tweets, ranty Facebook updates and explosive discussion boards).  Web 2.0 fallout is to be expected these days, but this was coupled with a surprisingly dramatic reaction from traditional media outlets, so it soon became clear that this one was just going to snowball. 

 

Working in PR I’m certainly not adverse to the idea of sensationalising a story, but you’ve got to agree that running a front page story on the ‘PS3 meltdown’, campaigning that Sony should be sued for the loss of virtual trophies and even comparing the whole thing to the Toyota recall earlier this year is a tad too much.  Don’t even get me started on the fact that it’s now referred to as the ApocalyPS3!  OK, I’m not disputing that this has probably caused a world of heartache for hardcore gamers the world over, but seriously – come on!

 

Needless dramatisation aside, Sony’s PR is not entirely without fault either.  A lacklustre warning Tweet was issued 16 hours after the company first acknowledged the problem – telling users to stay away as they could cause irreversible damage by simply turning on their consoles (hardly ideal as most gamers were itching to play new release Heavy Rain, which funnily enough requires the machine to be switched on).  Even more embarrassingly, it was an ordinary PS3 customer that took it upon himself to explain the glitch to bewildered gamers and even post an FAQ on the subject.  Surely this is something that the PR department should have been on top of long before?  Unfortunately, the failure to do so indicates the fact that the PS3 wasn’t the only thing to descend into chaos on 1 March.

 

So if you must compare Sony with Toyota, fine – but aside from the fact that both have been absolutely brutalised by the press, it seems clear that the only real similarity is the mysterious silence and reluctance to act during a crisis displayed by both PR departments.