Journalists and bloggers are often willing to put up with a fair amount of inconvenience in the pursuit of a story, but when the inconvenience is the news conference you’re holding, you know there’s a problem.
Here’s the unimpressed commentary by hosts of the Evil Avatar Radio show/podcast, after the early morning Nintendo press conference they attended at the E3 video game industry conference.
 
Scott:  (no one seems to use last names on Evil Avatar Radio) They got us up so early, we thought, Are they going to feed us? “Yeah, they’re going to have food for you, coffee … We’re going …read more

It’s not every industry that gives away what would ordinarily be the key proprietary assets: source codes, communication protocols, content.
In the spirit of barcamps and podcamps before it, Jeremiah Owyang is offering to hold an impromptu trade-show-cum-unconference that defies the rules of trade shows. Instead of the vendors’ products and services being at the centre of things, this event would bring vendors of content management systems together to explore opportunities for common standards, joint action, even mergers and acquisitions.
All in response to his blog post about the research report he’s writing about vendors in the content management/social networking field.
Yes, this …read more

Great news! The local TV news wants to drop by and interview you!
Bad news! You are wearing something that will look ghastly on television.

Always keep a neutral dark suit, pantsuit, skirt/blouse or other ensemble handy that you can jump into if you regularly act as a spokesperson.
I was reminded of this fairly standard bit of media relations advice last week by Roger Francis, of Gryphon Reputation Management.
Roger has done work with the media and media training for a couple of decades, but this bit of advice is just as valuable today as it was in the 1980s.
Gaudy prints, …read more

A communications plan, like most business plans, has to anticipate that things might not go as planned.
If you can’t see the possible abrupt left turns for whatever project you’re planning, your plans are incomplete.
Why spend a lot of time and energy speculating on possibilities, when they most likely won’t happen?
Because the alternative sucks: realizing too late that you should have had a back-up plan.
Technorati Tags: business,communications,planning,strategy,public relations,contingencies

A decade ago, the Canadian government made a statement of regret about the country’s long-time policy of forcibly removing aboriginal children from their home communities and subjecting them to cultural cleansing in “residential schools.”
That half measure laid the groundwork for a full-fledged apology to be delivered today in Parliament by prime minister Stephen Harper.
The formal apology will detail the verbal, sexual and physical abuse many children suffered in the government-funded schools that were run by churches.
The government is keenly aware that its words will be closely scrutinized for weasel words that fall short of a complete expression of remorse, …read more

There was a time when a public speaker could count on the attention of their audience.
Blackberries, wireless laptops, and other tools mean that you’re no longer in control of the environment you’re speaking in. Are you talking to a room full of conference-goers, or to all the readers of live bloggers and folks Twittering your comments to their colleagues?
You don’t know.
The implications for speechwriters and their clients?
Speechwriter Glynn Young says speakers need to be more conversational, engaging the audience in the talk. Speechwriters need to “think of people not as an audience, but … as a community, a community …read more

There are many instances when you can’t provide advance notice to business partners about an announcement.

But when collaboration is possible, take advantage of the chance to give organizations that you’re partnering with a chance to get their communications planned.
If there are restrictions on the distribution of information, be clear about those restrictions. If you need feedback on the facts and statements, ask explicitly for that help.
It’s much easier to fix problematic wording ahead of time. After you’ve made the information public, it’s harder to track down everyone who’s using the information and getting it corrected.
Other Quick Tips from Common …read more

I work with someone who’s convinced that conferences are inefficient ways to learn useful skills and gain knowledge.
(Sounds like the same criticism Churchill made of democracy: It’s the worst system of government, except for all the other methods.)
Of course conferences aren’t efficient! You’re lucky if you find one mind-altering session at a conference, much less two days’ worth.
Since when is efficiency what you’re looking for when doing the professional development / networking / seeking enlightenment dance?
Shouldn’t the desired result be your improved professional effectiveness? Whether that takes place in a linear, efficient fashion, or by osmosis while hanging upside …read more

A student of public relations can see a belligerent pattern in the Chinese government’s reputation defence during the past year.
Accusation: producing unsafe productsDefence: blame sloppy manufacturing specs provided by clients.
Accusation: human rights abuses in TibetDefence: allege Dalai Lama’s of conspiracy to cause deaths of ethnic Chinese
Tactic:  Olympic Torch Relay protestsDefence:  glorify noble athletes standing up to rude, violent protesters

Paradoxically, what is a PR disaster for China’s international reputation is turning into a rallying cry for nationalist sentiment in the world’s most populous country.
China is right about one thing: there is a conspiracy to shame them during their …read more

After my send-up of the dangers of Earth Hour last week, I got pinged about an excellent critique of the world-wide event.
The source – a high school in Australia – was a bit unexpected, but the quality of commentary is excellent. Here’s a quote from Greenwashing – Raising Awareness or Breeding Complacency?, by Jimmy Yan, a member of the Glen Waverly Secondary Eco-Committee:
“Only promoting less consumption as an individualized act misses the point. Earth Hour although promoting less energy consumption, still indirectly promotes the idea that we can bring about change through our individual consumption. Instead of looking at …read more