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Meghan McCain Strikes Again!

October 16th, 2009

I have shared my thoughts on Meghan McCain before and her latest media flair up reinforces my previous opinion.

For those not in the know, Meghan is back in the spotlight only this time it doesn’t stem from an appearance on cable television.

CNN summarizes:

“Meghan McCain is breaking her silence following a wave of media attention over a picture she posted on Twitter Wednesday night.

The revealing picture of herself in a tank top, which left little to the Twitterverse’s imagination, immediately drew harsh criticism from other tweeters, prompting an upset McCain to declare of the social networking Web site, “What once was fun now just seems like a vessel for harassment.”

The photo in question featured a curvaceous McCain in her weekday evening attire. I will not be sharing it here, but it can be found with a simple Google search. She has now taken to her blog at the Daily Beast to proclaim that she is not a “slut,” and to defend her actions.

McCain is certainly not a “slut.” Anyone saying otherwise I do not agree with, so let’s just get that out of the way right now.

However, that does not changes the fact that she willingly shared this photo and attached no thought of the repercussions.  Perhaps she is still is having a bit of difficulty navigating the world of media relations?

McCain willingly shared a photo that contained sexual connotations and that inevitably is going to cause media interest. In her blog she makes mention of the sexual double standard that exists in the media and I completely agree with her. However, McCain doesn’t exactly go out of her way to remind us that she has a history of contributing to the same double standard she is now condemning. After all, she did publicly tout the effectiveness (and display her admiration) of Rep. Aaron Schocke’s decision to release photos of himself sans shirt!

So where does this leave us? Does McCain really have the right to decry a tactic that she once championed? What are your thoughts?

Please leave any sexist or political comments at the door…

 

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What Did You Have For Lunch Today? A Lesson In Social Media…

September 28th, 2009

I would like to direct you all to a guest post that I provided this week to Axiom PR’s blog, “Daily Axioms.”

Thanks to Tim Otis for the opportunity! Read away folks!!!

What Did You Have For Lunch Today? A Lesson In Social Media…

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Are You An Early Technological Adopter?

September 23rd, 2009

Apparently we are doomed and there is nothing that can stop our inevitable decline. It’s all your fault too. You just had to answer your cell phone didn’t you?

It’s completely cliché to hear about how technology touches our lives on a daily basis. It is also equally cliché to hear about how technology lowers our intelligence and is weakening our social fabric. This is still an argument I hear today!

If the latter is in fact true then American’s really are in the midst of downward spiral. That is because according to a recent study conducted by Forrester Research, we are embracing technology faster than ever before. An excerpt:

“According to the study, which surveyed 53,668 households in the United States and Canada by mail, half of all American adults are gamers. Sixty-three percent of American households have a broadband Internet connection. Three-quarters of American households have cellphones and PCs. And nearly 10 million American households, out of nearly 118 million, added an HDTV in the last year, a jump of 27 percent over 2007.”

Sure, landlines and analog televisions are things of the past and the practice of sending letters is steadily going the way of the buffalo…But has that really affected your life? Most likely not, especially when numbers like those above prove that the race to become early technological adopters has indeed gone mainstream.  I think what the study really proves is not our societal decline, but that digital immigrants are becoming relics of a very recent past.

In many ways this is nothing new because our society has always focused on progress and the old guard has always tried to fight it. That is because those who do not understand the future usually fear it. But it looks like the old guard is coming around a bit faster these days…and I say cheers to that!

What do you think?

Tech

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Social Media and Abuse of Trust?

September 16th, 2009

Tim Otis at Daily Axiom recently spoke about what he labeled “social media @-kissers.” These are individuals who abuse social media trust by using social media in a strategic manner. Here is an excerpt from the article:

“I feel as though we’ve really abused the issue of trust in some ways, and have actually redefined the notion of it by simply kissing up to blog writers via comment, retweeting Twitter posts—and for what? Their approval? Since when is approval even remotely close to trust? Being connected is all about approval, not about trust. Somehow social media has blurred those lines and people are listening to it.”

This is certainly not a new concept. Many folks have recognized this for quite sometime and I commend Tim for speaking out on something he feels strongly about. In many ways, I agree with him.

Reading further, Tim notes what we should all know about social media. It’s about being natural:

“…I’ve found the same thing time and time again: [social media is] about being natural. The minute you’re forcing something to go through to reach your targeted audience, you will fail, because it reeks of being contrived.”

Tim’s post got me thinking about the true effectiveness of social media, especially Twitter, so I shared my thoughts on his blog. I agree with his points regarding abuse of trust issues, seeking SM celebrity approval and agenda-setting, but I do not necessarily think that it derails the effectiveness of the service. That is because in many cases, Twitter is an extension of our real life actions.

I was reminded of the “Twitter is a cocktail party,” comparison. When one goes to a cocktail party or networking event, many work the room with a purpose. Some people act natural and some come off as phony. The phony can obviously be spotted miles away, yet I’ve seen both strategies result in the same successful outcome.

Is this right? Is it wrong? Will we ever truly know?

What I do know is that at the end of the day, you will always be able to find me hanging out with the “natural” crowd.

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Oh, What A Campaign!

September 2nd, 2009

I recently attended a showing of Jersey Boys at the Shubert Theatre in Boston, MA. I’m not a huge fan of theatre, especially musicals, but Jersey Boys really impressed me. The songs performed in the show were written decades before I existed and I still recognized almost all of them!  My post today is not going to be about Frankie Valli and the boys though; it’s instead going to be about how well the online presence of the show has been managed.

The folks over at Brodeur Blog are just a few of the many who have recently noticed a change in the way major theatre productions do things these days, noting that, “Broadway marketing [has become a] sophisticated machine with many shows rapidly embracing new and social media to entertaining and creative ends.” 

Their assessment couldn’t be closer to the truth.

Take a look at the Jersey Boys Blog. It contains a plethora of information for anyone even remotely interested in the production. It contains interviews with regional cast members, reviews from the original members of The Four Seasons and Broadway box office reports. It comes fully equipped with sharing capabilities and links to social networking sites dedicated to the show. It updates almost daily.

It’s certainly not as technically impressive as the official website, but for a casual theatergoer who enjoyed the show and wants to learn more about The Four Seasons and the folks who brought them to life onstage, it is an excellent source of information.

Content will always be king, and JBB delivers.

 

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Why Public Relations?

July 17th, 2009

This is a question I am asked a lot in my personal and professional life and my answer is not as “cookie-cutter” as you might expect.

Many people believe PR to be a business full of glamour and perks run by bad guys who are all about spin and damage control.

I happen to have a more humble opinion on the matter because I recognize that communication as a fundamental aspect of the human condition.

From a baby crying for its bottle to a business owner offering a product they believe in. Nothing happens unless we communicate clearly and objectively. No progress. No meaningful relationships. Nothing.

Communication is an art that is not mastered overnight, but instead perfected overtime. It requires hard work and dedication. It is about making sure we get back to basics.

Without communication we would cease to exist.

So, why public relations?

Because we need to be reminded of this.

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Generation Y and the Entry Level Job

July 1st, 2009

Mark McCrindle of McCrindle Research recently shared the following thoughts on Generation Y in an interview with Businessday.com:

“They’ve had a good run, been demanding in their jobs – “Give me a promotion” and all of that – now the rules have changed…”

With the recent economic downturn, it seems Mr. McCrindle couldn’t be any closer to the truth.

I see plenty of job dissatisfaction among recent graduates these days. These are the young professionals who are 1-3 years out of school and “stuck” in entry-level positions. Their jobs are “beneath” them and there is no end in sight to their misery.

To say that I don’t worry about the future would be a lie. After all, I am a card-carrying member of Gen Y. But Rome was not built in a day and you will not be running the company within a year.

Taking things to the next level requires more than just doing your job. One must go above and beyond in order to show those who matter what you are truly made of. This means getting out there. It means joining a professional organization and volunteering. It means pursuing an advanced degree.

It has been said many times before but networking is a necessity. You must utilize your network of friends, family and co-workers to find out about opportunities and meet established professionals in your field. Unsure of how to navigate this world? Check out this great article from the New York Times that shows you how.

A word to those feeling overwhelmed. Worrying is a good thing. It shows concern about your career and that you are thinking of the future. They key is to take that anxiety and turn it into results.

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A "Pundit" Gets Burned on National Television

June 25th, 2009

I am in complete awe of Meghan McCain’s disgraceful appearance recently on Real Time with Bill Maher…and I’m not even talking about politics!

A little background, courtesy of the Huffington Post:

“It all got started during a discussion of George Bush, who McCain acknowledged was a less than perfect president. But McCain also pointed a finger at the Obama administration in Bush’s defense, saying she felt that the Obama administration “has to stop completely blaming everything on its predecessor.” When Maher asked McCain if she really thought this is what Obama is doing, McCain said “I do to a degree.” A clearly annoyed Begala immediately shook his head and said “not to enough of a degree, I’m sorry not nearly enough.” He then began to explain how President Reagan blamed Jimmy Carter for years, to which McCain responded blithely “you know I wasn’t born yet so I wouldn’t know.” Going in for the kill, Begala fired back “I wasn’t born during the French Revolution but I know about it.”

Let’s face some facts here. Meghan McCain is the daughter of a well known Republican senator from Arizona…and that is it. She is not a political pundit and as she displayed, has no understanding of policy or history.

I truly respect what the Republican Party media relations people are trying to do here. Ms. McCain is a young face that has the potential to attract a whole slew of young folks who would normally not give the GOP a second look. However, this is only true if given the right opportunities and this television appearance was not one of them. She was sent out on national television without a moment of preparation from advisors and as a result looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Watching her try and run for cover whenever she got in over her head was more cringe-worthy than a Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon.

I do have to give credit to Ms. McCain for even appearing on the show. But her lack of preparation and the damaging results truly highlights a media relations effort gone the way of the buffalo.

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Iran Has a Makeover

June 23rd, 2009

I think that the most overlooked aspect of the current election crisis in Iran is the fact that the western world has finally had a human portrait of Iranian men and women painted for them.

Time recently ran a photo-essay titled “The Faces of Iran” which can be viewed here. Do you see what I see? Young people attending university. Thriving art and business communities. Modern cityscapes.

This photo collection single-handedly shatters misconceptions held about Iran, its people and its culture.

Where was this humanity from the mainstream media when the President of the United States deemed Iran a member of “The Axis of Evil?” Where were the photo-essays during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York City in the September of 2007?

This is not a political post. I’m simply pointing out that our perception of Iran and its people until recently has been defined by photos of Ahmadinejad and that has been unacceptable.

After all, George W. Bush certainly did not win the 2000 United States presidential election with 99% of the popular vote.

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Twitter's Biggest Flaw is Finally Exposed

June 18th, 2009

I am not surprised that Twitter has become the medium of choice among Iranians protesting their country’s recent presidential election. It seems though that during its finest hour, the social networking site’s biggest flaw is  finally being highlighted on a global scale.

Twitter is an amazing service. But it also has an extremely low barrier of entry, which in turn dilutes its effectiveness.

The amount of mindless re-tweeting that has occurred in recent days is astonishing. I understand that the average user is not going to subscribe to a rigorous vetting process when it comes to verifying information, but this no excuse to blindly spread the same message about YouTube removing videos highlighting the violence in Tehran when they are doing the exact opposite.

Issues like this emphasize my concerns about Twitter’s sustainability.  In many ways, it is the epitome of the high school rumor gone nuclear.

Don’t get me wrong though. I’ll be micro-blogging until my fingers fall off.

Sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad.

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