Even Chinese Army Recruiters Need a PR Campaign.

Even in China, it takes a PR campaign to draw in the best recruits. China has in recent years made vast changes from a bloated and poorly trained infantry force to a sleek, modern and technologically advanced military. This effort to modernize has led to the shedding of the “impoverished farmhands who have traditionally signed on as a way to ensure three solid meals a day” in favor of recruiting college students “in an ambitious modernization program designed to attract smart soldiers who can handle sophisticated equipment and transform the 2.3 million-strong force into a high-tech adversary.” The old recruiting slogan was “Throw Away Your Pen and Join the Army.” and had an obvious anti-intellectual, anti-education slant. The current effort also has a slogan—and a PR campaign. Last month, the government circulated fliers on China’s most prestigious university and college campuses. They showed three soldiers standing in front of the Chinese flag with the directive: “Carry Your Pen to the Army to Become More Accomplished.” Sounds like an eastern take on “Be all you can be!(Quotes from Monday, December 17 Washington Post.) Talk about international pr!

Christmas Toy Image Problem

The recent spate of toy recalls due to defects in workmanship and lead paint from Chinese manufacturers has left the US toy industry in a quandary. How to spread the message that toys are safe without sounding like they are whitewashing the problem? Some retailers have lead the way by featuring toys that are not from China or that have no paint –by labeling them on the shelves and websites. In addition, some retailers are selling home lead test kits. But what is the best way for leading US toy companies (Mattel, etc.) to handle the issue without seeming to downplay the importance? Continual emphasis on the recalls and trumpeting of new safety standards and safety agreements with Chinese suppliers might merely reinforce the impression that toys are NOT safe and lead to decreased Christmas sales. On the other hand, taking a less visible stance (only talking openly about the issue when “mistakes happen” and recalls are required) because it’s Christmas and parents “have no choice” could lead to the perception that the industry is particularly cynical which could have longer term negative effects on sales beyond the holiday season. Wouldn’t it make more sense, especially from a strategic public relations perspective, for toymakers to become proactive about this issue? Is there a socially responsible toymaker out there who has possibly initiated a safety campaign to be sure that our children aren’t in danger? Doesn’t anybody have a positive story to tell?

Staffers comments can hurt

Clinton’s Campaign staffer comments create nightmare for candidate.

Every public comment made by presidential candidates or one of their staffer can create a public relations nightmare for the candidate.

Case and point, Bill Shaheen, Hillary Rodman Clinton's New Hampshire co-chair and the husband of former governor Jeanne Shaheen, raised questions about the candidate rival’s, Barack Obama past drug use and how it might affect him in the upcoming election. These comments generated a huge media backlash against Clinton who has previously promised a campaign without negative attacks and has chastised her opponents for leading negative attacks against her.

Clinton apologized to Obama for her staffer’s suggestion that he may have sold drugs during a 10-minute discussion at Reagan National Airport and said she was sorry for the staffer remarks. Shaheen, resigned today saying that his comments were not approved by the campaign and he made a mistake.

A mistake, his comments will cost his candidates points in the election and reduce her lead even more as she fights to win the primaries.

Public relations matters everywhere, including presidential campaigns and inflammatory comments from campaign chairmen from States where those type of comments are will live long.

The result Hillary Clinton entered Thursday's Democratic debate in a tight battle for first place. She left in danger of finishing third in the Iowa caucus.

It's not because she had a particularly bad debate. It's just that Barack Obama was far better and John Edwards was slightly better. If their performances are an omen for the caucus results on Jan. 3, Clinton could lose the nomination she seemed to have locked up two months ago.

The correct “Hope Now Hotline” number is 1-888-995-HOPE

It has happened before.

Senior officials should not be tasked with providing telephone numbers. That is my professional and personal opinion because it happened to me once.

Last week when President Bush unveiled the new mortgage plan that will freeze the rates for many Americans about to get in trouble, the phone number for the Help line was wrong.

He was a couple digits off, it is actually 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) instead of 800. Calls to the wrong number Bush gave out were met with a busy signal. A search on the Internet showed it belongs to the Freedom Christian Academy which offers religious-based curriculum for home schooling and is located in Ponder, Texas northwest of Dallas.

But I’m giving Bush a pass on this one. This slip-up is most likely the fault of a staffer, who is probably feeling pretty embarrassed about it right about now.

I expect a lot out of any president, but I don’t expect the President to have to personally check out every phone number handed to him by his staff.

However, it doesn't matter if he was given the right number or not, or if it was just a mistake. The important issue here is for public affairs officers to realize that went it comes to numbers for the general public to call in, many steps can be taken.

For example, after the experience I had in 2004 and as part of my lessons learned/best pratices I ensure that:

a) in the written speech, the numbers are appear in a different, larger and bold font size or style than the rest of the information.

b) the speaker is aware that he will be providing a number and it is critical to say it slowly and to say it twice.

c) the number is practiced by the speaker a few minutes before the speech starts.

d) the media is provided the number within the advisory that usually sent before the press conference.

d) and, to consider the possibility of having a deputy senior official or subject matter expert provide that detail in short speech given right after the senior official, in this case, the President departs.

Share your comments and recommendations on how public communications practioners can avoid having a senior official provide telephone numbers on national television and what techniques help them not to make that mistake.

Does PR have a Public Relations problem?

A recent newspaper column on the sentencing of Michael Vick points out a perception issue with the public relations industry. Michael Wilbon, in the Tuesday, December 11^th issue of The Washington Post, states that “It’s fair to wonder now at what point Vick will take responsibility – and not in some phony public relations way.” Unfortunately, this reveals what seems to be continuing bias against public relations. Apparently, Wilbon travels in the world of PR “flacks”, “spin doctors” and PR stunts. It’s a world of unsavory and unethical public relations people willing to do anything to get their message across to an unsuspecting audience.

I know it’s not my world or any of my colleagues. We know that public relations is an honest profession and its practitioners are bound by ethical standards and practices. The majority of PR practitioners work ardently to adhere to these standards.

However, this ‘stigma’ against PR continues to rear its ugly head. Maybe the Public Relations Society of America needs to launch a communications campaign targeted at sports reporters with the goal of educating them about the public relations profession?

However, in all seriousness, do we think that the public at large, whoever they may be, still think that public relations people are “phony” or worse? Comments?

Can you see what I see?

Rob Hof, a writer for Business Week, recently posted a blog providing details on new software from Ask.com that will work to make our online searches private. While I feel the overwhelming need to share the articles with my classmates and fellow communications junkies - I also think it warrants a few thoughts.

When we think how evolving technology are changing the way we interact, communicate and do business - we rarely stop to think about how much we are truly 'putting ourselves out there.' If search engines are really able to take our frequent search information and sell it, or use it to shamefully promote their products we need to be more vigilant in distributing and making available our personal information.

Countless times I've been out with friends at a store, or mall, and the vendors ask for your phone number or e-mail address. WHY do we feel like we HAVE to share this information? Just because they ask, doesn't mean you HAVE to provide information.

Maybe being in the defense industry makes me extremely biased - but our personal information and our preferences are in fact, PRIVATE. Maybe, I've had too many friends that were victims of identity theft - but we must remember that in a world that is so connected and constantly communicating, that it's okay to NOT communicate some of our information!

So next time you drop a search into Google or your favorite engine - think about the article below and ensure your information and perferences are protected.

Erase Your Search Tracks
Posted by: Rob Hof on December 11

Most people probably don’t realize that their online searches are tracked by search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. With a new feature called AskEraser, Ask.com is hoping to give people control over the privacy of their online searches. It’s a real issue for some people, especially given the uproar that ensued last year when AOL let slip search data from 650,000 users, some of which got tied to specific individuals.

AskEraser, launching on Tuesday, will let people delete records of their future search queries from Ask.com’s servers. That includes the user’s IP address and the text of the search queries. However, search query info will continue to be sent to Google, which runs ads on Ask. (There’s much more detail at Search Engine Land.)

As search engine expert Danny Sullivan has noted, there are many other places your searches can be tracked, such as by your Internet service provider. But this is a positive move for people concerned with their privacy.

Assuming many people are. And that’s doubtful at this point, as even Ask CEO Jim Lanzone points out. “For most people, the issue doesn’t rise to the level of taking steps to protect their privacy,” says Lanzone. “I don’t believe the majority of people will use it.” One reason is that personalized features such as bookmarks won’t be available when AskEraser is turned on.

So why is Ask bothering with AskEraser? To gain an edge on rivals such as Google, which are perceived by some to be growing into a fearsome data repository? I asked him. Lanzone says this isn’t a competitive move, though I find that hard to believe. But in an era when it seems like our every move is tracked online, giving people a choice to opt out from an activity that inherently contains very personal and often sensitive information is at least a step in the right direction.

Oh, Celebs . . . with the power to do it ALL

Tonight, Larry King interviewed Brad Pitt about his initiative to rebuild New Orleans after the impact of Hurricane Katrina.

Last Monday, the actor announced plans to build 150 eco-friendly homes in the Louisiana city's Lower 9th Ward, one of the most devastated areas in the state. In the storm's aftermath, the community's housing stock was largely demolished, leaving many of its residents living in trailers.

But the most amazing concept that came to me while watching the show was the promotional teaser in between commercial breaks. "Brad Pitt comes to New Orleans to make it right".

(Click here to watch the interview
www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/05/pitt.lkl/index.html)

That concept line gave me the sense that the efforts of local, state and federal agencies in partnership with voluntary groups and faith-based organizations during the last two years to recover and rebuild has come to nothing.

And only the power of celebrity will make it right now.

Not that the effort of celebrities and the people in the entertainment business is not appropiate, accepted or needed; is just that for the general public now it looks like Brad is the only one that knows how to do it right.

That concept that portraits a celebrity with the power to do it all transformed in images and words for Larry King's show buries in the very back of our heads that every city in the nation that is impacted by a disaster deserves the assistance to rebuild and recover as quick as possible.

Those images and words forgets Hurricane Katrina is the most catastrophic disaster to impact the United States and it doesn't matter how much money and resources are available to support the rebuilding -- it will just take time.

And media outlets should examine twice those teasers since at the end of the day, I wonder who truly benefits , the celebrity gaining popularity or the displaced residents of New Orleans crying in national television working hard to get back in their feet.

Anyway, Brad's initiative is accepting donations. If you feel attracted enough by celebrity power and appeal visit http://www.makeitrightnola.org/, don't miss the opportunity to contribute. New Orleans displaced resident will be thankful forever.