InsidEPR

Does One Bad Apple Spoil the Bunch?

By Megan Atiyeh

A colleague pointed out the following blog post by Thomas Claburn that quotes an executive from a company in the Web 2.0 world questioning the “objectivity” of industry analysts.  I think the question applies to all companies, and to our clients who regularly use the services of the analyst community.  I would argue that like any industry there is a wide spectrum of analyst firms and individuals involved, and both the value and the results of their contributions “may vary.” 

We’ve all heard the industry grumblings about the power that is wielded by analyst firms, or that vendors sometimes feel trapped into buying services because their target customers rely heavily on analyst recommendations to make purchase decisions.  But when you make broad generalizations about an entire industry (we hear this all the time about the field of public relations) based on a bad experience or two, you become exactly the thing you condemn.  And what personal responsibility does each of us have in making sure the relationship between industry analysts and vendors work?

Characteristics of a Good Customer Reference

By Molly Miller

One of my clients recently asked about the characteristics I look for in a good customer reference for client media opportunities.  Here’s what came to mind:

Requirements:
• Willing and comfortable talking with a reporter
• Able to articulate the need for the product /service
• Has direct experience using the product/service
• Can discuss results achieved by using the product/service
• Will be responsive to the media in the time required
• Preferably is not an employee of another high-tech vendor

Bonus qualities:
• Interesting anecdotes about usage of the product/service
• Improvement metrics delivered by the product/service
• Pedigree company name

Thoughts?

The Long Ride Home

By Kevin Sugarman

The floorboard of my Ford Ranger is littered with empty water bottles, gum wrappers, and crumpled-up paper.  I am not embarrassed by this fact.  I wear the trashed and abused cab of my truck like a badge of honor.  You see, I am that special breed of the workforce known as the commuter.  And another diet coke can tossed in the trash pile that should be my passenger seat is just a symbol of another successful workday.

I commute around 90 miles a day round trip.  I am sure there are those who go further, but I believe this puts me in the “road warrior” class of commuters.  I believe my daily experiences on the road have given me special insight into my fellow commuters. The list below highlights some of the most annoying and frustrating individuals that I encounter on a regular basis during my daily commute. Those of you who spend any time on the road will recognize most of these people as well.

Leading offenders of the commute (in no particular order):

Is Anderson Cooper Worth the Money?

By Becky Caudill

It looks like Anderson Cooper has gone and gotten himself a raise.  According to multiple sources (some credible and others fantastical), Cooper is set to sign a deal with CNN that will earn him $50 million over five years.  I’m a fan of Anderson Cooper (loved him ever since he hosted The Mole on ABC back in the day), and I really like his reporting style.  He’s smart, has integrity, and tries to shine a spotlight on the issues a lot of traditional media overlook.  I know some people are outraged that a newsman could possibly receive that kind of salary, but sports stars the country over are earning that kind of cash every day.  I think it’s a positive step forward that someone known for using his brain rather than his brawn is being financially rewarded.

Tangential to this news, CNN has also announced the launch of The Anderson Cooper 360 Daily Podcast, a companion to Cooper’s 360º blog. I encourage you to check them out.

I’m Keeping Tabs on You

By Becky Caudill

I think by now we all know that PR folks keep detailed documents on the reporters and analysts our clients speak to.  If you didn’t know that, my guess is today is the first time you’ve found your way to the blogosphere, because briefing notes have been a hot topic of conversation on just about every PR-focused blog I read this week. 

I won’t go into all of the juicy details because it’ll be so much more enjoyable for you to read all about it yourself (here, I’ll even provide the links – New York Times, The Long Tail, Wired's Epicenter blog, Frank Shaw of Waggener Edstrom, and a ton of other blog posts courtesy of Technorati), but I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least bring you up to speed.  The short of it is that Microsoft’s PR firm, Waggener Edstrom, prepared a pretty detailed briefing book for a meeting the company’s executives were having with Wired reporter Fred Vogelstein about MSFT’s Channel 9 project.  Through a very misfortunate keystroke on the part of a WE employee, these notes were accidentally emailed to Vogelstein himself.  Everyone all together now - *groan.*

I think we can all safely say that at one point or another, each of us has emailed something to someone that we didn’t mean to.  I once sent one of those lengthy survey memes to “everyone” in my Gmail address book instead of my friend “Evelyn.”  My doctor, neighbors, co-workers, and every random person that I’d ever communicated with via email now know that my favorite food is sushi and that one of my favorite words is unprintable here.  Very embarrassing, to say the least.

Not as embarrassing though as basically telling a reporter that he rambles on and on and that you find him a shifty sort.  I have no problem telling others this about myself, but I certainly wouldn’t want a reporter I work with to hear me say those things about him (or her).  First of all, it just makes you look bad, and beyond that, it makes your job a whole lot harder than it already is, and none of us need that.