As someone who travels all the time, I watch a lot of TV. As CEO of a technology public relations firm, I love all that is “fast” and “new,” but somehow I gravitate toward series that take me back in time. One of the things I love most about retro shows is when I realize that the language, clothes and culture may change, but so many things stay the same.

For example, awesome ideas are timeless. I’m a rabid “Mad Men” fan, and Peggy Olson is the kind of risk taker we love at Airfoil. In her shellacked 1960s bouffant, twin sets and cone bras, she’s come up with campaign concepts I only wish I could have thought of myself — today.

But after reading an article about what life was really like for 1960s-era “Mad Women”, I understand the show doesn’t necessarily reflect the significant number of women who were actually moving-and-shaking on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s. Without the incredible social networking resources women in business have access to today — not to mention a decidedly greater social emphasis on gender equity — this is a real testament to the brains and guts behind these mavericks. I wonder if Peggy would have stayed at Sterling for so long had she been able to put out feelers for opportunities via LinkedIn, demonstrated her industry expertise through Twitter or broadcast her creative ideas and process on a blog.

Even with the assistance of social media, Peggy’s skills would earn her those opportunities (just more rapidly). Her ad concepts work because they speak the truth, plainly but powerfully. She would have no way of knowing, but a Peggy classic — the straightforward “Take it. Break it. Share it. Love it.” for Popsicle — is the essence of a great social media discipline:

• Take your message.
• Break it down into digestible chunks.
• Share it with people who care.
• And love it.

Continue reading " The Sweet Popsicle-Social Media Connection "

Punch lines, one liners, tweetable inspirations — all speakers have them. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this year’s PRSA International Conference.

• “If you want to catch a fish, you need to think like a fish. Use the bait fish like, not the bait you like. If you want to engage a reader, you need to think like a reader. Use the content your readers will like, not the content you like.” – Ann Wylie
• “A loyal Fan trumps a neutral party.” – Chris Brogan
• “Stories are more than compelling facts. People remember stories more than they remember statistics.” – Soledad O’Brien

Continue reading " Top 10 Quotes From the PRSA International Conference "

Even though the PRSA International Conference was my 12th in the past 13 years, I was excited about this year’s theme of Envisioning the Future of Public Relations. As I’m a PRSSA mentor and adviser, and vice president of BurrellesLuce Media Contacts, the future of the profession is close to my heart.

One of the sessions I attended was led by my colleague Johna Burke, on the topic of storytelling and its importance in this digital age. I came away with two pages of typewritten notes, but here are what I believe to be the key takeaways.

Continue reading " Storytelling for the Digital Age: 2011 PRSA International Conference "

Everyone is a content creator. But, as public relations professionals it’s our job to create compelling content that stands out in the clutter and resonates with our target audiences. Consumers are exposed to thousands of messages each day, so what’s the secret to making content stick?

Creating compelling content is a theme running through the PRSA 2011 International Conference this year. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Fleishman Hillard’s Steven Kostant and Wylie Communications’s Ann Wylie all talked about the “art” behind creating compelling content. So, whether it’s a speech, blog post, Facebook status update or pitch, here are the five things I learned by sitting down with these three content masters.

Content Sticking Power Checklist

Continue reading " Five Ways to Make Your Content Stick "

PR people care about search, Chris Brogan, president of Human Business Works, told attendees at yesterday morning’s General Session at the 2011 PRSA International Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Rather than thinking about how to get more people to our websites, or figuring out if we need to have a micro-site or a mobile site, we need to think about the “human digital channel” and interactions. “If you think about all those other things as the shop, then we’re working on how to make a better digital shopkeeper,” Brogan said.

Continue reading " Chris Brogan’s Keynote Presentation from the PRSA 2011 International Conference "