Happy New Year!

As the holiday season nears its end and we gear up for a brand new year, the PR/PR family wants to extend our wishes for health, happiness and success to you and your families.  Every turn of the calendar is brimming with possibilities; be it personally or professionally.  May you ring in the New Year surrounded by those you love and cherish, celebrating the conclusion of 2011 and anticipating the wealth of opportunity that awaits in 2012. 

Happy New Year from Russell, Amanda, Lindsay, and Carter.

VisualCV Couldn't Make the Connection

The transition of the corporate realm from physical to online has been anything but business as usual.  Companies have scrambled to harmonize with an unfamiliar world that has, by all accounts, become the most important platform to recruit customers and clients, as well as employees.  The progression of the Online-Era saw the inception of scores of corporate-oriented social media websites, but two quickly established themselves as top-dogs: LinkedIn and VisualCV.  One continues to flourish and expand, and the other is quickly becoming an afterthought.

LinkedIn is trending upward in the corporate arena, with new users signing up in droves daily.  The prevailing reason for the site’s alpha-dominance boils down to involvement; along with crafting a qualifications-based profile, users have the ability to connect with others in their field; including prospective clients.  VisualCV is essentially a static online résumé which does not offer the interaction available with its strongest competitor. 

In many circles, shaking hands with the right people and corporate networking is as (or even more) important as your accomplishments and credentials.  LinkedIn is serving as an online 18^th hole; where connections are made and deals potentially consummated.  VisualCV allows you to merely project your career-qualifications; LinkedIn provides the capability to discuss them with decision makers.

A tip of the cap to Visual CV, however; they trumped LinkedIn in the multimedia game, as they allowed the hosting of YouTube and Vimeo videos: a functionality LinkedIn does not support.  For those looking for self-promotion, especially for speaking engagements, there is no better evidence of your aptitudes than a video confirmation.  Unfortunately, their visual capabilities did not translate into success.

The world of social media oft acts as a world of social Darwinism, and LinkedIn’s massive popularity and effectiveness is spelling the extinction of VisualCV.  It goes to show that online success begins and ends at the ability to interact, and while LinkedIn has established itself as the destination for the corporate world, VisualCV is looking more like Social Media Siberia.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

Preparedness is Next to Godliness

A colossal determinant in prolonged success is the ability to stay out of your own way.  As far as shooting yourself in the foot is concerned, Herman Cain may as well have been at the controls of a computer-guided missile zeroed in on his own wingtips.  After dodging numerous tripwires in the form of sexual harassment accusations, his presidential campaign was driven into the proverbial ditch amidst extra-marital affair allegations.  With enough loose ends to construct a ropes course, Cain was ill-prepared for such a lofty venture as running for the highest office in the United States.  As far as PR is concerned: bookmark Herman Cain’s campaign as a prime example of what NOT to do.

In the Bible of public relations, preparedness is next to Godliness.  There is no use investing your time, money, sweat, and tears into an undertaking to be the arbiter of your own unraveling.  Fools rush in might be the appropriate adage.  Cain’s misstep was not properly evaluating every aspect of his own life (including what appears to be a Himalayan-sized hamper of dirty laundry) before throwing his hat into the ring, the outcome of which has resulted in his public political undoing.

Prior to embarking on any endeavor, brace yourself for the possibility that it skyrockets.  Sudden, overwhelming success can make unintentional martyrs of the unprepared.  When your name or business gains household notoriety, so do the crumbs and scraps you’d rather leave under the rug.  Keep your damage-control PR at an absolute minimum so you can focus on newfound success and longevity.

The bell has tolled on Herman Cain’s presidential aspirations, but by vetting yourself and your constituents you can avoid paralleling this slow and embarrassing descent.  With a concise level of preparation there should be no surprises or curveballs to impede your pathway toward success.  Do not become the pilot of your own corporate kamikaze; preparedness can keep you flying high.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

Cyber Monday's Meteoric Ascent

I’ve never been Black Friday shopping, but I like to imagine it’s something like a swarm of pre-teen girls hopped up on Redbull trying to be the first in line to purchase Justin Bieber tickets.  A swirling mass of bleary-eyed shoppers working off their tryptophan hangovers at 2 a.m. with the promise of discount televisions and ten-dollar seasons of Breaking Bad, ready to annihilate anyone who stands in their way.  Cyber Monday renders all of this rigmarole and physical danger obsolete, and in 2011 it eclipsed the profits turned in on Black Friday, hopefully spelling the extinction to the mob mentality that often accompanies this mainstay of cutthroat consumerism.

Sales turned in on Monday, November 28^th were 17% higher than on Friday, November 25^th, to the tune of $1.25 billion in total.  This massive number conveys the upward trend of consumers foregoing the deal-possessed hordes on Black Friday and instead conducting their shopping online, from the comfort (and safety) of their own homes.  Social media was an important player in this year’s Cyber Monday, with companies taking to their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds with discount proclamations as opposed to commercials and customary ads. 

Recent studies have indicated that social media marketing has surpassed traditional advertising; to the point that Cyber Monday’s growth actually mirrors Facebook’s growth.  This is no shock at all, as more and more corporations are abandoning the deserted marketing paths of old and adapting to more visible and cost-effective methods utilizing social media.  Allowing for customer interaction and a more personal experience, social media has proven a potent sales tool. 

Twitter trends and shares on Facebook allow for your product to essentially go viral; whether it’s a dirt-cheap toaster oven or your new book release.  Businesses’ spend an exorbitant amount on marketing themselves, and in years past most of this budget was allotted towards now near-obsolete means: billboards, radio and television commercials.  With the point and click convenience of broadcasting your product or brand via social media, you reach the customer quicker, more efficiently, and cheaper.

The success of this year’s Cyber Monday is a testament towards how the Social Networking Age has rewritten the business arena’s playbook.  Your holiday shopping can now be completed while browsing Facebook as opposed to in lawless shopping malls under the threat of a stampede.  With millions logging on and over a billion in sales on Monday, it shouldn’t be too much longer until Black Friday is finally waving the white flag. 

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

Happy Thanksgiving from PR/PR

So the holiday season has officially kicked into high-gear (although I feel like I began seeing Christmas decorations in my peripheral back in August, but this may just be a personal problem.)  With Thanksgiving a day away, I’ve decided to mix things up a bit: I present to you a comprehensive list of things that we at PR/PR are thankful for:

Russell Trahan:

In no particular order, the top three things I’m thankful for this year are:

1.  My health, I’m relatively healthy for my age

2.  My relatives, they are a healthy distance away

3.  Amanda, Lindsay and Carter.  Without these three, I wouldn’t have all the other things (like happy clients) I’m thankful for but can’t mention since we’re limiting this to three.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Amanda Tucker:

1. My health

2. York peppermint patties* (blog manager's note: this is no surprise)

3. Friends & family

Lindsay Durfee:

I am grateful:

1.  (This time of year especially) for the great weather in FL.  No snow!

2.  That my family all live close by (but not too close!)

3.  That my husband likes to cook

Carter Breazeale:

1.  Manning the blog means I can list as many things I’m thankful for as I want and elaborate ad nauseam.  Take that, office-mates! 

2.  Jason Segel championing for and writing a brand new Muppets movie.  Seriously-this just may make the holiday season for me.  Nothing says, ‘great time’ like Animal.

3.  Energy Fusion coffee at 7-11.  Extra caffeine AND Guarana?!  This rocket-fuel analogue is a certifiable godsend.  Expense reports never seemed so exciting at 9:00am!

4.  The Internet!  A never-ending channel for information, inside jokes and the panacea for my directional maladies.  A man never asks for directions.  When in doubt: Google it.

5.  My nephew and niece.  Little balls of energy.  They both keep me entertained and exhausted for hours on end.  Watching a child figure the world out one moment at a time is astounding.

6.  Chipotle burritos.  Take everything that makes you happy.  Put it in a tortilla.  Adorn with copious amounts of Tabasco sauce.  Smile for the remainder of the day, even if someone cuts you off in traffic.

7.  My PR/PR family.  What an enjoyable work environment.  The lighthearted environment I walk into every morning makes coming to work a blessing; something everyone should be lucky enough to experience on a daily basis. 

8.  The Atlanta Braves.  The bane of my existence year in and year out since I was old enough to comprehend what ‘failure’ was, and yet I cannot help feeling a renewed sense of hope come every April.  By July I will be cursing their name far and wide and regretting their inclusion on this list.   

9.  Jeff Mangum and Neutral Milk Hotel.  This man’s music was the soundtrack to my high school years.  Everyone should own a copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, or at least listen to it once in their life.  Thankful he got over his agoraphobic paranoia and has begun playing live music again.  See you in Atlanta in February!

I sincerely hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving. 

 

Communication is King

The manner in which you communicate can transcend gaps and torch bridges.  Interpersonal communication is an integral facet of corporate life; it is the difference between lost contacts and signed contracts, and effective communication in every level of your operation should be your first-step to ensuring quarters in the black.   Whether it’s timely client follow-up calls or confirming that your supervisor actually received your time-off request, communication is the oiled cog that keeps the wheels of business turning.

I consider myself a ‘swing-man’ of sorts in our office.  I’m always open to assisting any of my coworkers in pressing tasks, and this requires a high-level of communication to guarantee the workload is taken care of efficiently and effectively.  Collaborative efforts are a frequent occurrence here at PR/PR, whether it’s crafting a pitch or formulating a marketing strategy for one of our clients.  This demands advanced knowledge and familiarity of everyone’s responsibilities and their respective client’s platforms, as well as clear channels of communication to keep performance at its peak.

Any communicatory lapse, especially those you may deem ‘rudimentary,’ can lead to the proverbial wheels falling off.  Nothing spells incompetence like rushing out the door on Friday afternoon before responding to a time-sensitive email or returning a phone call.  Errors of this nature can create a snowball effect, leaving an avalanche of clean-up required on Monday.  Limit them and you’ll notice an increase in productivity, as well as a tangible decrease in company-wide Advil consumption!

Keeping a tight lead on your business begins with indoctrinating everyone involved with the mind-set that effective communication is king.  When questions or issues arise, do not go it alone: convey your concerns to those around you, and create a forum for collaborative solutions.  The corporate machine only runs as smooth as its operators’ allow, and communication keeps the joints and pistons greased so breakdowns are few and far between.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Verbal Gaffes

Verbal gaffes can sink your efforts like a lead balloon.  There’s nothing that spells ‘ineptitude’ like misspeak, factually or politically incorrect statements, or as President Barack Obama and French President Nikolas Sarkozy experienced this week – getting caught making disconcerting remarks on a live microphone.   It can take what feels like eons to construct a profitable career and mere seconds to tear it all down.  In the instantaneous information age, maintaining composure and putting your best face forward at all times is paramount.

It seems like yesterday when the world was enthralled with the prospect of a telephone you could take with you, let alone the idea that a phone would contain a camera where photos could be captured and immediately shared via text message and across social media platforms.  These innovations immediately transformed the way we interact, but also allowed for our ‘lesser’ moments to be recorded and distributed in seconds.  The days of the incognito gaffe are over: everything you say and do has the propensity to end up online and potentially ruin you.  Tread lightly.

Rick Perry experienced one of these ‘oops’ moments two days ago during the Republican debates, confusing his own policies and fumbling over his words.  In many pundits’ eyes, this colossal episode of ‘verbal 52 card pick up’ spelled the end of Perry’s nomination run, regardless of any political damage control conducted after the fact.  The video went viral on YouTube and Facebook, generating thousands of hits in a matter of minutes.  Suffice to say; at this point Perry’s political aspirations now look more like the Hindenburg than a viable campaign.   

It should go without saying that you should always strive to be on point and maintain your message, but sometimes in an effort to show candor or a moment of confusion, verbal gaffes may occur.  The key is to minimize them and the subsequent fallout which may occur and tarnish what you’ve painstakingly built.  Your name, your brand and your livelihood depend on it. 

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations