CPRS 2009 national conference - Twitter notes

If you're following me on Twitter, you've probably noticed my recent propensity to live-tweet at events. I've tried to take my cue from Joe Thornley, who sets the bar high. And while I do like being an ersatz 'reporter', I know there's a trade off between filing stories in 140 and full concentration. (I'm sure some psychologist will conduct a study to measure it.)

Here are some of my Twitter highlights from the CPRS national conference in Vancouver (or search the hashtag #CPRS2009):
@thornley Old PR is dying, our eyeballs are moving over to social media; the world is changing, media is evolving

@briansolis Press release just over 100 yrs old; journalists and bloggers have yet to get as excited about it as PR folks

@briansolis Reason why PR is in a state of crisis - we act like publicists, not evangelists

@dbarefoot: Social media sin 3: foist not thine spam upon yon rabble

@julieszabo: Social media sin 6 abandon not thy blog (try not to lose steam-that is easier said than done)

@terryflynn: 74 pct of Canadians felt Maple Leaf CEO had credibility during crisis; higher than Obama had on inauguration day

@maggiefox: In Social Media it's important to focus on relentless innovation; the internet never sleeps

And finally...
@martin waxman: How much to we miss by live tweeting? I like doing it, but have to admit some trains of thought do leave the station without me. Just asking

Special thanks to the On The Edge organizers and to the student bloggers, @LesleyChang, @apparently_so, @mikedefault, @ashletts, and @stephleung who really added a lot of content and energy as they chronicled the event.

Should a business have a website?

It's hard to believe that question was seriously debated by companies not that long ago (OK, in the '90s). There was this newfangled worldwide web thingy and many organizations were just not convinced it was going to last.

I actually worked at a PR agency at the time where the senior partners felt it was too forward for a communications firm to have a website; they didn't want to give away 'proprietary' information like the fact we did media and investor relations.

No kidding!

I even wrote a site for the agency (on my dime) and bartered my hours by doing pro bono work for a design firm who brought it to life. And even when I showed the principals the finished product, it was still shot down (post Y2K, no less). Bitter? Not anymore. But I don't mind saying the lack of a website put us out of the running for a number of great accounts.

So why do I bring this up? Well, my very good friend, Gini Dietrich, wrote a post yesterday where she convincingly disputes a Newsweek story that contends there's no value in social network if you're a CEO.

And it took me back to the fearful, wrong-headed, backward-thinking, anti-internet agency I once worked at - and (thankfully) left.

Granted, change is difficult for many individuals and organizations. But ignoring an emerging trend is worse. Especially when that new technology can help you build and strengthen relationships.

Yes, it's important to be strategic, think critically, make smart choices, not fall for all the pretty, shiny things. But wouldn't we, as business leaders, want to embrace meaningful ways of engaging with our customers and actually having an honest and open dialogue with them?

I think CEOs are missing out on many potential opportunities if they're not listening, understanding and participating in social communities of relevance to their businesses and them.

Who knows what we might learn?

The community, the people: Counselors Academy 2009

I recently returned from Counselors Academy’s annual conference for agency leaders, my PR highlight of the year. I always come back from these gatherings with new friends/colleagues, fresh ideas I want to try and a renewed energy for the profession.

I first learned about social media and its PR potential from Giovanni Rodriguez at CA2005 and decided right then and there to start a blog (though it took nearly two years of research and listening before jumping in).

This year in addition to insightful and entertaining sessions, attendees contributed a rich and active twitter stream that offered a fresh dimension to the conference; check out #CA2009.

It wasn’t unusual for a table to have three or four people listening, tweeting and commenting on their colleagues’ tweets. My very good friends Gini Dietrich and Scott Farrell were my regular twitners (twitter partners), with special nods to my traveling buddy Joe Thornley and Abbie Fink. In fact, Gini Dietrich highlights a number of Counselors Academy thinker-tweeters here.

Here are a few of my most memorable highlights (via Twitter notes-better than Coles notes by far):

Tom Gable: There are three rules for succeeding in a recession. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

Shanny Morgenstern: It’s not billable hours that matter, it’s the hours billed. (There’s a subtle distinction there, but an important one.)

Monty Hagler: 5 Rs drive new business: relationships, referrals, reputation, radar screen, RfP

Jason Baer: Listen on behalf of your clients; make sure you have a social media crisis plan in place and respond at the flashpoint (where it started).

Steve McKee (author of When Growth Stalls): Factors that contribute to a stalled business include: lack of consensus, loss of focus, loss of nerve, inconsistency.

Steve McKee: A business is more likely to be successful if it pursues a commitment to excellence.

Robert Stephens (founder of Geek Squad and the ultimate nerd): Think of your company as the plot of a great movie.

Robert Stephens: Hire for curiosity, ethics and drive.

I think the key to Counselors is that it’s a true community in every sense of the word – PR agency leaders, entrepreneurs, people with a common interest and goal. We come together in the spirit of meeting, learning, sharing and friendship. And it’s both inspiring and humbling to be around so many smart folks in one place.

In retail it’s location, location, location. At Counselors, while no one could complain about the location (a lovely resort in Palm Springs), it’s really people, people, people.

The next meeting is in May 2010 in Ashville, North Carolina. Hope to see you there.

P.S. You can also listen to episode 166 of Inside PR for some CA mini interviews.

Coming soon...

It's been a while since I posted. And those of you who follow me on Twitter probably know I've been traveling, meeting and tweeting - and trying to keep up with emails.

But I will be back shortly with a number of posts, including updates on Counselors Academy and CPRS conferences, three things I've learned from the recession (so far) and some ideas on the new PR.

Stay tuned.

A few words from the new CPRS Toronto president

As many of you know, I recently became president of CPRS Toronto. This was not the result of any astute political campaigning or soon-to-be-broken promises, but part of the regular succession process (I was first VP).

I'm excited to be taking the reins of the organization - one that I believe in - at a time when I think we're at a crossroads in profession (both economically and in its practice). I feel there's a strong opportunity for CPRS Toronto to really become a leader in combining social media with traditional PR, something I talk about in my first prez's message.

But it's not up to me alone and I look forward to hearing from members with their thoughts and ideas about how to achieve this.

I also wanted to let you know that from time to time, I will be highlighting CPRS Toronto events and programs (not that I haven't in the past).

And I would like to thank past president Lawrence Stevenson for his vision, passion and commitment to the organization. Big shoes to fill, Lawrence (and I don't mean that literally).

When time is not of the essence

Maybe it's the slower pace of Victoria Day (a holiday Monday in Canada). But I've been thinking about timeliness and how we seem to attach a sense of urgency to many things that may not require immediate attention. (That's to say some attention is necessary, we just don't have to jump.)

Certainly in communications and client service, we need to be responsive. And with social media's ability to spread like wildfire (combined with some folks' lack of judgement), it seems like there's a mini online issue that must be dealt with every other day.

That's the new reality. And we accept it.

However, I was catching up on some blog reading this weekend and tweeted about two posts I found to be smart, insightful and well written: Joel Postman's thoughts on attribution and Gini Dietrich's take on being a CEO-entrepreneur.

Both were 'in the archives', so to speak, in that they had been published in late April/early May. And I noticed I started my tweets - 'catching up' - as if I felt I had to explain my sharing delay. But does that lessen the value of the content? Of course not.

It got me thinking that in our world of Twitter-immediacy, we need to make sure we're not solely focused on timing at the expense of ideas.

Sure, we've always paid attention to things that rise to the top (i.e. news). But, there's a lot of important and useful information that happens to have been written yesterday, last week, last month, last year... etc.

And that content deserves your attention when you happen on it; when it's most relevant to you.

A letter to Philip Roth

Dear Philip Roth,

You don't know me (nor I you). But I am one of your legions of readers; and have been for many years. I think it's safe to say that your fiction has helped shape and deepen my understanding of the human condition.

I recently finished reading Indignation, your latest novel, and I just wanted to thank you. For being so eloquent and witty, for posing the essential (existential?) questions, for screaming our insecurities into the night and for showing us how a small community can be a microcosm for the rest of the world.

Your book tells the story of a smart young man from Newark who comes of age in the 1950s. He ventures from his cloistered Jewish-centric hometown to college in the blandly-dangerous Midwest because he desires to escape his family's narrow beliefs; he wants to be worldly and craves mainstream acceptance. Yet despite his best attempts to be himself, to excel academically, circumstances cause him to make choices that lead to an unfortunate path.

There are few artistic events I look forward to more than one of your books. You never fail to challenge my curiosity, spark an intellectual debate, entertain and make me laugh (and cry) at life's unavoidable triumphs, mistakes and yes, indignities.