I received a call recently from a long-time colleague who now does marketing for a major global brand.  He had heard we were doing a lot of work in the “new media” arena.  The company had done traditional public relations with great success, but his bosses were wondering if there were opportunities in the social media arena that could help further their business objectives.  Among those objectives was the need to push products that they don’t invest in through other marketing channels.   Read: Could word-of-mouth present a low-cost option to sell products that don’t get exposure elsewhere?  Cost-effectiveness can be the PR practice’s blessing and curse.  It can certainly sustain us during an economic downturn, like the one we’re facing now.  But, while I am obviously a big believer in injecting the power of third-party credibility into the marketing mix, PR and word-of-mouth should not be the disciplines of choice for products that aren’t worth advertising dollars.  PR is wholly dependent on winning over influencers — be they journalists,  bloggers or trendsetters.  The reason something becomes viral and makes a huge impact is because people get passionate and feel compelled to share.  When a product or service is exceptional and the company that sells it is genuine in how it engages, influencers may decide to talk about it, online and off.  Companies should consider word-of-mouth only for their best products and services.  And, once an influencer believes in the merits of a product, they may be more willing to take a look at other products made by the same brand.  It’s the old halo effect, which is tough to create if you don’t lead with your best material.  For the rules of the road, we recommend “Word of Mouth Marketing” by Andy Sernovitz (disclosure: we promoted the book when it was new).

We’ve been guiding a number of clients on setting up Facebook profiles.  For example, we’re promoting a book that chronicles the journey of a home-birth midwife.  We’re helping the author set up her profile.  A non-profit client is becoming a cause that Facebook members can join.  Needless to say, our team spends a lot of time on social networking sites.  In my personal (i.e. non-billable for any clients who are reading this) time, I use Facebook for the same reasons most people do: to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, to check out people’s kids and to find out who just got back from a vacation or is missing their spouse.

In the last week or so, I’ve connected with a number of high school friends.  You know how it works: Join one person’s friends list and their friends see and connect with you.  And so on.  And so on.  All this social networking got me to thinking about the fact that my 20-year (gulp) high school reunion will happen in 2009.  It seems the people who are inclined to go to such events are likely the same people who are on Facebook.  On the one hand, Facebook may expedite the getting-in-touch part of the planning process.  On the other, how anxious will people be to see each other, since we’ve already reunited online?  I’ve seen what they look like, how adorable their kids are and know what they do for a living.

I recently read an article that suggested the demise of local newspapers is in large part due to the newsfeeds people receive on sites like Facebook — the newspaper is no longer the place to find out what’s happening in a community. I am not sure I agree with that.  But I do wonder: Will Facebook kill the high school reunion?  Maybe that’s also an overstatement.  After all, I can’t dance to 80s tunes in a bad hotel banquet room on Facebook.  Or can I?

Public relations, like every job in the world, has its plusses (creative, people-oriented) and minuses (media list maintenance, anyone??), but on the whole it’s a pretty terrific career, if you ask me. The best thing about the gig though, in my opinion, is the opportunity it affords us to further the efforts of people making truly notable contributions and achieving amazing things through their work and in their lives.

I was reminded of this the other day when I got a call from an old business associate at Kaplan Publishing, (a division of Kaplan, my former employer). Our exchange went something like this:

“We’d like you to take on a project.”

Me: “Great! Do tell.”

“Well, it’s a new book we’re publishing by Sherwin Nul…”

Me: “Dr. Sherwin Nuland?!”

“Yes!”

Me: “Hooray! Tell me everything!”

I’ve always been a big reader and I became a fan of Dr. Nuland’s, a surgeon at Yale turned writer, when I was in college. I returned home from school after my freshman year and discovered his groundbreaking book, “How We Die.” (I didn’t have to look very hard to “discover” it since it won the National Book Award and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 34 weeks.) My dad, a surgeon like Dr. Nuland, and a voracious reader like me, read it that summer as well. I remember thinking the author was a master storyteller and being surprised that I could care so much about science writing – (though it goes well beyond science writing, of course). Plus, I was grateful that the book helped spark some meaningful conversations between me and my father, a man of few words.

Fast forward fifteen years and I’m on a conference call with Dr. Nuland (who has now published 13 books) talking about who we should invite to a media luncheon in celebration of his upcoming book, “The Soul of Medicine,” which is a Canterbury Tales-esque non fiction narrative about humanity, ethics, and the relationship between doctors and patients. He reminds us not to forget his old friend, Charlie Rose. Meanwhile, all I can think is: how GREAT is this job???!!! I don’t get star struck often, but consider me struck.

In the words of British Futurist Peter Cochrane, “If you’re not online, you don’t exist.”

With billions of Web sites, millions of blogs and hundreds of social networking sites, the internet is king – not exactly an earth-shattering revelation in 2008.

All PR professionals must adapt accordingly – knowing and learning new technologies and becoming comfortable with them is essential. It is imperative that we blend the traditional skills of writing and media and communications knowledge with online skills.

As the youngest member of Rose Communications, I have a unique perspective on PR and the online world – as I don’t know the PR landscape without the internet.

I often wonder how media lists were built and clips tracked. I find it hard to imagine calling a reporter with a pitch when I can simply drop them a less intrusive email or message on MySpace or Facebook. I don’t know how releases posted to the wire prior to the web and I’d probably enter a deep depression if forced to work without my laptop or Blackberry for a week. In fact, I’m not sure I’d even know how work without the internet. Far from a crutch, online access enables me – and my Rose Communications colleagues – to successfully practice 21st century public relations.

Sounds a touch like a Fox special, but I am referring to an incident that occurred last week when the top human resources executive at media firm Carat inadvertently emailed working drafts of messaging documents to the company’s entire staff. Unfortunately, the documents were developed to communicate information about impending layoffs at the company. There’s been plenty of banter already about whether it is appropriate to develop canned messaging for such a sensitive situation.

Others questioned the positioning intended for clients and whether it was disingenuous. North America CEO Sarah Fay said in an interview with Adweek that she hadn’t even seen the documents before they were sent. What I can’t stop thinking about is what they could have done to prevent something like this from happening in the first place. Whether sensitive news is good or bad, a communications plan – including messaging – is key. It would be naive to think a plan such as theirs isn’t necessary. In similar situations with clients, we’ve found ways to prevent information from leaking prematurely. Of course, no one is perfect. More than anything, this recent email gaffe reminds me we can never be too cautious with the information we receive.

Rose Communications reached an important milestone earlier this month when we celebrated our five-year anniversary.

At the time of our launch, several people referenced the well-known statistic about new businesses: 40 percent of all companies fail within the first year and, of those that survive, 80 percent will fail within five years. It was always said among words of encouragement, of course, but it is a stark reminder of the challenges of entrepreneurship. From day one, our mantra was good work breeds good work. In other words, if we focused our energy on our clients’ successes, we could build a sustainable business.

I am thrilled and humbled that we’ve made it to this point. The truth is that statistic about surviving the first five years replayed often in my head in the early days. And we are fully aware that even bigger challenges lie ahead as we grow. But, if we stick to our mantra, I think the next five years — and beyond — will be as gratifying as the first. Thank you to the many people who have played and continue to play an active role in our success.