In the publishing industry, repurposing content is common practice.  For example, a popular article that ran in the Style section of the print edition of The New York Times daily newspaper could be published again in the newspaper’s fashionable T Magazine.  I’ve seen this several times and never took issue with it because the articles I’ve read, and in some instances reread, are always properly labeled as repurposed content.  

This week the publishers of Martha Stewart Living made a major misstep by repurposing content and not alerting its loyal readers.  Mary Findley, an avid follower of Living, told Tanzina Vega, a media reporter with The New York Times, about how she stumbled upon this snafu when perusing the special 2011 Halloween issue of Martha Stewart’s magazine.  Ms. Findley had a déjà vu moment when she came across a photo of a chocolate cake titled Macabre Manse.  It turns out that this same photo and recipe were featured in the October 2008 issue of the magazine.  And apparently this wasn’t the only repurposed content in the 2011 Halloween issue, which retails for about $7 at newsstands. 

According to The New York Times article, a spokesperson for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said the company stood by its work and how it was delivered to readers. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia publishes two to four special issues a year, each of which carries about 60 percent original material and 40 percent repurposed material.  However, The New York Times reported that the 2011 Halloween issue included about 70 percent of original content.

When additional media pundits and bloggers picked up the story, it prompted an additional response from the company and ultimately persuaded Martha herself to place a call to Ms. Findley.

During these uncertain economic times when many magazine titles are struggling to stay afloat, a snafu like this could prove costly.  It could cause advertisers to spend their ad dollars elsewhere.  And informed consumers may be reluctant to buy special issues.  Not to mention the potential damage to the Martha Stewart brand.  Isn’t the brand all about fresh new ideas? 

The statement issued by the Omnimedia leads me to believe that they don’t plan to change their practices. As a result, I’ll save my money at the newsstand for publications that are publishing original content, or those that are at least being upfront about articles that have appeared elsewhere.  How do you feel about media outlets that repurpose content? 

The kerfuffle over last week’s Piers Morgan interview with former Delaware Senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell has many communications professionals chatting about publicity stunts and protocol for live on-air interviews. 

Some speculate that O’Donnell and her PR team had planned her hasty exit all along.  If you missed the segment last Wednesday evening, you can catch it on YouTube, which has nearly 400,000 views to date.  The interview got heated when Morgan pressed O’Donnell on the issue of gay marriage.  She agreed to appear on the show to discuss her new book, “Trouble Maker: Let’s Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again,” but clearly became irritated when the topic of gay marriage, an issue which is covered in her book, was addressed. O’Donnell lashed out at the urbane British journalist and accused him of being “a little bit rude.” 

I find it hard to believe that O’Donnell hadn’t anticipated this difficult question.  Is it possible that her seasoned PR team would have secured this top-tier interview and not prepared her with a response should this topic arise?  As with any news program – especially one on an established national cable network – it’s important to anticipate and prepare answers for all potential questions the interviewer may ask.

When one of our clients is scheduled to be interviewed by the media, we prepare them with mini-media preparedness sessions.  The session is critical to test out key messages and responses to difficult questions.  Participants in our media preparedness sessions are familiar with our refrain: an interview is a choreographed exchange of information, not a conversation.  It is critical to anticipate the answers to questions before they are even asked.  Either O’Donnell didn’t heed this advice or her dramatic walk-out was in fact part of the strategy.

Since this particular political commentator is not a media novice, I believe there were other factors at play here.  I think she knowingly went into the interview prepared to exit if the interview made her uncomfortable.  Since she was interviewed via satellite it was easier to walk off the show than if she were on set face-to-face with Morgan in New York City.  Regardless, I don’t think she’ll be booked on another CNN program any time soon.  However, we are still talking about the incident and Morgan devoted a good portion of a subsequent show to O’Donnell’s walkout.

Was this a publicity stunt or poor spokesperson planning?

I had a big smile on my face riding the train to work this morning because the focus of this week’s “You’re the Boss” blog in the  New York Times was about the power of PR.   The piece validated the profession in such a way that put a skip in my step as I headed into the office. 

Adrianna Gardella’s profile of Jill Cartwright, entrepreneur and founder of Go Ga Ga – makers of ergonomic tote bags - sheds light on the impact of proactive public relations.  As noted in the piece, PR professionals have widened their scope – adding social media, word of mouth campaigns and blogger relations to the traditional media mix.

In fact, many of our newest assignments at Rose Communications have been hinged on the development and execution of social media campaigns.  We recently expanded our program with Apex Tool Group, one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tool brands, including Allen®, Armstrong®, and GearWrench®, among others, to include social media strategy and special projects.

And we’re having even greater impact on the bottom line.

After working with a PR professional Cartwright grew her business exponentially.  Her revenue in 2009 was 134k and after working with a PR pro her revenue nearly doubled, with projections for 2011 in the 500k range. 

I’m excited by the possibilities and love that Cartwright gave her publicist props.  Her advice:

·         View your publicist as your partner

·         Conduct monthly brainstorm meetings with your PR team

·         Invest in PR and you’ll see immediate results

I was once a morning show junkie. Before the morning programs began to air segments online, I would TiVo the shows and watch them in the evening.  I even tried to get a former boss to pay for my purchase of TiVo, claiming that its main purpose was to record The Today Show, Good Morning America and The Early Show.  My borderline addiction was comparable to soap opera fanatics – I couldn’t go a day without seeing what happened during my favorite daytime program. 

While I’m still aware of what’s going on with the programs, I don’t tune in with the same excitement as I once did.  To come clean, I’ve not watched much of TODAY since Katie Couric left the program in 2006.  Having met her (okay, I said “hello” to her as she passed the green room back in the late 90s while accompanying a former client to a segment), I’ve always been in awe of her.  Like me, she is petite, but her personality is larger than life.  She has that rare combination of wit and wisdom and is someone I’ve always admired. 

I have to say I was elated last week when rumors started to emerge that Couric was entertaining the idea of hosting her own talk show.  Her interview with Andrew Goldman in yesterday’s New York Times Magazine confirmed that Couric is considering hosting a syndicated show with her former boss from TODAY, Jeff Zucker. 

Will daily conversations with Couric work in a talk show format?  I definitely think so.  When Couric appeared on TODAY, people tuned in as much for the entertainment value as news value.  Sure, she delivered the news headlines in a manner that only a serious broadcast journalist could, but then she could be seen on the Plaza rocking her four-inch heels and joking around with Matt, Ann and Al.    Her laugh and perkiness became quite the draw. 

In my opinion, a talk show might have been a more natural progression for Couric post-TODAY than an attempt to reshape the evening news – which was much like forcing a square peg in a round hole. I don’t need to rehash the challenges she faced trying to reconfigure the evening news format, enough media outlets have already done that. 

I’m anxiously awaiting Couric’s next move.  A talk show with the seasoned broadcast journalist will definitely have a place in my TiVO lineup. 

I hope I’ll soon be adding Katie back onto my list of “must-sees,” along with my daily dose of Ellen.  Who’s with me?  

Late last month I traveled to Las Vegas to attend the SHOT Show, the largest and most comprehensive trade show for professionals involved with the shooting and hunting industries, on behalf of UTM, a client that manufactures training ammunition systems for military and law enforcement agencies. 

The company organized a demo day for existing and prospective customers where they could learn and interact with the company’s products — gun bolt conversions, which adapt standard service weapons for use in various real-world training scenarios and training ammunition, which includes man marker rounds (MMR), target bullet rounds (TBR) and blanks (SBR& BBR) for use in pistols, rifles, submachine guns (SMG) and select machine guns.

Having practiced PR for nearly 15 years, I’ve seen journalists completely change their tune regarding a product or service once they’ve had the opportunity to try it for themselves.  As such we decided to invite select journalists to the UTM demo in Sin City. 

We’ve all heard the old adage that “great products sell themselves.”  And in a sense we are in the business of selling our clients’ stories.  Our pitch often resonates most when a journalist can have first-hand experience with the product. The UTM demo was a great success with high attendance by customers, prospects and journalists.  We had multiple media appointments booked throughout the day and the feedback was similar across the board.  “I knew your product was interesting and I’d read your press materials but NOW I truly understand it.”

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what differentiated this demo from the dozens of others I’ve witnessed over the years.  With this demo we actually had the opportunity to shoot a journalist!  UTM’s  Man Marker Round is commonly used in force-on-force training scenarios, where military and law enforcement professionals run through real-world combat situations.  To understand the minimal pain penalty, the impact felt when the Man Marker Round hits protected skin, and to be able to accurately explain the product’s accuracy to readers, some journalists volunteered to have a MMR shot at them.  Of course they followed guidelines and wore two layers of clothing, gloves, a facemask and goggles. 

If your company is planning to attend an industry trade show where various influencers are present, consider scheduling product demonstrations.  And remember to keep the following tips in mind when demonstrating your product to a journalist:

·         Set up an “education” area where reporters can learn about the technology and nuances of the product

·         Think through possible photography shots that might appeal to a journalist and stage those shots in advance (we live in a multi-media world and as a result journalists often wear many hats, i.e. reporter, editor and photojournalist)

·         Set up a demonstration-only area

·         If you are conducting a demonstration that is open to people outside of the media, inform other parties that a journalist will be present while they are at the event (having a customer make an inaccurate statement or joking comment may reflect poorly on your brand)

·         The standard sales pitch will have to be modified for a media demonstration, so speak to how your product fits in with current news trends and angles; think of yourself as a resource rather than salesperson

And remember your efforts aren’t over when the booth or demos are broken down.  Continue to communicate with journalists and influencers after the show to ensure you maximize buzz that started around a product demonstration. 

As a public relations person, I find it is critical to feel passionate about the organizations I represent. I have to believe in order to convince someone else. This week, we worked on a story I found particularly inspiring. One of our clients – the CEO of Playworld Systems – traveled deep into the lush countryside of Ghana as part of a commitment his company has made to bring play and light to the children of Ghana.

I have never been to Africa and my experience traveling to third-world countries is somewhat limited. Though as a child I did visit places with minimal modern amenities. In 1980, I made my way to the house where my father grew up in County Mayo, Ireland. Back then the country was considered third-world because of its lack of indoor plumbing – let’s just say it was common to take a bath with seaweed in the water and it wasn’t part of a lavish spa treatment.  While the plumbing infrastructure may still seem archaic in older homes in Ireland, the mechanics for indoor plumbing do exist. 

Unlike Ireland, Ghana, a country located in West Africa has yet to become a developing nation.  It remains a third-world country by all accounts and indoor plumbing is still very much a luxury. We were reminded of the country’s condition this week as our client, Matt Miller, traveled there, to kick off Playworld Systems’ partnership with Empower Playgrounds, a non-profit organization that provides renewable energy to villages in Ghana through electricity-generating play­ground equipment and smart LED lanterns.

Matt was in Ghana for two installations of “whirls” (sometimes known as merry-go-rounds) that generate power while the kids play during the day for portable lanterns that enable them to study in the evenings at home. Playworld Systems recently agreed to take over the manufacturing of the whirls in an effort to reduce costs and accelerate Empower Playgrounds’ ability to make an impact in Ghana and beyond.

Matt chronicled his experience for Play By Playworld, his company’s blog and his writing also appears on a popular trade magazine website. His heartfelt prose vividly captured the culture and people of Ghana.  His posts served as a reminder that there are many people in the world that live with so much less.  

As a result of Matt’s journey, the children of the Akyeremanteng and Madavunu villages will have not only brighter nights but brighter futures.  By 2012, Playworld and Empower plan to make the power-generating systems available to developing nations across the globe. 

Seth Godin, the best-selling marketing author, announced on his blog earlier this week that he is parting ways with his publisher, Portfolio, and that Linchpin, his fastest selling book to date, is the last title he will publish via traditional channels.   

A post from Godin’s blog states that the architecture of the publishing industry is broken.  It certainly hasn’t yet caught up with the lightening speed of the Web– it can take 12 months or more to get a book into reader’s hands.  And with the advent of social media, authors are no longer dependent on publishers and traditional bookstores to help them engage with their audience. If you’ve ever read Godin’s blog you know the amount of material he can spew out in a matter of hours, so I’m not completely surprised that he’s exploring direct- to-consumer publishing channels.    

As you might suspect, this move has ignited conversations in book publishing circles and begs the question: Will other high-profile authors follow Godin?  According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal, it’s uncertain.   Jeffrey Trachtenberg’s article explains the larger impact of Godin’s departure on the industry,  “With many new titles spending less time on best-seller lists and in bookstores, publishers are increasingly dependent on brand-name authors such as Mr. Godin to deliver significant book sales. “

Even if other well-known authors jump ship, I think publishers will evolve their business models and ultimately survive.   The industry is already increasing its number of e-books and there are many apps underway that will enhance traditional publishers’ delivery methods.   

Maybe the silver lining in all of this is for inspiring authors.  Will publishers will be more inclined to work with lesser known, more middle-tier authors as a result?  For authors that don’t have 70,000 fans on Facebook, the traditional publishing route is undoubtedly still the way to go.

Rolling Stone magazine was founded by Jann S. Wenner in the late 60s – an era defined by Vietnam War protests, hippies and Woodstock.   A chronicle of counter culture, the publication carved out a niche for itself by combining in-depth political coverage with pop-culture commentary. 

The longtime home of gonzo journalists Hunter S. Thompson and P.J. O’Rourke, Rolling Stone’s relevance seemed to fade when the founding baby boomers grew up and the controversial Thompson passed away.  Advertising revenue and circulation was on a downward spiral.  The cutting-edge national affairs pieces that made the magazine famous were nonexistent. 

That is until Mark Hastings, a contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, was granted unprecedented access to a top-ranking military official, General McChrystal.  The piece recounts disparaging comments made by the general and his staff during a few nights of alcohol induced outings.  Hastings’ “Runaway General” article did more than prompt the resignation of General McChrystal, it marked the beginning of the magazine’s comeback. 

Hastings’ article quickly became one of the most read online even before the print publication hit newsstands.  Mr. Hastings appeared, via satellite from Afghanistan, on various broadcast outlets including CNN’s Larry King Live.   Having once worked in the publicity department of Wenner Media, I know the staff there was overjoyed by all the TV bookings and fanfare created around the June 21^st issue. 

But the question becomes can this title that’s been around for more than four decades sustain its renewed popularity?

Some argue that the publication is well poised to continue to churn out notable journalism.  A recent New York Times article attributes Rolling Stone’s recent success to its bi-weekly publishing schedule: “Many newsweeklies have faltered and lost their impact on shaping the national conversation, but as a biweekly Rolling Stone has thrived in defiance of a digital age in which articles are supposed to appear then vanish within hours.”

According to Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, “Biweekly publications have the best of both worlds: they can respond nimbly to the news and take their time on longer enterprise pieces.”

We’ll have to wait and see if the publication can continue its momentum.  I know I’ll be watching to see what’s on the next cover of Rolling Stone. 

It’s that time of year again for pomp and circumstance, caps and gowns, and commencement speeches given by dignitaries.

It’s been widely reported that this year’s college graduates are entering one of the most difficult job markets in our country’s history - though things look marginally better for the class of 2010 compared with the class of 2009. The opportunities seem to be with mid-size companies. According to Michigan State University’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute, companies with fewer than 500 employees expect hiring at their companies to jump 15 percent this year. But it’s still far cry from the robust job market that existed when I began my career in the late 90s during the dot-com boom.

As it was in the late 90s, the communications field — and public relations in particular – continues to be popular among college graduates. I recently read a column in PR Week by Mary Lynn Carver, vice president of PR for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that provides pointers for new grads and experienced practitioners looking to land a gig in PR. She offers the following guidance for job seekers: add calm to every situation, have a point of view and develop elephant skin. I would also add one rather simple piece of advice – READ.

My colleagues and I hear continuously from journalists who are aggravated with PR pros. Their number one complaint is we don’t know who we’re pitching and what they write about. Recent grads, and all PR pros for that matter, need to immerse themselves in multiple forms of media (magazines, online, TV, newspapers) to understand news value and how to write like a journalist. If your goal is to place a feature in Forbes magazine, then you should read every issue of the magazine, review its blogs and become a follower or fan on social media channels. Simply put, know the publication inside and out.

Just because we have the technology to make media relations more efficient doesn’t mean we can leapfrog the initial research required to effectively place stories. Resist the temptation to pull massive lists and send one email to numerous recipients using the bcc line. After all, the profession is called media relations.

Ya know, we’ve all used them. Um … let me think, I believe I heard a well-seasoned broadcast journalist, a former editor of a top celebrity magazine and a high-profile lawyer all use them several times in one interview earlier this week. Ya know, filler words, those verbal pauses and missteps like um, er, so, ah, and ya know.

Yesterday Meredith Vieira was interviewing Janice Min, former editor of US Weekly and Jeanine Pirro, prosecutor, former judge and contributor to the Today Show, about Larry King’s impending divorce from his eighth wife. What struck me most about the interview wasn’t Larry King’s divorce but the number of times filler words were used in the segment. I think my senses were heightened because I watched Min on The Joy Behar Show a few weeks ago and vividly recall the number of times she said ya know, like and um during an interview about Tiger Woods’ infidelity. While both interviews tackled the scandalous topic of cheating, I wasn’t focused on the messages being delivered but rather on the number of filler words used.

I should note that I’m as guilty as the next person; I often catch myself saying “ya know” a few times a day. I bet my colleagues could attest to hearing the longer filler, “ya know what I mean.”

The problem with filler words is that if they are used frequently, they tend to chip away at a spokesperson’s credibility. When we media train our clients we look out for these types of words and phrases. If you are scheduled to appear on live broadcast television, you need to rehearse and try to minimize the use of filler words as much as possible.

Here are some helpful tips for minimizing the use of um, er, ah, ya know, so, but, etc.:

· Speak slower: If you are like me and live in the NY Metro area, chances are you are a fast talker. Slow your pace down. Take your time and annunciate your words and you’ll be less inclined to use fillers.

· Listen to yourself: As part of our media training sessions, we record clients during mock interviews and let them listen to themselves. This is a valuable exercise. Most of us don’t even realize we use these words.

· Be aware: Making yourself aware of the habit is the first step. My fifth grade teacher had a jar in our classroom called the “Like collection.” Every time we misused the word “like” we had to contribute a quarter to the jar.