I just finished reading a great article by Steven Levey over at Wired on the back story of Google’s most recent push into social networking, Google+. It’s a lengthy piece, but I would definitely recommend the read.
The top topic buzzing around our office lately is our upcoming first birthday bash . Like our launch party last year, we plan to highlight the wonderful wares of our neighborhood – distillers, caterers, brewers, bakers, artists, winemakers and more.
As much as I’m looking forward to the party, looking back over the past year makes me grateful just to be part of AM:PM PR.
I’m the old guy in our group – literally the father figure to my partner, Allison, and our Human Infrastructure Technician, Erin. (I had to use “literally” in my post because it irritates Jake when people use the word inappropriately. I, of course, used it appropriately.)
When we set out on this adventure last year, I had this quixotic hope that spending my days working with young professionals would be invigorating. Turns out, I was right.
Instead of working in the Class A office space I enjoyed for more than 20 years downtown, we looked to the evolving east side of Portland’s Willamette River, where industrial operations mix with hot new restaurants, artist studios and a vibrant creative community. We ended up in a historic firehouse (lovingly restored by Venerable Properties and Bremik Construction).
Our group wanted open space, not private offices. They wanted to sit together around a big table. For an old coot like me, it’s strange. But my colleagues are comfortable with it. Collaboration is natural and creating privacy simply requires putting in their ear buds, or taking a call in our toy room.
Clients have helped us better understand what business we’re in. We knew interest in social networks was escalating exponentially, but we were surprised so many clients in the business-to-business categories – law firms, construction companies, architects, engineers, trade associations, etc. – are eager to learn more about and use social media.
Of course, one reason to celebrate is that we’re still here. Starting a business in the midst of a dismal economy is anything but ideal. Surviving and succeeding is worth celebrating.
But my main reason for celebrating is the gift I get from working with young professionals who respect traditional principles of successful public relations and teach me new insights about how to use today’s constantly changing communications tools.
It’s been a great ride this year. And we plan to have even more fun in the year ahead. Hope you can join us for the party.
Dr. Seuss’s wise words for the young and old can be applied to every part of life – even in the PR business. Some of his best quotes have PR lessons within.
The most read blogs are 150 words or less. This blog is about three times that length, so I’ve chopped it into bite-sized nuggets for easy consumption. If you want to get your message across, whether by blog, email, video or media pitch, keep it short. Shorthness will increase the likelihood that your message is remembered.
We often get requests from prospective clients who need help with outreach, but have no plan in place. Developing a strategic plan that integrates all outreach enhances the effectiveness of your efforts. Creative brainstorming and planning will also provide social networking content ideas and pitch angles throughout the year.
Don’t create messages you think your audiences want to hear. People want to hear truth and will respond to it. For example, don’t say you’re green if you haven’t made real strides in the area. Your words won’t ring true.
So much fear still exists around embarking on social networking.
Complicated questions: “How can we control what our employees will do when given access? How will we respond if someone trashes our good name? We’re already so busy; how can we do it all? These are just a few of the questions we hear.
Simple answers: Trust your employees. Criticism is unlikely for most businesses. When it does happen, respond transparently and your fans will come to your defense. Social networks are where the conversations are happening. Transition is a must.
Be prepared. Create a crisis communications plan. It’s one of those things, like a will, that you know you should have, but it’s easy to keep putting off. Being prepared for anything will help ensure that you maintain a consistent message and increase the likelihood of preserving a positive reputation in the face of a crisis.
It’s a well-known fact around the office that I’m a bit of a cat lady. When I say “a bit,” I suppose I mean a total, unabashed cat lady. My
fellow AM:PM PR team members have to deal with the repercussions of this fact on a frequent basis. Sometimes it’s in the form of mundane tales of my own cat, Gus’, adorable antics. More often, I barrage them with YouTube cat videos. Many a time I’ve called Jake Ten Pas over to my desk space, with tears of laughter rolling down my face, to watch “the funniest thing ever”. Lucky for me, this sort of thing flies around here. Otherwise I’d be screwed.
During yesterday’s PR 3.0 meeting, the group got to talking about viral videos and specifically the apparently inherent viral nature of cat videos. As marketing-minded people, our collective brain then thought about ways a wildly popular thing, like cat videos, could be harnessed to influence consumers. I immediately thought of ways the Humane Society could use videos of cute and/or funny pets to encourage people to adopt more pets. What do you think? Do you see any other applications?
Though cat videos are one of the most popular things on the Internet, I’m sure that you, dear reader, haven’t seen all the best ones. I’m going to do you all a service and share my top five, in no particular order. Enjoy.
Who doesn’t love an adorable, fluffy cat wearing a banana split costume while eating a banana? I know I do!
A kitten sitting on a tortoise. Awesome.
Here’s a fluffy, gorgeous Persian sitting on a stack of fluffy pillows at the dinner table. Adorable? Yep.
This one is too cute for words. Just watch it.
The best cat video compilation.
Have you ever wondered where you stand with regards to your – or perhaps your business’ – social media presence? Let’s just pretend you answered yes.
If you ever do find yourself longing to find an answer to such a question, I have found a solution: Sprout Social.
Sprout Social is a great new web-based application that links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, etc. It offers a slew of services, including management and organization of social contacts, search capabilities, analytics and reporting. I like that it’s a one-stop shop for an exhaustive list of all social platforms one might be involved with. Making if even more attractive, the user interface is intuitive and super easy to use. From the first time I signed up and logged in to the “dashboard,” I felt like I already knew what to click on first.
One of my favorite features is the application’s monitoring capabilities. Anything that’s being said about your business anywhere on the web is logged and sent to an “inbox.” Anything from tweets to news and blog mentions are recorded and organized. It’s an invaluable tool in that it takes the hard work out of staying current on your company’s web presence.
Have I convinced you yet to check this thing out? I recommend at least signing up for the 30-day free trial. There is no better way to get to know something and decide if it’s right for you or your business than just getting in there and clicking around. Ready, set, go!
The AM:PM PR team recently held one of its weekly PR 3.0 meetings at a spot close to our offices called Madison’s Grill. We likely would have picked this location anyway, due to its proximity and ability to accommodate large groups. But throw a free plate of delicious nachos into the mix for just checking in, and we couldn’t get there fast enough.
Clearly, I’m always up for a good deal, and if I had a retail/service business I would certainly be on board to create deals for patrons to reward them for showing up regularly. The problem with apps such as Foursquare is that you never really know, until you’re there or nearby, whether the business offers a deal. Since I’m burned out on the gaming aspect, and really couldn’t care less if I become the Mayor, I’m much less likely to use this app on a regular basis.
In a previous post, I wrote about a Smartphone application called CardStar. It’s a way of condensing all of your rewards cards info into electronic form. My only issue with this is that I often shop for essentials at places other than the major box stores.
The Supportland card has filled this gap. Visit the site and learn all you need to know about it. For me, this one is a no-brainer. It’s the best of location-based applications married with the ease of an app like CardStar – or for those who prefer a tangible card, it’s just one card for a whole slew of businesses.
It couldn’t be much easier; you simply swipe your card at participating establishments and earn points to score sweet deals. What’s more, if you see a Supportland sticker in an establishment’s front window, you always know you’re able to use your card and earn points. You can even visit their website and check out a list of participating businesses broken down by neighborhood.
For those of us who get burned out easily with game-centered apps, there’s an alternative. That is, at least, if you live in lovely Portland, OR. **
** Supportland has plans of rolling out their technology to other locations. If you’re lucky, maybe it will be your city next.
Blogging fatigue can be much like workout fatigue, and keeping motivated is key. Fortunately there is a whole virtual world of motivation out there just waiting to be read and interacted with. For me, sometimes all I need to push forward are some encouraging words from a far-off, no-name stranger.
Recently, I’ve found myself in both predicaments at once, and I’ve found assistance with both through this magical thing we call the Internet. I’ve found an inspirational blog in The Sartorialist, which reminds me that simplicity is a wonderful thing, and a truly motivational fitness community in The Shredheads, which keeps me going on days I couldn’t care less.
For those of you who could use a little inspiration yourself, check out these links:
When caught in a state of apathy and immovability, sometimes all one needs to do is step back and let others, even strangers, help guide you back to where you need to be. The important thing for me to remember is that no matter how long I’m “off the wagon,” I can always get back to where I want to be, whether that’s sticking to my blogging routine or getting back to the gym. I know, in the end, I’ll feel better if I just do it.
There’s nobody at home waiting for us so you can rest assured we’ll devote the time necessary to make sure your message is received by the right people.
In the second installment of our “We’re better at PR than…” videos, we give our best attempt at finding a date.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that planning a party is nowhere near as fun as the actual partying part of the party planning process.
Depending on how hard you party, the aftermath can sometimes be even less fun than the planning. I’m not super into that whole “cleaning up after” part either. Basically, I just like things that are fun.
I say all this as a way of prefacing the following statement: Planning the office-warming party for AM:PM PR and 7/Apps has been the kind of blast you can normally only get from a two-liter bottle of diet cola and a roll of Mentos.
That’s primarily because, early on, it was decided that I would be the liaison between AM:PM and Distillery Row , the area of southeast Portland that stretches from Burnside to Harrison and from MLK Blvd. to 12th Ave. Local craft distilleries such as Integrity, Highball, New Deal, Deco, Stone Barn Brandyworks and House Spirits make sure that if you’re sober around these parts, you only have yourself to blame.
Not sure why, exactly, my coworkers thought I would be a good fit for this particular mission. I’ll think about it while I finish this Sazerac.
Where was I again?
I’d love to tell you that it was some major feat of salesmanship on my part that got the distilleries involved, but in truth, I found that these were enthusiastic folks who needed only the tiniest of nudges to get on board. It helped that we were as excited about showcasing the Buckman Neighborhood and the unique businesses that populate it as we were about showing off the cast of characters that make up AM:PM PR.
In the process, I’ve gotten to hang out with Tom from New Deal, Rich from Integrity and the rest of the individuals who bring these individualistic spirits to life. Their personalities are about what you’d expect from the people behind products such as Trillium Absinthe, Hot Monkey Pepper Vodka and House Spirits’ Apothecary line of experimental small-batch liquors.
They’ve got more stories to tell than I have memory to record them. With that realization, we decided to begin filming a series of videos that will showcase the people, places and processes behind some of Portland’s finest intoxicants. They will appear on this website in the days to come.
As a friend once said, with great liquor comes great responsibility. While working with Distillery Row, we’ve also gotten to know our other neighbors, the ones that provide the kind of snacks so necessary to fortifying your stomach in times of plentiful imbibing.
Also bringing their delicious offerings to our shindig will be Meat Cheese Bread, Zell’s Café, Nicholas Restaurant, Clive Coffee, Nossa Familia, Sheridan Fruit Company, Buckman Village Brewery and Eat Your Heart Out.
We’ve been fortunate enough to come into contact with artist Chris Haberman, who will fill the former bunk room of Fire House No. 7 with visual art to complement its culinary counterpoint. Children’s Healing Art Project will be on hand to sell art and cupcakes in order to raise money to take art programs to local children’s hospitals.
Finally, we locked down the services of Cadenza Academy’s Kevin Pardew, who also plays bass for local Celtic rockers Amadan, to provide live music for the event with a band consisting of Dakota Max and Ashley Bread from the Dirt Jake Replicas. Web developer Zach Hoffman from Phoogoo will DJ in Bremik Construction’s offices next door, and attendees – or party people, as I like to call you – will be able to grab a glass of wine from Zanzibar and stroll between the two spaces.
It’s now apparent to me that this blog has turned into me giving props to the many fine people involved in this event, which was never my intent. I wanted to talk about myself and the many hardships I went through to turn my dream of free and plentiful liquor into reality. Oh well. I’m sure you get a sense of the nightmare that is my existence despite my wandering ways.
For those whose invitations got lost in the mail, the party will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26. Please don’t cast a spell to make us sleep for a hundred years.
When our team decided to spin out and start our own thing, we wanted everything to be new and we wanted everything to be “us.”
Our most enjoyable and successful experiences had been through collaboration. From day one, we decided to collaborate on everything. We brainstormed our mission together. We decided on open office space where we would sit around one table, without offices that separated us from each other. We shopped for office furniture together and covered our walls in white boards for our many spontaneous brainstorms.
We planned our website together. We all participate in client development activities. We’ve realized putting our heads together makes us much more creative. As leadership guru Ken Blanchard teaches, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Our collaboration became so natural and organic that we extended this way of working to relationships with our clients, partners, neighbors, peers and friends. Our clients become part of us. We absorb them as members of our team. We hope they see us the same way.
We recently decided to partner strategically with 7 Apps, a smartphone app developer. We realized more of our clients are asking about apps as marketing tools. Our partnership gives 7 Apps access to market research and marketing expertise to support apps it’s developing for its own clients.
We hold weekly PR 3.0 meetings (Thursdays at 3:00pm) and invite our PR peers and clients to join us for roundtable discussions about the latest happening in social media, SEO and mobile.
We even crowd-sourced our logo, asking everyone we knew to help us choose the image that identifies our firm.
Now there’s another big opportunity for our friends to collaborate – in celebrating an open house for our new venture (save the date – 8/26/10 4-6:30pm).
We came from downtown, Class A office space and for AM:PM PR we were looking for an office location distinctly different. We found the perfect place in an iconic historic firehouse with available space in an eclectic area of SE Portland. A big bonus is that we can be part of a real neighborhood.
Rather than just show off what we’ve got (and the new space we’ll be moving into with 7 Apps), we decided to invite our neighbors to show off to our friends what an amazing neighborhood we’re in.
Bremik Construction (next door neighbors and the builders who did such a beautiful job restoring the firehouse and the adjacent buildings that are now Bremik’s home) even decided to open up their space and deck for our event.
We’re big fans of everyone we’ve invited. Expect to taste:
We’ll even be showing off art from the wealth of local artists, hardware from our favorite little Ankeny Hardware across the street, and much more.
We like this way of working. We have found real value from the psychic income of collaboration, enjoying the work we do and the people we are surrounded by. Our new, bigger space should be completed by the end of the year. It will have the same open feel and include gathering areas for peers and clients to come and just hang out if they need a little collaboration time.
So come on over – August 26 for the open house, or anytime. Our place is yours.