Pretend the microphone is always on

Yesterday I read about a VP at Ketchum who recently got in trouble with one of his big clients, Fed Ex, because of a remark he made on Twitter. Upon his arrival for a presentation at Fed Ex's headquarters in Memphis, this gentleman "tweeted" something to the effect of finding the place so undesirable that he'd kill himself if he had to live there. Some folks at Twitter saw the tweet and were none too pleased. Needless to say, he didn't get the business he was hoping to get. You can read Fed Ex's complete response to him here.

My point in writing this post is not to lambaste this individual for his lapse of judgment because, let's face it, we all do dumb things once in a while. However, this incident reminded me of something one of my college professors, Susan Walton, once told our PRSSA chapter: "Always pretend the microphone is on."

We've all heard high profile people make disparaging remarks thinking the microphone is off, and then watched as the unfortunate incident was covered in the media and on YouTube. It's unfortunate, but it happens. If they had simply assumed the mic was on, there would have been no problems.

But what if all PR practitioners adopted this philosophy in our interactions with peers, media, colleagues or clients? Or to take it further, what if all individuals adopted this philosophy in life. I imagine a great deal of heartache and sorrow would go away if we did so.

With the ever-increasing speed of information via the Internet, it's vitally important that we always pretend the microphone is on. Hey, maybe we should just remember our mothers' advice: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Let's brainstorm!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to lead a brainstorming session for an upcoming vehicle launch that I'm working on. In preparation for this meeting, I consulted one of my old college textbooks, Strategic Communications Planning for Effective Public Relations and Marketing (Wilson & Ogden, 2004), for some ideas on how to conduct the most effective brainstorming sessions. I thought I'd share a few ideas with you here, and in the true spirit of brainstorming, ask for your ideas as well. Here are some of the author's (my paraphrasing) tips:

1. Brainstorming should last no less than five minutes and no longer than 20. 

2. Brainstorming is not the time to evaluate ideas. If you think it, say it. By thinking of something and not saying it you're silently evaluating your own ideas. Wilson and Ogden go so far as saying that even laughter is a form of evaluation. 

3. Record the session for review later. 

4. Skip the details. State your idea and then move on to another one. Specific details should be reserved for evaluation later on.

These are only a few of the brainstorming tips from the textbook, but I've found they work very well. I wasn't able to steer the brainstorming yesterday in exactly this direction, but we came close enough and generated some awesome ideas. What else have you found effective in brainstorming sessions? 

The Case for PR Theories

It's been an uphill battle for me lately as I've worked vigorously to defend General Motors and make the case as to why we should receive some government loans. Unfortunately, due to some grossly inaccurate perceptions of our company, and the media's near unrelenting coverage of the "corporate jets" issue, it's been difficult to convince many of our critics and even more difficult to get our message out there.

As I have pondered these difficulties in our communications efforts, I've started to wonder whether there might be some kind of public relations theory or theories that might help us do better. Many people, including fellow PR colleagues, have criticized GM for not doing enough to get our message out there, but I have to respectfully disagree. I think we're all working as hard as we can and are staying focused on a few key messages, but it just doesn't seem to be making it through.

I remember studying a few theories in college, but I failed to see the real world application of them. Perhaps it's time for me to rethink this. What PR theories do you feel would help most in the PR situation GM currently finds itself in? Now, I'm not asking for your input as to what GM should do or should have done (trust me, I hear enough of that), but I am asking for some good theories I can study. So what do you have for me?

Asking for your help

So this isn't exactly a post about public relations, but it does show the impact that social media can have for motivating people for action. I've e-mailed this and posted it as a note on Facebook. I hope you'll give some consideration to what I'm asking below.

As many of you know, I work for General Motors (specifically Chevrolet) here in Detroit, and if you've watched or read the news at all lately you know that GM, and the auto industry as a whole is having an extremely challenging time right now. We announced significant losses last week, and made it clear that we are burning through cash at an alarming rate. Last week, the CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler met with Congressional leaders regarding the automakers getting $25 billion in loans that would come out of the $700 billion Congress has already approved for the financial sector. While it's true that the government already approved a previous $25 billion in loans for the auto industry recently, that money can only be used for the research and development of more fuel efficient cars and trucks, and nothing more (plus all automakers, including the foreign companies have access to this cash). For GM a portion of that money will go to the development of the Chevy Volt (an electric car), more hybrids and increasing the fuel economy in current internal combustion engines. What we're asking for in this additional $25 billion in loans (not a bailout, we'll pay these back with interest) is a bridge to getting things turned around for the industry.

2010 is going to be a big year for us because that's when we'll be able to defer a huge portion of our healthcare costs over to the United Autoworkers Union. That's also the year the Chevy Volt and other important cars debut for us. So I'm simply asking for your help in contacting your senators and representatives to show your support.

Having traveled all over the country with this job, I know there are some serious hard feelings people have towards GM and the American auto industry in general. I know many people believe the government should just let the market work this out, and if GM and other automakers go under, so be it. I can tell you, however, that if this happened, the entire economy would experience catastrophic changes. You see, it's not just the people who work for these companies that are affected, but all those connected to them in some way: dealers, advertising agencies, public relations agencies, parts suppliers, rental car companies, etc. If peoople in these sectors lose their jobs, then they have less money to spend in the stores in addition to being unable to pay many of their bills (potentially leading to more home foreclosures). Here are a few facts on what would happen if the domestic auto industry collapsed:

• Nearly 3 million jobs would be lost in the first year alone – with another 2.5 million to follow over the next two years
• Personal income in the United States would drop by more than $150.7 billion in the first year
• The cost to local, state, and federal governments could reach $156.4 billion over three years in lost taxes, and unemployment and health care assistance
• Domestic automobile production would more than likely fall to zero – even by international producers, due to supplier bankruptcies

This is not me trying to use some cheap scare tactic to convince you of the need for these loans, these are facts. Furthermore, these numbers come from third-party sources, not from one of the Big 3 automakers.

In summary, I'm asking that you contact your senators and representatives to voice your support of these government loans to the automakers. My team at GM set up a Web site, www.gmfactsandfiction.com that addresses many of the rumors surrounding GM right now, as well as a link on how to get in contact with your political leaders.

Maybe you don't drive an American vehicle, and maybe you never will, but we are all impacted by the U.S. auto industry in some way. I hope you'll receive this e-mail in the spirit it's intended, and not as a political issue. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about this.

What impact has the media had on the economy?

The other day as I stood in a long line at Costco to buy my two small items (they really need an express lane there), I was struck by how many people were there despite the current state of the U.S. economy. On a previous trip to Costco just a few days earlier my wife and I were surprised to see how many people were walking out with huge, flat-screen TVs. All of this, plus some discussions I’ve had recently, led me to ponder on what kind of impact the media has had on our economic difficulties of late.

Phrases like “economic turmoil,” “cash burn” and “downturn” seem to make their way into nearly every media story I read, watch or listen to. How many times have you seen a picture of a stock broker with his palm against his forehead and a look of dismay on his face? I’ve now become an international finance expert because I can tell you everyday how well or bad the Asian markets performed overnight. Yet, despite the economic crisis, I still find myself waiting in a long line at Costco.

I’m not naive enough to believe that all is wonderful with our economy, but part of me has to believe that the media has contributed to some of the panic and despair some people have experienced in these hard times. Things are tough for sure, but I have to wonder how much the negative media coverage of the economy has had upon Americans’ psyche. Does this contribute to the panicked sell-offs on Wall Street? If I made my financial decisions based solely on media reports, I’d be hiding my money in my mattress (which I don’t do, so don’t come looking).

Perhaps in the media’s haste to get readers, viewers or listeners, they make their financial reporting as sensational as possible. What if they tempered their coverage of the bad news by reporting on some bright spots in the economy (aside from the booming profits of the oil companies)? I have to believe that this would contribute to increased consumer confidence.

Perhaps I’m way off in my thinking on this one, but if not, what relevance does this hold for us as public relations practitioners? I’ve often questioned how much impact media relations has on our efforts to build relationships with our publics, but I’m beginning to think that broad and repeated coverage of our organizations is influential; for good or for bad.

I’m interested, however, in your thoughts. Has the media contributed to panic and uncertainty in the economy? How much impact does media coverage really have on our publics?

UPDATE: Corey Mull of TMG Strategies just alerted me to a similar post he wrote for their blog a few months ago. It echoes much of what I wrote here, with some additional insight.

Turning the tables

I recently received a new assignment at GM in Chevrolet Communications. I'm responsible for PR activities associated with Corvette , Chevy Impala , Chevy HHR and my personal favorite, the all new 2010 Chevy Camaro . As part of my new assignment, I had an interesting opportunity with the staff of Car and Driver  yesterday.

Every year Car and Driver invites PR representatives from all of the automakers to come out to their headquarters and bring one of their hottest new vehicles (I brought a 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS  Turbocharged). It's basically a chance for Car and Driver to get to know more PR people as well as a great networking opportunity for all of us. The highlight of it all is getting to drive a variety of vehicles from competitors.

It was really interesting to be hosted by the media on a program. It's often the other way around for me. I think this is a smart move from Car and Driver, and goes to show that some media realize the importance of the public relations profession. Granted, the major automotive publications come to us more often that we go to them, but this event reiterated for me how important it is for us to work to build relationships with our media contacts. Plus, I got to drive alot of cool cars!

So, have any of you ever experienced the media reaching out to PR people in a similar way?

Happy Ethics Month!

It's time to bust out the cake, ice cream and crazy hats because September is officially Ethics Month. Well, at least for PRSA it is.

In this month's issue of Tactics there are a number of articles dedicated to ethics in the public relations industry. Ethics has always been a topic of interest to me, and I even took not one, but two media and communications ethics classes in college.

It seems that now, more than ever, PR practitioners are faced with a litany of ethical decisions, and it's time for those of us "budding public relations professionals" to be examples of ethical behavior in all we do, both professionally and personally.

In taking the aforementioned classes, I was exposed to many different books and articles regarding ethical issues. Much of the information I read, particularly in my Advanced Ethics class (yes, it really was called that), was based on the writings of philosophers, but I had a really hard time wrapping my mind around that. It seemed that some of these individuals took a simple topic like ethics and twisted it into a convoluted, abstract concept. I believe our personal ethics should come from within. Ethics, in my opinion, is a reflection of who we are. I'm not saying that someone can't gain some valuable insight from the writings of highly intelligent ethics experts such as Immanuel Kant or Sissela Bok, but for me ethics seems to be a simple matter.

I am not naïve enough to believe that making ethical decisions is an easy process, nor is it always black and white, but I do believe this process can be simplified by abiding by the moral compass within all of us. I also believe that everyone has an innate sense of right and wrong, but this sense can be refined and improved. Conversely, this sense can also be dulled through lapses in ethical judgment. One way I personally strive to improve my sense of right and wrong is through study of scripture and other religious texts. Outside of these texts, however, are three excellent books that have made a significant impact on my ethical behavior. They are as follows:

Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes, Gordon B. Hinckley

• An excellent book by one of my heroes. This book inspires everyone to take a stand for what's right and to live a life of only the highest moral character. I simply cannot recommend it enough. I read this book for the first time in high school, and it was the first nonfiction book I'd ever read. I continue to consult it today.

Winners Never Cheat, Jon M. Huntsman

• Jon Huntsman does a superb job of providing some insight on what it means to be an ethical person, and supports this through numerous business examples gained during his time in the corporate world.

There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics, John. C. Maxwell

• Kudos to Maxwell (or perhaps more accurately, his publishing company) for a really great title. The basic premise of this book is that there is no such thing as business ethics, because ethics, as I've stated, is simply a matter of who you are. Ethics at work should be not be any different than ethics in one's personal life. This book is a really short read and can easily be finished in a day.

I love these books because of their down-to-earth, very practical information and application. These are my favorites. Are there any I should add to this list? I'm always looking for great books to add to my reading list, so recommend away.