Back in September the PR firm came under fire after the LA Times uncovered that Coghlan was affiliated with fake news site, News Hawks Review, and had been shamelessly promoting their client Central Basin Municipal Water District of California on the site. Coghlan has an agreement between Central Basin’s public affairs office which promises promotional stories “written in the image of real news.”

This couldn’t be a more blatant violation of PR ethical standards.

Following the LA Times’ expose, PRSA weighed in condemning Coghlan actions and the industry rags were all a flutter with disapproval. You would think, given the public outcry, Coghlan would amend its ways. Quite the contrary. The LA Times reported Tuesday that the fake site, News Hawks, was publishing stories by “journalists” that didn’t exist. Since being called out on this, they have taken down their staff bios. PR Daily outlined the full details of their actions.

Of course, this is something that shouldn’t be breached and Coghlan did so intentionally, which is an issue. But here are three tips to make sure you’re on the right side of the ethical line, when doing PR for a client:

Don’t Pretend to Be Something You’re Not: You should never misrepresent who you are, or who your client is.

Transparency Is Key: Be honest and forthcoming about all relevant aspects of what you’re doing when personally promoting a client and you’ll avoid potentially hairy situations.

If  Your Stomach Hurts At The Idea, You Probably Shouldn’t Do It: The situation with Coghlan serves as a scary reminder to do a gut check every now and again when you find yourself in a hairy situation.

What most folks have not yet discussed, are the implications for businesses and consumers after Google+ takes over the world of social media. As Google leverages the rich information and data it will be able to collect from the interactions and interests of Google+ users, it has the power to change and improve existing Google services as well as push Google into new business categories. Some of the many possible outcomes we discussed in our session included:

I miss Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men. There, I said it. I was curious to see how the show will unfold without him, so I tuned in to the first two episodes and still don’t really know how I feel yet about Ashton Kutcher’s new character. In any case, on the second episode of the season Kutcher’s character is shown on the phone with his soon-to-be-ex-wife and he’s working on a laptop with decals of several prominent companies such as Foursquare, Chegg, Hipmunk, etc.

When I first saw the decals, I did notice them but really thought nothing of it since putting stickers on laptops is a common practice among my friends. The media, however, is up in arms about the free publicity these brands received just because Kutcher invests in them. This got me thinking: Where’s the line between peddling interests and creative marketing when it comes to promoting brands? To make sure you’re on the right side of promotion, here are three tips on how to avoid crossing that line.

1. Keep it natural. Make sure that your marketing fits in with what is already happening. On the show, Kutcher’s character is an internet billionaire so a person can rightly assume he would have an interest in the companies featured. It wasn’t out of character. Similarly, businesses should market to those who will appreciate their brand. An IT security company wouldn’t advertise in Cosmopolitan Magazine because although the ad would stand out, it wouldn’t be a natural fit with the magazine.
2. Don’t ruffle feathers. As it turns out, the creator of the show and CBS were okay with Kutcher’s promotion. If a company is trying out a creative marketing idea, it’s always a good practice to be aware of laws and regulations and make sure no special permits are needed. A great idea can be brought down by upsetting those in charge and change the impression made by the efforts.
3. Be subtle. In the episode, Kutcher used stickers to promote companies. He didn’t adlib the brand names into the script or point out that the stickers were there. If viewers noticed the decals, then so be it. When businesses want to move forward on a creative idea that isn’t a full on marketing campaign, they should make consumers say, “Oh!” instead of “Oh my gosh. Did that just happen?”

So what do you think? Were Kutcher’s laptop decals savvy marketing or petty peddling?

So I’ve approached my wedding vendors in the same manner that I approach third-parties that I manage on behalf of my clients, and the entire experience has been a reminder in the importance of good vendor management and the extreme (yes, extreme) importance of following up.

Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Set clear expectations up front: Your vendor can’t execute your vision if you don’t tell them what you want. Come in with a plan, details and examples so that you are able to clearly communicate your expectations prior to signing any contracts. If you want to be happy with a vendor then you need to arm them with everything that they need to be successful. Remember to ask questions and give your vendor the opportunity to provide feedback. As I learned in my mandatory pre-wedding counseling sessions (lol), good relationships always start with clear communication.
2. Talk budget early and often: If you’ve decided on a budget, it’s critical that you share that information with your vendor up front. You won’t have to negotiate down a totally out-of-the-ballpark price quote if you provided a range at the onset of the relationship. It’s also important to check in with vendors frequently to make sure that your project continues to fall within the agreed upon budget, and that additional time and charges will or will not be needed.
3. Let the experts do their job: I am not a florist. Nor am I a baker, DJ or a professional seamstress. In fact, I hired a florist, a baker and a DJ because I NEED them to do what they do best. Once you’ve described your vision, budget and scope sit back and give your vendor the room that they need to do their jobs.  Remember, if you can do it better – then you shouldn’t have hired anyone in the first place.
4. Get it in writing: This is a no brainer – in our world, nothing is guaranteed unless it’s in writing. When you and a vendor agree to something, even if it’s something very simple, a verbal agreement isn’t enough. Send a recap email of the conversation, ask for a revised contract or tell your vendor to add an addendum to your original scope of work.
5. Set deadlines and stay on top of them: There is no way to stay organized and on top of things without deadlines. Once you’ve signed a contract with a vendor, sit down with them and map out the relationship with a project timeline. Set deadlines, milestones and pre-scheduled meetings and then stick with the plan. If things shift (as they often do), revise the timeline and make sure that all parties agree to new timing.

The final, and most important tip is to set the expectation with all vendors that you need follow up on any deliverable or open item – this will avoid situations where you’re left wondering about status (and will cut down on overall stress for both you and your vendor).  And of course, to ensure a positive relationship it’s important to be a good client – deliver things on time, be communicative and always say thank you for a job well-done. In other words, no one likes a Bridezilla.

Agencies, what are your top vendor management tips? Vendors, do you have ideas to add to this list?

With more than 200 million users on Twitter, it has become increasingly difficult for people and brands to break through the noise that exists between them and their target audience on this medium. While Twitter may not have a ‘groups’ functionally like LinkedIn or Facebook, communities across the platform are able to directly engage and collaborate with each other through regular Twitter chats.

Similar to other types of online chats and forums, a Twitter chat involves a group of online users who use a designated hashtag on a particular day and time to discuss various topics and trends. Whether you are participating as an individual or on behalf of a brand, these chats are an effective way to grow your following and increase engagement with thought leaders in your target community.

Although joining a Twitter chat may seem intimidating, it can really be a beneficial (and fun!) experience when done effectively.  For those of you who have never joined a Twitter chat before, here are 8 things should do to make the most out of your participation:

1)   Find the right chat. Each week, hundreds of groups and organizations host Twitter chats on a wide variety of topics. From event professionals to Justin Bieber fans, there is a chat out there for everyone. Not sure which chat is best for you? Check out this running public Google Doc that keeps track of all Twitter chat schedules.

2)   Do your homework. If you’ve never joined a particular chat before, it’s important to do you’re your due diligence in understanding the community you are joining. Many chat communities have established their own rules and best practices for participation, so you’ll want to make sure you are in the loop. It’s also a good idea to ‘silently’ observe a Twitter chat before you join it so that you can get a feel for the format and flow of the chat, as well as scope out the key contributors and thought leaders.

3)   Reach out to the chat’s moderator. If you plan on joining a Twitter chat, it’s extremely beneficial to reach out to the chat’s moderator beforehand to see what questions he/she plans on asking. Knowing the agenda of the conversation will help you to determine how you can best contribute to the discussion.

4)   Take the time to prepare. Although Twitter chat conversations happen in real time, the worst thing a person or brand can do is ‘wing it’. Prior to the chat, think about the message you want to get across and how you can do so using the chat’s topic and questions.

5)   Leverage a chat tool. There are several useful social media tools that are designed for participating in Twitter chats. For example, TweetChat and TweetGrid are just two of the many sites that allow you to monitor the chat’s hashtag in real time, while also posting tweets.

6)   Actively participate. Once you’ve introduced yourself to the chat’s participants, don’t just stand by and watch the conversation happen. Find a way to contribute to conversation consistently throughout the chat and take advantage of opportunities to engage with members of the community.

7)   Don’t abuse the hashtag. Keep in mind that the purpose of joining a Twitter chat is to increase engagement and expand your social network, not to promote your product or service. If you begin using the chat’s hashtag in a self-serving or irrelevant way, you will quickly lose credibility and respect among the community.

8)   Keep in touch. Although the chat may only last an hour, the new connections you make can last a lifetime. Therefore, it is important to follow up with those you’ve engaged with and thank them for their insight. If possible, try to take the conversation to another social media platform or offline at the next industry event.

9)   Moderate the next one! Once you have successfully participated in a Twitter chat, offer to be the moderator next time. Moderating a chat opens up even more opportunities for you and your brand (more to come on this in a later post!).

Australian laundry detergent brand, Vanish NapiSan, is attempting to become the official detergent of the White House. In this video to President Obama, the company offers 25 million Australian dollars ($27.3 million) to become the official sponsor of the White House for the next five years. With the way the stock market looked this week, perhaps the President will actually consider the deal.

Whether or not President Obama takes the bait, this campaign has succeeded in generating buzz for the brand. Tying your product to one of the most recognizable buildings in America is a great way to grow brand awareness, and using comedy is an easy way to make your brand more relatable to consumers.

Do you think this is a great idea for a campaign, or is there a reason companies have never tried sponsoring the White House before?

If you haven’t had a chance to experience the Plus yet, imagine a mash-up of all the social media tools you have used, with the Google twist. For example, there’s something called “Circles,” which will allow you to filter your community into groups. You can separate your community into two different groups – lets say healthcare and education. You can include any healthcare contacts in the healthcare circle and do the same with education. Then you can send messages, information and statuses only to that specific group. While some doubt the importance to regular folks at home, it creates a very useful feature for marketers. It allows for a more dynamic way to interact with a group then say separating your network into Twitter lists or simply emailing your entire Facebook network.

Already, reports have come out announcing more features expected soon, like gaming capabilities (similar to Facebook apps), ways to check-in for deals (watch out Foursquare) and a questions platform (Quora). Could this be your one place to go for all social media needs?

I wouldn’t jump ahead in naming Google+ the end all; be all of social media feeds quite yet. While there may be a lot of marketers and PR professionals on the site right now figuring out what ways their companies can use the tools, there’s little proof that a large mass of people will use it. And without that, there’s little Google+ can do but promise.

However, in the meantime, it’s important for those in charge of brand presences online to do three things on the new platform:

1. Monitor: This adds a new way for people to communicate about your company’s offerings. It also offers another place where you can interact with a community interested in your products. It’s definitely worth joining those conversations, whether they are on Twitter, Google+ or whatever other platform comes in the future
2. Target: With some of the capabilities highlighted in the first installment of Google+, it provides the opportunity to target the message. This could become the greatest asset that Google+ provides, and definitely worth trying out
3. Experiment: With the new tools, the winners on the platform will be the brave. Those who jump on the platform quickly, with a clear message and fun tools could find a large network, very quickly, once Google+ moves out of beta and creates tools for companies to add presences

Has anyone seen any really interesting Google+ presences yet?

In addition to the quality of speakers and program topics, BDI focuses each of its event on a specific vertical or industry, allowing attendees to take a deep dive into their area of expertise. For this particular event, the topic was focused on case studies and examples of how leading B2B organizations connect with customers, prospects, employees, partners, and the media through social communications.

Between the speaker presentations and the closing panel discussion, attendees were offered tips, best practices and real-life examples on how to successfully execute social media for B2B brands.  Here are just five of the many takeaways I took home from the event:

1. Video + comedy = B2B social media success. Tim Washer, social media manager for Cisco Systems started off the morning with an insightful presentation on the importance of humanizing your B2B social media strategy. And what better way to evoke human emotion then with a hilarious viral video? Whether it’s for a B2C or B2b audience, when done correctly, videos allow brands to cut through the noise and create an instant bond with their target audience.

2. 75% of marketers do not have an ROI program in place for social media. Umm…what!? This was just one of the many interesting (and shocking!) statistics revealed by Robert Felsenthal, Vice President and Publisher, BtoB Magazine, from the magazine’s latest report on emerging trends in B2B social media marketing.

3. The total number of followers is mostly irrelevant, according to corporate communicators Paul Gennaro and Joe O’Neill, from AECOM. When it comes to measuring success for B2B social media, dialogue with potential customers and their constituents is much more valuable.

4. Don’t mistake social media tactics for social media strategy. Several years ago, social media was viewed as just another channel for distributing content and messaging. However, as pointed out by Lori Feldman and Alexandra Tyler, Director and VP, branded & social media marketing of Citi Global Transaction Services, the medium is now the message. Therefore, B2B marketers need to look at the big picture of their social media efforts, not just the day-to-day check boxes.

5. Social media platforms are free but your time is not. Affect’s own president & founder, Sandra Fathi, closed the morning of presentations urging B2B marketers to focus on the goals & measurement of their social media efforts. In most cases, “we need to be on social media because our competitors are on social media” is not a good enough reason to just start aimlessly tweeting. At the end of the day, just like any other marketing program, marketers will need to address the ROI elephant in the room. Without a strong measurement plan in place, these same marketers will lose their social media budget just as quick as they received it.

Want to hear more takeaways and insights from the event? Check out the speakers’ presentations on Slideshare.net or check out the recap of the event’s Twitter stream.

Have your own thoughts on the topic? Leave them in the comments section below!

Wrong.

One of the most often forgotten – but crucial – last steps of any program should be a project debrief. Trust me, I can see why we forget or sometimes choose to skip this step. If the project went well, the last thing you’d want to do is sit down and obsess over the little things that went wrong.

However, a project debrief is the key to making every next assignment smoother, more creative, and more seamless for everyone involved. Identifying key successes, areas for improvement and then creating next steps is a great way to wrap-up your campaign, while also preparing yourself for the next time a similar project comes along.

Many of us have sat through boring team debriefs, or perhaps ones that turned ugly. Recently I did a lot of research for a debrief of my own, and I wanted to share some best practices here below:

• Getting Started: One of the key mistakes debrief leaders make is in opening up the floor as a “free for all” on what went wrong. Instead, create a setting where each person can jot down the answers to three key questions: What Worked, What Needs Improvement and Next Steps. You’ll find that each member of the team can then write down their private thoughts, without being swayed by the group. One interesting way I’ve seen this done is using post its, where at the end of the time team members post them on the wall to see what literally, “sticks.”
• There is No Wrong Answer: Create an atmosphere where nothing is off limits, while also guiding the discussions towards the projects key issue areas. Provide a “Food for Thought” list that outlines the major project areas and decisions to prompt these answers.
• Okay, But Why? A project debrief leader should never make statements – instead, keep asking questions. After all of your team members have shared their answers, make sure that you ask, “Why?”
• What’s Next? Debriefs are not team therapy sessions. Instead, create a real action plan for change. Often, there are immediate action items your team can put into place either to plan for the next project, or in creating new policies and procedures.

What are some other debrief tactics that have worked for you and your teams? Share in the comments below!

1) Plan Your Intro. When approaching someone you don’t know, think about an opening line (just don’t ask them if they come here often). A tried and true approach is to inquire about their connection to the organization hosting the event.

2) Engage the loner. Have you ever been at an event where you know no one, and are tempted to hide out near the buffet table, but then someone approaches you and makes an introduction? Now think about how grateful you were that someone engaged you. The loner nursing a beer and scanning his BlackBerry in the corner may in fact be a great contact for you.

3) Ask compelling questions. Take the conversation beyond small talk, and ask them interesting questions that aren’t too focused on business, but could lead to a lively discussion. For example, you may ask, “have you read any books or articles that really stuck with you recently?” or  “did you hear that a couple in Israel named their child ‘like’ in an homage to Facebook?”

4) Plan an escape route. There is nothing wrong with bowing out of a conversation that has run its course. At any point, you can simply say, “it was great to meet you. Keep in touch, here’s my card.” They will probably be relieved to move on as well.

5) Follow-up is key. The day after an event, examine your stack of business cards. For people who would make a good addition to your network, drop them a casual, non-salesy email. Tell them you enjoyed meeting them and note one personal piece of your conversation. Consider adding them to your network on LinkedIn and following them on Twitter as well.

There are scores of articles published offering their own set of networking tips. The best one I’ve found is a compilation of crowdsourced tips (read it here). My favorite – never use the word “I” until the third sentence.

I’ll no doubt be using these strategies at Affect’s office warming party tonight, where we will show off our sparkling new space to friends, clients and partners.

Do you have any tips to share?

Image courtesy blog.larrybodine.com