Christmas time is here

Every company is trying to express these days its gratitude for all the good things that happen during 2009 and in the same time not spend so many cash on gifts and greetings GMP had an excellent idea, to make a group of singers and go from client to client and sing a few carols in order to cheer up people for the holidays and express “thanks” for the collaboration and of course a warm “Happy New Year”. The singer group was formed out of volunteers with voices, a canto teacher was asked to give some useful suggestions to them and up they went...to clients all around Bucharest. All the cash clients were willing to spend for a jolly Christmas song was donated to a poor family, with 7 children, so that they can afford a proper Christmas dinner and to buy necessary surviving things in the house.

Have a jolly Merry Christmas time!!

TV Mania Awards

Nice, what can I say…but I have seen them doing nicer. It was visible that the budget of this year was one suitable for a crisis, nevertheless stars were present.

Talking about stars, it seems that we start to loos stars, or they start to be less interested in showing of at such events. I remember last year, glamorous....a lot of people, a lot of VIP. Media is going through a very difficult period – reflecting also on the PR work. Media suffers, PR has to innovate in order to reach CEO’s expectations.

But coming back to the topic....at least this year Mircea Radu was not among the sexiest TV stars in Romania, finally a change.

TV Mania has past its time, the glorious times are gone, perhaps next year we will see an online show, on Facebook or on any other social media platform....thinks are changing fast nowadays.

Some thoughts

I mentioned in a past post, that people see social media as an alternative to traditional media. Then and now I have to contradict this point. Social media is not that developed now in order to compete with broadcast, let’s say, on the other hand print starts suffering from the recession and it disappears, it becomes thinner or it starts to have only paid content. The solution would be to combine the two channels, find the perfect equilibrium for your objectives.
On the other hand, it is very interesting to see that at European level, communication professionals see as being the two most important media categories to help reach their goals: print (38%) and broadcast (24%).
Pitching stories, on the other hand, has become more difficult. We have to change the approach – maybe in format closer to the social media approach. Social media is also important when we prepare an interview: search on google about the topic and find out what possible background the journalist has on the specific subject. The journalists definitely used google for its research.
Print, broadcast, social media, viral…you have to decide for the channels that best reaches the target and achieves the objectives.

Objectives and evaluation

When developing a campaign – corporate or brand – it is important to understand the objectives of the CEO, experts say: “do management audits on expectations”. A recent PR News/BurrellesLuce survey identified the following as management’s view of the purpose of PR:
· Getting the name of the organization/brand in the media – 23%
· Maintain and rebuild reputation – 22%
· passing on the organization story to the media – 21%
· generate sales – 16%

When PR people were asked how they would like their job to be perceived:
· Maintain and rebuild reputation – 22%
· passing on the organization story to the media – 20%
· offering strategic advice to top management – 20%
· Getting the name of the organization/brand in the media – 19%

Similar priorities, different order. Thus, when you start a campaign, ask for the objectives of the top management – because they will be different. Not necessary realist or measurable, but at least you know from the beginning what the expectations are and you can then try to adjustment and make them feasible for a PR campaign – and then explain why.

If we reached the objectives, only a proper evaluation can confirm this. Let’s make an overview on the measuring tactics, and as I talk about “change”, let’s see on online. The KPI’s for online include awareness, consideration, action, loyalty and engagement.
· For awareness: share of voice for competitors, search visibility, monthly traffic, page views
· For engagement: conversation topics and trends, time spend on site, comments, ratings, forwards
· Action: signs-up, contest entries, content submitted, downloads, purchases
· Loyalty: followers, fans, RSS subscribers, e-mail subscriber, bookmarks, recommendations

Green Conference

I was at the Green Conference, a conference organized for CSR people and all those in communication dealing with responsibility. NGO’s where also invited.
The sessions were ok, let’s say…not necessary a news, but interesting to hear about different strategies and positioning.

The most dynamic session was the one about CSR and social media, especially bloggers. Buddha was annoyed by the fact that he accepts the invitations of NGO’s or companies to participate at different CSR projects, but the results remain a mystery for him. Nobody tells him how the campaign ended…and this is an important part of any collaboration. We know this….”tank you for getting involved, these are the results you helped reached”…. So he said that it is a win-win situation “I do not need money, not always, but do not make me lose face in front of my community”. It is true, they trust him, and they click on the link for him…so, at least he can tell everybody what they achieved.

The conference ended with two interesting speeches. One of the guys, Adrian Soare, asked the question of the day: “Why are you here?” Nobody felt the need of such a question…but the room was expecting it. Expectations of the participants were reached at the end of the conference….which could be a bed sign for the organizers. Speakers should have asked this question at the very beginning.

Another speaker, Adrian Ciubotaru, had also some very interesting facts to talk about. He is a very social person, CSR is in his blood. He says that social media is the shortest way from the desire to interact with others to the desire to change the world in which we all live.
In conclusion “social media is the nicest place where passion can replace the budget” – thus the perfect place to do CSR.

Energy Forum, Gala Dinner

I was two nights ago at the Energy Forum Gala Dinner, event organized by Forum Invest. I was together with Laura Florea, Managing Partner Point PA. We were sitting next representatives from Alpha Bank, KLC, STX Europe, AECOM and White&Case. A sitting dinner as any other, but a moment caught my interest. It was a CSR moment, as a call it, a moment of giving to the less fortunate. People in the room donated money for 6 children in Bucharest to go to the circus, because they never have seen one. I imagine that there are a lot of children in Romania which have not seen a circus show. Anyway, all participants entered a “lottery”, having the chance to win a voucher with a discount of 20.000 euro or 40.000 euro for an apartment in one of the most luxurious new build quarters in Bucharest. Interesting…what can I say. If the apartment costs 2 mil euro, a 40.000 discount is like peanuts. Anyway, it was an interesting approach; I only hope that the health ministry does not close the Circus until the next show – because of the flu. I think that this worked because of the children, and because the audience was one willing to share, and not because of the vouchers – I found them inappropriate.

Convention of Media Organizations

I was today invited at the Convention of Media Organizations, a seminar talking about how the crisis is affecting mass media. The same issues came into discussion, the one that we have all felt from the beginning of the year.

Some numbers were mentioned:

• Advertising dropped with 35% in TV, 53% in print media and 40% in radio
• 1500 journalists were laid off (I heard that in the UK the number reached this year 3000 people)
• Salaries decries by 50% in some editorial offices
• Around 20 law suits were started, journalists against media groups

Some journalists present at the conference talked about how the Government can help in this situation, other, more pessimistic or if I may say, more realistic, said that media most not search for help from the Government, because the Government at this point has no interest to help.

The discussion turned also to the Internet, as a solution for media, and an intervention of Ciprian Stoianovici (head of news department at Radio 21 and member of The Association of Romanian Journalists) I found very intriguing. He said that the Internet will never reach the informational level as the print media reached last year, not event in 50 years. The motives are technology problems and penetration of the Internet – few use Internet in comparison with media.

Another subject Ciprian talked about was in relation with the “morgue of the Romanian media” (interesting description). Everybody expected from the crisis to divide good media from bad media (the publications with unsound involvement) – after the crisis good media would have survived. Unfortunately things look a little bit different = good media is slowly dying. He said that spring will come and find half of the media existing now. If we look at what recently happened in media, I am more than willing to believe him.

All these effects of the crisis on media have direct impact on PR. And when I say direct impact, I am thinking about the day to day communications activities but also about “media campaigns” that have as main objectives blackmail – as a tool for survival. The freedom of expression and the freedom for information have nowadays new meanings.

We are facing sad times here. Journalist are put in the impossibility to practice objective journalism (either they are forced to act in the economical advantage of the media owner or they are forced to search for other jobs), PR people must find alternative communication channels and tools to fight off hungry media and the population has less and less access to real information.

Effect of crisis on media

It started at the beginning of the year, or at least at that point it was noticeable. It got worse in summer and it continues ... the crisis has strong effects on mass media. After publications started to reduce the editorial staff, cut down salaries and any other bonuses, reduced the number of pages and focused more on online...now, mass media owners are using a management buyout solution in order for publications to survive. The discussion is more like “dear editor in chief, if you don’t buy this publication I will close it”...interesting approach, at least this is what happens now with all lifestyle publications of Realitatea Catavencu. It seems that Tabu would be difficult to save...Anyway, crisis strikes again!

The effect of the crisis on media is intensively felt by PR people as well. Now we have fewer publications to pitch our stories to, and in addition, journalists are more focused on advertising than on finding the story. It is said that 20% of journalists today are involved in signing advertising contracts. This is depressing! We see it every day, it is harder to put our story into the media, but as I told one of my colleagues yesterday: we are the lucky ones, we witness first hand these changes, we face them, and we get ahead of them.

PR in Romania is now maturing, PR people learn to be more in touch with journalists needs (or at least they should), they become more creative (because the first hand story is no longer of interest for media) and they need to find alternatives to print media, if they want coverage. Interesting times we are facing! :)

My PR bucket list

I broke the first rule of blogging – writing constantly :) I was in holiday for two weeks, and the weeks before I had no time to do this….so, as it turns out, I am not a professional blogger :)

Why am I writing in English? Because I want to talk to you about a professional bucket list, and one point on my list is “my blog to be a point for reference for students”...why not international PR students :) ?!

So, let’s talk about my PR bucket list, like in the movie with Jack Nicolson, interesting movie

1. To coordinate the communication strategy of multiple countries, inside a global company or a global PR agency
2. The be on speed dial on CEOs cell phones when it comes to crisis management
3. My blog to become a helpful support for PR students
4. To pitch a story that will be picked up by international media
5. To be the initiator of a TV show for one of my clients
6. To manage the PR for my own spa hotel

That’s it, until now. The list will probably change in time, new items will be added, and old ones will be deleted. How does your list look like? Regardless of the profession you are in...

Esti brand? Esti pe Twitter?

Jim Jansen a citit o jumatate de milion de tweets, pentru un research, si a concluzionat ca 20% dintre acestea contineau informatii despre un brand sau solicitau informatii despre un brand.

Cu aproximativ 6 milioane de utilizatori activi (si o estimare de 20 de milioane pana la sf anului) Twitter nu mai poate fi ignorat de brand-uri. Daca pretinzi ca esti un brand, tb sa fii pe Twitter, zic eu….Nu doar sa monitorizezi reactiile clientilor fata de produsul/serviciul tau, sau sa descoperi care sunt problemele lor cu ceea ce le oferi, ci sa le si raspunzi daca intreaba despre un produs/serviciu pe care il oferi.

Brand-urile din Romania trebuie sa profite de aceste date si sa nu mai astepte al XII-lea ceas (cum o fac de fiecare data) pentru a face ceva. Sa nu mai avem atitudinea: "pana ajunge Romania la nivelul ala, mai trec ani si ani, ce atata graba", sau mai dragutz: "in Romania nu sunt chiar atat de multi utilizatori de Twitter"

Interesant de vazut cate brand-uri romanesti sunt la ora actuala pe Twitter.

O alta informatie interesanta ref brand si Twitter: multe televiziuni incearca sa faca rating prin Twitter...ma refer la televiziuni din tari mature pe partea de social media :) Interesant sa vezi cum incearca sa isi gaseasca prezentatori tineri care sa fie appealing pt targetul de pe net...daca imi place de ei pe Twitter vreau probabil sa ii si vad live la TV...cool :), creste rating-ul, creste advertising-ul :)

Lansare pe 2 roti pt vopsea de par de la Schwarzkopf

Sa lansezi o vopsea de par...cum? Sa inviti presa intr-o sala, undeva...oriunde...chiar si intr-un club misto....nimic nou! Sa vopsesti o cladire sau niste monumente in diferite culori pt a arata varietatea si eficienta acestui nou produs....un gand la prima mana!

Azi Roxana a lansat Brillance de la Schwarzkopf & Henkel! Cum? Pe doua roti, cu fete frumoase, prin Bucuresti. ....a fost perfect, a fost cu buzz....presa a venit, televiziunile au avut ce sa filmeze....si produsul a fost lansat intr-un mod memorabil :) ... in stilul GMP PR :)

Concept: Brilliance aduce culoare intr-un oras gri, un oras cuprins incet, incet de o toamna neprietenoasa :)

PR inedit pe Facebook?

Apropo de post-ul anterior - miscarea maselor prin canale de social media. De citit articolul din Business Standard care vorbeste despre lansarea unui manifest al unei femei de afaceri din Romania pe Facebook: “Si tu, si eu, cunoastem cel putin cinci oameni inteligenti care ne-ar putea reprezenta mai bine in Parlamentul European decat EBA sau Becali”.
Sa fie oare PR sau o miscare sociala?

Companiile si social media

Toata lumea face training , cauta seminarii si congrese pe despre social media...totusi, nu cred ca este suficient....ca sa intelegi cum functioneaza social media trebuie in primul rand sa te arunci tu in marea involburata a online-ului. Ai blog, esti pe twitter, cum stai pe facebook? Este important sa deprinzi tainele acestui tool de comunicare prin practica in primul rand.

Departamentele PR din companii nu prea fac social media, si cele care practica o fac pur teoretic. Am cunoscut putine companii care au in departamentul de comunicare un om care sa stea tot timpul online, care sa fie activ pe toate canalele de social media, care sa utilizeze toate aceste instrumente si care sa gandeasca strategii in acest sens...Totul pare teorie aplicata.

Pe langa corporate, brand, crisis communication, si altele de genul asta, o agentie de PR are nevoie si ea de experti in social media. Deja unele agentii se pozitioneaza ca agentii bune pe partea de PR online, din pacate insa exemplele de good practice sunt aproape de zero.

Companiile se tem atunci cand afla ca angajatii lor au blog, comunica pe twitter sau au multi prieteni pe facebook. De ce se tem? Pentru ca simt cum pierd controlul asupra mesajelor corporatiste. Realitatea: companiile nu mai detin controlul de mult! Solutia: companiile trebuie sa intre in hora.

PR-ul este despre influenta, iar social media este un tool perfect pentru asta - trebuie sa "jucam hora" si sa aplicam pasii invatati in comunicarea cu publicurile companiei care, by the way, toate sunt online acum!

Sa nu reducem totusi social media la a scrie pe blog, a fi activ pe twitter si a vinde subiecte catre bloggeri.

In acest moment, foarte putini manageri sunt dispusi sa plateasca un salariu lunar fix pentru un om care sa fie online tot timpul. Partea comica este ca un astfel de om poate, la un moment dat, sa iti semnaleze o criza cu cateva ore, sau chiar zile, inainte ca ea sa apara pe toate posturile TV din tara - deci sa salveze cateva milioane bune din business. Asta trebuie sa dea de gandit oricarui CEO.

Ma tenteaza sa lansez un studiu pentru a afla cati manageri sunt dispusi sa angajeze un astfel de om, sau sa investeasca in instruirea unuia, cati sunt gata sa fie mai activi online si cati inteleg adevarata valoare a social media.

Credibilitatea

Primul Ministru a vorbit zilele trecute despre salariile de la o institutie de stat unde un sofer are 40 milioane pe luna. La Realitatea TV a intrat in direct purtatorul de cuvant al respectivei institutii si a inceput sa citeasca salariile. De altfel, o interventie pe care orice specialist PR poate ar fi facut-o - nu in forma asta, daca ma intrebi pe mine, nu purtatorul de cuvand si poate nu prin telefon...oricum, ideea este ca pe burtiera a ramas in continuare salariul de cateva zeci de milioane pentru ca se presupune ca dl Prim Ministru este al doilea cel mai informat om din stat....Deci, ce conteaza care este adevarul, important este cine este mai credibil, cine are functia cea mai credibila....Cam asa se intampla de fiecare data: un ONG este mai credibil decat o companie care face zeci de milioane de euro anual (si poate nu toti legali); presedintele statului este mai credibil decat o companie privata; la OTV aseara victima era mai credibila decat prostituata care a omorat personajul respectiv.... Este greu sa te lupti cu perceptiile, mai ales dupa ce sunt inradacinate, depui un efort inutil - recomand in acest sens cartea "Made to stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die." Dupa ce o idee a fost bine inradacinata in mintea consumatorului este greu sa o dezlipesti :) cel mai bine este sa lipesti altceva peste :) .... sau sa te faci cel mai credibil in gasca ta de stakeholderi, dar nu o sa iti iasa in totalitate :)

Este stiut ca un CEO in ziua de azi are fobia pierderii reputatiei (implicit a credibilitatii), cu atatea exemple in jur, nici nu ma mira.

Cum iti merge draga mass media?

In dimineata aceasta am luat micul dejun alaturi de un jurnalist pasionat, istet si cu initiativa. Am avut parte de discutia perfecta la o cafea, intr-o zi de vineri.

Concluzia discutiei: o sa urmeze zile grele pentru presa din Romania. Nici nu ma indoiam de asta...pe de o parte cad ziare, pe de alta parte jurnalistii buni sunt descurajati sa mai creada in aceasta institutie si in plus, alte publicatii cresc nefiresc de repede.

Ma astept ca publicatii precum Adevarul sa resimta criza la sfarsitul anului...merge totul mult prea repede .....nu e sustenabil in conditiile de azi.

Cotidianul de vineri are in mod normal 24 de pagini, azi a iesit insa cu 16....nu mai are cine sa scrie, sau cine trebuie sa scrie nu mai este motivat sa o faca....Mare pacat, Cotidianul a fost un trendsetter pentru presa din Romania, multe publicatii acum copiaza din strategia ziarului. Cotidianul a construit pe experienta si pozitia unor jurnalisti de renume, si-a asumat un public de nisa, a separat continutul editorial de cel redactional, a adus conceptul de carte+ziar in Romania, a adus conceptul de "sa scriem povesti despre oameni" si nu doar stiri. Un ziar pe care l-am apreciat, un ziar cu jurnalisti buni, acum pierde...si cred ca nu o sa asistam la o renastere, ci la ultimele zile de zbatere inainte de disparitie.

Si, ca sa finalizez in ton cu libelula :)....online-ul o sa creasca si cei care stiu sa se foloseasca de toate resursele pe care le detin in prezent o sa castige. Deci, la mai mare pentru cei creativi!

Ceva despre weekend...

Poate o persoana sa se simta bine intr-o situatie de tipul ZEN precum si intr-o situatie cu adrenalina maxima? Eu nu am crezut posibil asa ceva, dar am fost in situatia asta in weekend....vineri seara am fost la Casa Satya unde a fost extrem de relaxant a la Yin si Yang, iar duminica am fost la karting....ambele situatii au fost mai mult decat placute....O persoana, doua abordari diferite asupra vietii, ambele cu efect placut...asa da weekend :)

Social media

Social media, pe buzele PR-istilor :) in ultima perioada - adica de ceva vreme ne axam foarte mult pe acest termen. Ca vrem sa stim mai multe sau ca vorbim despre el, PR-ul este asaltat de acest termen. Si eu ... pentru ca sunt un training freek (daca nu fac 2-3 training-uri pe an simt ca ma sufoc profesional :)) o sa asist la un training pe social media saptamana asta.

Pentru mood, iata un film interesant:



Pentru training, am fost rugata sa pun niste intrebari - oare cu ce vreau eu sa ies din acest training? Buna provocare....
La ce m-am gandit:
1. Care este cea mai buna campanie de com pe online si de ce - de la noi din tara vreau sa zic? Sa aflam si noi niste good practice? Si cea mai nasoala :)
2. Cum trebuie sa arate un blog de companie astfel incat sa fie appealing pt bloggeri?
3. Cum le place bloggerilor sa fie pitch-uiti?
4. Cum masuram ROI pt o camp de social media? Cum masuram o campanie online? Cu ce instrumente? In fct de ce indicatori?
5. Cum construim o comunitate in jurul unui blog/corporate website? Cum pastram comunitatea? Cum o putem activa? Cat de usor se poate activa o comunitate din jurul unui blog?
6. Ce bloguri scrise de PRisti citesc bloggerii si de ce? De fapt citesc blogguri de PR-isti? Sunt interesati sa afle cum gandeste un PRist? - pana la urma ma gandesc ca suntem toti oameni si vrem sa stim cum functioneaza cel de langa noi.
7. Exista anumite reguli de etica pe care le respecta bloggeri?

In concluzie despre social media: if the information is important, it will find me!

Cat de mica este lumea noastra

In weekend am fost in Parcul Natural Comana. Foarte frumoasa zona, un adevarat spectacol al naturii. Dar cu greu am ajuns, pentru ca semnele erau rare, uneori greu de interpretat, dar ce a fost mai trist, este ca la 2-3 km distanta de parc o mama cu un copil in brate nu stia unde este sau ce este acest parc. Am oprit, am intrebat pe unde se intra si raspunsul a fost unul foarte trist "nu stiu niciun parc".... Cat de mica sa fie lumea unora?

Noi facem branding, comunicam, suntem obisnuiti ca lumea sa fie informata, sa stie ce e in jurul lor, ce se intampla la mii de km distanta...dar iata, aici, o mama cu un copil nu stie mai mult decat ograda si nevoile ei. Poate e bine sa gandim campanii pentru cei de mai aprope de subiect, dupa care sa extindem aria de acoperire. De fapt, piramida lui Maslow se aplica aici...trist...

O tara avem, si romanii nu stiu de ea :(

P.S. In parc se spune ca sunt peste 10 specii de libelule, dar nu am zarit nici macar una :(

Cand presa din Bucuresti pleaca la Timisoara

De vineri dimineata pana sambata seara am fost la Timisoara cu 8 jurnaliste si un blogger simpatic :) A fost un press trip extrem de reusit, in care toata lumea s-a simtit bine si a plecat cu amintiri placute.

Ce am facut acolo? Am vizitat fabrica Ursus Breweries din Timisoara, am asistat la deschiderea Serbarilor Timisoreana si am vizitat orasul cu un ghid foarte constiincios - nu ne-a lasat sa ne odihnim pana ce nu ne-a aratat tot ce trebuia sa vedem :). Au fost doua zile pline de voie buna! Combinatia perfecta: fun and work - o formula corecta pentru orice press trip.

Trebuie sa ma tin de promisiune si sa organizez un meeting, tot in formatia asta, cat de curand.

Formatia a fost:

randul de sus de la stg la dr: Ada de la Business Standard, Diana de la ZF, Amalia de la Capital, Roxana de la NewsIn, Alina de la wall-street.ro, Mirela de la Ursus Breweries, moi, Andrei de la GMP PR

randul de jos de la stg la dr: Madalina de la dailybusiness.ro, Alex bloggerul nostru :), Andreea de la hotnews.ro si Andreea de la Business Magazin

Care este limba adevarului?

Zilele trecute mi s-a spus ca limba germana ar fi singura limba in care se poate exprima adevarul (?) cu multe semne de intrebare din partea mea. Totul a pornit de la cuvantul "Wahrheit". In ultimele zile am tot citit, cautat, interpretat...nimic insa nu ma face sa cred asta.

Limba germana este limba cu cele mai multe cuvinte - oare poate o astfel de limba sa exprime adevarul adevarat?!

Extrapoland, PR-ul in limba germana este "adevaratul" PR? :) Vorbim de o limba cu foarte multe cuvinte compuse, cuvinte lungi...cand eram la scoala si aveam dictare, un cuvant era un rand :) asa cum scriam eu labartat.

Limba germana e pentru mine limba materna din multe puncte de vedere, dar nu am vazut-o niciodata ca fiind singura limba prin care se poate exprima adevarul. Trebuie sa mai cercetez in acest sens, pentru ca este un subiect foarte interesant :) Pe mine ma intereseaza mai mult din perspectiva comunicarii, cat de adevarat este PR-ul in Germania. Sau altfel pusa problema, sa fie oare in Germania mai greu sa ascunzi un adevar :)?

O sa arunc intrebarea asta si unor PR-isti din Germania, sa vedem care este si perceptia lor.

Eu stiu insa teoria redundantei care spune ca "adevart" este un cuvant care poate sa dispara din dictionare. Daca spun "este adevarat ca 5 este un nr prim" suna reduntant, nu? Nu e mai ok sa spunem "5 este un nr prim" si atat? Din punctul meu de vedere este corect...deci? :)