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From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Earlier this week I was chatting with one of my colleagues about Time magazine’s suspension of respected writer and CNN TV host Fareed Zakaria for plagiarism. It got me thinking about the topic and I decided it might be helpful to offer a reminder of what plagiarism is as well as tips on how to avoid it.
I found an insightful website created by Plagiarism.org, a subsidiary of iParadigms, LLC, a company developing web-based solutions to prevent plagiarism. On the site, you’ll find a definition of plagiarism from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster, to “plagiarize” means to:
- steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
- use (another’s production) without crediting the source
- commit literary theft
- present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
Plagiarism.org goes a step further to explain that “plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else’s work and lying about it afterward.”
The Associated Press posts the following statement on its website: “An AP staffer who reports and writes a story must use original content, language and phrasing. We do not plagiarize, meaning that we do not take the work of others and pass it off as our own.”
Clearly with the amount of information available on the Internet it is easy to access the ideas of others. So how does one avoid making a mistake and being accused of plagiarism? Citing sources and giving credit to others is the name of the game.
To aid all of us who write, the Plagiarism.org website also provides resources for people who are striving to maintain the integrity of their written work. There are several pages devoted to topics such as when to cite sources, how to determine if information is common knowledge, and how to cite material. While much of this information appears to be written for students, there are some good tips for those of us writing for work or fun. When in doubt, it is always better to be safe than sorry and cite sources.
Managing your work day, from task lists to time management to email, is all a personal preference. Everyone has their own style and it is essential to find what works best for you to work most efficiently.
I recently looked at my inbox and realized that it was distracting me — I wasn’t being as efficient as possible because I was responding to emails immediately, whether it interrupted my current focus or not. While there is nothing wrong with a prompt response, and likely encouraged in professional services, with some simple adjustments you can regain control of your email inbox, increase your productivity, and overcome email overload.
One of our clients told me that he only spends two hours a day answering email. I’ve also received out-of-office messages from reporters who have said they review email twice a day and if it is outside that window, they will not respond. Setting boundaries like those might be helpful for someone feeling overwhelmed with email. However, as email piles up outside of that window, it can feel unmanageable.
I came across an article in Ragan.com titled, “7 ways to manage email overload,” by Holly Reisem Hanna that offers some additional advice I found helpful.
I’ve highlighted a few tips from the article, coupled with my own experience, below:
- Creating an email schedule. Keeping your email open throughout the day can be distracting. There are times that I need to focus on a big project and I will close my inbox for periods of time. Hanna points out that keeping your inbox open all day controls how you work, and she suggests scheduling one to three times a day to answer emails. This might not sound realistic, but if you keep coworkers and clients in the loop, similar to the journalist I mentioned above, there won’t be any surprises.
- Get email organized. The first thing that I did when I started at CPR was create folders for each client, but depending on individual projects, that process has evolved. For example, I have “blog” folders for some clients. This allows folders to be easily searchable. Hannah suggests creating a follow-up folder, a hold folder, and an archive folder. I like the idea of a follow-up folder to easily locate items that need to be addressed, but don’t take up space in my inbox.
- Implement the two-minute rule. Creating a two-minute rule is an easy way to get emails out of your inbox and help that overwhelming feeling. The rule is easy to follow: If an email will take two minutes or less, answer it. If the email requires more in-depth thought, file it in your follow-up folder. Typically, I flag emails that require more thought with a red marker in Outlook to review later in the day. My colleague shared that she files the email and adds it to her to-do list to follow-up later.
- Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters. I know that I was spending far too much time deleting unwanted emails from subscriptions that I didn’t need. Many websites require you to sign up to gain access to materials, but make it a habit to immediately unsubscribe to newsletters so they don’t clog your inbox. I also subscribe to Google Alerts for certain topics, but realized I had not updated my keywords for accounts I no longer support. Some subscriptions are necessary, but you can create a rule or filter in Outlook that automatically sends the newsletter to a folder to read later.
- Be concise. Sometimes we get bogged down in crafting the perfect reply, but in most cases, a concise email is the most effective. It can be helpful to have a colleague quickly review your email to ensure your message is clear and concise. Additionally, Hannah suggests crafting a descriptive subject line that will help your recipient quickly gauge what your email is about. For more tips on subject lines read my previous blog post, “Subject Lines That Are Sexy.”
I know that I will implement some of these tips into my email management in the future. What tricks do you have for managing email?
The functionality of cellphones has shifted dramatically over the past few years. Today, people are accessing vast amounts of information, updating their social media profiles, watching videos and playing games all from their mobile phones. As convenient (and fun) as this may be, it comes with a price tag. Most cellphone providers have a limit on the amount of data a user can consume each month without additional charges.
As a college student (and Communiqué PR intern), I feel as if I am constantly using my cellphone to be online, and I need to be cautious about avoiding data overage charges that are deceivingly easy to accumulate. Thankfully, there are ways to monitor one’s data consumption, and be warned about possible data overages before it is too late.
Consider Communiqué PR client Mobidia Technology Inc., the maker of My Data Manager, a smartphone application that provides data usage tracking functionality. Through this application, users can better understand and manage their data consumption and Mobidia is able to provide mobile operators with unique insight into subscriber behavior surrounding data usage.
This year, Mobidia and Informa Telecoms & Media collaborated to analyze data collected from hundreds of thousands of global smartphone users to determine data-usage trends. This discovery allowed them to publish their second whitepaper titled, “Understanding Today’s Smartphone Users” and engaged Communiqué PR to generate awareness of its availability. Specifically, we were chartered with editing the press release, developing a media list, distributing the news and coordinating the wire distribution.
To date the following seven news outlets have written about the availability of the whitepaper:
- FierceWireless – published on August 1, 2012
- Thephonecast.com – published on August 1, 2012
- Business in Vancouver – published on August 7, 2012
- Globe in Mail – published on August 2, 2012
- Wireless Week – published on August 2, 2012
- IMTC – published on August 2, 2012
- Telecommunications Wireless – published on August 2, 2012
Within the first 24 hours after the press release, this coverage resulted in approximately 50 downloads for Mobidia’s latest whitepapers. It was exciting for our team to be part of such an interesting and relevant discovery.
For more information on our involvement with Mobidia, read our past blog titled, “Mobidia Provides Perspective on Mobile Network Congestion.”
“Can you review this document?” “What do you think about this word choice?” “Let’s brainstorm on this project for a minute!” These phrases probably sound familiar. In a collaborative work environment, one that many businesses aspire to create, interruptions can be the norm. While there can be merits to interruptions – a needed mental break, connecting with colleagues – there can also be downsides.
You might consider setting aside certain hours for closing your door, popping in your headphones or hiding in an office and getting work done. But in the post, “Does Helping Others Hurt Your Creativity? The Cost of Interruption,” the author highlighted a report published in “Applied Psychology,” in which “…researchers in Germany and Switzerland report that periods of quiet time actually harmed the performance of help-seekers and help-givers.”
Of course, each environment is different and thus, certain methods for dealing with interruptions would be more effective than others.
Here are some tips that I picked up along the way:
- Headphones: Wearing headphones can block out unwanted sound and indicate to others that you’re focused and don’t want to be bothered. Being interrupted also requires the other person to forcefully interrupt you if you can’t hear them speaking to you and then wait for you to pause music and take the headphones out. It can be a deterrent for others wanting to bother you because they know it will take effort on their part. Additionally, if you’re actually blasting music, this might get around the quiet time being harmful. I find music to inspire, give me energy and increase my focus and creativity.
- Awareness: Telling your coworkers you need to go “heads down” for a few hours can go a long way in helping you avoid interruptions. If you have an IM program you use to communicate with coworkers, putting up a status message letting people know you are busy and don’t want to be disturbed can help as well.
- Promising to follow up: If you do get interrupted, it’s okay to let the other person know you are working against a deadline and will follow up with them once you’re free or at a certain time. Acknowledge the importance of the conversation and remain positive, but note your competing priority.
- Working from home: I find that I get more accomplished when I work from home because it’s an extended period of quiet time and there are fewer interruptions throughout the day. If you are able to spend a half or full day at home to focus, you should take advantage and see whether it’s effective for you.
- Block time on your calendar: What if you’re the person getting distracted and interrupting others? Scheduling time on your calendar to complete tasks can allow you to plan out your day and increase efficiency. Knowing what you should be doing during a certain time could help you remain focused.
What methods have you found to be effective when you’re trying to focus? Do you find certain methods more effective based on your environment and customize them appropriately?
I hear it all too often and, to be honest, I’ve been guilty of it as well: “Let’s create a viral video to drive buzz, raise awareness, etc., etc.” Sounds like a great strategy, but the truth is you can’t really create a viral video. In reality, all you can do is create the video and it either goes viral, or it doesn’t. Whether a video goes viral isn’t your choice, your company’s choice or your client’s choice – rather, it’s the audience who decides.
I recently came across an eye-opening Fast Company articled written by Scott Stratten titled, “Why No One Will Watch Your Crappy Corporate ‘Viral Video, And How To Fix It.’” The author hit the nail on the head. While you can’t just decide to create a viral video, there’s one critical step you can take to compel your audience to broadly share your video: Evoke strong emotion.
Think about this for a second. What makes you share a video or news story and immediately hit the “like button” and/or tweet about it? It’s typically something that makes you laugh or cry. Or something that completely inspires you or even upsets you to the point that you feel compelled to spread the word.
Take for example, P&G’s ad for the 2012 summer Olympics, which currently has more than 5.7 million views. The video evokes a strong emotion that millions of people can relate to. Almost as important is the fact that there’s no branding for P&G until the very end when the company thanks moms and highlights that it’s a proud sponsor of moms and the 2012 Olympic games. As Stratten notes in his article, people don’t typically share commercials, they share emotions. If P&G opened its ad with a logo and plastered it throughout, would it have been as successful? Likely not. It would’ve diluted both the message and the emotion associated with the message.
Stratten also highlights the difference between videos that go viral artificially versus organically. When companies push out content, they often encourage their social media followers, friends, peers, etc., to spread the word. Some companies incent people to share content such as promising a giveaway once they reach 1,000 Facebook likes on their video. While this may help get more eyeballs on your content and encourage some folks to share, it can also decrease authenticity and won’t likely spark meaningful conversations, particularly if the content isn’t compelling. Additionally, if people constantly plead with others to share content, cast a vote, or “like” something, you’ll quickly find yourself tuned out and blocked from news feeds.
In the secret sauce of viral videos and just about anything related to effective communications, content is king. You must create content that evokes strong emotion and that’s easily relatable to a wide audience. After watching P&G’s Olympic ad, I immediately shared it with close friends, who further shared it with their own networks.
Have you had success in creating a video that went viral? Do you have other examples of compelling viral videos? Please share!
While talking with professionals seeking employment at Communiqué PR, we meet a variety of candidates with different levels of experience. And sometimes we find ourselves impressed with candidates who present themselves well during the interview process.
If you’re curious about the traits of successful job candidates, we’ve compiled a few tips for PR professionals seeking to grow their career:
Before the interview:
1) Research the company. Reading about the agency, including the client roster and leadership team, as well as any media coverage or awards won, will help you during the interview process. Not only will you be able to speak intelligently about the firm, but you’ll also have background context should accounts or team members be mentioned during the discussions. If you can find a way to insert one or two mentions of something you read during your research, you’ll show you spent time preparing for the interview.
2) Prepare your messaging. As mentioned in a previous personal branding post, you should develop messaging to deliver your elevator pitch, provide background on your career and highlight your skills. Many job interviews open with a general request allowing a candidate to tell the interviewer(s) about themselves. Having messaging prepared will help you answer that open-ended question with poise, focus and confidence. Your key messages should fit into your overarching narrative about your career and how the opportunity fits into that story arc.
3) Practice, practice, practice. We regularly tell our clients to prep for media interviews by practicing. This is solid advice during the job hunt, too. Often, the written word will read well; however, once you begin speaking the answers, you might find something sounds confusing or inauthentic. But be warned: There’s a fine line between rehearsing and sounding rehearsed. Don’t use a script; rather, write down key points you want to make and alter your language based on the setting.
During the interview:
4) Take notes. You should bring a notepad and pen or pencil to take notes during your interview. Some people are nervous during an interview and there is often a lot of information to remember. Feel free to jot down what people are saying – the job responsibilities, culture descriptions and next steps are just a few of the things you can learn during an interview. Think about showing up for a client meeting without paper and a pen – it could be construed as unpreparedness or unprofessionalism.
5) Ask questions. An interview isn’t a one-way street. While you are interviewing for the job, you’re also interviewing the company to determine whether it’s the right fit for you. Ask about roles, culture, growth opportunities and any other qualities that indicate whether the company and team are a match for you and your aspirations. What’s not appropriate to ask during the interview? Some examples include: salary, benefits or publicly available background information on the company. For the latter, you should have done your homework ahead of time. For the two former examples, it’s likely too soon in the process and will either be covered in subsequent discussions or was discussed previously during a phone screening.
6) Be positive. Your old job was boring, your boss was crazy or you were overworked. These are insights you don’t need to share during an interview. It’s obvious you want a new job, otherwise you wouldn’t be interviewing. When asked questions about why you want to leave or what you would change about your current situation, remain positive. The PR world is quite small, so while you’re bashing your manager, you could unknowingly be bashing the interviewer’s best friend. Not only that, it’s rude and unnecessary. Focus on the positive aspects of your current or past roles and don’t blame anyone but yourself for your failures or shortcomings.
After the interview:
7) Follow up to say thank you. While you’re interviewing for a job, your interviewer(s) could have deadlines, calls to make or materials to draft. Don’t forget they are taking time out of their day to speak with you and answer your questions. Everyone has a different philosophy regarding following up with a thank you (email, snail mail, etc.), but make sure you send some type of follow-up, personalized communication. Not only does it allow you to express gratitude, but timed correctly, it could remind the decision makers about you and perhaps increase the likelihood of a call-back.
As you seek a new opportunity, following these guidelines could help you be more successful. What have you found to be effective tips for interviewing?