Rave: My first Mac

I was working in the secretarial pool at Cadillac Fairview in the 80s working supporting a few executives. I used to smoke at my desk, drink black tea and type endless boring letters on my IBM Selectric typewriter. I became used to liquid paper, correction tape and re-dos all day long. I once typed a long formal letter, sent it to my boss for his signature. He hated how he signed the letter and had me re-do the entire bloody thing because of his sloppy penmanship! No computers, no files, not even a floppy... all hard copies. Ugh.

One day all of us girls each got a new typewriter. Ah yes, the Olivetti part typewriter, part computer wonder! It looked like a typewriter but had a small green bar/screen at the top where you could edit one sentence at a time before you committed it to paper. Character by character, line by line, you could see what you wrote, before it printed. What a technological marvel. Imagine, being able to correct an entire line before sending it to print. I was in heaven.

Still within CF, I applied for a marketing position at the Toronto Eaton Centre (a client of mine today!) and I got the use of another trusty Olivetti machine. One day, the boss said I was going to be a guinea pig for a new kind of computer they were introducing to the marketing department, an Apple Macintosh. A what? Whatever. In comes a tech guy carrying the cutest little beige computer with a periscope like screen. It was my first Apple Macintosh.

He plunked it down, plugged it in, handed me a funny looking instrument with a button on it (a mouse) and told me to watch the screen. There it was, the computer screen lit up … and ta dah! … a smiley face! On my computer, something smiled at me. How adorable. This is a sophisticated computer?

Well, you can imagine how overjoyed I was to see this little b/w screen, with folders, files and a trash can all at the touch of a mouse. So intuitive, so easy. Where has this been all my life. I had software programs like MacWrite, MacPaint, FileMaker, and a cool desktop publishing program called Ready Set Go! OMG. That coupled with my LaserWriter (a printer), I was the desktop publishing princess of the Eaton Centre. I couldn’t write for shit, but boy, did my stuff look professional.

A year later, I found myself at a PR agency in Canada, NATIONAL, working alongside my first boss and wonderful mentor, Ed Gould. He gave me a Mac SE as my desktop computer and again, found myself blissfully happy. While I had no idea what the heck PR was, I got to type, create and express myself on the best platform the world had ever seen.

A few months later, the agency landed the coveted Apple account, and because I was so passionate about the technology (and begged for several days), I got to work on the business. Not only that, but I had the privilege to travel several times to the Mecca of all trade shows, MacWorld at the Moscone Center in San Fran. It was as if the universe and stars were aligned just for me. For the five years I worked on the business I met both Sculley and Spindler, who were incredible leaders. It would have been something to have met Jobs himself.

When I left National in 1993, I asked my boss if I could keep the Macintosh Classic II he loaned me to work from home with. He said sure, it was a relic anyways and it was ready for landfill.

Last week I went hunting for that relic in the bowels of my basement. I found it. In a box, taped up, neglected, dusty complete with a dead spider on the mouse. I plunked it down, plugged it in and waited for the magic to happen. It did, my Mac lit up and smiled at me as if I never left it alone. No landfill for you…..

Thank you Steve. For that Mac, for your genius, for that smile.

The world smiles at you. >

Rave: Partners

Today I pitched a piece of business in the tourism area with two other marketing partners on the team. All I can say is "you can't boil the ocean” ... which is why you work with great partners in other marketing disciplines.

What I love about PR is the lens in which we see the world of a brand. It may be limited, but it’s precise and exacting. I don’t buy media. I don’t create logos. I don’t write tag lines. And.... you know what? I don’t want to. There are agencies of all shapes and sizes that can do this. They know what GRPs are, how to achieve eyeball numbers and how to reach buying audiences. There are brand and creative agencies who weave creative narratives in one line or two. Or even without words. I’m always in awe of these guys.

However. What PR agencies do ... now get ready ad and brand agencies ... you cannot even attempt.

Our discipline is a mystery to most. Difficult at most times..We combine a blend of science, skill and luck. Oh, and throw in a little witchcraft and a strong tailwind.

Today was all about collaboration. Each marketing partner bringing a best practice expertise to the client with a sense of a team approach. I absolutely love being part of a pitch where I’m the third wheel.

We had fun, we were smart and provided a solid team approach. We may have had three logos up on the board, but we acted like one voice.

Hope the prospect thought so too!

RAVE: Stress: It doesn't exist

Now who on earth would ever rave about stress? Me, that’s who.

Like any other entrepreneur you can never leave the office behind -- you can’t go on vacation and not think of a client, an employee or the future of the firm. Your head can bust wide open if you try and solve the little gnarly problems of the day at 3 a.m. I’ve tried it, nothing gets resolved and you’re meaner than a snake the next day. Thank goodness for Advil NightTime.

The albatross of work will always be there, and stress is the grip. It’s how we handle the day to day roadblocks, curves and twists of daily work or home life, that will either create an atmosphere of anxiety or bliss.

An acquaintance of mine, Gina Mollicone Long, who has written a great self help book and is a wonderful motivational speaker, asked me once to pick up stress and hand it to her. I told her I couldn’t do that, it was impossible to hold. And she replied “you can’t hold stress, because it doesn’t exist.” Stress only occurs when reacting to a situation.

Best thing I ever heard. (that and “your table is ready ..”)

But we are faced with stressful situations each and every day. Ruthless demanding clients, cranky journalists on deadlines, traffic jams, leaving the red sock in your load of whites ... you get the picture.

Gina tells me that the easiest and most beneficial way to react to stress is to breathe. Deep gut breathing for at least a few minutes. Six counts breathing in – six counts out. We are by nature shallow breathers (people who do yoga, know this better than anyone) and by simply getting oxygen to our brain creates a better balance in our system, release tension and ability to think more clearly. There are countless articles on breathing techniques on the internet, but I found the 6 count in and out method works perfectly. Try it next time you are in a stressful situation. Don’t react. Close your eyes breathe deep in and out. You’ll be surprised at the emotional stability that sets in and the clarity of thought by which to handle the situation.

By the way, closing your eyes and breathing doesn’t work when you get cut off on the 401!

Stress. Bring it on.

Coming Soon ... Rant or Rave

Bless me blogosphere, for I have sinned, it’s been nearly seven months since my last post. What is my penance?

Ok gang, I confess – I have been remarkably absent from blogging. And it’s weird; I keep running into people who ask me, when are you going to blog again? Stop already. I’m on it ...
Sorry folks, I can’t use the excuse, “I’m busy” cuz, we all are, and some of the busiest people get a lot done in a day, including writing a blog post. And I’m not without opinions and ideas either. I could have had a field day writing about a terrible RFP experience earlier this year, the ego-maniac prospect I met a month ago who wants to take on Google and Apple with a $5K retainer, or the employee who quit on me just days before she was launching a major client initiative. Nice eh?

But no, I will save those dark tales and more in a new feature on my blog called Rant or Rave Friday. Each Friday I will either Rant or Rave about a topic near and dear to me. I will try and post every Friday. Promise.

Check out this Friday’s post ... it will be a RAVE on stress.

Now, where’s that rosary?

Boot Camp for PR agency pros

Now here's a nifty little PR program being driven by the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms called the PR Agency Bootcamp being held on one day Friday January 28th, 2011. It's an all day program designed for PR professionals to hone their skills and understanding of the new world and role of PR.

I do like some of the sessions, I think the first one at 8:30 a.m. sounds like the best with a client panel discussion. Right now, no clients are listed, but I'm sure the organizers will pull out some heavy hitters. There is a session on Presenting with Impact run by Edelman, which I'm sure will be great, but I would have brought in RogenSi to deliver that. We have taken all our presenation training from RogenSi and I think they are the absolute best in the business. They've helped us close business time and time again.

I think there are some valuable sessions and insights that young PR practitioners will take away from this day so I would sign up now as I hear space is running out.

I hope the CCPRF run another one of these events, but perhaps with more clients and outside experts giving us old PR dogs some new tricks!!

Five celebs I would love to have as clients

Recently a few celebs have been in the media a little more often than not ... not for their great works or deeds, but rather for indiscretions, DUIs, philandering and a lot of bad judgement!

If I could take on five celebs I liked to scrub down and rub the tarnish off, here is my wish list:

Tiger Woods: I know, I know ... isn’t 20 a little too excessive?!! But really, this guy is a PR dream come true for any makeover artist. First thing I would do, is stage the customary photo opp with the kids. Always a hit with the media and pulls at the heartstrings of even the most right-wing evangelical mother. Show him at the zoo, amusement park or having a family breakfast at Perkins. A visit to the Buddist Temple with mom is a good follow up story. Now all he has to do is win a major (or kick-ass at the Ryder Cup!) and figure out that putting. He'll be back on the leaderboard in no time.

Lindsay Lohan: Poor little Lilo. Here’s a train wreck begging for a transformation from a professional PR person. My action plan with this diva is to call a press conference pronto. She needs to beg forgiveness from family, friends and the public for her reckless behaviour. She needs to look sorry and shed a few tears a la crying preacher. Then I would beg Quentin Tarantino to put her in one of his films (he can resuscitate any failing career, ask John Travolta!) and you’ve got the come-back kid of the year. If Robert Downy Jr. can do it .... she can too. Just stay off the sauce kid.

Mel Gibson: In my opinion, this guy’s got more talent in his pinky finger than anyone in Hollywood including James Cameron. But why can’t this guy shut the hell up and keep his fists in his pocket. First order of business, he needs to be seen in public with squeaky clean women beyond reproach. Taylor Swift is a good start. Not to be dating her, but at a public dinner discussing his next film project. He needs to go on a few chat shows and work the couch. Namely The View, he can put Hasselbeck in her place, and I’d bet she’d enjoy it. If he wins the female audience back, we’ll all be asking “Oksana who?”

Kanye West: After his disturbing interruption on Taylor Swift during last year’s MTV awards, the guy has uttered a few insincere apologies, but has lost a young audience namely due to his unabashed arrogance and self indulgent music. I have only two words for Kanye that will make him a sure-fire hit with anyone under 16 ... Justin Bieber! Get that duet underway and the most powerful buying group in North America will put you squarely on top again. A photo shoot of you and Bieber on the cover of J-14, and you’ll never have to beg forgiveness again .. not your style anyways Kanye.

And lastly, for my PR miracle cure ...

President Obama: Now how could this man with such an impeccable pedigree make my list of celebs who need a PR makeover. But President or not, he is a bona-fide celebrity of supreme stature who makes TV appearances, followed by the press and whose every word in the public domain is documented and analyzed to the core. But he’s not scoring any points with the American public -- with little or no progress on the economy, a healthcare reform getting a lukewarm reception and foreign policy that no party is happy with ... Obama needs a defibrillator to get that approval rating back up. Well, everyone knows that behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes. That’s right... Michelle get out there now .. faster than you can pump those arms! He needs your help. Go on the campaign trail, go on The View, Lopez Tonight, do stand up on SNL – look what that did for that Alaskan beauty queen ... but for God’s sake woman help your man out!! That’s what First Ladies are for. Make America forget their woes and have them fall in love with you!

Ok. Any takers?

A PR Legend

Hope you all get a chance to read PR Week’s special Career Guide supplement out this month. There is a lovely tribute to legendary PR veteran, Harold Burson of Burson Marstellar.

Many years ago when I was with Cohn & Wolfe (then a sister agency to Burson Marstellar) I had the unique opportunity to actually meet and talk with Mr. Burson. I was in Connecticut on a three day training session (the agency was well-known for internal education) and during one of the session breaks we had a special visit by Harold Burson. There was a sea of people crowding Mr. Burson in a scrum formation and I thought I would never get a foot into the conversation. I waited patiently, then got my turn. Here I was face to face with the master of PR, the “father of modern PR” and already a legend back then. What do I ask this accomplished man? The role of PR in the 21st century? Corporate citizenship? What makes a great leader? The secret to a solid client/agency working relationship? My mind was racing. But when I opened my mouth, all I could muster was, “So Mr. Burson, what makes you get out of bed in the morning?”

He smiled and chuckled then told me how much he just loved the business. Everything about the business interested him. The clients, the work, the people, staff. He was hard-pressed to say anything negative and he said he felt lucky and blessed at the same time to be doing something that gave him so much satisfaction. As he spoke there was such a quiet elegance about him. Dignified, classy, a real gentleman. Here’s a guy running the world’s largest PR agency and you’d think you were talking to your dad. I wish there were more leaders like him in the world (or at least in PR) that can inspire and lead with such grace and intellect. They don’t make them like that anymore ... sigh.

Before he left I managed to get one of the photographers snap a pic of us. I keep the photo on my desk to remind me I have a long, long way to go in this business ... and why the hell was I dyeing my hair red!!

Will you be our next PR intern this summer?

Well, it’s back!

The second annual search for our next intern is underway with the Maverick Idol Contest and anyone can enter!

We had a great time doing this last year, and ended up with a terrific intern who is now a full-time employee.

The winner of the contest gets a PAID (that’s right: PAID!), twelve-week internship starting May 31st, 2010. The intern will work on a variety of accounts across our three practice areas and will gain valuable experience in media monitoring, writing and social media. It’s a great opportunity for anyone seeking a fast-paced, fun environment in the communications field.

The details of the competition can be found here. Auditions will be in front of a panel of MAVERICK employees on May 12th (don’t worry – it won’t be in front of the other applicants!).

Those who make it past the first round will be invited to stay for lunch. The second round will be finished by 3:00 p.m., and the panel will decide on the winner by 4:00 p.m.

It’s easy, fast and painless and you could end up with a terrific gig at Maverick. How awesome is that?

See you on May 12th!

Back to blogging

I’ve been struggling lately over my blog. It’s been dormant for a while and, quite frankly, it was intentional. There are a million and one things I could blog about, but I want to stay somewhat focused from a PR perspective.

The worst part of blogging is once you start, you really shouldn’t stop, especially when you get so much grief from friends who complain about your long absence from your last blog post.

I’ll let the theme of this blog post centre around getting that first PR internship position. I truly understand how important getting a foot in the door is because it can be a life altering meeting. Believe me, I’ve been there and I’m still grateful to this day that Edward Gould at NATIONAL PR took a chance on me 22 years ago. Thank you, Ed!

When you get a shot in front of a senior decision maker and you’re applying for that one internship position, here are a few pointers from a gal who has been there done that.

1. Do some research on the person interviewing you and the company. Check out their LinkedIn profile, read their blog/twitter posts, do an in-depth Google search on the company, and look for news about the company. Pretend you are cramming for a test. During the interview, pull a “Brian Linehan” kind of question – he was the best interviewer ever and totally shocked celebrities with his breakthrough questions. If you don’t know who he was, ask someone over 40.

2. Look great! Yup, I still believe you need to dress the part. Shoes, hair, makeup, nails – pay attention to the little details. The person interviewing you is not just sizing you up as an intern, but actually thinking, “Could I put this person in front of a client?”

3. When you get asked why you want the job, be really creative, insightful and profound. Comment on the company’s culture being a great fit or the kind of contribution you’d like to make. Make a direct correlation between you and the company.

4. A few don’ts: Don’t fidget, don’t check your mobile device, don’t take a phone call, don’t talk too much, don’t play with your hair and don’t ask stupid questions. Easy stuff.

5. Lastly. Ask when a decision will be made and follow up quickly with something creative. You need to stand out after the interview. Look like you want the job. It’s ok to be a little aggressive. You’ll look hungry. Just remember your ABCs: Always Be Closing... until you hear those three dreaded words, “No, thank-you.”

Good luck!

Those two little words

The greatest lesson I learned in the PR business was about 15 years ago.

I busted my hump for a client, stayed up nights fretting over a launch event, did the “pride swallowing siege” thing with media, and became a living nightmare around friends and family as I prepped for this project.

Naturally (ahem), the launch was beyond brilliant: coverage galore, flawlessly executed, on time, on budget .. yadda, yadda, yadda ...

I was expecting just one thing from the client: a thank you, some recognition, a verbal token of appreciation.

I got bupkis.

The next day I hightailed it into my boss’ office where I unleashed a 10-minute soliloquy of “Don’t they know how hard I’ve worked on this?” and “Didn’t the client see the effort?” and, of course, “Why was I not thanked for my efforts?” and on and on I ranted.

She looked at me and didn’t bat an eye and said, “The client pays us and keeps us on retainer month after month. That’s how they thank you for the work you do.”

Blimey! I always hated it when she was right.

The client didn’t need to thank me. As I quickly learned, they did so by their commitment to the agency and entrusting us with their brand. And, in turn, it was my job to continuously deliver results.

That was 15 years ago, and to this very day I never expect to be thanked for the work we do. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to hear those two little words of praise. When it does come our way, it’s a great a bonus of recognition and makes us all feel warm and fuzzy inside. But today I remind my staff not to get all hot and bothered if a client doesn’t express thanks after every initiative. When it happens, relish it, bask in it, but move on to the next thing ... ‘cuz our clients have moved on, too.

The late great Bette Davis once said that if studio heads would have thanked her just once for a performance, she would have worked harder and may have even took less money – that’s how much she craved that verbal recognition.

I agree ... well, maybe not on the less money part.

Many voices at Maverick

For those who enjoy reading my blog, please make sure you also RSS the entire Maverick blog site by clicking here. I'll be posting blogs on this site as well ... You'll get a better sense of our agency, people and our POV -- a better experience for sure than just reading my discombobulated ramblings.

We’ve encouraged the entire Maverick staff to blog .. sounds crazy and dangerous doesn’t it? A totally green-field opportunity for our staff to express their thoughts and opinions and better still, no censorship on management’s part.

I’ve set only one ground rule: Don’t write anything stupid.

I should probably follow that rule once in awhile.

Happy reading …

10 years goes by like a blink of an eye

Today we’ve hit a very emotional milestone in our company’s existence: the 10-year mark. I still can’t believe it. I will never forget the day I opened the doors to Maverick Public Relations. It was June 7, 1999 – exactly 10 years ago today. Our first office was located at the corner of Bloor and Church street in downtown Toronto. We occupied a small office and had a few pieces of furniture, leased computers, a basic telephone system ... and an abundance of hope! That hope – combined with a lot of hard work – has paid off big-time. We now own three buildings in Toronto’s beautiful Annex district with an enviable roster of clients.

So much has happened over the last decade that a blog post isn’t enough space to recall memories of years gone by. It would take a book.

The early Maverick years are perhaps my favourite, I think because we had few expectations and we had no clue how to run a business. Everything was new and exciting. We walked into prospects’ offices with a big swagger and huge bravado. We were like petulant adolescents you couldn’t say no to. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If a client asked us if we can take them IPO, we said yes ... and then on the cab ride back to the office we tried to figure out how to do it! But we always, always delivered.

In 10 years we’ve survived the tech bubble bust, the 9/11 aftermath, pesky lawsuits by former employers (we’re still here, they’re still mad), stock market crashes and the current recession. We’ve had countless successes (too many to list) and a few “I’d rather not talk about it” moments.

So how I can sum up the last 10 years? It’s almost impossible, but here goes:

We’ve won clients, lost clients and fired a few clients, too.

We’ve generated countless headlines, datelines and cutlines and met deadlines.

We’ve celebrated births, promotions, graduations, weddings and divorces.

We’ve shed tears of joy, tears of frustration and tears for lost family and friends.

We’ve had spills, falls, near misses and near drownings.

We’ve partied in and on Caribbean islands, casinos, snowcaps and hot tubs.

We’ve been drunk, a little foul-mouthed and just plain silly at times.

We’ve been talked about, kicked around, laughed at and mocked.

We’ve been shilling, dealing, pitching and selling.

We’ve been hired, fired, neglected, shoved aside but rarely ignored.

We’ve been embraced, ensconced and a little embarrassed, too.

We’ve been squeezed, screwed, stiffed and shafted.

We’ve been called partners, suppliers, agents, flacks and publicity hounds.

We’ve been showered with praise, awards and accolades.

We’ve worked with big budgets, small budgets and sometimes no budgets at all.

We’ve experienced brownouts, blackouts and personal burnouts.

We’ve dealt with bull, crap, lies and mild exaggerations.

We’ve been wowed by clients, wooed by clients and awed by clients.

We’ve had terrific off-sites, insights and websites.

We’ve taken to Facebook, Twitter and blogs oh my!

We've delivered kick-ass results, kick-ass plans and kick-ass events.

We’ve been profitable, we’ve broken even, but we’ve never been broke.

We’ve hired great people, said goodbye to some and welcomed a few back to the manor.

We’ve moved products, built brands and reinforced corporate reputations for all of our wonderful clients.

Whew!

It has certainly been a hell of a ride; I don’t want to get off.

What will the next 10 years bring? More of the same?

I can only hope.

So you think you can be my intern?

Well c'mon, you knew I was going to do this at some point? Read on ... we just released this today to the press. We need an intern ... a la American Idol style .... Let the games begin ....

Creativity and impact earns points at first-ever MAVERICK Idol competition

(Toronto, ON - April 28, 2009) – Ripping a page out of the American Idol handbook, MAVERICK Public Relations Inc. today announced the launch of an innovative interview competition for the company’s annual summer PR internship position. The lucky winner of the first MAVERICK Idol will be granted an eight-week paid internship at the award-winning PR firm during the summer of 2009.

The inaugural MAVERICK Idol will be held Wednesday May 20th, 2009. Qualifying contestants are asked to arrive in person at 39 Madison Avenue to officially register. Registration opens at 10 a.m. (Visit the Maverick Facebook site for full details or contest rules, or send an email inquiry to idolinternship@maverickpr.com.

Each participant will have exactly two minutes to demonstrate to judges why they would make the perfect MAVERICK intern. The two-minute freestyle opportunity is all about creativity and impact. If participants pass the first audition, finalists will be asked back to the final round later that afternoon and have an additional five minutes to strut their stuff in front of the judges by answering a series of pointed questions. Total audition time: seven fast-paced minutes.

“Candidates can read, sing, dance, bring in their mother or father, use sock puppets – we don’t care, as long as they give the judges a reason to advance them to the question stage of the competition,” said Julie Rusciolelli, President, MAVERICK. “We see this as an innovative way to interview as many intern candidates as possible in a short period of time, while providing budding PR practitioners with an opportunity to stand out from the crowd by strutting their creative side,” adds Rusciolelli.

Ms. Rusciolelli estimates she receives about 10 resumes and inquiries a week from recent PR grads and students seeking advice on how to get into the business or further their careers. With internships in short supply due to the economic downturn, she says this competition is an excellent way to give everyone an even playing field in their quest to join the boutique PR firm.

Candidates will compete in front of judges only, not in front of other contestants. Cynical American Idol judge Simon Cowell will not be in attendance, but MAVERICK’s senior leadership team will forgo coffee that day to ensure they are as grumpy as possible when judging MAVERICK Idol contestants.

Competition Eligibility
MAVERICK hopes to attract the industry’s best and brightest by outreaching to potential contestants using Twitter and Facebook. Regular updates will be posted on the popular social media platforms, which will also serve as a means for online discussion around the contest. The competition is open to any resident of Canada who has graduated from a recognized PR program in either 2007 or 2008. PR students who will graduate by June 1, 2009, are also eligible.

Catch the latest MAVERICK Idol news on Twitter by following @Scotty Mac.”

About MAVERICK
MAVERICK Public Relations is an award-winning full-service agency based in Toronto. The agency, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, boasts a roster of blue-chip clients and as well as many of Canada’s top up and coming brands. The agency has four distinct practice areas, including consumer marketing, advanced technology, corporate and professional services, and health and wellness. For more information about the company please visit: www.maverickpr.com.

IABC Toronto Maverick Student of the Year Award

Ok, kids. You have exactly one month to get your entry in for the most coveted award at the IABC Ovation Awards ceremonies coming up end of May in Toronto.

That’s right, you can forget about the Best Media Relations Campaign or Best Event awards (I sure have, ‘cuz we’re not picking up any trophies this year, the judges apparently didn’t understand our objectives section, which is too bad, because we kicked-ass on measurement and creativity and the judges seemingly have tunnel vision when it comes to reading award submissions) ooops sorry, that was my inner voice talking....back to original blog post.

The Maverick Student of the Year Award is all about you, the great PR student. This is the fifth straight year that Maverick has sponsored this award through IABC and we love handing it out to worthy students!

It’s easy (and FREE!) to enter. Just click on this link, for details and write a two-page press release on how you plan to make a difference in the PR industry. HINT: social media better make a star appearance in your submission.

If you are the lucky winner of this award, here’s what’s in it for you: an evening out with the Who’s Who of the Toronto PR community, a seat at my corporate table (which, for you, will probably feel like a three-hour interview!); the opportunity to go on stage, shake my hand and be publicly recognized by the PR community; bragging rights on your resume, a few trade media hits and a feature in your school newsletter; and, lastly and most importantly, a handsome $500 cheque to be spent on anything you like. And if you want to buy me dinner with it, that’s cool, too!

I’m the key judge on the entries so ensure you do the following:

Don’t make any spelling errors on the submission or I will toss it directly into the blue bin;
Be creative. Make your submission stand out;
Showcase extracurricular activities and volunteer work;
Make the deadline of April 30.

Good luck, and may the best PR student win!

Mexico: A case for good PR

Just got back from a beautiful trip to sunny Mexico! I stayed in a luxury hotel just outside the lovely fishing village of Puerto Morales. For two weeks I enjoyed nothing but eating, swimming, drinking, eating, eating a bit more and, of course, afternoon snacking!

I love everything about Mexico: the people, the weather, the beaches. Oh, did I mention the food? I think I ate my body weight in guacamole!

But what troubles me about this country is the bad publicity this nation is generating with the media. Oh, the blasted one-sided media! Yes, there are some serious problems in Mexico, thanks in large part to the insatiable U.S. appetite for drugs, which unfortunately travel up through Mexico. The Mexican drug cartels and the violence associated with them are ruining this country’s brand image on a global scale.

I was researching my trip prior to leaving and I was inundated by the amount of cautionary tales about travelling to Mexico. There are tons of travel warnings issued by the Canadian and US governments. Now if you think on taking a family vacation to Juarez or Tijuana, well, amigo, think again. This is probably the area you want to avoid at all costs. But the beautiful state of Quintana Roo, where you will find the glorious beaches of Playa de Carmen and Cancun, are a beach traveller’s dream and far away from any cartel gun warfare -- at least where tourists are concerned. I’ve been to Mexico 15 times, and not once have I seen tourists in the middle of gun fire. I’ve been ripped off on price when haggling for silver jewellery in the street market, but that’s about it! I really wish the media would put this story in better perspective. Cancun City is more like Daytona Beach than the Gaza Strip as the media would have you believe.

There have been a few stories about tourists who have had some trouble in Mexico and all I can say is don’t go acting like a drunken jackass at three o’clock in the morning in the pueblo and you’ll be okay. I wouldn’t act crazy in the streets of Toronto – so why would you do it in another country?

If the Mexican tourist board in Canada needs a little help dispelling the misconceptions of Mexico, I’m here to help. Call me. I don’t even want any money for it. Just keep the guacamole flowing my way.

Adios.

You lose, you learn

“You live, you learn
You love, you learn
You cry, you learn
You lose, you learn
You bleed, you learn
You scream, you learn.”
- From the song “You Learn” by Alannis Morissette

January has been a banner month for us in terms of closing new business (and one of the reasons for my lack of blogging and sleep). In fact, we closed six new pieces of business so far this year, Maverick’s best record yet in our company’s history. But this blog isn’t about gloating about wins (that’s what Adnews is for); it’s about loss and failure ... something I know too well. Because at the end of the day, without failure you can’t have a winning season.

One of the worst calls you can get in this business is from a prospect that starts out by saying, “We just want to say how much we appreciated all your efforts in the pitch. It was a tough decision, but we’re going with company xbc.” Your heart sinks, and you think to yourself, “What? Those bozos? All that other agency can do is fashion shows and surveys!” Yet all you can muster is, “Oh, we are so disappointed. They are a wonderful agency. If things don’t work out, you can always call us.” Yah, nice try, because they never call you back.

What happens to many of us is the fear of asking why they didn’t pick our agency. I can tell you from experience that you must demand an honest and unfiltered explanation. Get as much feedback as you can and force an answer. This is the best opportunity to learn what mistakes were made and how to correct them in the future. It’s hard to hear criticism, but probe the prospect on your team about your research/analysis, creative, measurement, tactics, and other criteria to find out what went wrong. If it’s just a personality fit that didn’t work in the room, that will be tougher to probe, but try to find out.

It all changed for me when we lost the Virgin Mobile pitch a number of years ago. We busted our collective asses off in research and creative for that pitch. I felt really good about the pitch, but we lost. When I received a phone call from the marketing director’s secretary informing us we lost “but thanks for coming out,” I was pretty upset. Oh, not that we lost, but the manner in which we were told and by whom. It was not acceptable, not after all that work. I called Virgin’s head of marketing and demanded to know why we lost. I was expecting a five-minute phone chat to go over specifics, but what I got was better than expected. Nathan Rosenberg, Virgin’s top marketing guy, took me out for an hour-long coffee (c’mon, when does that ever happen?) He was wonderful, gracious and extremely helpful. It was the first time a prospect took that much time to be thorough in their evaluation of a pitch. I couldn’t have asked for more.

What happened after that is the best part. His insights helped to re-shape our pitch process, streamline our focus and change up our internal structure when it came to business development. The next month we won our biggest client that year.

Losing is never fun. It hurts in so many different ways, especially when it’s those pieces of business you are really passionate about. But look at is as a great opportunity to learn. Then take some time to reflect and don't sulk. I guarantee you’ll come out swinging harder and better the next time.

We’re atheists, thank God!

Oh, the furor over some bus ads! A few simple words can spark controversy, hate and censorship. This all comes courtesy of a group called Humanist Canada and their new ad campaign entitled “Good without God” making its way onto the sides of some city buses. But not in Halifax, where the folks at Metro Transit have deemed the ads too controversial. Here’s the story along with a bunch of comments from readers.

In my humble opinion, I quite like the campaign. It’s so sublime it borders on brilliant. Does it change my mind about God or Jesus? No. I think this particular organization is entitled to a POV. As long as the ads are not derogatory toward another religion – go ahead, buy your ads and support the local economy. Lord knows we need it!

The mission of the Humanist Canada organization is “to promote the separation of religion from public policy and foster the development of reason, compassion and critical thinking for all Canadians through secular education and community support.”

Ok, fair enough, it’s an atheist group whose main guiding principle is to “reject beliefs held in absence of verifiable evidence, such as beliefs based solely on dogma, revelation, mysticism or appeals to the supernatural.” Sounds like they are just promoting rationale thinking. I know a few warring countries that can use a dose of rationale thinking!

So why the ban? Why the censorship? Don’t other religious groups advertise and proclaim the way to salvation? I mean, isn’t there one ad-toting religious fundamentalist group whose strong belief is in plural marriages? Is that ok?

At the end of the day, Humanist Canada will have achieved so much advertising value and brand recognition with the PR buzz generated that they will have more than accomplished their goal of getting the word out. In fact, I didn't see the bus ad in Toronto, I read it about it online!

Small miracle indeed ... and a lesson to all!

I smell a rat

Well just when you thought grocery giant Loblaws was turning a corner ... great ad campaign promoting no name brands in these economic times, better produce, better store layout, fresh food stations – they had to get a vermin problem!

Yup, that’s right, as of last night the Loblaws at Dupont and Christie (where I do a lot of lunch shopping during the week) has closed down due to a major rat infestation. How did I find out? Not through the papers, or a tweet, but by showing up and witnessing a gaggle of reporters and cameras outside their doors. My partner Gerry was at the store today doing his regular lobster bisque soup run (I think they make the best lobster bisque in the city!) when he couldn’t get in. He thought it was due to a robbery, but no, something worse, vermin.

Sadly, Loblaws has been mum on the situation and there was no sign of a press relations officer at the scene, leaving it to employees to handle media and talk to angry customers. The last thing you want is a health inspector telling media the infestation is 'serious.' And that's what happened.

PR 101 – if you’re a leading brand in the food business and health inspectors shut you down to due to rats or mice, my best advice is to plant a spokesperson ASAP and get some information out there. Good or bad, people need to know what’s going on and what next steps are.

I’m sure they will clean up the rat infestation problem soon, scrub the place clean and it will be back in business in no time.

I just have one question? In these harsh economic times, were those “no name” rats on the premises?

Recession proof your PR job

Well, talk about a productive first day on the job! If President Barack Obama was working in a PR agency, he’d have a banner first day of great billable hours. No long lunches for this guy on his first day in the White House. He put pen to paper from the get go.

And speaking of productivity, agencies talk a lot about billable hours, simply because staff are the primary revenue streams for the agency. At my agency, I review billable hours and capacity levels weekly against client budgets. Not my favourite part of the biz but if there is a part of the engine not functioning properly, we flag it early. As a general rule, most agencies don’t carry around extra baggage in the staff department.

But what happens in an economic climate like a recession when clients start to cut back budgets or worse, halt work altogether and it starts to cut into your personal billability levels?

If you’re worried about your billability, don’t be too worried sick over it. There are other ways to recession proof your job at your agency.

Here are five things your boss is looking at besides your billability level:

5. Special skill set. Ok, this one is key if you have a special skill you bring to the agency that is needed time again. Perhaps it’s a strong second language skill, or you’re the best editor in the place or better yet, you’re the social media guru. Your boss may find it hard to replace these special skills and keep you on staff.

4. Your a new biz “whiz kid.” If your hours are lower than normal but you’re a cracker jack at developing presentations, RFPs, research etc. Stay calm, your boss will recognize that new business development is expertise that is much needed in a recession. You’ll be safe for now.

3. Volunteer for special projects: Don’t be out of sight in tough times, don’t close the door to your office too much. Be visible. Be heard. Volunteer for internal events, develop new content for the web site, write new cases studies, work on pro bono clients etc. Show a meaningful contribution to the agency in other ways.

2. Seniority and track record: This one is a no-brainer. If you have more than five years in the agency (some consider that a “lifer’) and your track record has been impeccable for most of it, I can safely say your job is not in peril. You’re a seasoned practitioner to the agency and once things pick up, you’ll be the first to be billing up a storm and contributing to the bottom-line once again.

1. The boss likes you! Now some of you might be rolling your eyes at this one, but if you and the boss have a unique or special relationship – you both love to sail, have a lot in common, kids have play dates together .... it will be tougher for your manager to axe you because your billables are a little lower. But don’t suck up to your boss at this time either, he’ll see through that little game. Just stay in his face and keep it business as usual and don’t show any fear.

Hopefully some of you will sleep better tonight.

If anyone has other points, please share them, I know this is an important discussion for some of you out there.

Inside PR .. thanks for the memories!

Hope you get a chance to listen to episode #143 of the Inside PR podcast. It’s a special broadcast ... since it’s the last time you’ll hear me on the show.

I had a great time being part of the Inside PR panel. It was a wonderful experience and I learned so much about the podcasting process. I wanted to do it for a year and I was really fortunate to have been asked to join the group by the creators of the show Terry Fallis and David Jones. They are consummate professionals and were willing to take a chance with a podcasting novice like me.

Martin Waxman was also a new addition to the panel this year and is staying on in 2009. I think Martin is my long lost Jewish half brother. Martin is so easy to talk to and his intelligent wit is something I looked forward to each week. His popular culture references all date back somewhere in the sixties (thank god I watched Laugh-In) and his stories of his youth in Winnipeg are so freakin’ funny.

As for Terry Fallis, he must be the most gracious and genuine human being on the planet. I’ve never met anyone so accommodating, sincere and articulate. His vast use of the English language astounds me every time he opens his mouth. It’s no wonder that he’s an accomplished novelist, winning the 2008 Stephen Leacock award for humour for his book Best Laid Plans. Joe Thornley is lucky to have such a business partner.

Okay, here comes my Wizard of Oz “Dorothy” moment. Of all the men on the show, I will miss David the most. He’s a big reason for the show’s success. I’ve known David the longest and we’ve crisscrossed many times throughout our careers. I first met David when we volunteered for a CPRS awards show more than ten years ago. David is a dichotomy of sorts. He has a boyish face but sports an incredible head of silver fox hair. He has the warmest smile but watch his Don Rickles mouth. He’s got a tough business edge, but knows how to get a choice seat at Cinderella's Royal Table at DisneyWorld. David has been my competitor, my client, golf buddy, fellow panellist and peer in the industry. But most of all David is my friend and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been part this show with him.

The best part of this podcast for me was the “pre-show chatter” before we went live to tape with the topic of the week. We usually spent 10 – 15 minutes nattering about the business, our competitors, our clients, our previous week’s ups and downs. It was like being in a PR executive support group. I never felt threatened or undermined and always felt at ease to say whatever came to mind. I think a lot of our pre-chatter discussions were even better than what we put on air! Get the guys to air those once in awhile!

So with that, let me urge all my blog readers to keep on listening to this wonderful podcast. If you’re in PR, the show is a must listen to each week.