Photo courtesy of Franklin Garcia

Though it may not seem to be the case, any great communicator has to be a great listener as well, and there is no doubt that Saul Solorzano was just that. I met Saul more than 20 years ago when I was just learning to speak Spanish. Though [...]]]>

Photo courtesy of Franklin Garcia

Though it may not seem to be the case, any great communicator has to be a great listener as well, and there is no doubt that Saul Solorzano was just that. I met Saul more than 20 years ago when I was just learning to speak Spanish. Though my aptitude wasn’t great, I have always been a person with a lot to say, and Saul would listen. I am not sure how much of what I said made sense or if it was even that comprehensible, but Saul listened with the patience of a man much older and wiser than his years. This capacity to listen patiently, to wait and ruminate, and then break into an ear-splitting grin when he had something to say is what I will always remember about him. His incredible ability to listen, and listen and then listen some more put so many people at ease, because they truly felt heard. And so when he spoke on behalf of the community, people really felt that his words were those that they had shared with him, that his vision was made of up of so many voices and ideas from the community in which he lived and served for so many years. Saul—community leader, father, husband and extraordinary communicator for D.C.’s Latino community—was laid to rest today. Saul Solorzano, presente!



Late last week, a headline from our local “Patch” news service caught my attention – Police: Group of Teens Cause $1,500 in Damage at General’s Ridge Golf Course. I opened the story expecting to find names and ages attached to the accusation, but there were none. In fact, other than a description that the [...]]]>

Late last week, a headline from our local “Patch” news service caught my attention – Police: Group of Teens Cause $1,500 in Damage at General’s Ridge Golf Course. I opened the story expecting to find names and ages attached to the accusation, but there were none. In fact, other than a description that the individuals were shirtless and had a dog with them, there were no other details that had been confirmed. The perpetrators haven’t yet been identified or caught. So how do we know they are teenagers? They could be 20 years old – or 40. For that matter, how do we even know the dog was a German Shepherd? Yet these details were reported as fact. Is there any danger in assigning an age label to crime suspects when they haven’t yet been caught, let alone accused? Would it have been just as acceptable to report their race or religion?

It’s been quite a few years since I matriculated from Penn State with a journalism degree, but I still remember the endless days of sitting in class picking apart real headlines and leads for any sign of bias. Not only did we look at our own work, we examined the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Sometimes it seemed impossible to find ethics issues in products from such venerated media outlets, but we dug until we did. Now I don’t have to look far at all for instances of ethical breaches and bias, and I often feel very alone in my need to pay attention to such details. Does the rest of the world just accept this new era of “anything goes” reporting?

A recent after-work viewing of Page One: Inside The New York Times cemented the nagging feeling that it’s not  just newspapers that are disappearing, it’s the care and commitment to accurate, factual reporting that they represent. From All the President’s Men to The Paper, our culture has tried to emphasize the importance of getting it right, even at the expense of getting it second. Now those films, and that sentiment, seem naive and nostalgic. I mean, we’re all reporters, right? I can post whatever I want on Facebook or Twitter, and it can be seen around the world in a matter of minutes. Of course, if we could count on each other for accurate, first-person accounts, it would mean that Natalie Portman, George Clooney and even William Hung are all dead – because Twitter said so.

This month, the practice of journalism was further rocked by allegations that NewsCorps-owned outlets invaded the voicemail accounts of several British citizens, including a young murder victim and relatives of fallen soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is plenty of outrage around the situation, but will it finally wake up the public enough to demand a return to the ethics and standards that were once a hallmark of reporting?

The irony is not lost on me that I am writing this piece as a public relations professional rather than a currently working journalist. Like so many of my wide-eyed fellow journalism graduates, my picture of traveling the world to uncover scandal and save lives was far from the reality of fast-food wages and hours spent rewriting stories on a local fight over back lit awnings. However, I’ve never set aside those basic journalism ethics in my PR work. As a communicator for social change, I often have an opportunity to pass along critical information that can help reporters investigate their own stories. I know it’s in my and my clients’ best interests for those journalists to be fair, accurate and unbiased – even if the results are not as flattering as I would like. I know that once the line is breached – whether or not it’s on behalf of my cause – it’s hard to cross back to the other side.

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Much like Kenneth Cole’s mishap earlier this month, the social buying site Groupon found itself in hot water after its Super Bowl commercial that seemed to mock the struggles of the Tibetan people. The organization has since pulled its ad, with Groupon founder Andrew Mason taking personal responsibility for airing the commercials. While Groupon [...]]]>

Much like Kenneth Cole’s mishap earlier this month, the social buying site Groupon found itself in hot water after its Super Bowl commercial that seemed to mock the struggles of the Tibetan people. The organization has since pulled its ad, with Groupon founder Andrew Mason taking personal responsibility for airing the commercials. While Groupon continues to rank in the top 10 free application list in Apple’s App Store, it will be interesting to watch its long-term trajectory, especially as it prepares to enter the Chinese market, in addition to facing competition from many other social buying sites.

Many are incredulous as to how Groupon wasn’t aware of the commercial’s obvious problems, even if the company was trying to mock itself and not Tibet. Incidences like this underscore the importance of cultural competence when planning any kind of public campaign. Cultural competency requires, at a minimum, research on the potentially controversial issue, an understanding of the current environment, and focus groups to test the concepts. If Groupon had tested its commercials with the representatives from the groups mentioned in the ad, the company would have known immediately that the approach would not go over well.

In the social marketing world that strives to make a positive impact, cultural competency is even more crucial, because we’re not selling products. We’re selling education, awareness and behaviors that enrich lives – many of which are culturally different from our own. Expanding our true understanding of and respect for other cultures may mean the difference between a population’s success or failure.

A worthy example of culturally competent social marketing is the Ad Council’s Superhéroes campaign from March 2008. The campaign sought to lessen the stigma for Latinos regarding going to the doctor and encouraged them to go for regular health check-ups. The volunteer agency researched Latinos’ knowledge of the health care system, preventative health, and their attitudes and behaviors concerning their own well-being. Most importantly, the agency researched what culturally relevant factors would motivate Latinos to see a doctor, and formulated those factors into the campaign. It is notoriously difficult to evaluate health campaigns’ positive outcomes, but the agency did right by not assuming it knew the specific cultural factors beforehand, nor did it assume it knew better than its target audience.

Photo Credit: MCS@flickr

How many times have those of us with children been asked, “Tell me the story about the day I was born” (or if they were adopted, “Tell me the story about the day you brought me home.”)? Children never get tired of hearing stories about themselves, because those stories help them [...]]]>

Photo Credit: MCS@flickr

How many times have those of us with children been asked, “Tell me the story about the day I was born” (or if they were adopted, “Tell me the story about the day you brought me home.”)? Children never get tired of hearing stories about themselves, because those stories help them define who they are. As a nation, we listen every year to the story the President tells us about our country in the State of the Union because it defines who we are, and who we hope to be.

The great speeches of our time are those that tell a story that unites us and that captures an emotion we all are feeling. Think about Ronald Reagan (or actually, the great speechwriter, Peggy Noonan) who captured the nation’s grief after the Challenger tragedy:

We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”

Each year, I like to watch the State of the Union to see the story the President will tell. As communicators, we work to craft stories in a way that will compel and convince, and each year, it is fascinating to see how every President tells the story of the United States. We know that, whether we’re giving a speech or relaunching a brand, we need to know our audience, to control our own message, and to be prepared to defend our brand in a crisis. To accomplish all this, President Obama’s State of the Union speech needed to capture the somber mood of a nation still remembering the Tucson shooting, reframe the mid-term election which handed his party solid defeats, and convince the nation that “the state of the union is strong.” He also wanted to move the country away from “business as usual” in the ways it governed and invested. From a communicator’s perspective, how did President Obama do?

Know Your Audience
The Congressional cliques were broken up when Democrats and Republicans comingled in the audience, instead of sitting along party lines, for the State of the Union. But Congress still looked to their party leaders — embodied by Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker John Boehner sitting behind the President — for how to react to the speech. President Obama began by praising and welcoming Boehner and by mentioning the empty chair where Representative Gabrielle Giffords should be sitting. We often counsel clients giving speeches to include “shout-outs” to people so that the audience is immediately engaged. While President Obama went on to do the traditional shout-outs to people who were brought in because their stories proved a point, these first two acknowledgments were clever because every member of Congress was likely to applaud either Boehner or Giffords, if not both.

Control Your Story
You might never have known that the Democrats suffered bitter defeat at the hands of Republicans in the last election if you listened to President Obama’s speech. In his speech, the American people had voted to ensure that government ruled with strong voices from both parties, and the divisiveness was really just the “contentious and frustrating and messy” process of democracy. Obama went a step further, making the party differences seem trivial compared to the big picture:

We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything’s possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.

Defend Your Brand
Anyone who has fundamental policy differences with the President represents a dissenting story from the one the President wanted to tell during the State of the Union. Obama preempted much of the dissent by painting disagreement as a welcome part of the democratic process and by making the villain of the story — because every good story must have a villain — not the Republicans, but the other countries who are poised to take advantage of any competitive weakness we show:

Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we’d beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t there yet. NASA didn’t even exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs. This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.

Some criticized the President for a lackluster delivery, especially after the rousing speech he gave in Tucson.

But, from a communicator’s perspective, I think he did what he needed to do, which was to turn down the heated rhetoric. He acknowledged that he knew his audience, he reframed his “story” and he preempted some — although certainly not all — criticism from Conservatives. And how did he communicate about innovation? Interestingly, if you look only at the words that Obama used, you will see the hot-button issues he emphasized, despite the tone. “Americans,” “jobs” and “work” — all key issues. But also one other word, which has not played a large role since Johnson and Kennedy State of the Unions: “new.”

Read more.

In the public relations world, we’ve always known that being responsive to hot stories is a great way to get your issue, organization or idea out there. While the old rules still apply, the game changed a little in 2010. Responsiveness still reigns supreme, but with a twist. The faster we respond with bold, sensational commentary, the more [...]]]>

In the public relations world, we’ve always known that being responsive to hot stories is a great way to get your issue, organization or idea out there. While the old rules still apply, the game changed a little in 2010. Responsiveness still reigns supreme, but with a twist. The faster we respond with bold, sensational commentary, the more likely we are to make it into prime time.

With political discord reaching new heights from coast-to-coast in this election year, the media proved that the old rules regarding responsiveness are important. Stories evolved quickly to incorporate new elements and points of views. But these days, it seems cable news and online channels are giving the most attention to those who can yell the loudest. Whether an opinion is sane, sound, or evidence-based seems to be of little interest. Death panels come to mind. If a pundit or a pundit-in-waiting rants about something remotely relevant, they get the top spot on evening broadcasts and homepage treatment on conservative and liberal blogs alike.

It sounds like a scary world out there in the media. I won’t lie, I’m often afraid – terrified, actually - of what constitutes news today. But I think we can learn something from these ravenous ranters in punditville.

Many nonprofits think long and hard – and then think some more – about what they want to say, how they want to say it, and where it’s safe to say it. In the mean time, it’s already being said by those ravenous ranters, and likely in a way that isn’t very flattering to the issues that matter so much to all of us working hard to change public discourse.

For the sake of our credibility, we want to be sure that we only craft messages based in fact and driven by sound advice, rather than emotion. But let’s resolve in 2011 to be more prepared to respond quickly, with bold, relevant ideas that can compete with some of the death-panel-proponent types on the six o’clock news. Let’s make social issues a prominent part of the real-time, 24/7 news cycle.

This post is a part of our series of contributions for Social Good Day.

While Americans struggle to heed advice to eat less, move more and stay out of their cars, most pundits have overlooked one of the key approaches to addressing our country’s health and environmental problems–supporting and promoting fresh, non-processed food from family [...]]]>

This post is a part of our series of contributions for Social Good Day.

While Americans struggle to heed advice to eat less, move more and stay out of their cars, most pundits have overlooked one of the key approaches to addressing our country’s health and environmental problems–supporting and promoting fresh, non-processed food from family farms.

The industrial food system is at the core of America’s health and environmental crises. As a nation, we have invested our public and personal food dollars in just a handful of crops from massive agriculture operations. Farm policy encourages overproduction of products like corn and soy, which lowers the price below production costs. While this approach punishes family farmers, it helps line the pockets of factory farm executives and processed food companies who use the cheap overage from these crops to create mass-produced drinks and snacks that are high in sugar and fat and low in essential nutrients. Family farm producers of fresh, whole foods have a tough time competing on price–a situation that most affects America’s working poor, who are forced to choose the cheaper option over the healthy one.

Meanwhile family farmers–and even their methane-producing cows–have been taking it on the chin for our environmental troubles, when the real blame again lies with the industrial agriculture system. Mass-production ag companies have learned that confining thousands of animals in close quarters is extremely profitable. Unfortunately, rural homeowners and American taxpayers are covering those costs, because the stench and pollution from these feedlots reduces property values and causes soil and groundwater contamination.

In these difficult times, lowering the weekly grocery bill generally outweighs supporting long-term improvements to personal and environmental health. Industrial ag executives know that better than anyone. In fact, they’re counting on it.

This guest blog post is written by Scott LaLonde, Vanguard Communications’ Event Manager.

From Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal helping the homeless with Comic Relief in the ’80s to Zac Efron, Kristen Bell and others putting finishing touches on their “Change the Odds” public service announcement campaign for Stand Up to Cancer this [...]]]>

This guest blog post is written by Scott LaLonde, Vanguard Communications’ Event Manager.

From Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal helping the homeless with Comic Relief in the ’80s to Zac Efron, Kristen Bell and others putting finishing touches on their “Change the Odds” public service announcement campaign for Stand Up to Cancer this month (see one of the spots below), nonprofit organizations have been advantageously partnering with celebrities for years to bring attention to critical issues.

The glittering world of celebrity can be an intimidating one but with the proper set of outreach tools, your organization can successfully recruit a celebrity participant for your next event or project. Our event planning team has complied the following 16 tips to help open the door to your next celebrity partnership.

1. Get some culture.  Pop culture, that is. To successfully identify, recruit and work with celebrities, you need to know who they are and what they do. Watch TV, read relevant websites or make People Magazine a weekly read.
2. Reach for the right stars. Who are the latest personalities in TV, music and movies who have the most in common with your target audience? Find people aligned with your cause.  Remember, it is much more likely that you’ll get buy-in from a star on a new show than a more established celebrity.
3. Make a list and check it twice. Create a master list of all potential celebrities that you are interested in recruiting for your event or cause. Be realistic and categorize the list into sections such as “real possibilities” and “reaching for the sky.” Use further online research to remove candidates due to background, availability and bad press. Your list will naturally narrow itself down due to the process of elimination.
4. Research, research, research. Research your potential celebrity participants thoroughly, and then some. It’s amazing what you can dig up if you take the time. Conduct searches using numerous key word combinations (such as “arrested” and your celebrity candidate’s name) to identify any potential embarrassing associations.
5. Know who to call. If you are asking someone to appear for free, you’ll get the best response from a publicist. They are looking for opportunities to get additional positive exposure for their clients. If you can offer payment, start with the manager, who will negotiate the deal. Agents are rarely part of cause-oriented deals unless there is a large fee involved or a long-term arrangement being negotiated. Once the celebrity is on the road, they are often accompanied by a road or tour manager, who will be your point of contact for scheduling and security.
6. Use the buddy system.  Have one contact person for your celebrity and his or her people at all times.  Building a relationship will make all the logistical work much easier.
7. Find your new best friends. Websites such as Who Represents?, Contact Any Celebrity, or IMdBPro can start you on the path to connecting with your celebrity and their representatives.
8. Have your five “W’s” ready. Know exactly what you want your celebrity to do, where they need to be and when, who else will be involved and why their participation will benefit both your organization and the celebrity. Better yet, send it in an e-mail first and follow up with a call. Publicists and/or managers are “get to the point” type of folks who do not have time to listen to a 30-minute explanation or job description.
9. Be specific. When a celebrity agrees to donate time and talents for free, they should not be expected to pose for photos, sign autographs or do meet and greets. However, if a celebrity is being paid, a general contract should specify expectations for those items.  Make sure the expectations are spelled out in your agreement so nobody is surprised.
10. Maximize your opportunities. Maximize opportunities with what is happening around your celebrity’s professional life. Is your celebrity opening a movie soon? About to release a book or an album? Offer press support tied to your event around the same time and it could benefit everyone involved.
11. Make it easy. If you really want a certain celebrity to represent your cause, be as flexible as possible about the date and location. If you can’t control those factors, choose a personality that resides on the same coast or will be touring in your area during the time of the event. Research shooting schedules for television and movies before you make your first call.
12. Let’s meet! Check to see if your potential celebrity will be in your area or vice-versa. Meeting face-to-face will pay off big time and increase your chances of a successful booking. Already booked the celebrity? Meet them face-to-face anyway; it will help improve your working relationship throughout the event process.
13. Give and take. Keep the celebrity’s team in the loop but do not give them full creative control. Nothing will kill your budget and time faster than allowing your celebrity and/or your celebrity’s representation to control every aspect of your event.
14. Provide extras. For the most part, a celebrity’s job not only involves acting or singing, it involves looking good and powerful. While you should never assume that a celebrity expects a makeup artist or limo service, don’t be surprised if they do. Often, the most demanding celebrities are up-and-comers who need more attention from media to further their careers.
15. Hot off the press. Get your talking points or an event script to your celebrity as soon as possible. It will help them prepare and advance your overall event and communication goals.
16. Remember, celebrities are people, too. The best way to work with a celebrity is to treat him or her like a person. Don’t gush over their latest movie or song. Don’t be afraid to have a regular conversation about the weather, TV shows or anything else you would discuss with an acquaintance. They and their management will be easier to work with once they realize that you are a colleague, not a fan.

On Wednesday, Facebook rolled out its long-awaited, location-based offering called Places.  Like competitors foursquare and Gowalla, Facebook Places allows users to “check-in” at locations, such as businesses, public spaces or even their homes, to broadcast to friends and connections where they are and what they’re doing.

We’ve previously discussed location-based advocacy in regard to foursquare [...]]]>

On Wednesday, Facebook rolled out its long-awaited, location-based offering called Places.  Like competitors foursquare and Gowalla, Facebook Places allows users to “check-in” at locations, such as businesses, public spaces or even their homes, to broadcast to friends and connections where they are and what they’re doing.

We’ve previously discussed location-based advocacy in regard to foursquare – but this announcement from Facebook ups the ante by bringing a half a billion people into the location-based check-in world.  Facebook’s reach among social network users ensures that more people will be checking in–for better or for worse.

Just as businesses are growing increasingly aware of potential benefits from check-in services, nonprofits and advocacy groups should be aware of how location-based social networking can help them.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Don’t be afraid to create a place and check in. Facebook has made it very easy to create a “Place” in their new service.  While the program aims to identify businesses or landmarks, there is nothing to say that you can’t just as easily create meeting spots, rally points, or strategically-located sites around key areas.  Trying to get a school board to pay attention?  Add your own “Places” around public schools or libraries with your message included.  Want to impact a member of Congress?  Ask supporters to check-in at their district offices using strategic messaging. Because all “Places” are public, other users will see these messages when they browse potential check-in spots.  The opportunities are limited only to your imagination.
• The benefits of location-based check-ins are immediacy and proximity. The business community has embraced check-in services, because it lets companies communicate with a customer at exactly the right moment–when they are in the business and ready to make a purchase. Advocates using check-in services should look to greet potential supporters with a call to action tied to where they are and what they’re doing.  Encourage passersby to join a nearby rally, or provide potential advocates with talking points, phone numbers and email addresses so they can take immediate action.
• Know your place. Advocacy groups and nonprofits now have new, virtual locations as part of Facebook Places, whether they like it or not.  Make sure you own your own, official Place that represents your organization, and monitor how people interact with it.  This can be your headquarters, offices or meeting points – but make sure you’re the one defining your Place.
• Location isn’t everything. Facebook Places is new and exciting, but it remains to be seen how it will be embraced.  Like any digital offering, use Places only as it makes sense to you–don’t let the buzz force you into rushed strategic decisions.  Keep your goal, audience and message in mind.

Keep an eye on Facebook Places to see how it develops.  It has tremendous potential for businesses and advocacy groups alike–but only if people embrace it.

I hope you’ve seen on TV or someone has forwarded you the “new, great-smelling” Old Spice “manmercials” featuring Isaiah Mustafa. Recently, the ad campaign has taken a more personal tactic.

Yup, he’s talking to the ABC’s “Good Morning, America” host George Stephanopoulos – though I doubt we’ll be seeing President Obama shirtless at [...]]]>

I hope you’ve seen on TV or someone has forwarded you the “new, great-smelling” Old Spice “manmercials” featuring Isaiah Mustafa. Recently, the ad campaign has taken a more personal tactic.

Yup, he’s talking to the ABC’s “Good Morning, America” host George Stephanopoulos – though I doubt we’ll be seeing President Obama shirtless at a White House press conference. In the second phase of this Wieden+Kennedy-created ad campaign, the Old Spice man spoke via online video to more than 200 people, including LATimes.com’s Adam Tschorn, who just blogged about it and actress Alyssa Milano who tweeted about it.

By creating these personalized online videos directed at users interacting with Old Spice in the media, on YouTube or via Twitter, the campaign quickly and inexpensively expanded its reach and exposure. The videos are getting lots of buzz — especially the wedding proposal one — and are shared throughout the Internet and in social networking communities.  This is creating opportunities for additional coverage for Old Spice in earned media hits.

Wouldn’t this be a great social cause tactic to get the attention of policymakers in Washington, D.C. and in your own communities? All you would need is a interesting set-up, a message, a spokesperson, a list of influencers and a digital video camera. It could be the 21st century version of sending a open letter to Congress, instead your letter would be watched, instead of just read, and easily passed along.

ReadWriteWeb blog posted a behind-the-scenes look at how the videos were developed, but here are some of strategies inspired by Old Spice’s manly towel-clad spokesperson to keep in mind when you replicate this approach in your own advocacy campaigns.

1. Keep it simple. This communicators’ mantra applies to all of the work we do, but its power is beautifully illustrated in this video campaign. Old Spice kept the spokesperson and set-up virtually the same for all of the video shout outs; only the message changed. Simplicity will be key in keeping costs low and brand recognition high.
2. Target the right people. Wieden+Kennedy did their homework and identified people with either large followings or people with unusual requests that were already engaging with the campaign. Instead of picking on random people, they created video responses to those who would expand their campaign’s exposure by sharing the video with their followers or create earned media opportunities in non-ad trade media that rarely exists for ad campaigns outside of the Super Bowl. Free online exposure can be the bread and butter for advocacy campaigns on a budget. These personalized video messages could be the vehicle, if you select the right targets who have the ears (or Blackberrys) of the right audiences.
3. Maintain your tone and purpose. Personalized video responses were kept brief — under a minute in length — and maintained the ad campaign’s tone. Also, the video responses never lost their focus to reaffirm the ad campaign message (manly men use Old Spice) and reinforce the new brand for the product.
4. Don’t take yourself to seriously. Okay – Isaiah Mustafa is selling men’s deodorant and not a critical social issue, but humor can still take you a long way even when talking about serious topics. While videos about important causes are passed around the Internet, your e-mail in-box, Twitterfeed or Facebook page are probably mostly filled with humorous videos. If you can find the balance of irreverence and persuasively getting your message across, you could have a viral phenomenon on your online video channel.

While he may be “a ridiculously handsome man,” Isaiah Mustafa has proven that an effective communication strategy and tactic doesn’t need a lot of money or resources. It relies on an imaginative, creative idea. While the campaign has ended, I’ll let you have a moment with Old Spice to say farewell before you start filming your own targeted videos and encourage new audiences to pass your message along.