While this may not be big news to you – for a family with two kids in diapers – it’s HUGE!  Beginning today, Sesame Street will feature a daily segment with Super Grover, whose powers involve the “ability to observe, investigate, question and report phenomenon to help kids solve problems.”

Add “and build mutually beneficial [...]]]>

While this may not be big news to you – for a family with two kids in diapers – it’s HUGE!  Beginning today, Sesame Street will feature a daily segment with Super Grover, whose powers involve the “ability to observe, investigate, question and report phenomenon to help kids solve problems.”

Add “and build mutually beneficial relationships” to the end of that sentence and Grover becomes a PR Super Hero!

So what does it take to be a PR Super Hero?  Of course, everything our wise professors and Grunig, Grunig and Dozier explain in The Public Relations Excellence Theory, but beyond that it’s a matter of opinion. Here’s mine:

• A nose for news (Grover’s is pink, but any old nose will do)

• Curiosity that can’t be satisfied

• Constant yearning for learning (Rhyme inspired by too many children’s books)

• An open mind to all perspectives

• A belief that “mutually beneficial” can be achieved

• Flexibility and adaptability to rapid change

• Impeccable writing and presentation skills

• An urge for constructive criticism (because you know it can only get better)

• Passion for your cause

• A sense of humor, genuine smile and – a cape would be nice too!

What do you think it takes to be a Public Relations Super Hero?

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.

A scary afternoon in Washington, D.C. last week brought mental health back into the headlines. Earlier this year, I talked about the importance of using culturally and linguistically competent words, especially when talking about mental health. But in reviewing the coverage of the Discovery Channel hostage situation in Silver Spring, Maryland, it seems like [...]]]>

A scary afternoon in Washington, D.C. last week brought mental health back into the headlines. Earlier this year, I talked about the importance of using culturally and linguistically competent words, especially when talking about mental health. But in reviewing the coverage of the Discovery Channel hostage situation in Silver Spring, Maryland, it seems like reporters are still making disappointing word choices.

Following the incident, the American Psychological Association shared a great tip sheet for how to eliminate stigmatizing mental health language in news reporting. The tip sheet was developed by the University of Washington School of Social Work to help journalists improve reporting on mental health issues. One of its suggestions states:

As with any disparaging words related to race and ethnicity, some words should never be used in [mental health-related] reporting, commentary or headlines. Examples include: crazy/crazed, nuts, lunatic, deranged, psycho, and wacko.

Since some breaking news stories can be driven by comments and posts online, it’s not surprising that commonly used disparaging words are repeated in news stories about these incidents. But it is another reminder of how our word selection as communicators can have a powerful impact on the picture we paint of people and their challenges, especially when they are mental health-related.

Editors, producers, reporters and bloggers need to find ways to report the drama of the incident without using stereotypical words and phrases. “Crazy” is still making it into too many headlines and leads in reference to James Jay Lee.  That hinders the mental health community’s efforts to increase social inclusion for those dealing with mental illness and their loved ones.

I’m getting ready to live blog from the Progressive Communicators of Washington, D.C. event at WWF on mobile communications tactics for progressive communicators.

UPDATE: The live event has concluded. The archived video of this panel discussion is available here:

Presenters (left to right): Jeff Lee; Jed Alpert, Mobile Commons; Rachel Labruyere, Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign; [...]]]>

I’m getting ready to live blog from the Progressive Communicators of Washington, D.C. event at WWF on mobile communications tactics for progressive communicators.

UPDATE: The live event has concluded. The archived video of this panel discussion is available here:

Presenters (left to right): Jeff Lee; Jed Alpert, Mobile Commons; Rachel Labruyere, Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign; Ron Vassall, Kaptivate; David Miller, Mobile Discovery; and Susan Murray, American Red Cross.

Note: these updates should not be interpreted as direct quotes from participants, but instead, notes covering the substance of their comments.

12:36 - Thanks for joining the live blog!  We’ve been addressing some of the audio issues with the live stream, but will be providing updates going forward.  Thanks for your patience.

12:43 – Rachel Labruyere: our 140,000 SMS subscribers is the biggest SMS list for immigration activism outside of the Obama campaign.  Mobile is the right technology for the right time, and allows us to reach people that aren’t using the web.

12:45 - Rachel Labruyere: saw phenomenal response from mobile efforts.  Upwards of 5,000 people responded to the initial text campaign.  The campaign used text messages to recruit people to participate in house parties and followed up directly with those responding to text messages.

12:49 - Rachel Labruyere: prompted people to text “RIDE” to a central number if they needed a ride to participate in the immigration rally in Washington, D.C.  This enabled the campaign help to find rides for people in advance and bolster attendance at the rally.

12:52 - Rachel Labruyere: One of the biggest things that we do is to drive calls to Congress and the White House – at this point, we’ve driven over 300,000 calls.  Once you hang up on that call, you immediately get a text back thanking you for your call.  If you’re on the SMS list, it prompts you to encourage five friends to make a call.  If you’re not on the list, it asks you whether you would like to join.

12:53 - Rachel Labruyere: Prompting people to opt-in to the SMS list is most successful at live events.

12:57 - Jed Alpert: programs are successful because there is a reason to use mobile, and people are excited to participate in it.  Tools facilitate this participation, but a good campaign is essential.

1:00 – Ron Vassall: mobile web is an interesting addition to SMS as it expands your capabilities and what you can do in mobile campaigns.

1:02 - Jeff Lee: it is now more common that your mobile system is connected with your backend CRM system that you use to track who your top donors are.  When you get somebody texting in, you can bring that interaction back into your core system to help contribute data and information about your supporters.

1:05 – David Miller: APIs make it easier to share information across networks by allowing you to push information into other platforms – such as Facebook or Twitter – via your mobile efforts.  This helps you reach broader audiences and can help your messages go viral.

1:08 – Jed Alpert: The data shows that until you are 46 or 47 years old, you send more text messages than you make phone calls.  The largest growth in text messaging is occurring among those that are older than 65.

1:10 – Susan Miller: for the tsunami, we raised $120,000 via SMS.  For Hurricane Katrina, we raised an equivalent amount.  In 2008, we raised around $250,000 around the time of the Republican National Convention, as there was a lot of hurricane coverage and concern over potential hurricanes.  The 2008 effort was bolstered by support from the Obama campaign, who sent out a request to their list.  Today, it is a completely different landscape, where over 91% of people are mobile subscribers and over 20% are mobile-only households.

1:12 – Susan Miller: text HAITI to 90999 to experience how fundraising works via SMS, as part of the current effort in support of earthquake relief.  You will have to reply yes to confirm your donation, but this can show you how it works in practice.  It is very, very easy.

1:15 – Susan Miller: to date we’ve raised over $32 million for earthquake relief in Haiti, an effort that was bolstered by activity and publicity on social networks.  On mobile, 91% of what we raised was raised in the first two weeks.

1:16 – Susan Miller: to address potential user error in texting – such as spelling an opt-in keyword incorrectly – you must tell your carrier that you want to recognize as many potential spellings as possible.

1:19 – Susan Miller: we are at a crossroads of mobile fundraising and things will change – but right now, $5 and $10 limits are the norm.  Carriers may see it as a liability, as it is essentially a floating loan until people pay their phone bills.

1:23 – Jeff Lee: One thing to keep in mind is that the U.S. short codes do not work in other countries.  In each country that you work in, you will have a different mechanism to attract people.

1:26 - Jed Alpert: There was a recent authorization of a pan-Latin short code that will be able to be used across Latin America.

1:28 - David Miller: Premium SMS is not your only option, so you don’t always have to go through the carrier.  As we move forward and phones evolve, the reliance on the carrier for doing things in general is going down.  It is good to keep in mind as we think about campaigns in the future.

1:31 – Jed Alpert: 501(c)3 organizations and some religious organizations have been authorized for text message fundraising.  Mobile donations are not yet available for political candidates.

1:34 – Rachel Labruyere: having more information makes the list more useful.  We sent a message that offered a t-shirt to anybody that texted us their address to help increase the data that we have about those on our list.  That allows us to target them more effectively.

1:37 – Jed Alpert: the bigger mobile fundraising gets, the less incentive there is for the carriers to do it.

1:39 – Ron Vassall: smart phones will revolutionize what we’re able to do with SMS outreach.  We’re at 70 million smart phone users now, and will be at 100 million by the end of the year.

1:44 – Jeff Lee: there is some discussion about adding mobile to current regulations that prevent spam.

1:47 – Ron Vassall: nonprofits often choose to share codes to save money, but the risk is that one bad apple could cause the short code to be shut down if it is abused.

1:50 – David Miller: Apple revolutionized the entire mobile world when they introduced the iPhone and the App Store.  It tapped into a consumer demand that nobody was fully aware of – the success of the App Store surprised even Apple.

1:53 – Jed Alpert: mobile donation is just a part of mobile communication overall.  At certain moments it is the biggest thing in mobile communication for nonprofits – but it should be part of a mobile communication strategy.  The issues confronting nonprofits and mobile that are policy oriented are very similar to those confronting people in other areas.

2:00 – David Miller: one of the products that Mobile Discovery offers is called EcoShow, which can help to distribute materials digitally using mobile technology.

This concludes today’s live blog.  Thank you for tuning in!

Happy 40th Anniversary Earth Day!

Twenty years ago, Vanguard Communications provided communications support for Earth Day 1990, culminating with the first national Earth Day rally in Washington, D.C.  With 350,000 attendees, it was an overwhelming success, and it began a tradition that continues to this day, with the Climate Rally on the National Mall, scheduled [...]]]>

Happy 40th Anniversary Earth Day!

Twenty years ago, Vanguard Communications provided communications support for Earth Day 1990, culminating with the first national Earth Day rally in Washington, D.C.  With 350,000 attendees, it was an overwhelming success, and it began a tradition that continues to this day, with the Climate Rally on the National Mall, scheduled for Sunday, April 25.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/ / CC BY 2.0

Publications across the country have showcased Earth Day op-eds and editorials today, with articles written by a plethora of authors, including EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. From these examples, we’ve culled three simple tips to make your opinion writing persuasive and memorable.

1. Be personal. Look for the angle within your op-ed that applies to you. In other words, find a way of making a point that connects to your voice and your experiences. Adam Gardner from rock band Guster does precisely this in his post for Care2, focusing on the environmental impacts of touring and how his nonprofit organization, Reverb, has worked to address these challenges.  Focusing on an issue he’s intimately and implicitly familiar with gives him greater credibility and allows his message to connect to readers.
2. Have an opinion. It seems obvious, but making a strong point with a clearly defined point of view helps your message stick.  Take today’s post from Treehugger, which references a Salon op-ed from two years ago.  The original piece – which advocated renaming Earth Day – had an opinion unique enough that Treehugger not only remembered it, but was able to reintroduce it to new readers years after its original publication.
3. Call your supporters to action. The best op-eds ask readers to do something.  Take today’s piece from Grist, which uses Earth Day to discuss how quitting smoking can impact the environment and your health.  While it may be a bit of a leap, it piques reader interest and encourages further review.

Marian Anderson: Barrier-Breaking Contralto

March 2010 Marian Anderson Barrier-Breaking Contralto

“When I sing, I don’t want them to see that my face is black. I don’t want them to see that my face is white. I want them to see my soul. And that is colorless.” – Marian Anderson

Born in the heart of Philadelphia, Marian Anderson rose [...]]]>

Marian Anderson: Barrier-Breaking Contralto

March 2010
Marian Anderson
Barrier-Breaking Contralto

“When I sing, I don’t want them to see that my face is black. I don’t want them to see that my face is white. I want them to see my soul. And that is colorless.” – Marian Anderson

Born in the heart of Philadelphia, Marian Anderson rose from humble beginnings to become recognized as one of America’s premier vocalists – and used her stunning contralto to promote racial harmony. When prevented from performing at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1939, the resulting support of President and Eleanor Roosevelt led to an open-air performance at the Lincoln Memorial. The legendary concert attracted an integrated audience of 75,000 in still segregated Washington, D.C. Anderson continued to use her vocal talent to break racial barriers throughout her life, becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera, serving as a singing cultural ambassadress for the U.S. Department of State, and appointed a representative to the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations by President Eisenhower. Anderson remained active in the Civil Rights Movement, giving benefit concerts and performing at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Shortly thereafter, she became one of the 31 original recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Winning countless awards, Anderson enjoyed critical and cultural successes throughout her career, until her death in 1993. The “Marian Anderson Award,” originally established in 1943 by Anderson herself as a singing competition, was re-established in 1990. After her passing, the award was reformed to recognize “Artists Whose Leadership On Behalf Of A Humanitarian Cause or Issue Benefits Society.”

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill [...]]]>

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill out the 10 question form, while many others simply distrust the government or worry about privacy.

In response to concerns from national civil rights groups, the Census Bureau has been touting a $133 million advertising campaign, which includes television spots in 28 different languages. The Bureau estimates it will reach the average person 42 times with slogans such as the “2010 census – it’s in our hands.”

Key to the Bureau’s success will not only be its ability to offer ads in-language, but also to provide messages that respond to cultural concerns and barriers to filling out the form. The Census Bureau reports that the emphasis in the message varies with the audience, with objects, backgrounds, and other props changing in some TV ads to reach different groups.

The question is, will that be enough? With the Census launching in March, two months of positive, culturally considerate messaging might not be adequate to mitigate years, even decades, of misinformation and distrust.

Census officials say that each percentage point of nonresponse to the initial survey costs $80-90 million to hire people to knock on doors. In preparing for the 2020 census, it might be wise to consider investing that money over the next decade in long-term, culturally competent messaging that increases dialogue and understanding about the need for and benefits of this critical decennial count.

Before leaving for winter recess in December, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) released the 2010 legislative calendar. While there weren’t any surprises, the calendar does provide a hint on how to get the attention of Congress this year: think local.

As is typical for an election year, the legislative schedule is [...]]]>

Before leaving for winter recess in December, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) released the 2010 legislative calendar. While there weren’t any surprises, the calendar does provide a hint on how to get the attention of Congress this year: think local.

As is typical for an election year, the legislative schedule is shorter than 2009; the House is only scheduled to be in session for 110 days, compared to last year’s 159 days.  The target adjournment date of October 8, 2010 would give members just over three weeks of solid campaign time before Election Day (Tuesday, November 2), as well as several recesses throughout the year to return home to campaign.

While the U.S. Senate has not released their calendar, recesses and convening/adjournment dates should be similar to the House calendar.

2010 is a critical election year for Congress as results could shift power in the House and the Senate as well as on both sides of the party aisle. As a result, Congressional members and their staffs will be focused on home districts and states for most of the year. In the coming months, they’ll be paying extra attention to what’s happening in the field, instead of their Washington, D.C. offices.

Whether you are sending an email, delivering a petition, making a phone call or scheduling a meeting with your representative or senator, consider targeting your efforts to both Capitol Hill and elected officials’ offices in your own backyard. Your messages and tactics may get more attention at the local level and impact the legislative agenda. In 2010, Congress will be thinking local too.