Blogging has become an incredibly important social media tool. Used by professionals to directly engage consumers, it provides an informal forum for high-level executives to provide a more casual, "off the record" opinion and insight into their company. While some use it effectively, others do not.
Below, a recently developed social media campaign from Best Buy is a prime example of to maintain a successful corporate blog...take a look: ** analysis dictated by principles of PESTLE, SWOT, and POST
the D.Brief
Brian Dunn, Chief Operating Officer of Best Buy, provides consumers with an excellent example of effective blogging from an executive perspective. His blog is creatively titled “the D.Brief”.
He updates the blog frequently and presents it in a creative and unique format.
Each entry is concise and captures the readers attention for the entire duration.
His most recent entry is titled “Give a Little and Get Back”. It is a prime example of his most effective tactics of communication. The post's strengths include:
Personally relatable
Promotes product
Engages consumers
Dunn begins the blog with a personal anecdote. He makes reference to his own family which immediately engages viewers, places him on their level, and verify that he is actually the one writing the blog.
Dunn uses the anecdote with his son to segway into a subtle mentioning of one of Best Buy’s social responsibility campaigns. This is a very effective way to show the practicality of Best Buy products and engage consumers to contribute.
Dunn’s blog is also a strong example of 2-way communication. There is an application where readers can anonymously input their questions and comments.
** This is a direct channel to the CEO of a large company and unique chance for readers to provide their feedback.
Dunn also poses a question at the bottom of the blog to provoke debate and discussion. He is using this opportunity engaging consumers and making them feel as if he cares which is a brilliant strategic move.
The D-Brief is a prime example of extremely effective blogging—it is relevant, engaging, and informative.
It feels like just yesterday that Chris Brown and Rihanna mysteriously pulled out of the Grammys, mere hours before their hyped performance. I, for one, was crushed. Rumours immediately swarmed about an incident of abuse but I refused to believe it. It couldn’t be. They were the golden couple of pop music. Beautiful. Talented. But more than anything, international role models.
When the picture of Rihanna’s bruised and battered face surfaced, it was official. Chris Brown had pleaded guilty to assaulting his beloved and was hit with many hours of community service.
His camp was immediately concerned with how his career would be affected. The public was furious but Rihanna kept her silence
Kudos to Brown’s PR team for effectively dealing with what seemed to be an impossible situation. He was kept from the limelight, openly accepted responsibility and pledged to get help. On one hand, what more could you ask. On the other, would the public ever forgive him? I cannot. Today is an important day in the life of Chris Brown, as it marks the release of his new album Graffiti. The looming question is, can he make a comeback?
I feel guilty every time I find myself humming along to his hits. I cannot reconcile the handsome popstar on television with the abuser picking up garbage on the side of the highway.
But the public has been known to forgive worse. Bill came back after Monica, MJ is immortalized as an icon, and R.Kelly is popping out chart toppers like it’s nobody’s business.
81% of people polled said that they would not be adding copies of Graffiti to their music collections but the album currently sits comfortably at #2 on the Billboard Charts. Reconcile that.
Well, it's safe to say the legend lives on. On every billboard, radio station and movie theatre, a glimpse of the glove and a thurst of moonwalk is evident.
When I first heard this song as a bat-mitzvah girl drowning in taffeta, I couldn't resist running to the dance floor. The talent of Michael Jackson lives on in his music and the many ways in which it is interpreted. Though his style is imitated by many, his talent is surpassed by no one. Pushing all his quirks and scandals aside, the man is, and will forever be an American icon. In tribute to his talent, here are two interpretations of one of his greatest hits.
So this is a good one. As I'm sure you've heard, actress Emmy Rossum and the lead singer of the Counting Crows are dating. What you may not have heard is how this little love affair began...
Of places...twitter.
"I was on tour with the band this summer. They invited me actually on Twitter," Rossum said Thursday on the radio show Valentine in the Morning. "That's how we met – on a dare. They dared me to come sing with them a song that I'd never sung before ... So I ended up on tour with the band, and it was very, very fun."
I was just beginning to wrap my mind around online dating but this has reached a whole new level. Is that what our generation is turning to?
Twitter is interesting in that you can direct access to anyone on the network. Whether this power will be used for good evil or even romance is up to us.
Choose wisely...and start looking out for Cupid's tweets!
Social media maven and established entrepreneur Mark Walmsley put together a really impressive slideshow on the evolution of our means of communication. Took a look, it's amazing:
Amidst all the buzz about the ultimate Twilight couple, there is one photo that has set the rumor mill on fire. Spotted leaving the Charles De Gaulle airport, superstars Robert "R.Patz" Pattinson and Kristen "K.Stew" Stewart were...wait for it....holding hands. It has now been confirmed, from this photo alone, that they are in fact a couple.
As a result of the many means of social media, this picture has been seen by the masses. It has been re-posted and dissected down to how many fingers are intertwined. Comments have been made and hearts have been broken [myself included].
To highlight the absurdity of the conclusions drawn, two other Twilight superstars made a statement of their own and publicized it via Twitter. Instantly, the picture received a ton of media attention and landed its own article on people.com.
This is PR at its finest. Instead of making formal statements to respond to all the rumors, the cast has embraced it and shown the world how ridiculous they are without outright saying it. PR requires creativity and at times, a little bit of humor.
When reading one of my favourite PR blogs, I came across this posting-- 9 rules that a kindergarten class compiled. It really struck a chord within me. Incorporating these fundamental messages into our daily practices will help as both public relations professionals and human beings. I miss the days of scheduled napping and the times when I would carelessly eat as many cookies as I could digest for snack. We are so easily swept into the 21st century monster but in taking a step back, my perspective has been refreshed. I'll have to thank Mrs. Weisberg...take a look and pay tribute to story time, play-doh, and macaroni necklaces.
9 PR Rules Learned in Kindergarten:
Say please
Say I'm sorry
Be friendly
Share
Play fair
Don't litter
Never hurt others
Say excuse me
Listen to others
1. Say please - This rule speaks to a sense of decency and politeness. Some days we get so caught up in our work and we forget to be thoughtful with our co-workers, clients, and unfortunately, other members in our community. Forgetting this rule can cause tragic disconnections that are sometimes difficult to mend.
2. Say I'm sorry - If you screw up, own up to it. The sooner, the better. This is true for individuals as well as organizations when things go wrong. Your community will be more likely to forgive mistakes and missteps if you can express honest remorse when needed.
3. Be friendly - Public relations professionals had better like people. I don't mean the "I'm a people-person" platitudes that so easily get thrown around. I mean PR people need to have others' interests in mind when planning, preparing, and implementing in order to be the stewards of information and counsel our community expects us to be.
4. Share - I appreciate this rule for the facets it represents in the professional life of a PR person. Sharing is another word for communicating. Being effective communicators is in my opinion the basis for the work we do. The share rule can be the difference in being a part of a community and being apart from the community.
5. Play fair - The PRSA Code of Ethics includes fairness as part of the core values: "We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression."
6. Don't Litter - I'll be honest, I wasn't exactly sure at first how I was going to fit in this rule as a relevant rule for public relations. However, then I thought about what litter was: trash. So for PR people, this rule is simply to not leave your garbage lying around. Clean up after yourselves. If you make a mess of things, clean it up. Not every idea is a winner. That's ok. If your idea gets turned down, learn from it. That's how we grow.
7. Never hurt others - You might think that this is just an extension of being friendly and saying your sorry. In reality, this rule is different. Hurting others takes a certain level of intention. What this rule is saying is never proceed with plans that you know will do widespread harm.
8. Say excuse me - In addition to fairness, PR people should be held to a standard of advocacy: "We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate." Sometimes I think we need to add the word polite to this notion of public debate. Being civil is never out of style.
9. Listen to others - There is an interesting duality to this rule.
A.) You don't know all there is to know about public relations. You need to continue to learn and hone your skills through discussion, research, and professional development. PR is an ever-evolving field and being able to adapt and change is what will make you stand out.
B.) You don't know all there is to know about your organization or clients. Active listening within your work environment, on behalf of your organization and through monitoring will mean the difference between taking shots in the dark and making educated and informed communication decisions.
Now this is how you go out there and turn what could have been a PR nightmare right around. She laughed at herself, addressed the salacious rumors while remaining composed, hilarious, and adorable. Atta girl T.Swift. Touche.
Well if anything, the man has a way with words. Though this may just be another way in which Obama is encouraging support from the Israeli public, his words stand accurate, emotional, and poignant
To me, the assassination of Rabin was one of the lowest points in Israeli history. He was a military legend and a true visionary-- for once, peace felt within reach. 14 years later, I can barely wrap my mind around what that even felt like. In looking a little deeper, our aspirations were premature. I still cannot get over the irony of him being shot just after singing "a song for peace."
Today we reflect on his passing of one of Israel's greatest heroes.
His legacy will be honored when his dreams are achieved.
Ever since lead singer Steve Perry injured his hip in 1996, legendary '80s rock band Journey just hasn't been the same. Singers Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto tried filling Perry's big shoes (and tight jeans), but the band's success never reached its previous heights and Journey was reduced to a feel-good nostalgia act.
In December, however, their luck changed. Enter the magic of social media....
The Fairy Tale
Journey signed on new lead vocalist Arnel Pineda, an unknown Filipino singer, who they found leading a Manila cover band on YouTube. He was flown to the United states for the very first time and instantly signed. Six months later, the band has kicked off a tour of Europe and the U.S. and released Revelation, a new album featuring original songs and re-recorded classics that has already shot up to the fifth highest-selling album in the U.S. since its debut two weeks ago.
Hold on a minute...how did this happen?
After the band fired their replacement lead singer, guitarist Neal Schon turned to the Web in search of talent. After two days of surfing on YouTube, he came upon clips of Pineda singing with his band, The Zoo, and nailing all the right notes in the toughest Survivor, Queen and Journey power ballads. "I heard his voice and my eyes got big," says Schon, who has been with Journey since its inception in 1975. "I thought, he can't be that good." Schon left his house, took a spin on his motorcycle to clear his head, and then contacted Pineda. At first, the singer thought the email was a hoax. "I didn't think the real Neal Schon would call a guy like me," says Pineda. "I'm just a guy from the Philippines." Four months later, Pineda signed on as Journey's new lead singer. "I've been waiting for this moment to come for 25 years," he says. "It's like shooting to the moon."
Well that's an incredible story, but how does it pertain to social media?
In using different means of social media including YouTube, blogging, twitter, and facebook, Journey was able to completely re-establish themselves. Journey garnered an incredible amount of publicity regarding the unconventional way in which they found their new lead singer but more than that, attracted the attention of a much younger demographic. YouTube gave them access to international talent that they never would have discovered otherwise and gave Arnel the opportunity of a lifetime. Journey capitalized on this new-found attention and subsequently developed different means of social media. They have thousands of members in their facebook group and consistently update their twitter account.
The trend of "YouTube" celebrities will absolutely continue to grow as its effectiveness is apparent. The topic will continue to be hot and hopefully, talent around the world can be given the platform it deserves.
So I am still trying to figure out personal branding-- or my own personal brand rather. How do I want to be perceived? Is my professional identity distinct from my everyday self? Is there room to evolve? I am coming to the realization that there really isn't an absolute answer. I am going to represent who I am at this moment. Tomorrow that may be someone different. I will share with you what speaks to me in hopes that maybe it speaks to you too. I intend on pushing boundaries. Sharing my view and likely verging on risque... Consider yourself warned.
One thing I know for certain is that no matter which stage I'm at, I will always be looking for advice or words of inspiration. Aren't we all?
I came across a blogpost that really made me think. smile. and reflect. Though it isn't "professional" or deeply profound per say, it's an incredible example of the scope of social media. There is a girl across the world that may not have a single thing in common with me other than the fact that we're 20somethings growing up in the same world. She compiled a list of wisdoms that she wish she knew then. I'm glad I know it now.
[ **Please excuse any inappropriate langauge.]
Take a look.
To me, it really sums up life in the big city when you’re a girl becoming a woman. And as Lily sings, what society thinks or does with a woman who’s “past her prime”—in this case, thirty. I know I’ve felt past my use-by date, even as young as twenty, and I wonder what that says about the messages and images we’re bombarded with as girls and women? I’ve been that drunken girl in front of the bathroom mirror, touching up her face and wondering what was going to come next that could possibly save me from a sometimes lonely and empty existence. You go out feeling fabulous in a new dress and come home with either a one-night stand or, more likely, the start of a raging hangover—and hope against hope that someone will someday come along and take you away from all of it. As women, what does it mean to have triumphed in society? Landing the rich husband, the fab career, having a baby or two? Funny how our options, though supposedly endless, seem to fall within the same narrow confines of women centuries ago. Even Sex and the City shows women who haven’t really “made it” until they’ve married their Mr. Big .
If I could give some advice to all the lovely young things out there who think it’s all over: 1) It’s not and don’t believe those fools who tell you it is. 2) The man of your dreams, soulmates, partners—they do exist. But it takes really knowing and loving yourself to find that person. When you don’t need someone to take you away from it all, you’ll find the one who will (if that’s what you still want!) 3) Define your own success. Define your own happiness. It’s yours, no one else’s. 4) Evolve! If it hasn’t been working for you, change it up, because no one and nothing else will do it for you. Realize that what you wanted and are looking for at 20 probably won't be the same as when you’re 30. So stop behaving the same way. 5) That probably means less clubbing and [feeding your body chemicals] Trust me, you won’t find Mr. Right in the bathroom of a bar. (Seriously, I’ve tried. Many times.) 6) You are young and beautiful. Really enjoy your perfect skin and your thick hair and your endless energy. You have it, so flaunt it. Collagen and Botox will never make you look 25 (or 30) again! 7) If you really want to hold onto your looks, don’t smoke, don't do too many drugs or drink too much and (it has to be said), avoid too much sun. 8) Don’t waste your time, energy and youth on guys who always have excuses for why they can’t commit to you. 9)Editors Note: You're going to have to check the real deal for this one...I had to draw the line somewhere. 10) Never, ever be afraid to ask for what you want, whether it comes to love, money, understanding, anything! You’ll most likely get what you ask for, in one way or another.BONUS: 11) Don’t take my advice (or anyone else’s) if you disagree. You’re a smart cookie who can and will figure it out for yourself.
In Deirdre Breakenridge's article PR 2.0, Brian Cross discusses how changes in technology will change the function of PR practitioners. In what ways do you think public relations will change and what role will PR professional's play in these changes?
Constantly adapting. Keeping up with the latest trends. Writing. Speaking. Communicating. Connecting. Relating…publically. Each of these things contribute to the field of Public Relations professionals, and always will. As the media continues to develop and we are forced to adapt concurrently, we can rely on the fundamentals being the same. However, with the advent of PR 2.0 as described in Breakenridge’s article, which includes the integration of social media, is revolutionizing the very way in which we communicate.
“PR 2.0 puts the “public” back in public relations with the ability to speak to more people. The concept is driven by technology [the Web 2.0 platform and social media applications] and 21st century consumer behavior.” -- Breakenridge
A primary as a result of PR 2.0 is that brands are able to have conversations directly with their consumers. Dialogue is direct, immediate and informal. Brian Cross, head Director of Fleishman-Hillard’s Digital Group in Saint Louis points out a key trend:
“I think the consumer is going to gain more and more control, but not control in a bad way, control in a way that they’re going to ask for exactly what they want. This will definitely help the brand.”
As PR professionals, though scary at first, we are only being given more tools to do an even better job. The essence of PR will not change, simply the way in which it’s practiced. The dialogue is evolving into two-way communication rather than one (i.e. print journalism, television, etc.) PR 2.0 shrinks the gap between us and our audience. We are given authority and a platform to share our message with the world. When used effectively, the world is truly our oyster. As the technology changes, we must change with it. Cross is reassuring in saying that companies will always need help communicating effectively albeit to the consumer directly or to the entire consumer base via mediums such as twitter or blogging.
Stick with it guys. We can do this.
And in case you need a little bit more of an explanation, this clip offers great insight into how social media works... (and involvesice cream!)
And here is an explanation of PR 2.0 from another corner of the earth [an example of how the 2.0 world can aid us!]
Question 2.
In Wikipedia: The Truth in Numbers the message seems to be: no longer do the victors write the history books, we do: you, me, and everyone else. How is social media (twitter, blogs) forwarding this idea? What gives someone authority to "write history"?
I walked into grade 9 history class excited about the ancient centuries staring me in the face. It was my first high school class and at the ripe age of 13, I was still under the impression that history was “grown-up”, fascinating, and mysterious. My [very handsome] teacher began the class by writing the following statement on the board:
“There is no such thing as a fact.”
I was shocked and appalled. How could that be?
He explained that any history book or event is written through the writers interpretations and in our studies, we must always remember that. As humans, we cannot escape bias or inaccuracy—even the most educated historian has his own opinion. Instead of writing books, we now write online.
In applying this ground-breaking lesson to the message perpetrated through “In Wikipedia: The Truth in Numbers”, I would argue that social media does not increase the already endangered accuracy of history, only expands the breadth of our reach. Our tweets, facebook status, ning profile or blog, gives the average Joe the ability to write his own history but it will always lack legitimacy. Universities and academic institutions will never accept “wikipedia” as an acceptable resource. As PR practioners, we must be careful not to make this mistake too. Leave history to the professionals, let us spread the word.
We must now sort through fiction from reality but what the documentary fails to understand is this challenge always existed. We do not have the authority to “write history” but a greater audience to share our [often unaccredited] opinions with. Beware researchers.
Editors Note:
A wise adviser recently told me that blogging is slowly disintegrating... Instead of using blogging as the social media application of choice, online mavens are now relying on twitter and facebook. In such an instance, this alleged “rewriting of history” will slowly be reduced to 140 characters. That’s absurd. Facts are distorted, the separation between opinion and reality only blurred further. Or is it clarified? Twitter is best utilized when we share links to legitimate sources. This enhances the knowledge of the general public. It poses an interesting question however, and in my opinion, an even greater threat to the validity of this new form of “history”. On one hand, we can receive news instantaneously. On the other, no true message can be accurately relayed in such a condensed space. There is no room for context, detailed description or even basic facts. Are we only diluting history further? Maybe. But maybe not...
Question 3.
McLuhan used a model with four elements surrounding the term MEDIUM. Touching on the four elements, describe how this model can help us in interpreting social media...
ENHANCE.REVERSE.RETRIEVE. OBSOLESCE.
Marshall McLuhan is known as one of the founding fathers of media theory. Though social media did not exist in his time, his theories remain relevant and help us determine the lasting effect social media will have. McLuhan said that “a medium” afcts society by the content delivered via the medium itself but also by the characteristics of the medium. This makes each medium of media unique.
In an attempt to quantify his media theory, McLuhan and his son developed the Laws of Media. McLuhan concluded that four things happen to all media; the phenomenon was both inevitable and applied universally. Though they take years to manifest, McLuhan insisted that hey occurred simultaneously nonetheless.
The principles are as follows [with their corresponding questions] :
ENHANCE-- what does the new media improve or enhance, make possible or accelerate?
REVERSE-- when pushed to its limits, the new form will reverse what was its original. what is the potential reversal for the new form?
RETRIEVE -- what earlier action or service is brought back into play by the new form? What older, previously obsolesced ground is brought back and becomes an essential part of the new form?
OBSOLESCE-- what is obsolesced or pushed back by the new media?
In this particular situation, social media will be substituted for “new media.”
Social media enhances communication. It expedites the dissemination of a message and expands that audience to which one can reach.
If used improperly, social media will reverse its effectiveness and become defective—messages will not be shared, their validity will be lost, and it will no longer be an effective means of communication.
With the new form of social media, the previously obsolesced practice of direct communication will be retrieved. With television, broadcasting and radio, global audiences were restricted to one-way communication. Global two-way communication is retrieved as it was used when only the telephone existed.
With the inception of social media, print journalism is obsolesced. The mass audience no longer relies on the newspaper or magazine to retrieve information. Social media delivers instantaneously and effectively.
Question 4.
Who is Jamie Zawinski? How are the roles he played and the design principals he helped spread important to you?
First and foremost, Jamie Zawinski has a wicked head of hair. I find this design principle most inspiring and am contemplating doing it myself…
I suppose the traditional answer to this question revolves around the creation of the browsing powerhouse, Netscape Navigator 1.0. After Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark founded the Netscape Communications Corporation in the mid 90s, Zawinski was brought on board to further develop the product. Internet became instantly accessible in the common household and as a "google addict", this is certainly important to me. Zawinski had a crucial role in focusing the Mozilla community, organization and technology on a single goal: making the Internet better for everyone . I respect that and heap benefits from his work. However, as a student of social media and a future PR practioner, Zawinski has inspired me in a completely different way.
“Jamie Zawinski is a duct-tape programmer. And I say that with a great deal of respect. He is the kind of programmer who is hard at work building the future, and making useful things so that people can do stuff. Duct tape programmers have to have a lot of talent to pull off this shtick. They have to be good enough programmers to ship code, and we’ll forgive them if they never write a unit test because they’re pretty enough, and smart enough, to pull it off.”
I learned that the key quality of a “duct tape programmers” is being pragmatic. Zawinski understands the benefit of getting the product to the client for immediate use is of more value than perfecting the minute technicalities of it.
He is a doer. He’s creative, brilliant, and confident in his work. He uses his abilities to drastically improve the world of technology and does not get caught up in formalities. These are his “design principles” that I admire most. In the field of Public Relations, the value is in what you produce. Your abilities are measured in result, not attempt. Your number of tweets does not indicate the success of your work. Their effect does.
Whether or not Zawinski has the proper education or form does not matter as long as his product works and according to the millions around the world that use it, that isn't an issue. He is a living example of "worse is better". Though it is a unique design principle, it is abundantly effective.
“Duct tape programmers don’t care what you think about them. They stick to simple basic and easy to use tools and use the extra brainpower that these tools leave them to write more useful features for their customers and look damn good along the way.”
Question 5. What kind of conversational patterns can you expect to encounter using social media as a PR professional? What will consumers of your content expect? How can you level these expectations?
Social media certainly affects the way in which we communicate and converse. It is becoming a staple in Public Relations and will only integrate itself further as it continues to develop and catch on. As up-and-coming professionals in this field, bar is being raised at an astounding pace, to an astounding audience. How do we keep up?
An in depth evaluation of this can be found in Clay Shirky’s “Here Comes Everybody: the power of organizing without organizations.” He examines the wildfire-like spread of social media and the ever-evolving results of the communication revolution. Such long-term effects are precisely the patterns we must face as PR professionals.
Consumers now expect information to constantly be available at their fingers. The exchange of information has become instantaneous and thus the conversation is exasperated. We must be constantly available, constantly informed, constantly updating. Shirky points out that those conversations had in passing, are now archived and can be infinitely revisited. A conversation can no longer be considered casual as it is accessible online and in writing. In the world of Public Relations, we must also consider that the difference between conversational tools and broadcasting tools has become arbitrary. Social media forces what may have been a private conversation onto the global stage. We are no longer conversing with one person, or even a focused audience. Conversations are consistently held between one and the world. Consumers expect and immediate dissemination of their message.
The only way to level the rising expectations of consumers is to understand the changing trends. It is our job to be in the know and keep up. Attempting to level the evolution will only leave us in the dust. If you cannot converse, you cannot communicate.
Therefore, we must engage, comprehend, and overcome. Here comes everybody...
Question 6.
Who is the most successful Canadian public relations professional? What makes you say this?
The Michael Bryant Scandal plagued headlines for months and will certainly get stirred back up again once the trial commences. Essentially, the news has been citing this case as a battle won by public relations. The team at Navigator Ltd. Led by Jamie Watts came in and saved the day. Whether or not Bryant is guilty has been pushed to the back burner because of the effective use of a multitude of public relations tools, specifically social media.
“Navigator Ltd., suddenly Toronto's highest-profile crisis-communications team, is at the sharp end of reputation management. They have a 24-hour hotline; their rates of roughly $600 an hour approach those at the top Bay Street law firms; and with the dramatic shift in the public perception of Mr. Bryant's case they are seen, for good or ill, as geniuses of media messaging.Several leading PR experts said they assumed that the story's changing tone was due at least in part to tips and sources provided to reporters by Navigator. They thought Navigator had encouraged reporters to ask about the movements of victim Darcy Allan Sheppard on the night he died. Navigator handed out press releases and generally let it be known that they were now in charge of Mr. Bryant's communications. “I think the rest of the PR fraternity respects them. They're very gutsy,” he said. “It's very difficult to judge how important they are in turning public opinion around. I think they've done a pretty workmanlike job.” They will have begun by establishing a chain of command with a single person in charge. People will have been assigned to write Mr. Bryant's statement, to arrange a soothing backdrop to deliver his statement, and come up with a strategy for avoiding the unpleasant visual of a moving scrum of television cameras. They will have decided what he should wear – the soft hues of his blue and green tie – and what emotional tone he should aim for. They will have pondered short-term and long-term goals, gathered all the facts they could from monitoring every word written and spoken in the media, as well as their inside knowledge from their client. A rapid response mechanism was set up on a website and on Twitter. And then the hard part: getting the facts and context favourable to their side into the public realm.When Mr. Bryant emerged from a night in police custody to face the media, everyone noted that he had changed into a clean, pressed suit brought by his handlers. Navigator will prepare detailed communication strategies – anticipating what may come up, and deciding how to best frame the news for their client. “What Bryant recognized in hiring [Navigator] is that there's a difference between a court of law and the court of public opinion,” said Mr. Tisch. “Is it good for Bryant that he got them on board? I'd say yes.”
This is an example of a PR team that is up-to-date, committed and undeniably effective. Between the use of social media and strong media skills, Navigator Ltd emerges as Canada’s most successful PR team today.
As a student of Public Relations, I was asked to create a "personal brand." My thoughts. Reflections. Questions. Passions. and Interests.
Though I don't know where this journey will lead, I hope you follow...
Dunn’s blog is also a strong example of 2-way communication. There is an application where readers can anonymously input their questions and comments. 
