It is no secret- cancer affects millions of people each year. Chances are you know someone- a family member, family friend, or professor whose lives have been changed forever by the deadly disease, however there is hope. In fact according to the American Cancer Society website http://www.acs.org/, cancer deaths are down for a second year. The site reports that breast cancer cases in the US have leveled off in recent years and that death rates from prostate cancer are also declining. With survivorship numbers increasing, it is important that the brave men, women and children who battled the disease have a place to go for life after cancer.
The creators of CURE Magazine, a quarterly magazine dedicated to dealing with cancer on a daily basis are launching Heal, a magazine focused on solely on cancer survivorship complete with in-depth coverage of survivors and their life changing stories and personal testimonials. With its upcoming premiere, Heal is looking to establish an online community to help bring survivors together. And these days the obvious way to set up a social network online is simple- create a blog.
The Heal blog should be a place where survivors from all over can come and tell their story. However, instead of being just like all of the cancer-related websites and blogs Heal has the opportunity to be something different. The concept of survivorship is often overlooked and Heal is the perfect location for a place that survivors and family members alike can talk about cancer in a new way.
When researching cancer related websites and blogs I came across an interesting article on the Health News websitehttp://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/ShowArticle.aspx?IsP=news/602/news602096.xml&dp=2007/02/22&q1=&cen
\ that talks about a new kind of healing for cancer patients. Harvard researcher Susan Bauer-Wu suggests that by spending 30 minutes at least four days a week writing out their innermost thoughts and feelings, patients can significantly boost mental and physical health. Expressive writing or journal therapy is way for patients to express what they are feeling at the time and perhaps Heal could be the perfect place for them to do that. The blog should be a forum for discussion about inspiring stories of survivorship and hope. Readers of the blog should feel free to post their thoughts and ideas about life after cancer.
There are already so many sites dedicated to the medical aspects of cancer, why not have a blog without any MDs or treatment programs linked to the site. How about links to exotic travel destinations, new recipes, ideas about family fun. It almost seems like surviving cancer it like getting a second chance at life so the site should aim its focus on how to live life to the fullest and how precious it really is.
Seeing how Heal is a new publication and may not have the resources or time to continually update the blog on a weekly basis perhaps the magazine could work with members of the cancer community to host or sponsor the blog month by month. There are countless organizations dedicated cancer related topics and while not every organization has the time to create a blog, so many people have so many different stories to share. For instance, Heal could work with some of the organizations that CURE Magazine already has established relationships with and work together to host the Heal blog for the month.
Side Bar Possibilities:
http://www.glamour.com/lifestyle/blogs/editor/
Glamour Editor living with Cancer
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.gov/
National cancer institute
http://www.canceradvocacy.org/
NCCS: National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
Friday, February 23, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
All the news thats fit to print?
In November of 2006, supermodel Kate Moss was named model of the year at the British Fashion Awards. Not bad for someone who a year ago was at the center of a drug scandal when The Daily Mirror published photos of Moss allegedly using cocaine.
While Moss lost contracts with H&M, Chanel, Gloria Vanderbilt and Burberry following the release of the incriminating photos, the 32-year-old beauty is now the face of a record 14 brands including Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Virgin Mobile. Ironically, the cocaine scandal seems to be actually working in Moss’s favor, as she is expected to double her earnings from last year.
Is that right? What kind of example is Kate Moss setting? More importantly what does this say about the corporations who choose to work with Moss despite her questionable drug habit?
It is no secret, sex sells and apparently these days so does anything remotely controversial. For whatever reason societies all over the world are fascinated by scandal and anything taboo. From the wild and crazy antics of the pole dancing gold digger Anna Nicole Smith (God rest her soul) to crotch flashing pop star and mother of two Britney Spears , what most people would deem to be career threatening public disasters actually end up being PR success stories. Embarrassing moments for famous people turn
into the next days headlines. The fact that major news networks like Fox News took time away from covering the war in Iraq to bring the Britney Spears flashing incident to the attention of the American public is somewhat pathetic.
For most newspapers the front page is reserved for the most important newsworthy stories and headlines of the day. The New York Post (pictured here) is the fifth largest newspaper in the United States and yet even this well known publication is covering a story about an anorexic movie star, a hotel heiress and a burnt out pop star and their non-stop partying ways while the news on Iraq is put on the back burner. Who would have thought that an article with the title "Bimbo Summit" would take precedence over the state of our nation?
Friday, February 9, 2007
Media Relations Strategies
Beyond the glitz and the glamour of press releases, media kits and blogs, the foundation of PR is based on media relations strategies and how effectively PR professionals are able to develop strong relationships with important information gatekeepers (aka the media). These days, social networking within the media is key to getting anywhere in PR and it does not happen over night. PR hopefuls should try their best to understand the importance of building and maintaining stable and professional relationships with the media because without their trust and respect a career in PR would be somewhat of a lost cause.
Arthur Page, the long time vice president for public relations at AT&T is often regarded as the founder of the modern practice of corporate public relations. Page is perhaps most widely known for his work on what he called the Page Principles, his guidelines for ethical and effective communication with the public and the media. Among other principles, Page preached the importance of telling the truth and always remaining calm, patient and good humored.
Although these two ideals seem basic they are vital in terms of establishing relations with the media. These days information about any company, client or product can easily be found online. It is in the best interest of the PR professional to be honest and straight forth about divulging information to the media right from the start because sooner or later, the truth will come out and deception is pretty much career suicide in the PR world. One of the great things about PR is the excitement and energy that comes along with the job. Each day there is a new challenge and it is important that when things start to unravel and become chaotic the PR professional is able to keep his or her grip on the situation and is able to act cool in front of the media even when things are going crazy behind the scenes.
Check out the rest of the Page Principles at: http://www.comm.psu.edu/pagecenter/arthur.htm .
The always increasing role of electronic media has created a special importance for media relations. In fact, the news media have become dependent on PR for news and PR has become dependent upon the news media for publicity.
The following is a list of select media relations tips from PR professionals and journalists who participated in the recent online survey ‘Media Relations Best Practices’ on the IndiaPRBlog. Check them out:
1.Stick to the facts, understand what is news and what is not
2.Journalists are rated on the basis of exclusive stories they generate everyday. If you can give a journalist several exclusives, you would be the star PR person.
3.When journalists doing negative stories want quotes from top client bosses, PR people should be able to help. If you can do this, you will have the journalist eating out of yours and your clients` hands.
4.Get to know the editor very well, then some amount of any ‘not so important’ news or story can get into the print.
5.Develop creditability amongst the media persons.
6.Media relations should be based on a strategy and not a knee jerk reaction.
7.Expect the unexpected from the media but still try and understand them more.
8.For an event, try to identity the right journalist and provide clear details in their required language. The PR professional should stop calling continuously if they know the event will not be covered by the media.
9.Know your client`s business and the announcement that you are pitching, in detail, before contacting the media.
10.Never sell a story while journalists are approaching their deadlines. Chances are that they may not be interested in talking to you as they need to rush to file their stories.
11.Give the journalist your client list.
12.Take appointments before meeting journalists.
13.Just try to step into the shoes of the journalist before initiating anything.
14.Friendship and sharing good stories from time to time is the best combination.
15.Give space to journalists…feed them precise and newsworthy information. Be prepared with an option always.
To find out more about the IndiaPRBlog and its contributors check out: http://indiapr.blogspot.com
Arthur Page, the long time vice president for public relations at AT&T is often regarded as the founder of the modern practice of corporate public relations. Page is perhaps most widely known for his work on what he called the Page Principles, his guidelines for ethical and effective communication with the public and the media. Among other principles, Page preached the importance of telling the truth and always remaining calm, patient and good humored.
Although these two ideals seem basic they are vital in terms of establishing relations with the media. These days information about any company, client or product can easily be found online. It is in the best interest of the PR professional to be honest and straight forth about divulging information to the media right from the start because sooner or later, the truth will come out and deception is pretty much career suicide in the PR world. One of the great things about PR is the excitement and energy that comes along with the job. Each day there is a new challenge and it is important that when things start to unravel and become chaotic the PR professional is able to keep his or her grip on the situation and is able to act cool in front of the media even when things are going crazy behind the scenes.
Check out the rest of the Page Principles at: http://www.comm.psu.edu/pagecenter/arthur.htm .
The always increasing role of electronic media has created a special importance for media relations. In fact, the news media have become dependent on PR for news and PR has become dependent upon the news media for publicity.
The following is a list of select media relations tips from PR professionals and journalists who participated in the recent online survey ‘Media Relations Best Practices’ on the IndiaPRBlog. Check them out:
1.Stick to the facts, understand what is news and what is not
2.Journalists are rated on the basis of exclusive stories they generate everyday. If you can give a journalist several exclusives, you would be the star PR person.
3.When journalists doing negative stories want quotes from top client bosses, PR people should be able to help. If you can do this, you will have the journalist eating out of yours and your clients` hands.
4.Get to know the editor very well, then some amount of any ‘not so important’ news or story can get into the print.
5.Develop creditability amongst the media persons.
6.Media relations should be based on a strategy and not a knee jerk reaction.
7.Expect the unexpected from the media but still try and understand them more.
8.For an event, try to identity the right journalist and provide clear details in their required language. The PR professional should stop calling continuously if they know the event will not be covered by the media.
9.Know your client`s business and the announcement that you are pitching, in detail, before contacting the media.
10.Never sell a story while journalists are approaching their deadlines. Chances are that they may not be interested in talking to you as they need to rush to file their stories.
11.Give the journalist your client list.
12.Take appointments before meeting journalists.
13.Just try to step into the shoes of the journalist before initiating anything.
14.Friendship and sharing good stories from time to time is the best combination.
15.Give space to journalists…feed them precise and newsworthy information. Be prepared with an option always.
To find out more about the IndiaPRBlog and its contributors check out: http://indiapr.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Friday, February 2, 2007
PR and Blogs: A Match Made in Communication Heaven
Not your typical trend
In the words of Paris Hilton, “Blogs are like so hot right now”. All over the world thousands of new blogs are created each day as the number of blog sites worldwide is estimated to be around 60 million and climbing. Unlike previous internet fads or technological trends, the world of blogging has emerged in the forefront of the communication revolution and has taken over the web one blog at a time. Unlike online communities like Facebook and Myspace who cater to certain demographics or generations, the “blogosphere” is open to anyone who knows how to use a computer. From politicians to celebrity gossip columnists, large PR firms to local church groups blogs are everywhere and anyone interested in the field of communications or mass media should start blogging.
What`s the big deal?
According to PR WEEK writer Kate Nicolas, “The blogging revolution will force change in PR”. These days it’s practically PR suicide for a company not to have a website or email system and pretty soon if not already, blogs will be a must. The constant rapid advancement of technology has turned the name of a popular online search engine into a verb ( “I`ll just Google that restaurant”) and an online community has become the subject of the newest pick up line (“Hey, are we friends on Facebook?”) . As a society we rely on the Internet for practically everything- paying credit card bills, booking airplane flights, registering for college courses, keeping in touch with family and even finding that special someone to spend the rest of your life with? Multi- billion dollar corporations and small local companies use the Internet to generate business, build their clientele, keep the media up to date and informed, and even scout out new job recruits.
Yet something was missing- there seemed to be a real disconnect between the companies and their clients. Consumers were unable to get the real scoop on certain products or offers featured online and companies had a hard time getting up to date feedback about overall customer satisfaction.
And then came the blog….
Even though blogs have been around for several years, it has been in the last few years that things have really started to take off. Brian Oberkirch, author of the blog “Like it Matters” feels like the time is now for all companies to start blogging. In a recent interview with Ketchum`s Nicholas Scribetta, Oberkirch shares his views about this bold new type of PR. When asked “When should companies know it is right to go into the blogosphere?” Oberkirch replied with the following: “I think everyone should be listening to the running conversations avaiable. Think of it as a free 24/7 focus group where people are talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of your company, your product or services or those of your competitors. Who wouldn’t want feedback?” http://www.ketchum.com And that is exactly what most companies have started to do.
To blog or not to blog
PR firms all over the world have been creating blogs as a way for their clients to track trends about their clients reputations, talk to the public on a grassroots level, and even network with other PR professionals. The blog http://businessblogconsulting.com is a site completely devoted to demonstrating how effective weblogs can be for communicating with customers and marketing to new customer prospects. One of the largest and most successful PR firms, Burson-Marsteller, has a many blogs avaiable for potential clinets to get feedback and information about the companies practices and philosphies. Even 86-year-old Harold Burson has his own blog where he shares his insight about the evolution of PR. Check out his blog at http://hb.burson-marsteller.com .Many of the blogs feature links to their companies main website as well as ways to reach the blog author. These features allow the readers to feel connected with the companies as well as others like them who want to learn more about the company. The Eldeman website has an entire section labeled “Speak Up” that is dedicated entirely to blogs that feature CEO Richard Eldeman`s blog, other vice presidents as well as PR bloggers who have something to say. Check out this website at: http://edelman.com/
It is safe to say that the PR field has caught the blog fever and it is only a matter of time before every firm- large or small, corporate or non-profit will have a blog of their own. So for all you PR hopefuls out there, start blogging!
In the words of Paris Hilton, “Blogs are like so hot right now”. All over the world thousands of new blogs are created each day as the number of blog sites worldwide is estimated to be around 60 million and climbing. Unlike previous internet fads or technological trends, the world of blogging has emerged in the forefront of the communication revolution and has taken over the web one blog at a time. Unlike online communities like Facebook and Myspace who cater to certain demographics or generations, the “blogosphere” is open to anyone who knows how to use a computer. From politicians to celebrity gossip columnists, large PR firms to local church groups blogs are everywhere and anyone interested in the field of communications or mass media should start blogging.
What`s the big deal?
According to PR WEEK writer Kate Nicolas, “The blogging revolution will force change in PR”. These days it’s practically PR suicide for a company not to have a website or email system and pretty soon if not already, blogs will be a must. The constant rapid advancement of technology has turned the name of a popular online search engine into a verb ( “I`ll just Google that restaurant”) and an online community has become the subject of the newest pick up line (“Hey, are we friends on Facebook?”) . As a society we rely on the Internet for practically everything- paying credit card bills, booking airplane flights, registering for college courses, keeping in touch with family and even finding that special someone to spend the rest of your life with? Multi- billion dollar corporations and small local companies use the Internet to generate business, build their clientele, keep the media up to date and informed, and even scout out new job recruits.
Yet something was missing- there seemed to be a real disconnect between the companies and their clients. Consumers were unable to get the real scoop on certain products or offers featured online and companies had a hard time getting up to date feedback about overall customer satisfaction.
And then came the blog….
Even though blogs have been around for several years, it has been in the last few years that things have really started to take off. Brian Oberkirch, author of the blog “Like it Matters” feels like the time is now for all companies to start blogging. In a recent interview with Ketchum`s Nicholas Scribetta, Oberkirch shares his views about this bold new type of PR. When asked “When should companies know it is right to go into the blogosphere?” Oberkirch replied with the following: “I think everyone should be listening to the running conversations avaiable. Think of it as a free 24/7 focus group where people are talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of your company, your product or services or those of your competitors. Who wouldn’t want feedback?” http://www.ketchum.com And that is exactly what most companies have started to do.
To blog or not to blog
PR firms all over the world have been creating blogs as a way for their clients to track trends about their clients reputations, talk to the public on a grassroots level, and even network with other PR professionals. The blog http://businessblogconsulting.com is a site completely devoted to demonstrating how effective weblogs can be for communicating with customers and marketing to new customer prospects. One of the largest and most successful PR firms, Burson-Marsteller, has a many blogs avaiable for potential clinets to get feedback and information about the companies practices and philosphies. Even 86-year-old Harold Burson has his own blog where he shares his insight about the evolution of PR. Check out his blog at http://hb.burson-marsteller.com .Many of the blogs feature links to their companies main website as well as ways to reach the blog author. These features allow the readers to feel connected with the companies as well as others like them who want to learn more about the company. The Eldeman website has an entire section labeled “Speak Up” that is dedicated entirely to blogs that feature CEO Richard Eldeman`s blog, other vice presidents as well as PR bloggers who have something to say. Check out this website at: http://edelman.com/
It is safe to say that the PR field has caught the blog fever and it is only a matter of time before every firm- large or small, corporate or non-profit will have a blog of their own. So for all you PR hopefuls out there, start blogging!
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