A Tribute to Steve Jobs: Great work = Loving what you do

Today, I am both saddened and inspired by the death of Steve Jobs. While growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s in Northern California, three words continually characterized the lexicon of the South Bay: “silicon;” the growing “Valley;” and this little company that conjured images of the season’s most delicious fruit: “Apple.”

Back then, I was certainly unable to foreshadow and “connect the dots” about the impact of my favorite Apple, the Macintosh, on my career. For as Jobs himself once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect the dots looking back…”  So, today, in looking back, it’s plain to see the connection between my field of choice—technology public relations—and the influence his innovation had on me and countless millions around the globe.

With Apple, and, I believe especially due to Steve Jobs’ passion for technology, and fearless, unequivocal ability to change the game and our world, technology became pop culture—synonymous with cool, hip and fashion forward.  And it intrigued me immensely. It was with this innate curiosity that I pursued my first positions in technology marketing—and ultimately—accidentally fell into a public relations role for one of Apple’s original hardware developers. Apple was one of the first companies to help define tech PR, and not only did I love partnering to introduce complementary product offerings, I found my true calling! I had fallen in love with PR and soon began to realize that the steps leading forward would ensure a career of lasting satisfaction and exciting work!

Twenty-three years later, I am pleased to say that Steve Jobs was right: “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” I am very proud of the great work my team and I do and the passion with which we do it every day for our clients.

Thank you, Steve, for inspiring and touching so many people in ways formerly unimaginable. And for the continuous innovations you’ve brought to our industry and the world. The impact of your digital footprint will be felt forever…

The Power of Community Service

For over five years, MSR Communications has partnered with The San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center, (SFCAPC), to help take a stand against child abuse and neglect by promoting healthier families through education and prevention. The MSR team actively donates our time and resources on a pro-bono basis to help raise awareness about the SFCAPC—its free programs and services—because we understand the profound impact it has on such critical issues that affect our entire community—no matter the economic strata.

Every spring, the Center holds its Blue Ribbon Luncheon, and this year’s took place last week at the Fairmont Hotel. With over 500 community members in attendance, patrons were treated to an interactive presentation by Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block. Known for his coveted techniques that help parents and care takers successfully calm and support crying infants and toddlers, Karp showcased his fierce passion and expert knowledge about the well-being of children. In addition, Dr. Moses Grossman was honored for founding the Center and his influential role in improving the lives of children and families as well as inspiring generations of people to take action against child abuse.

Each year in San Francisco, over 6,000 cases of child abuse are reported. Such abuse not only endangers a child’s physical and emotional health, but also affects their development. That is why providing emotional, social and financial support for children and families is so important. MSR’s role is to ensure these issues are continually raised on behalf of the Center throughout the community and beyond. With awareness and education, each of us can help make a difference in the lives of others.

The MSR Team is extremely honored to represent an organization that is held in such high esteem and whose dedicated staff and tireless efforts play such a vital role in the city in which we live and work. We congratulate the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center for improving the lives of community members and hope you’ll help join us in the fight to continue this important dialogue. www.sfcapc.org

The Iterative PR plan

Through our work in the IT space, I’ve become familiar with a new spin on a traditional term – “iterative.” While the classical definition of this term indicates repetitiveness, in IT, the word connotes making small changes to your processes and technology so that you can stay focused and adapt to an ever accelerating business cycle.

This is a cornerstone of the increasingly popular concept of “agile” business transformation. It essentially says that instead of following the traditional model of coming in, identifying everything that is wrong, and attempting to completely reshape it according to your vision, you strategically identify business processes that are feeling pain points and begin aligning, one step at a time, those processes to your overall strategy. In this way, you maintain your foothold so that you can more quickly adapt to changes in the business environment. You incrementally bring the organization in line with your overall vision in a non-disruptive way that doesn’t leave you out of the game when the unexpected occurs.

It’s no major imaginative feat to begin to see how this philosophy applies to the cornerstone of our work – the PR plan. Too often PR plans are formulaic and rigid, offering an approach created without regard to the needs of those whom it serves, or the ability of those involved to carry out its various tactics.

It was only a few years ago that Jeff Wofford asserted that “The Business Plan is Dead.” Of course planning will never be “dead,” but our approach should change with the times. Am I offering a new model upon which to base the new PR plan? No. In a way, that’s the point. There’s no formula that holds up universally in 2011 – the hyper-evolutionary communication landscape has seen to this.

I do suggest, however, that we keep a few things in mind when creating our plans:

• The plan serves the organization, not vice versa
• It’s better to have something workable with realistic goals, than a dazzling vision that will ultimately leave you and your client unsatisfied
• Like on-demand content, you need to be able to leave the plan as new opportunities (or crises) arise, and then come back to it when you’re ready to resume

I know this doesn’t lend much in the way of specific action items, but I’d hesitate to get more detailed without knowing your business. But, if you want a takeaway, try this: make your plan a living breathing document by physically placing it in a location where everyone can tweak it simultaneously, in real-time, such as Google docs. This serves not only the purpose of allowing it to grow with the reality on the ground, but also keeps it from becoming what most PR plans seem to become: irrelevant.

–Michael Burke, MSR Communications

To Tweet or Not to Tweet – That’s Not The Only Question

Tips from the Top on Engaging Potential Employers Online

In this digital age of job hunting, it takes more than a tweet or Facebook post to be ‘social media savvy’. Through my experience as an intern for MSR Communications, I’ve quickly learned how social networking is changing traditional methods of job hunting in the PR industry.

For all the young and aspiring professionals out there, this couldn’t be better news. But there’s more to it than that—if you want to be noticed in the current economy, you need to stand out and start engaging online now. No, this does not include professional Facebook Stalking or Twitter Spamming. With all the job and internship postings that appear online on a daily basis, these insider tips will assist you in cultivating and building your online presence.

1. Chances are that the important decision makers at the companies you are interested in applying to are active on social media. Find, follow and interact with them.

Once you start observing what your target companies have to stay, begin thoughtfully engaging with them. MSR’s intern supervisor, Joanna Riedl, observes that “in the PR industry, if people are talking about our client’s brands online, we want to know. The same goes for our own brand.”

If you think retweeting or commenting on industry news won’t build your profile or goes unnoticed, think again.

“We keep an eye on the conversation happening around us on Twitter by monitoring retweets and mentions,” Riedl notes. “When someone is genuinely passionate about what we do and wants to interact with us on a social media platform, they stand out. If someone is reaching out in a thoughtful, engaging way on a platform such as Twitter, we definitely take notice.”

2. Be passionate AND knowledgeable about what you put online. Passion will take you far, but doing your homework and knowing what a company is all about will take you even further.

These days there is much fiercer competition for a smaller number of jobs. Added to that, senior-level candidates are also applying for entry level positions. Being able to engage key targets, such as a potential employer, through online channels is an important asset that will help you stand out.

Joanna Riedl agrees: “By demonstrating your social media talent to those who are responsible for the hiring decision, you are setting yourself apart from the flatness of your resume in their email inbox…I would recommend that if you are going to be contacting an employer through Facebook or Twitter, make sure the picture you paint of yourself is favorable. Pepper your professional profile with just enough personality to stand out. In public relations, it is ideal to mix both without offending your professional OR personal contacts.”

3. Be consistent in posting. Your online presence will only be as good as the effort you put into it.

“Whenever an intern position opens we receive tons of resumes,” Riedl points out. “We get intern hopefuls who can talk the social media talk in an interview, but can they walk the walk?”

Obviously, one comment or retweet won’t take you very far. Real success stems from consistency and dedication to engagement. Find the targets that interest you and build a foundation on which the relationship may flourish. Putting in the hard work will showcase to employers valuable workforce skills.

So instead of lodging your resume out there the next time you’re looking for a job or internship, career contenders would be better suited to learn more about the ins and outs of social networking. The career opportunities are already there – the real question is, do you have what it takes to “walk the walk?”

-Tiffany Harrison, MSR Communications

Is being a good writer a necessary skill for PR pros today? Was it ever?

I’ve worked with plenty of solid dot-your-i and cross-your-t types who didn’t even know where to put the i’s and t’s in IT. They couldn’t spell paradigms, but there they were shifting them.

Who has time to read proper English on a BlackBerry anyway? You lost me at hello.

You don’t even need to do your research in this business anymore. Credit the wrong university for famous alums who actually graduated elsewhere, and you’ll land coverage in every major news outlet in the country.

Besides, it’s all viral video these days. It’s probably more important to know how to shoot in HD than write in AP.

A blogger friend of mine said bad writers are sometimes more efficient writers. “People who don’t know how to write don’t spend a lot of time doing what they hate to do in the first place,” he said. “Good writers, on the other hand, may be more keen on describing the point than getting to it.”

I know PR pros who aren’t so great with the page but are incredibly convincing forces in person or on the social networking side. Their genuine passion and creativity turns them into that which TechCrunch’s Alexia Tsotsis says many more of us PR folk need to be: namely, interesting.

And when was the last time you read a press release that was interesting? This is a real-time, 140 character society now. If you can’t fit your news into a tweet when it matters most, chances are it’s too much, too late.

It’s probably better not to write at all lest you find yourself on the Bad Pitch Blog. Phoning it in is safer, though I guess Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin paid dearly for assuming the same.

Okay, so maybe you need good writers in PR. You just don’t have to be a good writer to be in PR. (Of course, none of these bad writers work with me.)

Disclaimer: Any punctuation and grammatical mistakes contained in this piece will not keep you from retweeting it.

The Hill of Self Discovery, Creativity & Employee engagement

Genuine self-fulfillment and happiness lead to increased creativity and productivity in the workplace. But how can we apply these principles to improve our business?

Start by going outside and lying at the top of the nearest grassy hill.

Then slowly roll yourself down the hill. When you reach the bottom, beleaguered and smiling, covered in grass and dirt, you’ll begin to understand how increasing employees’ happiness and fulfillment maximize the most valuable assets within your company.

As companies invest in making their employees happier they must also realize that the workplace environment is just as – if not more – integral to increasing worker output than financial rewards. Studies have shown that employees who are actively engaged in their jobs outperform people who don’t feel the same connection. This is the “big picture” aspect to the analysis: an employee who either does not have a genuine interest in his/her job or has not been correctly assigned interesting work will not improve a business’ bottom-line. Businesses should not strive for merely satisfied employees – they should create a positive, challenging and engaging environment in which employees who care about their role in their business can truly bring the company to new heights.

Our work with Dr. Ken Thomas, creator of CPP, Inc’s Work Engagement Profile assessment and the author of Intrinsic Motivation at Work, has taught us invaluable lessons on intrinsic employee motivation’s relationship to meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress.

Anything done well starts with a purpose. The realization that the Hoover Dam would provide a stable water supply for millions of people gave construction workers and engineers motivation that pay raises could not attain. If an employee understands the end goals of a business, the 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete poured becomes more than just busy work. As PR practitioners, we must remain focused on the underlying reasons behind our work. We should constantly be asking ourselves how the service/product we’re representing improve peoples’ lives, and letting the answer guide our actions.

Beyond establishing purpose, employees must be given the independence to choose their projects as well as to make decisions on how to accomplish a task. It is important to note that while employees should be unified with a common vision, they should also be given the opportunity to choose what role they play in attaining it. The positive effects of choice cannot be understated, evident in Dr. Thomas’ statement that, “[choice provides a] feeling of being a responsible decision maker, of driving your own train.”

Quality is the end result of an employee who takes pride in and ownership of their work. Consequently, as Dr. Thomas points out, a feeling of competence is directly related to the level of satisfaction an employee receives from their work. Companies, therefore, are wise to invest in training initiatives that enable their employees to continually sharpen their skills.

Increasing motivation in the workplace is not solely about inspiring independent employees— it is, in the end, about producing innovative and productive leaders who positively impact the bottom line.

Nothing written here is theoretically revolutionary. In practice, however, these principles are rarely applied. We are one of a growing number of companies who understand and apply the principles of employee appreciation and intrinsic motivation. I hope your business, and your employees, take the tumble down the hill and become more creative, happy and productive.

Jordan Hodgson, MSR Communications

What Jim Carrey Teaches Us about Social Media in PR

Of all the movies I’ve seen in the past year, I have to say that one of my favorite was Jim Carrey’s “Yes Man.” Like most good comedies, the film manages to create ridiculous, hilarious situations that nonetheless are firmly rooted in our common experience, and endearing characters whose absurdity we can relate to. As a PR man, however, I can’t help but draw a parallel between the film and one of the hottest topics in the industry – social media.

Carrey’s character – Carl – essentially passes through a three-phase transformation over the course of the film. At the beginning Carl is a borderline depressed antisocial who says no to everything and takes absolutely no chances. He works in a seemingly dead-end job and has no social connections other than two long-time friends who only put up with him because they knew him during happier times. At the heavy-handed prompting of a friend, Carl attends a self-help seminar at which the guru tells his cult-like followers that the key to success in life is to say yes to everything – literally.

Carl’s second phase begins as he adopts this philosophy, saying yes to every request, invitation, and challenge. At first it seems pointless and troublesome, but soon he finds opportunities opening in all aspects of his life that he’d never considered or even imagined. He gets promoted, finds a great girlfriend, helps people, and makes fantastic new friends.

The third phase begins when Carl’s girlfriend finds out about his “yes” policy and assumes that the only reason he’s with her is because he says yes to everything. At this point, he begins to see that saying yes to everything also has a dark side. In the end, Carl achieves enlightenment, realizing that while he can’t really say yes to everything, practicing the essence of the “yes man” philosophy makes him a more interesting and happier person.

I think that as companies engage social media, they often pass through a similar transformative process, initially implementing any technique prescribed by anyone claiming expertise. Those that stick with it begin to develop a more mature strategy and an ability to distinguish between valuable communication and fluff. Often this enlightenment lies on the other side of painful lessons learned, but I don’t think it always has to. One of the great things about social media is that everyone else’s mistakes are in plain view to be learned from.

Nevertheless, social media is a brand new medium, and is kind of like the Wild West, so some rough spots are inevitable. Ultimately, however, the lesson of “Yes Man” is that life is going to happen whether you engage it or not – a fulfillment cannot be achieved without risk. Regardless of how you feel about social media, you can’t deny that it is where the conversation – and the action – is right now. While businesses ought to pick and choose how they engage, they must remember that the conversation and the action are going to happen whether they’re a part of it or not. Just like Carl, companies that say “yes” are going to find opportunities and make connections they never imagined. Sure, they might also hit some bumps, but most of those bumps are going to reveal underlying problems that can only be fixed upon discovery – and that’s a very good thing!

Michael Burke, MSR

Twitter: It’s Okay to Miss Tweets

I once read a children’s book called “Kartusch” by Stephen Cosgrove. It’s about these little forest creatures called Furry Eyefulls that were so enamored with the beauty around them, they never slept. They would not miss a thing.

You’ll find a lot of Furry Eyefulls on Twitter. Their networks are small—in the low hundreds at most. They’ll try to read and respond to every tweet. Not surprisingly, their networks are often highly active, tight-knit communities.

Inevitably, people who fit this profile ask me: how can you realistically follow thousands of people? Now I’m no Jason Calacanis. I only follow 13,000 tweeters, so I barely qualify as a Jason Crouch. But I tell them, rather than engage some people all of the time, I simply engage more people some of the time. Many have said this isn’t truly “following.”

Erin Kotecki Vest, who follows 15,000 people, admits, “It’s hard to keep up. So every so often I check in on a few streams to see what’s up.” (Her response to my query was immediate, by the way.)

Barrett Crites is right in saying, “Some people get caught up in the number vs. the usefulness.” But Chris Brogan isn’t one of those people. He follows more than 93,000 tweeters, and while I’m sure he can’t keep tabs on everyone, he seems to be widely and deeply engaged.

Brogan has said trying to interact with everyone is akin to being “someone with mind-reading powers walking down 38th Street in Manhattan.”

Even as a midsized tweeter, I feel this way. But while I may not get to know every passerby on 38^th Street, I’ve certainly gotten to know many. So I continue to follow new people, because every time I put someone new on that street, I increase my chance of making a connection.

And it doesn’t have to be a deep connection. As Hutch Carpenter says in his fascinating post, “I don’t need to know all of you… I only need to know part of you.”

This may not sound like true engagement to some, but think about the many kinds of acquaintances in our lives. We all maintain different levels of interaction with our friends, family, and co-workers. Do we really have to be privy to every conversation they have for us to know them?

With some folks on Twitter, I enjoy very close relationships. I’ll read most of their tweets. I’ll check up on their blogs. I’ll buy their music and Obama statues made out of Coke cans.

And then there are those with whom I’ll have what Mr. Carpenter calls “drive-by interactions.” These might involve mundane exchanges about the lifesaving benefits of coffee or how house cats really are oh so much like us. But those minor exchanges over time can build into more meaningful conversations and relationships.

There are also those I haven’t interacted with at all. But just because I’m not interacting with someone now doesn’t mean I won’t interact with him or her later. By following more people, I’m simply expanding my universe of potential friends. When I click ‘Follow,’ I’m simply saying ‘hi’ to someone interesting.

You don’t have to be an unblinking Furry Eyefull to enjoy positive relationships on Twitter. It’s okay to miss tweets, and you’ll have to if you want to expand your world. But you also have to be good at making friends. And that means knowing how to broadcast and knowing how to listen.

Chris Blake, MSR

Social Media: Some Food for Thought

On Halloween night, just after trick-or-treating, I was struck by how many of our daily interactions revolve around food. As I watched my son and nephew intently discuss all the pros and cons of the various candy they had collected–”jawbreakers are yummy but they can also break your jaw”–I recalled how most of my own conversations over the weekend were about food. 15 minutes with my brother-in-law on the best way to grill a sausage, 20 minutes with my sister about our favorite breakfast cereals…

As humans, we’re fascinated by food. We don’t just eat it. We experience it. We form very strong opinions about it. We cook food to connect more deeply with each other. We rally around food to talk, laugh, catch up and even fall in love. This Thanksgiving, many of us will be gathering around a ham or turkey, and you can bet a great deal of the feast will be spent talking about… the ham or turkey.

Just last September, a cable channel scored the highest viewership ratings in the history of Scripps Networks. That cable channel was the Food Network.

Our fascination for food isn’t lost in social media. Almost a half million people follow Starbucks on Twitter. As Steven Johnson recently wrote in a Time article, “Twitter turns out to have unsuspected depth. In part this is because hearing about what your friends had for breakfast is actually more interesting than it sounds.”

I myself have often tweeted about food. Not only do food-related chats generally draw the greatest response, they can also spark debate and sometimes even heated protests. 50 people stopped following me on Twitter after I admitted I didn’t like cake!

Social media tools and techniques may allow us to communicate, but it’s what and how we communicate that allow us to truly connect. In creating our social media campaigns, we shouldn’t lose sight of the things that bring us together in very human ways. I’m not suggesting that your next press release or pitch has to include a recipe for the world’s greatest banana split (though it can’t hurt), but make sure what you are offering is a kind of food for your target audience. Or create something that appeals to us in the same way.

Is it a coincidence that the original iMac computers looked a lot like candy? Or that they were made by a company called Apple?

Chris Blake, MSR