The writer makes some comparisons of being overweight vs. obese, some suggestions on how to lose weight and uses some choice words like “disgusting,” “grossed out” and “rolls and rolls of fat.” The post incensed so many people that the magazine has even become a trending topic on Twitter, and Facebook comments are scathing. In addition, scores of bloggers have been posting responses and mainstream media is also chiming in, including this story from the New York Daily News. In the olden days a few letters to the editor might have made it to the magazine’s front pages, but in today’s world of immediate response through social media, it takes only minutes to launch a war of words by thousands.

Yikes! I’m a huge fan of Marie Claire and have been a subscriber for years. I enjoy the mix of fashion commentary and compelling editorial the magazine provides. But it’s not hard to see how this post would be offensive to scores of people, and come off harsh and discriminatory. The writer issued an update that included an apology, and proceeded to respond to some of the 300+ comments (I’m having trouble finding her comments now, so you’ll probably have to dig.) Her apology alluded to her battle with an eating disorder, although her original post provided easy-to-follow instructions on how overweight people could shed pounds, which only served to flame the fire more. From the looks of the comments, readers aren’t feeling too forgiving.

Marie Claire has posted this response on its Facebook page:

Hey guys, we’ve heard from thousands of people today regarding MC.com blogger Maura Kelly’s controversial op-ed. She has been interacting with readers on our site throughout the day, and has also just posted an apology that’s updated on the original post (link below). Please take a look and continue to share your feedback, thanks

From a PR standpoint, there’s a lot to talk about here. It’s clear at this point the magazine isn’t taking ownership of the content. Is there an apology due in the first place, or is good editorial designed to incite conversation and debate? Did the magazine erroneously let the writer take the fall? Should senior management chime in? How would you suggest they respond? What can Marie Claire do to regain the trust of its readers, or have they dismantled the work they’ve put into being a magazine for all women? I’d love to get your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo Credit : Clouda9

So why am I so irritated?  Because most applicants don’t take the time and energy to create customized, energetic, attention-getting letters.  Because I hire communicators, that’s a warning sign for me.  So this post is intended to help you get your foot in the door with a compelling letter that will make employers want to learn more about you. I’ve used some real examples but I’ve left out identifying details to protect the guilty.

1.  Dear Whoever

If it’s possible, take an extra few seconds to identify who the hiring decision maker might be in the organization to which you are applying.  Sometimes in large companies or agencies that might not be possible, but in smaller firms you might be able to figure out whose attention to grab when addressing the letter. I am far more apt to read a letter addressed to “Rachel,” or even “RKPR team” than I am “Dear sir or ma’am.”

Wrong:

Please note: I apologize for the impersonal greeting, I wanted to address this cover letter to you by name, but it was not provided online and I was unable to obtain it.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself.  If you visit my website you will find an entire page explaining who I am and why I started my agency.  You can also find the names of everyone on the RKPR team.  I’m a social media junkie, so if you look me up online you will find my linkedin profile, my Facebook page and my Twitter profile, on which I am the most active and frequently tweeting about my never-ending quest to find good PR talent to join my team.  You can also find interviews with me online, one in particular that provides tips for job seekers.  This in and of itself causes me to question why you had so much difficulty in finding my name.

However, the part that perhaps baffles me the most is that my agency name is Rachel Kay Public Relations.  To those especially savvy job seekers, this may prove to be a sly clue as to what my name may be.

Right:

Hello Team RKPR!

I want to be your awesome PR intern. I am a full time MBA marketing student at SDSU, graduating in December. I ran across this position by Googling like crazy and am very excited about the possibility of working with you. I’ve been searching for an internship with an exciting, enthusiastic, ambitious agency, and you definitely seem to fit that bill. As an intern, I want to add value to a growing agency while sharpening my own skills, networking and gaining valuable experience.

2. I’m Not Really Sure What You are Hiring for, But I’ll Take it!

Wrong:

Dear Mrs. Kay,

I just came across your ad in Craigslist today and read your website. I am very interested in the position that is available with your company. I have a lot of experience with Accounting in many different industries. I am looking forward to talking and meeting with you.

I understand that in today’s tough economy, any job offering sounds exciting for many people desperate to find a job.  However, when you have no translatable skills for a position and aren’t willing to make a concerted effort to demonstrate how the skills you do have might benefit the company, than it’s not worthwhile for you or me to apply to my job. At RKPR we do PR, not accounting.

If you are lacking the skills needed to secure a job but truly believe your strengths could easily fit a company’s needs, then take the opportunity to explain that. For example, if you are trying to secure your first internship at a public relations firm but your last job was flipping burgers at the local fast food chain, use creative language to show how that experience would provide benefit to the company.

Right:

While I haven’t worked directly in an PR function, as hostess at Malone’s I was responsible for serving as each customer’s first impression of the company, which enabled me to cultivate my communication skills. In addition, I helped develop some of the marketing copy for our direct mail pieces which generated significant spikes in customer visits, and I’m certain your clients would benefit from my persuasive writing skills.

For an intern candidate this correspondence easily shows that the applicant understands that the key needs for the business are accuracy and attention to detail. The cover letter provides the perfect opportunity to sell yourself and your skills beyond the bullets of the resume.

3. Don’t Regurgitate Your Resume

The cover letter is not your second chance to tell your future employer about your degree and education.  It’s a chance to show that you understand the needs of their business (NOT the PR Business, Their Business) and that you offer a solution.

Wrong:

My distinctive mix of work experience and my status as a San Diego State University Alumi  by majoring in Communication and Media Studies have made me an ideal candidate for Rachel Kay Public Relations.

My experience in sales and customer relationship management, combined with my courses in Public Relations, Marketing and Communication classes have convinced me that Public Relations is a career I would like to explore.

I am currently working for a marketing firm.   By building customer relations and client relations I have been given the desire to work in Public Relations.

Snoooooozzzzze.

Right:

I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the RKPR team as a public relations intern, as I’m a huge foodie and would love to learn more about consumer products public relations.  I had the chance to review some of your clients, and I noticed you represent Mary’s Gone Crackers. I just saw a segment on the Today Show that included them a couple of weeks ago so I love to find out the process you went through to secure that. In addition, I noticed a lot of your clients are eco-conscious, and I have some great ideas for sharing that message.

In addition, I’ve been following you on Twitter for some time and I’ve read your blog. It’s important to me to work for an agency that embraces social media, so I’d love the chance to learn more about social media strategy for your clients.

4.  Be Relevant

Again, the cover letter needs to do one thing – Identify key needs of the prospective boss, and provide specific ways in which your experience will solve those needs.  Don’t try and deliver a bunch of non-relevant commentary that does nothing to address the needs of the business and simply serves to show the employer how witty and cunning you are. Gag.

Wrong:

Dear Ms. Kay,

It all comes down to the bottom line, doesn’t it? Employees must create value. If you are selling a product or service, your employees, in every way, represent your company. To the client or end user, and the company, that employee and what they do makes all the difference.

When dealing with clients, employees have to not just do it- they have to want to do it. That can make the difference between something done and something done well. In most companies, it’s not the rabid, competitive, squash-all-the-others super salesmen that are the norm or even necessary. It’s the intelligent, hardworking, likable person who is able to reach out, make a relationship with a client and then sustain and nurture that relationship. And the answer to “Who is that person?” is, a person you’d like to be around.

People trust me because, shucks, I like people. Even someone who might not prefer me, after knowing me, would know they could trust me. I am a friend, not a frenemy. I am the person you’d want to be with in a bomb shelter (unless that McGyver guy is available, then take him). I have never been fired. That’s not a big thing and maybe it’s just that I’ve never bitten off more than I could chew. Maybe it’s that I would not take a position unless I was sure that I could add value.

I have intellect, integrity, and intention. That sounds better than saying I am smart, nice and hardworking but something as simple as the awareness of that distinction is part of me, part of what I can offer. When marketing, advertising, or selling, having an intuitive understanding of people is a huge advantage. I have that innate comprehension of cultural anthropology: how we live, what we want, what compels us, what makes us tick. It’s the understanding that brunettes sell subscriptions to Time magazine and blondes sell tennis rackets. It’s not promoting or condoning but knowing that what is i s. It’s the appreciation of how some ad agency took the least attractive thing about UPS, the color, spotlighted it and even branded it! Well done.

What I see and have experienced, from the smallest office to the largest corporation, is that the employees (and managers) frequently get tunnel vision and fail to see the big picture. They become personally territorial and forget that they work for something bigger than themselves. When a person is dealing with a difficult client or an angry customer it is not about them personally and they should behave always as a representative of the company- not defensively, but diplomatically. In business, one should act, but never react. When you react you have already given up power. When you act, you maintain your integrity and your professionalism.

These cover letters and resumes are a bit like movie trailers, aren’t they? Well, call me, see the movie and decide for yourself. I am not the norm. If there exists the right fit, I promise you my best. In any case, thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.

Oh yes. It is very clear that YOU are not the norm.  This cover letter doesn’t have anything to do with PR, my business or my clients. This person has used her cover letter to tell me that the blondes sell tennis rackets that she has never been fired and that we probably won’t work well together considering she thinks managers simply don’t get it.  This letter reeks of cockiness and no manager wants to endure a battle of wits with an employee who is disrespectful enough to tell her how to treat a client rather than explain what skills she has that will benefit the client list she’s worked so hard to build.

RIGHT:

I noticed that you conduct social media strategy for many of your clients.  I’ve been active on a number of social networks including Facebook and Twitter for some time and I’ve really developed some best practices in content development. In addition, after running my own fashion blog I’ve learned a lot about analytics and new ways to drive traffic that would be an asset to some of the brands your represent.

5. Enough About Me, Let’s Talk About Me!

The most important recommendation I can give is to make the cover letter about the employer, not about you.  Let them know you’ve been paying attention and you have an innate interest in what makes them tick.

Wrong:

Good Evening/Morning:

I’m going to show you a little piece of me. I am not going to blab on and on about the wonder that is me and why you should pick me. I’m just going to give you a little insight to who I am. I’m hungry. I’m hungry for a piece of the action.   The big city, the neon lights. I’m ready to take on the challenge of getting my hands dirty and sweat with some of the best. I’m more than willing to make strong contributions that will continuously grow with experience. Life is about opportunities, and I will like to be in an environment that would allow me the opportunity to shine and to pursue my dreams. I believe that we can always be better than we are today. Self-improvement is a way of life that we should all be more than ready to take on. I practice yoga, I sing in the shower, and despite years of dance training, I still tend to trip on the uprooted brick walkways outside my apartment. I’m learning to kickbox. I love running in the rain without shoes on. When I dance, I hope the world dances with me. I light candles in my apartment on Thursday nights while guzzling down a bowl of Easy Mac. I always stop and smell the roses. Colors are my passion; I love them all. Emotional drive is what keeps me going. I scrapbook over the holidays, in the hopes of capturing those picture perfect memories forever. I scrutinize over details, and I constantly make lists. I’m an ESFJ, according to Jung that’s what we do. I value strong leadership qualities.   I have these qualities and seek a mentoring environment to help me improve those skills. I will undoubtedly believe in myself, and the company I grow with.

Wow. The irony in this letter is that the first sentence clearly states “I am not going to blab on and on about the wonder that is me and why you should pick me.” Say what? So instead of telling me what skills you have that would benefit my clients you think telling me you guzzle Macaroni and Cheese on Thursdays will give you the competitive advantage?  It won’t. What I want to know is how you can help my clients, but you forgot all about that, didn’t you?

Right:

Hi Rachel,

As I mentioned in my Twitter message last night, I came across your job posting on Craigslist and would very much like to be considered for the position of account executive at RKPR.

I am currently an account manager at a boutique PR agency here in San Diego, but I am looking for an opportunity to learn and grow as a PR professional and work with a strong team to achieve success for our clients. Here are just a few of my qualifications that I feel make me a strong candidate for this job:

• I have nearly three years of agency experience and have been successfully managing my agency’s largest national client account for the past year.
• I have secured coverage for my clients in well-known publications such as The Chicago Sun-Times, Residential Design & Build and Metal Architecture, as well as on TV shows such as CBS’s The Early Show and Planet Green’s Alter Eco.
• I feel that my writing, rapport and media outreach are among my greatest strengths but I am also very proficient in media monitoring and analysis, researching creative pitching opportunities and utilizing the latest social media tactics.
• I am extremely dedicated, hard-working and organized, and feel that my positive personality is infectious in the workplace.

I would be thrilled to be a part of the team that helps contribute to and grow RKPR. Please see my attached resume to view my background experience. I would be happy to answer any additional questions you have or come in for a personal meeting.

6. Edit, and Then Ask Someone Else to Edit

I’ll actually forgive a GPS error here and there because I’m willing to bet there are a few in this blog post. But many people won’t and as communicators, you need to have sharp editing skills. Our eyes often miss things in our own work, so don’t hesitate to ask a friend or parent to look over one more time.  And don’t make royally dumb errors like these:

Wrong:

Dear KRPR

Dear Sony (I get this a lot)

I am ready to be your account executive at Bailey Gardiner! (great agency, but not mine)

I’m interested in pubic relations

Those are just a few tips to help job seekers write compelling communication.  Do you have additional tips to add?  Any faux paus you think I forgot? Did you get a job with a savvy cover letter? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

From McCarthy’s post: “Imagine if when (the BP) disaster happened, think about what would have happened if they embraced the social networks,” Ogilvy planning director Evan Slater said during a panel at #Promise. “Instead of telling people, ‘you can’t come research this’…imagine if they had gone out to the social networks and said, ‘We’re going to take $30 million and put out a reward for the group of individuals, the organization, the company, that can find a solution to this problem.’ I think the difference would have been phenomenal.”

Really though? I’m not sure how Slater intended that strategy should be executed tactically and I’m confident he’s savvy at social strategy, but I can only imagine what might have happened had that been posted on a staffed Twitter account, Facebook fan page (dislike button would work well here) or a comment-enabled blog. Self-initiated execution no doubt. Twitterers in scores would demand answers, ask questions and tweet obscenities in the thousands. The idea behind social media is to engage, but how on earth could anyone, especially a company tasked with fixing one of the most significant environmental catastrophes ever, sit back and respond to all of that dialogue. And then would come the fallout of said company spending time tweeting and Facebooking when an ecosphere is dying! Or that said company wasn’t responding – which would probably happen due to the influx of messages. This is not customer service, this is an unseen environmental tragedy that needs to be fixed.

When I commented on McCarthy’s post in a similar fashion, she reminded me that much of the public’s scrutiny on their response was on the massive cost of the traditional advertising that BP did to defend themselves that could be allocated to fixing the problem or caring for those affected –social media is essentially free making it a better solution. Absolutely agree with the unnecessary cost, but I still don’t think social media would change public opinion, ingratiate the company or provide the best platform for a fix– again, I think the reverse could happen. If they wanted to save money but still get the message out, I can think of a few dozen reporters who would sit and chat with management – I’ll take some liberties and guess every major network on the planet would chomp at the bit for that story. No ad buy required.

I’m a huge believer in the access that social media gives us regular folk in speaking to companies and becoming involved in issues that matter. I also believe BP made some huge mistakes in its communication strategy. My point is simply that in this day, sometimes we are too eager to propose social media as a cure all for brand repair. A calculated communication strategy looks at the problem, the objectives and the anticipated outcome, and that may not always mean opening the floodgates to dialogue. I agree with Slater that seeking any and all solutions to fix this problem is a good thing, I just don’t agree that social media is the best way to find that – taking the time to weed through thousands of messages driven by emotion to find the few that may have tangible ideas. May not be the most efficient tactic.

Am I wrong? How do you think BP should use social media to solve this problem? Are there other vehicles that make better sense? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photo credit: GoodZach

• Mass Direct Message Delete Capability – Like emails, DM’s are one of those pesky things that add up quickly, until you have more than 600 like I do. I hope you all manage your messages better than me, but wouldn’t it be great to delete them all with click?

• Sort Function for DMs – While we are on the topic of DMs, have you ever thought of an old DM you wanted to revisit, only to find you had to slowly go through each page until you could find it? It would be much more efficient to sort by sender, as a start. It’d be even more awesome to search by keyword, but let’s not get greedy.

• Longer Shelf-Life for Searches – PR expert @jgoldsborough and I remember the good ole’ days in Twitter’s younger years when we could go back much farther in time to track activity on a certain topic. Now, search.twitter.com only goes back several days. Can we please go back months instead of days? This is also important for Twitter as they expand resources for businesses – in order to track conversations and trends to prove the social network is a viable marketing tool, we need a more robust archive to study.

• List Notification – Lists are an important way to gauge influence on Twitter, trumping followers when automated follow tools may artificially inflate perceived popularity. Lists can also help signal users that they are important to those in their communities. PR and social media strategist @timotis would love to see some sort of notification that you’ve been added to a list. Sometimes it’s impossible to keep track.

• Manage Multiple Accounts in Web – Most of the many Twitter functions trump Twitter’s own interface because they feature sophisticated functions like the ability to manage multiple accounts from one page. Social media practitioner @samirb mentioned how great it would be if Twitter would add this function, which would encourage more usage of Twitter’s Web version.

• DM Multiple Accounts –PR and social media whiz @ryanmathre suggested that, outside of the annoying auto-DM, the ability to “CC” multiple Twitter accounts via DM would help streamline correspondence as we look more and more to the social network for communication.

• Easier to Search by Geography – Public relations and social media pro @arikhanson suggested that an easier way to search by geographic location would be a valuable upgrade. I agree, as geo-targeting has become critically important for marketers this year. I’d go farther and suggest additional ways to better search the people you want to reach, such as by profession or interests.

• More Detailed Follow Notifications – The current email notification sent by Twitter only includes the new followers name and many followers he or she has, and how many people are followed. What’s more valuable, in my opinion, is the bio which appears on every profile page. I’d love to see that at a glance, to help me decide if we might have a good connection. Right now, the numbers don’t mean much to me.

I couldn’t include every great idea, so I just posted some of my favorites. To reiterate, I know everyone who answered, myself included, are huge Twitter fans, so trust me when we say we aren’t being critical. We’ve simply integrated the network into our daily routines so heavily it’s easy to create a wish list of new and improved features. What did we leave out? If you were in charge of product development, what would you put on Twitter’s roadmap? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Photo credit: alicepopkorn

I own a PR agency. Our clients are companies selling products for the most part. Consumer products and services – sports, fashion, food, technology. Not too much controversy and certainly nothing political. The faces behind the companies are an incredible mix of people with different lifestyles, views, religions and ideals. While you’ll often hear me share my views of PR, social media, marketing and maybe some other stuff (like my love of animals), you won’t hear me share my viewpoints on politics or religion. I consider it my obligation to my clients to remain neutral publically. I also expect that my employees will remain neutral on topics for the sake of our clients. I believe that when you take on the task of representing a diverse mix of clients, it’s your obligation (as a member of their teams) to censor what you put out in the public world of social media.

I look to other PR practitioners and others in the client-facing business world to weigh in. Is it important in a client-based business to keep your views more private so as not to alienate your clients? Or as individuals with our own interests and causes, is it important to comment on topics that you believe in, despite the consequences? Are these two separate worlds, or should we always consider the way we present ourselves in public to be directly associated with our work?

Photo credit: Tiago Ribiero

Truth be told, I’m already a huge IKEA fan, my whole office is IKEA-fied, so declaring my love on Facebook wasn’t a stretch. I wasn’t alone – by the time I was able to join the effort I missed the opportunity at the golden ticket as they had surpassed 7,000 fans. I was still curious so I followed the steps to start registering, but quit pretty quickly when I was prompted to answer a survey that asked nothing about room décor or color palettes.

I didn’t even need to finish the survey to start receiving texts on my phone that had nothing to do with IKEA. To be fair, in this day and age it begs the obvious that when you start answering personal questions about your lifestyle and are prompted to elect to third party advertisement, you shouldn’t be surprised when sales people come knocking on your virtual door. That said, typically it’s a third party (not the company itself) luring subscribers with gifts. I’ve searched the site hoping this was a crafty effort to appear to be affiliated with the iconic Swedish furniture emporium but no such luck.

A friend and fellow PR practitioner Jennifer Wilbur also did some digging, using a dedicated email address to track the spam. So far she’s received more than 10 spam emails, and has another friend who’s received 5 telemarker calls he attributes to the campaign.

From the social side (or lack thereof), there is no activity from the company on the Facebook page wall, and only a few comments from seemingly thrilled customers who’s profiles I can’t click on.

Update: As I’m writing this post, the entire fan page has just disappeared. In fact, in no longer shows up in the updates of its new fans. In searching, it looks like the company already has a fan page with 60,000 fans and counting and lots of conversation. We’re we all duped? It’s beginning to look that way. Hopefully the brand chimes in on this one.

Photo Credit: Per Ola Wiberg

Newspapers

1. The Wall Street Journal
• Circulation – 2,024,269
• Web site traffic – 4,200,000

2. USA Today
• Circulation – 1,900,116
• Web site traffic – 5,500,000

3. The New York Times
• Circulation – 927,851
• Web site traffic – 14,200,000

4. Los Angeles Times
• Circulation — 657,467
• Web site traffic – 6,900,000

5. The Washington Post
• Circulation – 582,844
• Web site traffic – 5,800,000

6. Daily News
• Circulation – 544,167
• Web site traffic – 6,300,000

7. New York Post
• Circulation – 508,042
• Web site traffic – 2,900,000

8. Chicago Tribune
• Circulation – 465,892
• Web site traffic – 2,600,000

9. Toronto Star
• Circulation – 418,966
• Web site traffic – 670,800

10. Houston Chronicle
• Circulation – 384,419
• Web site traffic – 3,000,000

Magazines

1. AARP Bulletin Today
• Circulation – 24,305,715
• Web site traffic – 1,000,000

2. AARP the Magazine
• Circulation – 24,554,819
• Web site traffic – 248,400

3. Best Read Guides Inc.
• Circulation – 17,000,000
• Web site traffic – Not available

4. The Costco Connection
• Circulation – 8,217,263
• Web site traffic – 70,100

5. Reader’s Digest
• Circulation – 8,158,652
• Web site traffic – 771,200

6. Better Homes & Gardens
• Circulation – 7,634,197
• Web site traffic – 11,000,000

7. Weekly Reader
• Circulation – 7,000,000
• Web site traffic – 12,400

8. Kraft Food & Family
• Circulation – 6,625,000
• Web site traffic – 2,400,000 (Kraft Web site, magazine does not have dedicated site)

9. Hustler
• Circulation – 5,000,000
• Web site traffic – 921,000

10. National Geographic Magazine
• Circulation – 4,708,307
• Web site traffic – 5,900,000

Photo credit: Macrophile

One seminar in particular, People are the Killer APP: How to Grow Word-Of Mouth Movements With Your Brand Fans, was led by Geno Church, WOM Inspiration Officer for Brains on Fire. During the session, Church walked us through a case study of Fiskars scissors. The company sought to ingratiate themselves with the growing number of scrapbookers, a passionate and community-minded group of craftsladies (and men), who are eager to embrace the latest and greatest tools to make their memory books, well, memorable. I’m not a scrapbooker myself (my craftiest moments result in doodles during long conference calls) but I can certainly appreciate not only the creativity, but the camaraderie, that goes into the loved creations.

I was skeptical. Scissors? How is it possible to get a group so jazzed over a non-descript pair of scissors?

I, like most of the audience, was blown away at the picture of brand ambassadorship that unfolded before me. The effort seemed to have created a significant amount of infatuation for something normally shoved in the back of your gift wrap drawer. It’s not often you see such a surge of community spirit, with brand advocates providing priceless endorsement. The effort was, no doubt, incredible. When Church opened the floor to questions, one attendee asked the question I believe was on all of our minds – what kind of budget should you allot for a campaign of this magnitude? Church obviously couldn’t give client-specific numbers, but said it makes sense to assume $300,000 to half a million big ones for a effort of such magnitude.

Cue record scratch.

Many of us work with brands that simply can’t, especially in this economic climate, afford to invest that kind of money in any marketing effort. I wasn’t deflated, and marketers and PR agencies shouldn’t be either. There are many ways companies can propel off and online WOM with very little expense. I’ve put together a short list, and I welcome your creative minds to add your ideas and success stories.

• Start Talking – Joining the online conversation really doesn’t cost anything and can be a very powerful way to humanize your brand with influencers and customers. We “overheard” a blog conversation (using SocialMention) that included a client. We alerted the client who commented with a thank you and clarification of some questions. The blogger was very appreciative and responded by enabling our client to post a coupon, writing another post and including the product in her weekly newsletter with a kind endorsement. Score!

• Unofficial Official – Empower your consumers to play a role in product development and direction, and they’ll feel a sense of ownership and help you spread the word. We helped create a program inviting consumers of a natural foods company to name the next flavor of an existing product. The response was overwhelming, as entrants became immersed in the brand experience and engaged in online conversation about the contest. For another product, the company was preparing to launch a brand new product, so we helped solicit an elite team of beta testers to get the first taste and share their feedback, again, creating passionate brand ownership.

• Refer a Friend – I hate to spam my friends, but when Bluefly gives me another chance at a Chloe bag just for telling a couple friends, I’m a sellout. Incentivizing consumers to “Tell two more” can be a great way to earn a peer-to-peer endorsement.

• Team Player – When employees feel loyalty about a company, they can become both internal and external cheerleaders for your goals and mission. Kashi, a leader in the natural food space, is a perfect example of admiration built upon sheer brand passion. Employees are featured in ad campaigns and walk the streets sporting their company pride in logo shirts, as well as very honestly touting their Kashi-love on social networks and to friends and peers. It’s infectious.

What other ways can company generate word-of mouth without the big bucks. Is it necessary or smart to break the bank?

Photo credit: AComment

She didn’t go quietly, creating a decently produced rap video explaining her decision. The gossip sites weren’t the only ones making this breaking news – even the social media hounds at Mashable reported on the diss, creating lots of media buzz for the young songstress.  Even her dad, country music star Billy Ray Cyrus hoped (publicly) that she would change her mind. While Ashton Kutcher drove tons of press for his Twitter antics, Miley got an equally passionate reception for her break-up with Twitter.

Miley isn’t the first person to make waves with a change in Twitter strategy. Web celebrity and renowned tech blogger Robert Scoble unfollowed thousands of followers and also received significant press coverage from the event.

So is a drastic Twitter overhaul the newest PR 2.0 stunt?  Do the long term benefits outweigh the short term attention?

Rachel Kay

However, I do think this is a great opportunity to talk about crisis communication and relationship repair.

As I watch the situation evolve I’m seeing a turn in the reactions of people.  While the initial fury was over the gall of the mass email/BCC, media and PR people alike are now asking why on earth the offenders haven’t spoken up.

If the offenders had spoken up in the first place, I’m pretty certain the situation wouldn’t have escalated quite so severely.  Those of us who weren’t aware it was happening might never have known.  But the viral nature of the Internet is full speed ahead as we await a response.  Right now, silence is about the same as “no comment,” and it’s giving people no choice but to assume they can’t be bothered or even worse, simply don’t care.

At this point, I’d suggest the agency CEO draft a letter of apology to all the reporters and send it out as quickly as possible.  I’d continue by suggesting he comment on the blogs of the bloggers and reporters who have covered this, and also contact them directly with a request for a personal conversation to explain and make good. In addition, considering the traction it’s getting on Twitter, I’d take the opportunity to respond there too, as well as reach out the people Tweeting about it.

Like anything else in the world, an apology and speed of responsiveness go a long away in preventing a situation from escalating. What else do you think the offenders could do to make good on this gaffe?

Rachel Kay

photo credit: Daquella Manera