The document discusses public relations strategies and the role of social media. It provides an overview of PR basics like developing relationships between clients and their public to influence opinions. It discusses the importance of crafting compelling stories and targeting the right audiences. The document also explores how social media has changed how brands engage in conversations and the need for PR strategies to consider digital and social media engagement. It provides case studies of how companies have used social media and urges readers to think about how these strategies could apply to their clients.

1. HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY
Are you ready for the conversation?
by Shelby Barnes
August 23, 2011

2. Overview
✤ Shelby’s background/Observations so far
✤ PR basics
✤ The elements of story
✤ PR and the marketing mix
✤ What role should digital media and social media engagement play?
✤ Do your clients need a PR/SM plan?
✤ Case study examples: Modernist Cuisine and Intellectual Ventures.

3. Who’s Shelby and what has she
learned so far?

4. Oh man. House spiders are BIG
here. Dang!

5. Observations about Namibians
✤ Y’all love your cellphones ✤ Opportunity for revolutions -
business, education, social
✤ Mobile technology is changing issues
the way you live, work and
share information
✤ It brings voices to issues that
have previously gone unheard
✤ More smart phones, more
bandwidth, more access will
bring more change, more
demand for content

6. Now the other side..
✤ Why so pessimistic?
✤ Your public is engaging online but business is resistant/conservative -- Clients,
government, public all scapegoated
✤ There’s more to mobile than SMS
✤ Your public will force your hand and dictate how much businesses engage
✤ Are you ready to respond? Do you want to be left behind?
✤ Can your brand afford to be left out of the revolution? Out of the conversation?

7. Fearful?

8. Secretly hoping?

9. Hope? Not a strategy.

10. Discussion
✤ What did I get right?
✤ What did I get wrong?
✤ What predictions do you have about the convergence between
public/private usage?
✤ Is ecommerce really an impossibility in Namibia?
✤ Why is there so much pessimism in the culture when it comes to
technology habits and will that/should that change?

11. What is public relations (PR)?
✤ You go first: What are your 20-word definitions?

12. The “What”
(per Shelby)
✤ Develop and sustain (strategic) relationships between a
client and its public with the goal of influencing opinions
and getting desired results*
*I know. Not very sexy.

13. Break it down: The why & the how
✤ Ask: What’s the business problem you’re trying to solve?
✤ How does influencing the audience help us address the issue?
✤ Who do we need to reach and by what means and to what end?
✤ What risks would engaging in the public discussion pose?
✤ How do we get their attention?
✤ What’s the story we’re trying to tell about our business/issue?

14. The story? Has to pack a punch!

15. What makes a good story?
Message
Credible Proof
Example, Anecdote, Story

16. Architecting the story
✤ What is the story you’re trying to ✤ What credibility do you need (what
tell? What’s the core? bias do you face)?
✤ What does the headline say? ✤ Who are your third-party advocates?
Who validates your point of view?
✤ What are the primary messages?
✤ “Why should I care?”
✤ Who is going to be the
spokesperson? ✤ What will the competitive response
be?
✤ What credibility do you have to tell
this story on your own? ✤ Where holes need to be filled?

17. Identify the target audience(s)?
✤ Go back to the business goals ✤ Who influences them (people
and information channels)?
✤ Who are you trying to influence
and to what end? ✤ How are you going to reach
them?
✤ What would get them to listen
to your story? ✤ How are you going to MOVE
them?
✤ What data, messages, anecdotes
would engage them in your ✤ What action are you seeking?
conversation?
✤ Are they likely to be
persuaded?

18. How do they get their
information?
✤ Word of mouth ✤ Industry analysts/reports
✤ Community leaders/events ✤ Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn,
etc.
✤ Newspaper, radio, tv,
magazines ✤ Your company website or
intranet
✤ Advertisements
✤ Blogs, Twitter
✤ Industry events
✤ OTHER WAYS?
✤ Newsletters

19. Construct the PR plan
✤ Similar to creative brief process
✤ Elements include situation analysis, objectives, messages, strategy,
tactics, messages, influential targets and measurements
✤ How will the plan address the business issues?
✤ What tools are most important?
✤ Integration with other marketing plans important
✤ Remember: Heart of most PR plans is capturing the story and
starting, continuing or redirecting the conversation

20. Identify the vehicles to carry the
story
✤ Press release (boring but can be ✤ Event
effective)
✤ Controversial blog post
✤ Case study
✤ Plant it with a vocal crowd
✤ Digital or “old school”
✤ Advertisement
✤ Major media or local media
✤ Documentary
✤ Podcast
✤ What else?
✤ Webcast

21. Where does PR fit into the
marketing mix?
The race is on!

22. My view
✤ PR should be involved when there is:
✤ Change in business direction or behavior
✤ Activity that involves the public or could lead to public discussion
✤ News
✤ Reputation or brand risk
✤ Opportunity to influence public opinion
✤ Integrated teams and campaigns are most powerful

23. Discussion
✤ Where do you get your news and information?
✤ Who influences your opinions?
✤ Talk about online behaviors and information gathering.
✤ How has that changed over the past few years?
✤ Do you imagine PR as part of your activities?
✤ Predictions?

24. Social media and your brand

25. How do your clients engage in the
conversation about their brand?

26. New York Times Shanghai Evening News
The Straits Times
Washington Post
CNN
The Standard
WSJ BBC
Bloggers Social Networking Twitter
User Groups Wikis
Consumer-Generated Content
Slide from Waggener Edstrom Analysis of 2008 Presidential campaign,
http://waggeneredstrom.com/about/ip/narrative-network
9

27. New ways of sharing stories,
starting conversations

30. Bottom line: There is no such
thing as a secret anymore

31. Social media considerations
✤ Do your research ✤ Be prepared to take risks and
make mistakes
✤ What’s your intended goal?
✤ Be prepared to apologize
✤ Be prepared
✤ Don’t expect your clients to
✤ Be diligent “get it” -- Show and tell
✤ Be human, but... ✤ It’s about the conversation
✤ Check your emotions at the ✤ Stop and ask why
door

32. Social media case study:
Modernist Cuisine

33. Social media case study:
Intellectual Ventures

34. Discussion
✤ How would social media translate to adforce clients?
✤ Who is most willing/likely?
✤ What barriers do you imagine?
✤ Can you afford not to have a strategy ready?

35. Summary
✤ Hope: Is not a strategy
✤ Pay attention to trends beyond
Namibia and translate
✤ Humans are humans: Observe
your community
✤ Start thinking about how to
extend the conversation
✤ Questions?