Keeney PR

Media Training Fundamental: Reporters Are Always Working

noemail@dpkpr.com — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

What is the role of a reporter and to whom is that reporter responsible? This is a question we tackle in most media training sessions because DPK Public Relations believes it is important for spokespersons to understand the environment in which they will be attempting to deliver their messages.

The answer is pretty simple, really. A reporter has only one master: the story. In our media training sessions, we explain that the role of a reporter is to gather information and weave those facts into compelling stories that will make the audience pay attention.

You might have a reporter who lives next door and is among your good friends. If you found yourself in the middle of a news story, do you think that reporter will give you special consideration? Think again.

Nothing tops the story in the world of a reporter. If friendships are sacrificed, so be it. Of course, a reporter will insist that it's not personal and that's true. This is the business that they are in and they are never off the clock.

A great example is the experience of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke who was pleased to bump into CNBC's Maria Bartiromo at a dinner in 2006. They exchanged a few brief words and then parted ways.

What Mr. Bernanke didn't fully appreciate is that Ms. Bartiromo may have been in an evening gown but she was still on the clock. Here's how Market Watch reported what happened next:

CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo reported that she had bumped into Bernanke at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner over the weekend and that he agreed with her assessment that the market had misinterpreted his congressional testimony last week as dovish.

Instead of meaning the Fed had only one more rate hike to go before ending the tightening cycle, as the market had concluded from his testimony, Bernanke said he was stressing that the Fed might pause and start raising rates again. Everything depended on the data, he said.

The markets, unaccustomed from getting the latest thinking from the Fed chairman in this manner, reacted swiftly, with stocks falling in late trading Monday, bond yields rising to a four-year high and the dollar jumped.

Without knowing exactly what was said, many refused to speculate. The Fed is not commenting on the story.

That the conversation took place at the correspondents dinner, with its heady blend of media and political heavyweights and Hollywood stars, only added to the spice to the story.

Many believed Bernanke most likely thought the conversation was off-the-record.

But officials at the White House Correspondents Association said all conversation at the dinner is on the record, unless the official says they are private.

In our media interview skills training sessions, we do not advocate taking a defensive posture with reporters, but it is essential that every spokesperson understand that everything done and said in the presence of a journalist is fair game. They are observers and you are the observed. They will describe what you look like, your posture, your disposition and your tone of voice. So you have to be "on" from the first moment to the last.

For those who believe that there are limits to how far a journalist would go for a story, I offer the following brief video clip in which some of the great broadcast journalists of the 20th century discuss a hypothetical situation: What would they do if they knew of a planned ambush on American soldiers? Simple question? Not for a journalist.

The story is king. Nothing personal, just business. Knowing this should guide your interactions with all journalists going forward.

For more information on DPK Public Relations' media interview skills training services, visit http://www.dpkpr.com/mediatraining/, call 214-432-7556 or fill out our PR contact form.

26-Aug-08 9:00 AM

UPDATED: You Have 10-Minutes for Crisis Communications Response

noemail@dpkpr.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT

This article was originally posted in 2005, but it is even more relevant and meaningful today. Through one of my clients, I've learned that a Houston area Congressman is now steaming live video from his cell phone onto the Web, interviewing colleagues and constituents.

It's pretty amazing how powerful these tools can be. When advancing representative government, these tools can do great things, but they can also present enormous challenges for communicators by granting any and every individual the same live news powers that once made CNN so special.

So take a fresh look at this classic piece from the DPK Public Relations archives:

I presented a half-day seminar, "Crisis Communications Planning, Response and Recovery" to a gathering of public relations practitioners from the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) this week. It was a great session with plenty of interaction to make us all think.

At one point, I asked those in attendance how many carried cell phones that doubled as cameras. About two out of three did. When I asked how many had phones that could shoot video, only one person raised her hand. Nice phone!

The point I eventually made was that there are millions of people walking around with the technical capability to be on-the-scene reporters. Think of the video that circulated on the Web of the tsunami making landfall earlier this year. The crude, jumpy images were captured on cell phones and digital cameras and posted with just a few clicks. In a couple days, they showed up on the evening news.

We've been discussing the democratization of journalism for more than a decade, but now it's happening and it is having enormous impact on how crisis communicators must function. In the event that an incident of major concern to your organization occurs, you typically have just a few minutes now before you should acknowledge that something has happened, express concern and assure the audience that you're on top of it. Failure to act quickly invited rumor, speculation and inuendo. If you're not out there establishing the facts, someone else will simply make them up based on the available evidence, or their own interests.

In the Fort Worth seminar, we role played the "600-second drill," giving participants that much time to gather the facts, work with their teams to craft a statement, then meet the media.

It's not pleasant to think about, but today's technology puts prominent people like your CEO at risk of plunging their organizations into crisis.

Taking a recent tabloid story about a certain supermodel and twisting it a bit, how would you respond if a video surfaced online showing your CEO cutting lines and snorting cocaine? Your CEO might demand that you batten down the hatches and keep quiet.

Is that really in the best interests of your organization? Probably not.

In almost every case, the best interest of an organization in an emerging crisis is served by helping define the story and showing that you don't have your head in the sand. That requires releasing an initial statement that states the facts that you absolutely positively know to be true.

For instance:

"I can only make a brief statement and will not be answering any questions. We are aware of video that appears to show activities that concern us greatly. We are working to determine the facts and anticipate having more information by mid-day. In the meantime, it is important to note that our chairman has stepped forward and is personally involved in the investigation as well as in the operations of the company."

Moving as quickly as possible to assert that your organization is aware of the issue, is concerned about it, is cooperating in an investigation and, if necessary, is open to taking corrective action is the best way to shorten the amount of time you are in crisis response mode and move more quickly to crisis recovery.

If your organization would like to have DPK Public Relations President Dan Keeney, APR present the half-day seminar, "Crisis Communications Planning, Response and Recovery," please contact us at dan@keeneypr.com or call 214-432-7556.

14-Aug-08 11:00 AM

Case Study: Issues Management Keeps Potential Crisis Quiet

noemail@dpkpr.com — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT

When a high-profile company (we can't name the organization because of a confidentiality agreement) faced the possibility of an ugly lawsuit that threatened to drag its good name through the mud, they contacted DPK Public Relations.

The issue revolved around threats by a former employee to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a wrongful termination lawsuit. She claimed she had been illegally fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on two celebrity employees for actions that could have been interpreted as racially insensitive. Making the issue even more uncomfortable was the fact that these allegations followed highly publicized protests of the company related to employment practices that some considered to be racially motivated.

As Barak Obama has explained eloquently, racial issues in America remain highly complex and deeply rooted. Organizations must tread carefully and respond quickly any time race is raised as an issue, even when company leadership believes no problems exist. DPK Public Relations assessed the situation and crafted a two-pronged issues management strategy designed to protect and enhance the company's reputation.

First, working closely with the company's legal counsel, we created a reputation safety net for the company in the event the EEOC complaint was filed. Knowing that it could be filed at any time, we developed messages, speaking points, backgrounders and fact sheets designed to accurately portray the company's point-of-view. Our messages revolved around the fact taht the organization took the allegations seriously, addressed them forcefully and continues to execute a plan for ongoing improvement.

We provided media interview skills training to ensure the company's spokesperson understood the messages and was expert at expressing the organization's viewpoints. We also provided counsel to the employees whose actions had been called into question by the former employee to ensure they understood the gravity of the matter and were aware of the company's plan of action.

Second, we immediately went to work to address lingering questions about the organization's commitment to diversity. Our community relations experts helped to identify leaders of the area's diverse communities and we arranged one-on-one discussions between the company's top executive and more than a dozen community leaders, some of whom had been highly critical of the organization in the past. While these meetings were designed as listening sessions, we also crafted subtle messages to articulate the progress that was being made while acknowledging that it was a process that was not yet complete.

These personal meetings were followed by an open house celebration at which the company made clear that its commitment to diversity was for real.

This two pronged strategy was designed to effectively inoculate the company from the damage that could be done to its reputation by a highly publicized EEOC complaint. But it did much more. Once implemented, the issues management strategy gave the company's attorneys the confidence to call the bluff of the disgruntled former employee without caving into her demands. She ultimately decided to settle and the allegations were never made public.

Sometimes, our best work never sees the light of day. In this case, our work prevented a public fight that could have tarnished an extremely valuable reputation and probably saved the organization hundreds of thousands -- if not millions -- of dollars by avoiding a costly legal battle.

17-Jul-08 6:00 PM

Survey Answers the Question: What Is Public Relations?

noemail@dpkpr.com — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Despite overwhelming evidence that the mainstream media's influence is sliding, corporate America continues to focus its public relations dollars on media relations activities. This is a key finding of the 2008 PRWeek/MS&L Marketing Management Survey published this week by PRWeek (click here to download).

The online survey, conducted by PRWeek and Millward Brown, was completed by 252 marketing executives between May 1, 2008 and May 19, 2008. When asked how their companies use public relations, two out of three respondents said they use PR to generate publicity (media relations). It was the most frequent answer (see graphic below -- credit PRWeek).

Click on image for high resolution version

10 years ago, I would have been shocked if responses were different than this. Even five years ago, I would not have been surprised that most who control marketing purse strings thought of public relations primarily as a publicity machine. But today, with newspaper readership dropping by the month, the nightly news a whisper of what it used to be and trade publications moving mostly online, the emphasis on media relations would seem quaint if it wasn't so scary.

Make no mistake, I continue to include "good ol' media relations" as an element of what we offer clients. But once we begin that discussion, we make it clear that our definition of "media" has radically changed in the past decade. We consider media to be any conduit through which we can deliver the message to a targeted audience. So YouTube is media, as is Flickr and FaceBook and select blogs that deal with appropriate subject matter.

Other studies have reinforced this mindset, suggesting that mainstream journalists are among the most avid consumers of social media such as blogs. There is strong evidence that a considerable percentage of newsroom decisions are influenced by the respected bloggers are writing about. A couple years ago, we launched a blogger-driven lobbying effort in the Texas Legislature, putting significant pressure on a deep-pocketed opponent. Though the big money ended up winning, we did make valuable in-roads -- even winning passage of a small concession. And the bloggers made so much noise that the mainstream media had to take notice.

The biggest disappointment of these findings is that just 35 percent of respondents say their company turns to public relations to help guide company strategy. At DPK Public Relations, we are fortunate to be intimately involved in the formulation of company strategy for our clients. As counselors to our clients' chief executives, we can help to identify and prevent potentially damaging issues and to uncover and fully leverage opportunities. Involving your PR counselor in strategy formulation is the best way to derive maximum value from your PR investment.

What are your thoughts? Please post your comments below:

24-Jun-08 5:00 PM

DPK Public Relations Salutes the Late Ron Stone, Respected News Anchor

noemail@dpkpr.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Longtime television newsman Ron Stone died Tuesday at his home.
Stone, who was diagnosed last year with prostate cancer, was 72.

His signoff, as delivered across four decades on KHOU (Channel 11) and KPRC (Channel 2), was "Good night, neighbors," and the signature spoke volumes about the man.

He was a native Oklahoman who was honored by the Sons of the Republic of Texas and a TV guy who took pride in the depth and clarity of good writing, and his long tenure in Houston helped established the style that viewers expect of their local anchors.

Stone was born April 6, 1936, in Hanna, Okla., graduated from East Central State Teachers College in Ada, Okla., and worked in radio and television in several small Oklahoma markets. He was working at KVOO in Tulsa in 1961 when he caught the eye of Rather, who was then Channel 11's lead anchor.

After Rather departed for CBS, Stone moved into the lead anchor chair and dominated the ratings alongside sports anchor Johnny Temple and weathercaster Sid Lasher. He departed in late 1967 for New York as a writer for NBC but returned 10 months later to Channel 11. In 1972, he moved to Channel 2, where he worked alongside longtime colleague Doug Johnson, the station's weathercaster.

Along with anchor duties at Channel 2, where he remained until 1992, he hosted the series The Eyes of Texas and established himself as a master of words as well as video.

During his final broadcast before retiring from Channel 2, he said, "I always figured that doing local television was a trust. So I never tried to lie to you, never tried to lead you down a false path. I spent 30 years working at two really fine television stations in one really fine town. I've been a very lucky man."

After retiring, he founded Stonefilms of Texas, which produced corporate videos in tandem with the public relations community. He wrote three books about Texas history and a fourth book with his son, Ron Stone Jr.

Stone also established the Ron Stone Foundation for Texas History, based in Brenham, which supports the upkeep of a park in Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the Texas declaration of independence was signed, and provides stipends for historians.

Stone remained active as a speaker before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last September. After doctors determined this year that the disease had spread to his brain, he spent his final days focused on family.

Survivors include his wife, Pat Stone; two daughters, Robin Brown and Julie Payne, both of Houston; two sons, Ron Stone Jr. and Billy Stone, both of Houston; a sister, Joyce Murdock of Oklahoma City; and nine grandchildren.

14-May-08 9:00 AM

DPK Public Relations Client Encourages PR to Learn about Mobile Web

noemail@dpkpr.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

DPK Public Relations client Schipul - The Web Marketing Company continues to accelerate its efforts to prod the public relations community into understanding the impact of the multi-pronged communications technology revolution that's underway. Of course, we are helping along the way and we are proud of the role we played in their most recent hit in the May issue of Public Relations Tactics.

Schipul's Creative Director, Tim Newton inked a great piece about the emerging impact of mobile handheld devices that enable users to browse the Web from anywhere. Look for "Reaching those on the go: Mobile Web users present next major challenge for public relations," in the issue that's hitting mailboxes in the next few days.

No doubt for some the fact that tens of millions of people are -- or soon will be -- just as connected on their commute as they are at their desktop is a, "Yeah, so?" type of proposition. But for public relations practitioners who make a living through high impact communications that reach people wherever they are, the mobile Web should be seen as hugely important. You need to understand that the information they consume and how they consume it is quite different while they are on the go than it is while sitting at a desk.

Fortunately, it is being received enthusiastically, with PR and marketing groups inviting Tim and others from Schipul to present on the subject. Tim's recommendations?

1. Focus on the user. Think of what the user needs to do on the site rather than what the association thinks they need. Mobile Web users need you to deliver brief bursts of value.

2. Test the site in realistic circumstances. Try it with a variety of devices. Ask users what they do and how they use the site on their mobile device.

3. Think about context. Since the mobile Web is more about the user’s context, think about what is going on around the user. What will they need to find out? For instance, make it easy to get to addresses, phone numbers and event locations. Target the needs of people on the go.

4. Start over if necessary. Approaching the mobile Web as simply the PC on a cell phone is a bad idea. The two are fundamentally different and demand individual attention. As we grow more accustomed to the mobile Web, the differences will become clearer, so adjust now.

5. Keep it simple. Limit your links and categories, and prioritize links by activity and popularity. A streamlined site serves the need for easy navigation.

I agree with Tim that this is the right time for PR practitioners to examine whether their online communications -- including their Web site and other social media presence -- properly serve the users who access information on mobile Web browsers. How many near misses do you have to get into on the highway with other drivers who are texting and browsing the Web before you realize that they are the people you're trying to reach?!

Here is a link to the article on the Public Relations Society of America site: http://www.prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842347289.

29-Apr-08 5:00 PM

Study Questions a Fundamental of Public Speaking Training

noemail@dpkpr.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT

During my career in broadcasting, I spent years coaching news reporters, anchors and talk show hosts in how to be comfortable and confident when behind the microphone. How to project their voice and inject enthusiasm. How to use their nervous energy to amplify their performance and how to eliminate audible pauses, such as "ums," "ers" and "ahs."

Over the past 15 years in public relations, I have provided similar public speaking training to literally hundreds of organizational spokespersons with great results. Frequently, I will have an executive voice concern about their stumbling and stammering and we work to break down some of the bad habits that can contribute to audible pauses. They worry that they may be making their audience mad.

But until today I had never heard of disfluency, let alone how disfluent speakers can actually be better at making their umm point and getting their err message across.

My wife, a subscriber to Self magazine, tore out a page for me with a story stating that more people remember the points made by those who aren't smooth presenters. The pauses actually accentuate an audience's understanding.

It was no coincidence that I had recently pointed out the ubiquity of "you know" in my wife's lexicon (in a totally supportive way, of course)!

I had to learn more, so I read through the actual study, "It’s the way that you, er, say it: Hesitations in speech affect language comprehension," by Dr Martin Corley and Lucy MacGregor, Edinburgh University's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, and David Donaldson of the University of Stirling. Sure enough, it found that disfluency becomes a useful interruption to the expected ritual of a speech or presentation.

The researchers from Edinburgh and Stirling Universities invited volunteers to listen to a number of sentences, including sentences with disfluencies. They conducted a series of tests to find out how well the listeners could recall what was said.

It turned out that the "ers" inserted into the sentences had a significant effect on the ability of the subjects to remember the information. After hearing typical sentences with inserted disfluencies, the volunteers got 62 per cent of words correct compared to 55 per cent for sentences with no stumbles.

This really isn't as unexpected as it may seem. Great presenters, much like great actors, will use the pace of their speech and pauses of varying lengths to emphasize key points. Bill Curtis, the longtime TV news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Chicago is the best example I can think of, adding drama to virtually every story with pauses here and there. Dan Rather did it, too.

They weren't using ers and ums. Just silence. But it has the same impact on grabbing attention as these researchers found, which is why we train our speakers to embrace silence as a powerful tool and the best way to eliminate/replace audible pauses.

Whether using ums, ers or simply silence, the audience says to itself, "We better pay attention now, because what I expected was going to happen is in fact not going to happen."

Just last night, I lifted my head from my magazine during a commercial break because an ad with nothing but music went on for a full 60 seconds. About 45 seconds into it, I had to look up because what I unconsciously expected -- words -- did not happen. The ad worked; it prompted me to pay closer attention.

So the important point I hope you, dear reader, take away is (silent pause) strategically interrupting your smooth speaking pattern can significantly enhance your presentation. I don't think a presenter who litters their speech with ums and ers can come off sounding confident and prepared, so I will continue to emphasize silent pauses and work to eliminate and replace audible pauses.

Learn more about DPK Public Relations' Presentation Skill Training services. To schedule a training session for your organization's spokespersons, call 214-432-7556, e-mail dan@dpkpr.com or complete the contact form on this page.

13-Mar-08 11:00 AM

The Future of Reputation Available for Free Download

noemail@dpkpr.com — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT

The full text of the book, "The Future of Reputation," has been posted online for free -- and legal -- download. The book, which turns a critical eye on the damage that can be done through gossip and rumor on the Internet, is published by Yale Press and written by Daniel Solove, an authority on information privacy law.

Click here for the chapter-by-chapter PDF downloads. And best of all, they aren't even requiring a cumbersome registration process. Wouldn't that have been perfect? Offer a book about the loss of privacy in the digital age and make it free for those willing to provide a wealth of personal information.

To the credit of Mr. Solove and his publisher, that is not the case. It's a simple mouse click and you get a chapter. Bravo.

I have been called in to assist a number of clients whose reputations have been unfairly and inaccurately tarnished on the Web. The best example is our work with NOKA Chocolate, which faced a scathing criticism of its business, products and owners that swept through the Web in late 2006. At its height, more than 2,000 Web sites had linked to the damaging series of blog posts, prompting hateful calls and e-mails to the small business.

It is a significant and growing challenge. Here's how the book's promotional materials put it:

Teeming with chatrooms, online discussion groups, and blogs, the Internet offers previously unimagined opportunities for personal expression and communication. But there’s a dark side to the story. A trail of information fragments about us is forever preserved on the Internet, instantly available in a Google search. A permanent chronicle of our private lives—often of dubious reliability and sometimes totally false—will follow us wherever we go, accessible to friends, strangers, dates, employers, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else who cares to look. This engrossing book, brimming with amazing examples of gossip, slander, and rumor on the Internet, explores the profound implications of the online collision between free speech and privacy.

Of course, like every challenge, social media technologies also present opportunities for organizations to reach new people and make more meaningful connections than ever before. Even when an organization's reputation is called into question or is dragged through the mud, the opportunity for advancement and progress is there.

I hope you take advantage of this great free offer.

20-Feb-08 9:00 AM

DPK Public Relations Guides International Recall

noemail@dpkpr.com — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT

The Houston Business Journal recently covered the story of the Bumbo Baby Seat recall. DPK Public Relations guided the company's response through the recal process in the U.S. and Canada, including negotiations with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, the deployment of a Web site (www.bumbosafety.com) devoted to getting the word out and the development of an instructional video. The focus was on protecting the safety of children whose parents may unknowingly be putting them at risk of a fall.

Some families had been placing the seats on raised surfaces, which is not advisable since the seats have no restraints. When word spread about the recall thanks to a feature on Good Morning America, feedback from the community of Bumbo owners was swift and supportive. Bloggers jumped into the issue, arguing that companies should not be responsible for policing how a product is used.

The public relations effort helped save the brand by illustrating that the Bumbo Seats, when used as intended and according to the warnings and instructions, are safe. To prevent any misunderstanding, we made new warning stickers and instructions available for current Bumbo owners. And temporarily took the product off the market to update the warning stamp and improve the packaging to remove any words or images that could be misinterpreted.

Here's what the Houston Business Journal reported:

Bumbo and its distributors...acted quickly to salvage the seat's reputation and their own bottom lines.

In Wartburg's case, the company enlisted the services of Houston public relations agency DPK Public Relations.

One of DPK's tasks, says agency chief Dan Keeney, was to help consumers understand that the product itself wasn't recalled, but that the warnings simply needed to be made more clear and visible.

In addition, Bumbo has covered up a photo on the product box that some consumers found misleading in which three babies were seated in the Bumbo Seats in front of a birthday cake and presents.

Meanwhile, Wartburg set up a toll-free number for consumers as well as a Bumbo information Web site.

The small company hired temporary workers to handle the influx of calls to the information line and to help update the warning, instructions and packaging and get the product back on the market.

(Mark) Buchanan says despite the halt in sales, Wartburg has not had to lay off any employees.

If you would like more information about DPK Public Relations' Crisis Planning, Response and Recovery Services, call 214-432-7556. Our crisis response services include the following:

Around-the-clock crisis readiness;
Situation assessment and short-term planning;
Message development;
Crisis-related media outreach and response;
Crisis-related outreach to lawmakers and regulators;
Development of media information materials;
Advocacy advertising;
Grass roots mobilization and third party activation;
Crisis-related research and analysis;
Medium- and long-range strategic planning to examine what damage has been done by the crisis and how to prevent similar crises, maximize turnaround and minimize sustained damage; and
Development and implementation of a communications program to help restore public confidence in the brand and/or corporate reputation.

11-Feb-08 9:00 AM

DPK Public Relations Client, Saint Arnold Brewing, Featured on KTRK TV

noemail@dpkpr.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:00:00 GMT

As talk of recession becomes a staple of broadcast and print news, we make it a point to adjust our media outreach strategies to align with the new reality. For example, we received a note from writer Charles Laughlin this week, seeking, "...recession-proof case studies illustrating strategies companies are applying to prepare for an economic downturn. I seek actual examples of marketing, sales, PR, and business management strategies that companies of all sizes and industries can apply themselves. The more eye-opening, cost-effective and unique, the better."

Similarly, another reporter, Malika Worrall, with Fortune Small Business sent this: "I'm looking for small-business owners with fresh, interesting, and practical solutions for hedging their position in the economic turmoil of recent months, or for preparing for a possible recession. For example, these could be small businesses that have seen opportunity in the economic situation, and are seizing the moment to grab market share from weak competitors of all sizes; they could be small businesses that saw the chill coming and prepared themselves, by building cash reserves, for example, or holding down costs, or even investing in real estate."

This is a major trend -- which means it is a major opportunity for those who can capitlize on it. This is how this week's feature of Saint Arnold Brewing Company on the Houston ABC affiliate, KTRK, came about.

We pitched beer as a recession-proof product to explain why the brewery is marking its fourth straight year of 20+ percent growth.

Click here to see the video and the story itself is below.

The important lesson is to stay flexible and adapt to changing circumstances. Few were talking about the economy a year ago, but today it is the top story day after day. If your media strategy isn't acknowledging that reality, you are fighting against the current.

HOUSTON (KTRK) - Houston's first microbrewery -- Saint Arnold's brewery on the northwest side -- all started with an investment banker who got tired of the stress.

The legend says St. Arnold's relics allowed an unending flow of beer from glasses in Germany, and he has certainly blessed his namesake brewery in Houston.

It is a place full of smells -- of hops, barley, malt and yeast, slowly fermenting to produce a golden essence that dates back thousands of years. It is beer, and in Houston, that means St. Arnold's Brewery.

"There are more patron saints of brewing than any other occupation," said Brock Wagner, CEO, St Arnold's Brewery. "St. Arnold is the most widely accepted."

It was founded 14 years ago by Brock Wagner, the great-great-great-grandson of a San Francisco beer hall owner. Tired of investment banker, Wagner switched to making beer.
He said, " Every morning I wake up and think it was the best move I ever made. This morning, I just really enjoyed it!"

The brand is known for its taste, quality and freshness. The business is known for being a good place to work -- one with a sense of humor. Vats have names like Larry, Moe and Curly. Naming rights are sold to fermenting tanks. The art car license plate reads 'B HOPPY'.

"They all think that we sit around and drink beer all of the time," Wagner said. "It's actually a whole lot of work. I think that's one of the things that has really kept us going -- we've always had great people here and they've always worked really hard. Everybody here is passionate about making great beer."

From 640 barrels of beer made the first year, production is now at 18,000 barrels. It's all sold in Texas. That's enough growth that St. Arnold's current brewery is tapped out. A move to a larger facility is in the making. Good beer is one of those things that is recession-proof.

"When times are good, people drink beer. When times are bad, people drink beer," Wagner explained.

The brewery is also known for an excellent root beer. The facility is open for tours and tastings on certain days. Schedules and information can be found on their website.

23-Jan-08 12:00 PM

Is Social Media Changing Public Relations?

noemail@dpkpr.com — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:00:00 GMT

It seems as if all the interviews I've been doing with journalists lately have been about the impact of Social Media on public relations. The latest was in FORUM, the quarterly newspaper of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Chris Atwood interviewed me for the story, "Web 2 point 0."

For the record, I consider Social Media -- the rise of online resources that enable and encourage the "audience" to contribute to the exchange of information -- to be a powerful trend for communicators. But I do not think these new tools fundamentally change the underpinnings of public relations.

When I assess a client's challenges and the role communications can play in helping achieve various business objectives, I try to keep an open mind regarding the spectrum of conceivable communications vehicles that can provide the greatest benefit within the client's budget. In the past, it was often a no-brainer that mainstream media would come into play. That was the most efficient way to reach a broad audience with a highly credible message.

Today, the mainstream media is still important -- especially if you are interested in reaching an older audience. But if you're interested in reaching a younger audience, the nightly news or newspapers no longer are a particularly effective method. In fact, The Daily Show, the Comedy Central fake news program, does a better job of reaching a young audience than traditional news programs.

This is why I have made it a point to become acquainted with the various new methods of reaching, engaging and exchanging information, known as Web 2.0 or Social Media. They can do a great job of reaching a younger audience in an intimate and meaningful way. Here is an excerpt of what was in the FORUM article:

Dan Keeney, president of Dallas-based communications firm, DPK Public Relations (www.dpkpr.com), said he agrees that the blogosphere is small, but said he does not feel it will ever be a large demographic, because not every single person has a point-of-view to articulate, and also because things such as e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging are more private way of communicating their messages to those who are important to them.

Keeney also said he believes Web 2.0 is more valuable as a listening tool, than as a tool to disseminate information. He said there are some "super bloggers," who are very serious about reporting and blogging, and they give a great indication of what is going on.

"I think the most valuable aspect of Web 2.0 technology is to use it as a listening tool, not as a dissemination tool," he said. "You can keep your finger on the pulse of trends, it's a very small population, but very useful."

The basics are to set up an RSS reader and subscribe to a few of the blogs that tend to write on subjects of interest to you. You can find these either by doing a Google Blog search or by searching Technorati. Post comments with your point-of-view, but be sure to clearly disclose who you are and any interest you have (company you represent). Starting your own blog is simple and can be free. I don't recommend it unless you are willing to make a long-term commitment and realize that it will probably only be read by a small number of people. But with some promotion and great content, it can help position you as an industry thought leader.

Establishing a presence on Flickr the photo-sharing Web site, is simple. Other networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn can also help you connect with others who share your interests and concerns.

Start small and learn as you go. You'll find that like grassroots campaigns, Social Media requires a great deal of work to reach a small number of people. The idea from a public relations perspective is that it can help you reach the highly influential few, who then can amplify your messages to their sphere of influence.

Give it a shot.

24-Dec-07 11:00 AM

The Value of On-Camera Media Interview Skills Training

noemail@dpkpr.com — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Over the past few days, I've had a number of potential clients suggest doing the media training without on-camera interviews. No need for the camera, they say. I couldn't disagree more.

Why do we strongly recommend using a camera in our training sessions? Because when it comes to delivering the organization’s message, the message itself is just a relatively small component of the communication. The total package – body language, facial expression, voice inflections and the tone and power of the voice all interact. The best way to expose a spokesperson to the areas that can be improved is by getting them to see and/or hear for themselves.

A researcher at the University of California Los Angeles discovered that in situations in which our body language conflicts with our words, body language and tone of voice are far more important than what is being said. In fact, 55 percent of a message's impact is carried by nonverbal (body language, appearance, personal space) and 38 percent is verbal (volume, pitch and pace), leaving just seven percent to message content.

How does this play out in the real world? A great example was one gentleman I trained who had a tendency to close his facial expression -- furrow his eyebrows and scowl -- whenever he concentrated. So it didn't matter WHAT he was trying to communicate because his facial expression tainted everything. We worked on it and made him comfortable starting with a smile, which then carried through his entire interview.

By using videotaped realistic interview scenarios, we are able to address the following areas:

Body Language

Stand and sit up straight
Hands at your sides
Open, welcoming facial expression
Make and maintain eye contact
Try not to tilt your head. Be a confident, straight shooter
Assume an open posture by unbuttoning your coat, uncrossing your legs, sitting forward in your chair and moving closer to the interviewer.

Voice

Use inflection in your voice; don't talk in monotone
Speak slowly so the audience can understand
Breathe
Use pauses to indicate what you think is important
If you’re being interviewed over the telephone, stand up. This will improve your breathing and will make you sound animated and alert
Be enthusiastic and animated. Speak in a conversational manner just as you would to someone in a business meeting

Without recorded interviews, a person might not realize just how often he/she says “like” or “you know.” They might not be aware that they have trouble making eye contact and how their darting eyes make them look shifty. And they can’t truly experience what it’s like to have the glare of the camera focused directly on them.

Bottom line: participants in our training have consistently told us that the on-camera interviews are the most valuable aspect of the training, so we would not recommend doing the training without the camera.

30-Nov-07 12:00 PM