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Global PR Blog Week 1.0

Program
Final program
Topics
PR in the Age of Participatory Journalism
Corporate Blogging
Making PR Work: Creativity & Strategy
Crisis Management
The State of the PR Profession
Orientation
Welcome
What's a Weblog?
How to Get Updates
Posting Etiquette
Archives
July 2004
June 2004


 

PR Blog Week, with a Hungarian Twist

June 29, 2004

Nebojsa Damjanovich, a public relations practitioner, author and blogger, will cover the Global PR Blog Week in Hungarian. He will post daily summaries about the event on the following websites:

Köszönöm szépen*, Nebojsa! :)

(* "thank you very much", in Hungarian)

Author: Constantin Basturea | Jun 29, 04 | Permalink | 3 comments
Category: Announcements | Media Coverage

 

Q&A: Elizabeth Albrycht

Why do you blog?

Blogging for me is a way of exploring ideas I am interested in related to communications and technology, to share my opinions on topics with others and to help educate people about new ways of thinking about public relations and marketing. I work from a home office, so it is also an important channel from me to the world and back. It keeps me connected into a wider community of people who are interested in similar things, and helps me to feel less isolated. Furthermore, as a communications professional, it is important I am well-versed in the tools that exist for helping organizations to effectively share their stories with their audiences. I guess you could say I practice what I preach.

Why is blogging important to PR?

People today are desperately seeking authenticity of communications. They are tired of slick, packaged goods. They are tired of lies, obfuscations, and being treated like idiots. Blogging has a tremendous ability to cut through all of that in a way that keeps the keeps the human voice front and center. Done well, it can help to engage audiences in discussions, and enable people to learn from each other. This is true for individuals, small/medium businesses and large organizations alike.

What do you hope to see come out of this event? (i.e. outcomes)

I hope this event raises the profile of blogging as an important corporate communications/marketing tool and gives PR people the information they need to introduce blogging into their organizations.

What issue(s) will you be focusing on in your contribution and why?

My specific focus for this event is on "Pragmatic PR Strategies" that address the issues of community: building them and maintaining them. I am actually helping to build two membership organizations right now from scratch, and work for a third, so I am going to draw on that experience to share some of the challenges we are facing. Communications is the key to successful communities, and I will discuss how new tools like blogs can help. I will draw on some fascinating research on American communities represented in the book "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam, which I think is required reading for anyone interested in this topic. I have been having conversations with a variety of people from all walks of life on the topic of community, and will be sharing some highlights from them as well.

Author: Elizabeth Albrycht | Jun 29, 04 | Permalink | 0 comments
Category: @ Elizabeth Albrycht | Participants' thoughts

 

Biography: Elizabeth Albrycht

Elizabeth Albrycht
Chief Strategist
Albrycht McClure & Partners Communications

Blog: CorporatePR
Email: ealb [at] ampcomm [dot] com
Yahoo IM: e_albrycht

Elizabeth Albrycht has more than 14 years of public relations experience, the majority of which has been in the high technology arena. She was immersed in the esoterica of parallel computing for a few years, then branched out into the many-faceted world of distributed computing: hardware, software, networking equipment and the Internet. Elizabeth firmly believes that any technology can be explained to the average non-technological person in such a way that he or she can clearly understand its benefits.

Her specific focus these days is on educating companies about how to use new communications technologies to more effectively tell their stories. You can read her commentary daily at her blog: CorporatePR.

Large Companies:

* IBM
* Sony
* Inprise/Borland

Start-Ups:

* I-S-Cubed
* Boostworks
* InfiniCon Systems
* Sygate Technologies, Inc.
* salesforce.com
* Electric Knowledge, Inc
* Healtheon
* Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc.
* Clarent Corporation
* FullTime Software (bought by Legato, Inc.)
* ArcSoft

Membership Associations:

* Mobile Enterprise Alliance (MEA)
* Help Desk Institute (HDI)
* The Future of Work
* Gate-3 WorkClub

Non-Profit Organizations:

* Best Buddies Maryland
* United Cerebral Palsy Golden Gate Chapter
* El Cajon Project

Before starting Albrycht McClure & Partners (A.M.P.) Communications in 2000, Elizabeth worked for TSI Communications Worldwide for nearly six years in both its New York City and Silicon Valley offices. In her last position, she was a senior vice president with responsibility for strategy, account management and business development. Before joining TSI, she was a communications manager at Gemini Consulting, a leading worldwide management-consulting firm.

Living through the tremendous growth of the construction of the Internet has increased Elizabeth’s interest in the social impact of technology, with a particular emphasis on how technology is talked about. Therefore, she started taking classes towards a Master’s degree in Science and Technology Studies, and got about halfway done until the urge hit to move to Europe. She still studies, however, and is seeking another option for continuing her education, preferably online. She has also taken courses in bioethics, meteorology and geography since getting her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications/Public Relations at Boston University’s College of Communication.

Elizabeth has wide ranging personal interests. These include:

Reading: Elizabeth has so many books she has had to lease a storage space for them, as they don’t fit in her apartment. She particularly likes hard science fiction (Greg Bear, Kim Stanley Robinson, Steven Barnes, David Brin) and fantasy (JRR Tolkein, Robert Jordan, Sherri Tepper, Octavia Butler, Robert Silverberg). When it comes to non-fiction, she likes reading about science/technology issues.

Backpacking: Her favorite trip was a 30-mile, 4-day extravaganza, hiking from Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows to Jacob’s Meadows at Mammoth Mountain. Other trips have included: Bull Run Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and Lake Catherine, located above Hetch Hetchy Resevoir. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been out in the last couple of years, having been exploring new urban environments like Paris, France.

Embroidery: Unfortunately, Elizabeth has no artistic talent at all when it comes to painting or drawing. Therefore, needlework is clearly a good alternative for meeting her creative need to create order from chaos, and is much more satisfying than ironing.

Author: Elizabeth Albrycht | Jun 29, 04 | Permalink | 0 comments
Category: @ Elizabeth Albrycht

 

Q&A: Anthony V Parcero

June 28, 2004

Why do you blog?

I originally started blogging because I was tired of having a static, brochure-ware-type personal Web site and wanted to test and expand my skills and abilities while I was also providing myself with a venue to write and share my thoughts with others. Since the launch of the second version of my personal site, my experience and knowledge has grown exponentially because of the relationships that blogging has fostered; leading me to realize that I needed more focus, clarity, and direction with both the site's content and management; it was no longer sufficient to just write and post for the sake of writing for writing's sake. Due to some ad hoc decisions made on-the-fly after launch, hosting company changes, or limitations of the underlying technology, I've been able to turn the "bad" decisions made on my personal site into the basis for solid, real-world solutions for my clients.

What started out as a simple online journal has evolved into the current version of my personal blog which, while still an almost pure navel-gazing journal with little focus, has served its purpose by increasing my knowledge and experience. No longer do I see myself or my online endeavors as separate from those of others — I now have a more holistic perspective of the Internet and Web sites: one cannot view the Internet as a closed-medium where knowledge does not affect or cross-over into the offline, "real" world; today's viral marketing ploy or meme du jour can often alter opinions, change views, and sometimes leads to unforseen consequences. Meta-sites (like Fark, Slashdot, Metafilter, etc.), blogs, wikis, and the proliferation of site syndication technologies, have given a voice to people who previously had no way of expressing their opinions. Combine this with the almost total lack of censorship and general openness inherent in the Internet, individuals and small groups are now able to take advantage of technology to reach audiences in ways that no other media outlet has ever allowed.

Why is blogging important for PR?

I came into PR via the technology side and have learned from (sometimes bitter) experience that the out-moded assumption that Web sites are simply an addenda to a campaign — an online version of print collateral which is easily discoverable and authoritative based solely on branding, and which one needs only because others have one — is still a pervasive view point in the PR world. While catchy ads, glitzy events, numerous press releases, and a plethora of clippings may win over clients and provide them with concrete R.O.I. data (understandable because of their "physicality" or the "real" numbers they provide), seldom is so much attention lavished on Web sites or a Web site's overall existence and inter-relation with the greater Internet. The "build it and they will come" attitude often ignores search engine optimization techniques, the need for well thought out customer/competitor relations, the negative impact of Google-bombing and link spamming, and fails to realize the true power that can be leveraged via the (moral, authentic) use of technologies currently available. The PR industry must embrace new technologies, emerging trends, and the IT industry in a way that fosters honest communication and true relationship-building for both its clients and itself. Currently, blogging and bloggers offer the best way for PR to achieve this and, as the underlying realities of the maturing Internet become more codified and business-critical, it is essential that successful Web sites rely on the expertise of educated PR professionals, the support of technology experts, and the healthy growth of debate that blogs foster. If bloggers have the ability to voice their thoughts and, through that process, expose hidden issues which may adversely affect our clients, it is the responsibility of PR to learn what the risks are, how best to mitigate those risks, and what benefits can be gained from fostering honest relationships with those in control of the content: bloggers.

What do you hope to see come out of this event?

There are still many in PR who have not realized the power of the Internet, let alone blogging and bloggers. As a forum for discussing and expanding the knowledge base of PR-practitioners who are at the forefront of embracing and adopting new technologies, this event's participants are also taking the time to understand their tools, their industry, and — because of the nature of blogs and blogging — themselves through open and honest communication. At a basic level, I hope that this event will explore the future of blogs and PR bloggers; what creative uses of blogging others have experience with — or are exploring — in their own PR campaigns; the discovery process and tools others are utilizing; and what (foreseeable and avoidable) abuses could detrimentally affect the PR industry and its practitioners. Succeed or fail, this event is already bringing together individuals from across the globe via the universally accepted forum of a group blog. Blogs allow people to transcend linguistic, geographic, and political boundaries in order to conduct a public discussion by giving authors and audiences the means for communicating in an immersive and interconnected manner, blogs are both the perfect topic for, and means of conducting, the discussions and debates currently affecting an industry built on communication.

What issue(s) will you be focusing on in your contribution and why?

I'm hoping to discuss the impact of technology on the PR industry and how creative, organized, and relevant use of technologies and the Internet can lead to positive results. There are numerous examples of misapplied technologies and tactics but, outside of the PR community, many are not aware of the successes achieved and where trends are leading the industry. PR must not only embrace these new trends and the communities that they are based on, but must also be willing to learn about the limitations of technologies that can deliver results — if we are willing to tackle and minimize obvious defects honestly and rationally. Blogs have essential benefits which the PR industry can adapt itself to better utilize. The "memory" of the Internet (with it's vast amounts of archived, searchable, and interconnected data) cannot be ignored because the negative impact of a serious mistake will be immune from spin, under tenacious scrutiny, and quickly exposed to public ridicule. With the free access and exchange of information that blogging and the Internet provide, one cannot expect the truth to always rise above the din, nor for information to find its intended audience without some help — in order to succeed, modern PR strategies must leverage communication in a way that effectively reaches and includes its audience in honest and open discussions.

Author: Anthony V Parcero | Jun 28, 04 | Permalink | 0 comments
Category: @ Anthony V Parcero | Participants' thoughts

 

Greetings!

I’m Trudy W. Schuett, multi-blogger, writer, and pretty good cook. Although I am not like the others – an official PR professional – I write how-to’s and info for writers who promote their works, and PR is a portion of that kind of effort. Trevor has kindly invited me to be part of this event because I’m also a blog evangelist. I spend a lot of time telling people about the variety of ways a blog can be used, and how easy they are to set up and maintain.

Businesses of all sizes, non-profits and government entities can and do benefit from using blogs, either for internal communications or addressing the public. They can save time and money, while using a more-efficient means to ensure a message gets where it’s intended to go. They can also give stakeholders and constituents a better opportunity to have their voices heard.

Blogs are not just for kids or computer geeks. They are for anyone with a need to publish and reach the maximum number of people with the minimum budget and tech expertise. A blog is a content management system. The technology does not determine the content. There is no rule anywhere that says you must use a blog for a personal diary, pictures of your cats, or anything else.

My presentation on blogging for business, non-profits and government takes place here on Tuesday, July 13. I’ll be available to answer questions and join the discussion from 7am to 12pm EDT. I’d like to encourage discussion among participants, as you’d do in an informal presentation with everyone sitting in the same room. My role here is more as a facilitator rather than a lecturer. You may have ideas or points to make that I haven’t thought of yet, so go right ahead and make your point.

I’ll be giving you the basic, nuts-and-bolts information you need to set up a blog for yourself or your organization, along with some ideas on how you can use one. I’m not a computer geek, I’m one of those individuals who knows just enough about websites and stuff to be dangerous ;>) so the emphasis will be on blogs that are hosted at a service, rather than the kind where you need to download software and provide your own webspace and/or server.

I’ll review some of the services available, and give you pointers on which service may be the right one for your needs, and some advice on what to look for in a bloghost. As a multi-blogger with seven blogs, I regularly use three different bloghosts and have test-driven others. I maintain blogs not only for myself, but for my church and my local Chamber of Commerce here in Yuma AZ.

There will also be an overview on the blogosphere as it is today, and the ways you can get yourself noticed, if you choose a public blog. If what you need is something for enhanced internal communications, I’ll show how you can do that, too.

There is some time before the event takes place, so if you’d like some ideas and information beforehand, why not visit my “main” blog at
http://wolves.typepad.com

Author: Trudy W. Schuett | Jun 28, 04 | Permalink | 0 comments
Category: @ Trudy W. Schuett | Participants' thoughts

 

The Event's Program

The program for the Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is the following:

Monday, July 12: PR in the Age of Participatory Journalism

Tuesday, July 13: Corporate Blogging

Wednesday, July 14: Making PR Work – Creativity and Strategy

Thursday, July 15: Crisis Management

Friday, July 16: The State of the PR Profession

Note: the program was updated on July 1st, July 2, July 9, July 12, July 16.

Author: Constantin Basturea | Jun 28, 04 | Permalink | TrackBack (0) | 10 comments
Category: Orientation

 

Welcome

Blogging is shaping up to be one of the most important developments in media and PR for a very long-time.

For millions of people around the world, blogging is their first opportunity to report and comment on matters of importance to them without having to go through the intermediation of journalists, editors and other gatekeepers.
Blogging will never replace mainstream media, but it will challenge their powerful position as the (often exclusive) conduit for public discourse in modern democratic societies.

For PR professionals, it is creating many challenges and opportunities - we probably don't know most of them yet. Through corporate blogging, still very much in its infancy, our clients will have many more opportunities to engage with their stakeholders and they will feel much less beholden to the interpretative whims of media gatekeepers. The flow of information will increase to an extent we could barely imagine possible just a few years ago.

These, and many other issues, will be discussed during Global PR Blog Week 1.0.

When I first proposed this idea to a few dozen fellow PR bloggers a few months ago I was amazed by the positive response, since then I have been even more impressed by the willingness of so many to get involved and help set all this up and publicise it across the blogosphere and beyond.

In particular, I would like to thank Constantin Basturea for his relentless dedication. Like so many other bloggers, I know nothing about software and Constantin's knowledge and persistence has been absolutely critical.

I hope, I think we all hope, that this event will raise the profile of PR blogging and encourage many more practitioners to get involved. We also hope that the posts and comments on this site will form a significant contribution to the debates around blogging and PR and many other current issues facing the PR profession. We also hope that it will form a great resource for anyone interested in these matters.

An online event like this should I think be an example of the power of blogging - that people can participate in these discussions without incurring the costs of travelling (and exorbitant attendance fees) and to be able to do so in a format that is much more consistent with our busy lives. Though of course I hope to meet at least a few of you in my travels over the next few years! And Australia is a very attractive destination.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped get the event this far, and let's have some fun.

Author: Trevor Cook | Jun 28, 04 | Permalink | 3 comments
Category: @ Trevor Cook | Orientation

 

 

About
The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event is scheduled for July 12 - 16, 2004.
Links
The New PR Wiki
Recent Entries
PR Blog Week, with a Hungarian Twist
Q&A: Elizabeth Albrycht
Biography: Elizabeth Albrycht
Q&A: Anthony V Parcero
Greetings!
Recent Comments
Philip Young on PR Blog Week, with a Hungarian Twist
Tara Hall - Weber Shandwick Web Relations on The Event's Program
Charles on Welcome