With every nearly every PR pro spewing their take on the recent Burson Marsteller – Facebook smear campaign calamity against Google, it’s not worth digging up the horse just to kick it a few more times. They screwed up, caused a clamor, and now it’s back to business as normal with plenty of advice to listen too, but what can we learn from the supposedly “experienced” flaks at the heart if this debacle?

In general, there are two main things that separate senior-level PR people from the less experienced; existing relationships with the media and an earned reputation (good or bad). The two are eternally intertwined as we move along in our careers building relationships via pitches, networking events, responding to requests etc., all of which feed the perceptions press people have about us. Do a good job and you’ll become a go-to person in the crunch and a trusted source of information. Take a lazy or deceptive approach and press people will allow your emails to reach the “Deleted” folder with little more than a glance, which brings us to the title of the post.

While only insiders know exactly how Facebook advised BM to proceed with the Google smear campaign, it raises some interesting points about the Power of One in PR.

• ONE shot a pitching a story: Spelling errors, irrelevance to the editor/outlet, covering up the real reason for the pitch; all of these things can make or break us with each individual editor we pitch to.
• ONE person can sully an agency/client’s hard-earned reputation: Regardless of what senior BM or Facebook executives told the two PR flaks, the individual actions permanently scarred an award-winning mega-PR firm in an ordeal that is certain to end up in PR text book case studies. That cliché about One bad apple…yeah, that applies here.
• ONE misguided email or flippant comment can crush you: Not satisfied with a response (or lack thereof) from your media outreach efforts? Say the wrong thing to the wrong person and you can get publicly excoriated/blacklisted, possibly affecting future work options. Just ask the people on the Wired PR blacklist or TechCrunch punching bag Lois Whitman.
• ONE size does NOT fit all: The single pitch with a spray and pray approach emailed to 2,000 strangers…that’ll do more to earn you a media person’s disdain than their editorial love.  (This didn’t happen in the BM case, but still a good lesson)
• ONE Minute: Generally all it takes to double-check your work and make sure the tone, content, and person you’re approaching are all in the right ballpark.
• ONE Communicator: At our best, we craft and deliver constructive, targeted messages that both satisfy client editorial goals while inspiring the media with newsworthy ideas.

As PR practitioners, we are defined by our ability to forge meaningful, strategic relationships, and then turn those relationships into perception-altering or awareness-creating media for our clients. We need to understand the shortcomings so we don’t get caught up in our own hype, but also keep the positives at top-of-mind so we can massage the right message.

Much of PR work is done on an island. There’s collaboration on the front and back end, but the majority of our “executing” is done as individuals meaning we must respect and understand the power of One.

In the tech PR world, a new calendar year brings more than just poorly sung versions of Auld Lang Syne and sloppy kisses. Not long after the champagne corks are cleaned up; technology enthusiasts, AV dealers, media, B and C-level celebrities, manufacturer representatives and us PR folk swarm sin city for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an orgy of gadgets, home theater gear, gaming and automotive bliss exclusively for those in the industry, until now.

CES attendance increased 6% in 2010 after a recession-pillaged 2009, and the mothership Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® is confident it will continue to climb. To boost awareness of CES and the CEA in general, a new consumer program has been created promising member discounts, insider info and even beta testing opportunities most knuckle-dragging plebeians will never get to experience (unless they have $49).

To be clear, the CEA Tech Enthusiast Membership (CEATE) initiative is a smart move by the group, especially given the opportunities for market research, crowd sourcing and even legislative action. Technology plays a major role in everyday life, now there’s an official club with major organizational backing to prove it.

Accounts representing the #CEATE are already stirring the waters on Twitter and Facebook, but the big early splash involves two campaigns. The first 2,000 early adopting enthusiasts pay only $29 for the first year, instead of the standard $49. Not enough? The first 1,000 also receive never-before, never-again consumer access to the CES show floor on Sunday, January 9, where they can dine on real convention center cuisine, collect stress-relieving tchotchkes or just pretend they’re Walt Mossberg for a day.

The second major push includes a video contest geared at finding the Ultimate Tech Enthusiast. Whether you’re a lifelong video gamer with all 46 Mega Man iterations or a devoted audiophile who’s coffee table is made of old subwoofers, this could be the opportunity for you. Some rules, apply, ultimate winner receives VIP trip to Vegas for the show while runners-up receive Newegg.com gift cards and lifetime CEATE memberships.

It’s easy for folks in the consumer electronics industry to take the CES experience for granted. The hours are long, the venues are sprawling and we deal with the business and media side of technology throughout the year, depriving some allure. Yet every year, when I tell friends who work for mortgage companies, hospitals, schools or law firms my work-related travel plans for January, they’re tinged with jealousy and inevitably ask me to scout some obscure product, or grab them a 3D TV.

It’s hard to say whether people will pay $49 for closer relations with the Consumer Electronics Association, but there’s good reason to have an active presence courting and engaging consumers. The CEA has clearly put a lot of work into the initiative and I look forward to seeing where it goes. Hell, I’ll even treat the Ultimate Tech Enthusiast a trade show smoothie.

@PRnick

Caster Communications, Inc., a RI-based PR and social marketing firm, has brought back Nick Brown and added both the IOGEAR and PS Audio accounts to the agency.

Nick Brown, who worked at Caster from 2004 until August of 2009 is rejoining the team as Director of Account Services. Nick spent the past year as Community Manager for Warwick-based Astonish Results, where he managed blogging/multimedia-heavy social networking and SEO programs while consulting and creating a library of educational materials for insurance industry clientele. Nick’s return strengthens Caster’s presence in the custom channel by adding SEO expertise and leveraging his existing industry relationships and overall channel experience.

As we welcome Nick back, we’re also saying goodbye to Ashley Daigneault. Ashley is leaving Caster to join RI-CAN (Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now) as government relations manager. Read Ashley’s last blog HERE.

“We’ve seen an up swell in marketing activity particularly around social networking among our clients,” stated Kimberly Lancaster, Caster’s owner, chief strategist and toilet paper stocker. “Bringing back a talented team member who understands our core business, knows our clients and has existing relationships is such an advantage. Working as a community manager, Nick gained an arsenal of social networking experience that strengthens our capabilities in Web 2.0. We’re really fortunate to have him back on our team.”

Both IOGEAR and PS Audio have named Caster agency of record. Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, CA, IOGEAR offers consumer electronics and IT solutions that enable convergence through connectivity in residential, commercial, IT and mobile applications. Caster will implement a national PR campaign to broaden awareness of IOGEAR and AVIOR branded products. PS Audio, located in Boulder, CO, will be using Caster’s services to promote its high end audio and digital music products to the specialty CE channel.

Caster Communications provides public relations and social marketing services to companies engaged in consumer, commercial and personal technology, as well as clean energy and sustainable business products and programs. Caster’s unique experience in these channels provides its clients a partner who understands the subtle nuances of marketing in specialty channels. Want more Caster? Check out CasterBlog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.