Make Honesty An Issue

Trust Who You Trust To Handle Your Business

We have all seen them and most gleam very useful information from them. However, more than one public relations firm saw online product reviews as an opportunity to advance their client, breaching protocol widely viewed as a cheat and globally renounced as being unethical.

Within recent years, one story stands alone as a bright example of a lapse in ethics in the public relations industry.  Reverb Communication, located in Northern California and specializing in video and phone apps, was suspected of having their interns and other employees posing as consumers and posting very positive customer reviews on the product’s Apple iTunes page — driving traffic to that page and product, however, violating industry ethics — an allegation Reverb strongly denies.

In an investigative piece published on MobileCrunch.com, the reporter discovered several early, 5-star product reviews on the pages of apps of clients represented by Reverb. After clicking on the reviewer — to see which other products that person had reviewed — it was discovered that these several reviewers also gave gleaming 5-star review to several other Reverb rep’ed apps, having reviewed none others that weren’t covered by Reverb.

Reverb denied these claims in a statement released after the publication of the article, saying that several employees may use the apps Reverb represents and may chose to write positive reviews themselves, without being “commanded” to by agency. However, in a document released in the original article by a company insider, there are specific details as to what step-by-step procedures need to be follow when assigning these interns to write and post their clients’ product reviews.

In the face of the evidence, Reverb Communications has denied all claims of ethics violations.

However, this is hardly the first claim of this type made against a company or public relations agency. Heavy names such as Sony and Burger King — for example — have been accused of similar claims.

When considering hiring an agency to represent your company and your values, take the time to review the agency to ensure that you feel comfortable hiring them to represent your name and brand — that they carry the same values you do as well as operate above the standards and ethics levels set forth by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Shazaaam! Public Relations, since its founding in 2001, has conformed to — and acted above those standards — in all its activities, projects and operations.

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And Here Comes The Pitch

No. 3 in a series

 

Around here, the time taken to write a press release is not time taken lightly. When a press release is presided over, it is a collective effort on the part of the entire staff – from the person who writes the words on the page to the president of the company for review.

But we have already established that the press release is still a relevant medium here – we could say it until we are blue in the face and out of breath. But one testimonial to the relevance of this tried and true form of communication would be the recipients of the press release.

When calling and pitching a story to a newspaper or magazine editor or programming directors for various broadcast media outlets or anybody, the number one response that is received from them is “Did you send me a press release?” When we pitch, what we are going to say is as presided over just as if it were a press release – what bullet points we need to get across about our client and their campaign in a limited amount of time.

These people who make the decisions at media outlets do not have large amounts of free time to sit and spend a length of time on the phone, listening to you cover all of your key points. They do not have time for the various “alternatives” to the traditional press release many critics have suggested – we have absolutely never heard some one say “Have you tweeted me?” or “Did you send that to my Facebook page?” If you refer them to the posting you put on their social media networking site, your call would not be taken seriously and your information happily discarded because your credibility have been called into question.

The pitch and press release work together to supplement each other – a press release is followed by a call (pitch) to the recipient and what the pitch covers, the press release expands upon.

A pitch is a great tool that allows you to interact with the people who have been selected to receive your press release. It is expected of you. There is an almost certain chance that the release you sent out is one of several which were received that day, but when you supplement that with a pitch, it causes the recipient to pick it up, read it over and take in all of the information it contains. And while on the phone, you can plan out what will come from the press release you wrote with purpose.

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A Safe and Healthy Alternative to the Press Release??

No. 2 in a series

Any void is a bad void.

If the press release is truly dead, buried and never to be heard from again, then what – the question stands – will take its place? What will fill the empty space left when the dust settles on the public relations industry and it is without its press releases, which have stood for generations? Critics and new media-types would have us all believe that the “New Age” began with the innovation of social media, specifically with web sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These “tools” have replaced the long-standing press release as a way of communication with editors and media officials and has streamlined the process of creating exposure for a client.

Now, there is no doubt that social media has changed the way we think. But has it really changed it to a point to where that is the “go-to” for all brands of media? Many industry pundits and the critics of the press release began saying two years ago the press releases will be dead in 36 months. Many have taken it further by saying that if a client cannot state what they have to say in 140 characters or less, then something needs to change. We here at Shazaaam! agree, however, to only an extent. We work hand-in-hand with our sister company Buzzphoria for social media marketing.

But! it is not as cut and dry as some of these pundits and critics might make it out to be. One hundred and forty characters is pushing the concept of brevity. Yes, gone are the days of pages and pages of narrative concerning the client – these days, shorter is acceptable if it contains concise and focused writing; keeping to the point. This more explains and demonstrates the fluid nature of the changing press release. A release losses its professionalism, however, if it is sent via Facebook or Twitter – it loses it exclusivity, making the recipient feel simply like one of many of a blindly sent message, like receiving an advertisement in the mail addressed to “resident.” The media still wants that personal touch and communication, much like the client themselves (They also, FYI, still ask for a press release when contacted). The media does not want to have to rely on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for story ideas – “Hey Buddy, did you see that game last night? By the way, let me tell you about the great changes at Med Tech.” No!

The press release is changing though, much like all industries change over time – this is inevitable; across-the-board. And the press release is no exception in our industry. But it is not dead. It is becoming more brief, more concise with streamlined information “blocks” and multimedia links for the media’s benefit.

It has changed, yes, but not replaced and certainly not dead.

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Is The Press Release Dead? Live Press Release! Thrive!

No. 1 in a Series

To the opinion of many, the life and times of the press release – which has been used for decades by the professionals in public and media relations – is obsolete and as-good-as-dead technology.  Many critics out there would have you believe that creating a press release is a losing and wasted effort – that it is taken with no consideration as they are perceived as spin with meaningless news and quotes while praising their clients as masters of the universe. That they are sent out over the wires – Business Wire, Market Wire, PR Newswire and PR Web, for example – to thousands of faceless journalists to join a pile of thousands of other releases which are either never given another thought or look or are passed along to the trash faster than they are received. And if these journalist do wade through these exaggerated “oceans of releases,” critics see them as merely pre-assembled stories – and basically transcribe it – to their publication and have it run under their byline – with their own spin spun throughout its body.

Here in today’s digital age, where everything takes place in milliseconds with megabytes, we at Shazaaam! believe  there is still a place for the tested tried and true methods that made this industry. In fact in today’s “iAge”, the press release remains the dominant source of marketing. In a survey, “Mapping & Tracking: The Optimized Marketing Supply Chain” sponsored by the Chief Marketing Officer Council shows that a vast majority (84 %) still use print collateral leads. The highest percentage of “new media” leads ranked in at 39%, with multimedia tools. This is not to say that multimedia and other “new mediums” don’t have their place in today’s fluid market – not at all. But this does show the place and the seriousness that press releases and other printed collateral still garner in the “age of tomorrow – today.” Papers are still passed around the office.

Of course we understand that the press release is not the only tool for distributing information and creating the news for our clients – we more than utilize our sister company, Buzzphoria (www.buzzphoria.com), for social media. The critics’ misperceptions about what goes into a press release and how they are received could not be more off target. A release is assigned, written, discussed and reviewed. It is not presided and hovered over by lawyers featuring quotes from low level officials. NO. They are carefully and honestly written to ensure that a maximum amount of information is provided, with room to grow on the journalist and on the editorial side. The sources quoted must have a role in the story and are able to provide perspective or insight – not just to give a name to the story. Releases are sent out to targeted media outlets – electronically put into the hands of the people who should have them. They are followed up on, not just blindly sent out like a fishing line with a worm on the end, hoping someone will bite. We follow up and follow up and follow up, working for the client and getting their news out there.

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SHAZAAAM!/BUZZPHORIA LISTED A FOURTH TIME IN METROPOLITAN DETROIT’S “101 BEST AND BRIGHTEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR”

The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) has named Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria LLC as one of Metropolitan Detroit’s “101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For,” marking the fourth year in a row that the agency has been named.

“We are proud to receive this high honor once again,” said Adrienne Lenhoff, Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria founder and president. “We take special care in making our workplace a creative and fun place to work for our employees,” she added, “and the results show in both our work for clients and the dedication that our staff shows every day in accomplishing their goals.”

Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria and 100 other businesses in greater Michigan will be honored at an awards luncheon on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at The Dearborn Inn, a Marriott hotel located in Dearborn, Mich.

Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria, Novi, Mich.-based businesses, have also received numerous recognitions from Crain’s Detroit Business named as a “Cool Place to Work.” The selection of Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria, along with other winning companies, affirms to its employees, clients, vendors, and to the business community at large, that it is committed to being one of the Best and Brightest companies to work for.

MBPA qualifies companies using independent research that evaluates company communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits. The organization also reviews other categories such as diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, and work-life balance.

“Because the companies selected have created impressive organizational value and business results through their policies and best practices in human resource management, we believe it is important to recognize their accomplishments, especially at a time when all businesses are being challenged in ways never before seen,” said Jennifer Kluge, MBPA executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Metro Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is sponsored by AT&T Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Corp!, Magazine, Davenport University, DTE Energy, Pepsi Bottling Group, Douglas Marketing, The Designate, Strategic Staffing Solutions, WJBK Fox 2, HRAGD, the Detroit Athletic Club and McGraw Wentworth.
About Shazaaam!/Buzzphoria

Founded in 2001, Shazaaam! (shazaaam.com) is an award-winning, independently owned, group of affiliated communications companies headquartered in Novi, Mich. Shazaaam! Public Relations, Social Media Marketing Agency Buzzphoria (buzzphoria.com) and experiential marketing company Promo Marketing Team (promomarketingteam.com) specialize in traditional public relations, social media marketing, product sampling and street-level marketing promotions and events, respectively, on a national level. Specialties include media and public relations, guerilla marketing, online viral marketing, electronic and new media development, mobile tours, product samplings, social networking and event coordination and management.

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Will Your Branding Power Diminish Thanks to Facebook?

For centuries, companies have kept a finger on the pulse of their brand power. But as more social web networks seek to launch innovative applications that put consumers in control, some companies fear their branding power will flat line.

The marketing industry is in an uproar about Facebook’s latest changes to user’s privacy settings and its launch of community pages, a topical site that collects users’ wall post and Wikipedia content, as it poses risk to companies’ brand power.

In recent months, the social networking conglomerate overhauled its privacy settings and community pages to group users’ common interests as a way to boost social web interaction. But Facebook users shunned the new service because many of their wall posts were published to open networks without consent. Marketing professionals are also upset as many believe the launch diminishes companies’ control of branding.

“This is nothing more than forced marketing,” wrote one Facebook user, who also expressed that users should be able to freely express themselves without their comments being pooled to community pages.

Community Pages are a new version of Facebook pages that are soley dedicated to a string of topics or experiences that Facebook users share. The application, by large, resembles the official pages of businesses, organizations and public figures.

While Facebooks’ community pages haven’t completely rolled out, many of the pages display company logos, background information from Wikipedia and comments from Facebook users about companies and their products. Another hiccup in the service is that Facebook isn’t filtering users’ comments about companies or products, leaving room for negative comments to linger on pages for days on end.

The possibility of negative responses coupled with uncanny web features stands the chance to confuse Facebook users and erodes the social website’s relationship with companies to build their advertising presence on the site, say marketing professionals. Experts have also have pegged the application as a risk to the growing amount of companies who have pumped advertising dollars into Facebook to strengthen their brand presence through official web pages.

Most marketing professionals fear that Facebook’s community pages stand to gain more recognition than actual approved company pages. There are also concerns that company officials will not be able to edit dated content on the pages nor respond to any defamatory comments made by Facebook users.

There has yet to be a clear winner in the debate about how Facebook’s community page and privacy changes stand to impact companies’ brands. Since many have asked how to strengthen the pulse of their brand, we’ve provided a list below of ways that companies can combat the increasing concerns. For further interest on how Shazaaam! Public Relations can revitalize your brand or even help you navigate through the social media industry please contact us at 248-3660-0388.

How Can Companies Tighten Their Reign On Facebook’s Community Page?

1. Uphold a united front: Marketing experts have widely suggested that behemoth and grass –root brands join forces against Facebook and continue to voice their dislike over the potential threat of Facebooks’ community pages. It is believed that the more vocal companies are about the use of logos and content published, the more likely the social website will take notice and change its policy.

2. Know your rights: Companies can call their Facebook sales representative and have their logos removed, if they initially haven’t approved of the moniker being published on the site.

3. Start monitoring accounts. Assign a company official to revise and edit the content on the Wikipedia site. Companies can set up alert systems that inform them when there are any changes to their Wikipedia account.

4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. With a number of companies believing that their brand power is diminishing, businesses need to chase after the social media markets where their clients interact the most. Companies should also make sure that they are proactive in pushing positive word of mouth advertising and producing great products and services.

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Local Charity Jimmy’s Kids Loses 21,000 Toys in Flood

Jim Tuman of Jimmy’s Kids on Channel 4 WDIV: http://bit.ly/8p6J59

For 20 years, Royal Oak resident Jim Tuman of “Jimmy’s Kids” has been helping over 30,000 kids each Christmas. This year he needs your help. A flood destroyed about 21,000 of the toys destined for kids this Christmas.

Jimmy’s Kids is a program started in 1989 to create Christmas parties for local children 4 to 11 years of age who are indigent, physically or emotionally challenged, or forgotten. When Tuman started the program in 1989, he serviced 22 kids in Detroit; the program has since expanded to service over 30,000 children and families in need.

Jim is working with the 11 Southeast Michigan Play It Again Sports to rebuild his inventory. All 11 locations will serve as host sites to drop boxes and will challenge Metro Detroit to donate toys and coats for the needy in the community. With a donation, shoppers will receive 10 percent off of their purchase of a regularly priced item.

Donations can be made at any Play It Again Sports location until December 24.

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Shazaaam! Public Relations Named a Crain’s Cool Place to Work in Tough Times

Although times are tough, some companies are bucking the trend by remaining positive, being innovative, having fun, getting work done—-and are being recognized for it. Shazaaam! Public Relations LLC has been just named by Crain’s Detroit Business as the number one “Cool Place to Work in Tough Times” in the 1 – 50 employees category. It is the second time Shazaaam! has been named a Crain’s “Cool Company.” Crain’s cited Shazaaam! for its open-door communication policy, fun as a requirement in the workplace, and flexible hours.

“I am very proud and honored to accept this award on behalf of my team,” said Adrienne Lenhoff, Shazaaam! founder and president. “We have a great dynamic in the workplace that helps us stay cool during these not-so-cool economic times.”

Crain’s received nominations from employees throughout Metro Detroit and asked company leaders to fill out a survey created by the American Society of Employers on company benefits, practices and policies. Thirty-five winning companies were chosen from the responses by Crain’s as a ‘Cool Place.’ Categories were assigned according to employee sizes and based on point totals.

Shazaaam! and the other 34 cool companies will be honored at an awards ceremony on December 2, 2009 at the Emagine Theater and Lucky Strike in Novi, Mich. Dr. Bob Nelson, author of Keeping Up in a Down Economy, will kick off the event with a seminar, followed by the awards ceremony, and afterglow.

Lenhoff added, “We have been extremely fortunate this year. Just last month we were named one of “Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” by the Michigan Business and Professional Association. In addition, we’ve expanded our client base significantly this year, especially in social media marketing. We will continue to stay consistent in our work ethic so we can remain a Crain’s Cool Place to Work even when times are not so tough!”

Full day tickets are $99 per person; seminar only tickets are $60 per person; awards and afterglow tickets are $50 per person. Group rates are available. For questions or to register, call (313) 446-0300 or go to www.regonline.com/09coolplaces.

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Shazaaam! Public Relations Named One of Metropolitan Detroit’s “101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For” Third Year in a Row

The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) has named Shazaaam! LLC Public Relations as one of Metropolitan Detroit’s “101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.” Shazaaam! and 100 other companies will be honored at a symposium and awards luncheon on Thursday, October 29, 2009, at the Dearborn Inn, a Marriott Hotel.

“We are extremely pleased to be named one of the ’101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For,’” said Adrienne Lenhoff, Shazaaam! founder and president. “This is the third year in a row we have been honored. In 2007 Crain’s Detroit Business named us a ‘Cool Place to Work.’”

The selection of Shazaaam! and the other winning companies is the result of independent research that evaluated each entry in the following categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, small business, recruitment and selection, and work-life balance.

“Because the companies selected have created impressive organizational value and business results through their policies and Best Practices in human resource management, we believe it is important to recognize their accomplishments, especially at a time when all businesses are being challenged in ways never before seen,” said Jennifer Kluge, MBPA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

The awards symposium leads off at 7 a.m. with registration and a networking continental breakfast. The morning continues with a series of interactive educational sessions on human resource practices starting at 8:05 a.m. This year’s educational sessions include: “Sustainable Business Practices,” “Identifying and Measuring Good Employee Engagement,” “Managing Emotions in the Workplace,” and “Unique and Innovative HR Practices.” The awards luncheon and announcement of the honorees and 11 elite winners follows at 11:00 a.m.

Metro Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is sponsored by: AT&T Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Corp!, Davenport University, DTE Energy, Pepsi Bottling Group, Douglas Marketing, The Designate, Strategic Staffing Solutions, WJBK Fox 2, HRAGD, Detroit Athletic Club and McGraw Wentworth.

Admission for the awards luncheon and symposium for individuals is $165 for MBPA members and $195 for non-members. If you are interested in attending the conference, contact the Michigan Business and Professional Association at 888-277-6464 or visit www.101bestandbrightest.com.

Founded in 2001, Shazaaam! is an independently owned, privately held marketing and public relations service and strategy agency headquartered in Southfield, Mich. Shazaaam! Is the Detroit member of the Pinnacle Worldwide network of PR agencies. The Shazaaam family of companies includes Shazaaam! Convergence Public Relations, an award winning agency; Buzzphoria, the social media marketing agency; and Promo Marketing Team, brand ambassadors, experiential events, and sampling. For more information, go to www.shazaaam.com.

Based in Warren, Mich., the MBPA is the largest business organization of small to medium-sized businesses in Michigan, representing more than 20,000 members who employ more than 200,0000 persons. Members include attorneys, physicians, architects, accountants, construction companies, banks, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and the like. Member businesses receive numerous benefits including free legal and financial consultations; discounted technology, automotive and office products; employee training and recruitment assistance; and competitive insurance rates. The MBPA is a sister association to the Michigan Food & Beverage Association (MFBA).

Contact:
Adrienne Lenhoff
248-366-0388

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