The Buzz at Lyman PR
The Googler-in-Chief’s term nears end; press core mourns
The rumors on the Internets are true: our Googler-in-Chief’s term in office is nearly over. While it’s hard to imagine that a president ever created more “isms” than W, the press core must certainly be facing years of doldrums given President-elect Obama’s well-spoken nature.
In a tribue to the outgoing Chief Googler, here’s a highlight reel of favotire Bushisms:
“Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?”
“They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.”
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
“I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves.”
“Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech.”
“This thaw — took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.”
And of course, the all-time winner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MunMCO3uNd
Morgan Stanley/Spine Cycling Team’s Two-Wheel Holiday Cheer
Morgan Stanley/Spine Cycling Team’s Bikes for Tots Program to Deliver Two-Wheel Holiday Cheer to Bay Area Children
140 Bikes Readied; Kids to Receive Next Week in San Francisco, Oakland and Napa
Napa, CA (December 15, 2008)—The Morgan Stanley/Spine Cycling Team’s Bikes for Tots program is preparing to deliver two-wheel holiday cheer next week when more than a hundred underserved Bay Area children will receive new bikes. Kids in San Francisco, Oakland and Napa will be picking up their new rides at select Bay Area Morgan Stanley offices on December 17 and 18.
The team’s holiday workshops, courtesy of Napa River Velo and Livermore Cyclery, have been bustling with activity as 140 bikes are readied for delivery. Team members and volunteers have been assembling Specialized Hot Rocks bikes and putting a shine on brand new helmets in anticipation of next week’s festivities. Morgan Stanley/Spine will also be making a grant to Trips for Kids to support cycling growth.
“Bikes for Tots is a great opportunity for us to leverage our cycling connections and provide some holiday cheer to deserving Bay Area children,” said Shawn Oliver, vice president of Morgan Stanley, Napa, and cycling team director. “I hope that someday we’ll be cheering one of these kids when they line up for the Tour de France.”
2008 marks Bikes for Tot’s forth year, and all totaled, nearly 1,000 bikes will have been disbursed. Funds for the program are generated by the elite team’s annual fundraiser ride, donated race winnings by team members, individual financial contributions, and additional corporate support. Bikes were provided to the program at a discount by Specialized. The team works closely with Bay Area community organizations including Napa’s CASA, Glide Memorial Church, the Seneca Group and various underserved schools to identify recipients.
For more information, donations or to recommend a child for Bikes for Tots, please contact Morgan Stanley/Spine Team Director Shawn Oliver at (707) 254-4434 or shawn.oliver@morganstanley.com. Visit the team’s website at www.morgan24cycling.com.
What’s on your holiday wish list? You might be surprised by some of these…
We had the good fortune to connect with Any Soldier purely by chance, after hearing about and supporting the org a number of years ago. Long story short, we were all a little shocked by what was on the “wish list” of those serving overseas.
In Time for Holiday Giving, Any Soldier® Announces Ten Most Requested Items from Service Men and Women in Iraq and Afghanistan
Organization also Seeks to Remind Donors that Troops Need Support Year-Round
Hoagland, IN (November 5, 2008) In time for holiday giving, Any Soldier®, a non-profit organization devoted to matching individual needs with individual Military Members, has announced the ten most requested items by Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Via its website, the organization matches requests received on its website directly from Soldiers deployed to battle zones with donations and support.
The top ten items most requested by Troops on the www.AnySoldier.com website are:
1. Prayers, letters and cards
2. Non-perishable items such as tuna pouches, protein bars, granola bars, beef jerky, peanuts, slim jims, hard candy/gum, hot cereals
3. Unscented Baby-Wipes
4. Toiletries for men and women — razor blades, shave gels, shower gels, lotions, etc.
5. Powdered drink mixes for either hot or cold weather such as Gatorade, hot chocolate, coffee and apple cider mix
6. Games to help pass the downtime
7. DVDs, preferably new to keep up with what is going on back home
8. Socks and Uniform t-shirts
9. Toys and school supplies for kids
10. Magazines and newspapers
Because needs are diverse based on where Troops are deployed, Any Soldier® is the only organization in the world that can match the specific needs of particular units, for Troops in all branches of the military.
To donate, individuals visit www.AnySoldier.com, where they find messages from deployed Troops who specify the needs of their units. Anyone who wants to donate the requested items can obtain the address through the website and send the package directly to their chosen Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine. When the package arrives at the base with the “Attn: Any Soldier®” line in his or her address, the packages and letters are delivered into the hands of Soldiers who often don’t receive much or any mail and might otherwise remain out of touch with those back home.
In order to avoid the holiday rush, the best time to ship packages to Troops is either before or after December. Because people are generally in the giving spirit during the holidays, Military members receive more donations at this time of year. However, when the holidays are finished Soldiers are still in need of the items mentioned above.
Any Soldier® is a donation-based company. Financial donations to Any Soldier® serve to fund their operations and help with the many programs to provide direct support to our troops. For more information visit www.anysoldier.com.
Media Contact: Abbi Whitaker, 775-851-7492 or abbi@lymanpr.com
Flew to Mammoth for lunch yesterday…
And no, I’m not the jet setting sort. We actually had the good fortune to accompany Horizon crew & staff on a test flight from LAX to Mammoth Yosemite Airport for a preview of daily air service that will commence this season on December 18th. Press release: www.mammothmountain.com/company_info/press/latest_news/index.cfm
While I’ve always loved the drive to Mammoth (which I do often from Napa) for its scenery and serenity, I have to admit the view of the Eastern Sierra range from above is even more dramatic. Of course, the major change air access will impart on the resort & destination goes without saying.
Horizon touches down for first time in Mammoth
The hour and five minute flight literally flew by aboard the 76-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft (pictured above landing in Mammoth yesterday). Upon landing we headed up to Mountain Side Grille and dined on some of Patina Group’s new culinary offerings before heading back to LAX.
Flights will start from $79 each way and can now be reserved here: www.mammothmountain.com/plan/getting_here/air/index.cfm
Lessons from the debate: Staying on message but not making a point
If there’s one thing we learned from the presidential debates is that both candidates are tenacious about staying on message. During the Town Hall performances you had to appreciate their ability to continuously drive home key points; as PR practitioners it’s a practiced ritual to rehearse over and over with spokespeople before throwing them to the media hounds.
However, as a voter, watching McCain-Obama II was at times about as exciting as, uh, listening to politicians stump. In their dogged determination to drive home a policy position or debunk the other candidate, there was a fundamental failure to present solutions for what ails Everyday Americans - especially when these everyday folks were standing in front of them and asking the questions. The candidates stayed on message but failed to make their point clear.
The takeaway for PR professionals is apparent: spokespeople have to deliver key messages but in an engaging manner that also addresses specific lines of inquiry. It’s not good enough to simply regurgitate a presentation finely tuned within the corporate office confines. Rather, spokespeople have to think on their feet, engage with (as opposed to lecture) media, and convey messages that build to a relevant, understandable story. Most importantly, spokespeople have to answer questions posed by the media, and convey how/why their widget is a game changer.
There’s not need to travel to the four corners of the earth or figure out if your insurance policy covers hair transplants. Just answer the question.
The Top Ten Reasons Why PR Doesn’t Work
Authored by Guy Kawasaki on May 25, 2007 - 10:22am.
Margie Zable Fisher runs theprsite.com. Every day someone tells her that he or she has been “burned” by a PR firm, and Margie’s goal is to help small business find the right PR firm. I asked her to provide the top ten reasons why PR doesn’t work:
1. The client doesn’t understand the publicity process. PR folks need to better educate people about how publicity works. The first thing many clients ask is, “Can you get me on Oprah or the front page of the Wall Street Journal?” The answer might be “yes,” but the process to get to the “yes” may take months or years, and may first include a series of smaller placements.
2. The scope of work is not detailed and agreed upon by both parties. Here’s a typical example: a client signs an agreement to spend $3,000 per month. Client expects to get three publicity placements per month. PR person expects to work 20 hours, regardless of the outcome. The inevitable disconnect leads to customer frustration and the feeling of being “burned.”
3. The client has not been properly trained on how to communicate with the media. Proper training for interviews is crucial; otherwise, key messages can be misconstrued, and even negative stories can result. Clients seldom blame themselves when this happens.
4. The client and the PR person or firm are not a good match. Example: Client hears about a local PR person, meets and likes the PR person, and figures it’s a good match. Or the client chooses the lowest price PR option. And the PR person, instead of referring the client to another practitioner who is a better fit, decides to take on the client—and the money.
5. The client has not gotten results quickly enough and ends the relationship too soon. Client should plan on conducting a campaign for a minimum of six months. And even that is aggressive. A year should really be the bare minimum to commit to PR The media works on its own timetable, which is usually much longer than the client’s.
6. PR people don’t explain the kind of publicity placements a client will most likely receive. Every client wants a big profile of the company on the cover of a major magazine or newspaper, but most stories are about a “trend,” several companies, or some recent news with quotes from experts. Profiles are few and far between. Yet, instead of explaining this, PR people often tell potential clients what they want to hear, in order to get the business.
7. Clients don’t realize that what happens after you get the publicity coverage is sometimes more important than the actual placement. My smartest client didn’t care if he got a quote or a profile—he just wanted to be included in major media. When it was time to get an agent and publisher for his book, he handed them a list of all his media placements, and this clinched the deal. The agent and publisher figured that if all of the major media was willing to include him as a source, then he must have something important to say.
8. Clients refuse to be flexible on their story angles. One of my clients once said to me, “We only want profiles.” When the media wasn’t interested, they refused to consider other story angles that the media was interested in. Now I make sure clients are willing to have us pitch three to four angles.
9. Clients get upset when the media coverage is not 100% accurate or not the kind of coverage that they wanted. One of my former clients said, “That TV segment on me was only a minute long.” When I explained that length of time was impressive in TV Land, she refused to understand.
10. Clients won’t change their schedules for the media. Clients need to drop everything if the media calls. This may be inconvenient, but the media waits for no one. If you want to be a “media darling,” then you need to make yourself available at any time. Those who do will reap the best benefits and placements.
Guy Kawasaki
