http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php Type description here... en-us Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:54:05 -0400 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:54:05 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 1. Now is the time your European/UK-based PR firm should be setting up interviews with journalists, bloggers, social media outlets. Brainstorm creative angles with your PR firm before they start pitching -- and listen to their pitch to make sure the messaging is right. 2. Think big and think wide. For example, add Tier A tech and financial pubs from English and French-speaking African countries -- and be prepared to pay for coverage as much of the African media is pay-to-play. (Work with an African PR agency if this is one of your thrusts. We can connect you with an agency that matches your budget and needs.)&nbsp; Note: Africa is one of the most massive mobile countries in the world, and their telcos are snapping up infrastructure. 3. Request that part of the PR firm's fee be performance-based. ( Contact me &nbsp;to ask for the formula.) 4. Have content ready for the show daily and collateral materials in English + the other major languages/markets in which you want to score customers. 5. Create a separate page on your Web site in each of these languages. 6. Premiums ("giveaways") should be creative -- umbrellas with logo, chocolate bars or candies with your co. logo, quality sport socks with logo, etc. Hold a raffle for a sports bike or similar with your company's logo. (Please, no boy toy prizes. Women are in mobile too.) 7. Meet for evening business drinks at only the most expensive hotels in Barcelona -- but feel comfortable about taking clients and would-be clients to dinner at a "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant where they'll have a memorable, tasty, and positive experience. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1319975645 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1319975645 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:54:05 -0400 Soon after the March 11 East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, both PR Newswire and Business Wire offered free release services for entities seeking to help victims, prefectures, etc. &nbsp; Both stated a deadline date. What wasn't taken into consideration is that the fallout -- literally -- from natural disasters takes time to assess. &nbsp; We didn't find out about Tashiro "Cat" Island until recently. We'll be sending a release to help to raise money to rebuild the local oyster industry and to assist with the cat shelter. &nbsp; BW&nbsp;ignored our email request to run a fundraising release -- while PR Newswire was more than happy to cooperate, and to hell with the deadline date. &nbsp; People frequently ask which service to use.&nbsp;Guess which one we recommend... <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1318714821 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1318714821 Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:42:44 -0400 Que lastima! (What a pity.) Billionaire President Sebastian Pinera of Chile was handed one of the most positive pieces of PR on the century's plate -- the rescue of the Chilean miners -- and what does he do? He's called for an iron grip on the country's penal code. Apparently, he wants to quash student protests. The bill means that those who occupy public or private institutions -- like schools or universities -- can be sentenced for up to three years. Having been involved in protests when I was a student, and coming from a democratic country, this is anathema to me. Coming from PR, this is anathema. Ah, the students are occupying more than 200 institutions. One of their demands is that the country return to the free public college education that existed before the last government run by dictator General Auguste Pinochet. So would I take my tourist dollars there now? Not likely. Israel recently conducted an RFP for a PR firm. We spoke with the gentleman responsible for choosing an agency and backed away from any involvement in a PR match. It's just not good timing and encouraging a client to spend their millions now is dishonest. This didn't stop numerous agencies from tripping over themselves to apply. Check online for the agencies that are allowing Israel to continue to hoodwink itself by spending budget on a PR campaign when what they need is to spend more money on teachers and social workers. Finally, congratulations to Canada for taking #1 spot as having the best reputation in the world. If you haven't visited there yet, then plan your next trip in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver. Take the train across Canada for a special treat. Well done, Canada, the country and the brand. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1318470234 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1318470234 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:47:26 -0400 We just ran a check and see that most site traffic has been coming to our blog page -- yet there have been no entries since early May. Apologies. &nbsp; We've been working on PR&nbsp;matches in Scandinavia. Then there was the August blackout while much of Europe went on vacation. A lengthy Eastern European&nbsp;search was nixed when the client dropped out. (Our error:&nbsp;We thought we had pre-qualified the client, who misled us by telling us she was the sole party responsible for choosing the agency. It turns out the vp marketing in Poland wanted to bring in the agency with which he'd worked before.) &nbsp; What we learned over the past year... One way we inspire both client and PR firm is with bizdev. When we go looking for agencies, we're most interested in the ones that'll bring our client new biz. The agency is more inspired and it adds to the client's bottom line. &nbsp; P.S. Whether you're a company or a PR firm, write to us to ask us how us how you can both add to&nbsp;your bottom line. Hint: It's all about how you write the contract. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1317687477 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1317687477 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:24:44 -0400 What I like about SocMed? It gives everyone and his dog an opportunity to show off, sell, opine. It's the great democratizer, access to all. What I don't like? Everyone and his dog thinks that SocMed is replacing traditional PR. Get a grip. We still need press releases and account execs to pitch to the media, and journalists -- not just bloggers -- to communicate corporate and product value and ideas. It feels as if some new wonder drug was suddenly set free in the marketplace. Yes, Twitter and FB is important -- and fun and definitely a valuable commercial and political tool -- but it doesn't have the depth that we need to make decisions or to learn how the world works. As an experiment, we read blogs and watched TV for a week during the aftermath of the tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Then we went back to the major media, especially The New York Times, and read a week's worth of newspapers. (Yes, old-fashioned hard copies.) The Net was slim in comparison. In about five years, everyone will look back and say, "SocMed is a wonderful component of PR. But is it the whole enchilada?" Sorry folks, but I can tell you the answer now. No. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1304738117 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1304738117 Fri, 06 May 2011 23:15:17 -0400 For the past 12 years, we've been matching clients with PR agencies worldwide. Companies come to us when they want to hire an agency in typical markets -- the U.S., U.K., Western Europe, China -- and the more far flung (from a Western standpoint) like Cameroon or Bulgaria. Because of hiring patterns, we can see which markets and what services are becoming hot. Naturally, SocMed and other digital activities are on everyone's shopping list. What's interesting is that 1. it's still the Wild West out there when it comes to defining what SocMed is; 2. cultures and work cultures will always vary greatly, regardless of the leveling platform provided by the Net and by tech in general; and 3. is SocMed "the Great Leveler"? When we're conducting a PR match and the client arrives at the stage where he or she meets with her or his PR agency in another country, we still need to issue instructions on what to expect. I'm wondering if one day, SocMed will eliminate the culture shock a client feels when entering a new culture, both on a personal and professional level, let alone the culture that now exists in the ether. Finally, I once saw an interview with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The interviewer asked, "Don't you mind the formality of meeting people, having to behave in a certain way and perhaps embarrassing yourself?" The queen laughed and said, "Look at the word 'formal.' It has within it 'form.' I know that wherever I go in the world, there is a form to follow and I'll never make a mistake or embarrass myself." So maybe SocMed has given us a form. This is the one missing piece of the puzzle from Marshall McLuhan's 'global village' theory. He told us it would happen, but he had no idea at the time exactly how. SocMed is the form -- but the jury is still out on whether the form is truly applicable across all cultures. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1303052378 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1303052378 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:01:06 -0400 This is a story about how BusinessWire did a wonderful thing -- and then quickly undid it. A notice ran on BusinessWire's site stating they were offering free press release services for announcements about any earthquake and tsunami-related fundraising efforts. BRAVO! But there was a cut-off date of only a few days. Problem: For anyone living in the NE area of Japan where the earthquake and tsunami took place, and who were/are involved in fundraising, there was no Web connection for a week. So the very people who lived through the quake and tsunami and who need funds couldn't take advantage of BusinessWire's offer because it was so quickly rescinded. Not only that, but they were too busy with rescue. We're involved with people -- and animal rescue. On behalf of a consortium of animal rescue groups in Japan&nbsp; http://vegansociety.jp/japan-earthquake-animal-rescue/ we called BusinessWire to ask for an extension. At issue: Most of the dogs in the tsunami-hit area were chained and immediately drowned. The cats didn't fare much better. The rescue groups were then hit with a different problem. Everyone within the nuclear area -- everyone within 30 km of the nuclear plants -- was told to leave. Many of them asked the few neighbors who were staying behind to take care of their pets. And now that the Japanese government has finally stated that "the situation is grave" those people are leaving too. [Note: Foreign governments have told their citizens that anywhere within 80 km is unsafe and have advised them to leave Japan.] The rescue groups want to take care of the abandoned animals, thousands of them, but they need to build more shelter space, they need to feed what may amount to thousands of animals, they need to buy bedding, hire veterinarians, pay for medication... The animals don't have a voice so a fundraising appeal by humans is essential. We are saddened to hear that BusinessWire did something so very generous but that they won't reconsider and allow their offer to stand for at least a month. There is a nuclear nightmare taking place on the other side of our planet. There are thousands of people dead from a tsunami and thousands more missing. Several hundred thousand are homeless. We don't know what else BusinessWire would require for them to understand that this is not business as usual and that another 3-4 weeks would be a generous and much-appreciated gesture. Or could it be BusinessWire was just doing it short term to grab some PR? <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1301076799 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1301076799 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:24:04 -0400 We were approached by Adidas to perform a PR agency search for them and sadly, had to turn this down. We work like old-fashioned matchmakers. It's a process, and that takes a bit of time. If you're looking for an agency, please be in touch -- but give us a running start. Put in your reservation so that we can give you all of the time and attention your company deserves. (And we look forward to hearing from Adidas the next time around.) <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1299923454 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1299923454 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:54:19 -0500 Bahrain has spent millions of dollars selling itself as a holiday destination. 12% of Bahrain's GDP is based on tourism. The government was planning on 25% growth in the tourism sector. &nbsp; Unlike Egypt, where the military sided with the protesters, and in Libya, where there appears to be the same situation, the Bahraini Royal Family ordered the army and the police to fire on demonstrators. &nbsp; In the meantime, sadly, Egypt's hotels are losing millions of dollars a day. How ironic: This is probably the best time to get on a plane to share in the excitement. &nbsp; We're hoping&nbsp;Egypt rebrands itself as the world's newest democracy --&nbsp;while the Bahraini's might as well put all PR plans on hold. No amount of branding&nbsp;is going to make people forget the sight of protesters fleeing while coming under fire. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1298070733 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1298070733 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:12:13 -0500 What happens when your consumer base has won a revolution? Business as usual? Create a new product -- Freedom CocaCola? Take a wait-and-see? You can't go silent, so what are next steps? We visited the CC Egyptian Web site to see how quickly they were responding to the events in Tahrir Square and this is what we found: Dear Visitor, The website of The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Egypt is currently being updated to be always up to your interest There are thousands of overseas corporations doing business in the Middle East. If your corporation has offices or distributors in the middle of Revolution Road, now isn't the time to stick your head in the sand. And no need to feel squeezed politically. Be inclusive. Tell your stakeholders and your public that you look forward to working together toward a new and brighter future. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297563851 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297563851 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:52:55 -0400 This was a bumper crop of a week. We received nine new accounts, turned down two, and put two on hold until next week. (The economy is bouncing back.) We also talked one caller out of hiring an agency at all. We can't take on any new projects until March. &nbsp; Seven of those nine requested a digital/social media campaign piggybacking a traditional media project or retainer. The eighth match is for a trade show and the company doesn't yet have a digital media strategy in place. The ninth will launch in Asia and will probably add on a social media adjunct in the next few months. &nbsp; Some of the PR agencies launched their digital arm as long as four years ago but the vast majority aren't quite caught up yet. Some of them have only recently created a digital arm of their business and we're not convinced they're up to the task of overseeing this part of their business. &nbsp; Most of the agencies aren't the&nbsp;majors that launched a digital arm by buying up a digital media company and bringing it in under their umbrella. &nbsp; Not that social media is rocket science. It means lots of hours producing content, lots of clicking and linking and connecting the dots. And signing on for all kinds of bells-and-whistles that help a blog or LinkedIn or Twitter or&nbsp;[fill in the blanks] sizzle, or just create a conversation. &nbsp; All of this takes a techie with some code, time, someone to research the art of all of the "stuff" entering the market like bigger and better web analytics tools and who understands&nbsp;launch pages, writers who can churn words, and a vision to weave it all together. &nbsp; Following a pitch call this week with an agency that has a digital division, the head of agency said, "Clients are running around like chickens without heads. One of them asked us how many hours it would take to set up their corporate Twitter account. 20? 30? We did it in one hour and 10 minutes. It's no big deal." &nbsp; We've solved the problem by splitting accounts. Our homework has been to track down&nbsp;a&nbsp;stable of digital-only&nbsp;agencies and to send our clients their way. They entered the game "early" -- about two years ago -- and run a smooth operation with talented staff and measurables, e.g., 1m downloads of a client's app within five weeks, or the number of consumers signing up for a chance to win a prize or the number of white papers downloaded. &nbsp; The other half of the account goes to a PR agency that's strong on delivering what it does best -- strategic, creative services. Just minus the digital part. &nbsp; We have the social media agencies we need in No. America and Asia. If you know of any top social media agencies in Western&nbsp;Europe, please&nbsp;let us know. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297368691 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297368691 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:31:16 -0500 Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press Protesters holding candles walked around an Egyptian Army tank parked in Cairo on Wednesday. &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297367057 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297367057 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:31:58 -0500 97% of people who receive a text message read it within 15 minutes of receipt. Average response rates to mobile marketing campaigns are 12 - 15%, though many companies are seeing reponse rates exceeding 60%! Mobile coupon redemption is 10X that of traditional coupons. 53% of mobile users would share their location to receive relevant ads. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297021509 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1297021509 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:46:11 -0500 We just read an article in a well-known industry trade journal in which the writer uses the verb "to up-charge" so casually that the reader immediately realizes how prevalent this is in the industry. The journalist, an ad agency insider, states something that our company is aware of and works to protect our clients from having to experience. To up-charge or up-sell is to pad a client's bill by convincing them they need a new service or product, or instead, the agency overcharges for a service. Once approved, the agency simply pads your bill. It is theft. The article states that "many agencies" make money from "...exploiting a client's ignorance" and "...if clients knew better" they could buy the services or products more cheaply. When we interview agencies and they use the term up-charge we end the conversation immediately. We do not work with agencies that up-charge or up-sell. When we hear these terms it enrages us. It's like waving a red cape in front of an angry bull. This is also one of the reasons why we stay with our clients once the match has been made. We monitor accounts. We act as the go-between should there be any questionable conduct on the agency side. We leave you with this question: Do you know if your agency is up-charging you? <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1294785977 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1294785977 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:53:05 -0500 During the holiday, we had the opportunity to catch up with Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) Deputy Corporate VP and corporate spokesperson Doron Suslik. Doron has been on board since the 1980s after a career in Washington D.C. on behalf of IAI. &nbsp; I approached IAI because I was reading up on Tata, the Indian conglomerate. I first met the Tata people about 10 years ago when they were beginning to send trade and marketing delegations around the globe. Flash forward: Tata's Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. has just signed a framework agreement to establish a joint venture with IAI to cooperate in the development, manufacture and support of defense products in India. &nbsp; There are a variety of lessons to be learned from a company that has a message to convey -- but that employs no PR agency. Instead, its brand is based on two outstanding factors firmly planted in the mind of the defense-buying marketplace: a history of manufacturing quality air machines including fighter planes, executive jets and unmanned vehicles and secondly, the word "Israel" which is associated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). &nbsp; IAI employs 17,000 workers and communicates with them via an internal network. But here's what's unique: High-quality collateral marketing materials are distributed to workers so that they can read what IAI's customers read. Talk about a morale booster. &nbsp; When queried about corporate social responsibility (CSR), we learned that IAI has just committed to a $1m scholarship fund at the Technion, Israel's leading university for the training of engineers. It's CSR with a payback. "The Chosen" students will engage in R&amp;D and then segue directly into employment at IAI. &nbsp; Similar to many corporate institutions, Doron's internal PR team of three accomplishes what a PR and ad agency would ordinarily do. While a rarity,&nbsp;comms vendors are brought in for the occasional project outside of Israel. &nbsp; As previously discussed in this blog, while we matchmake clients with agencies, we're also proponents of DIY -- do it yourself. IAI is a solid example of putting a company in the forefront without the need to spend extra budget on reaching out to the media. IAI is sitting pretty as the media is the one that comes a-callin'. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1294375552 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1294375552 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:36:28 -0500 Our research team was nosing around the Web, reading up on the competition for a potential client. (Yes, we perform research even before we earn a new client, something that the agencies sometimes "forget" to do.) &nbsp; Frequently,&nbsp;a company's&nbsp;competitors operate in foreign markets in languages with which we're not completely fluent. &nbsp; Google Translate has opened up new vistas if one can&nbsp;fill in the missing or incorrect wording&nbsp;with guesswork&nbsp;according to context. In a recent case, we had&nbsp;a laugh when Google translated a sidebar listing&nbsp;"Gifts and Things" from the original language into English, which stated "Gifts and Female Sex Toys". &nbsp; Best case scenario: We recommend that you add additional pages to your site in several languages so that you can control the output and, ahem, viewing pleasure of your site visitors. Then SEO the foreign language pages. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1293711032 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1293711032 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:35:06 -0500 While our job is to be a PR agency matchmaker and to perform agency search, we applaud the companies and corporations that don't use an agency and get along well without one, thank you. &nbsp; As noted in previous blog entries, we believe in DIYI -- do it yourself internally -- as much as possible. And if you've found the right formula for building your brand and you have the customers to show for it, then bravo! &nbsp; Starting next week for the new year, we want to highlight some of the international companies that get it right. We're hoping to learn from them and to pass along some of the tools it takes to keep your message and products in the public eye -- but without the need for spending budget on retaining a PR firm. &nbsp; Trade shows? Personal contacts? Local offices abroad? Come back next week for a first look at success and what this looks like without an agency. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1293624774 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1293624774 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:12:54 -0500 We've been comparing where each continent's corp comms function is located in terms of social media use. Interestingly, from what we can assess, the Europeans are only now, within the past year, more fully embracing social media and how to incorporate this into their marketing mix. One of the reasons is that the European corporate sector is more conservative -- and more careful -- than their counterparts in, e.g., the U.S. and U.K. &nbsp; Americans may suffer from the John Wayne Syndrome -- swinging into town, shooting up the place and only then taking the time to look around -- but&nbsp;they seem to have embraced social media with a vengeance and know the landscape. And the landscape changes daily. &nbsp; On a very practical level, this means hiring and managing personnel who'll assume responsibility for the corporation's branding and messaging via Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, etc. (And never mind that each of these outlets make changes to their structure that one must accustom oneself to on a minimum of a monthly basis!)&nbsp;In many instances, this task is given over to the company's PR agency. &nbsp; We look forward to seeing what the Europeans come up with according to a survey that was conducted last month by the European Association of Communication Directors' external magazine, Communication Director. Stay tuned. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1292629697 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1292629697 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:29:29 -0500 The Fortune 100 knows all about agency search because until now, they were the only companies that could afford this type of red carpet service. &nbsp; Agency search involves hiring a firm that will do most of your assessment and research&nbsp;when you're in need of an agency, and guide you through the process of picking your PR agency, advertising agency, branding agency and now, digital media or social media agency. &nbsp; Most agency search firms charge between $65,000-$135,000 (or the equivalent in euros or pounds). Our business model differs. We earn our fee from the agency that wins the account. We developed this model based on the needs of our first group of clients, all of them young companies that didn't have a budget for agency search. &nbsp; There are other services offered by search firms, including compensation review, relationship review, etc. &nbsp; Hiring a PR or ad agency is a very expensive proposition. It's worth getting it right the first time. We save companies dozens of hours and and lots of headaches and make the process an enjoyable one to boot. We know all of the ins and outs of getting agencies to deliver and how to protect our clients from the pitfalls of the Agency Money Pit Game. &nbsp; Finally, we save them budget. We believe that it's important to nudge the agencies for a discount. &nbsp; We also believe in DIY (do it yourself). Companies are welcome to call or write to us for free counsel and to go forth on their own. Sometimes all you need is a little push in the right direction. And this note: If you have an agency and there's discord, we'll be happy to give you some tips on how to revive your romance. Agency relationships are like marriage: It's sometimes better to stay where you are with just a few tweaks to the relationship. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1291915395 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1291915395 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:23:15 -0500 In the 11 years we've been matching companies with PR agencies, there is one question no one has ever asked: "What do I own when I hire a PR agency?"&nbsp; &nbsp; We learned the answer when a tech start-up account ceased PR activity. (The company loved the&nbsp;London legal and financial PR agency&nbsp;but their PR budget was cut.) Six months after the account terminated, the client asked the agency for a list of every journalist the agency had ever contacted. The client had the names scattered throughout their weekly and monthly reports -- yes, you should be receiving these --&nbsp;but wanted it in one database. The PR agency balked and answered, "This is proprietary." &nbsp; There was no malice intended. But about two years later, something similar happened when another account ceased due to budget cutbacks. The client received the same reply. (We interceded in both instances and retrieved the info. This is part of our job.) &nbsp; Suggestion: Either move the contact names to a database when you receive them week by week or month by month -- or include ownership in your contract along with deliverables. At the very least, don't wait until six months down the road. If you need to terminate, ask for the list when your account is winding down. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1291282976 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1291282976 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:35:20 -0500 I was just asked to check the content a doctor wrote about his new startup, a medical device company. Kudos to the doc -- it's a rare breed of doctor who attempts site copy -- but thumbs down if the text was created by a professional writer. &nbsp; For starters, there were&nbsp;superlatives in place of stats. And I thought that if I saw another "better than..." I was going to scream. Show, don't tell. If your med device is superior, then I should be able to judge its merits from a chart comparing your product to that of your competitors. &nbsp; How come I'm such a&nbsp;know-it-all? During my days as a med and science writer/editor with retainer client Weizmann Institute of Research,&nbsp;I was told I would&nbsp;be interviewing scientists. The first one? A rocket scientist. A real one. And I had no science background, except for geology and astronomy. I'd spent my entire high school and university education trying to avoid the physics and chemistry. Gulp. &nbsp; I was very lucky: I&nbsp;ran down the street and bought a science dictionary and a physics dictionary. I read up on the sector and was able to come up with the right questions and a technique for understanding what the heck the scientists were talking about and to decipher what I was writing. Nix the writing.&nbsp;I would draw pictures as they were describing their work and then "read" the images back to myself when I turned this into stories for a lay audience. (Ditto when I was hired to write about medicine -- but no byline -- for Reuters.) &nbsp; The other item I learned: All text had to be sent back to the scientist or doctor for approval. Why? Because if there was even one teeny, tiny error, then&nbsp;it wouldn't be science or medicine anymore. &nbsp; So the med device content is being returned to the doctor. It's a strong first attempt, but someone had better start adding some numbers. And for sure, when you hire a PR agency, make sure they specialize in life sci. &nbsp; P.S. In retrospect, I could kick myself for not studying science and medicine. It turns out that I love this stuff. Next time. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1290342237 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1290342237 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 07:23:57 -0500 Part I.&nbsp; No, you don't have to hire an agency. You can be your own PR agency. You can write and send out a press release. You can call the media leading up to the show, send them the materials your marcom prepared&nbsp;and hint that you'd like to be interviewed. You can create and send invitations to your mailing list and if you don't have one, you can develop one on your own.&nbsp;You can coordinate an appearance in the show daily. You can try to get a story published about your company in the local media and maybe even set up a TV appearance. You can grab journalists off the floor. You can... &nbsp; Part II.&nbsp; We attended a trade show and when we introduced ourselves to the gentlemen at the booth one of them started yelling, "Oh noooooo, you don't have to tell ME about PR." Uh-oh, we thought to ourselves. This poor soul has been burned by a PR agency. Then he&nbsp;continued. "We hired a PR firm for a show. They got us into BusinessWeek. We received 116 calls within two days of the article -- about one inch -- hitting the news stands and from that we struck three huge deals. We sold the company about 16 months later and here we are with a new company. So there's no need to tell me about PR. It works!" &nbsp; Hiring an agency is expensive. The agency will need at least 3-4 months for the entire project. Yes, try to DIY (do it yourself) as much as you can on your own. But it may be worthwhile to experiment with an agency for just one show. After all, you've invested so much money in getting to the show and setting up your booth, replete with clever premiums. It may be that one item, the hiring of an agency, that will push you way past your competitors. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1289766531 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1289766531 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 06:56:46 -0500 As many of our clients are in high&nbsp;tech, we read the tech literature -- on weekends, at night and during holidays&nbsp;-- instead of having a life. &nbsp; So this&nbsp;survey (similar to the one we heard about on the BBC a couple of weeks ago) via Egnyte and then mentioned by Silicon Valley Watch jumped out at us: how workaholics plan on spending their holidays. &nbsp; Because we expect the PR agencies and ad agencies to keep on working on your accounts,&nbsp;we approve! &nbsp; Nearly nine out of ten people will work from their smartphones, with iPhones and Androids leading the pack of the most popular devices.&nbsp; Three-fourths of people will use document apps most often. 82% plan to work during the holidays remotely, from home, relatives' home&nbsp;[or hotel]. 73% anticipate doing work over U.S. Thanksgiving. 87% will work during the December holidays (Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza) 55% will work on New Year’s Eve/Day There are many occasions that respondents say they’ll work over the holidays. 79% will work when they can get away with it. 12% on the drive to Grandmother’s house. 76% will access work data over the holiday season from their personal computer; 89% will work from their smartphones. 63% predict Apple’s iPhone and iPad will be the biggest winner in the market in 2011; while 34% believe the Android device and tablet will come out on top. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1288472305 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1288472305 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:00:51 -0400 One of the capsules used to rescue the Chilean miners is now on view at the Shanghai International Expo. (There were three made for the journey, but only the one needed to be used.) Everyone wanted to have his or her photo taken in front of it. One Chinese man said, "When I see the capsule, I feel like I am there and I am part of their family." &nbsp; The president of Chile who was absolutely marvelous during the rescue, must now be held to his word. Hundreds of millions of people have heard him say he's going to make sure the mining situation is cleaned up in that country. &nbsp; I'd like to think of this as the possibility for one, big corporate social responsibility gesture. The government will push the mining companies -- 60 percent of Chile's GDP is derived from mining -- to spend millions of dollars&nbsp;on safety measures. Surely, this will be used as a PR gesture by the mining corporations that can still afford to stay in business after the pay out. &nbsp; Using PR is the only way to make this whole episode come out smelling sweet. &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287978249 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287978249 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:44:09 -0400 We've recently completed a tech PR agency match for a very savvy&nbsp;client who's already scored one major infrastructure deal with two other strong possibilities in the pipeline in just three months. &nbsp; We belong to an email list of new business in Africa and industry is rushing there in droves -- and with it,the major ad agencies. &nbsp; So we were very interested in this article by Ruth Bender and Suzanne Vranica in the WSJ http://on.wsj.com/bgbcjx &nbsp; A splendid read. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287808563 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287808563 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:36:03 -0400 We just watched a charming mini-documentary on NHK, the Japanese station. While a tad hokey and occasionally a bit bizarre to a westerner's eye, it was&nbsp;informative, creative and certainly clever. &nbsp; We love kimonos and this confession: We love using water repellent on some of our house furnishings and winter clothing, so this was a must-see. &nbsp; What really caught our eye: On the wall behind the owner of Pearltone was an elegant example of&nbsp;Japanese calligraphy. Art? No. It states, "If the customer doesn't know, he won't show." PR, or what? &nbsp; Thanks to its PR efforts, the company receives 2,000 kimonos a day via 5,000 kimono sellers. The company's first project was treating a kimono that cost $44,000. They do work for hotels with white carpeting ( ! ) and heritage sites. &nbsp; I don't know if it's possible to watch "Business Legends The Osaka Way" as there doesn't appear to be a video&nbsp;link to this program on the NHK or Pearltone site, and it's not on YouTube. 2,000 kimonos a week is certainly&nbsp;to be admired and it all boils down to a good product and good PR. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287819715 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287819715 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:44:21 -0400 We receive most requests for PR agencies on Friday afternoon and Saturday. &nbsp; This means you've been&nbsp;at meetings all week, you're under pressure to deliver an agency, and the choice is so overwhelming that you don't know where to start. &nbsp; If you search&nbsp;"NY tech PR agency" you come up with 22m+ returns. Where to begin? &nbsp; Don't panic. &nbsp; We're about to begin a PR match for a b2b tech start-up in NY. We're looking for a boutique-size agency, and we intend to find one that will give our client a discount. The PR agency will focus not just on media coverage, but on new business. &nbsp; We jumped past the bigger agencies with monthly retainers starting at $12K-$15K. We passed the agencies on the map of Manhattan. &nbsp; Our matchmaker's shopping list is very specific. Check back here in the coming month to see what happened to our start-up and which "bride" we found for a wedding. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287229533 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287229533 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 07:45:33 -0400 What do you do if life serves you lemons? You make lemonade. And what if you're stuck in the dark? You watch movies on mobile phones supplied by Samsung. Someone brilliant at Samsung came up with the idea of&nbsp;sending the miners the i7410 cellphones with built-in projectors, to help while away the time while they were waiting to be rescued. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287116586 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1287116586 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:37:00 -0400 It is extraordinary to see the rescue in real time, the rescuer climbing into the capsule and being lowered, the moment the capsule arrived below the Earth, and now the wheel is turning as it brings the first miner to the surface of the Earth. &nbsp; Twitter is working overtime. &nbsp; It is equally extraordinary to hear the difference between the live broadcasts on CNN, Sky News in the UK (very thoughtful and humble at the wonder of it), BBC, France24, China's CCTV, Japan's NHK,&nbsp;Al Jazeera and Israel's state TV channel 11. The Russian news station decided on a chat show instead. The&nbsp; best part is when the newscasters stop talking and allow the viewer to take in the emotion of this special moment in history. &nbsp; Ah! Here's the first miner Florencio! An embrace from the president of Chile! BRAVO! <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286939897 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286939897 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:37:37 -0400 Many of our clients are start-ups. This Techcrunch blog entry -- Women Don’t Want To Run Startups Because They’d Rather Have Children http://tinyurl.com/2v4koyv &nbsp; is burning up the wires. I mean the ether. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286649755 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286649755 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:42:35 -0400 The Annenberg School at the University of Southern California (our alma mater) is co-sponsoring the conference, Nov. 4-5, 2010. &nbsp; Impact your organization’s business strategy through corporate communications Influence opinions and perceptions of the organization Use Web 2.0 tools to will support and win the trust of stakeholders Lead organizational change within the workplace Monitor and measure your communication strategy Manage and communicate during crisis situations &nbsp; For more info: http://tinyurl.com/2uwqo9m &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286538242 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1286538242 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 07:44:02 -0400 Our Tweets are beginning to be Retweeted,* so we started to research Retweet button designs and whether we want to add another gizmo to our blog. We came upon an oldie-but-goody blog entry by "Dan the Social Media Scientist"&nbsp; http://danzarrella.com/retweet-etiquette.html &nbsp;(great photo, once you get past the annoying pop-up box -- sorry Dan) and don't miss the comments at the bottom. &nbsp; *The most popular entries on our blog refer to the cleantech/green tech search engine Forestle, and the blog entry on how to write -- and control -- your agency contract. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1285552273 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1285552273 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:54:36 -0400 When we get to the contract stage with our client's&nbsp;PR agency or advertising agency, clients fall into three categories: &nbsp; 1. We'll wait to receive a contract from the agency. 2. We'll have our lawyers send a contract. 3. I can do THAT? &nbsp; "That" refers to the LOA -- letter of agreement. It's short, it's specific, there's no "fine print" and there's no need to wait a week until your lawyer or legal department&nbsp;approves it. &nbsp; We've been recommending LOAs for several years, not one client or agency has ever rejected this, and there has never been a legal problem with this approach. It's sweet and simple. No need to&nbsp;indemnify this or that. Just refer to the tip below to cover your divorce date should there need to be a break-up. (None of our matches has ever divorced...) <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284739589 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284739589 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:06:29 -0400 While revolving around a critique of companies like Wal-Mart, all I can say after watching the doco on CSR (corporate social responsibility)&nbsp;is "Hats off to Wal-Mart" for its quick response time and very generous support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This is a clear example of a company acting on its core corporate values and yes, putting its money where its mouth is. &nbsp; I understand where the filmmakers were coming from but the interviews with Andrew Pelletier, head of Corporate Marketing for Wal-Mart, made him&nbsp;the winner on this one.No PR agency could have said it better. Bravo! <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284320310 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284320310 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:52:51 -0400 We just finished Skyping with the marketing director of a mobile provider in a developing country. His company is about to launch a branding campaign and they want to find a PR agency to handle this. Frankly, it makes me queasy. &nbsp; The country cannot afford books&nbsp;for children, let alone schools or roads to&nbsp;schools. Most people go to sleep hungry. The childhood mortality rate is among the highest in the world.&nbsp;The government is corrupt. When we see this country on TV, we squirm. &nbsp; What they do have is several million mobile subscribers. &nbsp; The company's owners are young, wealthy and male. They want to sponsor a Formula One racing car or a top-ranking international football team. &nbsp; While they want a PR campaign, they might end up needing crisis comms when their sponsorship backfires. &nbsp; How would you counsel this company? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284092266 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1284092266 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:17:46 -0400 60 days? 90 days? Your contract is what you and your agency agree it should be. &nbsp; When you first signed, did your agency get up and running in a month? Then why should it take more than 30 days to slow it down? &nbsp; Note to PR agencies: You are still responsible for passing along any media enquiries that occur past the close date. Ad agencies may need a lengthier turn-off-the-light period. &nbsp; Check back next week for Tip #2 on how to make your contract work for you. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1283455695 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1283455695 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:19:15 -0400 When we were living in Hong Kong, we have to admit we were startled the first (and second and third) time we saw someone walking around in their house slippers and pajamas in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a major commercial area. &nbsp; Hong Kong is a developed, global location -- it's one of the most important banking and foreign trade depots in the world --&nbsp;but culturally speaking, there are differences. &nbsp; What brought this to mind was a cultural divide during a recent match. The head of&nbsp;the&nbsp;local office of a major, international&nbsp;company decided he knew which PR agency was best in his market. Too bad he'd already made two poor choices. &nbsp; Agency Select was brought in to work with him and around him. &nbsp; When presented with an assessment of past results or lack therof, he had to admit that head office's desire to perform a search made good business sense. Best yet, our services are free, so his budget wasn't affected by our assisting with his PR match. Another happy ending. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1283451046 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1283451046 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:10:46 -0400 We've been working on a PR match for&nbsp;an entity&nbsp;in Dubai during the Ramadan period. The Dubai&nbsp;company has 4,000+ companies under its umbrella. When we went shopping for an agency in Pakistan, we happened on to an agency with some major clients -- and a lot of heart.&nbsp;After the evening break-the-fast meal, on more than one occasion we spent a couple of hours Skyping about the flood, about politics and maybe a little bit about PR. &nbsp; Today I learned that thanks to those at the mosque and family and friends, the agency has filled a truck with food, water and other goods to try to navigate what little there's left of roads, to deliver to one of the storm-struck towns.&nbsp;All we can say is BRAVO, ZEESHAN!&nbsp; &nbsp; If you'd like to contribute, please drop us a line info@agency-select.com and we'll connect you. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1282855469 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1282855469 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:44:29 -0400 We stumbled on the German eco search engine&nbsp; Forestle &nbsp;and we're happy to report it's the way to perform a more European-centric search. What's better yet is that with each search, we're contributing to the regreening of the rain forest. A few pennies are generated and given to the Nature Conservancy's "Adopt an Acre" program around the world. &nbsp; Our computer automatically translates everything into English using Google Translate. (Has anyone else noticed how this tool has improved over the past few months?) We did a comparative analysis of a Google search and a Forestle search and came up with about an 80 percent return tipped in favor of European results. It was like entering a whole new library. &nbsp; Take 20 seconds to try the same experiment and let us know what you find: joan@agency-select.com <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1279767724 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1279767724 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:02:04 -0400 If you're an advertising or PR agency, and if you haven't&nbsp;had a blog in place for at least a year, you're way behind the curve.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Do you already have an SMO? Better rush out and hire a couple. SMO -- Social Media Optimizer --&nbsp;is the new term for those people who sit and churn out blogs, Tweets, Facebook comments, Myspace, who add friends, who interact with other bloggers and in general, are the wordsmiths whose parents encouraged&nbsp;to study something else.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Something else turned into spinning words into salaries. They represent your agency and you sometimes hire them out to write for your clients.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The whole Web has become one big writing-and-thinking exercise. So many people with so much to say. Incroyable! <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1279469078 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1279469078 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:56:18 -0400 Are you protecting your stakeholders from looking like BP’s CEO? &nbsp; We just watched CEO Tony Hayward of BP being grilled by a US Senate committee. His "I can’t answer that,” "I wasn’t there when that decision was made” and "I don’t know” made him look the fool. Some pundits will state that these were deliberate answers from Hayward in an attempt to "plead the 5th" [amendment] but if so, it backfired. &nbsp; Each time he admitted ignorance, I wondered what his stakeholders were thinking: Hoorah Tony – or good-bye profits? &nbsp; Then there’s the question of, "The buck stops here." &nbsp; And the board of directors: Aren’t they each responsible in some way? &nbsp; When it comes to the BP crisis, who are you going to believe: Hayward, or the photos of the dead pelicans? &nbsp; W e recommend: &nbsp; 1. creating an environment that heads off this type of scenario at the pass. Your PR firm can do only so much to protect your company. Whatever safety procedures that can be put into place need to be so, regardless of profit and as soon as possible. &nbsp; 2. meeting with your company’s executives to discuss worst case scenarios before they happen. Role play the narrative to see what it feels like to sit in the hot seat. And don't forget to show some emotion. Saying "I'm sorry" without the passion to punch this home renders the comment meaningless. &nbsp; 3. working with your PR agency to understand your company’s messaging should there be a crisis – that the sooner an apology is made, the better. The public smells insincerity. &nbsp; 4. understanding that crisis comms is no longer the animal it used to be. Your reputation might have taken years to attain – but the blogging, Twitter and Facebook community can destroy years of work in a matter of&nbsp;hours. &nbsp; Cartoon by Mike Keefe &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1276797064 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1276797064 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:15:45 -0400 I have a confession. I am mad over Broadway and the West End. Aside from&nbsp;my profession-related&nbsp;LinkedIn groups, I'm signed with the musicals. &nbsp; I'm one of those people other people like to take on a long ride. I am known to break into song somewhere during the second hour of a trip when people and kids are getting fiddgity. I sing in tune and I know every word to almost every show tune. "Oklahoma" always gets everyone singing along. &nbsp; One of my favorites music- and lyrics-wise&nbsp;is "Oliver Twist," with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart.&nbsp;I was singing this to myself the other day and I realized that its message applies to b2c advertising and PR: &nbsp; Who will buy This wonderful morning? Such a sky You never did see! Who will tie It up with a ribbon And put it in a box for me? &nbsp; The feeling of hopefulness and of all of life's possibilities in just a few lines. What a brand THAT is. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1275512457 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1275512457 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:16:07 -0400 If you're a PR agency, an ad agency or a company or corporation that hires agencies and has various stakeholders, this is for you. &nbsp; We're on several foreign language LinkedIn groups, and this video is sweeping its way from country to country: www.socialnomics.net &nbsp; &nbsp; Did you know that&nbsp;Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S. -- and that social media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web? &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1274236869 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1274236869 Tue, 18 May 2010 22:41:09 -0400 Over the years, I’ve established some new PR and ad agency game rules for pitching so that there’s no pitching at all. But I really can’t take the credit. I’ve sat in on so many pitch calls that it’s really the clients who have taught me how to teach the agencies to pitch so that it’s a conversation between potential partners.&nbsp; So here’s a shout out to everyone who’s helped me to create an environment rather than sitting through yet another sales spiel. And woe to the agency that clings to the notion of sell sell sell, even when I've coached them not to. Pitching is about people. Just ask Dale Carnegie. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1274138460 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1274138460 Mon, 17 May 2010 19:24:42 -0400 Because we're interested in everything international we watch CNN, Sky News, BBC, CNN,&nbsp;France 24 and Al Jazeera. &nbsp; CCTV, the 24/7 Chinese news station (we watch it in English), just showed how localized the news can be. They followed George Lee, a UK conservative candidate, who introduced himself to thousands of people by going out early each morning for 14 months to knock on doors. The only word he knew when he arrived in the UK as a child was "tomorrow." He now has a very British accent and is obviously totally assimilated. &nbsp; We hope his PR campaign was successful, wish him well, and hope he becomes a part of the UK's tomorrow. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1273292409 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1273292409 Sat, 08 May 2010 00:20:09 -0400 We receive calls and emails from start-ups with lots of lead time until launch – but usually with no lead time at all. This past week is a good example: a b2c about to launch in-store at the U.S. chain Bed, Bath &amp; Beyond on April 26 (we received their call on April 14 -- sigh) and a b2b tech portal launching June 1 (good planning – or so we thought). &nbsp; We had a brief call with the b2c as he was entering a shopping mall. He promised to call back within a couple of hours. Five days later we realized we hadn't heard from him and we called back to see if he was still wandering the mall's corridors. &nbsp; When he told us April 26, we informed him that it was too late for a full-fledged media campaign and advised he save his budget for another launch. During the call we learned he had decided since our first 18-second call to go the cheap-and-cheerful (and ineffective) route: He was going to hire a freelance press release writer "just to get out there" and would we please go through his choices and pick a writer for him. We declined the invitation -- but we'll definitely be happy to spend 100 hours on his match. &nbsp; For his real launch, we do have an idea about some potential agencies which will match his breezy style and his product. Stay tuned to the national U.S. morning TV talk shows around the end of May and you'll catch his kitchen product there. If we can get him to calm down and focus long enough to perform his match. &nbsp; Our b2b folks called from Silicon Valley. Great tech portal product, excellent delivery, surprise guests! We learned about 20 minutes into the call that the remainder of the team was also present. I counseled these turbo-charged entrepreneurs to slow down and to give more thought to their goals; after all, we have a comfortable, professional stretch of time during which we can find them their perfect tech match. &nbsp; They agreed that they were acting hastily and I could hear a collective sigh of relief that some sanity had been injected into the conversation. We constructed their PR brief and emailed it. The next day their brief hadn't arrived in our inbox, nor the next, nor the next. &nbsp; They are surely out there again, trying to sift through the thousands of possibilities for a tech PR agency. If they calm down and focus long enough to realize they're tossing out their inventory – time -- we're here to perform their match. &nbsp; Lastly, we were approached by three more-seasoned companies that understand agency search and the concept of process. We love start-ups,&nbsp;we admire medium-size-to-large entities, and it's our pleasure to mentor start-ups to act like them. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1271508759 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1271508759 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:33:47 -0400 Notice the date on this blog entry? Now check the date of the one below. Have I been idle? No. I changed servers -- and lost all of the blog entries in between. While the site was supposedly backed up and there should have been a copy, this too was lost. Recommendation: Create your blog entries in a Word doc, copy and paste. &nbsp; The happier news is that Ultra-Gen, a company that develops and markets OTC (over the counter) consumer aesthetic products, just signed with their UK PR agency today. The even happier news for Agency-Select is that moments later a new client that distributes solar panels -- we love green tech&nbsp;products -- emailed that they're ready to start their search.&nbsp;Excuse me while I start my research and ready their PR brief. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1266557575 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1266557575 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:32:55 -0500 &nbsp; It's no surprise that one of the very first commercial programs to catch on over 20 years ago was a "time clock" program for lawyers, who bill for their time. &nbsp; I recently spoke with an attorney who after three minutes said to me, "I have to get off now. Time is my inventory." Tick tock tick tock. &nbsp; I'm working on a PR agency match for a new client, a Web site that's in stealth mode until mid-January. We're looking for a New York PR agency that can deliver a mix of traditional and social media services. Aside from paying for writing skills, they're going to be paying&nbsp;for time, one of the&nbsp;bases upon which PR services are billed. &nbsp; Social media takes time and lots of it. Between blogging, Twittering, LinkedIn&nbsp;and Facebook-ing, and then connecting all of these dots online, this requires a whole new line of staff. &nbsp; Should your client start to grumble, suggest that they spend just one day creating all of this themselves. Add on press release and marketing collateral and white paper or case study time, and your client will have a whole new healthy respect for the term "writer." <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1266556391 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1266556391 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:15:49 -0500 &nbsp; &nbsp;I just read about a new blogging tool thanks to Google Translate. It automatically translated from Hebrew to English and while wobbly, it gave me the opp to learn about www.skribit.com &nbsp; Running out of stuff to write about on your blog? Writer's block? Feeling pressured because Google will be scouring your site looking for new materials? &nbsp; Sign up for Skribit and a suggestion box will appear on your blog page. Site visitors can write to you, telling you exactly what they want you to write about. Cool! But what if some wise guys start assigning you useless homework or if your competitors take over your space?&nbsp; &nbsp; I wrote to the creator of the tool and with the paid version -- very inexpensive -- it's possible to moderate the suggestions so that you can control what appears on your blog page (from a business point of view, highly recommended). &nbsp; The box will be on this page after the weekend. Stay tuned. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1260023844 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1260023844 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:57:44 -0500 When&nbsp;the Fortune 500 needs a PR or advertising agency, they frequently&nbsp;turn to a consultant to assist with a search. &nbsp; An agency search firm's job is to lead a company through the process of choosing an agency that will be the best fit for them and at the right budget. &nbsp; Most SMEs can't afford this luxury, where fees may run&nbsp;well over $150,000 for a search. &nbsp; And where are the bigger companies usually led? To exactly the same "list of suspects" -- to the larger and very pricey PR and advertising agencies listed as the top 50. &nbsp; We like a more organic approach to search, and we like to uncover some of the gems that the search agencies often miss. We also like to work with small-to-midsize clients, teaching them the ins and outs of choosing the right agency for their needs. &nbsp; And of course, the fun part for us is when we're asked, "It's free? Really free?" and we get to say "Yes." <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1258563465 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1258563465 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:26:29 -0500 Lufthansa will be using Starling's inflight surfing service -- a satellite connection to wireless broadband Internet. Starling is the sole provider of the antennae necessary for the service, which comes under the Panasonic Avionics ExConnect System. Starling's first contract, through a distributor, is valued at $9m, with prospective revenues of up to $60m. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257899131 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257899131 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:26:11 -0500 Go Yankees! <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257565681 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257565681 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:48:01 -0500 If there's one word that gives me the jitters,&nbsp;it's "upsell." This is one of the things some PR agencies, advertising agencies, etc. will do to try to add sometimes unnecessary services -- and fees -- to your bill. Whether you're a Fortune 500 or a start-up just out of the gate, this is one of the items you need to know about. &nbsp; But when is upselling a good idea? Send us an email and we'll share this and other tips with you. Write to us: joan@agency-select.com &nbsp; For the record: We protect our clients from unscrupulous agencies. Agency Select works only with agencies that are transparent and we monitor our clients' accounts to be certain the agencies stay honest. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257344193 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1257344193 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:16:33 -0500 Touch-screen company N-trig signed a laptop deal with Toshiba. The Japanese electronics company will integrate N-trig's&nbsp;technology into its Satellite&nbsp;notebook,&nbsp;which it&nbsp;introduced ahead of Microsoft's launch of its Windows 7 operating system last week. Bravo marketing team. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256728150 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256728150 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:09:10 -0400 We just received an excited&nbsp;call from a&nbsp;client, a corporate comms officer&nbsp;who spent today interviewing the three Eastern European PR agencies we hot listed for his company. He's no novice: In the early part of his career, he worked with a major European-based public relations agency. &nbsp; We happily heard the usual: "They were so good that I don't know which one to choose." He called me from a supermarket ("They make you pay for plastic bags here!") on the way to meet his company's local sales rep for dinner. &nbsp; Working with an agency search firm should be like working with a matchmaker. If she's got the contacts or know-how, she should be able to zoom in on a very short list of potential marriage partners. Why date 18 people before meeting Mr. or Ms. Right when&nbsp;the magic&nbsp;can happen in three dates with only&nbsp;one day of dating? &nbsp; Transparency: The initial&nbsp;research segment of the match took us about 40 hours as we worked our way through the scouting and then narrowing-down process, interviewing numerous agencies for size, experience, team members, comfort level in a second language,&nbsp;price point, etc. --&nbsp;but equally important, seeking the right chemistry. &nbsp; We've got another trick up our sleeve for this match. This next part of the process is all about the proposal. Stay tuned. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256582207 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256582207 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:09:13 -0400 I'm currently conducting an agency search for an international mobile company that's about to launch a PR campaign in Cameroon. One of the most stimulating -- and fun --&nbsp;parts of conducting an agency&nbsp;search is when I start to interview journalists.&nbsp; &nbsp; Cameroon's two official languages are French (mine is rusty)&nbsp;and English (phew).&nbsp;It's one of the best ways to gather&nbsp;business intelligence not just about agencies, but about each country's modus operendi. &nbsp; The last time I performed an agency search in Africa, I learned that pitching the media isn't necessarily the way to sell a story. Want prime time TV news coverage&nbsp;in Nigeria? All you have to do is&nbsp;pay for it. &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256291515 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1256291515 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:37:18 -0400 I hereby declare "to social media" to be a new verb. &nbsp; There are still agencies that are&nbsp;advising their clients to blog, Twitter, Facebook -- but they're not doing this themselves. When I'm working on a search, I look for those agencies&nbsp;that don't just talk the talk ("You, the client, should be engaging in social media"), but walk the walk ("We as an agency engage in social media."). &nbsp; I'm still of the mind that not all clients, especially some in the B2B arena,&nbsp;need to blog. But for sure, any company that's B2C needs to be doing this. In the meantime, when I'm working on a search, I'm looking for agencies that have an in-house blogger or that contract out. These are the agencies that truly understand how to advise their clients, especially if the client has a blog or Twitters and opens itself up to being clobbered online. &nbsp; If you're a North American or UK PR agency or advertising agency&nbsp;without&nbsp;social media savvy, I need to move on to the next agency. &nbsp; If you're an agency&nbsp;in Germany or Italy or some of the other Western European nations or for that matter the rest of the globe, you're temporarily excused. Your markets are only just beginning to catch on to the ways that social media can help your clients'&nbsp;-- and your -- business grow. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1255407789 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1255407789 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:55:46 -0400 I first came across the&nbsp; Wolda annual, international logo design competition when I read about it in&nbsp;my weekly Businessweek Innovation &amp; Design&nbsp;Insider &nbsp; email. &nbsp; The level of artistry in logo design is stunning. This one in particular caught my eye because graphically, it was a bit bland, vague,&nbsp;"just" a bunch of blurry, crayonn-y pastel squiggles and seemed so out of place... &nbsp; &nbsp; Here's the explanation from this recruitment firm: "For Tessaro &amp; Associates, communication is the key to business, and nothing is more unique to each person than their voice. So the Tessaro &amp; Associates logo is formed from a fusing of the digitized versions of each team member's voice. &nbsp; The logo is almost literally the voice of the company. Together with the word mark - the serif FF Olsen combined with the classical sub-line designed by Prof. Werner Schneider - we get a highly individual brand for a totally unique company." &nbsp; This HR firm has taken the logo digital but ironically, the company doesn't have a Web site on which to show off their squiggly voice and&nbsp;face. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254983184 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254983184 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:47:53 -0400 Whether you're a law firm, Ikea, an enterprise software company, Skype, a restaurant chain, a mobile security company, UPS, an ad agency or an aardvark, you need to protect your online brand. We just found an online&nbsp;reputation management tool Brandseye &nbsp; and wanted to share this&nbsp;with you. Also check out their " 10 Rules to Recover from an Online Brand Attack"&nbsp;recovery checklist. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254632889 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254632889 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:14:57 -0400 <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254183751 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1254183751 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:22:31 -0400 Q. As you know, in the agency business we use the term, "managing the client's expectations." One of our clients was unhappy last year when the entire office closed down for a week for Christmas. We had completed all of the required account work for the month. What should we do this Christmas to avoid another confrontation? &nbsp; A. You're really raising a number of points. &nbsp; Time yourselves. For starters, have everyone on your team use a software program that'll clock their time. It'll also keep you honest. &nbsp; Plan ahead. By the middle of November, start to discuss the closing and set up a timetable for any activities that will need to be completed by Xmas. Focus more on the day you'll be back rather than the days you'll be closed. &nbsp; Remind your client about market reality. Do explain that most editors and journalists are also away from their offices as the holidays approach and can't be reached. &nbsp; Get creative! Suggest a menu of projects that can be carried out&nbsp;in lieu of speaking with the media. &nbsp; You're also touching on a cross-cultural issue. Some agency&nbsp;relationships take place between differing countries and cultures. Each one of us tends to appreciate our own culture before that of others. Even LA, Chicago, SFO&nbsp;and New York seem to be foreign to each other -- but they do share the same holidays. &nbsp; The next time you're going to celebrate a holiday, share the good feelings by shipping off a small gift to your client to let them feel included in your festivities, albeit at a distance. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253867327 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253867327 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:28:47 -0400 Fallon UK created this ad for Cadbury's to promote fair trade. It features one of Ghana's top-selling musicians Tinny. Proceeds from the sale of the music (via iTunes) go to Care, a charity working with Ghana's cocoa communities. &nbsp; I like the natural reference to Ghana's famous signage and hairstyle posing. An LA art gallery specializes in Ghana's hairstyle signs, so it was fun to see these familiar graphics elements. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253686550 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253686550 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:22:46 -0400 Client N-Trig's touch screen tech just signed with Lenovo -- and their&nbsp;tech will also be part of Windows 7. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253527057 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1253527057 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:57:37 -0400 <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252781544 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252781544 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:52:24 -0400 I've spoken with dozens of agency people after their call with a prospective client. When I ask, "How do you think the call went?" I always hear the same thing: "It went really well." &nbsp; This makes me scratch my head. I'm sitting in on most of those calls and I would hardly classify some of them as the very best of connections -- and I expect the best. They're always cordial and sometimes stimulating and&nbsp;because there's already been prior consideration given to chemistry, there's always some buzz chemistry-wise. &nbsp; But not every call is a Cinderella's fit. &nbsp; Sometimes the client becomes overwhelmed -- "They were all so great" -- and asks me to make the choice. No way. The client&nbsp;is going to be the one to live with his or her choice. &nbsp; Then which&nbsp;pitch wins the day? It's usually&nbsp;the agency that's high energy, that teaches the client a couple of new tricks, that's not afraid to give away some creative ideas&nbsp;(how else will a prospective client know what stuff you're made of?) and that makes them laugh that&nbsp;wins the&nbsp;hand of the new wife. Oops. I mean client. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252713647 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252713647 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:51:16 -0400 Last night I ran to the supermarket and picked up a Ben &amp; Jerry's Dublin Mudslide. (Not their best flavor.) This morning a UK healthcare PR agency sent me their creds (thank you) and when I opened it, I sucked in my breath when I saw this dazzling cover shot, a photo of Trinity College Library in Dublin by photographer&nbsp; Candida Höfer. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I spent most of my childhood in libraries. While I love the Net, this picture speaks volumes (sorry). &nbsp; &nbsp; If you subscribe to The New Yorker, check out Ted Walker's lovely story "Donovan's Boots" set in Wexford, about a 70-mile drive from Dublin. I read it in 1969 and it's stayed with me all these years. &nbsp; I'd love to take the time for a visit to Dublin but until then, I can gaze at this photo. I can almost smell the binding. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252362494 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252362494 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:39:08 -0400 If you're an ad or PR agency&nbsp;with the creative ability to translate the energy of the Mexico City "Thriller" event (see below ) and the compelling draw behind the so-called Chupacabra phenomenon, then I may have a client for you. Note: I think the Texan killed a dog and then tried to hide this fact by calling it a Chupacabra. Curious? Go to Google Images or Wikipedia. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252139180 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1252139180 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:26:20 -0400 We're looking forward to performing a match with an agency in El Gran Albondiga, The Big Meatball aka Mexico City. It's a different place than the one we see on the news. Instead of drug dealers and death, it's some very hip people like the ones who organized 13,000+ people dancing to "Thriller" in El Zocalo a couple of days ago. &nbsp; Mexico managed to break the Guinness Record Mundial (world record). If nothing else, it was a pleasure to see thousands of zombies instead of H1N1 mask wearers on the streets. Mexico lends itself to grand spectacles and death: If you've ever toured Las Catacumbas (The Catacombs) or celebrated El Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), you'll doubly get how cool this is. &nbsp; Note: Mexico seems to have caught Guinness World Record fever. In the past couple of days, they also broke the record for biggest mariachi band, biggest cheesecake and biggest kissathon. Take THAT H1N1 virus. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1251749372 Movies http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1251749372 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:44:49 -0400 Performing an agency search for Meaningo's dig-down-deep search engine debut in San Francisco next month. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1251238758 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1251238758 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:21:21 -0400 eDiscovery software company Equivio has added the FTC to its client roster, which includes NASA and FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250828026 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250828026 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:45:28 -0400 www.infinitywheel.com &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250780675 Music http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250780675 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:11:33 -0400 I like to think of decks as a flirtatious note sent before the first blind date. As the matchmaker in the middle, over the years I've received hundreds of decks, usually in PPT form. Some are show-offy, but some really communicate the mettle of the agency behind it. &nbsp; The best deck-cum-flirt note was&nbsp;from a German PR firm while the most detailed -- it could have stood as a proposal -- was from an agency in Virginia. The winner for best looking deck was a UK financial PR firm. &nbsp; The most important slides in a PR deck are the "eye candy" slides that make a lead drool. &nbsp; These should be some of the examples where you've gotten traction in the media. A potential client may want to know about your background and your client list, but if you can't show 'em the goods, which is the reason you'd be hired, then you might as well pack up your deck and go home. After media coverage there should be at least two case studies reflecting the sector in which your lead conducts her or his business. If this is tech, then your case studies should be tech and not b2c. Seems obvious? Not if you're on the receiving end as I've been. &nbsp; Finish off your deck with references and lastly,&nbsp;don't forget that the last slide needs your contact details. How else is she going to know where to call you? <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250632750 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250632750 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:18:18 -0400 South African ad agencies have a reputation for copycatting. This commercial harkens back to Beyonce's Saturday Night Live self-parody with Justin Timberlake, www.playingforchange.com , and the YouTube video with the guy catching a ball in about 30 countries. I like to think of it as more of an homage rather than plagiarizing, as several blogs have posited. &nbsp; It's a fun ad and it caught the eye of Skype, which is shopping for an ad agency. &nbsp; &nbsp; A dvertising Agency: Draftfcb Johannesburg, South Africa Executive Creative Director: Grant Jacobsen Deputy Creative Director: Neo Mashigo Group Head &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250463223 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250463223 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:30:17 -0400 Gregory Isaacs is performing in Baltimore. I am green with envy . I've been listening to his music at least once a week -- since 1982. I wonder when he's coming to my town. The first time I heard Gregory singing "Night Nurse" live&nbsp;at a small reggae club in LA, I almost fainted. &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250462295 Music http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250462295 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:43:22 -0400 <a href="http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250461512"><img src="http://www.agency-select.com/blog/php/Al%20Jazeera%20logo.jpg" align="left" border="0" alt="" style="margin: 3px 4px 3px 0;"></a> I have a lopsided sleep and work schedule, so after being awake all night while performing research, by 6 AM I turn on the TV&nbsp;and use it as background noise. I rarely stop working, but when I discovered Al Jazeera's documentary Witness series, it was irresistible and I gave it my full attention.&nbsp;My first viewing was of a doco on the underground movement in Iran&nbsp;to install satellite TV in&nbsp;the cities and&nbsp;countryside. (The closing shot&nbsp;is priceless.)&nbsp;I used to sit on the board of the International Documentary Association in LA&nbsp; http://www.documentary.org/ and the level of production values, charm, humour&nbsp;and wit of this doco would make it an award winner. Witness schedule&nbsp; http://tinyurl.com/n2tyxc <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250461512 Movies http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250461512 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:09:29 -0400 &nbsp; Indian Shankar Drum Ganesh Machine [Warning: Addictive] http://www.zanorg.com/prodperso/indian.htm &nbsp; <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250459332 Music http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250459332 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:34:30 -0400 ... multi-touch technology www.n-trig.com &nbsp;A Businessweek journalist is writing a story on Oprah as an early adapter. He's got the wrong girl. Do you have a tech b2c product? If you want to introduce it to a mass female audience, Martha's the one. <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250458863 Literature http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250458863 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:25:05 -0400 Their motto: Speedy graduation is not the&nbsp;aim at Shibuya University. In fact, the long-term student is held in great esteem. The campus: sometimes at a university, sometimes at a department store, sometimes at a temple. Where do we sign up to teach comms? <br clear="all"> http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250587104 General http://www.agency-select.com/blog.php?entry_id=1250587104 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:18:24 -0400