After a small break, Kristine Simpson and Julia Kent are back.
This week, we discuss the news – what is going on in the world and what can a young PR pro learn from the PR successes, disasters and controversies swimming about media outlets across the globe.
So, what is in the news?
- NHL Lockout: no hockey, no news. How to take advantage of quiet time in the news to communicate your message.
- Obama vs. Romney debate: two communications teams with their hands full, but for different reasons.
- Zellers: saying goodbye with class and bringing in profit right until the end. Don’t forget to check out the Everything must go, even Zeddy video.
- Kate Middleton’s intimate moment: the royal scandal and how it was handled. Remember, it is always better to be honest.
- Venezuelan election: Hugo Chavez is re-elected as president of Venezuela. Lessons learned on trying to convince the opposition. In short: don’t. Convince those on the fence – it is more worth your time and money.
- The Trudeau legacy: The prodigal son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau runs for leader of the Liberal party. With no competition (leaving out recent whispers of Premier Dalton McGuinty), Justin Trudeau’s communications team seems to be sitting back and waiting for the votes to come in. Even without competition, we express the importance of communicating your strengths.
And that is all the news for now, until next week.
We would love to hear from you. Do you have an idea for a show? Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook Page, or on our Google+ page, or in our LinkedIn group, or send us an email at youngprpros@gmail.com, or send us a message on Twitter @youngprpros, @kristinesimpson or @kentjulia.
This was one of my favorite episodes of yours, because as a communicator, one of the most important things in my job is to be aware of news at all times. It’s not always easy, but I definitely see the purpose of it. It’s very smart of communicators to take advantage of the actual news scene (like lack of news for sports). Very interesting point!
Communicators don’t necessarily need to know everything about everything! But at least have an idea of the important news of the day.
Good post!
I also forgot to mention… from a PR perspective, I find Justin Trudeau’s campaign interesting. As a way to separate himself from his father’s legacy, his campaign slogan is “Justin”. By letting go of the Trudeau name, maybe he’s trying to create his own identity. The first name basis might also be a way to create an “sociable, approachable” feeling, appeal to the young. We’ll see!
Exactly, it is the general awareness of the news. I am a headline reader. I like to know what is going on in my city and industry, but don’t have time to read every article. If I need more info on a news story I have a smart phone 🙂
Oooh great observation. I think both your points are valid. However, I have yet to see a big push from his communications team. Justin should be doing a tour, talking to young voters about “being your own person”. His comms team has so many opportunities!! I hope they take advantage of them.