Two interesting encounters

I’ve had two neat experiences in the past few days that I wanted to spend a few minutes on.

First, this past Thursday morning I was joined for coffee by Louise Armstrong (EVP of Palette Public Relations). Louise hadn’t had her morning coffee so we headed to the local Tim Hortons. Louise ordered a coffee and since I no longer drink coffee, I ordered a tea. Just a regular tea. Nothing more, nothing less. This was to be a simple order, until I heard the clerk who rang us up say to his associate, “How do I make the tea?” He was dead serious.

I looked at Louise and she looked back at me as if to say, “Did you just hear what I heard”. Yup – our ears were not playing tricks. Anyway, someone poured my tea and Louise’s coffee (my tea was pretty good) and we chatted for the better part of an hour. Its clear that the PR industry is facing its fair share of challenges – but nevertheless, I very much enjoyed meeting Louise ---

The PR lesson: Do your homework before you hit the stage. The stage, in front of an audience is no place for a rehearsal

Second, I have long been threatening to learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube. You remember the good old Rubik’s cube? I knew how to do it in my teenage years, but have long since forgotten. Friday morning, I get on the subway and find myself sitting next to a kid obliviously playing with his Rubik’s cube. But his was different to mine of old . In the old days, each face had 3 rows of 3 blocks – 9 per side, and since there are 6 sides to a cube, some 54 blocks, representing billions of permutations. This kid’s cube was far more advanced. Each face was 5 by 5, or 25 blocks, therefore the whole cube represented 125 blocks, likely resulting in trillions of permutations. The kid was a genius, as his fingers seamlessly worked the cube, still oblivious to my growing interest and well as growing interest from about 30 other subway riders who were quietly observing this kid work the cube. One stop later, he has completed about a quarter of the puzzle. By the fourth stop, it was 100% complete. By that time, there were like 60 of us glued to this kid and the cube, quietly having solved the puzzle. The next stop he simply got off and that was that. It was surreal! Hey kid --- you were the unheralded here of about 60 adults – and not speaking for them, I can honestly say you made my day.

The PR lesson: Actions speak louder than words.

Bono - I'm thinking of you

I am a pretty big U2 Fan ... and one of my faves is "Do they know it's Christmas" from 1983. It was performed by Band Aid. There's a classic line, that Bono belts out. It goes like this, "Well tonight thank G_d it's them, instead of you." He's at his throaty syrupy best and whenever I hear that song, that's my best part.

And you know, that song is now almost a quarter century old. Nothing's changed! Except one thing. I am truly glad for what I have. I have a good business. I have a family that loves me. And I have my health.

Happy holidays and I every day, thank G_d that it's them, instead of me.

My 2009 resolution: Give more money to them.

Thanks for the inspiration Bono.

Integra Leadership - I like ya!

I’ve got to hand it to Sabine Fischer and Sue McKee - the principals behind Integra Leadership Inc. We met through sure happenstance about 18 months ago, and Sue was instrumental in helping our business through a rocky time ... we just needed to find our direction - Sue really helped here.

Then I got busy and for sure so did Sue and we really have not been in touch for about six months. It was with surprise that I received an email from Sue - a newsletter --- and it was a lovely one at that. Well formatted with very meaningful content - and just the right length. Took about three minutes to read and I felt that I had learned something.

Although I will take credit for planting the idea in Sue's head about a year ago that a newsletter would be a worthwhile initiative, I have to give Sue and team far more credit than I would give myself. Why? They implemented it --- and in today's busy times, even implementing what may seem like a silly little newsletter (and this newsletter sure is not that), takes a lot of time, planning and effort.

So Sue, Sabine and team ... well done!! I raise my hat!

Talk is (Not) Cheap

Last week I had the pleasure of attending http://talkischeap.pbwiki.com/ at Centennial College.

It was a really cool experience for a few reasons -

1. I met a bunch of hop youngsters in the final throes of the college's PR program. Each student was hip in their own way and certainly many will be a force to be reckoned with once they graduate and get jobs in the biz. I like this!

2. I met a really neat thinker - Brett McAteer (out of Ottawa). It was really a chance meeting and Brett's right wing views really interested me a lot. In an email Brett sent to me the day after ... "I’ve got it! We should be calling this potentially huge niche not press and not public and not media relations but Social Relations. That’s it. I’m going to start the world’s first SR firm, later today, after changing the oil in my car. You ready? It was a pleasure chatting with you, John.

Brett, I am ready in a big way --- hhhhmmmm --- now you got me thinking

3. Nice to sit in on the podcast with a bunch of Toronto PR associates --- very interesting. But I gotta say that I am still unconvinced about the world of podcasting. People are so busy these days, it's like who has the time. Anyway, I suppose there is a space for everything on the planet.

That's it for now. I am nearing the end of another 15 hour day. Woo Hoo!

Some of us just don't get it

Wow ...

A client called today looking to have us manage their ad budget, and a fairly hefty one at that. It is a national buy - $120k (nothing to sneeze at). So, I had one of my people call up to get rates. Our experience with the Montreal Gazette was brutal.

1. It took her 6 minutes on the Gazette's site for us to track down their phone number (surely companies should make it easy to be contacted, especially when they are the one's doing the selling). Rule 101: If a buyer cannot contact you, they will go elsewhere. This is especially true in the internet age when you have three or less clicks to capture interest

2. So we called, and there was no human to speak to. I repeat ... no-one. Just a voicemail saying if you know the last name of the person to whom you want to speak, please enter it now, otherwise leave a message. This is hardly the greeting a new customer wants to hear. How would I know the last name of the person I need to speak to if I have never called before?

3. So, I left a message 6 hours ago.

And am still waiting to be called back.

Meanwhile, we have taken our business elsewhere.

Sometimes media can make things better, othertimes worse

I think it’s more than fair to say that right now, the world is in the dumps about its globally spiraling stock markets. Seems like every day, one after another, is a bloodbath ... whether you're in Singapore, Sydney, London or New York. And there is no doubt that millions of people worldwide have lost trillions of dollars - me included.

But the past that really gets my goat here is the media. It's doom and gloom all the way, every day. Seems to me that they only interview doom-sayers ... surely, there must be a person in-the-know-about-stocks somewhere in the world, who has something positive to say - someone who can perhaps defy conventional wisdom!

Why are the media not spending some time with Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Ohama? He's been buying stocks big time lately ... now mind you, they are all quality stocks. He's very bullish about matters. Nooo - instead the media choose to only interview doomsayers who seem to feed off the detritus of yester-years' strong markets.

Come on media! Please balance your interviewees. It's not all doom and gloom out there. There is a silver lining in this black cloud. Seek someone who's positive, (or at least neutral) and I can assure you - you'll find. And hey, if you are at a total loss, you can always pick me. Good news can be contagious

The Costs Of Class

You know, it really is true --- what goes around comes around, or as they say, in our business - the worm turns. Last week I think I did something that showed some class.

I sent some flowers to another top-notch Toronto PR agency ... the reason why I did this is really academic now, but I think it was the right thing to do.

More importantly, the right thing of the PR agency to do, was to thank me for the gesture. Don't get me wrong - I don't require accolades or anything like that, but recognition is always nice ... and they too did the right thing.

Within minutes of them getting the flowers, I was called by the agency thanking me. And in today's age when class is sadly out the window, it was a nice act.

Thanks ...