Times Are Changin’

Quite a bit of time has gone past since I last updated this blog. In fact, it was February — February! I’m now getting ready to tackle my first-ever Thanksgiving turkey, and it’s snowing in Portland. Not that the latter matters much, because I’m not in Portland anymore! Oh my, how much has changed.

Here’s the quick, bulleted update:

• Did a fantastic PDXSX internship last spring at LaCie. Read about me/the experience in this intern profile; I doubt anyone will write about me with this much depth again.
• Finished the schoolin’ at dear old University of Oregon.
• Traveled to France for two weeks, a long-time life ambition, and was extremely moved by the experience. Many more posts to come about mes voyages. Vive la France!
• Whilst in France, received an incredible job offer. Accepted, naturellement.
• Packed up in Portland and moved back home to the Bay Area…
• …to start my professional career at LaunchSquad at the end of July.
• Have been tearing away at real-world PR ever since. LOVING my job, loving San Francisco, and just loving life.
• Most recently, I won my workplace’s annual Thanksgiving Pie Bake-off. Not a huge deal. (Yes, it is!)

So, there you have it. Yes, I’ve been busy. But at the same time, I love blogging and hate excuses. I’m really fortunate to have some great blogger influences in my life, and I’m inspired and motivated to get back on the horse. However, the times really are a-changin’ — I’m not the same person as when I wrote that lonely, never-followed Barbie post back in February. I do still love Barbie and computer nerds, but lots of things are different: I’m no longer a student, no longer in Oregon, and starting to really grow up. (I’d probably have to fully move out of my parents’ house to make that last one a true reality, but we’re getting there.) While I still have to determine what path this blog will follow, I’m pledging to provide more content and maintain this more. I’m a PR girl by trade, but I’ll always be a writer at heart.

I suppose you could consider it my “last-ditch, end-of-year’s resolution” — we’re staring down the barrel of 2011 (What! Who ever thought that would be a real year?) so it’s time to make sure I leave 2010 with solid, proud footprints behind me. I’ve done a lot to make that happen thus far — but of course, it will never be remembered unless it’s immortalized in the annals of the Internet. So, here’s to finishing a year full of surprises, changes and memories on a strong note, and getting back to blogging.

As I  mentioned, there are lots of stories (and photos! — if you’re lucky) to share, so please come back soon. If nothing else, gimme a visit after your Thanksgiving feasts and I’ll put you to sleep (Tryptophan-aided) with something I write.

Cheers! Here’s to health, happiness, holidays and homecomings — both in-person and on blogs. It’s good to be back!

00010 Thumbs Up for Barbie!

Barbie just made a very positive career change! To ring in the new decade, she’s taking the reins of her 126th profession: computer engineer. The image at left depicts this latest iteration of the classic Barbie model: long blonde hair, big boobs, tiny waist, skyscraper legs and stiletto-ready feet. However, Barbie would be nothing without her accessories, and this techie career gal comes with everything a programming woman could need (the folks at Wired shared their opinions, do any other engineers want to weigh in? Ladies?). She has a pair of sassy glasses, a bluetooth headset, smart phone, wrist-swallowing scientific watch, laptop carrying case and – of course – a pink laptop. The outfit, too, is perfection, featuring a neon T-shirt emblazoned with binary code and some comfy leggings to keep her comfortable during long hours in a computer chair. While she’s still rocking lots of hot pink, this Barbie is intellectual and impressive.

Girl, you’ve come a long way.

Mattel took to the Web to find Barbie’s next career, and the public was ultimately the body that chose to put Barbie in a tech profession. This is a proud moment for me, personally, because my Dad is a computer engineer, a professor in the field, and has long maligned the dearth of women in that degree program. Any enthusiasm from the female camp about tech and computers is hugely encouraging. Also noteworthy is Mattel’s diligence with it’s newest Barbie family member. The toy company consulted with the Society of Women Engineers and the National Academy of Engineering before introducing the doll, to ensure that her accessories (and, likely, the forthcoming packaging copy) were accurate, presenting a depiction the professional societies could be proud to uphold.

As a woman with interest – but sadly, no technical expertise – in the tech field, I’m uplifted and gratified by Mattel’s choice. Well, I suppose, it was the enthusiastic voters who helped Computer Engineer Barbie skyrocket to the top. Either way, this Barbie will be a huge PR boost for computer science. While time will only tell whether this move will encourage more girls to pursue careers in the engineering professions, it can’t do anything but help.

And at this point, computer science’s appeal among women can’t go anywhere but up. According to this article from the University of California, Santa Cruz (a great read), what’s repelling women from the study of computer science is the “nerd” factor – that is, the overwhelming presence of Star Wars figurines, video game posters, tattered C++ textbooks, trampled Mountain Dew cans and all other hallmarks of the cluttered, chaotic programmer’s life. It has nothing to do with the fact that women feel outnumbered, intimidated or unwelcomed by the large proportion of men in the computer science field. It’s that women, because of how engineering fields are typically portrayed, just don’t think they’ll fit in or “find people like them.” Gender stereotypes have little to do with it – it’s lifestyle stereotypes. For some reason, it’s that “nerd” factor that sends females running for the hills.

So, maybe this new Barbie will glam up the field a little bit and appeal to more young girls. However, I just hope that some of those innate, nerdy features of the CS field don’t get lost along the way. What I’ve observed from the periphery over the years (and at my dad’s annual student BBQs, always held in our family backyard), that nerd culture is pretty special. It’s fun, it’s lively, and everyone’s comfortable being themselves. And that is what’s truly important, isn’t it?

For more coverage of the Computer Engineer Barbie, please see these posts from Gizmodo, New York Times’ Bits blog and Chip Chick. For true PR fiends, Gizmodo features the Mattel news release text.

Bloggers Behaving Badly

I wrote about the iPad on announcement day, so it should be no surprise to anyone that I followed the Apple event — and the lead-up to it — very closely. (Also, I’m mildly obsessed. But handling it.) As with any Apple product unveiling or upgrade, tech circles were buzzing about the new, never-before-seen gadget and what capabilities it might boast. And too, people wondered whether the item would be available for sale same-day, or if we’d have to wait for its release (which, we do; consumers have until March to save their pennies for iPad). With this last detail in the air, it was a possibility that some journalists and bloggers may have received advance product to review. At consumer-oriented companies, those opening-day reviews drive many consumers to retail stores, making the PR practitioner a crucial factor for sales success. Well, with all this speculation abounding, one rogue Web personality decided to do something crazy with the fever-pitch hype surrounding the Apple announcement.

Jason Calacanis (BusinessWeek.com)

Blogger Jason Calacanis, who has a hand in top-tier tech blogs including Engadget and TechCrunch but now focuses on Mahalo.com, took to Twitter the night before Steve Jobs took the stage and told his followers that yes, not only was the new product a tablet, but that he possessed one now. Before anyone else! A screen shot of Calacanis’s thread of tweets follows below, but in summary, he persuaded his Twitter fan base that he was under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Apple and provided specs and feature details ahead of the Apple announcement. At this point, after months — nay, years — of waiting, Apple fans were so desperate for tablet information that many clamored to Calacanis’s Twitter page, begging for more details and egging the blogger on. Any information was better than the same-old silence from Cupertino, right? And it had to be true. Right, again? As it turns out, the whole thing was fake. Calacanis made everything up. Imaginative, yes, but also deceitful. The highlights, as promised, follow here:

Calacanis’s loyal Twitter followers weren’t the only ones duped. After seeing these statements, several top-tier newspapers — including even the Wall Street Journal, which said “it would be a peculiar thing for him to make all this up” – took Calacanis’s tweets to heart and reported on them. This is telling of the nature of blogs these days, especially in the tech world; bloggers have gained such credibility and respect that news reporters often rely on their tips to drive story development. Unfortunately, many of these outlets found themselves with egg on their faces after it Calacanis’s prank was revealed. Gawker diagrams these gaffes, with its typical harsh, burn-everyone style, in this article.

While Calacanis’s actions were neither illegal nor ill-natured, his prank still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Sure, it was meant to be in good humor, but his actions offended plenty of his Twitter followers, news sites (who thought Calacanis, with his hard-earned blogging clout, was legitimate) and Apple fans. I have no idea if Calacanis is or was on Apple’s list to receive review product, but his tweets may keep him from ever doing so in future. His words still disrespected the company and may have tarnished the unveiling experience for people who had keyed into Calacanis’s outlandish and fantastical specs. The whole point of Apple’s deep-seated secrecy is so that everyone can revel in the thrill of the reveal together. No one is privileged to know in advance what’s coming; we’re all equal. Yet Calacanis, maybe just a little too deliriously impatient the night before Apple’s announcement, tried to persuade us that he was better. While we’ll be all the more wise next time around, what will this antic do for Calacanis’s credibility? Will anyone believe him in the event he does, really, get a scoop on the latest gadget specs? Has he just turned the entire tech community off with his arrogance?

It’s a fable for the 21st century. Forget the boy who cried wolf; now, we have the blogger who cried tablet.

IT’S HERE

The moment has arrived! The long-awaited, often-predicted and fanatically buzzed-about APPLE TABLET is a reality. This is something I read about on all the tech blogs I monitored this summer as an Apple intern, but I’ve been just as much in the dark about what this “mysterious new product” would be as the rest of the population. (I mean, hello! I was an intern! Not exactly someone the exec team on Infinite Loop is going to run to with their deepest trade secrets.) While the iPad is receiving lots of flack for its name, I actually think it’s a great, appropriate title for the device. It sounds a lot better than it reads, too — especially when you listen to a few of the great Apple SVPs discuss their latest creation in this not-to-be-missed video. The choice to use “Pad,” as opposed to “Slate” or whatever else was tossed around, links the device more closely with journalism and the media — I instantly think of it as the new tool for reading and writing, the new-wave update to those old, yellow, college-ruled legal pads used for jotting notes and recording great thoughts. I can’t wait to try it out. I’m still formulating a decisive opinion about the iPad — do I think it’s different enough from my iPhone to be a need-to-have gadget? — and I’ll blog a deeper, more thoughtful review later. But for now, kudos and congrats to the crew in Cupertino. They never cease to entertain, enlighten and amaze.

UPDATE: For a little PR perspective, here’s a link to the iPad news release.

Starbucks Embraces Customer Relations, Again

For each purchase on a (RED) card, Starbucks donates aid to Africa. Doubly rewarding.

Today, this post comes to you from Starbucks. The one on Burnside and 23rd in Portland, to be exact. How liberating! Maybe I’m really slow to the draw, but this is the first time I’ve taken advantage of the free Wi-Fi available with Starbucks’ new rewards program, and I’m loving these benefits. So much so that I’ve deemed them worthy of a blog. (We set very high standards here, in case you haven’t noticed!)

Unfortunately, I’m assuming this newest campaign from Starbucks comes about because the coffee company’s Gold Card program failed. While a good concept in theory, having to pay $25 to enroll in the program just didn’t seem sensical to many Starbucks customers. The card paid off if you spent more than $5 per week at Starbucks — or $250 per year. While doing the math would bring benefit to most consumers, I think many people who drop that much dough on coffee are in denial about how that plays out financially. Upon realizing that such exorbitant percentages of your annual income are funneled to Starbucks, most rational people are more likely to seek accounting help than plunk down an investment that only invites more spending. We are in a recession, after all.

So, now we introduce the new Starbucks Card Rewards program. By using a gift card — a highly popular holiday giftable, I might add — and registering that card online (and then maybe registering it a few more places, like AT&T’s Web site) a cardholder receives access to Starbucks’ “new” rewards. Yes, they are tiered, and that old “Gold Card” concept, which someone over at corporate really refuses to let go of, is reserved for only the most addicted of Starbucks consumers. However, there are some places where the new rewards card program really wins out, both for consumers and the corporation.

First, at the “green level” (which may perhaps be a ploy to get environmentalists on the rewards plan), attained after five visits to Starbucks, you get all those exorbitantly priced “extras” free. This includes soy milk and syrups — but no verbiage as to whether my extra espresso shots are included. As a college student pulling all-nighters, this could be the real sell for me, Starbucks. Think about it. Green level also entitles a registered cardholder to refills on brewed coffee, and a free beverage with any whole-bean purchase.

Once you’ve visited Starbucks 30 times — which, one hopes, takes you longer than a calendar month, but who knows — you’re promoted to gold level, at which point an envelope arrives from Seattle with your personalized, resurrected Gold Card enclosed. Now, the perks of this card expire after a year, so make sure you start racking up visits in multiples of 30 to provide some gold card security. However, after every 15 beverage purchases, you get one free, which is a decent deal. To be a thrifty coffee consumer, consider buying tea or brewed coffee 15 times, and then splurge on something luxurious, like a venti soy chai latte, with your freebie.

If you don’t want to spend lots of money to earn a free drink, just wait until your birthday. Every registered Starbucks cardholder receives a complimentary beverage on his or her birthday. (I hope this rewards program is still going strong when May 30 rolls around, otherwise, ugh.) Also, a registered Starbucks card lets you access the AT&T Wi-Fi that most locations carry once per day.

Now, I’ll be honest, I always thought it was slightly ridiculous that Starbucks’ Wi-Fi wasn’t always free. It irritates me that a place like Starbucks, which branded itself to be the “come hang out here, we’re your neighborhood coffeehouse” type of corporate coffee purveyor, wouldn’t let everyone access its Wi-Fi. Again, I’m a student, and I need access to my homework assignments, Web research, Blackboard portals, e-mail, and — most importantly — all those procrastinatory outlets on the Internet. But, after testing the program today, I have to say that my grievances have mostly disappeared. I commend Starbucks for thinking more about its patrons and catering its new rewards program to what drives them. This program is customizable, so that no matter what kind of Starbucks customer you are — casual or chronic — you’ll reap the benefits that best suit your lifestyle.

I do think that this new approach to rewards is an excellent way for Starbucks to embrace customer relations. Let’s see where it takes the company — and consumers! Has anyone received a new Gold Card yet? (If I hit that benchmark before spring term, someone stage an intervention.) What are your thoughts on the new Starbucks rewards? Are you enjoying them? Or is it too much of a hassle to register, consolidate cards, provide your info, etc.? Let me know!

Rain On My Parade

Yikes! Don’t tell my old colleagues in Los Angeles (I interned at L.A. Confidential magazine during summer 2007), but I’d almost forgotten that the Golden Globes were today — apparently it’s already awards season? — until I saw this tweet from PR and social media superstar Christine Kirk:

While I am a self-proclaimed PR junkie, I have essentially zero experience with event planning. So, I’m wondering, what effect will this have on the main event? Where will Guiliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest interview attendees now? Do they even plan for this kind of thing in southern California? (I felt a little smug writing that — I must be a true Pacific Northwesterner now.) As an aspiring PR professional, my heart goes out to all those young PR pros whose jobs probably depend on this event running smoothly. I can’t imagine a more stressful situation.

Well, I’ll keep an eye on things and hopefully update later. If you have any feedback, or experience with such matters, let me know! Leave a comment, I’m truly intrigued.

The Sting of Unwarranted Bad PR

I begin most mornings by perusing the latest and greatest in news on my New York Times iPhone app. This morning, I clicked on this headline — F.D.A. Concerned About Substance in Food Packaging – because in a time where every week we discover something else we use daily could kill us, I felt it important to inform myself.

Now, if you click on that linked headline, you’ll be transported to the NY Times‘ online newspaper, which features an article with no pictures — but plenty of nerve-wracking scientific information about the dangers of bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical commonly involved in the production of polycarbonate plastics.

However, on my iPhone reader, I was greeted by this article-opening image before getting to the text:

Feel the sting.

On behalf of Nalgene PR, I feel inclined to say, “Ouch.”

Nalgene bottles haven’t included BPAs since April 2008, when the company phased them out of production, even before the FDA had its suspicions that a chemical it had deemed “safe” was not. Despite its noble efforts in consumer protection, it seems that this highly visible brand is still the go-to scapegoat for stories broadcasting the dangers of BPAs. While the image may have been legitimately placed two years ago, today it simply damages a carefully cultivated, eco- and consumer-conscious brand image.

Scrolling to the bottom of the Web article, the NY Times has issued a retraction of the picture — a change that has apparently not been implemented on the iPhone version of the article.

“An earlier version of this article included a photo of Nalgene water bottles, which no longer contain BPA,” reads the correction.

But the damage is done. I’ve never thought that print retractions were particularly persuasive, because they’re hard to find and never quite as compelling as a picture. It’s just like that trick lawyers use in court. Yes, you can say an outlandish statement and have it stricken from record — but once it’s out there, it’s hard to forget. The same effect happens when an image of a product is associated with a health risk.

For those readers who first encountered the article online, and have never returned to the NY Times site, they’ll never be informed that most Nalgene bottles are safe. Those readers like myself, who consumed this media with the iPhone app, are still seeing the image posted above. The damage to Nalgene’s brand image has been done.

(And, on its Topics page for BPA, the NY Times still uses a photo of an old, cracked Nalgene bottle to provide a visual cue to readers. Ouch again.)

Considering how many readers turn to the NY Times each day — via print, online, iPhone, Kindle, and all other modes available out there — many millions of people have seen this article and the associated picture. Of course, if the NY Times switches to a pay plan for online news, as this CNET article suggests, those readership numbers may plummet. However, for the meantime, misplaced photos and their influence on consumer decisions will still pose a problem for all PR practitioners.

Happy New Blog, 2010

Oh my gosh. It’s 2010. It feels really weird to write that atop sheets of notebook paper at the start of each class — and even weirder to think that this is my last term I’ll even be taking classes. Yes, my friends, there are some exciting changes around the corner.

The first batch of these exciting changes is happening to this blog. If you’re a returning reader, you may have noticed that I’m using a new WordPress template. Remodels are a good thing, no? I’m hoping this white, open design will motivate more writing out of me. Plus, while this blog started as an academic assignment, I’m now moving forward and trying to make it truly my own. There are also a few new pages gracing my header. My favorite? The digital portfolio page. It links to Visual CV — one of my new favorite sites and an incredible tool for any young job seeker — where you can peruse my résumé, check out work samples, and enjoy a really cheesy picture of yours truly, all in one place.

The other set of changes are happening to ME. Winter 2010 is my last term at the UO in Eugene, and I’ll be migrating north in the spring (slightly counterintuitive, I know) to participate in the SOJC’s senior experience program and get some more real-world experience to put under my belt. Then in June, after donning a cap and gown, getting ceremonial, and receiving my diploma, I’ll take a short break from reality to explore France with my family (a lifelong dream coming true!). However, as soon as I get back, it’s time to put my nose to the grind and get a J-O-B. I’m excited. I can’t wait to start doing PR for real, all day every day. And the whole process of getting to that point should be an adventure in and of itself, which I will be documenting here for your entertainment, of course.

So, I hope you’ll continue to follow this blog as the year continues. With any hope, there will be lots of good news and thoughtful insight as I work through internships, job hunts and, hopefully, by the time 2011 rolls around, stories from a real-life PR perspective. All that’s left to do is to wait and see!

Props to Horizon for Taking Flight with PR

In the wake of today’s earlier post about airlines’ PR struggles (Foggy skies ahead), I wanted to bring attention to those airlines that are making strides in the PR game and going against the grain of negativity and customer complaints. As I mentioned in the previous post, Alaska Airlines is the top-ranked traditional network airline, according to the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey. Despite its success, Alaska is not content to simply provide an excellent traveling experience — the airline’s regional afflilate, Horizon Air, has livened up its fleet with a colorful collegiate livery that recognizes five universities that, like the airline, call the Pacific Northwest home.

Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State and Boise State are the five institutions that see their colors and logos emblazoned on a Horizon turboprop plane. However, being Duck fans here, those are the photos you’ll find below. This post is a fitting nod both to Alaska and Horizon’s clever customer relations techniques, and — pardon my upcoming “Go Ducks!” moment — to Oregon’s incredible win over USC on the football field this past Saturday! (On another football note, Horizon’s university livery planes are scheduled to make stadium fly-overs during key games this season. The press release for the University of Washington’s livery debut — a game in which the Ducks, again, emerged victorious — is found here.)

What do you think of the Oregon paint job? If you’re interested in another school’s livery, more photos can be found here.

Foggy Skies Ahead

Why do airlines have such bad PR?

Airlines are in a constant struggle to maintain positive PR, thanks to a large population of angry, vocal passengers. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that rising fees, delayed planes and unpleasant accommodations are what drive irritated customers and their rants to the Internet. Nothing travels faster than bad news, and airlines have had a tough time keeping up with the latest complaints — or quieting a potential firestorm before it blows into an inferno.

Passengers expect flights to be uneventful, which leaves little wiggle room for airline employees when a few gears in their well-oiled machine inevitably slip. Being on a PR staff for an airline has got to be one of the hardest PR gigs in the world.

While all of the blogs and blog entries dedicated to customer complaints bring issues to the surface that many airline PR staffers would rather keep buried, the one constant thread in every story is airline executives’ lack of connection with customers. As C-level employees, these individuals are the faces of a company and one of an airline’s most important tools. A kind gesture that earns high views could do wonders for a hurting airline, reassuring customers that they’ll be well taken care of if they fly with that carrier. However, airlines have made their PR nightmares even more severe by allowing no leeway or leniency on customer pleas and complaints. By robotically stamping “NO” on all requests, airline executives have alienated customers, which not only leads to blog posts like this one, which calls for a CEO’s resignation, but also irreparably damages that airline’s relationship with the customer — and everyone he or she angrily tells.

In the case of Dave Carroll, more than 5.8 million people tuned into his customer service complaint after United baggage handlers broke his $3,500 Taylor guitar. The carrier claimed no fault, and as a retort, the Canadian musician made this video:

Furthermore, Carroll took to his own blog with a detailed account of the original incident and the “customer service” he encountered in the aftermath. It’s eloquently and diplomatically written, and I wonder why an airline wouldn’t reward Carroll for his good demeanor and peaceful approach to the situation. It could set an example that “playing nice pays off” for the countless other passengers who will file claims in the future, leading to better customer relations and fewer angry, expletive-filled tirades. (Note: a few days ago, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogged that Carroll, returning to United’s friendly skies, found his luggage lost upon arriving in Denver. Despite United’s promises to do better, Carroll is still meeting travel woes. Due to his fame in this department, Carroll’s misfortune is causing more bad PR for United.)

Some airlines have their PR machines working in the blogging sector, with mixed results. Southwest uses a colorful, active blog (Nuts About Southwest) and an ad campaign that highlights its customer- and bag-friendly fee policies to win customers’ hearts. However, consumers still think the company could do more; in this year’s J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey, Southwest ranked no. 2 among low-cost airlines. JetBlue earned the top nod in this category; for traditional network carriers, Alaska, Continental and Delta were named the top three customer-friendly airlines. JetBlue also hosts a blog, as does Delta. All three of these blogging airlines focus their content on internal employee events, new destinations, or guest posts from executives; rarely will a post deal with anything in the sky. While putting a friendly face on the business operations of a major service company may put customers more at ease with their travel experiences, all the content seems a little too lighthearted when contrasted with the anti-airline posts that often appear juxtaposed in a Google search. However, crisis communications blogs have crashed and burned for airlines in the past; American Airline’s now-defunct AA Conversations was launched in summer 2008 after the airline endured a pilot’s strike that caused 3,300 flights to be cancelled. After only a handful of blog posts — of which the last was ironically titled “Let’s Keep Talking…” — the blog inexplicably went silent, and has now been erased from host site blogger.com completely with no explanation. When AA tried to use social media to communicate with customers in a crisis situation, it failed miserably. Other airlines may have taken note from this social media mishap by steering their topics towards the warm and fuzzy. And now, in the age of Twitter, airlines do not need blogs to reach customers in times of crisis; airline errors appear in Twitter’s Trending Topics and searches, making it easier for PR staff to monitor the general buzz on a daily basis.

However, the power to monitor does not come with the power to silence. Until airlines can find a way to make peace with customers and the big negative PR machine they fuel, it only guarantees that future PR practitioners will always find jobs — and possibly some free airline tickets — working to manage airlines’ gloomy image. Maybe one of us will even find the missing link in this PR game and be able to turn a seemingly futile effort to the positive. What do you think? Will that ever be possible for airlines? What are your ideas to help turn the tide of this negative PR?