Three years, 300 posts. I’m not impressed!

Darth Blogger

I almost let this milestone pass. Three years, 300 posts, and still flogging the blog. If that isn’t addiction, I don’t know what is.

I spent half the summer plotting the death of ToughSledding — as I’ve done several times before. This time I came oh-so close to ending it after those 2 blissful weeks offline. But you know what they say: Sh#@ happens. And it did.

Here’s why ToughSledding blogs on:

Some solid lessons for students in “New Rules of Marketing and PR”

I didn’t pay close attention to David Meerman Scott’s “New Rules of PR and Marketing” until he published the 2nd edition sometime last year. In 2006, when the book came out, I was still getting a grip on social media, and I spent way more time writing than reading in those days. Blame it on new-blogger’s ego.

By 2009, when the 2nd edition of New Rules arrived, I was knee deep in SM books, and more than a little jaded over their marginal content. But this one I like, enough to require my students in the “Media Relations” class to read it.

Students can find PR lessons on page one…

…if only they’d read the paper!

I redirected this blog a few months back to focus on issues that support my teaching and, I hope, the teaching of other PR profs. Here’s a simple lesson I spotted in my local newspaper today, and it’s a lose-lose situation for an organization that deserves better.

In today’s Akron Beacon Journal, columnist/reporter Bob Dyer (they do double and triple duty these days) wrote about a local woman who’s been dumpster diving behind the Goodwill store in Tallmadge, Ohio. It’s a classic hero-and-villain story that puts Goodwill in a bad light — and unfairly so.

Have you hugged your favorite brand lately?

Me neither. And I don’t plan to anytime soon.

After 3 years of writing this blog and almost 5 years studying social media, I still can’t grasp the idea of “relationships with brands.” Maybe it’s semantics. Maybe what they’re talking about isn’t a relationship at all. Maybe it’s brand loyalty, brand enthusiasm — even brand evangelism.

To me, a “relationship” is more intimate.

Meet our new colleague at Kent State

Bob Batchelor

As Kent State’s senior faculty member in PR, I have some influence on the hiring process. And my philosophy is simple: Always hire people smarter than yourself.

Well, we’ve done it again, and there’s a good chance some of you know this guy because of his blog or his books.

Bob Batchelor joins the faculty in January and will have primary responsibility for the public relations master’s program. He comes to us from the University of South Florida where he spent the past 5 years teaching public relations and mass media courses while completing course work on his PhD. Bob defends his dissertation on October 30.

Count your blessings

PR’s ethical dilemma: When should the chicken die?

As the old saying goes, if you want to make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs. But as it turns out, if you want those eggs at a reasonable price, you also gotta kill millions of baby chicks. It’s not a pretty sight, as this graphic video shows the world.

(Warning: Run time is 3:44, but you’ll probably get grossed out and quit early.)

Kent State/Poynter Ethics Conference examines citizen journalism’s impact, legitimacy

It would be tough to argue against the impact of citizen journalism. It’s undeniable. But we can and do argue about its legitimacy and its output.

At least I do.

Sometimes you gotta realize that people are nuts, and build it into your PR plan

Photo by Alex Miroshnichenko via Wikipedia Common.

I used this story in class yesterday to illustrate how tough it can be to understand and communicate with publics in emotional situations.

Effective communication always starts with knowing your audiences and anticipating how they’ll behave. But what do we do, I asked the class, when your publics take action that seems entirely irrational?

“How many of you would refuse orders to evacuate your home if you knew a wildfire might engulf the structure and kill you and your family?” No one raised a hand as we reviewed pictures of Southern California residents standing up against the flames.