It has been fun being involved with Help a PR Pro Out Day, and now the day, February 19, is upon us. Be on the lookout for the “#happo” hash tag on Twitter (and the #happobo tag for Boston) particularly between 11 am and 3 pm ET, as well as a number of blog posts like this one. Also, here in Boston we are holding an informal HAPPO networking lunch, with space and pizza generously provided by CHEN PR.

The purpose of HAPPO is to connect job-seeking PR professionals with potential employers, and to that end I have let some Boston-area participants take some space here with brief profiles. Also, employers that are hiring have provided me with links to their openings (please scroll to the bottom to see the employers).

If anyone, employer or PR pro, wants to connect and hasn’t done so directly, I am certainly happy to help. I can be reached at doughaslam (at) gmail (dot) com, or on Twitter at “DougH.” If you are a PR Pro or employer who would like to add your name to this group, just jump in in comments. I’ll also add any employers who jump in over the course of the day; and again, don’t forget the Twitter stream!

*I should note that there are some PR pros who do not wish to be so public for various reasons, but are still looking for opportunities and have stories every bit as good as the ones outlined here.

HAPPO PR Pros:

Amy Bernstein

http://www.linkedin.com/in/amyebernstein

Amy is an energetic young professional who hopes to “hit the ground running” when she finds a full-time job in Public Relations and Marketing. She is results-oriented and has held several positions in the PR arena where she can show proven results. Amy’s biggest desire when she finds a new position is to learn and absorb as much as she can. She is interested in working for an agency or a private company where she can learn from the best.

Bonus– Amy has her own HAPPO blog post here.

Kristin Grages

www.linkedin.com/in/kristingrages

Diverse experience, singular dedication.  With my depth of agency experience, I have the background to handle the varied needs of clients from any vertical market.  As a former in-house marketer, I know what the client needs and how to manage and exceed their expectations. These has taught me one thing, PR is there to grow business, to boost sales and to increase positive experiences with our clients’ businesses. A team player with a unique perspective.  As the goalie for my hockey team I have learned that you can’t win a game by yourself but you can lose it all on your own.  Being a team player means trusting the people around you and ensuring they have put their trust in the right person as well.  Whether it is training junior staff in best practices or merely setting a good example with my own hard work, I strive to create an environment of positive productivity. A multitasker with an organizational system all her own.  Managing up to eight accounts during my agency days, and a multimillion dollar company’s entire marketing and pr strategy during my in-house days, I learned very quickly to prioritize and be flexible.  Concise recordkeeping and deadline management were critical to my sanity and workload.  Just as important was the ability to put both of those aside when something changed.  Whether it was a service malfunction or a CEO’s whim to submit for an opportunity she passed on months ago, flexibility is just as crucial as prioritization when it comes to successful PR.

(Note: Kristin is a former colleague of mine at Topaz Partners)

Jenna Glynn

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennaglynn

Junior at Boston University majoring in Public Relations. Currently spending the Spring 2010 semester in Los Angeles “studying abroad” and interning. Open to all aspects of PR though mostly drawn to consumer PR, brand building and corporate public relations.Loves to tweet, blog and Facebook. Eternal Boston sports fan! What I’m looking for: Summer internship (preferably paid) in Boston area. Willing and eager to get my hands into anything PR and soak up as much experience as possible before graduating in Spring 2011.

Cassie Goldstein

http://joninathelittledove.blogspot.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiegoldstein

I am a senior at Indiana University majoring in journalism with a minor in political science. My concentration in my degree is public relations. Although I have been living in Bloomington for the past four years, I originally hail from Newton, MA just outside of Boston. I am eager to get back to city life! I am a passionate dancer, sushi lover (I am travelling to Japan in March with an International Public Relations Course), big sister and friend. For after graduation I am seeking an entry-level position or internship in public relations. I have a particular interest in the corporate, consumer and healthcare sectors. I would like to be heavily invested in social media outreach as well.

Nelly Liu

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nellyliu.

I am a recent grad from Boston University with an MS in Public Relations and am a native Chinese speaker. I am looking for job opportunities in social media/Asian relations/communication strategy consulting/integrated marketing/PR in the Greater-Boston area.

Expert in Asian Relations Grew up in Shanghai, China, I have excellent communicational skills in English, Mandarin and Shanghainese. I am extremely familiar with the Asian culture and have huge networks in China. Those qualities have helped my previous employer establish the first proprietary panel of mainland China luxury consumers to analyze the attitudes and consumer habits of Chinese luxury buyers and develop business strategies for luxury companies. I want to continue being the liaison between China/Asia and the US. I can help international corporations/agencies that have Chinese clients/are interested in the China market/want to boost its business in China.

Passionate about Social Media I believe that social media is more than simply using Twitter, Facebook or Youtube. The true power of social media is in using those tools to engage in conversations with a target group to help a company meet its business goals. I have worked on a variety of social media projects including social media strategy development, viral video/Web site content production, a white paper on crisis communication in social media, social media campaign design and management, and the planning and management of an online video contest.

Positive Attitude Towards Work I am a fast-learner and always bring to the team my energy and enthusiasm. I am not afraid of taking risks or seeking new challenges, and I always do what it takes to make my project succeed. Never never give up!

Chet Murray

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chetmurray

Having been laid off from my prior agency due to the turbulent economy, I am excited for what lies ahead in my career.  I am a seasoned PR pro with multiple years of experience representing a vast array of clients in technology and financial services.  Working at Nicoll Public Relations for more than two years, I was responsible for developing strategic media relations campaigns for upper echelon consumer electronic manufacturers.  I spent considerable time crafting carefully targeted pitches for varying media outlets from the New York Times to WWE Magazine to influential bloggers.  I had the pleasure of planning and executing trade shows including the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Eaton Vance Corp., a mutual funds firm, is where I started in PR.  As a member of the corporate communications team, I was responsible for drafting press releases, fact sheets, articles, media advisories and other documents on behalf of the company.  I also contributed content for the monthly newsletter and participated with other forms of cross-company communications. I am looking to build upon my experience and utilize my skills with either an innovative agency or a company that is striving to enhance its communications team.  My consistent work ethic with a proven ability to get results will be an asset for my next employer.

Summer Walker

http://www.linkedin.com/in/summerwalker

Looking for: AE position at a Boston-area agency As a Senior Account Executive at a full-service public relations agency, I’ve spent the last four years monitoring industry trends, writing press releases, pitching media, and developing talking points, key messages and media lists. I believe truly effective PR is born out of thorough research. Whether it be for marketing plans or RFPs, analyzing industry trends or building blogger relationships, I specialize in producing quality research that helps exceed my client’s PR goals. I have worked with clients in a variety of industries from non-profit to hospitality. I have won Awards of Distinction and Judges Awards in both local and state level Florida Public Relations Association’s Image Award competitions. In 2007, I was honored with the Jefferson Award for Public Service for work with BETA Center, a Central Florida non-profit.

EMPLOYERS

The following employers have explicitly told me they are keeping an eye on HAPPO and have openings. I’m sure (I know) there are more!)

CHEN PR

Careers link: http://www.chenpr.com/careers.htm

Cone Communications

Careers link: http://www.coneinc.com/careers/index.php

Manning Selvage and Lee

Careers link: http://www.facebook.com/mslboston?v=feed&story_fbid=303891977229&ref=mf

HAPPO shouldn’t end on HAPPO Day. build your networks to last!

Photo: RogueSun Media on Flickr

I read this short piece, “The Great Journalism Exodus,” by Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic. In it, he discusses the fact that many journalists are switching over to public relations jobs. That’s nothing new, but we’re definitely seeing more of it in this economy, and with the “traditional” media changing and shedding jobs in the process.

But Goldberg also wrote a couple of things that irked me. First, on whom PR flacks will pitch if the “media” are shrinking:

“…they’ll flack to underpaid, undertrained bloggers.”

Well, yes, in a sense there is some truth to that. But they’ll also flack to passionate people who happen to blog- those bloggers not only are closer to the audience than mainstream media– they are the audience, in a way traditional media tries not to be.  That’s just another short-sighted disdainful slap at those “amateur bloggers” from the ivory tower of print media.

It also gets to another pet peeve, which is frankly perpetuated by many PR agencies and some of their clients: that PR is all about media (including blogger) relations. Of course, that would be a journalist or columnist’s view of the world, and I have certainly seen this point of view played out in a skewed manner too many times. PR is so much more than that- messaging and strategy, crisis counsel (wouldn’t a seasoned reporter be good at that?), and, becoming more important, content creation (I think journalists know a thing or two there as well) are equally important parts of the PR mix.

Goldberg also quotes Richard Mintz of the DC-based Barbour Group:

“Journalists by their nature don’t make great advocates or public relations people because they’re trained to be objective rather than to take sides,” he said. “They also tend to work alone, and they have no business experience.”

Journalists don’t make great advocates? Two things wrong with that: first, a balanced story, even if sponsored (and disclosed as such) by a client, is a better sell to media and the public. It’s more interesting, and gains trust with the media and the audience. Second, while journalism strives to be objective, every outlet, every reporter and editor, every story has a pint of view that affects the outcome, even if only in the slightest. I’ve been a journalist, and I never pretended otherwise. Furthermore, Goldberg’s example of hack-turned-flack is a reporter from the right-leaning (some friends will say I’m being kind)  Washington Times going to work for BGR Group, a PR firm founded by Republican lobbyist and now Governor Haley Barbour. Sounds like a natural fit to me. Taking sides? Believe me, that’s an easy transition, and it was easier for me than I thought it would be 12 years ago.

As for no business experience, point taken. I guess hacks turned flacks will have to compare their business experience to 22 year olds right out of university PR schools (no offense, best and brightest students!).

Most reporters who want to pursue PR jobs will be just fine, as long as there are the jobs for them. I have seen many make the adjustment just fine over the years.

Which side of The Atlantic are you on?

BusinessWeek Editorial Layoffs; Just…Sad

Let’s pretend that Bloomberg has a master plan for a leaner, stronger, BusinessWeek after buying the troubled magazine recently. They probably do, right? It still boggled the mind to see the parade of high-profile pink slips given out this week: Stephen Baker, Heather Green, Jon Fine, Robert Hof, etc. (the RaceTalk* blog from RacePoint live-blogged the carnage for our…pleasure).  What struck me was that PR people felt genuinely bad. not that we shouldn’t, but one friend asked how we felt about the demise of the Industry Standard. I don’t remember PR people feeling so bad about those layoffs. Why? The Standard was notoriously hostile to PR people. businessWeek, besides being more practical, cuts stafff in a time where both flack and hacks alike share more conversations via social media. We know them a little better, and they are people to us, more so than in the past.

I wish every last one of them the best and have no doubt we will see big and interesting things soon.

Twitter to Users: Tell Everyone Where You Are: Yes, You in the Starbucks on Centre Street: You Too

Twitter has enabled geotagging. It’s interesting in that, in addition to other tools like FourSquare (of which I have become a big fan),  showing the world where you are is really coming into style. Cool? yes, for those activities whee you want it. Scary, too, though. Stalking should be a real concern, and I wonder if, as Don Tapscott wonders in his book “Grown Up Digital,” Generation Y-ers in particular don’t take enough care in protecting privacy. I’m curious to see how these tools will be used.

I’m Using Posterous

I have finally broken down and started using Posterous. No, I won’t use it for “Lifestreaming.” I have Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Friendfeed, etc, all making up a lifestream (except I still hate using that word). I will use it to post via mobile though, and from there distribute the content to the blog, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc. Stay tuned, I hope make it an effective use of content channels, though I don’t expect it to be a standalone blog in itself.

Yes Terry, you do slay you.

On the Internet, If You Are a Dog, Someone Will find Out

Wowee wow-wow stupid: person makes anonymous offensive remark on a newspaper newspaper Web site. Web site person tracks IP address and lets employer know (privacy violation? Maybe). IP address is at a school, and an employee posted the offending comment- from the school! Incredible. The employee resigned; with any luck there was a lesson learned.

Let’s Get Rid of the Term “Social Media D*****bag”

Ok, the term is “douchebag” but I try to keep this blog as PG-rated is I can. On the other hand, I’m not normally such a prude, and have even uttered the term myself, but it strikes me as misogynist, offensive, and pretty nauseating if you think about it. I even hear women proudly saying it. Maybe I am just a prude.

What would you think if we changed it to “social media colostomy bag?” I thought so. Some friends have offered alternatives- a personal favorite is “social media blackguard” from David Jones. Call me old-fashioned.

*Idle thought: As good as it is, is “RaceTalk” the most unfortunately-named PR blog, ever? Maybe “RaceBaiting” was taken. As Clarence would say, marinate.

This was originally published on the SHIFT Communications “Slice” Blog

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the SIPA (Specialized Information Publishers Association) Marketing Conference in gorgeous Miami Beach, Florida (I know, the life of a PR flack is tough). I was asked to do a little work (the nerve) and present on social media news releases.

In our world- especially here at SHIFT, home of the Social Media Press Release Template, this can be an “old hat” subject (dirty secret; it’s not old hat– still much to do and learn). At this conference, I was very interested to present in front of a different crowd- which, to my surprise, was very eager to learn and came armed with questions. I was also pleased and flattered to find SIPA board members in the audience.

Below is the presentation I gave, with slides synced to audio. Special thanks to Todd Defren, without whom I would not have been able to sharpen my plagiarism skills to present on his and SHIFT’s behalf:

Why did I consider myself a “stranger” at this conference? SIPA is very ROI-focused, and PR is notoriously, well, not ROI-focused (more dirty secrets!). One basic presenting tenet that was proved at my session? Bring data. People were very interested in the ins and outs of press releases and new social media formats, but the takeaway that was re-broadcast at the conference? The statistics on social media release vs traditional release performance from Andrew Parker (see slide 18). I provided context and caveats, and this was not what I considered the lynch pin of the presentation, but numbers rule.

That was more true at the next day’s panel on “Social Media Success Stories,” with Hunter Boyle of Marketing Experiments and Matt Bailey of Sitelogic. Hunter and, particularly, Matt were quite at home from the analytical side, but I was able to answer a pointed question about the ROI of Twitter with two points: Dell Outlet’s $3 million Twitter account (thanks to Jay Berkowitz for serving up the exact number from the audience), and was able to recount revenues realized from Twitter networking in my PR work. Numbers from a PR guy? I astonished myself.

What are you doing to get outside your normal comfort zone (for me, that’s the “social media” crowd, such as the one at BlogWorld Expo)? And what do you need to present to them to make sure you, as a stranger, can get your message across?

Also: a quick thanks to Mike McKinney and the folks at Comhaus, who worked diligently during the SIPA Marketing Conference to capture the sessions on audio and/or video. I hope to have access to the panel soon, and will share a link to other sessions when it is available.

When marketing blogger and fellow social media Bostonian Susan Getgood alerted me to “blog With Integrity,” (www.blogwithintegrity.com), I was intrigued, for a few reasons;

• There has been a lot of talk among bloggers (especially but not limited to  “Mommy Bloggers”), about attempts by the government to regulate sponsored blog posts. an “Integrity” badge nominally serves to signify some sort of ethics compliance.
• The proposed “PR Blackout” is supposed to take place this week (Susan told me about Blog with Integrity a week ago).
• I inherently trust Susan- and by extension her three BwI co-founders- because of our friendship and the professional trust she has earned over the years. I ‘m happy to sniff out agendas in these types of efforts, and see none here.

As a PR person, I otherwise had reason to be concerned about the PR Blackout and Blog with Integrity. Is this an attack on the PR profession? A rejection of our outreach methods? As it turns out, no.

I listened to a podcast interview that Susan and BwI co-founder Liz Gumbinner did with For Immediate Release’s Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz (Liz blogs at Mom-101, by the way). I recommend listening to the podcast, it’s illuminating. What did I think about after listening, as a PR person?

• The PR Blackout idea, whether or not you think  it’s a good idea, is more an attempt at a cleansing exercise than a flip-off of PR.
• I often say that blogger relations is not a lot different from mainstream media relations. We need to “relate” and deal with writers/editors/bloggers as individual. Where that breaks down, however, is that most bloggers do not have training as journalists. That does not mean they aren’t ethical, but it does mean they may be naive in how to deal with PR promotions, and when they should disclose relationships with companies. You can say it’s common sense, but if you have spent two decades in journalism in PR, it’s hard to remember the days before you knew how to sort out the flacks from the genuine rep’s.
• (ADDED 8/13); I was reminded via a question from Eden Spodek- Susan made a great point in the podcast: the badge is not so much a signifier to PR people that the blogger is ethical, but a reminder for the bloggers about their own values. We don;t need badges, unless we do.

We in PR are defensive, used to getting attacked because of bad practices and the unethical few (this didn’t start with bloggers, by the way). It’s nice to think that a move to  “ethical” blogging, and even a break from PR, is not an attack no our industry, but a way to educate bloggers and rally the community behind ethics and common sense.

By the way, I signed the petition, and sport the “Blog with Integrity” badge. Not that I get pitched often (don’t get any ideas).

Scoble Declares Twankruptcy

Let’s set aside for a moment the fact that some words shouldn’t be “Twitterized with a “tw” in front; by “twankruptcy” I am talking to something akin to “RSS bankruptcy” or “inbox bankruptcy” where people xapp all their unread items because there are simply too many. Well, Robert Scoble did that to this 100,000-plus followers on Twitter this week.

Why? reading the stream became unworkable. too much spam, too much “who cares?” My numbers are nowhere near Scoble’s, but I can sympathize. I’m just not sure i want to drop the people I actually I care to follow and rebuild from scratch. It’s a choice- I didn’t see too much of an uproar, probably because Twitter went down the day he announced it.

That’s Right, Twitter Went down So Fast That the Fail Whale Slept Through It
Apparently, the denial-of-serivce of attack that brought down Twitter and affected Facebook, LiveJournal and other sites was politically motivated (no, I don’t understand it and won’t try). what was interesting to me was that frequent Twitter outages seemed to be a thing of the past- the last time I really had a problem I think I went to Jaiku or Pownce for my conversations. This time, people piled onto Facebook, and some to Friendfeed. Others enjoyed human company and fresh air.

If Stanley Bing knew what “PWNed” meant he could say he did it to Jeff Jarvis
In short, he took apart Jarvis’ argument that the “press release is dead” and that no journalists use them. Not so. And PR people, perhaps to Bing’s expected horror, are thanking him for coming to their defense.

Who Owns the Word Tweet-Up?
Seems some people were cheesed off that the Phoenix PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) chapter held a meeting for members that charged admission and called it a “Tweetup.” What? Outrage! Or, so what? “Tweetup” only signifies Twitter. People applying rules to things that have no rules need to step back a a bit. If there is a real problem here, maybe it’s some PRSA chapters could have more free events. But this made-up flapdoodle reeks of the old “it’s not a blog/yes it is” battles. Whatever.

The Wall Street Journal Has Changed Its Embargo Policy

According to paidcontent.org, “it will not accept embargoes for stories, but will take exclusives if handed to them.” I’m not sure that’s much different than the way intelligent PR people handled handled the Journal anyway, is it? Jeremy Pepper had (I think) a similar reaction. Hey, at least overreaction to non-news gives me material.

What the F**k is Social Media (One Year Later):
Last year at Podcamp Boston 3, the irrepressible Marta Kagan co-presented a presentation called “What the F**k is Social Media?” Now, she has updated it- it’s an entertaining slide deck that manages to put across some compelling statistics about social media, some simple advice about why and matters and how we might consider it- and manages to keep the original cheeky and irreverent style (though many of us are thankful for the “**” in the title

So What is PR Anyway? (One Week Later):
Last week, I wondered aloud how we are going to finally define pr, because nobody (I’m looking at you, http://prsa.org”>PRSA- what’s with this long-winded definition?) has adequately defined it in a way that will keep people from portraying us as blood-sucking, name-dropping flacks– or worse, “publicists.” Aerial Ellis, on PitchEngine, picks up on the inadequacy of the term publicist, and knows that there is more to PR than that sleazy connotation. I’ll think some more- if someone doesn’t start a good working definition, maybe I’ll get something going.

UPDATE: Judy Gombita pointed me to a pretty good, brief, definition of public relations via her blog post: the definition was the result of a collaboration, seen at the “Defining Public Relations” wiki. Read here and give your opinion: does it work? I’m still digesting it. (The CPRS, Canadian PR Society, adopted it this year):

Public relations is the strategic management of relationships between an organization and its diverse publics, through the use of communication, to achieve mutual understanding, realize organizational goals, and serve the public interest.

Mom-Blogger Calls for One-Week PR Boycott:
A post on the mom-blogger community MomDot calls for a one-week PR boycott. It smells to me less of an anti-PR rant (though I am sure many will have seen it that way), but more off a weariness of product pitches. If mom-bloggers indeed need to step back and take a break, go for it. If other mom-bloggers agree that it’s not necessary, they won;t do it. it’s all cool. But if you do it, let us know which week (it’s not specified in the post) The boycott is suggested for August 10-16, which doesn’t work for me. I would like to coordinate it with my vacation, if possible. Thanks.

PR Agency Facebook Fan Pages:

Susan Getgood had one of the better reactions to the Mom-blogger boycott story. In the same post, she says how she doesn’t mind the concept of PR Agency Fan Pages on Facebook. Thanks, Susan. At the same time, personal-brand-in-denial Geoff Livingston (how I kid, Geoff!) is ranting against such fan pages. Valid points– self-promotional back-slapping and in-your-face “we’re great”-ness is interesting to nobody. But, as PR agencies, we also need to know how to use these tools. For the record, SHIFT Communications has started adding content to our fan page. Feel free to join up!

Airing Twitter’s (Dirty?) Laundry via TechCrunch:
The flapdoodle over Twitter’s private documents that were stolen and given to TechCrunch has been interesting to watch. Why? Well for me:

• It has launched a great discussion (such as in Shel Holtz’s blog) about journalistic ethics– have they changed? Do these documents pass some sort of “public interest” smell test in order to be published?
• It is a further lesson to companies and PR people that, whatever “journalistic ethics” are officially, TechCrunch will run by its own definition. The fair part of it is that TechCrunch’s editorial chiefs don’t exactly hide their ambition.
• Admit it– you’re curious what those documents say– you ‘re only afraid they might be disappointingly boring.

The most recent flap about what PR is, stemming from the July 5 “Spinning the Web” New York Times story, still bothers me somehow.

Why? I think I have already nailed the idea that the article only portrayed a small slice of what PR is, a part that makes me pretty uncomfortable when it is decoupled from other tactics and more strategic input. But so what? Move on, right?

What I thought was missing from my response and many others was corrective action. There is no definition of PR that enough people agree on. There are too many simplistic and even negative stories out there.

We are great at talking amongst ourselves (isn’t that what I’m doing here?), shouldn’t we make a concerted effort to talk- as a group- to the outside world? Should it be PRSA, or a separate group of leaders?

Do we need to get messaging right first? Yes. Maybe I- and others- should try to define PR once and for all and go for it.

Lots of questions. Asking out loud, I hope we can start making answers.

Audio Post:

How to Get Blog Traffic Without Really Trying:

I often refer to this blog- along with my other social media ventures- as a lab. I want to see what works, what people like, what gets you to read, respond and interact. Lately, I have had three instances that showed working methods of driving traffic to this blog, and for the most part I didn’t really try;

• Include a link in a comment on a mainstream media article: OK< for this one I did try-- I purposely included a link to a relevant blog post in a comment I left on a Boston.com (Boston Globe) article about the “Crack o’ Dawn” cycling club.
  When a mainstream media news site lets you leave links in comments (I reckon many still don’t even have links in their main stories- tsk, tsk), it turns out to be a good place to generate looks for your own site. For me, I had run into the same group of riders and had some video on a recent blog post, so was able to offer something relevant (not spammy, which of course is a no-no). I got steady traffic from that source for several days.
• Predict the death of a major celebrity: Two years ago, i wrote a post titled “Michael Jackson is Dead.” It was not about the King of Pop but rather about the quite-famous-in-his-own-right writer of the authoritative guide to scotch whiskeys. Frankly, he deserved the headline as much as Jacko does. Two years later, the performer Michael Jackson dies, and my post turns up in search engines, causing a huge, temporary and amusing traffic spike. Useful, maybe not. But an interesting look into the psyche of search.



• Have an authoritative Internet guru accidentally link to your post. When Cluetrain Manifesto co-author David Weinberger tried to link on Twitter to the “United Breaks Guitars” video that was just beginning to get attention via YouTube, a typo in the URL shortener he was using ended up leading his readers to, of all places, my blog. Actually it was a pretty good post about public relations from a year or so ago. Another traffic spike, which through coincidence and nothing else ended up sending some a ton of potentially relevant traffic my way. Thanks, David! And thanks for the tip on the video too.

  

Speaking of United Breaks Guitars, here is the video– it’s very well done, and a great way for someone with the means to get the upper hand against horrible customer service. From what I understand, United responded well, but a real response would be for customer service to prevent these kinds of reactions from happening in the first place. I won’t acknowledge applause for United liking the video. That’s not enough.

While I’m at it, here’s a statement Dave Carroll posted after United’s reaction. It’s only fair:

That’s not five, but it’s what I got for now

Rockstars of Social CRM- in Pictures!:

I blogged about my side impressions from this event early in the week, but Warren Sukernik put together these entertaining slides that give the perspective of someone who joined the event via Webinar:

Are We Setting Up Young PR pros for Failure?
I have wondered aloud– with help of some PR professors about the state of PR education in colleges, and whether students are getting the education in newer communication methods– the answer, I think, is that there has been a lot of progress between now and a few years ago. David Mullen, in his article, takes a different tack; he wonders if young PR pros are being tagged as “social media experts” due to their Gen-Y credentials, and being given the keys to social media programs. Is this really happening? I don;t for example, feel that we do that at SHIFT communications, where I work. Are they being given the experienced management and strategic support they need to help their teams succeed? David seems pessimistic. I’d like to hear more.

*UPDATE* Karen Russell, who teaches PR at the University of Georgia, weighed in with her take.

…And a Partridge in a Pear Tree(?):
While self-brainstorming this week (ok, that sounds wrong somehow), I searched on the phrase “elements of a social media program.” The results I got made me chuckle. They included:

• Five Essential Elements
• Six Successful Elements
• Seven Critical Elements
• Forty Key Elements
• Oh- and Ten tips

There is no shortage of advice, is there?

Something in the Air:
I happened upon friend Colin Browning of New Marketing Labs at a Tweetup (Twitter meetup) during the Enterprise 2.0 conference here in Boston, and he corralled me for this Friday Funnies video now up at his Constructing Social blog. I think I did a good job keeping my composure.

Girl Dies While Tweeting:
No, it’s “Girl Dies While Using an Electrical Appliance in the Bathtub.” I’m sure there are plenty of things we can blame Twitter (or Facebook, or blogs) for. This isn’t one of them.