meg m roberts

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Saturday night, two of my girlfriends and I went to see the newly released workplace comedy, Morning Glory.  All three of us are in our early twenties.  Right after college graduation, we moved to Washington, DC to pursue our professional dreams. Since arriving in DC, we have worked tirelessly to excel in our careers.

Halfway through Morning Glory, my friend Laurie leaned over and whispered, “I feel like I’m watching our lives.”

The film follows hard-working - and slightly but endearingly awkward - television producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) as she attemps to revitalize a tanking national morning news program. (Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are phenomenal, and often hilarious, in their roles as the show’s two anchors.) We watch as Becky gives her life over to her work - rarely sleeping, glued to her smart phone, etc.

It goes without saying that the three of us sitting in that theater could easily relate to Becky as she struggles to find some sort of work/life balance, which can be a difficult challenge for some. 

When I found myself losing sight of that balance, I forced myself to make a list of my priorities and to set aside time each week for these activities.  I try to take my upcoming work schedule into consideration - if it’s going to be a crazy week, maybe some things on my list get less time, but I know I should make it up when the job is less busy.

This little system works for me and has helped me be even more focused while at work, increasing my productivity. 

What has worked for you when you try to find some work/life balance?

Oh, and go see Morning Glory.  It’s awesome.

Here in my office, we have ESPN on all day due to the number of sports clients we have.  Needless to say, with my prime seat directly in front of the TV, I tend to memorize the Sports Center line-up, catching brief mentions of various highlights from the week.

Yesterday, one headline caught my eye.  It referenced the Boston Celtics (I’m a huge Boston sports fan) and Twitter.  Given my interest in social media, I was intrigued.  A quick Google search pulled back all the information I needed:

During a game, Kevin Garnett fired off some trash talk to a player on the opposing team.  Several hours after the game, the player - Charlie Villanueva - posted what was said on the court to his Twitter account, which has more than 118,000 followers.  Unfortunately, the trash talk involved a sensitive subject for many - cancer.  No one knows exactly what was said, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers has taken a pointed stance:

“I don’t like the whole tweeting thing,” he said in a press conference. “I’m going to state that as well. Guys talk on the court. It doesn’t mean they should or shouldn’t. The fact that we’re talking about this, it’s just silly. It really is. We had a hell of a game (Tuesday) and we should be talking about basketball.”

I have to agree with Doc on this one, and I think there’s a valuable reminder in here for communications professionals: Be careful what you say in person, especially when you’re upset - it might get Tweeted (or blogged or Facebooked or YouTubed…).

With the instantaneous nature of social media, negativity can be passed along quickly, resulting in difficult-to-control firestorms. Rather than finding you or your client in that position, be cautious of what you say to others (and how you say it), because, nothing is all that private anymore. 

Even trash talk.

• The Agency of the Future by Mitch Joel (Joel shares what he thinks agencies of the future will look like based on trends in communications, advertising, and PR)
• Memo to Malcolm Gladwell: Nice Hair, But You Are Wrong by Mathew Ingram in the New York Times (Ingram’s take on Gladwell’s essay that the “revolution will not be Tweeted” and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone’s response.) 
• Lee Odden’s Social Media Marketing Checklist
• Can’t We All Just Get Along — Good Reporters Keep Their PR Contacts Close by Manny Otiko (Good tips for media relations in here, especially if you read it from a PR perspective on how you can assist journalists in nontraditional ways.)
• It’s Just a Phone by Mikinzie Stuart (Some great advice to use when pitching via the phone.)
• Mistake Math - Why We’re Valuing Facebook Fans All Wrong by Jay Baer (“The goal isn’t to be good at Facebook. The goal is to be good at business because of Facebook.”)

You can follow along with my bookmarks in real time over on Delicious: http://www.delicious.com/megmroberts/.

Ahh, think it’s okay to send this to clients? :)

(image credit: Jessica Hische)

This weekend, I’m venturing into the District to take in Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.”  I’ve stocked up on all the essentials: tortilla chips, fruit snacks, beef jerky, Gatorade, batteries for Catch Phrase, and a deck of cards.  You know, usual fare for a mock political rally.

But, what kind of self-proclaimed social media nerd would I be if I didn’t take a deeper dive into the digital components Stewart/Colbert used to build awareness for tomorrow’s rally? After all, social media is how the whole event came to be a reality.

Organizing the Movement via Social Media

A little over a month ago, Reddit.com user mrsammercer shared a dream he had where Colbert hosted a rally in response to Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor march. The post became wildly popular and within days a Facebook group and website were created to mobilize supporters in hopes Colbert would agree to host the rally.

Reddit users joined forces, and in just one day, donated more than $100,000 to DonorChoose.org, the charity Colbert serves as a board member.  Colbert took notice, recognizing the online community’s efforts on his nationally televised show. 

In mid-September, the social media movement proved successful when both Stewart and Colbert announced they would host rallies in Washington, D.C.

Building Awareness for the Event Online

When you think about it, Stewart and Colbert’s rallies have gained furious momentum in just 30 days.  Granted, the popularity of these two combined with nationally televised programming reaching millions of viewers certainly helped promote the cause. However, social media certainly played a role in maintaining excitement, spreading information, and building even more awareness (I learned about the news from a friend’s Facebook status).

Both Colbert and Stewart’s camps have made good use of Twitter as well as created websites.  I particularly enjoy the Sanity site’s “Sane or Not” application, enabling people to upload posters they have made to see whether they are, in fact, “sane.” 

Maybe even more compelling than the websites is the support from MeetUp.com the joint rallies have received.  According to the Rally4Sanity and March4Fear branded-site on MeetUp, neither Colbert nor Steward have officially endorsed this relationship, but both hosts’ websites link to it. While I can’t say for sure if this is a confirmed partnership, the concept is remarkable because it allows people around the world who can’t descend upon the District to still take part in the event.  

Bringing the Online World Offline

When the rallies happen tomorrow, many who have been following along online will end up in the same place… offline either on the National Mall in DC or at local MeetUps around the country.  The social media efforts don’t stop the day of the rally, though.  There are several initiatives happening Saturday for attendees and those who can’t attend including:

• Uncensored livestreams on ComedyCentral.com, DailyShow.com, and ColbertNation.com (all of which will work on mobile devices, too)
• Foursquare badges for those who check-in on the social network while at the rally (you can choose either Sanity or Fear versions)
• Live-tweeting via the Twitter handle, with individuals encouraged to use the #rally4sanity or #keepfearalive hashtags)
• iPhone/iTouch mobile application that has maps, connections to social networks, and special greetings from the hosts

Needless to say, I am highly anticipating tomorrow to see how everything plays out. 

Now, I better upload my slogan to make sure it’s sane enough…

(image credit: xkcd)

As an athlete, I admire Lance Armstrong and all that he’s accomplished in cycling.  As a person, I admire Lance Armstrong for establishing the Livestrong Foundation and all it has accomplished for those affected by cancer.  As a social media nerd, I admire the Livestrong Team for creating and maintaining an excellent online presence with a truly engaged community… that helps the foundation accomplish its goals.  

Livestrong and Lance.  You’d be hard-pressed to find an American who hasn’t heard of them, who hasn’t seen (or worn!) one of those iconic yellow bands that symbolizes the Livestrong concept.

If you’re active in social media, you’ve most likely noticed the interactive Twitter pages or regularly updated, informative official blog or noticed the foundation’s involvement in social movements such as #beatcancer and Movember.

Needless to say, when it comes to social, Livestrong has nailed it for one main reason: they use social media tools as part of a broader strategy that aligns with the organization’s goal – to fight to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Each tactic, each smaller campaign works toward this goal. 

If you’re interested in reading more about Livestrong’s social media and communications activities, I recommend these Fast Company articles:

• Meet Livestrong CEO Doug Ulman, the Most Savvy Health Care Leader in Social Media
• How the Lance Armstrong Foundation Became Livestrong
• Dispatch From a Livestrong Rally: Insult Cancer, Ride with Lance Armstrong, Grow a Mo

What organizations have impressed you with their digital efforts?

**Also, apologies if you saw some random post that made no sense this morning. I’m learning how Tumblr works, and now know to never put anything into the “queue” without finalizing it yet. :)

I find link round-ups very valuable, especially when people I respect take the time to compile a list of articles and posts that caught their eye throughout the week.  It exposes me to new ideas, new blogs, and keeps my reading from becoming stale.

I’d like to do the same here as frequently as possible, hence why I’m starting a new feature called “What I Bookmarked.” (I know - it’s a very exciting title).  So, here is what I bookmarked last week:

• Will BlogDash Transform Blogger Outreach? by Arik Hanson (An upcoming tool called BlogDash could make digital PR efforts easier and more effective) 
• Five Leadership Lessons From The Lion Launch by E.B. Boyd in Fast Company (How this author believes Apple continues to lead the tech industry, with examples pulled directly from the “Lion” OS launch)
• Are You Ready For A Crisis? by Matt Wilson on Ragan (Good tips for how to conduct crisis communications)
• Four Geolocation Trends To Watch by Andrew Foote at Edelman Digital (Geolocation is hot among marketers and comms pros right now, but what can we expect in the near future?)
• Einstein Bagels And Their Facebook Campaign by Gini Dietrich (Q&A with Einstein regarding the Facebook campaign, developing a fan base, and ROI)

You can follow along with my bookmarks in real time over on Delicious: http://www.delicious.com/megmroberts/.

Yep, I’m still talking about the November issue of GQ featuring some scantily-clad Glee starlets.  Last week, Kelly Ahern shared her thoughts about the issue in a detailed post on Little Pink Book. 

Here is the comment I left on the post:

“I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about the GQ spread, not because of the controversy it created, but wondering how it could represent a shift in marketing for “Glee.” 

When the show came out last year, it seemed that the marketing targeted families and teens. I recall my mom telling me she loved watching the show with my younger brother (aged 14) becasue it opened up the opportunity for dialogue about challenging subjects in a smart, tasteful way. 

It’s no secret this season’s content is a bit different and the writers seem to be catering to the teen/young adult crowd rather than families. (I mean, it did mention “scissoring” at 8:05pm.) Maybe the GQ spread is part of a broader push to engage a more mature, though less familial, audience.”

So, no, I don’t think the magazine spread was a PR stunt, but I think it did play into the show’s PR regarding who is actually the intended audience.  Thoughts?

Shifts in thinking are happening among social media marketers.  It’s not a massive shift by any means, but it appears that more communicators are beginning to address the issue that has been the white elephant in the room: does social media actually work for brands?

It began when I saw Bob Hoffman’s AdWeek article called “Digital Dream World.” (If you haven’t read it yet, please do - I can wait for your return.) Then, a couple  days later Paul Sutton posted an incredibly well-written piece on the Psychology of Facebook and why it’s imperative for businesses to understand. While researching for this post, I discovered Forbes spoke with a marketing professor in Harvard’s Business School about this same topic - how effective are social media platforms in connecting businesses with consumers?

If you are a PR professional and/or a social media marketer, it’s important to be aware of articles like these for a couple of reasons:

1. Clients/upper management are reading them, too. They might begin to form doubts about these programs’ effectiveness. Be prepared to speak to the concepts mentioned intelligently, honestly, and strategically. 
2. Don’t get down on what you do if you are doing social right.  Social media should be part of an ever-growing toolbox that can build communications programs.  Just like all other communications tactics, there needs to be research done and a reason why these tools make sense.
3. Make sure you have a clearly defined strategy for social media and how it fits into broader communications plans.  Who is the targeted audience? What is the goal? What defines success?

In my opinion, these articles aren’t saying social media initiatives are worthless for brands.  They do provide a different outlook for those of us who may have drank a bit too much of the social Kool-aid. In sharing a different outlook than what I’m used to seeing pop up in my Google Reader or Twitter stream, the authors forced me to shift my own thinking regarding social media marketing. 

My biggest takeaway should be common sense, but it’s always nice to have a reminder: effective social media campaigns require significant research and strategic approaches.  

(image credit: The Real 100)