Emerging West - A blog about public relations, social media, Denver, Boulder

If you see a dozen copies of today’s Denver Post at our receptionist desk, that’s because we’re eager to share some great news with everyone.

The Post’s Sheba R. Wheeler wrote a great story about our new building in today’s edition, and we’re pleased as punch about it. The story is about the historic Rocky Mountain Seed Company building, the transformation it underwent over the past year and the great office space that resulted from it.

Please check the article out. There are a couple great photos, too (taken by Cyrus McCrimmon). We’re happy to give tours, so drop by sometime soon!

As Denver begins its celebration of Arts Week (Nov. 14-22) with more than 150 events in nearly six art districts, we’re happy to be a new star in this arts constellation.

Our move to the Rocky Mountain Seed Company building is now 98% complete. Being in our own building in LoDo is a very special development in our history. I like to think that we have helped make this little section of the world a little brighter with the design and completion of this renovation.

Our collection of folk art and craft keeps us thinking creatively and enlivens our office in a way that contributes to the vitality of lower downtown Denver. Here’s a sampling of the art that fills the nooks and crannies of our office:

We’d be happy to show you around so you can see our art in person.  Just give us a call at 303-623-3366 and we’ll arrange a tour of our entire building.

Today is PRSA Colorado’s Member Retreat, a daylong event in Denver for public relations professionals to “retreat from work-as-usual and spend one day investing in your career,” according to the website.

Featured speakers include Janet Eden-Harris (J.D. Power and Associates) and Dave Taylor (author, blogger).

There are also seven breakout sessions on topics like international media relations, leadership development and social media. Attendees can select three of the seven to attend, so I’ve got some decisions to make.

JohnstonWells is a chapter sponsor, so you’ll be seeing quite a few of us there. I’ll also be liveblogging the entire day, so check back for updates and highlights from the retreat.

11:18 a.m.
Event has started. Bread has been served. Janet Eden-Harris is on stage.

“PR’s function has really led the way in social media.”

11:28 a.m.
On surveys: “Fewer and fewer people are taking them. There’s a pushback.”

11:33 a.m.
On the difference between message boards and blogs. “Message boards are where the experts go. And they tend to be dominated by men.”

11:44 a.m.
On the growth of online discussions about sustainability and green thinking. “You don’t often see conversations that seem to rise and rise and rise. This is exceptional. In the past year, we looked through more than 360,000 conversations about sustainability.”

11:55 a.m.
On the difficulty of new product launches: “The most successful product launch of last year? Low-sodium soup.”

12:00 p.m.
“The growth of online marketing will boom because of the need for ROI - social media provides these metrics.”

12:26 p.m.
Breaking for lunch - chicken & pasta. Just had a great conversation about whether the rate of change has been constant across all public relations disciplines - media outreach, crisis communication, events.

12:47 p.m.
Dave Taylor is being introduced. His talk is titled “The Death of Public Relations.” People are a little tense.

12:50 p.m.
Taylor just did a “raise your hand” audit of the room to see who is engaging in social media. “Those of you who didn’t raise your hands are the ones I’m worried about.”

12:56 p.m.
What forever changed public relations? “Watergate. Woodward & Bernstein. The rise of investigative journalism.” Journalists suddenly wanted to find their own stories, not just receive them in a press release.

1:02 p.m.
Dave Taylor is not a fan of the “shotgun approach” to distributing press releases. “Not targeted. At all. Why would I care about this? It’s like putting them under people’s windshields in the parking lot.”

1:08 p.m.
“It is critically important for you to realize that your job is not to generate press releases. It is to create visibility for your clients.”

1:14 p.m.
“A brand is the sum total of all conversations and discussion about the products or services.”

1:22 p.m.
“Findability is about breadcrumbs.” You need to leave a trail for your audiences to find you, because they are searching for you. Make it easier for them to find you. The opposite of Hansel & Gretel.

1:33 p.m.
Key takeaway: “Be highly accessible and believe in everyone: It’s influence, not numbers.”

1:48 p.m.
Chatting with Dave Taylor about Boulder’s tech scene and the great minds that can found among its residents. I am very lucky to live there.

1:57 p.m.
Attending a session entitled “CSU: The Green University.” Mark Minor, VP of public affairs, is speaking about their very successful branding campaign.

2:14 p.m.
Brad Bohlander from CSU is talking now. “I can’t stress this enough. Everything we did was in coordination with the other communication groups on campus. It was a concerted effort.”

2:28 p.m.
Was their campaign very expensive? Bohlander: “When compared to a big advertising blitz, ours was a very cost-conscious approach. And still very successful.”

2:35 p.m.
What things would you have changed? Bohlander: “We would have done even more. We probably waited too long”

Have you seen an increase in applications? Minor: “Yes. Applications are up.”

2:45 p.m.
Just had a great chat with someone about SEO, the feasibility of launching a new search engine and how RSS needs to become standard for everyone.

2:52 p.m.
At a session entitled “Media Pitching: The Heart of the Story.” Speaker is Denis Wolcott, award-winning journalist.

2:57 p.m.
On technology and storytelling: “Some stories just can’t be told in 250 characters on a cell phone.”

3:03 p.m.
“Reporters want to write about people. What are the top web searches about? It’s all about people. The more you get people into a story, the better.”

3:10 p.m.
On making an emotional connection: “How would I tell this story to my grandmother? My teenage daughter and her friends?”

3:20 p.m.
How to tell the story: “Engage not manipulate. This is what you won’t find in a Google search.”

3:31 p.m.
Great Q&A in this session. I asked one about AP style and got a fantastic answer. Denis Wolcott is a national treasure.

3:42 p.m.
Refreshment break. Boylan Creme Soda in a bottle. Very fancy, PRSA…

3:50 p.m.
Last session of the day - “A Webvolution is on the Horizon - What Comes Next?” with Michael Pranikoff of PR Newswire. I’ve got high expectations.

3:55 p.m.
Pranikoff doesn’t believe in Web 3.0 - at all.

4:00 p.m.
“Which is searched more often - digital cameras or digital camera?”

4:01 p.m.
“Digital camera. This kind of information is immensely helpful when selecting your keywords for search.”

4:08 p.m.
“Less than 10% of sites we send releases to will recognize anchor tags. So make sure you have the hard URL spelled out somewhere in the release when you distribute.”

4:19 p.m.
“Video is everywhere today. No matter the story, it can be told via video.”

4:27 p.m.
On mobile usage: “Did you know that last year was the 1st year that text messages outnumbered phone calls made in the U.S.?”

4:30 p.m.
“If I could offer advice to young PR professionals: Learn how to edit video. That’s how stories are going to be told.”

4:35 p.m.
That’s it, folks. Great event and great job, PRSA Colorado. I’m out.

We had a great turnout at our new media seminar yesterday, entitled “Social Media: Control vs. Engagement.” Four panelists, 30 attendees, a brand new building and a versatile topic made for a lively and candid event.

The idea was to put together a panel of diverse experts, all of whom work with social media in different ways, and riff on the topic of engaging audiences online even as companies cede control of their message to the web throng.

James Clark (Room 214) talked about the power of social media and its ability to directly reach customers, instead of relying on analysts. He also discussed the value of instant feedback and how websites must have a pulse if you are directing traffic to them.

Tim Wolters (Collective Intellect) focused on the importance of ROI with social media campaigns so that they can be justified. He also touched on the idea of guiding the conversation around your brand if you can’t exactly control it.

Kayla Wagner (90octane) talked about the growing reality of universal search, the importance and value of SEO (search engine optimization) and the business case for social media campaigns and involvement.

Efrem Rodriguez (JohnstonWells) spoke about how public relations is adapting to the social media landscape, the idea of pervasive availability and why an authentic voice is better than staying “on message” all the time.

Amid the current economic downturn, it’s crucial for companies to look at things differently. In particular, reevaluating their online strategy is a great first step. We hope our attendees (and panelists) learned something from the seminar - there are more to come!

I recently attended the 10th Anniversary meeting of the Council of Public Relations Firms in New York City. The Council is the trade association which represents the top public relations firms in the country. I learned quite a bit from the experience and wanted to share an observation: More public relations firms should take the time to understand the business of their clients – not what they sell but how their business operates.

The keynote speaker for the meeting was David D’Alessandro, previous CEO and chairman of John Hancock Financial Services (he got his start working for a public relations firm). He said that effective public relations counselors need to be good business people first, using public relations to support our clients’ business goals and developing solid strategies to achieve those goals. We’ve long stressed that at JohnstonWells, though sometimes it’s difficult for clients to recognize that what we do is always aimed at helping them achieve their goals. Smart companies listen to what we have to say and consider it as part of their strategic business planning.

That puts a lot a pressure on the public relations person to understand a number of industries and companies at the same time. That’s okay, because when we hire, we look for the smartest people we can find and we learn as much from these people as they learn from us. I often think, “If I ran this company, here’s what I’d do.” And I’ve discovered that it’s rare that a knowledgeable, sophisticated executive doesn’t want this kind of input.

Additionally, D’Alessandro said that every client team member should:

• Know the company’s previous quarter EBITDA.
• Know who serves on its board of directors.
• Be able to think about a strategic acquisition that could help the client achieve its goals.

Of course that applies primarily to publicly-held companies, but in smaller, privately-held companies, knowledge about the business is even more important. All of us in business are looking for advisors who can help make us successful. Smart public relations consultants can fill a part of this need.

We see things differently, and though our thoughts might not always be feasible in the current context (which we should also understand) at least the client knows that we are thinking of solutions for them, not just finding ways to spend their money.

Here are links to some of the other blogs that covered the event:

• The Most Dangerous Ideas About Public Relations - Ad Age
• Guest Post: Council of PR Firms “Critical Issues Forum” - PRNewser
• Big PR Firm Dinosaurs Said to Go Way of General Motors - O’Dwyer’s PR Blog

I came across some new online video stats that I thought everyone would find interesting. Teens and twenty-somethings powered the popularity of sites like YouTube early on. But according to some new stats from Ipsos MediaCT, the number of adults between the ages of 35 and 54 who streamed online video recently has climbed to 60%. That’s an increase from 49% in December last year.

Not only that, but the number of female users is climbing - from 45% last year to 54%. We’ve blogged before on the expanding presence of women online, so these stats are a natural development.

In short, not only are more people in general watching video online, but the audience is getting more diverse.

This is great news for companies that are looking to reach people via these channels. More of our clients have recognized the value of online video, resulting in more project work for our video team (see this example). Sometimes a video can encompass your message so much better than paragraphs. It’s great to know that more and more people will be around to see it.

Email is not something I think about very often. It’s something I use mainly for work, reserving text messages for my social stuff. If I’m writing to a colleague, a client or a media contact, I use email. It’s quick, pre-formatted and even comes with spellcheck.

So I was surprised to read an article on CNN about how dangerous email can be. Not viruses, not phishing - just user error that can result in disaster. Like sending a private photo to a client by accident. Or sending a scathing critique of someone’s work to some colleagues but mistakenly copying that person, too.

According to an email archiving group, 55 billion emails are sent each day (not including spam). That means many opportunities to make an email mistake.

“One click, and suddenly we’d lost a $5 million account,” said one PR pro in the article, describing an episode where his boss accidentally sent an unflattering email to the client, intending to send it to a staffer instead.

Typos are one thing, but the accelerated pace of a PR firm can make you vulnerable to a serious snafu like the ones mentioned above. Professionalism should extend to all company communication. In short, read any email carefully before you click SEND - because $5 million is a lot of money and your reputation is priceless.

Nerd. Geek. Dork. Whatever.

My friend Matt and I have returned from BlizzCon, and it’s safe to say we’re not nearly as nerdy as we thought we were. In fact, we’re not even close. While I will most likely remain the King of Nerd-dom at JohnstonWells (the mere fact that I went to BlizzCon assures that title for the foreseeable future), I am but a lowly peon in the worldwide Kingdom of Nerds.

Proof:

Note: I’m NOT in the video.

Unusual costumes aside, BlizzCon was undeniably cool.  It was a much larger convention than we thought it would be.  It took up three halls in the Anaheim Convention Center, and they sold 15,000 tickets for the event (I’m not sure how many people actually attended).  The place was absolutely packed.

I won’t bore you with the details of all the various things we did at BlizzCon. But here are a couple of interesting WoW-related tidbits:

• During the opening ceremony, Mike Morhaime, the co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, said that World of Warcraft’s 11 million subscribers would make it the 75th most populous country in the world (there are 195 countries according to About.com). That’s pretty amazing if you think about it.  A virtual world with 11 million inhabitants. If you’re interested, there is an article today on Eurogamer.net that says analysts are predicting another one million NEW World of Warcraft subscribers within the next year.
• The common perception is that most MMO gamers are teenage boys.  Not true.  I would say most of the people at BlizzCon were older adults (men and woman) in their late-20s to 40s.  I also saw quite a few families…moms, dads, kids…even a grandma or two. Backing-up what I saw is Nick Yee’s data on MMOs.  According to his research, 43 percent of MMO gamers are aged 18-49 and 19 percent are over 50.
• WoW is big business…and I’m not just talking about subscription fees (11 million x $15/mo…you do the math).  One of the longest lines we saw at BlizzCon was for the Jinx store (we’re talking 1-2 hour waits here, btw).  Jinx was selling a collectible Murloc plush - a big hit at BlizzCon - for $40 each.  Thousands of gamers were lined up with cash ready.  I think it sold out each day as well. For the record, I didn’t buy one (not patient enough to wait in line). If you must have one of these cute little fellas, they are going on eBay for about $200.

If you’ve read our two posts on BlizzCon and want to learn more about MMOs and virtual worlds (and honestly, who wouldn’t?), I suggest the following:

• Visit the virtual worlds section on IncredibleInternet.com for more information about Nick Yee and his research.  You can also visit w00t! to watch his new podcast.
• I also recommend visiting Nick Yee’s website for info on his research about MMOs and virtual worlds.
• If you’re dying to learn more about World of Warcraft, check out WorldofWarcraft.com, WowInsider.com or WowWiki.com.
• And finally, visit Massively.com for a great blog about all MMOs.  World of Warcraft is the most popular, but there are hundreds of other ones out there!

So BlizzCon 2008 comes to an end.  I had a great time, already thinking about next year.  Hope to see you all there!  (yeah, right…)

Lesser geek, out.

Nerd. Geek. Dork. Uber.

After more than five years at JohnstonWells, I’m used to being called all of these things…often. It’s not that people at JohnstonWells are mean (in fact, everyone here is quite friendly). But the truth is, an online-game playin’, TechCrunch readin’, Attack of the Show watchin’ guy is just not common in the PR universe.  But yes, it’s true that I can write a news release, field-strip my laptop (particularly handy after a colleague dumps coffee on it) AND take down Hogger.  All in the same day if need be.

Recently, my ascent to King of Nerd-dom at JohnstonWells was finalized after several particularly clever colleagues found the word BlizzCon blocking off all-day tomorrow on my Outlook calendar. Yes, I am taking tomorrow off and spending hard-earned cash to fly to California to go to something called BlizzCon. Nerd. Geek. Dork.  Remember?

So what is BlizzCon? And why is it relevant to this blog?

BlizzCon is an annual convention put on by Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind the wildy popular Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo gaming franchises.  Their current flagship title is World of Warcraft (WoW for short).  With more than 10 million subscribers, it’s the most popular MMO in the world.  I’ve always been a big fan of Blizzard games, so when BlizzCon tickets went on sale a few months ago, a friend and I decided to snag some and head to Cali to check it out.

In addition to spending some quality time with a few of Blizzard’s upcoming titles, I’m also looking forward to experiencing firsthand the community created by WoW. For almost a year now, JohnstonWells has been researching, analyzing and strategizing virtual worlds for Incredible Internet, a program we helped launch for Qwest back in 2003. Virtual worlds, such as WoW and Second Life, are new forms of entertainment that are changing the way people interact with each other and businesses online.

It’s relatively common for groups of real-world people to meet up in a virtual world. But for the next couple of days, I’ll have the chance to experience the somewhat uncommon event of people from a virtual world meeting up in the real world.

Assuming this strange collision of real and virtual worlds doesn’t create a black hole that destroys the Earth, check back here over the next couple of days. I’ll be blogging about my experiences at Blizzcon and hope to post a few photos as well.

Geek, out.

What is an office but a place to work?

Of course design and layout and the cool factor can affect employee morale but in the end it’s a place for people to come together to accomplish a shared goal.

And yet, if the space and location didn’t matter, we might all work in underground bunkers.

So I’m sitting here today in our street level meeting room – our first day in our new digs at the Rocky Mountain Seed Company building – and buses and cars rumble by and passersby ramble by and a butterfly floats by, and I think, I’m diggin’ this urban vibe!

The Seed Co building – built in 1890 – was occupied for nearly nine decades by a three-generation family operation that – yep, you guessed it – sold seeds. Now, it’s occupied by one of Denver’s largest and longest-standing public relations firms with three generations of employees.

The interior of the building was remodeled with nooks and crannies to showcase our fun and funky 176-piece folk art collection. We’re still getting the art placed piece by piece but what’s up is looking sweeeet! We’re scheduled to have the large pieces up next Monday. Check out the photostream Efrem posted on the blog’s right sidebar.

The new space has been a labor of love of JW founder Gwin Johnston for the past year. She provided direction on the layout, the bright colors of the walls, the cool wood staircase that winds up over the reception area, the new awning that will goes up next week and many other details the rest of us can only marvel at.

We all came in over the weekend and got our own offices in order and hit Monday morning ready for business. We’re still making our way through boxes and crates to get everything in its proper place.

Moving is a major pain, no doubt. But as the dust settles, this move was worth it.