INK PUBLIC RELATIONS

We started working for a small start-up out of Palm Beach, Florida, around this time three years ago.  It was a small company with a small device, but one with huge executive experience, personality and ideas. At first, it was hard to grasp how big this would be and how fast it would take off, but the founder knew from the beginning. They would offer high-quality local and long distance service to millions of consumers for $20 a year. This little company created the magicJack. Sound familiar? I hope you’ve heard about them from reading some of the fantastic print coverage they’ve received: Walt’s column in the Wall Street Journal , or any number of reviews from outlets like New York Times, AP, PC Magazine, Good Housekeeping, ABC News, Rachael Ray and The Early Show. All of these gave honest reviews that showed that this device wasn’t too good to be true – it works and it saves you money. It could also be that you watch TV and have seen their informercials and commercials – a very aggressive and successful campaign by anyone’s standards. Hopefully, you’re one of their 6.5 million customers and enjoying a low-cost calling option.

Last month marked an exciting new stage for the company.  magicJack’s parent company YMAX merged with VOIP pioneer VocalTec, an Israeli-based company traded on the NASDAQ.  Overnight, YMAX became VocalTec and began trading under the NASDAQ symbol CALL.  At the same time, they discussed new ways consumers will be able to experience the company’s voice service, such as on your mobile phone via a femtocell solution and through mobile apps.  It’s a new era for the company and one we are excited to participate in!

This morning, Wilson Rothman, features editor for Gizmodo, was interviewed by NPR’s Renee Montagne about cloud computing and how Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others protect their customers’ online information. Pretty complex stuff, but Wilson nailed it. At INK, we do a lot of spokesperson training and a ton of messaging work to make complex technology easier to understand. We tell clients to know their audience, delete their database of knowledge, use examples, personal stories and numbers to illustrate the point and simplify the message. Wilson did all of this in an impressive interview that I will use as a “what TO DO” example in the future. Here are a few of the highlights. You can listen to the full interview here.

Can we begin with a definition of cloud computing? Cloud computing is the computing that happens on the Internet rather than on your computer.  A good example would be back in the day when we wanted to get on AOL, we had to load a bunch of software onto our computers. Now when we want to get on Facebook, we just open a web browser and Facebook is there. That’s the computer vs. the cloud right there.

With one’s personal data, if it’s not inside your own computer, it seems that you’re somewhat at the mercy of whatever cloud computing service you’re using to safeguard you’re privacy and even the security of that information. Absolutely, but the flip side is they’re better at keeping your data than you are. People at home lose data all the time.  I was shocked the other day, I heard a statistic that 5% of Americans use an extra hard drive to back up their computer. And hard drives die all the time, I had one die last Friday.

Even the best companies can’t stop hackers. The most high profile example that we’ve heard about lately was probably with Google.  It had some of its software code stolen and later said what was stolen was a code to the company’s global password  system. Now. . Doesn’t it suggest what could happen? I think the best analogy to that is that there’s a difference from stealing the blueprints to the castle and stealing the keys to the castle. You can look at a blueprint until your head spins, you still might not be able to figure out a way in.  As far as I know, user passwords were not stolen.  That would be the bad thing.

Since increasingly cloud computing is transforming the way we put data on the computer, whether at work or at home, do you have tips? The key to this whole thing is the password.  I dug up some numbers that are kind of startling. A hacker can use software to decode a four character password in one and a half minutes but if the password is eight characters, it would take two centuries.  Those extra four characters geometrically expand the difficulty of decrypting the password to a degree that the hacker wouldn’t even bother.

In public relations and as a company spokesperson, there are few things more disappointing than having a fantastic interview with a key reporter and then having the story come out without any mention of the source or company. This can happen to the most impressive experts, and sometimes they are in fact the most susceptible because they take it on themselves to educate the reporter. We take great time and pride in counseling our clients on how to provide more than background information for a story and, while nothing is ever guaranteed, how to increase their chances of being quoted and mentioned prominently in every story.

This is no grand conspiracy on the media.  This is about delivering what reporters need to do their jobs well.  We must offer up not just information, but interesting, colorful, attention-grabbing and sometimes controversial stories, examples, opinions and comments for their articles.  Every great storyteller does this instinctively.  Many people understand this for personal interactions, but then tone down the personality and enthusiasm in a business setting, especially an uncomfortable media interview.  In order to combat this natural tendency and increase our clients’ chances of being quoted and referenced, we recommend planning ahead on not just what you’re going to say, but how you’re going to say it.

A few tactics we have found to work include using bold action words and absolutes to pump up your statements.  It seems obvious, but it’s something you have to plan for in how you describe your product or service.  Think of more descriptive and unexpected ways of making your point.  Using personal anecdotes and references can bring a product demonstration or nugget of information to life.  Did you use the device to solve a problem in your life?  Did your four-year-old daughter recently try it out?  Did you hear about that while having lunch at the local burger joint in town?  Also, as corny as it may seem, clichés can work to quickly convey or stress a message.  And of course, the holy grail of interviewing is finding the perfect analogy.  It has to be simple or forget it.

So while great background information will make someone an invaluable resource to journalists, it’s the colorful statements that enhance a story and that the journalists can’t make up (or find through research) themselves that find their way into quotes.  By preparing that level of message in advance, you’ll be more than just a good interview, you’ll be someone they know to go to for great quotes – just make sure that quote is in YOUR best interest too!

After working with ACCIONA Energy over the last year, I was thrilled to be able to visit my first wind farm.  Of course, I’ve seen turbines spinning in the distance in Texas and I’ve written descriptions of how they work and sent pictures of other ACCIONA wind farms like Tatanka to trade and local media.  But I’d never walked right up underneath one and I’d certainly never been inside a turbine.  I’d also never been to Oklahoma, even after living my whole life in a neighboring state and talking a lot of smack about OU.

INKer Blair Poloskey (Oklahoma-born I might add) and I flew up to Oklahoma City and drove the nearly two hours out to Elk City in the Western part of the state where the wind blows strong and the oil and gas culture is welcoming this new and plentiful energy resource with open arms. ACCIONA’s Red Hills Wind Farm – which would be formally dedicated the next day — is located in Roger Mills and Custer Counties on nearly 5,000 acres.  The 82 turbines that make up the farm create enough clean energy to power 40,000 homes and offset 294K tons of C02 emissions annually.  ACCIONA’s VP of Development in the Central Region Tom Hiester, who spoke later in the week at Oklahoma’s Wind Commerce conference (note: we are doing a series of excerpts from this speech on the new ACCIONA NA – Take Action! Facebook fan page, called Oklahoma the “mother lode” of wind energy.  If DOE estimates are correct, Oklahoma has the potential to produce 725 billion kWh/year from wind which would surpass the oil and natural gas production of Oklahoma (oil is 60 million barrels per year; natural gas is 275 million barrels of oil equivalent per year).  This is more energy than Oklahoma can consume, creating a new export product for the state and one that may be in high demand by the Southeast US if a national RES (renewable energy standard) is passed.  How do they reach that potential? Tom says supporting national legislation to enforce an RES and significant investment in transmission lines are critical.

The Red Hills dedication festivities included an address from speakers like ACCIONA CEO Peter Duprey and  Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Shirley, an annual scholarship award of $5000 to the local school district, a great BBQ lunch and an open house for the public that involved bus tours of the wind farm and games and crafts for kids on wind energy from a great organization called KidWind.  After local media had completed interviews and left the event, Blair and I hopped one of the first buses and explored the truly beautiful wind farm. We went inside the turbine which includes control equipment and a lift to take employees (unfortunately not us) to the top of the turbine. As you can see from this picture, the turbines are truly magnificent, especially when you look straight up at them.  I felt the same kind of awe that I experienced when visiting the Redwoods in California.  These are beautiful, but huge structures.

The weather certainly could have been better but all in all it was a great day.  In the midst of snatching chairs out of the rain and stomping around in puddles, the Red Hills dedication event did just what it needed to do: thank the landowners, state and local government and overall community for their support and enthusiasm, and motivate the people of Oklahoma to continue to embrace wind energy in the state.  The dedication ceremony was followed by an impromptu duet of “Oklahoma,” the state song from the well-known musical, performed by none other than the local state representative Purcy Walker.  Go Oklahoma!  I never thought I’d say that.

In the five and a half years of INK’s existence, we’ve been fortunate to land many clients from all around the country and world, in a range of industries.  The vast majority of those companies came to us via other clients’ referrals – something we’re very proud of – but many also found and selected us based on our specific expertise (in wireless technology, for example), our approach to client service, how we present ourselves on our website, or even our inclusion in local/industry lists, awards and organizations.  We’ve redesigned our web site twice to keep it fresh and while our primary values and approach have remained the same, we’ve infused it with more personality, added experience and new perspectives over the years because we believe these aspects of our company are important to existing and prospective clients.  We’ve also all individually built our social media networks in order to reach new people, learn fresh ideas, and network with various industries – including our own.  We are not unique in this multi-channel approach and with all this information, how do companies choose their vendors these days? Once you’ve determined that a few companies can do or appear to be able to do the job, what is prioritized next?  Service?  Awards? Media coverage? Social media presence? Personality? Experience? All of the above?

We’re interested in this not just for ourselves, but for clients as well.  What features and methods should be prioritized in their communications strategies?  We’re doing a quick Twtpoll to get an idea. If you have 10 seconds, please fill it out.  I’ll post the results later this week.  Thanks!

I think the best April Fool’s joke I’ve ever been a part of was played on my boss at the PR agency I worked for before starting INK.   During a particularly stressful time at the office – although that should not differentiate that week from any other – we all filed into our boss’ office, one by one, with different stories of why we were leaving or needing extended time off.  Business school, pregnancy, competitive offers, even an incurable eye twitch that was said to be brought on by too much time staring at a laptop (that one was true).  By the end of the parade, our boss was on the phone with corporate in a panic.  It was mean, but very funny.  It was probably my favorite because it’s the only one I’ve ever been able to pull off without blowing it.

Share your favorite April Fool’s story or better yet, go play a joke now and then report back here.  Or tweet your stories at #INKFool and we’ll share the best ones here.