Facebook Phone? No thanks.

A colleague and I chatted this morning about the rumors that Facebook will announce its own Android-powered smartphone this week - "HTC First." My question is, why? This is not what Facebook should be focused on – I don’t know how many reporters, analysts or bloggers need to tell them before they understand. Facebook needs to fix or figure out mobile advertising. Then Facebook can work on other (unnecessary) projects. 


It would make a lot more sense for Facebook to partner with Apple, Android, Samsung, etc. to work for better Facebook integration on those devices, instead of creating their own phone that's going to have tough competition in the market from people who are already loyal to their devices - and not because of its social networking capabilities. Honestly, do you need more Facebook integration on your smartphone? The only thing I could think of is that when you upload iOS pics to Facebook, you can’t tag people. Other than that, I don’t really need more integration - and that's coming from someone who dedicates a significant amount of time to social media. 

As my colleague Jess Payne pointed out, this smartphone leak "could simply be a red herring for what they really plan to roll out on Thursday. Could it be their advertising platform? Personally, I can’t think of a reason to switch from my current phone, and I certainly wouldn’t do it solely for social networking."

Maybe this is something that makes sense for Facebook to focus on down the line, but they have bigger fish to fry for right now. That's my PR thought for the day.Would you switch to a Facebook phone? 

Lessons to Learn from Boston Cab – Do You Have a Crisis Plan In Place?

This is a collaborative post written by Marki Conway and Jason Ouellette, VP of Technology at PAN Communications. This post originally appeared on prSPEAK. 

Sunday’s edition of the Boston Globe began a three-part series of eye-opening investigative journalism into Boston taxis, particularly, into the Boston Cab company. First of all, this is the type of quality journalism that keeps readers coming back, trusting sources and grateful that the media is digging deep to tell the public the stories that need to be heard.

It’s also refreshing to see this type of in-depth reporting in a world of 140-characters and here-and-gone news cycle. It has made such an impact that Boston’s Mayor Menino has ordered a sweeping review into the Boston taxi system – despite the fact that the homepage for Boston Cab’s website proudly displays a photo of Mayor Menino getting into a Boston Cab. This may even be one of those news stories so important, that it actually motivates changes in legislature.

Boston Cab was spotlighted as a company with questionable business practices, mistreating drivers and severely underpaying victims of accidents involving Boston Cabs. And what is Boston Cab doing now that all three stories have been published? Crickets.  Silence. We’ve heard nothing from the company’s lawyers, PR team or the company’s owner - Edward J. Tutunjian. Yes, Tutunjian wrote a letter to Globe reporters prior to the story being published, but he has not yet responded or reacted to the series, which portrays him and the company as soulless and corrupt.

If Boston Cab didn’t have a crisis communications plan yet, they’re kicking themselves now. We’ve been talking about having a crisis communications plan in place from day one since you never know what tomorrow will bring and it should be set up and managed by your external agency or internal communications team. Well, here is some unsolicited advice in how should they be responding.

1. Come clean. First and foremost, they need to tell the truth. There is obvious confusion about the way Boston Cab is operating, with independent contractors and taxi medallions in separate corporations. Time for Tutunjian and his team to come clean and explain the business processes.
2. Apologize. When the company does come clean, it will likely be revealed that some lawsuits or processes were handled improperly, and fessing up doesn’t mean the job is done. Tutunjian owes the public an apology, perhaps as an open letter to the Boston Globe. With that apology, a kind gesture to some of the victims and their families would go a long way.
3. Advocacy: The series spotlights two groups of Boston Cab constituents who have been allegedly mistreated, due to unjust legislation and insurance requirements. Tutunjian himself has noted that the $20,000 insurance payout requirement for Boston Cab accident victims isn’t adequate, but that by law, it all that he is required to pay. Now is the time for the company and Tutunjian himself to take a stand and fight for more appropriate legislature, laying our plans for what is fair and using cities such at New York  as an example. Tutunjian’s own taxi drivers have also been victims of violent crimes and accidents, for which they have been poorly compensated. A good move now would be to advocate for safer taxi driving regulations that protect both drivers and passengers. This could be a better communications system to the main Boston Cab office, or camera requirements in cars. Whatever it is, Boston Cab has the opportunity to develop this “Safe Driver” plan, advocate for its adoptions and implement it.
4. Rebuild the brand. Next comes major damage control. Boston Cab has a responsibility to the public, its passengers and its drivers. This calls for a major marketing blitz and community engagement. A couple of ideas could include:

• “Get to know Boston Cab” campaign, which uses the advertising slots on top of cabs to profile friendly cab drivers.
• Major donations to a rehab facility where motor vehicle accident victims go once they’re in recovery.
• Sponsoring a tent at the Boston Marathon,  portraying a positive image of Boston Cab in the community
• Engage in their active (and yet to launch) social communities. We live and work in a City that is all about transparency and engagement. Boston Cab should leverage our connected community.
• Posting “Did you know” facts on the interior of Boston Cabs, with fun, positive facts about the company, and safe riding tips

However Boston Cab decides to respond, the silent approach that it is choosing now is not the answer. And if they come out swinging with accusations to drivers, victims and reporters – that won’t work for them either. How would you react if you were part of the Boston Cab communications team?

So, I made myself a PR Pro

Maybe you saw the Dodge commercial on Sunday about God making farmers? Then, if you work in PR, maybe you saw Arik Hanson’s blog post adopting this to how God made PR pros? This is definitely interesting, and it makes us look like hard working, driven, intelligent and extremely busy individuals. And that is definitely true – I’m not arguing that –so thanks for the post, Arik.

What I’m arguing against, however, is that God made PR pros. God didn’t make me a PR professional, I did. I worked hard in undergrad to get into a top PR graduate school. I worked multiple jobs and was an integral part of a University social media research project at a time when the industry was trying to figure it out. I spent all-nighters working in the computer labs on research papers, campaigns, graphic design projects, studying for tests, etc. God didn’t make me do this. I did, because I wanted to succeed. This isn’t about religion, it’s about the fact that in PR, most of us have a work hard/play hard attitude. We’re multi-taskers, doers, thinkers, innovators, writers, early-risers, night owls, social butterflies and so forth. So, Arik – here’s my respectful rebut.

So, I made myself a PR pro, by never quitting, working hard and knowing when it’s time to rest.  

I said, “I really don’t want to wake up at 4 a.m., how about I snooze until 5 a.m.? Great, and then I’ll go for a run, and sign on to my computer from home. I’ll check my Google Alerts, send over the morning’s coverage to my clients, head to the suburbs for a client meeting to present updated messaging to their executive team, head in to the office by 11:30, scan additional news, Tweet out client coverage, spend my lunch drafting this blog post, call my beat reporters, set up pre-briefs for news on a client’s big customer win, write the briefing materials, make sure my managers/VPs have the monthly metrics, draft a press release, check my LinkedIn groups for comment opportunities, draft a byline, moderate a media interview with Forbes, fill in my daily time sheets, check out with managers, head over to the Mobile Monday start-up event, mingle with investors and new business prospects, get home by 10 p.m., respond to any pending emails, go to bed and do it all over again the next day.” I did this because I wanted to, not because of some calling from a higher power. 

So, I made myself a PR pro by pushing limits and exceeding expectations.

I said, “I need to sit in this meeting with Vice Presidents and the entire client team, listen to their recommendations, offer creative ideas for new campaigns, talk about metrics, and then, when my VP asks me to pull off the near-impossible in just two quarters, tell her that I’ll do it in one.”

So, I made myself a PR pro by being confident enough to challenge the norm and offer advice to leadership, but humble enough to learn from anyone who has lessons to offer.

I said, “ I need to analyze these Cision metrics and Google Analytics and explain to clients why what they’re doing isn’t working and what can work. I need to step up when that client asks for a release turned around in 15 minutes, or when there is breaking industry news and my client wants to be the first to respond about it. I need to mentor interns and younger staff, while learning and taking advice from my more veteran colleagues. I need to respect my clients while offering realistic guidance. Sometimes, I need to vent about things, but I can’t complain.”

So, I made myself a PR pro because I learned how to weed out the important from the trivial, and that true success means a work/life balance.

I said, “I need to be level-headed enough to handle a crisis–executing carefully strategized crisis plans with a calm voice and steady hand. I also need to be fun, and learn how to laugh even when work is stressful, because the people and the passion are what make working in PR the best job in the world, and no one likes the fuddy duddy who’s all work and no play." God didn't tell me to keep calm, and he certainly didn't tell me to go get drinks with colleagues after a hard day's work. 

So, I made myself a PR pro because I’m passionate about communication and continued learning.

I had to learn how to write and edit, and that means writing and reading often, whether for school or pleasure. I need to offer advice and take it. Learn to do things on my own, and work well with others. I need to know what industry trends are changing PR and excel in them. Be an expert in social media even while I’m learning about it. Become the office guru in mobile because I never want to stop learning. Each day, I read more about stats, trends and new technologies that impress me and make me wonder what’s next. This is due to my insatiable curiosity and as a result, I am able to keep up or stay ahead of the curve. 

So, I made myself a PR pro because I am my own moral compass.

But above all, I needed to keep a strong moral compass, and this had nothing to do with God. Free will,  learning from my mistakes, sticking up for the underdogs, overcoming hardships, and gratitude for opportunities I’ve had have made me an ethical PR professional.  Being spellcheck-obsessed in my personal life, my love for NPR, my incessant FourSquare check-ins – these are all attributes, but they don’t make me a PR person. Determination. Humility. Passion. Confidence. Insatiable desire to learn. These all make me a good PR professional. And these are all traits I am proud to say I cultivated through a lifetime of hard work, not because God made me a PR professional.