Public Relations Princess

Public Relations Buzzwords Set Back the Profession

This post was inspired by Entrepreneur's recent article on why NOT to hire a PR firm. They did a pretty good job of covering the reasons companies panic and try to hire a public relations agency or other professional to generate some positive PR ASAP.

While I was reading the article, I started remembering all these random words that I've heard in new business meetings with these type of clients. Their lack of understanding of what PR is and what it can do is represented by the words they use. I cringe when I hear these words bandied about by people who clearly have no idea what real public relations work entails. Here are my "Top Three" words that drive me nuts and why they should be banned from both client and public relations professionals' lexicons.

1. Buzz: Using the word "buzz" indicates that a client wants to create some sort of excitement in the community about an upcoming product or service. A news release is not the way to get there. True "WOM" (word of mouth) passing of knowledge occurs organically when the right channels are used.
2. Spin: I truly loathe this word. It cheapens everything a public relations professionals do and all we stand for. It implies that you want me to take your dirty laundry and magically transform it into crisp white sheets on the clothes line. Truth is the best cootie spray you can get. Use liberally. Rinse, repeat. No spinning necessary.
3. "Placements:" I put this one in quotes because it is such a misnomer. The word implies that a public relations professional can take your crappy story idea and magically place it into USA Today or the Wall Street journal. I would choose another analogy: Shoe leather hitting the street and knocking on 100 doors. Only three open the door, even a crack. Only one lets you give your sales pitch. That person then waits for the man of the house to get home (editor) and then MAY buy what you are selling. But probably not.

There are certainly more words out there that simply do not represent what good public relations people can do for their clients. I'd be happy if these three could be eliminated. I think it starts with PR people banning the words from our own vocabularies and then teaching our co-workers and clients different words instead. What is your least-favorite PR-related word?

Historic Day for the Nation as Obama is Inaugurated

I've eagerly watched just about every pre-inauguration show on TV that I could. I've purchased extra copies of special edition newspapers, listened to dozens of podcasts, read perhaps hundreds of blog posts and tweets, all waxing poetic about Barack Obama's inauguration.

A pet peeve of mine is how otherwise well- educated people use the term "historical" when they really mean "historic."

Barack Obama's election and inauguration are historic (meaning: important) events in our country. Barack Obama's election as the 44th president has historical (meaning
; happened in the past) significance that transcends race. Subtle difference in usage, to be sure, but important for vocabulary and usage freaks like me. Here is another take on the difference from Grammar Girl.

Whether you say historic or historical won't matter to me tomorrow. Nothing anyone could say or do could take this special day away from me, and I intend to drink it in like a cool glass of water on a hot summer day. Ahh. Refreshing.

Welcome, President Obama.