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Reading list

Maura O'Neal — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:33:48 +0000

Someone recently said to me, “I’m only as good as the last book I read.” Poignant words that got me thinking.

Whenever I’m stalled out, picking up a book usually provides the needed inspiration to get my creative juices flowing again. So what works have I checked off my reading list lately?

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Groundswell: Winning a World Transformed by Social Technologies, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
Crush It: Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion, by Gary Vaynerchuk
Home Town, by Tracy Kidder

Eclectic yes, but each work tells a story in a strong voice, which really appeals to me as a reader and helps me overcome those moments when the muses seem to be taking time off. You may have a valuable message or earth-shattering news to share, but if you don’t engage me with the right tone, vocabulary and cadence, count me out—it won’t hold my interest and I’m not going to get it.

While the list above includes two literary journalism pieces, a memoir and two non-fiction/instructional books, they all have one thing in common—they are centered on a personal perspective conveyed in an interesting, up-tempo, consistent voice. I couldn’t keep myself from turning the pages and that’s how you want your messages to be consumed, don’t you?

Letterman’s Confession

Maura O'Neal — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:21:59 +0000

David Letterman began his show last night by telling a story* to the audience. He told of getting into his car to find an envelop that contained evidence of his sexual relationships with female staff and a letter requesting $2 million in return for not publishing that evidence. In an awkward moment met with uncertain laughter and clapping from the audience, Letterman admitted that he has had sex with female staffers. As a result, the potential blackmailer no longer has a leg to stand on. Letterman effectively took the wind out of his sails.

Getting out in front of bad news with the truth and addressing it on your own terms is important. Whether it’s a poor quarterly performance report, employee misconduct or any other potentially damaging news, it’s vital to directly address the information with the truth. It remains to be seen whether Letterman saved his job and reputation, but the blackmailer has been caught and the threat of extortion removed.

*Go to YouTube.com and search for “Letterman Confession” to view the tape from his show.

Pay As You Go for PR

Patrick Hyde — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:14:21 +0000

In the June issue of PR Week, a mainstay in our office, two industry veterans discussed an issue dear to my philosophy: fee retainers vs. billing for services rendered. Sean Cassidy, president of DKC, advocates for set monthly retainers. In his opinion, “the fixed monthly retainer means that account teams spend their time on activity, such as strategic counsel, medical relations, and digital marketing – not on managing bureaucracy.” While I hear what he is saying, I disagree. To us, retainers are like capitated fees in managed health care: an HMO (the agency) makes money when you (the client) stay away, and the patient (your client) wins when she consumes more services than she pays for. Often, you bicker about what is covered. This type of incentive is counterproductive.

Steve Cody, cofounder of Peppercom, suggests a pay-as-you-go method is more equitable to the client and agency. I agree. While you still want clients to consider budgeting for the year, any agency worth its salt should be able to balance this annual budget across 12 months, with the understanding that some months may be slightly higher, some lower. Sophisticated software makes accounting for activities performed on behalf of clients simple, effective and informative, not bureaucratic, as Mr. Cassidy suggests.

At Pivot, our belief is that clients should pay only for services rendered. We can tell clients within 24 hours where their charges stand, and we can easily ramp up or down based on their needs and direction.

“Give me a flexible annual budget that can be managed to meet the ebbs and flows of an account, and I’ll show you a true win-win client-agency relationship,” says Mr. Cody. Spot on, I say.

Mr. Cassidy, on the other hand, says the retainer lays the foundation for a “motivated staff” at his firm. If a retainer is necessary to motivate an agency to do creative, energetic PR work, I’d be looking for a new agency.

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