Pr tips UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC RELATIONS

We hear the term public relations, or PR, a lot more now days, whether about bad PR surrounding former President Clintons scandals, the PR war waged over Elian Gonsalez, or the PR infused plots in !"Cs #he West Wing$ "ut PR isn%t &ust for politics or entertainment$ 'o what e(actly is PR) *Public relations* is as it sounds+ its about organizations or individuals building and ,eeping relationships with their publics$ -n the PR world, the term public refers to any group of people that do, or may, interact with an individual or organization, for e(ample, customers, potential customers, employees, other businesses, the media, legislators, etc$ What is the purpose of PR) !orthwestern .niversity Professor /r$ Clar,e 0$ Caywood describes PR as 1the profitable integration of an organizations new and continuing relationships $$$ that create and protect the brand and reputation of the organization$* PR covers two basic, yet essential, concepts+ communication and image$ PR is usually conducted by an organization using an in house public relations staff, or an outsourced PR firm$ Either way, the PR process begins with research and detailed strategic planning, and ends with implementing and evaluating a plan$ -n the past, PR professionals have themselves suffered from bad images, and have been referred to as 1spin doctors2 who brush negative situations under the carpet, or distort the truth about controversial issues$ 0i,e every profession, PR has its good and bad eggs$ 3owever, in 4567, the Public Relations 'ociety of 8merica 9PR'8: was formed to address PR issues and uphold the profession to the highest standards$ #oday, many PR professionals abide by the PR'8 Code of Ethics$

PUBLIC RELATIONS VS. ADVERTISING

Public relations and advertising are often used synonymously, but these techni;ues are worlds apart$ 8lthough both are mar,eting tools, they have very different purposes and results, and businesses that ,now the difference will have a competitive edge$ While paid advertising may lead one organization to success, relationship building via PR may be the answer for another$ <r, for some organizations, PR and advertising may wor, hand in hand to create a winning mar,eting strategy$ Companies who advertise pay to have their ideas, goods or services promoted, li,e "udweiser%s ever popular *Wassuuup)* ads$ #he sponsor 9"udweiser: controls the message as well as where and when it is communicated$ =et, today%s consumers ta,e advertising with a grain of salt$ -s "udweiser as cool as the *Wassup)* ads ma,e it out to be) /epends on which beer you drin,$ <n the other hand, PR is non paid communication between an individual or organization and their publics$ While advertising focuses on creating sales, PR concentrates on building images and relationships$ PR results can ta,e time and may be harder to control and guarantee, but they can pac, more mar,eting punch than a paid ad$ Why) PR messages are real and believable because most times, they%re communicated through a third party, li,e a newspaper article or interview$ 8lso, where advertising uses mass media, PR

is more effective on a small scale$ 8 simple handwritten than, you note to five target people may build an invaluable, long term relationship that a #> commercial that reaches out to thousands never could$ #he better the PR professional, the more luc, they%ll have delivering a genuine, image friendly message for your business through that third party$

HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE

3ow do reporters ,now about all the important things happening in the community) <ne of the most common ways news stories are generated is through press releases$ 8 press release is a document that is issued to the media and highlights a newsworthy topic about an organization or individual, in hopes that the media will print or broadcast the story$ #here are several ,ey components to a press release+ 4$ Contact information of a company spo,esperson including name, title, telephone and fa( numbers must be located somewhere at the top of the press release$ ?$ *@<R -AAE/-8#E RE0E8'E* should be written on the top left hand side of the piece in all capital letters$ B$ #he release should include a headline, or title, which must be in present tense even though the story is in past tense$ 6$ When beginning the body of the release, a dateline should be inserted first$ #he dateline includes the city and state where the story is happening and the month and day it is released$ C$ #he release should begin with a brief lead paragraph containing the *who, what, where, when and why* of the story$ #he *how* of the story is not necessary in the lead$ D$ #he rest of the release should tell the full story using ;uotes from ,ey people$ E$ 8 boilerplate paragraph that gives a brief bac,ground of the company or organization should be one of the last paragraphs in the release$ 7$ 8ll press releases should end with three number signs, FFF$

HOW TO WRITE A FACT SHEET

'o, you ,now how to write a press release, but how do you communicate more general information about your business) 8 fact sheet is your answer$ 8 fact sheet is an important, at a glance tool used in public relations to provide an overall view of your business$ #hough fact sheets can stand alone, they are more commonly used to supplement a news release, anchor a press ,it, or replace a brochure$ 8 fact sheet is generally one or two pages and includes the who, what, when, where, why and how about a business$ Components of a fact sheet include the following+

4: =our business name, address and phone number should be on the upper left$ -f using company letterhead, disregard this step$ ?: 8 contact name, title, and phone number should be on the upper right$ B: #riple space down and type the name of the sub&ect$ #his should be centered and in upper case$ 6: /ouble space down and type 1@act 'heet,2 which should also be centered$ C: #he body of the fact sheet is set up in two columns$ #he left side includes the headings, such as history, vision, mission, purpose, future, etc$, all in upper case lettering$ #he right side contains the heading descriptions$ #he descriptions should consist of short sentences that align under the second column$ D: -f the document is longer than one page, type 1 more 2 at the center of the bottom of the first page$ E: 8t the end of the fact sheet, 1FFF2 should be centered and inserted$ 7: @inally, double space down and type the month and year, flush right$ <nce you have a completed fact sheet, create a clear and specific distribution plan so you can ensure that your target publics receive the information$ "egin with deciding which publics you want to receive the items and the best way to get them into their hands$ @or e(ample, you may want to include the fact sheet in new customer mailings, emails, and on your website$ #o learn more about creating a distribution plan, see our PR tip, Distribution: The Forgotten PR Step$

HOW TO WRITE AN ITEM

/ilemmaF4+ =ou want to get your business name in the public spotlight, but you don%t have anything *groundbrea,ing* to highlight$ /ilemma F?+ =ou%ve rolled out an e(tensive advertising andGor publicity campaign and your information is getting dry and repetitive$ What do you do) !ever fear$ =ou don%t need a cataclysmic event to get attention$ =ou &ust need to ,now how to write an item$ 8n item is a short story about something clever, eccentric, uni;ue or humorous$ Aany print publications have sections or columns dedicated to featuring these brief snippets of information$ 0ouella "enson Garcia, Ed$/$ e(plains that an item is usually used when the information you want to share does not &ustify a press release, to build interest in an upcoming event, or to sustain public enthusiasm in an ongoing campaign$ -n the best cases, items can result in e(panded media coverage$ When writing an item, "enson Garcia suggests using the same format as a press release, ,eep the length to CH words or less, create a eye catching headline, and be sure to include the always essential who, what, where, when, why and how so that the reader is not left guessing$

-f you%re still unsure about using this PR tool, we all recently witnessed a successful item at wor, a few wee,s ago$ When Aiss 8merica, 8ngela Perez "ara;uio, was proposed to during the Aiss 3awaii Pageant last month, the media placements were numerous, although not lengthy at all$ #he result) Aore people ,new about the details of "ara;uio%s engagement than who actually claimed the Aiss 3awaii title$ !ow, that%s PR$

PR STARTS WITH YOU

Aany thin, that successful public relations 9PR: efforts are solely the result of ingenious strategy and perfectly timed implementation$ While that%s partially true, your outward appearance has a considerable effect on PR$ We all have bad days when we%re running late, and once we finally get to wor,, realize that we forgot some documents at home, or even worse, didn%t brush our teethI "ut one bad day can create a nearly permanent bad image of your company$ =ou ,now the basics of presenting yourself well+ have good hygiene, dress appropriately, and be neat$ 3ere are a few *advanced* tips to ma,ing stunning impressions+ 4$ .pdate your loo, to be in sync with the latest fashions$ =ou don%t need a new wardrobe, &ust a new accessory or hairstyle that says you live in this decade, not the last one$ 8n up to date loo, tells others that you%re on top of things$ ?$ Aaintain eye contact when spea,ing with others to pro&ect confidence and strength$ B$ 3ave good posture$ 'tanding up straight shows others that you%re self assured and interested in your &ob$ 6$ Pay attention to detail$ 8 wrin,led shirt or chipped nail polish can turn a great loo, into a sloppy one$ C$ Jnow your products, company and industry$ 8 well informed employee is the best ambassador for a business$ 0astly, remember to smile$ 8 smile never hurts and can say a thousand good words in a few seconds$ 8dd these tips to your PR strategy and you%ll have a powerful PR punchI

"TAG YOUR BUSINESS IS 'IT'"

When we hear, *We 0ove #o 'ee =ou 'mile,* we immediately thin, of Ac/onaldKs, and *Lust /o -t* con&ures up images of !i,e%s swoosh$ #aglines capture a company%s essence, mission, and style in one clever little phrase$ #hey are invaluable public relations 9PR: tools for concisely communicating critical business information and developing brand and name recognition$ <riginality is crucial when it comes to developing an effective tagline$ #oday%s consumers are wading through piles of promotional clutter and businesses are fighting to distinguish themselves from one another$ #o compete, some companies are incorporating their business% name into their tagline and using semantics to create an entirely new meaning for that name$

=ahooI, the -nternet search engine, and "an, of 3awaii 9"<3: have both utilized this method$ =ahooI%s tagline, *3ow /o =ou =ahooI)* evolves the company name from a noun into a verb$ #ransforming *=ahooI* into an action word and using it in the form of a ;uestion stimulates people to thin, about the company and its products, as well as the e(perience of using the service$ 8lthough this tagline does not provide any insight about what type of company =ahooI is after all, =ahooI is already well ,nown it sets =ahooI up as the search engine of choice for customers who want to research and buy anything online at any time from any place in the world$ #aglines can also promote special programs$ "<3%s new "an,ohana program features the tagline *We "an,ohana =ou$* 8gain, by changing *"an,ohana* from a noun into a verb, "<3 helps people focus on what "an,ohana can offer them$ 8lso, both this tagline and =ahooI%s use the term *=ou,* which is a s,illful way of spea,ing directly to customers$ Creating the right tagline can ta,e your business to the ne(t level and motivate current and potential customers to choose you over competitors

THE NEWSLETTER: YOUR INTERNAL PR TOOL

Muestions such as, *Who%s been promoted) What are my retirement benefits) What items are on sale ne(t wee,)* are often common ;uestions employees tend to as, or wonder about their wor,place$ 3aving informed employees is important to every business$ 8 proactive way to ,eep your employees informed is through an internal company newsletter$ -nternal newsletters are especially beneficial for businesses that operate in different locations and have many employees$ When starting an internal newsletter, ta,e time to write down the purpose of your newsletter$ What do you want to accomplish with this newsletter) 8lso, figure out how often you%ll distribute the newsletter$ Aonthly, ;uarterly and bi annually are several distribution schedules to chose from$ #hen, choose an appropriate title$ Relate your newsletter title to your business operations, slogan or industry$ @or e(ample, an ice cream shop franchise could call its newsletter *#he /ouble 'coop$* !ow come up with a list of articles or topics for your newsletter$ #hese can stay the same or change with every issue$ #ypical company newsletter topics include, a message from CE<, latest news, ,udos, upcoming events, employee birthdays, promotions, and other announcements$ 8rticle headlines may also play off of your business terms$ -nteractive sections, such as surveys, contests and suggestion forms, in newsletters also help employees feel a part of the newsletter process$ 8nd, remember, photos always attract more readership and bestow an added flair$ Jeep in mind that allowing employees to contribute to the newsletter content provides them with a greater sense of ownership to the newsletter and company$ !ot only do newsletters ,eep your employees informed about business happenings, but it also raises their morale and productivity$

THE WEB AS A PR TOOL

.R0, 3#A0, @#PNthese -nternet acronyms ma,e the non technical among us glaze over, but having a website can be an e(cellent way to collect and impart information, and sell or promote products or services$ What you post online depends on what business you%re in and what you%re trying to accomplish$

@or e(ample, to offset the cost of handling customer in;uiries via telephone, put the answers on your website$ -f sales is your thing, show and sell your wares online, then find out who%s buying and use this information to boost future sales$ -f it%s education you%re after, post facts and figures using an interactive mechanism$ Consider too what image your website presents$ 'pecifically+ /oes it reflect your business% style) /avid Coo, and /eborah 'ellers, authors of 0aunching a "usiness on the Web, agree that *Nyour real company presence should mimic your virtual presence$$$* /oes it give your customers what they want and need) -nclude information your customers will e(pect to see, but also those lesser ,nown but noble ditties you%d li,e them to ,now$ Can you ,eep your website current) We%ve all seen sites that haven%t been updated since the last decade$ Jeep your site fresh to hold Web surfers% attention$ Can you respond ;uic,ly to email in;uiries via your site) Ever order something online and received a sales confirmation within minutes) #ell customers when they can e(pect to hear from you then ,eep the promise$ Will your publics find your business on the Web) <nly if you%ve told them about it$ #here%s no sense in having a fabulous website if you ,eep it a secret$

BUY A STRATEGY
By Jenny Fu !"# #n$ J%y &. M!u'#( Fu !"# ) M!u'# Pu*+!, Re+#"!%n3ere%s a scenario+ as a business owner, you%ve been meaning to give a donation to a local community service organization$ "ut which one) 8nd how do you do it humbly but visibly) -f you have an issue that needs addressing or an opportunity that should be highlighted, but a limited budget and no internal public relations 9PR: staff, consider outsourcing someone to prepare a strategy that you will implement$

PR strategies can be created for nearly any purpose$ 'ome common themes include community outreach, grand openings, safety campaigns, introducing a new leader, and hurricane or emergency preparedness$ =ou thin, of a topic and let a ;ualified e(pert prepare a targeted plan for you$

8 ;uality strategy will tell you e(actly when and how to communicate with the right target audience to accomplish your desired outcome$ 8 well timed strategy, i$e$, one that precedes an event or situation, will enable you to be prepared and proactive$ "efore you ma,e the call to outsource a strategy, consider the following ;uestions+ What is the current situation of your organization) What do you perceive as your problem or opportunity) Who are your ,ey publics) 3ow does your PR goal tie into your overall business goals) What is your timeframe)

What is your budget) What is your level of in house PR e(pertise 9public spea,ing, media eti;uette, writing, etc$:) 8nswering these ;uestions will help you communicate your goals clearly to your PR consultant and ensure that the resulting strategy is effective, appropriate, and doable$ #hen, li,e following a good set of instructions, you can implement the plan and chec, another item off of your *to do* list$

REFRESH YOUR WEBSITE

'ince the dawn of the -nternet, websites have evolved from static, flat communications vehicles to vibrant, multimedia resources$ Conse;uently, refurbishing websites has become a worldwide trend$ Websites are an e(cellent way to maintain relationships with your constituents, but to be effective communications tools, their information 9primarily: and loo, 9secondarily: have to be ever changing$ Website content has to change fre;uently$ Reporters often collect their information online$ #he same goes for &obsee,ers, potential customers, competitors, and others$ #hese fol,s will head to your website to learn about your company so it needs to include accurate, current facts and good news$ #he loo, of your website has to progress too, but not as often as the content$ Lust as you might redecorate your office every so often, you need to spiff up your website once in a while$ 8udiences appreciate this because they ,now the upgrades were done for them and it ma,es them feel confident that you%re ,eeping up with the times$ 8lso, modern web designers recognize that there are many different configurations to present your information, and that no two web surfers navigate e(actly the same way$ #his means that you have to give people some choices about how to get to your ,ey information$ -nteractive features li,e shopping, live technical help, games, or business forms also help sites loo, fresh and provide value$ 8nimation is another way to per, up your online presence and direct attention to areas that may be overloo,ed 9if your site has uploads or fancy animation, remember to provide software downloads, preferably for free:$ 'o at least once a year, resolve to refresh your business% website$ Lust be sure that all the improvements you ma,e are consistent with your image, message, and goals, and that you tell your customers about the change$

&NOW YOUR STUFF

Recently a popular syndicated radio tal, show host was inviting the public to a holiday event she was going to be hosting$ <nly she couldnt remember all the details about it, nor could she say e(actly where to find the information on her website$ #his is a good reminder to all of us in business to 1,now your stuff$2 1Jnow your stuff2 refers to many things, is relative to employees at every level, and is significant to your business public relations$ -f one of your employees on or off the &ob answers 1- dont ,now2 to someone as,ing a ;uestion about your business, it reflects poorly on the business for having under trained and under prepared the employee$

-f you are going to be representing your business in any public forum, be sure to ,now the facts about the company, even down to basic details li,e the contact information$ -f you are hiring new employees or casual staff over the holidays, ma,e sure they are well informed about your products, services, and information channels$ 8s,ing them to become familiar with your website, brochures, and promotions will help them avoid saying 1- dont ,now$2 Remember that PR is in the substance$ Every solid relationship re;uires consistently and continually ma,ing and ,eeping promises$ -ts good to hype up a product or service, as long as the people you want to support it are told when, where and how to get it, and as long as what was promised is delivered in whole$ Consistently ma,ing and ,eeping promises, and truly ,nowing your stuff will build a strong PR foundation over time$

Ge" G%%$ PR .'%/ "0e In-!$e Ou"

Recently, several businesses have as,ed us to develop employee relations plans for them$ #hese are astute companies not only from the perspective of creating a 1happy wor, family,2 but also because employees ma,e the best ambassadors$ 8 solid employee relations plan must address the following factors that influence staff morale and productivity+ 1 Un$e'-"#n$!n2 O Employees must understand the all aspects of the company and in turn, the leaders of the company must have a good understanding of their employees$ 1 A33'e,!#"!%n ) Re,%2n!"!%n 90ove: O 8ccording to the 'mall "usiness 8dministration 9'"8:, research shows that people often leave an employer because they have not received the recognition they want, or feedbac, on how they are doing$ #he boo, 1!utsI2 which profiles the personnel philosophy of 'outhwest 8irlines, states, 1'ervice is not the result of teaching employees to act li,e customers are importantP it comes from employees who genuinely feel loved and who wor, in an environment that dignifies them by valuing their contributions$2 1In4%+4e/en" O Aany individuals want to feel essential to the success of their company and in order to do so, they should feel free to ma,e suggestions to their managers$ <ne e(ample of this is a t Pan 8merican 8irlines where a flight attendant suggested the company eliminate the ,nife and for, from the 1silverware pac,et2 on morning flights because passengers only used the spoon to stir coffee$ #his saved the company more than Q?C,HHH, and the flight attendant was rewarded for her moneyGtime saving suggestion$ 1 C%/3en-#"!%n Employees need to feel they are well compensated, which means having salary and benefits consistent with or better than other people doing similar wor, in a similar place$ 1 M#n#2e/en" L%y#+"y O Aanagers must treat employees as they would e(pect to be treated, and they must lead by e(ample$ 1!utsI2 recommends, 1#reat your employees with care and concern if that is the way you want them to treat each other and your customers$2 1 W%'5 En4!'%n/en" O Employees are happier and more productive when the physical location of their wor,place is clean, comfortable, and pleasant$ 1 S%,!#+ Re-3%n-!*!+!"y O #he '"8 says, 1People &udge firms by their philosophy and level of customer service, their involvement in community activities and their commitment to moral, environmental and even political issues$ #odays employees are concerned about whether the values of the company for which they wor, are compatible with their own personal viewpoints$2

'o as with most things, business success begins within$

LOYALTY A MUST OR GO BUST

Lulius Caesar%s assassination, plotted by his close ac;uaintance and employee, Aarcus "rutus, on Aarch 4C, 66 "$C$E$ made the 1-des of Aarch2 a day that symbolized betrayal to the e(treme$ Why was Caesar ,illed) #here are two sides to the story of course$ <ne says "rutus was &ust doing his country a favor by offing Caesar, a power monger, but then again, Caesar had earlier spared "rutus life and was dating "rutus mother$ #here are lots of individuals li,e "rutus out there today+ the hac,ers that bro,e into Paris 3iltons cell phone and posted its contents on the -nternet for the world to seeP Enrons top e(ecutives who lied and too, their bonuses ,nowing stoc,holders would suffer in the endP and the bartender who adds water to the vod,a$ 'elling someone down the river is bad PR$ 'ure, "rutus, 3iltons hac,ers, Enrons e(ecs, and the bartender realized short term benefits through their actions$ "ut eventually, disloyalty leads to some version of the @all of Rome$ 0oyalty counts for a lot in PR$ 0oyalty breeds long term relationships and trust, which are foundations of great PR$ -mportantly, in a close ,nit community li,e JauaKi, loyalty is an essential value of our culture and business dealings$ Constituents here ta,e note if a business was not loyal to them, and they base their patronage on this fact$ 8ct with integrity at every opportunity and ta,e care that your actions and decisions are highly loyal to your publics$ "e as loyal as a .3 Warriors fan, even if your team doesnt win, even if the players are not in the room, even if &ust a little duplicity seems profitable or e(pedient$ 8fter all, "rutuss dont last long in a small community li,e ours$

PR CARES
8ccording to 1!utsI 'outhwest 8irlines Crazy Recipe for "usiness and Personal 'uccess,2 1-n 4575, when the 'an @rancisco "ay area e(perienced a terrible earth;ua,e, Gary 3olloway, then a 'outhwest employee in Phoeni(, thought of a way to help the victims$ 3e called an 8"C television affiliate in Phoeni( and as,ed newscasters to tell viewers to ta,e blan,ets, clothes, and canned food to the 'outhwest terminal at ',y 3arbor 8irportN#he outpouring from Phoeni( and other 'outhwest cities was so strong that, when it was all over, 'outhwest 8irlines had flown in more supplies to relieve the victims than anyone else, including the 8merican Red CrossI2 #he boo, describes how 'outhwests philosophy of caring for its employees, customers, and communities boosted the company to resounding success$ -n 455D when the boo, was written, 'outhwest 8irlines was ran,ed among the highest in their industry for service, safety, on time performance, and low turnover$ @ostering a sense of caring is a PR must, no matter who you are, what profession youre in, or who your publics are$ While our capacity for caring is often tested, ma,ing genuine caring the foundation for your plans and actions will produce outstanding, long term results for you and your business$ @or e(ample, if youre a business owner with a passion for animals, donate a portion of your proceeds to or do pro bono wor, for organizations that serve animals$ -f youre a manager, lead with a caring heart for both your staff and customers and ma,e only promises you will ,eep$ =our caring and integrity will inspire respect from your staff and loyalty from your customers$ -f youre a front line employee, ta,e care in the ;uality and ;uantity of your wor, and in your

associations with customers$ "e sure that even the smallest tas,s and interactions are infused with a sense of caring$ Aa,e not so random acts of ,indness and caring part of your business O and life O plan$ 'tart a revolution of caring, and your PR success will soon follow$ 3appy holidays from @u&ita R Aiura Public RelationsI

CONNECT WITH YOUR PUBLICS

8ccording to a recent boo, review by the Gallop Aanagement Lournal, 1!ew "oo, Reveals Why Consumers "ond With "rands,2 1#he pursuit of brand devotion has driven companies to spend many millions of dollars every year on advertising, celebrity endorsements, loyalty programs, and fancy web sites$ #he result) Aost companies still aren%t emotionally connecting with their customersN#his research demonstrates that customer satisfaction is woefully insufficient when the goal is an ongoing e(clusive relationship between a customer and a brand$2 #he article goes on to tal, about why William L$ AcEwens new boo,, Aarried to the "rand, is right on the money$ 1While these relationships are certainly affected by the classic four Ps of mar,eting 9Product, Place, Price, and Promotion:, AcEwen underscores the fact that those four Ps merely represent the tip of the relationship building iceberg$ #he most important aspect of a great many purchases, one that leads consumers to Smarry a brand, is a fifth *P* People$2 "ingo$ -ts relationships with people, not brands, which inspire emotional connections$ 8fter all, while you ma,e li,e Coca Cola or Godiva chocolate, you cant as, a glass of soda how its daughter did in her soccer game or tell a truffle your latest woes$ <n the other hand, you can truly care about, i$e$, feel emotionally connected to, the cashier at your neighborhood grocery store, the teacher who wipes the dirt from your childs ,nees when youre not there, or the dental hygienist who ,nows where you went on your last vacation$ #heres a saying in the restaurant business that customers will return to a restaurant thats dirty and has mediocre food if the service is e(cellent, but theyll never go bac, if theyre not treated well$ -n ?HHD, resolve to bond with your customers$ #he ,ey here is to ma,e the interactions genuine and mutually en&oyable for you and your publics$ 3appy !ew =ear from @u&ita R Aiura Public RelationsI

HOW TO CREATE AN EVENT PLAN

Good PR often involves calling out your publics to events, whether fun or serious$ #he best events begin with a solid plan$ #he following is an outline for a plan that will help you have a high impact event with minimal hassles$ "egin with the basics including deciding on the date, time and place of the event, as well as the events purpose and theme$ Remember too that events are better when theres an element of surprise because e(periencing the une(pected ma,es things fun and memorable$ !e(t, decide whom you want to invite$ Consider both your internal and e(ternal allies$ 8t this point, you can get into the nitty gritty of the event logistics including the physical layout of and needs for the event 9tents, restrooms, par,ing, trash, etc$:, catering, printed and promotional

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pieces 9invitations, tic,ets, programs, website, etc$:, decorations, giveaways 9including goody bags and lei:, entertainment, and activities$ "e sure to note who is responsible for these items and the costs associated with them$ !ow you can create your event timeline, which should start with the time that set up begins and end with the time that clean up ends$ >isualize the event from the eyes of an attendee to help you put activities in the proper order and ma,e the affair flow smoothly$ 8s part of the event plan, ma,e a list of the e;uipment and supplies youll need on hand that day 9tape, scissors, rope, coolers, etc$: and prepare a list of ,ey contacts with every conceivable detail 9home phone number, mother in laws cell number, etc$: for contingency purposes$ @or e(ample, if the ca,e doesnt show up on time, youll need to ,now who to call$ Remember that the plan is a wor,ing document so you should be updating it constantly as vendors are secured and plans are confirmed$ 8lso, the event plan is only worth the paper its printed on if you ,eep it to yourself$ Every time you revise the plan, share it with all of your ,ey parties 9no pun intended: involved in the event and you will find it to be an invaluable document$ <nce the event is pau, your wor, isnt done$ 8fterwards, be sure to do any necessary post event follow up, especially sending out mahalo notes to all the vendors, media, volunteers, employees and others who helped ma,e it a success$ Cheers, banzai, mabuhai, and alohaI

MA&E EMAIL YOUR PR FRIEND

-nformation is moving at the speed of light these days, and while electronic communications methods, such as email, can be ;uic, and convenient business tools, its worth it to ta,e the time and care to use them well$ "elow are a few common e(amples of email best practices that can give you a PR advantage+ S!"u#"!%n: =ou send information to someone by email and then wonder if they ever received it because you never heard from them since you pressed 1send$2 8fter a wee,, you forget that you even sent the email because so many things have piled up, until your boss as,s you, 1What ever happened with that email you sent to so and so)2 Gulp$ Le--%n: When someone sends you information by email, respond at least with a 1mahalo2 within ?6 hours if possible, so they ,now that you got their message$ S!"u#"!%n: =ou receive an email that has been sent to a large group of recipients whose email addresses all appear in the 1#o2 section$ =ou are mortified to see that your e(, who is a stal,er, is on the list$ Le--%n: -f youre sending email to a group of people, include only your email address in the 1#o2 section and all of the recipients email addresses in the 1"cc,2 or blind carbon copy, area$ #hat way, everyones email address as well as business dealing with you remains private$ 8lso, send the email to ?C recipients or fewer at one time in order to avoid being perceived as spam$ S!"u#"!%n: =ou receive an email from someone in all lower case letters, with little or improper punctuation, and half the words missing$ =ou strain your eyes and your brain but can barely ma,e out the meaning of the message, and you wonder how the person ever survived this long in the business world$ Le--%n: <f course you dont have to refer to the 1Chicago Aanual of 'tyle2 every time you write

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an email, but ta,e the same care in writing an email message as you would writing a letter$ #he recipient will be glad you did, and your wor, will be done more effectively and efficiently$ S!"u#"!%n: =ou meet someone new at a meeting and send them an 1it was nice to meet you2 email afterwards$ #he ne(t day, you receive no less than 4E chain letters and 4H4 tips on how to use Coca Cola and dryer sheets to clean your house$ Le--%n: 'ending out an occasional humorous email to business associates is fine 9as long as the humor is appropriate and non offensive: but never add business associates email addresses to your personal email lists, and avoid sending 1&un, mail2 altogether$ Practice these lessons consistently and email will ;uic,ly become your PR friend$

INVASION OF THE PODCAST

This months column is brought to you by Rahel Kramer, an exchange student from amburg, !ermany" Rahel is pursuing her masters degree and interning #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations through the first 'uarter of ())*" #his invasion is one that youll want to invite if youre loo,ing for a new way to communicate with your publics$ /ue to fast changing internet trends, there are many new communication modes to discover, li,e podcasting, which simply means creating an audio file in APB format and then posting it on the internet$ -nterested listeners can then download the file$ #hey can also subscribe to your podshow so that every time you ma,e a new one, it will be delivered to subscribers automatically$ "acons, one of the worlds foremost communications companies, has a whitepaper on podcasting, which e(plains how everything started in late ?HH6+ 1#he concept was for individuals to produce and distribute an audio version of blogs$2 8nyone can be a podcast creator, which means that soon, podcasting might be an inevitable means to communicate with your audiences$ =our publics are already swamped with press releases, ads and emails$ Podcasting is a revolution in mass communication, a new PR toy so to spea,$ 'o why &ump on this train) Rodney Rumford, a podcast e(pert and developer says, 1Podcasting gives any company, business or individual the ability to reach out and communicate to a large worldwide audience$2 3e continues that podcasting increases online visibility, improves the perception of your product, service, brand or value in customers minds, and can help garner media coverage$ Press releases, employee meetings, shareholder gatherings, annual reports, etc$ can be podcasted$ Professional podcast services e(ist to create the podcast$ Rumford suggests that if you dont want to ma,e your own podshow, you can become an advertiser or sponsor of an e(isting podcast that reaches your target mar,et$ -ts essential for businesses and PR professionals to be aware of and open to these communications trends because they might offer new and effective ways to reach your customers, staff , and community$ 'ome invasions, li,e podcasting, are &ust impossible to ignore$

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THE PR POWER OF FOOD

Cream filled malasadas, apple man&u, char sui por, manapua, glazed donuts, macadamia nut stic,y buns, flying saucers, chili pepper po,e, guava coo,ies, ,ulolo, cone sushi, haupia, pasteles, lili,oi chiffon pieNmmm$ /o we have your attention) Probably, because on JauaKi, food is where its at$ 8nd, food in the business arena is no e(ception$ -n our 1JauaKi -nsiders #rainings,2 which we provide to clients and their employees who are new to the island, one of the first things we do is introduce them to local food and remind them to eat, and bring, local food everywhere they go$ Why) "ecause food e(emplifies the melting pot that we are here on JauaKi$ "ecause food is the solid form of love$ "ecause food is good and everyone li,es to eat$ @ood can be brought to meetings or the office, given as a gift when you travel or return home 9omiyage:, presented as prizes or silent auction items, etc$ 3owever, being mindful of local style reciprocation is also important$ -n other words, if youve been sampling someone elses goodies for a few wee,s, be the ne(t one to bring treats to share$ 8lso, match the type of food to the occasion and the recipient$ #his conveys that you thought about getting something the recipient li,es, that is culturally appropriate, and that is in all other ways fitting$ @ood communicates appreciation, nurturing, warmth, and friendliness, and around a table with food on it, communion 9in the large sense of that word: can happen, which can only be a good thing in any business interaction$ @ood attracts people to events and to each other 9you ,now the saying about the way to a mans heart:$ 8nd though its trendy now with the popularity of the @ood !etwor,, celebrity chefs, and coo,boo, sales, food has always been important on JauaKi and in island business$ Lust thin, about how many business deals have been made over pupus after a golf game$ @ood is powerful PR$ 9<ur ne(t column will be about e(ercise$:

HOW TO WRITE AND POST A CALENDAR ITEM

<ne of the first rules of publicizing an event is telling people about it$ /uh, right) "ut so many businesses and organizations dont follow this rule$ Public relations presents a simple, free way to get the word out about your event, write and submit a calendar item$ 3ere are the steps to doing that+ 4: <n the top of the document, include the contact information, name, title, business name, address, phone number, and email address, of the person submitting the calendar item$ ?: "elow the contact information, write 1Calendar -tem2 followed by a colon and a very brief title$ @or e(ample, 1Calendar -tem+ JauaKi @ruit and @lower @estival Lune 4 B$2 B: "elow this title, write one paragraph that describes who is hosting the event, the name of the event, where the event is located, and when and why the event is occurring$ -nclude any fee and who is welcome to attend$ #he last line of this paragraph should say, 1@or more information, contact TTT,2 and this should include a name, phone number, email address, and web address$ -t is important to ,eep this paragraph short and simple$

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6: 8t the very bottom of the calendar item, type in three pound signs 9FFF:$ #his signals the end of the item$ -f you do a search on Google for 1community calendar U JauaKi2 you will find numerous calendars where you can post your event, including local newspapers and other print publications that reach your target audiences, radio stations, government, and websites$ =ou should also email the item to organizations with which you are affiliated, as well as to individual allies$ Aany calendars have detailed guidelines regarding word count 9so you will have to revise FB above accordingly:, deadline, and method of submission$ Customize each submission in line with the specifications of each calendar$ /ont assume that what wor,s for one calendar wor,s for another$ @urthermore, some calendars allow you to send a photo along with your item, which is great way to boost the attractiveness of your item for print and for readability$ Lust ma,e sure that the photo represents your event well and is in high resolution 9at least BHH dpi:$

DISTRIBUTION: THE FORGOTTEN PR STEP

=ou ,now those brochures you had printed up last year, the ones that are stac,ed in the supply room) #hose are a good e(ample of the oft forgotten PR step+ distribution$ #here have been hundreds of times over the years that clients have as,ed us to create collaterals for them, from giveaways to rac, cards, fact sheets, etc$ and when we as, them, 1Who are you going to give them to and how)2 theres usually either a blan, stare or a vague answer li,e, 1<ur customers, you ,now, well hand them out$2 "efore you invest in developing any printed item, have a clear and specific distribution plan$ "egin with deciding which publics you want to receive the items and the best way to get them into their hands$ @or e(ample, if youre creating a rac, card advertising a service that visitors would be interested in, as, surrounding resorts if you can provide them with in room collaterals$ #hen you will ,now e(actly how many to print and who to target$ -f you are writing a fact sheet about your business, include it in new customer mailings so that they can learn more about your history, products, and services 9to find out how to write a fact sheet, see our PR #ips:$ 8lso, for both of these items, save them as P/@ files to post on your web and send as email attachments$ 98ll company materials that are sent electronically should be saved as P/@s so that no one can manipulate your content and so that recipients can easily access the files$: 'o remember to thin, about the second step of distribution, ,eeping your end goals in mind, before you even begin producing any materials$ #he method and target of your distribution will help you decide the format, ;uantity, and content of your collaterals$

HOW DOES YOUR WEBSITE RAN&6

This months column is brought to you by &ichelle arrington of +magine ,ebsite Design, an associate of Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations" She has been pro-iding #ebsite design and internet mar.eting ser-ices for six years" Websites are a critical PR tool$ 8ccording to a recent chec, on Google, the webs leading search engine, there are over 7$C billion web pages on the internet$ -f you have an e(isting website or are planning to launch a new one, you may be wondering how your website will be found by potential customers in this sea of information) !o matter how you plan to publicize or mar,et your website offline, it is very li,ely that you will need to rely on search engine traffic to help drive targeted customers to your site$ #his is where search engine optimization comes in$

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'earch Engine <ptimization 9'E<: is the process of ma,ing your website as visible as it can be to the search engines and ultimately to your customers$ 8 website created without 'E< is li,e opening a new business but not telling anyone about it O and &ust hoping customers will eventually find it$ "usinesses launched in this manner often fail and so will a website that doesnt employ at least some basic 'E< strategies$ 'E< is a combination of the following strategies implemented together to enable a website to ran, well for its targeted ,eywords in the search engines$ @irst, define your target audience and ta,e the time to thin, li,e your customer$ What does your customer want) What are they afraid of) What is important to them) What challenges or issues have they encountered before when purchasing this type of productGservice) 'econd, anticipate the ,eywords your customer may be using when searching for a business li,e yours$ .se a ,eyword tool li,e Jeyword/iscovery$com to collect real data on ,eywords that your potential customers are using so that you can optimize your website accordingly$ #hird, every page of your site is different so every page of your site should have a uni;ue and descriptive title and description tag, found in the 3ead section of the 3#A0 code$ #itle and description tags are also great places to selectively incorporate your targeted ,eyword phrases$ 'earch engines use website title and description tags to feature your website lin, in the search engine results pages 9'ERPs:$ Aa,e sure your title and description tags accurately convey what is found on the page and are compelling to your potential customers$ @ourth, when writing your website copy, remember its not all about you$ 'pea, to what your customers need and want by using customer focused ,eyword rich copy$ @ind ways to create memorable and uni;ue copy that ma,es an emotional connection with your potential customers$ 8nd dont forget to incorporate your targeted ,eywords naturally into your copy and headlines$ @inally, lin, building is an important part of 'E<$ -nbound lin,s to your website are considered by the search engines to be 1votes2 for your website$ -f you feature well written, valuable content on your website finding lin, partners will be easy$ 8lways choose ;uality lin,s from directories and relevant partnerGally websites and stay away from lin, farms and lin,ing schemes$ @or more information on search engine optimization, contact Aichelle 3arrington at 97H7: 7?B 7HC4 or visit www$EmagineWebsite/esign$com$

WHAT'S YOUR LABEL6

'ugar free, !EWI, 0ite, H #rans @ats, Aade in .$'$8, !utrition @acts, JauaKi Aade$ 0abels have become a way of life among 8merican consumers$ -n fact, according to #he 3artman Group%s 1Pulse Report, @ood and "everage 0abeling from a Consumer Perspective,2 BH percent of consumers say they read product labels %much more often% now than in ?HHD$ #he report also revealed that the top five drivers that motivated consumers to read labels included eating healthy, concerns about whats in their food, food freshness, managing their weight, and chec,ing where ingredients come from$ *Consumer food purchase decisions are becoming more and more comple(,2 said 3artman$ 1Aar,eters struggle with e(plaining increasingly complicated stories to consumers about what a food product is and how it%s good from diverse standpoints ranging from health to ethics$* Everyone from mar,eters to manufacturers, and even the government are &umping on the labeling bandwagon$ 8 few years ago, the EP8, the specialty pesticide industry, environmental groups, and state and local governments started the Consumer 0abeling -nitiative to ma,e chemical labels easier to read and understand, and with their *Read the 0abel @-R'#I* campaign, encourage consumer label reading$ @/8 officials are debating whether changes in food labels

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might help consumers ma,e healthy choices$ 8nd, legislatures across the country are signing bills into law that force companies to increase their level of transparency regarding product ingredients and origins$ What can you learn from this) Jnow that your consumers want more information than ever before about what you sell$ #hat means you and your employees have to learn more about your products and be able to impart that information as clearly as possible to customers$ #ell your story and provide more details and your consumers will than, you for it$

THE &EEPER OF THE MESSAGE

-n a 1!ew =or, #imes2 article last year, writer "en Wallace Wills featured "arac, <bamas chief campaign strategist, /avid 8(elrod$ #he article detailed 8(elrods political consulting history, philosophies, and his role in 'enator <bamas senatorial and presidential campaigns and recounts how 18(elrod has been intimately involved with the staffing of the campaignN, with its strategy and pacing and with the scrubbing of its message and language$ "ecause of the vastness of the operation, 8(elrod has had to hire other media consultants to help him develop commercialsP his own role, he says, will be as S,eeper of the message$2 Every operation, whether its a business or an organization, needs a ,eeper of the message, someone who chec,s and approves all of the ma&or public and even internal communications for consistency, appropriateness, effectiveness, tone, spelling, grammar, etc$ @or e(ample, when we write website copy for a client, we send the first draft to the head of the organization by email and have them send changes bac, to us$ We ma,e those changes and then send the final document bac, to the boss for herGhis approval$ <nly then does the document go to the web designer who places it into the website design template$ "efore the site goes live, we chec, the copy one more time, &ust to be sure nothing was inadvertently changed or omitted, and then finally, the site goes live$ #his chec, approve rechec, process can be lengthy, but it avoids problems that can compromise your business$ 8t a recent event, a sponsor banner for a mainland company that had recently purchased a local business was hung right ne(t to the buffet table$ #he word 1JauaKi2 was incorrectly spelled 1Jaui$2 Everyone who saw the banner no doubt made comments and internal assessments about the companys lac, of care about the spelling of the place in which they are now doing business$ 3ad this company had a 1,eeper of the message,2 the whole thing could have been prevented$ Who is the ,eeper of the message in your business)

&NOW WHAT YOU WANT

Aore business$ Aore money$ #hats what our clients usually tell us they want as a result of their PR efforts$ "ut what does that mean e(actly) 3ow many widgets do you want to sell each month) 3ow much income do you want to ma,e wee,ly, and can you really sell enough widgets to ma,e that revenue) <ver time, we have noticed that our clients who are more precise about their goals are more li,ely to achieve PR and business success$ #hat said, in order to ,now where you want to go, you have to ,now where youve been and where you are now$ -n other words, ,now your numbers$ Weve been hearing a lot about 1the math2 in this primary election season$ -n fact, winning

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campaigns have numerous staff members that focus only on math, from delegate counters to statisticians to analysts$ "ut math is &ust as relevant in business as it is in political campaigns$ 3ow many widgets did you sell last year and what was the average per month and per wee,) 3ow many are you selling now) Was your price too low, too high, or &ust right) Who was buying the widgets) <nce you establish benchmar,s, you can ta,e the ne(t step in detailing what you want in the conte(t of those benchmar,s$ Jnowing what you want means developing goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely$ <nce you have identified your goals, you can determine the best PR tactics to assist you in reaching them$ 'o do your math, ,now what you want$ <nly then can you figure out how to get there$

IS IT TIME TO UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE6

This months column is brought to you by Michelle Harrington of Emagine Website Design , an associate of Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations" She has been pro-iding #ebsite design and internet mar.eting ser-ices for o-er se-en years" Growth is an ever present, integral part of a successful business$ 0i,e a well tended garden, the growth of your business will remain vital and able to withstand the ever changing landscape in mar,et and economy$ =our website is no different O the success of your website relies on the ;uality of attention and maintenance you put into it$ #hin, about the ways your business has changed in recent years$ Aaybe youve re designed your logo, added staff, moved to a new location, added new products, e(panded your service area, or won an award$ =our website should reflect the growth and evolution of your business by offering current, relevant, and valuable content for your customers$ #he design of your website should wor, in harmony with the images and copy to create an 1online ambiance2 that ma,es a memorable and aligned impression of your business$ #his can include professional photography and copywriting, new testimonials and customer reviews, video, lin,s, and downloads of any press or media coverage on your business$ #o be most effective, your website content 9te(t and images: should be updated on a regular basis$ #here is no strict rule as to when you should update the structure 9programmingGcoding: and 1loo, and feel2 9design template: of your website, however, every couple of years its a good idea to consider your websites overall effectiveness and its compliance with progressing technologies and new browser versions$ When its time for a ma&or re design, be sure to consider the valuable feedbac, your website visitors have provided over time, find better ways to organize your information, review your website analytics for insight into areas needing improvement, and ma,e sure that the search engine optimization 9,eyword research, titleGmeta tags, lin, building, etc$: of your website are being reviewed and updated as well$ Whether you do these tas,s in house or outsource them, your website is a mar,eting tool that can 1wor,2 for you ?6GE O -@ you ,eep it updated, current and fresh$ @or more information on search engine optimization, ,eyword research, or website consulting contact Aichelle 3arrington at 97H7: 7?B 7HC4 or visit www$EmagineWebsite/esign$com$

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CASE STUDY: COLORED &ETCHUP

0ast Lune, according to the Luly 5, ?HH4 issue of PR Wee,, *3einz announced it would disclose the new 9,etchup: color in %a few wee,s$%* !otice that the real news, 3einz%s ne(t ,etchup color, hadn%t been communicated$ 'till, this pre announcement release resulted in more than 4HH media placements all over the nation leaving the public waiting in baited breath until the new color was made ,nown$ 8nd when it was, the PR frenzy began all over again$ #his tactic gave 3einz double e(posure for a hot new product$ /oes your business have a twist on an old product, or a brand new item, coming out soon) -f so, ,eep it a secret for a short while, revealing the details only to your inner circle$ #hen let a little information out but only a little and have fun with the results$ !e(t, prepare for the unveiling of your new product$ @inally, ma,e the big announcement with all the pomp and circumstance that you can muster$ -f history holds true, you%ll not only get the word out in an entertaining, positive way, you%ll also see your sales numbers and public approval rating rise$ #he public loves a guessing game$ .se the elements of suspense and surprise to your business advantage$

CASE STUDY: HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD

-n this season of awards and events the Emmy%s, the Grammy%s, the <scars we can ta,e a public relations techni;ue clue from designers in the fashion world$ When those famous celebrities come strolling down the red carpet, the media always as,s, *Who are you wearing)* *Ay dress is a so and so, my shoes are done by V, and my &ewelry is custom made by blah blah$* comes the reply$ What can we learn from this) We might not have such high profile events to attend here on Jauai, but the idea is the same$ -f there%s a local event, especially one in which some of your constituencies might attend, consider not only attending but donating your products or services to the affair$ =our donation need not be a Q?HH,HHH yellow diamond nec,lace or a se;uined gown$ Paper to print the dinner programs, sashes for the chairs, door prize bumper stic,ers almost anything will do$ 8s a *mahalo* to those who provide these gifts in ,ind, event planners will often give donors credit in the program, on the invitations, or by announcing their business names at the event$ Even better, if your donated item is especially uni;ue or useful, you might be able to start a word of mouth buzz about your product and provo,e the ;uestion, *Who made this)* or *What is this)* or *Where can - get more of these)* #his buzz could increase your profile and income at the same time$

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AMERICAN IDOL SINGS PR

Were you as obsessed with the #> show 8merican -dol as we were) C%mon, be honest$ We too, the phone off the hoo, when the program was on$ .nabashedly, we cried with Paula 8bdul when #amyra was voted off$ 8nd we voted 9one of us regretfully, only after #amyra lost her seat:$ PR tactics, including commanding a wide appeal and measuring your efforts, sang e(pertly 9pardon the pun: as the show reaped remar,able attention$ -f you thin, only teenyboppers were interested in 8merican -dol, thin, again$ Commercials during the show targeted young families, children, teenagers, generation V members, and baby boomers$ =ou don%t get much broader than that$ Regarding media coverage, A#> wasn%t alone in reporting on the show$ Even C!!$com featured #amyra%s oust as one of its headliner stories$ Why did 8merican -dol create such mass appeal) -ts theme of an 8merican dream come true was something that all generations could relate to, and the element of viewer participation, which influenced that dream, increased the fascination$ !e(t time you embar, on a PR effort, thin, not only about targeting your primary public, but how you can reach a wider audience and get people involved$ 8s for measuring the results of PR efforts, Lac, "ergen, President of the Council of Public Relations @irms, suggests analyzing business outcomes versus PR outputs$ Aeaning, rather than counting how many news releases you send out, consider how PR can tie into, and favorably impact, your business goals such as sales, employee retention, liability prevention, and customer loyalty$ 8nd for heaven%s sa,e, when you%re as,ed to put your two cents in so someone can measure their efforts, help them out$ >ote$ -t counts$ -t%s 8merican$ #his month%s column is dedicated to those who gave their lives, ,nowingly and un,nowingly, for our freedoms$ Aahalo, aloha, and a hui hou$

COMPETITORS OGLE GOOGLE'S FROOGLE

<n /ecember 4B, Reuters news service announced *#he popular search engine Google has added an online shopping site called @roogle to its bag of tric,s$* While this new service gives Google a competitive edge, it also has the potential to alienate it from both competitors and customers$ =et the *ever friendly* Google has managed to ta,e a bigger slice of the search engine pie, now *running nec, and nec, with =ahoo,* and ,eep its customer competitors happy$ 3ow) *Nthey%re being creative on how to monetize their site,* said 'alomon 'mith "arney analyst 0anny "a,er$ Even though Google%s @roogle is in direct competition with Ay'imon and "izRate, they provide lin,s to those sites, as well as 8mazon$com and e"ay, at the bottom of each search results page$ Everyone wins with this arrangement customers see more shopping choices in their search, competitors get a plug, and @roogle charges ahead$ What a clever PR move+ serve your competitor$ #o apply this tactic to your business, thin, first about what you have that your competitors don%t have but want$ Consider not only the obvious, li,e your services and products, but also how you carry out your business$ Perhaps you use a progressive, new accounting procedure that you could teach your competitorsP maybe you have a

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supplier for a hard to find item that would be cheaper with a bul, buyP or possibly you use a piece of machinery only once a wee, that your competitors could rent the rest of the time$ Whatever it is, you have it and they very well might want it$ @rom there, it%s all in the offering$ 8pproach your competitor in a humble and gracious manner with something they want 9and only you have:$ -t will set you apart as the leader in your field and provide them with something valuable in a way that only a colleague could$ Aoreover, customers notice when you collaborate for their benefit, and truly appreciate these efforts$

WAR( FRENCH FRIES SPUR PR PLOY

*@reedom fries to go please$* #hat%s what customers of Cubbie%s in "eaufort, !orth Carolina are ordering these days$ 8ccording to C!!$com%s @ebruary 45 news, at Cubbie%s *=ou can get fries with your burgerNbut &ust don%t as, for @rench fries$ !eal Rowland, the owner of Cubbie%s, now only sells his fried potato strips as %freedom fries% a decision that comes as 8mericans watch @rench officials bac, away from support for possible war in -ra;$* #his was a brilliant PR strategy especially given that *Rowland said his intent is not to slight the @rench peopleN%-t%s our way of showing our patriotic pride,% noting that his business has a lot of local military troops as customers$* #his is an e(ample of ta,ing a current event relevant to your customers and ma,ing it wor, for you$ -n this time when businesses have heightened an(ieties about the looming war, Rowland framed a negative situation creatively and got more e(posure out of it than a costly advertising campaign$ <bviously, this tactic would have been a bad move if his customer base was comprised of war opponents$ #o apply this tactic in your own business, consider what your customers are concerned about or interested in today$ /o your products or services relate to these interests or concerns) -f so, greatI -f not, get creative$ 8fter all, Rowland lin,ed fried potatoes to patriotism$ =ou can do it too$ <nce you%ve figured out the lin,, communicate it to your customers$ #hey%ll ,now you understand them and ac,nowledge the things they care about$ Customers will feel your products or services were made specifically for them and will recommend your business to their friends with similar interests$ What is your freedom fry)

THE COCONUT WIRELESS STRI&ES AGAIN

0ast month was full of technology changeovers, with 8#R# ac;uiring all of Cingular%s JauaKi business and <ceanic #ime Warner%s channel e(pansion$ #hough many agree that the changes were positive ones, they were also wrought with a bit of confusion, as all changes are$ Were 8#R# and <ceanic negligent in communicating with their publics about the changes) <f course not$ #hey both initiated communication through customer mail outs, online e(planations, as well as face to face and phone consultations$ 3owever, many consumers threw away or didn%t read their instructional mailings, or didn%t have the time or motivation to see, a personal consultation$ What many of us chose to do instead was as, a friend$ /inner table conversations

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were abuzz with ;uestions li,e, *What channel is public access on) 3ow do - get rid of %roam% on my cell phone display) 3ow do - answer my voicemail again)* What is fascinating about these technology transformations is how the coconut wireless assisted$ While one friend stood in line to learn about all the new cell phone plans, the rest of us carried on with our daily routine$ #hat friend then returned home armed with information and told ten friends who told ten more friends and so on$ #his process is a good reminder for any company of how powerful informal communications can be$ -t%s also important to consider how to harness the coconut wireless and use it to your best advantage+ offer incentives to those who send business your way or train all your employees, not only customer service representatives, to be ?6 hour community ambassadors$ #he coconut wireless wor,s$ 3ere we are a few wee,s later and everyone is happily *remoting* to the @ood !etwor,, #ravel Channel, <C4D, etc$ and en&oying their free long distance on nights and wee,ends, than,s to two proactive companies, a few great friends, and a little whisper down the lane, over the chain lin, fence, through the papaya trees, from car to car, at the beachN

MA&E SHRE& YOUR BUSINESS IDOL

<n Lune 46, Reuters reported that *'hre, ?* became *the highest grossing animated film of all time in the .nited 'tates and Canada,* having sold QBC6 million worth of tic,ets$ EI <nline called *'hre, ?* a *mean green money machine* and an *ogre iffic se;uel$* While we all ,now and love 'hre,, /on,ey, and Princess @iona, and while we appreciate the top notch scripting and animation in the movie, there are many great animated movies on the mar,et today$ What pushed *'hre, ?* over the top) #he answer is in cross promotion$ Cross promotion is a buzz phrase among mar,eting professionals these days and for good reason$ Lust as collaboration is the trend in government, business and community service, it is also the hot new thing in the art of promotion$ 'o, how did cross promotion wor, for *'hre, ?)* #hose who mar,eted the film smartly made a ton of partnerships$ When the movie was released, we suddenly began seeing a plethora of #> ads featuring the *'hre, ?* characters$ 8 /ial 'oap commercial features 'hre, pulling a green blob out of his ear and placing it on a sin, where /on,ey subse;uently mista,es the ear goop for hair gel, and slic,s it through his foreloc, 9ala *'omething 8bout Aary*:$ #he commercial ends with /ial%s tagline, *=ou%re not as clean as you thin,$* #he cartoons also made their way through "urger Jing, "as,in R Robbins, ARA, 'ierra Aist, 3ewlett Pac,ard, and many other ads$ <n the *'hre, ?* website, 44 promotional partners are listed, including the .nited 'tates Postal 'ervice$ -t wasn%t &ust about appearing in #> ads though$ Each partner product featured games, toys, or contests that pushed the collaborative and promotional envelope$ #he success of *'hre, ?* teaches us that today it%s not necessarily enough to offer a great product or service$ We have to wor, together to pull consumers off their couches and compel them to buy our widgets and our partners% widgets as a whole, better, more alluring pac,age$ #hin, about who you can team up with to give your business the edge you need to succeed, and be sure to integrate both mar,eting 9sales: and public relations 9relationship building: tactics$

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THE JASMINE EFFECT PAC&S THE HAWAIIAN PUNCH

*=ou better hope that every household in 3awaiKi has at least five telephones, because you%re going to need all the support you can get$* #hat was what *8merican -dol* &udge, 'imon Cowell told a tearful Lasmine #rias on Aay 44$ <n Aay 4D, the 8ssociated Press reported that *<f the ?5 states in >erizon%s local territory, only !ew =or, and California logged more calls on its networ, than 3awaiKi after the show$$$ California and !ew =or, are among the most populous states in the nationP 3awaiKi is among the least$* -f you%re one of the ?C or so million *8merican -dol* viewers who voted for #rias placing her among the top three finalists and sending 0a #oya 0ondon pac,ing, 9to the &udges% dismay:, you were one of many who did so not &ust to support #rias but to prove to Cowell and the rest of the country that 3awaiKi may be small but we are a force to be rec,oned with$ #here are a few PR implications at hand here+ @irst, it is the nature of all underdogs to want to wield their power and when push 9Cowell: comes to shove 93awaiKi:, the underdog will bite as hard as it can$ -f you are dealing with an issue that involves an underdog, proceed cautiously and respectfully to avoid getting bitten$ 'econd, *Pacific "usiness !ews* reporter 3oward /icus said it well in an *8merican -dol* chat room when he wrote about *the priceless free publicity that Lasmine%s appearances on %-dol% have given 3awaiKi, and the possibility that those will translate into some e(tra visitors$* 3awaiKi residents had good reason to vote for #rias beyond her singing ability$ #alented local people, if given ma&or public e(posure, can have a huge positive impact on our visitor industry and economy$ When *8merican -dol* televised the top three contestants% trips bac, home, /iana /eGarmo%s and @antasia "arrino%s paled in comparison to #rias% 9in our unbiased opinionN:$ #his, coupled with the recent announcement that the Recording 8cademy has added *"est 3awaiian Ausic 8lbum* as a new category for the 6Eth Grammy 8wards proves that 3awaiKi pac,s a good punch for its size, and local artists are ma,ing a strong impact nationally and globally$ #hird, 3awaiKi people truly ma,e the best fans, hands down$ Whether it%s .3 Wahine volleyball, .3 Warriors football, or #rias, we stic, together through thic, and thin$ "uild your business% foundation on the local mar,et if at all possible$ -f you%ve already got a strong local consumer following in your business, ma,e sure to emphasize your uni;ue selling point that garners their support$ 8nd, steward them well because local customer loyalty will serve you well$

PR STUDY: POLITICS TARGETS RELATIONSHIPS

#he political season is upon us and offers a fascinating study in public relations$ Political parties are vying for the spotlight and loo,ing to capture voters% attention and support$ Candidates within those parties are developing their platforms and messages, and wor,ing to get them out to their constituents$ -f you own a business or are in any way involved in developing an image for your wor,place, pay close attention to how politicians are acting and faring in this election time$ Aost everything in a political campaign is well thought out, from the yard signs to the giveaways, even down to what events candidates attend, how they comb their hair, what they say, who they sha,e hands with, and what they wear$

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'omewhere amidst the campaign plans, convention themes, political icons, don,eys, elephants and rhetoric is a very basic lesson in public relations$ When the pundits analyze what determines why a voter votes a certain way they come up with all ,inds of reasons from party loyalty to fear to a desire for change$ -n the end, we thin, that more often than not, votes depend on a real or perceived relationship with the candidate$ #hat is, voters tend to vote for people they can relate to, people they thin, understand them$ 0i,ewise, business success starts and ends with connecting to your publics including your customers, employees, investors, and community at large$ Establishing that connection ta,es a lot of wor,$ @or a number of reasons, political candidates, especially new ones, generally have a short period of time to communicate with their potential constituents$ -n order to win over voters, candidates use a good portion of their campaign budgets to *tal,* to voters in a variety of ways, over and over again$ Really, they are wooing voters in a whirlwind romance of sorts$ 8s a business, you may have a little more time than a political candidate to cinch the sale, but note the great effort it ta,es to not only communicate with members of your public, but to also call them to action$ -f you wor, even half as hard a political candidate, you will surely see business results$

PR BASIC IS HEART OF OLYMPICS

-t is ironic that the summer <lympics in 8thens, Greece are underway in the midst of the war in -ra;$ -n one instance talented athletes from all around the world have traveled from afar to compete in the <lympic Games while our brave soldiers of the ?55th battalion, and thousands of others &ust li,e them, have been deployed to -ra; to fight a war$ #his irony emphasizes the importance of peace not only abroad, but also in our own bac,yards, and thus illustrates a PR basic$ Gianna 8ngelopoulos /as,ala,i, President of the 8thens ?HH6 <rganizing Committee for the <lympic Games, said in the ?HH6 issue of Global 8genda Aagazine, *-f we want a demonstration of peaceful competition and human interactionNthen we should loo, no further than the <lympic ideals$ 'ince ancient times, peaceful competition on the athletic and sporting field has served as a useful metaphor for how human interaction ought to wor, in other spheres from business to politics$* Well said$ #he <lympics are steeped with history, philosophy and symbolism that not only countries, but also counties, businesses, even families can model$ 8ccording to the 4H7 page <lympic Charter, the goal of the <lympic Aovement is *to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any ,ind and in the <lympic spirit, which re;uires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play$* 'ounds li,e PR 4H4$ -n wartime or when relationships are stressed, a truce comes in handy$ #he tradition of the <lympic #ruce dates bac, to the 5th century "C, in 8ncient Greece when during the #ruce period, the athletes and their families, as well as ordinary citizens, could travel in total safety to participate in or attend the <lympic Games and return afterwards to their respective countries$ 8ccording to the official website of the <lympic Aovement, *#a,ing into account the global political reality in which sport and the <lympic Games e(ist, the -nternational <lympic Committee 9-<C: decided to revive the ancient concept of the <lympic #ruce N#hrough this global and symbolic concept, the -<C aims to raise awareness and encourage political leaders to act in favor of peaceP mobilize youth for the promotion of the <lympic idealsP establish contacts between communities in conflictP offer humanitarian support in countries at warP and more generally to

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create a window of opportunities for dialogue, reconciliation and the resolution of conflicts$* Can%t argue with that$ #he lesson on the small scale is that when conflicts arise in business, it can serve us well to step bac, 9or forward: and play another game, one with clear rules, impartial &udges, and awards for e(celling$ -n the process of playing the game well and fairly, peace could be the result$ 8nd ultimately, peace is the basis for all good relationships, and all good PR$

MIND YOUR MONEY OR 'YOU'RE FIRED'

@ans of !"C%s *#he 8pprentice* will recall that a recent episode featured the 8pe( team nearly losing their shirts over a mis negotiated price ;uote from a vendor$ #he team went QC,HHH over their QCH,HHH budget and ultimately lost to team Aosaic$ Each team was given QCH,HHH to *create a buzz* about Procter R Gamble%s new >anilla Aint Crest toothpaste$ 8ccording to !"C%s *#he 8pprentice* website%s episode recap, *#he candidates were surprised to learn that the fliers cost much more than they had thought putting the team QC,HHH over budget$ Aaria told the printer that she had given him a price that they could not go over, but the printer said that there were overtime costs$ -n an interview, -vana said that the team went over budget because there wasn%t clarity in the negotiations with the printerN-n the boardroom, #rump told 8pe( that while PRG li,ed their product launch best, 8pe( went over budget by 4HW, no small amount$* 3aving a great PR or mar,eting concept and plan is an important step in promoting your business$ 3owever, cost counts too, and when it%s your business, or your livelihood at sta,e, you can%t afford literally to miscalculate the numbers$ 8pe( missed out on the prize of eating filet mignon aboard the Mueen Aary ?, but your stea,s, or sta,es, may be a lot higher$ -t%s often difficult to create accurate cost pro&ections for mar,eting pro&ects, unless you have years of e(perience doing so, and unless you ,now and trust your vendors$ Aaria clearly stated what her budget was, but didn%t ,now her vendor, and didn%t go the e(tra step of as,ing whether they could meet that cost within the allotted timeframe$ #hat last part is ,ey+ many mar,eting budgets go the way of the 8pe( team%s because shipping, rush and overtime charges are not considered$ <nce you have a promotional plan in place, ta,e the time to tal, with all of your vendors in detail about your deadlines, e(pectations of ;uality, and budget$ /o not assume anything, and discuss all particulars$ .se your active listening s,ills to repeat to them your understanding of what they will deliver, when and for how much$ 8nd finally, it%s always best to receive estimates in writing so that if problems arise, you can refer to the document and it won%t turn into a *he said, she said* situation$
TEEN POWER SELLS LIVESTRONG

This months column is brought to you by Shelcie Takenouchi, a senior at Kaua`i High School and an intern with Fujita & Miura ublic !elations" Mahalo to Shelcie #or $ro%iding in%aluable insight about reaching out to todays youth"

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In case you havent had your daily dose of !"# you $i%ht still &e in the clouds 'hen it co$es to 'hat has &een attractin% the youn%er pu&lic these days( !he )ivestron% 'rist&and created &y the )ance *r$stron% +oundation and ,i-e has &eco$e a hu%e hit# especially 'ith teens( !he yello' elastic &and sells for .1 and the proceeds fro$ the sales %o to a %reat cause/ helpin% youth cancer survivors and their fa$ilies( *r$stron%# 'ho 'as dia%nosed 'ith cancer in 1996# started the )ance *r$stron% +oundation to 0help people 'ith cancer around the 'orld %et the practical infor$ation and tools they need to live stron%(1 !he 'rist&and# and the lar%er purpose its connected to# have &eco$e so popular that cele&rities li-e att 2a$on# 3ruce 4illis# and 5o&in 4illia$s all o'n one( !he yello' )ivestron% &racelets even pee-ed out under 6eor%e 3ushs and 7ohn 8errys suit cuffs durin% the ca$pai%n season( 9even $illion )ivestron% 'rist&ands have already &een sold and no' 'ith de$and up# supplies lo'# and &ac-orders &ul%in%# 1(8 $illion $ore are &ein% $ade( !eens are attracted to this ne' 'rist&and for several reasons/ the proceeds %o to a %ood cause# it loo-s cool# and 'ell# its cheap( !he )ivestron% &racelets are :ust one 'ay that the po'er of todays youth is &ein% noticed( *ccordin% to a 2002 study &y research fir$ ;(9( 3ancorp Piper 7affray# 0 !eens spend an avera%e of .135 per $onth on apparel and related products( !een %irls spend 36< of their disposa&le inco$e on clothes(1 =o' $uch spendin% is controlled or influenced &y youn% people>

!eens personally spend over .200 &illion annually for ite$s li-e snac-s# soft drin-s# entertain$ent# and apparel( !eens directly influence over .300 &illion 'orth of spendin% annually for food# snac-s# &evera%es# toys# health and &eauty ite$s# clothin%# accessories# %ifts# and school supplies( !eens indirectly influence over .500 &illion of spendin% annually for recreation# vacations# technolo%y# the fa$ily car# and the fa$ily(

!hese statistics and the )ivestron% &racelet cra?e are po'erful re$inders to &usinesses to not underesti$ate the youth consu$er se%$ent( odern teens have disposa&le inco$e# spend $oney li-e never &efore# and influence trends and attitudes( +ind a 'ay for your product or service to appeal to youn% people# and re$e$&er to provide hi%h @uality service to teens( Pleasin% this consu$er se%$ent is 'ell 'orth the effort(

ASIA TSUNAMI A COMMUNICATIONS DISASTER

1We tried to do what we could,2 said Charles AcCreery, director of the !ational <ceanic and 8tmospheric 8dministrations 3onolulu center$ 1We dont have contacts in our address boo, for anybody in that part of the world$2 #his ;uote was reported by Reuters on /ec$ ?5 three days after the catastrophic tsunami hit 8sia$ -t is difficult to comprehend that by the time the dust settles in post tsunami 8sia, the body count will be roughly double Jauais entire population$ Why) -t wasnt that no one ,new the tsunami

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was coming$ -t was &ust that the people who had the critical information couldnt get it to the people who needed it$ 8nd even if they had, the level of awareness about the relationship between earth;ua,es and tsunamis and what to do in the case of a tsunami was reportedly very low$ !atural disasters happen but their impacts can be diminished significantly when effective communications systems are in place$ 8s a result of the 8sia tsunami disaster, Reuters reported that 1 -ndia became the first nation stric,en by the -ndian <cean tsunami to vow on Wednesday to set up an early warning system, despite the e(pense and the fact it may not be needed for a generation or longer$2 #hough much of the Pacific <cean is covered by a tsunami monitoring system, Reuters said that along with -ndia, 1Lapan, one of the worlds most earth;ua,e prone countries, also announced plans to build a system ne(t year to monitor tsunamis in a wide area of the north and west Pacific currently not covered including parts of -ndonesia and said this could e(pand to cover the -ndian <cean$2 We hope so$ -ndias new system will cost about Q?5 million$ #he cost of having had no communications mechanism in place for this tsunami is immeasurable$ <ur hearts and prayers go out to the countries and survivors that have lost so much, and to the courageous volunteers who will be wor,ing tirelessly on recovery efforts for many months to come$

NEW POPE( NEW BENNIFER USE MYSTERY PR

When the >atican chimney puffed white smo,e and Loseph Ratzinger was elected Pope "enedict V>- on 8pril 45, it was both a beginning and an end$ <f course, it was the beginning of a new reign for the Roman Catholic Church$ "ut, it also mar,ed the end of a savory mystery that had romanced the world 9Catholics and non Catholics ali,e: for wee,s$ What was happening inside those hallowed walls) What were the cardinals saying to each other and thin,ing in their private moments) What did they eat and drin,) What ,ind of paper and pens did they use for the ballots) Well never ,now the answers to a good number of those, and many other, ;uestions$ #here are two communications lessons at hand here$ <ne is that mystery can be used to your business best advantage$ -f you have a good news story to tell, withhold a bit of information and ,eep people wondering until the right time, all the while remaining positive and optimistic in your tone 9wear a Aona 0isa grin if you mustI:$ When your announcement is ready to be released, do it with as much pomp and circumstance as possible$ Aa,e it a celebration worthy of the mystery you created, at a time when you can tell your whole tale to a public waiting in baited breath$ #he second PR lesson is an e(tension of the first, that, in most cases, you are only obligated to tell the public as much or as little as you li,e, at a time of your choosing$ Lust because theres good news to tell doesnt mean everyone should ,now all about it$ 'o it is with "en 8fflec, and his new love, Lennifer Garner$ 'ome say theyre engaged, some say they arent$ 8ccording to EI online, *Garner is said to have warned the very famous e( fiancX of Lennifer 0opez, S#he one thing that will ,ill this relationship is overe(posure$* #he story continued, 1S'he was really adamant, confided a Garner confidante regarding the BB year old action vamper%s desire to ,eep her current romantic life on the down low$ S'he made that -ery clear to "en$* #here are some things we should all ,eep on the down low until were ready to face the positive and negative conse;uences of public e(posure$ What does 1ready2 mean) -t means that once you let the white smo,e out of the chimney or place a diamond ring onto a left finger, youve thought carefully about your story, youre sure about the details, and youre ready to carry out your promises and intentions$

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Please note that these same tactics dont wor, if theres bad news to tell$ -n that case, its usually better to be open and up front before the coconut wireless inserts its own details into your story, even if you have to say, 1-m not sure what happened, but -ll let you ,now as soon as - find out$2

CRUISING OUT OF CONTROL: LOYALTY SAVES THE DAY

This months column is brought to you by Taren Fu$imoto, an intern #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations" .p until recently, 3ollywood 8 lister #om Cruise upheld a shining image$ With a stellar acting career spanning two decades and counting, a reputation as one of the friendliest celebrities to fans, and an unswerving smooth, charismatic conduct off screen, he easily established a secure place in the publics heart$ #hen, the une(pected happened$ 8fter giving the boot to his long time publicist, Cruise appeared to have aborted all sense of PR control$ 8nd so began his outlandish couch hopping, 'cientology preaching, Jatie 3olmes worshipping strea,, shoc,ing everyone the world over$ -n what some considered out of hand, rude behavior, he publicly criticized actress "roo,e 'hields for ta,ing anti depressants to address her post natal depression and got into a tiff during an on air interview with a reporter, 1#oday 'how2 co host Aatt 0auer, a definite PR no no$ #o that end, Cruise has been torn to shreds by merciless media and the butt of late night show &o,es$ Aany have ;uestioned if his new persona is simply a PR ploy to boost his appeal in an industry where fresh 1it2 stars pop up daily$ 'ince he has built a strong, gleaming reputation over many years and his wild antics have only recently emerged, Cruise hasnt suffered irreversible PR damage yet$ -n fact, as a testament to his PR foundation, Cruise fanatics rallied behind their hero, landing his summer thriller, 1War of the Worlds,2 at the top of the bo( office during its opening wee,$ #his says a lot for the power of loyalty in the PR mi($ #his same concept of loyalty 9minus the controversy: can be applied to all businesses who feel compelled to undergo a transformation in order to survive amongst tough competitors, who may be newer or bigger or have swan,ier promotions$ Whatever competitors draws are, well established businesses can leverage the loyalty of their customers to their favor$ -n addition to providing a valuable product or service, how do you build a loyal clientele PR wise) Consistently informing them about your company and latest offerings is a smart way to ,eep the lines of communication open and your business top of mind$ #his could be done through a newsletter, website, personal letter, etc$ =oull want to be sure to hear them out too, either through formal processes, such as focus groups or customer feedbac, forms, or by &ust 1tal,ing story2 so that you ,now how best meet their needs$ @urthermore, treating your consumers with respect and appreciation go a long way, and high ;uality customer service will deliver these directly and effectively$ @inally, reward these fol,s for their loyalty by offering them e(clusive discounts, bonuses, or anything special that they will value$ Jeep in mind that loyalty can only go so far and must be maintained$ -f Cruise continues to show a lac, of respect for his colleagues and the media, his attractiveness will surely wane$ "ut, for now, loyalty has saved the day$

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CHENEY'S PR OFF1TARGET

Remember when you were a small child and accidentally bro,e your moms special vase and didnt tell anyone, but mysteriously, Aom found out and then scolded you for not telling her in the first place) #hin, of the public and media as Aom if your business ever ma,es a big mista,e$ 8 good PR rule of thumb is to tell your story swiftly, wholly, and truthfully or youll be criticized not only for the wrongdoing but also for your lac, of disclosure$ 8"C !ews summed up the most recent e(ample of this PR lesson on @eb$ 4C in their story, 1Cheney Controversy Persists$2 #hey said, 1Muestions about why >ice President /ic, Cheney did not tell the public that he had accidentally shot #e(as lawyer 3arry Whittington during a ;uail hunting outing in #e(as on 'aturday continue to persist$ !ow the White 3ouse is under fire for not releasing information on the Cheney shooting ;uic,ly enough$2 #he story continues, 1When you hold it bac,, you raise a whole series of issues of why you%re holding it bac, and what else happened and really what else is going on in the government that you%re not telling us,* said Loe 0oc,hart, former White 3ouse press secretary under President Clinton to 8"C !ews on @eb$ 4C$ *-t is PR 4H4, and they failed PR 4H4 here$* #here are numerous other instances of information withholding, none of which turned out well, from the E((on >aldez oil spill to 5G44$ #here are a few e(ceptions to the disclosure rule including issues dealing with minors, maintaining military security, or because its personal business 9i$e$, its nobodys business:, though even these lines are very blurry$ .se your best &udgment and dont ma,e the decision not to tell because you thin, that withholding information will protect you and your business$ !ine times out of ten, being close lipped will bac,fire and Aom will find out$ -f silence hasnt wor,ed for superpowers li,e oil companies and governments, it probably wont wor, for you$

&AUAI'S PR FLOOD

'ometimes, it ta,es a disaster to remind us who we really are$ #he good news is, even amidst the loss and suffering so many e(perienced in the JauaKi floods, our local community is a tight one defined by open communication, cooperation, generosity, and love$ 8ll of these ;ualities were the basis for the relating our government, land owners, media, service organizations, and residents were doing with their publics$ #his column is not about how things could have been done better$ -ts simply an observation of how well things were done$ Photos and stories were submitted to and posted by the newspapers, which brought the Westside and !orth 'hore somehow closer together$ #he radio stations ,ept us informed and wor,ed around the cloc, to let us ,now what roads to stay off of, how to be safe, and what was open and closed$ Even the <Kahu #> world came to JauaKi and made the rest of the state aware of our plight$ #hose who used the media to inform and help, including the County, 'tate, utilities, shelter wor,ers, volunteers, reservoir owners, and regular, everyday good 'amaritans, gave us all a sense of comfort that they were handling whatever came along$ We honor all of those who wor,ed together with a sense of selflessness, fle(ibility, and trust to ma,e JauaKi a model in terms of natural disaster response$ <nce again, the true nature of JauaKi and her people shone through, even in the dar,est days and heaviest rains$ JauaKi aloha at its best$

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DA VINCI PR CODE

8ccording to 'ony Pictures, 1#he /a >inci Code2 became the second largest worldwide film release after *'tar Wars+ Episode ---,* grossing some Q??6 million worldwide$ #he bo( office success of the film, along with the fact that /an "rowns 1#he /a >inci Code2 novel is a worldwide bestseller with more than DH$C million copies in print, is a solid e(ample of the size and influence of the faith based public$ #hough 1#he /a >inci Code2 moviegoers and readers were certainly not limited to the faith based sector, audiences were largely compelled to read the boo, and see the movie to satisfy their curiosity about the religious controversy the story ignited$ 8s a result, follow up news stories were done, documentaries were made, and boo,s were written$ 8 lot of fol,s have ridden on the coattails of /an "rowns story since the boo,s release$ #he PR lesson here is to remember faith based communities when identifying target publics for your PR efforts$ #hey may not be top of mind because religion and personal beliefs are not liberally discussed at wor,, in public school, on #>, or in social settings, but when its appropriate, the faith based public is a great segment to reach out to and communicate with$ @aith based communities are large, active, and influential$ -n many instances, they are well organized and have regular methods of communicating via websites, newsletters, direct mail, and face to face interactions$ "ut focusing on these groups must be done carefully and with great respect$ 0i,e any other group, learn about them first and only reach out to them when it ma,es sense and if you have reason to believe that theyll benefit from or have interest in your product or service$ @or e(ample, if your restaurant is near a church, ma,e sure your hours and staffing can accommodate parishioners before and after church services, and let the church leaders ,now you are happy to serve their members$ -f you are near a Lewish temple, you may want to offer some authentic Lewish and ,osher food items$ =ou get the idea$ When communicating with faith based communities, stay within your boundaries as an outsider$ "e sensitive to and informed about the reason that they e(ist, whether you agree with their principles or not, and be sure your staff follows suit$

HITTING IT OUT OF THE PR ROUGH

This month/s column is brought to you by Shelcie Ta.enouchi, an associate #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations and student at 0S1 pursuing a ma$or in public relations" @or all those who love the game of golf, hac,ers and pros ali,e, the 'unday round at the ?HHD .nited 'tates <pen was dramatic and entertaining$ Phil Aic,elson, the third ran,ed professional golfer in the world according to 1Golfwee,,2 began the day tied for the lead and was e(pected by many to be the ne(t .$'$ <pen champion$ 8s a little bac,ground, the .$'$ <pen is one of the PG8 tours most prestigious tournaments in golf history and has also been ,nown to be one of the hardest titles to obtain on the tour$ Phil held onto the lead going into the 47th hole, but somehow had a slip of concentration when trying to be too aggressive with a shot out of the rough$ -n an instant, the title slipped from his grasp as he double bogeyed the hole$ Rather than focusing on the winner of the tournament, every media venue zoned in on Phils defeat$ What made Phils loss so captivating to the press is that he lost the tournament for himselfP the winner did not win from playing spectacular golf$ 1Golfwee,2 ;uotes Phil as saying, 1'o it hurts because - had it in my grasp and &ust let it go$2 Geoff <gilvy, the 8ussie who won the tournament even admitted, 1- thin, - was the beneficiary of a little bit of charity$2

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#he PR tip here for professional athletes, CE<s, employees, and companies in general is that no one person or entity is perfect or has the mar,et cornered on ma,ing mista,es$ 'ome mista,es may be more costly than others, but the important thing is to ac,nowledge the mista,e, accept criticism graciously, and ta,e responsibility$ #his is always easier said than done though right) When you goof, your publics li,e to ,now that you have admitted and accepted your faults rather than generating e(cuses or blaming others$ #he media and public in general is tough on those who ma,e mista,es, so accepting failure, especially publicly through the media, is a hard thing to do$ !o one wants to seem wea, or incompetent$ 3owever, you will always be admired 9li,e Phil was: if you demonstrate honesty and resilience$ 'how your publics that you can move beyond the mista,e, grow stronger and better, and have a positive outloo, on the future$ -n other words, if you find yourself in the rough, hit it out onto the fairway and focus on nothing but the flagstic,$

A SHORT PR LESSON FOR BRAD PITT

This months column is brought to you by Rahel Kramer, an exchange student from amburg, !ermany" Rahel is pursuing her masters degree and interning #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations through the first 'uarter of ())*$ 1"rad Pitt unhappy as >anity @air splashes semi na,ed photos,2 was the =ahoo !ews headline a few wee,s ago$ #hey reported that "rad Pitt had his photo ta,en wearing only a pair of bo(er shorts and soc,s$ #he irony is that Pitt signed a release authorizing the use of the photos$ 'till, 1he was oblivious they would end up on >anity @air%s cover more than a year later$2 !eedless to say, Pitt probably now realizes how important it is to understand the approvals he signs$ #his can be a PR lesson to any one of us, and applies to all ,inds of instances$ @rom a PR perspective, approvals are critical for professionals to secure and sign because they ,eep everyone on the same page and reduce liability$ -f you need to use a photo of a person for your business or organization, have them sign a photo release$ #he Publishing 0aw Center notes, 1Nit is advisable to always obtain a written release from any individual that would be recognized in a photograph$2 #emplates are available on the -nternet$ 8pprovals are also useful in other business interactions$ 3ave your boss read a letter for a customer before its sent$ Get a clients final copy approval on a brochure before it goes to print$ 3ave a 3R person review a classified ad before it runs$ Whenever possible, have a second set of eyes loo, at and approve important communications$ Put it in writing so theres no ;uestion about who as,ed for what, when, why, and from whom$ "e specific about the ,ind of feedbac, you are re;uesting$ 8lso, give a deadline$ 8nd as always, be gracious in as,ing for and receiving feedbac, and approvals$ Releases and approvals are essential to ,eeping relationships with bosses, employees, clients, and the public strong$ With informed consent, no one, including "rad Pitt, will get caught with their pants down 9so to spea,:$

PREPARE FOR PEACE

-ts difficult to thin, about the recent tragedy at >irginia #ech and come away with any feelings but sadness and despair$ Every time events li,e these occur, the world as,s, 13ow could this happen)2 Wed li,e to suggest that we start as,ing a different ;uestion+ 13ow can peace happen)2 When you loo, at crises from that angle, it changes the way you prepare for the future$ 8nd, focusing your communications on your ideal outcome is good PR$

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-t would be impossible to consider every disastrous scenario, though many businesses and governments attempt to do so$ #hey create emergency preparedness plans for fires, floods, hurricanes, etc$, do drills, have violence in the wor,place trainings, and otherwise prepare for the worst$ <f course this needs to be done, especially on JauaKi where we have been in the path of several hurricanes$ 3ow would things be, however, if in addition to preparing for the worst, we were to prepare for the best) Preparing for the best is two pronged$ -t includes prevention and planning$ @or e(ample, on the prevention end, loo, at your wor,force to assess what problems can be prevented right now$ 8re there relationship issues that need to be ironed out, an employee who might need counseling, or an unfairness that needs to be righted) 8s for planning for the best, are there programs you can implement now to ma,e for a happier wor, environment) 3ow can you infuse fun and local style into your business) 'imple gestures li,e handwriting mahalo notes, having an employee contest with a nice prize, or treating your employees to lunch can ma,e a big difference and go a long way towards peace in the wor,place$ 8nd although sometimes it feels li,e peace, in the grand sense, is a long way away, we can prepare for it in many small ways every day$

CR-'-' C<AA.!-C8#-<!

SEVEN HURRICANE COMMUNICATION TIPS

Jauai businesses have learned from too many past e(periences that one can never be too prepared for a hurricane$ Especially since each business has a base of people for whom it is responsible, whether it%s employees, vendors, customers, or the public at large$ 8s we enter the heart of our hurricane season, we bring you these seven helpful tips to help you prepare for a hurricane from a public relations angle$ "efore a hurricane occurs and potential impacts threaten the public and customers, businesses must have a plan$ "eing proactive can avoid panic and distress in the midst of an emergency$ =our plan should include+

94: 8n emergency staffing structure$ Who will be your company spo,esperson9s: and who will develop and implement emergency communications strategies) 9?: 8 ;ualified spo,esperson$ Who ,nows enough about the business to provide accurate company information) 3ave they been trained and are they prepared to spea, confidently with members of the media) 9B: Employee guidelines$ 8re your employees aware of what their roles are in an emergency) /o you have a communications process and plan in place that they are familiar with) 96: Aedia policy$ /o you have a policy on providing statements to the public and news media on behalf of the company) 9C: 'ample documents$ 8re there any emergency communications documents you can prepare ahead of time, li,e sample news releases and media tal,ing points$

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9D: Contact list$ /o you have an up to date contact list including emergency numbers as well as your business%s ,ey customers and vendors) 9E: 8lternative communications tools$ /o you have communications tools to reach your contacts in case the usual ones aren%t available) Phone lines and email may not be a communications option$

PR BATTLE PLAN FOR WAR

Effective public relations 9PR: begins with good planning$ 3ow best to communicate with and positively influence your mar,et depends on many factors including what your audience is thin,ing or doing now and what you want them to thin, or do$ -n wartime, there%s good and bad news when it comes to communicating with your publics$ #he bad news is that we%re all brooding about and we all want the best for the world, no matter what we%re on$ 'omewhere in between that good and together, and therefore, no industry, business or terrorism$ preoccupied with the war$ #he good news is, end of the political or philosophical spectrum bad news lies the fact that we%re all in this person will escape the impacts of war and

#his is where planning comes into play$ Every business will feel different ripple effects from the war$ #he ,ey is to start thin,ing about the range of impacts war might have on your business$ 3ere are some things to consider+ could your business e(perience reduced employee productivity or customer interest as a result of travel delays, emotional distraction, or military duty) Will a slowdown in nationwide delivery services affect your product or service delivery) 8re your products and services more or less desirable in wartime) -f the battles are protracted, how long can your business sustain itself without cutting budgets, services or staffing) Will the war reduce or change your current customer base and if so, do you need to reach out to a new group of potential customers) 'o thin, of the right ;uestions, answer them as best you can, and develop some creative and positive ways to address the issues facing your business, from both a communications and an operations standpoint$ @inally, communicate any resulting service changes to your primary publics$ #he video game industry has already found its niche in wartimes$ C!!GAoney%s Chris Aorris reported on Aarch ?C that military themed video games have been on #op #en selling lists for months now and their sales have increased since the war in -ra; began$ #he industry has done a great &ob publicizing this, and is even developing new versions and games to address the demand$ Aa,ing your own battle plan in the midst of wartime will help you determine what you need to do, if anything, to ,eep your business afloat and communicate appropriately with your publics$

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SARS: SHARE ALL RIGHT STORIES

-n the wa,e of the '8R' epidemic, #he !ew =or, #imes reported on 8pril ?B *Nafter a rare admission of failure, Y"ei&ing%sZ national officials ac,nowledged having drastically understated the prevalence of the disease in the capital$ #he national health minister and the mayor of "ei&ing were fired$* !ow, "ei&ing%s government is not only wor,ing frantically to control the spread of '8R', but also scrambling to restore public trust$ "ei&ing%s lesson is one from which we can all learn$ 8t some point, every business is faced with something it doesn%t want its publics to ,now$ -t%s important to ma,e the distinction between confidential or proprietary information, which the public has no right to ,now, and information that is grim but newsworthy$ 8n obvious rule of thumb is that when it comes to matters of life and death, full disclosure is critical$ *.nderstating* the facts doesn%t cut it$ "ut what about those gray areas when the media, your customers, and maybe even your employees want or need the scoop on something you%d &ust rather not share) @irst, remember that problems can present opportunities to tell your story and show integrity$ Every piece of *bad* news doesn%t have to be damaging if you are proactive, honest, and smart about presenting the facts$ Good timing, good planning, good intentions, and good wording are all in order when it comes to managing an issue$ 'econd, to determine your story and how to deliver it, as, yourself+ what is the silver lining in this situation) Who needs to ,now about it) When is the right time to share it) Will telling my story save lives, protect property, preserve the environment, minimize negative impacts to my community, andGor enhance my organization%s image) -f so, remember '8R'+ 'hare 8ll Right 'tories$

REPUTATION BOOSTERS

0ast year, homema,er e(traordinaire, Aartha 'tewart, elicited warm fuzzy feelings$ #oday, in the midst of the corporate scandals with Enron, 8rthur 8ndersen, and WorldCom, even Aartha 'tewart%s reputation has suffered amidst speculation regarding insider trading$ Consumers are stepping bac, to scrutinize corporate 8merica$ -n turn, businesses are loo,ing to one of public relations% cornerstones, reputation management$ "usinesses are *focusing more on reputation management than at the height of the dot com boom, when it was all about sales and products, and general respect for business was much higher,* stated Patty @arrell, J>< senior vice president and head of the agency%s corporate leadership practice$ *Everybody%s business was boomingP it was a different ,ind of communication then$ !ow there are reputation challenges, in addition to the financial crisis that brought about the recession$* Reputation management concerns every company and means building up your business% character in the eyes of your publics 9customers, employees, stoc,holders, vendors, surrounding community, etc$:$ 'trategic reputation management can prevent, or help you survive crisis, through good planning and being proactive$

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#hin, of it as a fire drill$ <penly and honestly consider your business% wea, points$ Where and how could fires start) !e(t, develop a plan$ Where are the fire e(its and how do we get everyone out alive) -nstall fire alarms and sprin,lers, ,now your local firefighters on a first name basis, and give a donation to the fire department$ "uild a treasure chest of credibility with your ,ey publics to lessen the effects of difficult times$ Perfect practice ma,es perfect$ Run your staff through simulations to prepare if a crisis hits$ "e constantly vigilant that your business affairs and operations are in order, that your business actions are driven by the highest ethical standards, and that all of your publics are on the same page$ 8n ounce of preventionNyou ,now the rest$

&ATRINA AND RITA REMIND US TO PLAN FOR THE WORST

JauaKi businesses have learned from too many past e(periences that one can never be too prepared for a hurricane$ 8mericans in the mainlands southern regions are learning the same lessons with 3urricanes Jatrina and Rita$ Every business has a base of people for whom it is responsible, whether it%s employees, vendors, customers, or the public at large$ 8s we enter the heart of our hurricane season, we bring you these seven helpful tips to help you prepare for a hurricane from a public relations angle$ "efore a hurricane occurs and potential impacts threaten the public and customers, businesses must have a plan$ "eing proactive can avoid panic and distress in the midst of an emergency$ =our plan should include+ 94: 8n emergency staffing structure$ Who will be your company spo,esperson9s: and who will develop and implement emergency communications strategies) 9?: 8 ;ualified spo,esperson$ Who ,nows enough about the business to provide accurate company information) 3ave they been trained and are they prepared to spea, confidently with members of the media) 9B: Employee guidelines$ 8re your employees aware of what their roles are in an emergency) /o you have a communications process and plan in place that they are familiar with) 96: Aedia policy$ /o you have a policy on providing statements to the public and news media on behalf of the company) 9C: 'ample documents$ 8re there any emergency communications documents you can prepare ahead of time, li,e sample news releases and media tal,ing points) 9D: Contact list$ /o you have an up to date contact list including emergency numbers as well as your business%s ,ey customers and vendors) /o you ,now where all your ,ey staff members will be on hurricane day) 9E: 8lternative communications tools$ /o you have communications tools to reach your contacts in case the usual ones aren%t available) Phone lines and email may not be communications options$ <#3ER'

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PUBLIC RELATIONS: HOLIDAY STYLE

#he holidays are not only a time for food and festivities, but they also present e(cellent public relations 9PR: opportunities for businesses$ !ow is the perfect time to focus on your business relationships with employees, customers, shareholders, vendors, legislators or other local businessesP than, those who%ve helped your business run smoothly throughout the yearP and spread the holiday cheer$ #he following are a few ways to put a little PR spice into your business% holiday strategy+ 4: 'end holiday cards or gifts to your main constituencies$ ?: #hrow a holiday party for your employees to show them you appreciate their hard wor,$ B: Coordinate or sign up for a community service event, and recruit employees to participate$ 6: /onate a portion of your annual profits to charity$ C: /ecorate your business for the holidays$ D: 'end a year end letter to your shareholders to let them ,now what your business accomplished in the past year, and what they can loo, forward to ne(t year$ E: Pitch a story to your local newspaper using a holiday angle$ #o ma(imize these tactics, be sensitive to the fact that people celebrate different holidays during this time$ 'teer clear of sending cards or gifts specifying any one holiday$ -nstead, wish your recipients a *happy holiday season$* 8lso, invite the media to cover any community event that your business supports$ @inally, and as always, be sure that all your PR strategies, actions and communications come from the heart$ 3ere%s to a happy, safe and prosperous holiday seasonI

SARS: SHARE ALL RIGHT STORIES

-n the wa,e of the '8R' epidemic, #he !ew =or, #imes reported on 8pril ?B *Nafter a rare admission of failure, Y"ei&ing%sZ national officials ac,nowledged having drastically understated the prevalence of the disease in the capital$ #he national health minister and the mayor of "ei&ing were fired$* !ow, "ei&ing%s government is not only wor,ing frantically to control the spread of '8R', but also scrambling to restore public trust$ "ei&ing%s lesson is one from which we can all learn$ 8t some point, every business is faced with something it doesn%t want its publics to ,now$ -t%s important to ma,e the distinction between confidential or proprietary information, which the public has no right to ,now, and information that is grim but newsworthy$ 8n obvious rule of thumb is that when it comes to matters of life and death, full disclosure is critical$ *.nderstating* the facts doesn%t cut it$ "ut what about those gray areas when the media, your customers, and maybe even your employees want or need the scoop on something you%d &ust rather not share)

35

@irst, remember that problems can present opportunities to tell your story and show integrity$ Every piece of *bad* news doesn%t have to be damaging if you are proactive, honest, and smart about presenting the facts$ Good timing, good planning, good intentions, and good wording are all in order when it comes to managing an issue$ 'econd, to determine your story and how to deliver it, as, yourself+ what is the silver lining in this situation) Who needs to ,now about it) When is the right time to share it) Will telling my story save lives, protect property, preserve the environment, minimize negative impacts to my community, andGor enhance my organization%s image) -f so, remember '8R'+ 'hare 8ll Right 'tories$

"I WON7 I WON7"

8re you one of those fol,s who pee,s under the soda cap to see if you won anything) Aost of us do it$ People love contests$ Plus, they%re a great, low cost, low effort way to gain positive e(posure for your company and its products or services$ -t doesn%t matter what industry you%re inP poster contests, random drawings, half court shots, and games li,e Ac/onald%s Aonopoly can be re invented for any business$ #he tric, to a good contest is having fair contest rules, a decent prize, and ade;uate contest promotions$ Establish simple, clearly stated contest rules and stic, to them$ "e sure that all contest entries abide by the rules and that the winner is chosen fairly$ #his will help avoid any hard feelings from those who don%t win$ When deciding on a prize, remember that it doesn%t have to be e(travagant$ People enter contests &ust for the chance to win something anything$ #a,e ARAs Global Color >ote+ those who vote on the new ARA color get nothing but the satisfaction that their color won$ #o encourage participation, announce the contest on the radio, get the media involved, hold an event, or hire a mascot to wave down potential entrants$ When it%s time to choose a winner, write a news release, ta,e a photo, and maybe even plan a formal celebration$ 8nd be sure to tell the losers to *#ry 8gain$* -n the end, you%ll have one ecstatic winner who will most li,ely become a your company%s lifetime patron and personal PR advocate$ @urthermore, all entrants will be more familiar with your products or services, which may influence more sales$

POLITICS TEACHES PR LESSONS

Even if your business is s,yroc,eting, ongoing public relations 9PR: is critical to maintaining a high level of success$ /uring this e(citing political season, businesses can learn a lot about the benefits of ongoing PR by observing political campaigns$ Candidates who won spots in the upcoming General Election aren%t sitting bac, and waiting for !ovember Cth to come$ #hey%re wor,ing hard to earn their votes, &ust li,e we have to earn business from our customers$ 3ow) "y maintaining alliances, communicating proactively, and managing budgets$ Politicians ,now that allies are their most important constituents$ #hat sounds obvious, but many businesses ta,e their allies for granted and assume that they%ll always be there$ <r, they get distracted with trying to win over non supporters$ !urturing relationships with current allies helps ensure that the foundation of support you%ve toiled for remains intact$ 8llies are your strongest supporters and promote your business to others by word of mouth$ #hey are the most credible

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advocates any organization can have because people trust *real* people much more than they trust advertisements or the media$ Proactively communicating with your publics is another factor in sustaining your hard earned business$ "usinesses can follow the e(ample of political candidates by including their contact information on all collateral materials, reminding the public about promises made and ,ept, repeating ,ey messages, and informing them about anything new$ "usinesses that practice proactive communication are more li,ely to be perceived as trustworthy, approachable, and friendly, partially because they en&oy name recognition$ "udget management is often overloo,ed as being essential to the PR process$ "ecause political spending is such a hot topic on campaign trails these days, candidates ,now that it pays to closely monitor their budgets, and to spend appropriately$ <nce a PR campaign ends, many businesses assume that PR related e(penditures can also stop$ /epending on the size of your target audience and scope of your outreach efforts, you may need to set aside a standard budget for ongoing PR$ Jeeping accurate finances not only helps businesses stay out of trouble and within budget, but also provides a way to measure the effectiveness of their PR efforts$

#he year is a endin%, you did all the PR you could, =our budget was spent for high impact and a greater good$ Promotions, press releases, newsletters, speeches, =ou did everything but s,ywrite your logo over Jauai%s beaches$ ?HHB is approaching, but where do you start) ';uare one) 8ll over again) -s that very smart) Evaluate your results+ have your targets been hit, With the ,ey messages and strategies that you saw fit) What wor,ed and what didn%t will help you decide, #hings to repeat or twea, for the ne(t high tide$ PR%s foundation of building relationships and reaching out, #o the right people in the right ways and times is the plan to tout$ .sing the right recipe you%ll derive your ideal outcome, Good tactics and messengers will ma,e you number one$ "e proactive, honest, and strategic with flair, Jnow your public and your goals, be creative and aware$

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#a,e aim, be focused, don%t settle for less than your best, =ou%ll be successful in KHB with aloha and zest$

THE MORE1FORS TREND

#oday, if your widget has only one use, it%s not li,ely to get a lot of consumer support or attention$ Cell phones now have P/8s, cameras, and email capabilities$ .niversal remote controls can turn an assortment of home entertainment e;uipment on and off$ Aany vehicles are now e;uipped with computers, GP's, #> screens, and />/ players$ Even defense contractors are aiming their research and development efforts towards *dual use technologies,* which can be used by both the government and civilian world$ #he shopping public seems to want a bang for their buc,$ #wo for one deals used to be a bargain$ !ow consumers e(pect to get three , four , or more for one for their money$ -f you ma,e and sell widgets, thin, about how you can give your customers added benefits by combining product features so that they serve more than one purpose$ -f you provide a service, thin, about how your e(pertise can be applied to accomplish more than one goal for your client$ -n terms of PR, consider what ma,es your communications methods better than the ne(t guy%s$ @or e(ample, when sending electronic press releases to the media, provide reporters with lin,s to websites and email addresses so they can easily access additional information$ Employee and consumer newsletters could include coupons, tips, and surveys, and be delivered via postal mail as well as email$ @urthermore, any type of credible alliance or partnership, such as testimonials or co hosting an event, that you can form and portray in your communications increases your saturation and elevates your reputation$ Whatever you do, figure out a way to pac, all the value you can into your product or service and you%ll come out ahead$ -f you%re not sure what added benefits you can offer, as, a colleague for ideas$ 8fter all, two heads areNwell, you ,now the rest$

SEE J. LO ON MTV ASAP7

www$8cronym@inder$com boasts being the web%s most comprehensive database with definitions for more than ?D5,HHH acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms$ <n its @un 'tuff page they recount the following story+ *-n 45D7, %!ewswee,% magazine published a short, but humorous article, 3ow to Win at Wordsmanship$ -t described the %'ystematic "uzz Phrase Pro&ector,% a concept developed by Philip "roughton, a 9then: DB year old wor,er in the .' Public 3ealth 'ervice$ 3e must have had a delightful sense of humor$* "roughton%s system used a three column list of BH buzzwords ta,en from the mouth of corporate 8merica$ @or e(ample, the three words *synchronized organizational contingency* are randomly chosen to form the acronym '<C$ #he story goes on+ *#he idea was to drop these random buzz phrase nuggets into conversation or technical reports$ "roughton said %!o one will have the remotest idea of what you are tal,ing about, but the important thing is that they%re not about to admit it$%* 8 delightful sense of humor indeedN-t used to be that people li,e "roughton were only at home in the business world or the military$ !ow, our fast paced world and penchant for doing everything

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more *efficiently* have resulted in acronyms galore$ 8cronyms have become a clever mar,eting tool, enabling companies to change their names without, well, changing their names$ #a,e Jentuc,y @ried Chic,en$ When they became J@C they remade their image and boosted their business$ 'aturday !ight 0ive, after the departure of the classic greats li,e Lohn "elushi and Lane Curtain, went through a low ratings period until they began calling themselves '!0$ #hen there was A#> and L$ 0o and the rest is history$ We even have a few of our own here+ JC@C., J-.C, JCC and P'R/ among them$ -n some cases, we don%t even ,now what the letters stand for, and for the most part, it doesn%t matter$ What does matter is that we have a hip new way to name our services, products or companies$ #han, you, Ar$ "roughton$

TOGETHER IS BETTER
#he JauaKi Chamber of Commerce recently presented a rare and interesting opportunity to hear a futurist%s ta,e on what%s ahead for JauaKi$ @or years, the business community has been told to *lead, don%t follow$* 3owever, according to Ed "arlow, futurist with Creating the @uture, -nc$, the new trend will be to align$ @or the business community this means partnering with other entities to gain efficiencies and enhance customer service$ 8ligning will not only improve your day to day operations, but also provide a priceless PR opportunity$ Whether you call it aligning, partnering, teaming, or collaborating, the important thing is to start doing it$ @rom a PR perspective, it%s essential to do that consciously$ /etermine why you should collaborate before you choose your partners$ #he *who* ;uestion will be easy to answer once the *why* is resolved$ @or e(ample, consider your short and long term business goals and the barriers to achieving them$ What would you need in place to accomplish V) Aoney) 8dministrative assistance) 'pace) E;uipment) -nformation) Whether you want to e(pand your customer base or add a new service to your offerings, there%s someone out there you can connect with to get it done$ !ow choose the best entity or individual to team with$ "e creative$ #hin, about whose involvement will help you serve your customers better, ;uic,er, and less e(pensively$ 8lso reflect on what formal or informal partners share your values and vision, and who will lead the team$ Effective leadership will be critical to building trust with your publics$ <nce you%ve formed your alliances, PR wise it is important communicate with your internal and e(ternal publics about why you are partnering and how they will benefit$ #he profit you%ll reap with appropriate, innovative aligning will go further than money or smoother operations$ Aore people will ,now about your company and its products andGor services, your partner9s: will become your advocate9s:, and our community%s resources will be used to everyone%s best advantage$

WHEN 'THE INI&I EFFECT' IS A GOOD THING

-f you loo, bac, over the past year, what ,inds of things have you done in the community) Probably a lot if you%re the typical JauaKi business$ 8ccording to the 3awaiKi Community @oundation%s 93C@: *3awaiKi Giving 'tudy ?HH?,* *JauaKi led the other counties in terms of the percent of households that contribute at 5E percent$* Why are we so generous) 3C@ says *Jauai%s impressive charitable giving participation can be lin,ed to the high levels of civic engagement, or social capital, among its residents$ #his connectedness is referred to by many JauaKi residents as #he -ni,i Effect when they all came together after 3urricane -ni,i devastated the island in 455?$* #hin, about this too+ *When you consider the number of business associatesNwho sit on nonprofit boards of directors, that%s a lot of in ,ind supportNWe need to celebrate how some

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industries have really stepped up to the plate to support the Jauai community$$$ -f we put a dollar amount on our volunteer hours we are one of the richest places in the whole world,* says 0aurie 3o, Coordinator of Garden -sland Resource Conservation and /evelopment$ We are indeed a caring, connected community$ @rom a public relations standpoint, this bodes well for local businesses, though it is not local style to toot your own horn$ !e(t time you do a good deed and humility overcomes you, remember that consumers, and even your employees, want to ,now what causes your company supports$ 8 breast cancer survivor may be more inclined to buy =oplait because its yogurt container top campaign bac,s breast cancer research$ #his consumer is part of a growing mar,et of *social shoppers$* 'he wants to patron companies that are ma,ing a positive difference in the world as well as helping her personally$ 8nd you can bet that her family and friends are following her lead$ 'till feel uncomfortable about tooting your own horn) #hen loo, at how you%re tooting$ =ou don%t need to appear in the newspaper presenting a giant chec, every time your company ma,es a donation$ "e creative$ Challenge another li,e sized business to get more wal,ers than you in the ne(t wal, a thon$ >olunteer with your employees to serve dinner at the ne(t big charity event$ #hose ,inds of things will be newsworthy without media coverage$ #he coconut wireless can ma,e and brea, reputations on its own$ Aa(imizing your community service is not only good for business, it helps JauaKi and will ma,e your employees proud to be associated with your company$

GET THE S&INNY ON TRENDS

Pacific "usiness !ews recently reported that *3awaii%s ubi;uitous 0R0 /rive -nn chain has rolled out a low carb meal it calls the 3awaiian 8t,ins PlateNa high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate meal with no rice and no macaroni salad$* 3owever appetizing 9or not: that sounds to you, the move to tap into a trend was a smart one PR wise$ #he tric, is to ,now what%s trendy and how to apply the *fashion to your passion$* -n general, the following are good places to find out what%s hot and what%s not+ www$msn$com, -n 'tyle magazine, #>, cartoons li,e /oonesbury or /ilbert, the !ew =or, #imes bestseller list, the water cooler at wor,, EI <nline, the stoc, mar,et, the World @uture 'ociety at www$wfs$org, political speeches there are tons of sources$ -f you want to ,now the ne(t big thing for your particular target public, a little research may be in order$ Chec, out publications, organizations and products aimed at your audience$ @or e(ample, if your target is children, you can bet !ic,elodeon will be mar,eting all things cool and tasty to our ,ei,i$ -f it%s seniors your after, 88RP will be one aficionado on elderly issues$ #here are also a wide variety of trend spotting specialists li,e www$trendwatching$com and www$springwise$com$ "oth sites offer free e letters and ideas for all ,inds of industries, situations and cultures$ Whatever resource you use, if you ,eep your finger on the pulse of what%s popular and ad&ust your products, services and messages appropriately to fit the times, you will be able to continuously spar, the interest of and please your publics$ 8nd remember, once you ma,e your move, tell the world$

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THE MORE1FORS TREND

#oday, if your widget has only one use, it%s not li,ely to get a lot of consumer support or attention$ Cell phones now have P/8s, cameras, and email capabilities$ .niversal remote controls can turn an assortment of home entertainment e;uipment on and off$ Aany vehicles are now e;uipped with computers, GP's, #> screens, and />/ players$ Even defense contractors are aiming their research and development efforts towards *dual use technologies,* which can be used by both the government and civilian world$ #he shopping public seems to want a bang for their buc,$ #wo for one deals used to be a bargain$ !ow consumers e(pect to get three , four , or more for one for their money$ -f you ma,e and sell widgets, thin, about how you can give your customers added benefits by combining product features so that they serve more than one purpose$ -f you provide a service, thin, about how your e(pertise can be applied to accomplish more than one goal for your client$ -n terms of PR, consider what ma,es your communications methods better than the ne(t guy%s$ @or e(ample, when sending electronic press releases to the media, provide reporters with lin,s to websites and email addresses so they can easily access additional information$ Employee and consumer newsletters could include coupons, tips, and surveys, and be delivered via postal mail as well as email$ @urthermore, any type of credible alliance or partnership, such as testimonials or co hosting an event, that you can form and portray in your communications increases your saturation and elevates your reputation$ Whatever you do, figure out a way to pac, all the value you can into your product or service and you%ll come out ahead$ -f you%re not sure what added benefits you can offer, as, a colleague for ideas$ 8fter all, two heads areNwell, you ,now the rest$

THE PASSION OF THE FAITH1BASED PUBLIC

When identifying target publics for PR efforts, faith based communities are often overloo,ed$ #hey may not be top of mind because religion and personal beliefs are not liberally discussed at wor,, in public school, on #>, or in social settings$ "ut when its appropriate, the faith based public is a great segment to reach out to and communicate with$ #he recent wave of publicity and bo( office success of the film 1#he Passion of the Christ,2 which interprets the last 4? hours of Lesus life, is a solid e(ample of the size and influence of the faith based public$ 8ccording to EIonline$com on 8pril 44, 1#he Passion of the Christ2 garnered more than QBCH million in sales and was the top selling movie three wee,s in a row$ Church groups planned trips to the theater and religious leaders were as,ed to comment on various #> news programs$ 8ll types of stories surrounding the film have appeared steadily in the media since its opening this @ebruary$ #he hype even swayed individuals who dont consider themselves part of a faith based sector to see the motion picture$ @aith based communities are large, active, and influential$ -n many instances, they are well organized and have regular methods of communicating via websites, newsletters, direct mail, and face to face interactions$ "ut focusing on these groups must be done carefully and with great respect$ 0i,e any other group, learn about them first and only reach out to them when it ma,es sense and if you have reason to believe that theyll benefit from or have interest in your product or service$ @or e(ample, if your restaurant is near a church, ma,e sure your hours and staffing can accommodate parishioners before and after church services, and let the church leaders ,now you are happy to serve their members$ -f you are near a Lewish temple, you may want to offer some authentic Lewish and ,osher food items$ =ou get the idea$

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When communicating with faith based communities, stay within your boundaries as an outsider$ "e sensitive to and informed about the reason that they e(ist, whether you agree with their principles or not, and be sure your staff follows suit$ @aith based publics have the potential to be passionate allies$

CULTURE STEW FOR ME AND YOU

8 few wee,s ago, one of us passed by a tour boat company$ <utside, a young man was giving a briefing to an assembly of visitors before they departed on their e(cursion$ #he man started off with a big 18l<haaaa$2 #hen he told the group 1E ,omo maiI2 and as,ed 1/o you ,now what that means)2 !o one raised their hand so he obliged+ 1-t means Sgood morningI2 3uh) Aore recently, we heard an individual, who could count his residence here in days, chide another individual for wearing a flower behind his ear, apparently oblivious that wearing flowers behind ones ear is a Polynesian custom practiced by men and women ali,e$ #hese incidents occurred in professional settings and are reminders that its good PR to ,now and honor the place in which you conduct business so you can spea, and act with ,nowledge and sensitivity$ 8fter all, you never ,now who might be listening or watching$ We all contribute to the culture of the places we live, whether we are born and raised or relocated there$ "ut its up to all of us, in and outside of business, to learn about and carry ourselves in accordance with the root culture, values, and traditions of where we wor,, live, and play$ #his doesnt mean we should all morph into new people or deny our original cultures$ -t &ust means we should be aware of where we are and adapt gracefully$ #hough 3awaiKi is a cultural melting pot, some of its ingredients are in chun,s while others are well blended$ !avigating your way through the stew can be a comple( endeavor, especially if youre a newcomer$ 8s we are all well aware, tourism is 3awaiis top industry$ <ne of the big reasons visitors come here is because of our special sense of place, including the aloha spirit, our pace of life, and our ways of doing things, some ancient and some new$ 8ll facets of business and society flourish when theres understanding and harmony$ #o that end, a great resource for JauaKi businesses, especially those that have newcomer employees, are 3awaiKi culture courses$ #hese classes teach 3awaiian history, local customs, and that 1e ,omo mai2 means 1welcome,2 not 1good morning$2 Whether youve been here forever or for 4?5 days, ta,e the time to learn about and gently perpetuate Jauais culture$

INVEST IN AN INTERN
This months column is brought to you by Shelcie Ta.enouchi, a recent graduate of Kaua2i igh School and an intern #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations" 1ongratulations to Shelcie on her acceptance to 0S1 #here she #ill pursue a public relations ma$or3 8s a college bound student itching to get out of high school, - cant wait to e(plore the many opportunities at college that will help me become an outstanding prospect in my chosen profession$ - aspire to have a career in public relations$ #ruth be told, until recently, - didnt even ,now a profession such as public relations e(isted$ What - did ,now was that - found pleasure in listening to and communicating with other people and participating in discussions about society, our local economy, world issues, and ethical issues$ - also had an appreciation for the English language and - en&oyed writing$

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Aany students graduate from high school not ,nowing what they want to ma&or in or what they want to become$ 8lthough beginning college with an 1undecided2 ma&or is perfectly fine, being aware of your interests can be a huge factor in choosing a future career$ - felt li,e the blac, sheep at school because it seemed that everyone ,new what they wanted to become$ 8mong my classmates there were future nurses, doctors, and engineers$ 'o, - decided to ta,e action$ 'everal months ago, my father told me about @u&ita R Aiura Public Relations and suggested that - consider as,ing the companys partners Lenny @u&ita and Loy Aiura Joerte if could be their intern, to find out if public relations was the field for me$ - followed my dads advice and - found my intern e(perience to be totally awesome$ With the help of Lenny and Loy, - have gotten a glimpse at what public relations is all about and the wor, e(perience has made me e(cited to go to college and study the field$ "usinesses of all ,inds and sizes can offer a great community service by offering internship programs to high school students$ #here are many students out there who, li,e me, &ust want to e(plore their interests and potential careers$ 8llowing students the opportunity to intern gives them an edge over other students who are completely baffled about what they aspire to become$ 8ccording to a study done by Aanchester College 9!8CE Lob <utloo, ?HH6:, 1Employers report that C5W of their new hires have internship e(perience2 and that they 1rate internship programs as the most effective recruiting method they use for hiring new graduates$2 #he Gold, !8CE Colleges, Employers Report on E(periential Education goes on to say that 1Companies offered CD$5W of student interns at their organizations full time &obs after graduation$2 "y allowing students to intern for &ust a few months, businesses can help students assess their interests and s,ills, prepare young people for successful careers, and in turn, strengthen our local economy$ 8s an added bonus, in ,eeping with the above statistics, interns often return to the business that they interned with fresh out of college and become a vital part of the company$ 3aving confidence in selecting a college ma&or has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders$ - am so than,ful that Lenny and Loy offered me this opportunity to intern for them, and - would gladly help them out in any way possible in the future$

THE BUSINESS OF BLOGGING

This months column is brought to you by Taren Fu$imoto, a recent graduate of Kaua2i School and an intern #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations" igh

E(ploiting the appeal of reading someones personal diary and the ease of e(posure, blogs or Web logs, are 1all the buzz2 today$ #he sprawling populous of blogs has invaded every online noo, and cranny imaginable, from personal websites to online communities to political pages$ !ow more than ever, businesses are ta,ing advantage of the phenomenon$ -n fact, a Google search for 1business blogs2 yielded e(actly BD,7HH,HHH results$ /espite this, e(perts reluctantly admit that the mar,eting reach of blogs is surprisingly low$ 8ccording to statistics of a Pew Research Center 'urvey mentioned in 1"usinessWee,2 magazines online article 1"logs Will Change =our "usiness,2 1only ?EW of -nternet users in 8merica now bother to read them$2 "ut how does this 1blog boom2 affect JauaKi businesses) Would a venture down 1blog lane2 prove to be worthwhile for such a tight ,nit community, especially one that relies heavily on word

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of mouth communications) Lust how effective are blogs here in persuading consumers to purchase your product or service) When done the right way, for e(ample, a personal blog on your company website, blogs can be good PR for all companies, including those here on JauaKi$ 8lthough seeing customers in person is often the best way to do business, business blogging gives you an additional way to communicate$ "logging can have that homespun, up to the minute feel that websites can lac,$ While websites can be sterile and created to have a broad appeal, consumers ,now blogs are written and updated by a real person in your company$ "logs might not be as pretty as the overall website but they are no doubt, directly from you$ Given this, blogging can ma,e the company consumer relationship much more intimate than a website ever could$ -f your company decides to start a blog, remember to ,eep it personal &ust li,e a &ournal$ !o one wants to read ads regurgitated as blogs$ Aaintain it regularly to ,eep it fresh and interesting$ 8lso, its a good idea to allow individuals to subscribe to your blog so that you can alert them via email once you have added a new post$ #his not only ma,es it easier for them to use your blog, but also provides you with a great ally database and assures that these fol,s will be constantly connected to your business$ 8nd remember, even though a small percentage of -nternet users read blogs, those who are perusing your blog can be your most interested, high potential targets that will most li,ely give you business$

DO HOME1WOR&
-n the midst of the return of school year traffic and mounting gas and real estate prices, we cant help but wish that more JauaKi fol,s could wor, from home$ 3ome based businesses and telecommuters help the environment by decreasing traffic and pollution, ,eep our neighborhoods safe by their presence during the day, and generally give superior service to their clients and customers because they can wor, all hours 9and often do: and ,eep costs down as a result of low overhead$ <n the family, leisure and community side, once home based business owners and telecommuters can learn to balance, prioritize and set clear boundaries between wor, and play, family and business, and pro bono and for pay wor,, they can lead e(ceptionally high ;uality lives$ -f youre a leader in a JauaKi company, we encourage you to investigate which 9if any: positionsGpeople might be able to wor, from home, and then develop and rollout a telecommuting policy$ -f youre an employee who has an interest in wor,ing from home, do some research about the realities and ups and downs of telecommuting$ -f youre still up for it, ma,e a proposal to your employer including how youd plan to stay in touch, share files and information, show your wor, progress, etc$ 'ome positions or industries that can mesh well with the telecommuting lifestyle are real estate, information technology, data entry, writing, freelancers of all sorts, and many others$ @or new and current entrepreneurs, a good way to assess if a home based business is right for you and your company is to evaluate the option via your business plan$ #elecommuting may not fit every company, position or personP a special set of circumstances is necessary to ma,e this a wor,able venture 9literally:$ 8lso, all home based businesses must operate within County zoning ordinances and subdivision rules so research these before you set up shop$ 'o whats this got to do with PR) #heres no better PR than doing something to mitigate a community problem and increasing the ;uality of life of our islands residents$ -f your business implements a telecommuting policy, be sure to inform your employees and the public about it so they are aware of the benefits and your role in helping our community$ #his type of positive,

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business policy news will build a strong, positive PR foundation$ 'o where home wor, will wor,, we say, 1go for it$2 @or more information about telecommuting and home based businesses, go to the -nternational #elewor, 8ssociation R Council at www$telecommute$org, #he <ffice of Personnel Aanagement at www$telewor,$gov, and #he 8merican #elecommuting 8ssociation at www$,nowledgetree$comGata$ 8 search on Google for 1telecommuting2 and 1home based businesses2 will yield thousands of more results$ We also recommend 1#he Everything 3ome "ased "usiness "oo,2 by Lac, 'avage and www$langhoff$comGboo,store has an e(cellent list of resources on the sub&ect$

FIVE TIPS FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

8ccording to the .$'$ Census "ureaus Current Population Reports from @eb$ ?HH?, marriages are most susceptible to divorce in the early years and after five years, appro(imately 4H percent of marriages end in divorce$ #he <ct$ ?HHC C"' !ews Poll reports that after nearly five years as our nations leader, President "ush%s &ob approval rating has fallen to its lowest ever with C7 percent disapproving of the &ob he is doing as president$ 8ccording to 8bout$coms 'mall "usiness -nformation site, over 7C percent of small and medium sized businesses fail in the first five years$ -t seems that the longer you stic, with something, the more chances you have to mess it up$ <n the other hand, here on JauaKi, time can be a charm$ <ne of our clients &ust finished a three year use permitting process$ 8nother has &ust begun blossoming by ma,ing its sales goals$ <ur own company is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and were doing better than ever$ 0ocally, we li,e shiny new things, but we also li,e to wait and see how things are going to shape up for new businesses before we patron them wholeheartedly$ @rom a PR perspective, here are the five things we thin, are most important for businesses in the first five years 9actually, theyre applicable to marriages and presidents as well:+ 4$ 8ppreciate$ #a,ing your success and your customers for granted will have them loo,ing for another company that ma,es them feel special$ Lust saying 1mahalo2 to those who contributed to your success can score you points$ ?$ -mprove$ PR can only do so much if your services, products and processes dont meet the needs of your customers, employees, or vendors$ 8nalyze your procedures often and fi( them when needed$ 0earn new things at every opportunity and be fearless about evolving$ B$ Communicate$ #he level of effort that businesses put into e(posing themselves to their publics 9and we mean that in a good way: in the first year doesnt necessarily need to be upheld, but consistent, honest, positive and effective means of reaching out to your publics is critical to ,eeping your relationships strong$ Remember that everyone receives information differently so use a variety of communications vehicles$ 6$ Plan$ Aost successful businesses develop business and mar,eting plans at their ,ic, off but often as the years go on, the plans gather dust$ Aa,e it a habit to revisit vision statements and goals, revise them as necessary, and distribute them to all who need to ,now$ Writing down your ob&ectives and aspirations and sharing them are powerful steps toward manifesting them$ C$ Celebrate$ Ron and 0aura Wiley ta,e this tip seriously$ We all should$ Get a calendar and a

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camera, document your milestones and victories, and savor them with your publics$ <therwise, five years can pass in a blur$ COMPANY REUNIONS =our family might have had one$ =our high school class probably has had several$ What are we tal,ing about) Reunions$ 3igh school or family reunions have been common events for fol,s to get together every so many years to catch up and reminisce about the past$ Reunions are filled with ono food, good friends, and lots of funP however, businesses should ta,e PR cues from these gatherings as they offer a time to connect and maintain strong relationships with your most powerful ambassadors+ your employees, former employees, and retirees$ #he idea of company reunions is not new$ <n JauaKi, the Waiohai, Coco Palms, and JauaKi 'urf 3otel have brought together staff members for reunions$ 1#he Garden -sland2 reported on Lan$ 44 that 18bout DH former employees of either G#E 3awaiian #elephone Co$, or >erizon 3awaiKi, or both, accepted the invitation of leaders of successor company 3awaiian #elcom to attend the first of a series of statewide 3omecoming ?HHD eventsN/aniel S/an 'mith, vice president of corporate communications for 3awaiian #elcom, e(plained that 3omecoming ?HHD was a means for the new owners and managers to connect with and ac,nowledge the efforts of those who built the company to what it is today$2 -nviting past employees to your reunion helps you to reconnect with individuals that you may not see often, but have had a significant impact on your business$ 8nd, it communicates to them that you are appreciative of their contributions, value ,eeping in touch, and want them to still feel a part of your corporate Kohana$ 8llowing current employees to learn about the history of your business, especially from those that were there before them, is invaluable messaging that helps your staff gain accurate understanding about where your business came from and relate that to where your business is headed and their role in the big picture$ -ts important to note that your employees, old and new, are the people that ,now your business the best, and their opinion of your company carries the greatest weight to your customers and the community$ When planning your ne(t company gathering, consider a reunion$ =oull have a great time while doing great PR$

MY SPACE: A PR PLACE This months column is brought to you by Shelcie Ta.enouchi, an associate #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations and student at 0S1 pursuing a ma$or in public relations" <ne of the most popular websites in the country right now is an online social networ, called Ay'pace$ =ou may not have heard of it, but todays teens have become e(perts on using this site to create a nationwide social networ,$ Ay'pace allows users to create their own web page and post personal information from hobbies to photos to phone numbers$ .sers accumulate a 1friends2 list composed of others from around the nation who have Ay'pace accounts$ #hen, friends can post comments on each others pages$ 8ccording to 8"C !ews, 1Nmore and more teens are leading high tech lives connected through instant messaging, cell phones and the -nternet for hours at a timeN S'eventeen YmagazineZ has dubbed today%s teens SGeneration 'peed$2 #he same story mentions a survey done by 1'eventeen2 magazine and Lohns 3op,ins .niversity, which found that 16H percent of responding teenagers spend a wee, or longer online without ever logging off, and 5H percent are adapting to multi tas,ing$2

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Will this trend spread to the larger population) Probably$ !eil 3owe and William 'trauss, authors of *Generations, #he @ourth #urning and Aillennials Rising+ #he !e(t Great Generation* wrote for .'8 Wee,end magazine, 1#he truth is, this generation is a trend turnerN#hey%re smart, teaming up, doing well and volunteering at a level and intensity we haven%t seen since the 456Hs$ Aillennials 8merica%s new SLunior Citizens are destined to be a political powerhouse of a generation in our not too distant future$2 8lready, musicians, artists, and entertainers are turning to Ay'pace to advertise their talents$ "usinesses too are beginning to use social networ,s li,e Ay'pace$ Receiving millions of hits per day can be a great way to spread the word about products or services$ Recently however, the security of Ay'pace has been ;uestioned$ #here have been reports of se( offenders using Ay'pace to lure children by posing as teenagers$ <n the business side, hac,ers are learning how to brea, into accounts and launch online attac,s on businesses$ #hat said, social networ,ing sites li,e Ay'pace can be useful if you ,now how to use them$ Enlist the help of a technology specialist who can inform you of the per,s and dangers of posting information online and ta,e all the precautions necessary to protect your page and your business$ #hen, you can ta,e a hint from the millennial generation and ma,e Ay'pace your space$ EMBRACING EMPLOYEES' CHILDREN IS SMART PR 18ugust unemployment in 3awaiKi fell two tenths to ?$7 percent, restoring the state to the lowest &obless rate of any state in the nation,2 3oward /icus reported recently for 1Pacific "usiness !ews$2 #he article continued with some particulars about JauaKi ;uoting /r$ 0eroy 0aney, the consulting economist for @irst 3awaiian "an, who spo,e at the JauaKi Chamber of Commerces ;uarterly dinner in 'eptember$ 1#raditionally, neighbor island &obless rates are higher than <ahu%s, but that gap is closed now for JauaKi,2 said 0aney$ 1Everyone everywhere on JauaKi mentions not being able to find employees,* he continued$ 1Jauai%s rate drop in unemployment has been even more dramatic than the state as a whole$2 #hat said, its critical for todays employers to thin, out of the bo( and be progressive in both recruiting and ,eeping employees$ <ne of the most effective PR moves businesses can ma,e today in meeting their wor,forces needs is to support their employees who are parents$ #hat might mean having fle(ible wor, hours that coincide with school schedulesP allowing employees with small children to telecommuteP permitting parents to bring their children to wor, and providing a child friendly wor,placeP or subsidizing child care costs$ 8ll of these ideas wont wor, for all wor,places or all employees, but even implementing one concept might enable a business to attract or ,eep an employee, which today, is worth a lot$ 3ere are a few real life e(amples+ a hotel that has an on demand virtual concierge$ #he concierge is actually at home with her children and when prompted, goes to her computer and is available to hotel visitors when they need her$ 8 radio station that has a play area set up at the station so employees can bring their children to wor,P the same station allows sales representatives to wor, from home$ 8 utility that has a paid, merit based internship program that allows employees children to spend their summers and holidays gaining &ob e(perience where their parents wor,$ -f you do implement one of these ideas or a uni;ue way to support employees who are parents, tell the world about it because a wor,place that embraces its employees children is li,ely to be one that has a stable wor,force and a loyal customer following$ -nclude the benefit in your classified ads, company newsletters, news releases, and the li,e and reap the PR rewards$

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NOTE: This column #as inspired by the birth of Talen Koerte, #ho came into the #orld on Sept" ((, ma.ing 4oy &iura Koerte a proud ne# mom" 1ongratulations to the &iura and Koerte families on their ne# addition3

PR IN YOUR OWN BAC&YARD

This months column is brought to you by Rahel Kramer, an exchange student from amburg, !ermany" Rahel is pursuing her masters degree and interning #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations through the first 'uarter of ())*" 0iving in Germany and coming from a different cultural bac,ground ma,es me realize how German versus JauaKi businesses operate, are structured, and how they relate to their publics$ <ne stri,ing difference is the degree to which JauaKi businesses care for the local community$ JauaKi can teach the world a lot about why this ma,es good PR and business sense$ #here are probably a myriad of reasons why JauaKi businesses are so community focused$ #his 1caring2 trend or tradition certainly has to do with Jauais uni;ue location and rural character, and also with the host cultures concept of aloha$ @or e(ample, 3awaiKi Community @oundations ?HH? 13awaiKi Giving 'tudy2 showed that 1JauaKi led the other counties in terms of the percent of the households that contribute at 5E percent$2 #his is astounding$ Whatever the reasons for this high level of caring, JauaKi businesses, which are composed of these charitable people, seem to be aware of their responsibility to do something good for the community, and they clearly have a high pretension to serve$ #hey create &obs for local people 9and now Jauai%s unemployment rate is at ?$C percent, &ust under the state level of ?$D percent according to @irst 3awaiian "an, economist, /r$ 0eroy 0aney:$ #hey sponsor events and give generously to charitable organizations, they purposely diversify the economy and strengthen industries that can flourish on JauaKi, and they protect the environment and the beauty of the island$ JauaKi businesses are made of you, and you are e(ceptionally caring$ German companies have some uni;ue challenges, li,e the growing international competition in the European .nion$ #his is why many German businesses outsource their labor to different countries$ #his is also why the concept of 1local2 ta,es on a very different meaning$ -t gets lost$ While German businesses need to ma,e certain choices to survive in the European and global mar,ets, it would bode well for them to care for the people living in their local and regional communities$ #his is where their bonds are and where their PR wor, can touch people directly$ -ts also where they can ma,e long lasting, positive impacts$ "usinesses caring for the publics in their own bac,yard may not sound special to JauaKi residents, but from a German perspective, - assure you it is$ -s it worth it from a business sense) -t seems so$ ?HHD it will mar, the state%s and Jauai%s 4Hth straight year of growth$ 'ounds li,e good business, and good PR, to this visitor$ IS YOUTUBE FOR YOU6

This months column is brought to you by Rahel Kramer, an exchange student from amburg, !ermany" Rahel is pursuing her masters degree and interning #ith Fu$ita % &iura Public Relations through the first 'uarter of ())*"

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'ince it was founded in ?HHC, =ou#ube has become the most popular free video sharing website on the world wide web$ 'o popular that Google bought it in <ct$ ?HHD for Q4$DC billion$ 'o popular that over 4HH million videos are airing now with up to EH,HHH more each day$ 'o popular that it has been noted as 1#ime2 magazines 1-nvention of the =ear ?HHD$2 =ou#ube has made video sharing easy$ .sers can upload, view, and share video clips without downloading any software or registering$ #his means that anyone can ma,e and distribute their own videos or movies$ Plus, users can contribute actively by rating the videos, which means =ou#ube offers a two way method of communication$ #he concept of authenticity seems to be the ,ey of success for =ou#ube$ 8lso, people want to produce their own media products, as with blogs and podcasts$ 8dditionally, people have become used to deciding how and when they consume, and =ou#ube allows them this freedom$ =ou#ube is successful for all of these reasons, because it serves our new consumer culture$ With the commercialization of =ou#ube and other video sharing sites, the concept of free video sharing is something to consider if youre loo,ing for a new way to communicate with your publics$ -f you havent already, go to www$youtube$com to chec, it out$ #ry a search for the ,ind of company you wor, for and see how others in your industry are using free video sharing$ @or e(ample, when you type 1real estate2 in the search bo(, up come home tours 9among other things:$ -f you type in 1retail2 you get a range of items from presentations about innovative retail concepts and window dressing to tours of cities retail districts$ #hin, of all the ways you could utilize free video sharing as a communications and mar,eting tool$

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