In media relations 101, you learn that an effective way to secure local PR coverage is to provide a local perspective to a national trend. (For example: National health care reform passes. Local Company contacts Local Newspaper to explain how the legislation will impact their company. That’s localizing a national story.)

That concept applies online, too. See a national story where you can offer a valid perspective? Reach out to bloggers who might be interested offering that angle to their readers. Nothing too earth-shattering — just a slightly different approach.

By looking at effective traditional tactics through a slightly different lens, we can elevate our communication efforts. In fact, we’ve seen this in action twice this week. And with that, I give you a prtini “Double Shot:”

• Spokespeople. Traditionally, brands would hire an actor, athlete or other celebrity to serve as spokesperson for their product. Example: Michael Jordan and Nike, William Shatner for priceline.com or Mark Whalberg for Calvin Klein. We may be seeing a new trend emerge: Established brands are turning to online influencers to fill this role. Virgin America partnered with Gary Vaynerchuck. Firethorn Holdings hired Sarah Evans as “correspondent” for its new product launch. She’ll be interviewing major celebrities at high-profile events, like the BET Awards and parties in the Hamptons.
• Product launches. This week, Ford hosted a virtual reveal event, unveiling the 2011 Expedition first on Facebook. While Ford integrated advertising and PR to drive attention to its Facebook page, the motor company bucked the traditional auto-show debut (where it would break the news to traditional media) and took its message directly to its fans (read: potential buyers) in a forum where word would spread quickly.

That said, most of us (my clients, you readers, the companies we work for) don’t have budgets like Ford or Virgin America, nor the ability to sponsor an event in the Hamptons. Even so, we should recognize the creativity and innovative thinking behind these strategies and brainstorm if/how similar concepts could work for us.

How do you think small- to mid-size businesses can apply lessons from these recent developments?

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Double Shot” post, but this week, I read two very helpful “how to” posts that I wanted to share, especially relevant for nonprofits and others operating on a budget (and who these days isn’t?!?), and those interested in learning more about effectively measuring PR and social media:

• “HOW TO: Set up a Free Online Monitoring System,” courtesy of Sarah Evans. This post offers a step-by-step guide to monitor your brand without breaking the bank. Online reputation management — and actively watching what’s being said about your brand, and the people and keywords associated with it — really isn’t optional at this point. This post uncomplicates the process for you.
• How To Create Measurable Objectives, by Amber Naslund. You can’t actually measure if your communication efforts are working if you don’t start by correctly establishing measurable objectives, right? Amber offers a crash course in goals vs. objectives vs. strategies vs. tactics — a must-read for anyone getting ready to develop a communication strategy. You must get this part of the plan right from the get-go. Related, my friend Shonali Burke is starting a new Twitter chat focused on discussing how to measure PR. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Feb. 2 at noon EST and follow the #measurePR hashtag.

What were your favorite posts from this past week? And, if you see posts that you think should be featured in an upcoming “double shot,” feel free to email me at heather [at] gebencommunication [dot] com.

This is the fifth installment of a new feature here on prTini — the Double Shot. Each Friday, I’ll share links to two resources, two useful blog posts or introduce you to two people. What better way to end the week (or kick-off the weekend) than with a Double Shot from prTini? Here we go …

I love reading case studies or detailed analysis of campaigns to see what works … what doesn’t — and then applying some critical thinking. Would I have approached it this way? What would I have done differently? This week, I came across two examples of smart, exceptional work that got me thinking:

• Mint Puts Twitter Lists to Work — “Called Money Tweets, Mint’s newest addition is a great example of how businesses and services can exploit Twitter as a source for topical links to important news stories and helpful information. Money Tweets embraces the functionality of Twitter Lists and Twitter search to bring you posts from trusted news sources, tips from popular money management gurus and the hottest money-related discussions happening online.” Smart, right? There are lots of innovative applications for Twitter lists. How can your company — or your clients — incorporate this new functionality in a way that supports your overall communication goals?
• President Obama’s Remarks at Ft. Hood — This week, President Obama had the difficult task of memorializing the victims of the Ft. Hood shooting. The president, lauded for his public speaking skills, may have set a new standard for crafting and delivering speeches. In fact, many in the media called this his best speech ever. Reporter Marc Ambinder said, “I guarantee: they’ll be teaching this one in rhetoric classes. It was that good.” Politics aside, read the text of the speech. See how the writers crafted a story that struck the perfect tone. From a pure speech-writing perspective, I was struck by the obvious care and thought put into the transitions between each section. Can you learn from this work of speech mastery the next time you have to write remarks for your boss, client or self?

One last thing to leave you with: I made my debut on the PR Breakfast Club this week. In case you missed it, it’s a post about how individuals are using social media to do good. Along those lines, don’t forget to nominate your favorite nonprofit for Geben Gives. Nominations close Monday.

This is the fourth installment of a new feature here on prTini — the Double Shot. Each Friday, I’ll share links to two resources, two useful blog posts or introduce you to two people. What better way to end the week (or kick-off the weekend) than with a Double Shot from prTini? Here we go …

This week, I announced Geben Gives, and since then have been overwhelmed by the support of my social media friends. That got me thinking about all the amazing people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet online. Two examples:

• Lara Kretler, AVP/social media lead at Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations, in Columbus. Lara and I met via Twitter. Then, we met for coffee during one of my trips to Ohio. Since then, she’s been an incredible resource and “connector” as I prepare to move to Columbus. If you’re not connected with her already, go follow her right now. Seriously, she rocks.
• Justin Goldsborough, social media consultant at Fleishman-Hillard, is blogging 30 Causes in 30 Days, as part of #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). I learned about this because today’s post is about Geben Gives. As I perused the other causes he’s already highlighted this month, I’m humbled to even be included in such great company. Want some inspiring, smart blogging? Check out Justin’s blog.

Have a great weekend!

This is the third installment of a new feature here on prTini — the Double Shot. Each Friday, I’ll share links to two resources, two useful blog posts or introduce you to two people. What better way to end the week (or kick-off the weekend) than with a Double Shot from prTini? Here we go …

Who doesn’t love discovering new tools that help us be more efficient or try a different approach? I came across two such services that I wanted to pass along. Now, keep in mind, I haven’t actually tested either of these tools yet. But, I do think they look promising and will be testing them out at some point in the near future. If you’ve tried them, let us know what you think!

• prezi — Prezi bills itself as “zooming sketches on a digital napkin.” In other words, it’s a much more interesting, creative way to deliver a presentation. It’s just cool! Finally, something other than PowerPoint. I am in the process of experimenting with it for a talk I’m giving next week. You can check out some sample presentations on their website. Then, think about how you can incorporate what one TechCrunch writer calls “the coolest online presentation tool” the next time you’re speaking to a crowd.
• wetoku — Bloggers can conduct and record interviews via videochat (without installing additional software). Interviews are immediately available to be embedded on blogs. Have a conversation with someone and then share it with readers on your blog. Apparently, it’s that simple! Anyone want to volunteer to test this with me?!?

For this week’s “Double Shot” installment, I want to share two examples of creativity in action:

• Mark Drapeau walks us through the a buzz-generating campaign orchestrated by Crooked Monkey — a t-shirt company. As he wrote, “Crooked Monkey kept busy, elite attendees who get invited to tons of events mentally engaged with their event for weeks. They made us part of telling their story. They got us to talk about their brand before, during, and after the event.” Talk about putting the public back in public relations. Mark, a guy who doesn’t even like t-shirts, is now blogging about them on one of the most well-read PR/social media blogs around. Want to know how this company worked their magic? Check out Mark’s post.

• I think it’s a rare occasion when a PR person can simply tell a client “no.” (If ever.) When the answer is “no,” it’s our job to present alternative solutions to help clients accomplish the real goals. For example, what happens when a client asks to distribute a press release to announce the company’s new website? We know its not news, but it’s hard to explain that to a client who just sunk lots of resources into this new communication hub. They want to drive new traffic to the site — understandably. More than likely, a press release won’t make that happen … but a virtual scavenger hunt just might do the trick. That’s what HIAS is trying next week. Check out this press release from Sevans Strategy to see exactly what the nonprofit is doing. I think it’s an incredibly creative way not only to get people to the site, but to get them checking out multiple pages and actually reading the content. Very, very smart.

Note: This is a new feature here on prTini — the Double Shot. Each Friday, I’ll share links to two resources, two useful blog posts or introduce you to two people. What better way to end the week (or kick-off the weekend) than with a Double Shot from prTini? Here we go …

For the inaugural Double Shot, I wanted to share two social-media resources focused on strategy and integration. After going through my Google Reader and Delicious links, I realized that the two best posts I read this week came from the same person: one of my favorites, Jason Falls. As it turns out, earlier this year, I had the chance to grab drinks with Jason. If you know Jason at all, you know this Louisville guy has an affinity for Maker’s Mark bourbon. So, I guess it’s only logical that he would kick off the Double Shot. Now, onto the posts:

The 5 Essential Pillars of a Social Media Campaign — I’m baffled by companies that think it’s a good idea to jump into social media without a plan. In this piece, Jason explains why a solid social media strategy revolves around connectivity, generosity, honesty, personality and imagination. Read this social media framework “to drive buzz, business or both.”

Exploring Customer Service Using Twitter — Social media isn’t as simple as getting people to talk about you or your brand. There are viable business applications as well. We’ve all heard about @comcastcares as a “customer service best practice.” Jason offers 10 such case studies. If your boss doesn’t understand the business aspects of Twitter — specifically related to customer service — whip out this report.

Hope you find these helpful. If you have a second, let me know what you think about the Double Shot idea. What would you like to see here?

Photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik