Bill Byrne

BBPR - Targeted Lifestyle Communications

Why Social Media Should Not Replace Real Journalism

August 11, 2010

If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably seen the story of “Jenny Dry Erase” a woman who quit her job for various reasons that most people seemed to applaud her for (at least most of my friends on Facebook). And if you’re like many of my friends (and myself included), you thought the piece was real… or almost real.

Well, it wasn’t. See here for Tech Crunch’s follow-up.

Jenny was a hoax… like the Taco Bell buying the Liberty Bell (something a previous agency I worked at came up with – but I was not involved in the campaign). The company involved fooled a lot of us with “Jenny Dry Erase”. Or just me and my friends. I feel a little ripped off because they didn’t sell me something in the process… but I digress.

“Jenny Dry Erase” is a prime example of why we should never allow real journalistic-based media to go away. Media outlets that check sources, follow-up on leads and vet ideas for newsworthy-ness prior to even considering them for publication are incredibly important. Sites such as Wikipedia are great for looking things up, but whose to say that 10 minutes before you looked up “public relations” I didn’t go on there and make a post about BBPR or all of the great work we’ve done (some of which can be seen here).

What’s real anyway? Many people agree that you should support “official” charities rather than say, give money to a homeless guy on the street.

But how do we know this guys family really wasn’t killed by ninjas? Ok, they probably weren’t. But how do you know guys with more believeable signage are really homeless veterans or are going to spend the money you give them on food instead of booze, etc.? You don’t. But at the same time, we’ve seen in the news that not all charities are what they appear either… but since they seem more official, some people are more comfortable supporting them.

Now I’m not saying that everything media outlets publish is factual or without slant. There are things to consider, such as personal agendas (CNN is very different than Fox News and Transworld SURF is different from Surfer, etc.), advertisers and the influence of PR people (ahem). BUT, before you begin citing what’s on the SLAP message boards or Joe Blog.com as fact, keep in mind that you may really know where this information is coming from or if the person behind the writing has a personal reason for creating the content. What’s their track record for reporting the facts, embellishment and/or glorification of sensationalistic stories?

BTW – this is NOT a slag on bloggers. We work with online media… bloggers and others… regularly. Just wanted to draw attention to this recent example of how something posted on the Internet was assumed to be true… because it was posted on the Internet and looked “nice.”

If you believe this JPG, we have a $20,000 a month retainer contract just waiting for you to sign…

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

It’s All About the Hustle

July 28, 2010

Action Sports Trade Show season is in full swing, so I’ve been cruising around the trash-boards wasting time instead of diligently booking high-profile media appointments for my clients.

During a break from selling my soul to journalists reaching out to my friends in the media, I came across one rant (I’m not going to post it) from a retailer who was mad that certain brands his store helped build are now in XY&Z big retailer. He’s bummed and I understand it. If I was a retailer in the ’90s and still kicking now, I may be bummed too. But, I wasn’t and I’m not going to weigh in on what’s right or wrong and good vs. bad business. I don’t own a brand and it’s not my place to say what’s right for the life cycle of someone else’s business. What I am I’m going to tell you about is my friend Tim Swart and something called hustle.

You may know Tim. He’s speaking at the upcoming Action Sports Conference (where I’ll be too – drop me a line!). On the marketing side, he’s been either in house or acted as an external consultant for more than a few of the major brands in action sports today. More than what’s on his humble resume on the Action Sports Conference site. In addition to his marketing background, Tim also owns his own retail store and clothing line, named UNIV.

There are two things I really like about UNIV, outside of their excellent grip tape that I use exclusively on my stuntwood (thanks Tim!).

1. UNIV is different. Right next to UNIV is Hansen’s, an independently owned store that is like an orgy of things you can get gnarly on or wear to look like you’re going to be getting gnarly. They also do excellent base grinds if your snowboard needs love. Hansen’s is great and established in the Encinitas community. It’d be hard for UNIV to compete against them directly. That’s why Tim doesn’t.

UNIV carries a lot of its own stuff (including excellent selvage denim), which makes sense as Tim is growing the brand beyond the one storefront. But UNIV also carries a lot of other brands not saturated in the area. They may carry some skate or surf stuff, such as Vans and SB, but primarily what you get at UNIV you’re not going to get anywhere nearby. They’re not a skate or surf shop. They’re a store that carries some cool brands and if skate fits in there, they’ll consider carrying it. Could I get Vans somewhere else? Yeah, sure. But see point #2 for some reasons why I may not.

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Vapor Studio is right next doot to UNIV. Ricardo Camargo, the studio's director, has had his hand in building (literally) more than a few of the brands we know and love out there. If you're looking for a studio to handle not just branding, but take a project from the design phase through production, check out Vapor Studio (http://www.vapor-studio.com).

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2. Tim has built a community around UNIV. Every other week I’m hit up about some cool event I don’t go to because I fear leaving my house on the weekends I’m so green that I don’t like to burn fossil fuels for the sake of fun on the weekends. But from what I can see online, table-tennis tournaments, art shows, pop-up shops and random collaborations with BMX brands and pros (see below) happen on the regular. Cool. If I wasn’t so green and felt comfortable sacrificing fossil fuels for the sake of fun, I’d go up there on the weekends. From the pics I’ve seen online though, Tim usually gets a pretty cool turnout without me coming.

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UNIV Rust Heap BBPR action sports PR marketing BMX skateboard youth marketing

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Now you might be saying “Eff off Bill, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” and you may be right, maybe I don’t. And maybe my examples were too long, so I’ll just sum it up here.

Be Different: I remember hearing once about this brand “Volcom” where a few guys were doing something “new” around the early ‘90s. They seem to have done ok for themselves. Stores that stocked them in the beginning gave customers something different to choose from. There are more than a few brands that have been successful by being different and new during their time.

The SH*T Won’t Sell Itself: Tim’s events and projects take extra time for him and his staff. Maybe you’re not hooked up with BMX pros – so a collab like he just did is out of reach. Fine. Do something else. Hold a clinic for “first time surfboard or skateboard buyers” and invite parents to come in pre-holiday – if you didn’t grow up surfing or skating, buying your kid a new board can be a daunting task. Or have a Facebook contest. Host games of skate in your parking lot. Do something to get me in there.

Good luck to everyone heading to the Action Sports Conference, Agenda HB, ASR, Outdoor Retailer and Surf Expo. Drop me a line if you want to hook-up on site.

Tim, thanks for the griptape and support, I really appreciate both. Especially the grip… I get a lot of compliments on it as I cruise to brunch on Sunday afternoons in my khaki pants.

brunch cruising

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

Myths in Social Media

July 12, 2010

http://socialmediarockstar.com/10-persistent-social-media-marketing-myths

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

Making the Most of Networking Opportunities

June 24, 2010

First, a blatant plug. BBPR is once again working with group Y on the Action Sports Conference. We’ll be helping them with copy as well as reaching out to media (shred, non-endemic, social, the works) on what’s going to take place and the value it has to marketers who attend.

Do you go to networking events? I do when I can, which is rare because I’m <<insert excuse here>>. However, I’ve heard some people don’t like them, for various reasons….. some justified, some not so much. Since I’m a man who has made millions a few mistakes in my incredibly fulfilling enviable varied career, here’s some advice if you’re new to the networking scene or are thinking of giving the group Y Action Sports Conference a shot.

1. Show early. It’ll be easier to get settled, mingle, etc. Seriously. It’s not cool to stagger in late anymore. Actually, it was never cool.

2. Act like you give a shit. Smile. No one is going to want to talk to you if you look like your boss made you go.

3. Sit next to people you don’t already know. I love bro’ing down… wait, no I don’t. You may though. Regardless, try to meet someone new. Unless you work at another PR agency… then please don’t bother attending. This event is closed to all other PR agencies.

4. Listen. Put the Blackberry and iPad down.

5. Be open minded about the people you meet. That guy you met from the Faber Castle pencil company may not seem like a great connection now… but later you’ll find out his brother-in-law is launching a new energy drink and looking for brands to throw sponsorship dollars at. Or maybe he’s got an interesting marketing story to share… one of the biggest values we bring to our clients in action sports is that we’ve worked with a lot of brands outside the arena. Lots of key learnings regarding battery and vacuum marketing that actually do translate to the action sports world.

That’s it. Basic stuff, but they’re good things to keep in mind. Unless you work for another PR agency… in which case, you’re not invited to the party.

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 1 Comment

Consumers And Brand Affiliation: Action Sports vs. Team Sports

June 21, 2010

This car was parked outside my house the other day.

Action Sports PR multi-brand Car

There’s a Rip Curl sticker, one for Quik, Billabong rack pads and what didn’t show up, but is definitely there, is an O’Neill sticker in the top center of the windshield.

Think about this for a second… assuming this person doesn’t own or work for a retail store (which they very well may) her or she LOVES surfing. Or at least stickers representing major surf brands.

This is the sort of thing you don’t see in other activities/sports like football and baseball. It’s highly doubtful that you’ll pass a lifted truck sans 4wd on Highway 5 that has both Raiders and Chargers stickers.

Good or a bad thing? I don’t know, but it got me thinking about brand loyalty in action sports vs. the stick and ball world.

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 1 Comment

Issues in Media Manipulation – Does Disclosure Make it Ok?

June 17, 2010

I strongly believe that to really execute a solid marketing campaign, you need to have a mix of tactics. Grass roots, PR, advertising, events and some new fangled thing called “social media” which we don’t know much about here, but LinkedIn tells us there are trillions of experts willing to assist you on.

When it comes to editorial, we constantly tell clients there are going to be things out of their control. Sometimes doctored photos make better news and… well, here’s where it gets interesting.

Steve Casimiro from The Adventure Life (a site worth reading for sure) pointed this out recently that the new cover with Lance Armstrong has been doctored, but at the same time, the adjustments were revealed.

Lance Armstrong Outside cover manipulation action sports media BBPR

Right off the bat, I didn’t realize what 38 BFD meant… which is a shocker, since I speak in acronyms all day long.

We’ve seen similar things happen to clients in the past, but without the disclosure on the cover.

Sooooo… who is in the right here? Steve & Lance aren’t feeling the cover. But Outside did disclose the manipulation, on the cover itself, that the photo was doctored.

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

PR – It’s Not About The List

June 9, 2010

BBPR PR Action Sports Secrets

I have a longer post on this topic coming soon, but seeing how in the past month I’ve been sent press releases on…. shit. Who cares what they’re about? Why am I even getting press releases from brands I do not have anything to do with? Or even know anyone at?

Public relations is a lot more than blasting out press releases to 1,000’s of people and waiting for the stories to come in. If it wasn’t, then all you’d need to do to launch an effective PR campaign is pay someone a couple hundred to write a release, get a Constant Contact account and a subscription to Cision.

I’ve been asked before “how good is my media list?” Well, after working in PR for more than 12 years… it’s pretty fricking good. CNET to HypeBeast and Home Furnishings News to the Associated Press. I know a lot of people. My team knows more. However, the major misconception is that “the list” is all it takes to get editorial coverage and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Being good at PR/media relations isn’t so much about “your list” as much as it is going to the right reporter, at the right time with the right story. The same brand could get great coverage in Outside, Transworld Business and CtotheJL in the same month, but it’s probably going to require three separate pitches to really make it happen.

Similar to how an effective ad campaign is more than a logo, product shot and some copy (note: I said effective), a solid media relations campaign involves a lot more than a BCC email to a “list” of people who may not be relevant.

Throughout the course of my career, I’ve made a lot of strong media contacts. Every single one thinks I’m the shit!!! Some even like me. BUT, that does not mean BBPR clients get guaranteed coverage. Far from it. There’s a lot to a solid PR campaign (action sports or otherwise), starting with a well-timed pitch that’s relevant to whoever you’re reaching out to. And a well-timed pitch is a heck of a lot more than a press release and attached image in the body of an email (BBPR secret #39: Most of our media placements don’t come from formal press releases.).

Here’s an example for the action sports industry. Forget the tons of great coverage we’ve gotten for our clients… let’s look at Quiksilver and Clay Marzo. Outside, USA Today, ESPN and probably a lot more covered him and his Asperger’s. Think that all happened with a blast email? Doubtful. Is the Quiksilver marketing budget bigger than yours? Probably. But a lot of brands get great media coverage, without the benefit of a huge PR team, well produced viral video or Rolodex of contacts. If you have the right story, the opportunities are there.

Look at it this way: Do you think USA Today cares that much who from Apple is pitching them on the next iPhone, or is it more important that the pitch has everything they want to do a solid story.

Sorry, the iPhone is a layup in a lot of ways. But trust me, the opportunities are there. You just need to leverage them.

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

Marketing Green: Doing Good By Doing Bad?

May 20, 2010

A while back I received a detergent sample in the mail for some “green” detergent from Clorox.

We’ve worked pretty extensively in the eco/green industries, both in action sports and for “other brands” that don’t involve getting eXtreme. I’m not the greenest guy on the planet (I drive to Mammoth from San Diego, instead of hitchhiking or taking my fixie), but I try to keep my footprint shallow in other ways. But when I saw this sample, I thought “Green Works???” More like “Green Jerks!!!”

BBPR Clorox Marketing Green

My initial reaction was “How can a company purporting to be ‘green’ make a single-use sample? Isn’t the production of these little one-offs, many of which could possibly just get tossed right into the garbage, be doing more harm than good??? Isn’t this another case of corporate green-washing???”

Of course! Right? Maybe? Maybe not?

I thought about it some more. First, I’d never heard of this product and consider myself somewhat eco-friendly when I make my purchases. I’m not the best, but I try. So, never having seen this product before, if it is as good as it says it is, my getting exposed to it is a good thing. Right? Maybe? Well, yes.. I think.

You could argue that there are other avenues to promote this product, besides creating single-use samples. The Web is filled with blogs and online magazines devoted to various things falling under the green umbrella, from green-tech to green-clean. But with all that, I’ve never seen the Clorox Green Works product before this sample (although now, I notice it regularly when shopping).

But what about others who want to try to be a little more eco-friendly, but aren’t huge online dwellers? I don’t think my mom has any idea what a blog is. I have friends, in their mid-20’s to late 30’s, who shun hanging out on the computer as much as possible, and that includes Facebook. How can you reach them? Well… single use samples are one way.

It’s easy to throw stones at marketers trying to get green from going green and many times, they but I think it could be possible for non-green tactics to justify the end result. If enough people go on to buy detergent that is made with plant-based, biodegradable cleaning ingredients, will that justify the waste created from these samples?

Honestly, I don’t have an answer. I do not manage a brand that brings in gazillions of dollars. What I do know is that this did catch my eye and after trying it, I bought the product. And blogged about it. And now you’re reading it. Perhaps you may even try the product out. And if it isn’t completely horrible for the environment worse than what you’re currently using is as good as they say it is, then we’re taking another small step towards doing good for the planet.

So maybe the single-use packets from Clorox Green Works work?

BBPR green PR eco-friendly

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

When Social Media Attacks Pt. II

May 17, 2010

Just a quick update on my earlier post about what was going on between Nestle and Green Peace.

Looks like Nestle is going to amend its deforestation policies, in part (probably a large part) due to what Green Peace organized through social media. Check out the full piece here on Mashable, including a well produced, somewhat gory, video.

Here’s something to consider. Check out some of the older posts on Nestle’s Facebook Fan page.

Nestle FB II

I applaud Nestle changing its ways for the better. But it is interesting to see that some of the boycotters were people who didn’t support the brand in the first place. I’d be interested to know if the brand saw any sort of dip in sales, instead of spikes in Facebook activity.

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 0 Comments

Marketing Beer – What’s the ROI on a Coaster?

April 21, 2010

I saw this at the Tap Room on Friday and thought it was pretty cool. Or rather, my cousin Steve who is visiting from the East Coast thought it was cool. And it made me think about brands diversifying their marketing to stay in front of consumers.

endless-summer-coastDFF801

On one side, it’s a coaster, advertising a light beer by one of my favorite California breweries.

endless-summer-coaster-2

On the other side, it’s a postcard. Wow!

I’ve worked in the beer industry on and off for a few years, first with Guinness way back in my career and later with some other guys who you may have read about on Rad Collector or in Playboy. While I’ve never seen this… and it may not even be a unique idea (it could very well have been done before), both Cousin Steve (as I introduce him to friends) and I thought it was pretty cool.

How cool? Well, first, Steve took the coaster home with him and it’s in my house. He probably won’t mail it, but he took it. So now this piece of marketing has been invited into my house where other people will see it. Today, I scanned it in and posted it to the World Wide Web, where other people interested in beer marketing, action sports PR and my semi-intelligent ramblings will check it out too. And maybe… just maybe one of us will mail it to someone else who will be encouraged to have a pint of Karl Strauss in the near future.

Ground breaking? Probably not. Innovative? Kind of. Will it make me buy their Endless Summer Light? Well, I’ve bought it before, but I’m not much of a light beer guy. Maybe though, it’ll remind me to buy their Pintail Pale Ale again next time I’m out and about (which is a mighty tasty beer indeed). Whoa. Karl Strauss just got another plug. The ROI on this coaster is huge!!!

Is it? I have no idea. Calculating a hard ROI that you can compare to other things is a Fringe Science at best (in my mind). But I’ve mentioned Karl Strauss way too many times for a guy that isn’t sponsored or have them as a client. And now you’ve seen the words Karl Strauss and possibly checked out the link to their Pintail Pale Ale. Who knows how many coasters were made and if anyone else but Cousin Steve and I care. But in the case of this coaster, I think the job was done.

In marketing, regardless of if it’s for a beer, snowboard or hacky-sack, repetition of message and brand is important. You shouldn’t rely on a few PR hits or scattershot ad buy to keep awareness up. To stay current, diversify and hit consumers at various times. A lot of brands in and out action sports are doing this now…. PR, stickers on the topsheets of snowboarders, events, ads, logo on a race car, shop windows, in-store displays, Web presences, etc. Keep doing this. And do more. Be out there. And be relevant.

It’s a little before 11 AM and so I’m not really in the mood for a beer. But, that doesn’t make this coaster less effective. Next time I hit Jug Liquor, I may be a little more likely to grab that sixer of the KS instead of something else. Or maybe someone reading this will bring me one? I also really like IPA’s. And I go to Dirty Bird’s a lot… so feel free to buy me something there (and try their Ahi Tuna Sliders… sooo good.).

Getting back to ROI, marketing and beer coasters… You may not see a return at the register right away when you launch a marketing campaign, but if you’re not out there, it’s less likely you’re even on a consumer’s mind when the time is right for them to make a purchase.

Pintail-Pale-Ale-20100419

By Bill Byrne in Public Relations 2 Comments

BBPR - Targeted Lifestyle Communications

It’s All About the Hustle

Myths in Social Media

Consumers And Brand Affiliation: Action Sports vs. Team Sports

Issues in Media Manipulation – Does Disclosure Make it Ok?

PR – It’s Not About The List

Marketing Green: Doing Good By Doing Bad?

When Social Media Attacks Pt. II

Marketing Beer – What’s the ROI on a Coaster?

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