Comments on: New Media Communications Firm Misrepresents Itself http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/ Strategies and tips on social media and online marketing Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:40:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Treading the Murky Social Media Waters in Massachusetts | by Ari Herzog http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-865 Treading the Murky Social Media Waters in Massachusetts | by Ari Herzog Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:40:27 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-865 [...] a follow-up to my article last weekend on 451 Marketing, a Boston-based interactive communications firm that is trying to make headway into new media, [...] [...] a follow-up to my article last weekend on 451 Marketing, a Boston-based interactive communications firm that is trying to make headway into new media, [...]

]]> By: Fred http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-848 Fred Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:39 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-848 I think this is a lot of needless noise over a definite article. Maybe they show some measure of bravado by terming themselves "the leader," but it seems like the people on this article, including the writer, are making lots of judgments without even knowing the agency or the work they do. But I suppose it is more fun to pull up arbitrary searches (Of course Twitter and Linkedin will have more search results than the term new media. The same is true if you typed in Facebook, MySpace, and social networking. The brands, if they are a brand, should always overwhelm the generic term see Walkman, Kleenex, and Frisbee for genericized trademarks) than actually research the company in question. While this particular firm may not use Twitter to the full extent of your liking, it is completely unfair to suggest they are incompetent in the field without considering: 1) The other new media outlets they use 2) The desires of their clients 3) The impact and reach of their plans. For instance, without knowing you, I could make several snap judgments about your journalistic acumen based on the assumptions you reported when the answers to your questions were a phone call away. Instead of proffering the thought: "I wonder if the state contract will make the city initiative moot." You could have read the press release, which stated, "451 Marketing was hired to create an upcoming integrated media campaign that includes mass media (television, radio, and print), interactive marketing, tradeshow marketing, event marketing, and collateral development." That doesn't sound like a lot of new media PR to me. But, what do I know? I don't have a blog. Or, you could have made a quick phone call asking the PR company to clarify, right? But what fun would that have been for you? You couldn't have hopped on your soap box and pretended to know everything. Do you think that would be a fair assessment of your abilities and knowledge? I would think not. What other companies in Boston would you put in the field of new media PR? Shift Communications? I am curious, in the interest of making this article a little more robust and informational, it would be beneficial to describe what you think a leader in the field should do (obviously more than just tweet their arse off) and why you think one company or the other does or doesn't do it. I don't know 451 Marketing, and maybe they aren't "the" leaders, but it strikes me as unfair to simply suggest one is not without offering other possibilities. I think this is a lot of needless noise over a definite article. Maybe they show some measure of bravado by terming themselves “the leader,” but it seems like the people on this article, including the writer, are making lots of judgments without even knowing the agency or the work they do. But I suppose it is more fun to pull up arbitrary searches (Of course Twitter and Linkedin will have more search results than the term new media. The same is true if you typed in Facebook, MySpace, and social networking. The brands, if they are a brand, should always overwhelm the generic term see Walkman, Kleenex, and Frisbee for genericized trademarks) than actually research the company in question.

While this particular firm may not use Twitter to the full extent of your liking, it is completely unfair to suggest they are incompetent in the field without considering: 1) The other new media outlets they use 2) The desires of their clients 3) The impact and reach of their plans.

For instance, without knowing you, I could make several snap judgments about your journalistic acumen based on the assumptions you reported when the answers to your questions were a phone call away. Instead of proffering the thought: “I wonder if the state contract will make the city initiative moot.” You could have read the press release, which stated, “451 Marketing was hired to create an upcoming integrated media campaign that includes mass media (television, radio, and print), interactive marketing, tradeshow marketing, event marketing, and collateral development.” That doesn’t sound like a lot of new media PR to me. But, what do I know? I don’t have a blog. Or, you could have made a quick phone call asking the PR company to clarify, right? But what fun would that have been for you? You couldn’t have hopped on your soap box and pretended to know everything. Do you think that would be a fair assessment of your abilities and knowledge? I would think not.

What other companies in Boston would you put in the field of new media PR? Shift Communications? I am curious, in the interest of making this article a little more robust and informational, it would be beneficial to describe what you think a leader in the field should do (obviously more than just tweet their arse off) and why you think one company or the other does or doesn’t do it. I don’t know 451 Marketing, and maybe they aren’t “the” leaders, but it strikes me as unfair to simply suggest one is not without offering other possibilities.

]]> By: Ari Herzog http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-786 Ari Herzog Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:08:06 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-786 Hi Adam, thanks for checking in and sharing your thoughts. No, 451 Marketing was hired by the <a href="http://mass.gov/mobd" rel="nofollow">Massachusetts Office of Business Development</a>. The <a href="http://www.bostonworldpartnerships.com" rel="nofollow">Boston World Partnerships</a> initiative is a quasi-city initiative out of the Boston Mayor office. (Although, some former MOBD folks are involved with that, too.) Hi Adam, thanks for checking in and sharing your thoughts. No, 451 Marketing was hired by the Massachusetts Office of Business Development.

The Boston World Partnerships initiative is a quasi-city initiative out of the Boston Mayor office. (Although, some former MOBD folks are involved with that, too.)

]]> By: Adam Zand http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-785 Adam Zand Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:57:42 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-785 Interesting train and I'm glad to see 451 checking in. Wait, did it take AJ @ajgerritson three days and maybe the prompting of Hollister to find your tweets and post? That would be pretty lame for a "leading" firm ;). By the way, is the contract for Boston World Partnerships? http://www.bostonworldpartnerships.com Cheers, see you at the Brand Bootcamp, Adam @NoOneYouKnow Interesting train and I’m glad to see 451 checking in. Wait, did it take AJ @ajgerritson three days and maybe the prompting of Hollister to find your tweets and post? That would be pretty lame for a “leading” firm ;) .

By the way, is the contract for Boston World Partnerships? http://www.bostonworldpartnerships.com

Cheers, see you at the Brand Bootcamp,
Adam @NoOneYouKnow

]]> By: Dave Atkins http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-779 Dave Atkins Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:58:59 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-779 You know, I felt bad about my off-the-cuff comment here. I don't know these guys and they seem to be successfully serving their clients. It's not for me to say they or their clients should be all hot over twitter. They may do that more quietly, effectively behind the scenes, as Christine alludes to above. And we all know examples where client "don't get it" and demand a broadcast solution. And in some cases, the broadcast solution is going to be more appropriate. You know, I felt bad about my off-the-cuff comment here. I don’t know these guys and they seem to be successfully serving their clients. It’s not for me to say they or their clients should be all hot over twitter. They may do that more quietly, effectively behind the scenes, as Christine alludes to above. And we all know examples where client “don’t get it” and demand a broadcast solution. And in some cases, the broadcast solution is going to be more appropriate.

]]> By: Christine Perkett http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-764 Christine Perkett Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:08:43 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-764 Hi Ari - Remind me never to cross you. Just kidding. I think this points to the dangerous implications any time someone claims to be "THE leading." That's a pretty bold - and in my humble opinion, overused (and therefore often ignored) - statement. It opens you up to expectations such as the ones you had in reading this release. You expected that THE leader in new media communications would be highly visible in both online new media/social media networks, as well as offline at the networking events where new media gurus congregate. I have not run into these guys at any of those events, or on the social media communities in which we participate, but I'll definitely be paying attention now! It sounds like they are doing more behind-the-scenes promotion ... which, coincidentally, actually ties into my most recent blog post about PR, social media and transparency, no? http://perkettprsuasion.com/2008/10/17/pr-social-media-transparency-good-news/ I would like to comment on Dave Atkin's reply about "the 'broadcast-oriented' PR firms ... orchestrating one-way communication with the masses–through 'new media' channels." This is just one example of that type of PR firm. And quite frankly, if their client list rings true, they seem to be doing well. But overall, there are a handful of PR firms who understand and currently embrace the fact that new media and social media needs to be just that - social. Two way. Interactive. Thanks for reminding us of that - we strive to keep that type of communication going every day at PerkettPR. And thanks for reminding me why we never claim to be "the leading" anything. "A" leading, maybe. :) Christine Perkett http://www.twitter.com/missusP http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR <abbr><em>Christine Perkett´s last blog post..<a href="http://perkettprsuasion.com/2008/10/17/pr-social-media-transparency-good-news/" rel="nofollow">PR, Social Media, Transparency & Good News</a></abbr></em> Hi Ari –

Remind me never to cross you. Just kidding. I think this points to the dangerous implications any time someone claims to be “THE leading.” That’s a pretty bold – and in my humble opinion, overused (and therefore often ignored) – statement. It opens you up to expectations such as the ones you had in reading this release. You expected that THE leader in new media communications would be highly visible in both online new media/social media networks, as well as offline at the networking events where new media gurus congregate.

I have not run into these guys at any of those events, or on the social media communities in which we participate, but I’ll definitely be paying attention now! It sounds like they are doing more behind-the-scenes promotion … which, coincidentally, actually ties into my most recent blog post about PR, social media and transparency, no? http://perkettprsuasion.com/2008/10/17/pr-social-media-transparency-good-news/

I would like to comment on Dave Atkin’s reply about “the ‘broadcast-oriented’ PR firms … orchestrating one-way communication with the masses–through ‘new media’ channels.” This is just one example of that type of PR firm. And quite frankly, if their client list rings true, they seem to be doing well. But overall, there are a handful of PR firms who understand and currently embrace the fact that new media and social media needs to be just that – social. Two way. Interactive.

Thanks for reminding us of that – we strive to keep that type of communication going every day at PerkettPR. And thanks for reminding me why we never claim to be “the leading” anything. “A” leading, maybe. :)

Christine Perkett
http://www.twitter.com/missusP
http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR

Christine Perkett´s last blog post..PR, Social Media, Transparency & Good News

]]> By: Ari Herzog http://ariwriter.com/new-media-communications-firm-misrepresents-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-762 Ari Herzog Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:26:53 +0000 http://www.ariwriter.com/?p=585#comment-762 Hi AJ, thanks for stopping by and clarifying some things posed by me and earlier commenters. I don't doubt your expertise (as echoed by Meg) but it's a misnomer to label your company as the "leader in new media communications," when you admit you lack leadership in certain areas, e.g. Twitter. I quickly ran a Google Insights search over the past 12 months for the keywords of Twitter, LinkedIn, and new media. Lo and behold, new media is in third place, with the other two vying for first. See for yourself: http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=twitter%2Clinkedin%2Cnew%20media&date=today%2012-m&cmpt=q I haven't received a RSVP response for the Brand Camp event, but I will plan on attending and look forward to meeting you (and anyone else reading this) then. See http://www.451marketing.com/Brand-Bootcamp.html Hi AJ, thanks for stopping by and clarifying some things posed by me and earlier commenters.

I don’t doubt your expertise (as echoed by Meg) but it’s a misnomer to label your company as the “leader in new media communications,” when you admit you lack leadership in certain areas, e.g. Twitter.

I quickly ran a Google Insights search over the past 12 months for the keywords of Twitter, LinkedIn, and new media. Lo and behold, new media is in third place, with the other two vying for first. See for yourself: http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=twitter%2Clinkedin%2Cnew%20media&date=today%2012-m&cmpt=q

I haven’t received a RSVP response for the Brand Camp event, but I will plan on attending and look forward to meeting you (and anyone else reading this) then. See http://www.451marketing.com/Brand-Bootcamp.html

]]>