On the Radar Screen
AT&T Issues Rare Statement In Response to USA Today
In a precedent-setting move, AT&T [T] issued a press release Nov. 14 in response to a same-day story that ran in USA Today claiming that the newspaper's headline about AT&T's local service plan was "dead wrong."
According to AT&T spokeswoman Ruthlyn Newell, it's not atypical for AT&T to request clarifications and corrections but it is "rare" for the company to issue such a statement. The release reads: "AT&T is.committed to giving customers a choice in local service. The problem is that the Bell monopolies don't share that same commitment." In addition to issuing the release, Newell said it alerted a core of journalists who cover the telecommunications industry about the mix-up, and also requested that the newspaper run a clarification, which it did several days later.
From a PR standpoint, AT&T did what's consistently recommended: if the media gets it wrong, point it out to them immediately. Also, in this age of fewer fact checkers (some major magazines leave fact checking up to the writers who pen the copy), you don't want to soft-pedal your stance on a mistake by the press.
And the information that comes from your end should help clarify, not muddy, the waters. If your messages always surface in some cryptic or convoluted way, look at the messengers. (AT&T, 908/221-2737)
Tools
CARMA Makes Media Analysis Easier for Clients
CARMA International, a media analysis firm in Washington, D.C., will allow clients to read their media analysis reports on the Internet so they won't have to wait for staffers to copy and distribute them - something that's not done by all firms. Through a password-protected URL (clients who want to access these reports electronically will have a private site set up behind a firewall), clients can tap into CARMA's analysis at any time. If you want to sample what's in the online offing, go to http://www.carma.com/intel. (CARMA, 202/842-1818)
Philanthropy's All the Rage - So Enter, "Pro Bono"
For $188 a year, CEEM Inc., a Fairfax, Va.-based publisher, has premiered a newsletter, Pro Bono, that's aimed at giving you the lowdown on strategic philanthropy, community investment and focused corporate giving. Goodwill aside, the newsletter will also reportedly spotlight case studies of giving that went wrong for companies. (Pro Bono, 703/250-5900)
News at Your Cyber Doorstep
If you don't feel dandy about the prospect of going through mounds of clippings or sifting through the major dailies, and peripheral trade publications too, you might want to try out this service: Scoop Inc., an information services provider, has partnered with Netscape to offer Scoop! Direct, an e-mail news and information service. The service, which gleans data and info. from more than 25,000 articles every day, provides users with personalized topic options; corporate news tracking; and daily e-mail delivery.
Average costs are about $20 a month (per user). It can cost between 25 cents and $3.95 per retrieved article, according to Dan Chmielewski with Lages & Associates.
The service is being offered via Netscape's In-Box Direct, which delivers HTML messages (text that looks like a Web page) to users' e-mail in-boxes. For a free two-week trial run, visit http://www.scoopdirect.com. (L&A, 714/453-8080)
PRSA/LA Makes Internet Inroads
The Los Angeles Chapter of PRSA launched Nov. 14 its Web venture, http://www.prsa-la.org. But it's not just relevant for members (and PR execs) in that geographic pocket. Visitors can search national newspapers; read up on crisis communications tactics; and gain access to a national PRSA member directory. (PRSA, 213/966-5764)
From the PR NEWS Files
We're giving kudos to Anne Klein & Associates, Marlton, N.J., which found an opportune way of promoting itself in a catchy campaign about its 15th anniversary.
Instead of hosting a party at its office, AK&A sent a small Igloo cooler filled with snacks for a "Tailgate Party" and created mock-up trading cards with pictures of its employees holding sporting equipment. The firm spent about $10,000 on the campaign overall, which included shipping 140 coolers and accompanying materials (invitations to editors and reporters were mailed earlier) as well as mailings of the four-color sports cards to about 3,100 of its clients and vendors. Witty can sometimes be the way to go if what you're looking for is name recognition, not just ink.
Generally, we get press releases that drone on about how many clients, employees and billings a firm has racked up in the years it's been in business, but the information's not enticing on its own. (AK&A, 609/988-6560)