Comments? Send us an email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or leave us a comment on the Inside PR show blog.

This week on Inside PR, Terry and David hold their third discussion on the myths of public relations. This week, they continue their series with the myth of the "Golden Rolodex". Also, they play this week's contribution from Chris Clarke. Finally, Terry does his segment of "Inside PRoper English."

Show Notes

00:33 Terry introduces the show. He invites listener feedback through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog.

01:33 Terry mentions that this is the 26th episode, which means that this marks a full 6 months of podcasting.

02:08 David mentions that there are no comments this week. He invites comments positive and negative for play on next week's episode.

02:29 David brings up the many events David and Terry will be attending over the next few weeks. Terry will be in Ontario, California this week  attending the Podcast Expo. He mentions that Inside PR #27 will be done from California from his end.

04:09 David brings up the Third Tuesday Toronto event, featuring Shel Israel. He also mentions the Third Monday Ottawa event, held this past Monday, which Terry expects to partake in. There are approximately 50 attendees of the Toronto event as of Sunday evening when the show is recorded, and somewhere near 35 for the Ottawa event.

05:33 David mentions that he was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He attended the Summers Direct Communications Forum this past Monday. He hopes for comments from the attendees of the event.

06:20 David mentions that he will be doing the Canadian Institute's "Internal & External Communications for Government" event with Joe Thornley in Ottawa.

06:53 Terry will be appearing at the Strategy Magazine Media in Canada Forum on October 3rd, as part of a roundtable discussion on podcasting.

07:46 David starts this week's topic for discussion on the myth of the "golden rolodex."

08:20 Terry mentions that he and David have had the question posed to them, "How are your media contacts?" too often from clients. Terry says that a personal relationship with a media contact does not guarantee that things will go the client's way. What it will do is help inform the appropriate positioning of a story.

11:06 David says that a relationship will only take you so far. Some reporters will do favours, but for the most part, that's not how you get your story into the news. What the client really means by the aformentioned question is "How is your influence over media?"

13:29 One way to get a bad relationship with a reporter is to build a good one and start asking for favours.

15:23 David mentions that not everyone has total control over what gets into the news.

16:40 Terry talks about how he believes that agencies can build credibility with reporters by only pitching them good, solid stories.

17:29 David talks about dealing with journalists who write things that do not please the client.

21:18 Terry talks about an analogous case in the world of government relations. The moral of the story is to not rely on contacts.  It's not who you know but what you know.

27:10 David introduces and plays Chris Clarke's segment for the week.

28:53 Inside PRoper English for the week: "between" and "among."

30:31 David closes the show and invites listener comments: through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog. Also, they welcomes listeners to the Inside PR Blubrry site.

Music: our theme music is Streetwalker by CJacks, and is from the Podsafe Music Network; Roger Dey is our announcer.

Comments? Send us an email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or leave us a comment on the Inside PR show blog.

This week on Inside PR, Terry and David hold their second discussion on the myths of public relations. This week, they continue their series with the myth of the "Agency Billing Machine". Also, they feature an audio comment from Francis Wooby. They also play this week's contribution from Chris Clarke. Finally, Terry does his segment of "Inside PRoper English."   

Show Notes

00:33 David introduces the show. He invites listener feedback through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog.

01:13 Terry mentions that this is the 25th episode, and thanks listeners for sticking with them this long.

01:38 Terry introduces an audio comment from Francis Wooby on students and PR programs in Canada.

04:40 David reads an audio comment from Leona Hobbs about billable hours.

05:45 Terry reads Luke Armour's comment on young PR professionals.

06:30 Listener comments leads to a discussion on getting things done and billable hours. Terry believes in getting the billable work out of the way early in the day (to the extent that's possible), and David finds agency life a little less predictable.

09:14 David leads off this week's myth-busting discussion on agencies as billing machines.

12:21 Terry makes the case for value ahead of nickel-and-diming. He thinks it's important to make a client aware of what they're being billed for and what they're not.

13:16  David says that clients will be happy to pay for services they find valuable.

16:13 Terry finds that agencies tend to work harder trying to win business than keep business.

19:22 David believes that it's important to track the time people put in at an agency honestly regardless of how many hours are billed.

21:41 Terry introduces and plays Chris Clarke's segment for the week.

26:10 Inside PRoper English for the week: "anxious" versus "eager."

27:28 Terry closes the show and invites listener comments: through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog. Also, they welcomes listeners to the Inside PR Blubrry site.

Music: our theme music is Streetwalker by CJacks, and is from the Podsafe Music Network; Roger Dey is our announcer.

Comments? Send us an email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or leave us a comment on the Inside PR show blog.

This week on Inside PR, Terry and David hold their first of many discussions on the myths of public relations. This week, they talk about the myth of the "PR sweatshop". Also, they play this week's contribution from Chris Clarke and Terry does his segment of "Inside PRoper English."   

Show Notes

00:33 Terry introduces the show. He invites listener feedback through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog.

01:43 Terry reminds listeners that he recently posted a special edition of Inside PR with Esther Buchsbaum, co-founder of Communications Meca and the first ever Canadian chair of the Counselors Academy annual spring conference. Interested listeners can find the episode here on the Inside PR blog page.

02:20 Terry talks about a comment from Jamey Sheils on Inside PR #21.

03:30 David talks about a comment from Owen Lystrup.

06:21 David introduces a chat about the myths of the public relations. This week's topic is the myth surrounding the "PR agency sweatshop".

07:41 Terry makes it clear that there are fewer agency "sweatshops" than most believe.

10:28 David believes the "PR sweatshop" depends on the person's perspective. He talks about his time years ago working long hours, but in his view, not in a sweatshop.

13:00 Terry doesn't see the value of working new employees to the point of burnout. He defines it as a person working 10 hours a day, 5 days a week for months on end.  He suggests that it's in the longer term interests of the agency and the employees for a second consultant to be hired so the 10 hours can split between them.

14:40 David thinks everyone should do their homework and know what they're getting into before they join an agency.

18:33 David says that the long hours he worked early in his career has led to him being more efficient.

19:20 Terry mentions that there are far fewer "PR sweatshops" than most would think, but David says that there are a few "sweatshops" where it's an owner and a group of interns. Terry agrees but doesn't think that's the way to build an agency, although these agencies do exist.

21:55 Terry mentions that he's had a mere two all-nighters in his 18 years as a consultant.

22:20 David welcomes any stories relating to "PR sweatshops".

23:11 Terry introduces and plays Chris Clarke's segment for the week.

26:09 Inside PRoper English for the week: the use of the word "none."

27:39 David closes the show and invites listener comments: through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog. Also, they welcomes listeners to the Inside PR Blubrry site.

Music: our theme music is Streetwalker by CJacks, and is from the Podsafe Music Network; Roger Dey is our announcer.

Show Notes

In this special edition of Inside PR, Terry chats with Esther Buchsbaum, the co-founder of Communications MECA and the chair for the Counselors Academy's Spring 2007 Conference to be held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

00:50 Terry welcomes Esther, who joins him from Montreal, Quebec.

01:40 Esther talks about her background in communications.

03:16 Esther talks about how she got involved with the Counselors Academy, how she is able to put together a conference in Mexico from Montreal, and some of the people she asked to help her organize it.

09:03 Terry asks Esther what the the Counselors Academy has to offer compared to the IABC or the CPRS.  Esther explains. 

13:35 Esther describes how one can join the Counselors Academy.

14:44 Esther talks about the MRP system.

16:19 Terry brings up social media, and Esther talks about its place within the Counselors Academy conference.

18:50 Terry thanks Esther for her time, and invites listener feedback to the comment line (206-600-4741), to insideprcomments@gmail.com, or on the show blog.

Background on Esther Buchsbaum

Esther Buchsbaum is the co-founder of Communications MECA, an independently-owned and operated public relations agency with its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec and an offices in Toronto, Ontario.

A communications professional for over 25 years, Esther has longstanding experience providing strategic counsel to clients in the consumer, corporate, social service and heath care sectors. She is, and has been responsible for the planning, managing and supervision of public relations activities for such clients as Burger King, Avon, the OLCO Petroleum Group, Ben & Jerry's, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hilton Hotels, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Ericsson Communications, Samsung and Brother International to name but a few.

She is an accredited member of the Canadian Public Relations Society and holds the APR designation that is recognized world-wide. She is the first-ever Canadian to chair the Counselors Academy, to be held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in Spring 2007.

Comments? Send us an email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or leave us a comment on the Inside PR show blog.

This week on InsidePR, Terry and David discuss student internships and talk about the differences between big and small agencies. They welcome audio comments from Patricia Parsons, a professor of public relations at Mount St. Vincent's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and from Michael Seaton from The Client Side. Also, Terry does his segment of "Inside PRoper English". Finally, they play this week's contribution from Chris Clarke.

Show Notes

00:28 David is glad to be back and introduces the show. He invites listener feedback through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog.

01:48 Terry talks about an interview he did with Canadian Podcast Buffet with Bob Goyetche and Mark Blevis. The episode can be found here.

03:32 David talks about a new post on KD Paine's blog about the top 10 PR firms in the world and their presence in the blogosphere.

05:28 David introduces the first comment from Michael Seaton from The Client Side. David thinks Michael did a great job, and thanks him for stepping in during his absence.

07:45 Terry talks about how he only met Michael face-to-face after recording last week's episode together. They got together for a geek dinner organized by Micheal and Mitch Joel.

08:28 David brings up the Third Tuesday and Third Monday meetups happening at the end of September for Toronto and Ottawa communicators. Shel Israel will be speaking at both inaugural events. You can find the signup link for Toronto here and the Ottawa link here.

10:55 Terry introduces a comment from Patricia Parsons, a professor of public relations from Mount St. Vincent's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

15:15 David brings up this week's topic: small agency vs. big agency, for students considering a placement.

16:08 Terry mentions the fact that both he and Terry have worked at both big and small agencies in Canada. He doesn't intend to provide definite conclusions on the debate. He recalls that a decade ago the big agencies had the big clients, which is no longer a rule of the agency world. According to Terry, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. He makes the case that at larger agencies there might not be the variety of tasks and responsibilites offered at smaller agencies.

19:42 David says that regardless of where you work, there are things that stay the same: you will start at the bottom and you'll learn from the bottom-up. To him, the difference between big and small is simply a game of numbers: there are more opportunities for people in small agencies based on the fact that there are fewer to draw on. But, at larger agenies, there are certainly more opportunities for advancement because there are simply more positions to be filled. Nonetheless, the opportunities go to those who deserve them.

23:40 Terry claims that the only way to get anywhere is to take the opportunities that come your way. Be aggressive, but reasonable. Also, at smaller firms, the junior people get to sit around the table for creative sessions with the senior people, which is an excellent opportunity. That's not to say that it doesn't happen at larger firms, but it is more likely to happen at smaller firms.

26:20 David wraps up the chat and says that there are pros and cons to each size of firm. He says the most important part is about knowing your job and knowing who's on your team. There are great people in terrible agencies and terrible people in great agencies.

29:00 David introduces and plays Chris Clarke's segment for the week.

32:41 Inside PRoper English for the week: tennet

33:45 From the files of Inside PRoper English: Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

35:15 Terry closes the show and invites listener comments: through email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, on the comment line at 206-600-4741, or comment on the Inside PR show blog. Also, they welcomes listeners to the Inside PR Blubrry site.

Music: our theme music is Streetwalker by CJacks, and is from the Podsafe Music Network; Roger Dey is our announcer.