Every year PR industry leaders publish a list of predictions for the next year. Last year, they predicted graphics, data and apps would be on the rise, which seemed to be the case with infographics filled with data popping up everywhere. Another prediction that came true was PR disasters hitting a record level (e.g BP, Netflix, Penn State, Bank of America).

Now is the time to forecast what will happen in 2012. We have seen social media grow by leaps and bounds over the last several years, so it is no surprise that thinking about social media strategically and measuring the results will become a top communications tactic.

Affect came up with the following predictions:

• Death of the email pitch, rise of the twit pitch.
• Google+ business = success
• Social media gets strategic
• Measurement is a must
• Crises will continue
• Brands become publishers
• CEOs become journalists
• Small is the new big
• Paying to get social
• Scandals, sex and celebs still sell
• 

InkHouse also looked into the PR crystal ball and predicted:

• Infographic Saturation
• PR Skills Move Well Beyond Media Relations
• The Phone Matters…Again.
• Social Chaos Comes into (better) Focus
• The Influence Bubble Deflates
• Content is Critical
• Tech Product Launches Take a Back Seat
• RSS Feeds Lose More Ground.
• Measurement Gets Measured
• Transparency Trumps Spin

What are your top predictions for 2012?

Here’s a lesson in crisis management: Don’t blame the victims!

This past September 11^th, the 9/11 Memorial Organization received a failing grade for what should be rule #1 of Crisis Management common sense! When friends and family of victims came out to this year’s memorial services, one family in particular experienced fresh pain and grief when they found their loved one’s name was misspelled. The family of Jeffrey Schreier discovered the typo of a lifetime- Jeffrey’s name was etched as “Jefferey” into the Ground Zero Memorial.

As if the sting of this typo wasn’t enough for the Schreier family to bear, when they reported the error, the organization allegedly initially blamed the family for the misdeed. In the comment section of NBC’s coverage of the incident, a woman identifying herself as Jeffrey’s sister, Janice Hart, claimed that the organization blamed her family for filling out the paperwork incorrectly and didn’t immediately promise to rectify the situation. Although the organization eventually traced the error back to an incorrect database entry (fault of the organization) and is currently looking into a way to fix the spelling, it’s safe to say their handling of the incident lacked…umm, sensitivy?

We hope this organization has learned a thing or two from this PR boo-boo. Maybe from now on they’ll be quicker to investigate and slower to blame.

As PR pros, we are all too familiar with the importance of effective communication. In the same regard, it would be quite the understatement to say we are aware of the ever-evolving modes of communication. In fact, in our line of work we are forced to stay abreast of new communication outlets- a full-time job to say the least! From managing company blogs to posting breaking news on Twitter, we share your pain as we attempt to navigate through a world where what is “new” today is “obsolete” tomorrow.

In a whirlwind of communication practices that is constantly transforming, we’ve found the one thing that stays constant- HOW to communicate. Whether you’re relaying information through a handwritten note or public speech, there are several simple guidelines to effective communication. PR Daily recently posted an article titled, “12 Unexpected Tips for Business Communications” and we thought we’d share what we believe to be the 5 most crucial tips.

1. Guard your attention wisely. Take a look at your daily communication practices. If you’re like us, you tweet, post, upload, ring, comment and webcast 24/7. We live in a world overloaded with information and it’s easy to allow your attention to be carried off with the next batch of data that surges your way. In order to relay and absorb vital information successfully, we suggest you make conscious, wise decisions on what information holds your time and attention.
2. Establish rapport. It’s all about connection! For us this is especially true, we spend the majority of our day establishing relationships. Whether it is a phone call with our clients, emails with local journalists or a blog article for our website, we strive to create bonds through our words. However, the importance of establishing rapport is a must across the board, regardless of your job title. Creating a bond with coworkers, clients or even within personal relationships helps to solve and prevent conflicts.
3. Practice H.O.T communication. That stands for Honest, Open and Two-way communication. Attributed to business writer, Dan Oswald, this approach helps to eliminate and prevent sticky situations. You’ll be surprised to find how much easier establishing relationships can be when you are transparent and forthcoming with others.
4. Recognize the influential power of words. In the words of Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” Remember this the next time you update your Facebook status, send an email or speak with a client. Words are powerful and have an uncanny ability to transcend time and space. With the advent of social media, your words can (and will) leave lasting impressions on people you may never have intended them for.
5. Tap into silent listening. This one is possibly the most difficult to grasp in our day and age. It’s a matter of shutting out the noise of our digital-communication-obsessed culture. Distractions in the form of tweets and emails are relentless. Silent listening means being distraction free and offering your complete attention. So silence your smartphone, shut off your iPad, be in the moment and watch your relationships transform.

Your boss most likely hates them (due to their siren-like abilities to distract even the busiest employee), Dick Cheney loves them and apparently moms can now conjure up creative egg recipes with their help. Can you guess what it is, yet? If not, you’re probably not one of the users who contributed to the 300 million downloads of Angry Birds, or you’re just completely unaware of just how expansive the Angry Birds empire (yes, empire) has become in just two years.

Created by a small Finnish mobile games developer, Rovio, this addicting game is currently the most popular application of the 300,000 apps available for download. However, Rovio developers decided to take their game one step further- well, maybe five steps- heck, they’re full-out sprinting with this idea. Breaking free from their techie roots, Rovio developers have successfully launched a line of Angry Bird plush toys, board games, comics, T-shirts and even a cookbook. Not to mention the upcoming plans for an Angry Birds movie, TV series and educational textbooks. Did I mention that each venture has seen immense success with Rovio’s revenue this year expected to exceed $100 million dollars?

So what’s the story behind the Angry Birds success? How do a bunch of gaming nerds get it right-every time? Peter Vesterbacka, marketing officer of Rovio, chalked it up to strong branding at a Colorado Tech Conference. “If you are a strong brand, if you have a strong following of fans you can do anything,” Vesterbacka maintained. So what makes a brand strong? After examining Angry Bird’s stint of success through the lens of PR professionals we applaud Rovio’s efforts on two counts: storytelling and positioning.

The Angry Birds storyline is ridiculously simple- and therein lies the beauty. We, as consumers, are emotionally invested in the plot because it doesn’t leave us confused and needing answers. We easily identify the evil, greedy green pigs as the enemy while naturally empathizing with the furious and revenge-driven birds seeking to protect their young. If playing the game isn’t enough, Rovio offers an animated short that deepens the storyline and, subconsciously, our emotional attachment.

In terms of positioning, Rovio designers did a pretty darn good job of creating an image that successfully identifies the brand. For strong branding you need a strong identity, and what’s more recognizable than the close-up of a fat, furrow-browed, cross-eyed bird? Browse the list of available apps on your phone and that furious, red bird staring you down grabs your attention every time, right? Positioning also helps with the success of other less-known ventures by Rovio; fans are loyal and identify with other Angry Bird projects.

Whether you’re an avid Angry Birds gamer or not, you have to give it to those techies at Rovio. They’ve managed to turn a simple app into an entertainment franchise. If you ask us, there’s a lot to be learned from this bird-flinging, pig-demolishing iPhone app.

So the jokes have been funny, the response stinging (and deservedly so) and the fall-out a 24/7 TV festival. But is there anything to say about Weiner-gate that hasn’t already been said? Possibly not. But here’s the takeaway we have, as PR professionals. It was very interesting to see the frozen-in-place reaction that Weiner’s pr staff had when biggovernment.com started reeling out the compromising photos online on Monday. As the compromizing pixels piled up, staffers did nothing, because they didn’t know what to do.

Now Monday morning quarterbacking is super easy (and fun). So it may well be that his staff were ready, but hogtied and prevented from acting. But I’d like to think that, had our team been on the job, we’d have been prepared to respond in some way. Why?

Because there’s one really important service a pr person can play for their client/employer. They can refuse to drink the Kool-aid. And in refusing, they can also allow their minds to imagine the absolute worse, and prepare accordingly. One wonders, then, if the loyalists on the Rep’s team were so trusting of him that they refused to consider a plan that might work, should the unthinkable occur. Which it did.

Every time we write, revise, review a crisis plan, we hope that while we’ll be ready, we’ll never have to implement. Sure, Weiner’s staff hoped they were working for an honest guy. But somebody should have had enough cynicism in them to be ready for anything Brightbart had. Perhaps they were. And perhaps the incredibly compressed timeframes of the social media world prevented any good response.

But it’s always worthwhile for us PR folks to watch these big stories unfold and ask ourselves: what would I do if this were my client? Someday, it just might be!

As a relatively small marketing communications company, Touchpoint manages work flow by partnering up with really great professionals. As a result, we’ve worked with superbly talented, responsive designers, programmers, writers, media planners and others. We learn from everybody, and hope they get something out of it, too (even more than just a paycheck).

Sometimes,though, we’ll run into issues that prevent us from continuing a relationship.On reflection, we can chalk up a few “break ups” to a pretty standard set of practices. Knowing I’ll inevitably leave out something, here’s our list of dealbreakers (what’s yours?):

1. No fire in the belly. Oh sure, this phrase is big now, but we’ve used it for years. And we believe in it. Lacking passion, a professional is, well, lacking. We’d rather field a call from somebody who cares enough to be up in arms about something, than talk to someone who is “meh” 24/7.

2. Exhibits the slightest bit of unethical behavior. This may seem harsh, but if there’s a hint/whiff/shadow of doubt, we’ll cut the cord. Our reputation is defined by what others do when they’re working with us. We associate very carefully. And the minute it feels like something’s just not right, we’re out.

3. More creative than us. Afterall, if we could solve the problem at hand, we’d do it ourselves!

4. Smarter than us. See #3. If we knew how to do it, we’d…

5. Fun. Life is hard. It’s been really hard for the last few years for anybody trying to make a payroll or launch a career. But Debby Downer isn’t who you want to be stuck with in a foxhole. Bring irony, whimsy, an occassional cookie, or even a smattering of good gossip to our relationship, and we’ll all be the better for it.

So one of the things we love about our work is introducing cool new products to the world. Invented by Dr. Ben Yoo, an urgent care physician, BANa packs a lot of rehydrating power in one chilled bottle. It’s become really well known among elite athletes, and word is spreading. Have you BANa’ed today?

Another thing we love is the power of video to help reach people. This four minutes from the Cooper River Bridge Run in April is about all you need to know if you are dehydrated. Oh: and here’s what else you’ll be glad to know: all BiLos and numerous SC Piggly Wiggly’s carry the elixir.

Raising a glass to Peter Shankman today, who just wrote a very cogent treatise on why anybody who claims to be a social media expert should be shown the door.

Why? It’s like saying: “I’m applying for this marketing job because I’m really good at writing headlines.” Oh sure, headlines are important. But what about all the other stuff that goes into creating and executing a winning marketing plan. Social media - like headlines - is only a part of it. Doing it well is important. Understanding the rules is key. Check out Peter’s take. Then share yours!

Looking for advice on how to establish and maintain a successful social media campaign? This interview with new media guru Brian Solis just might be your answer. For similar clips and stories, click here.

For a number of years, Google has published daily—and even hourly, now—updates on the most popular web searches via Google Trends and Google Hot Trends, respectively. The former allows users to graphically compare the volume of searches between two or more terms, and the latter posts the hour’s twenty fastest-growing search terms. As PR Daily describes the analytic duo, they’re “a great way to keep your finger on the pulse [of the internet].” Throw Google Beat into the mix, though, and you’re practically a doctor.

Launched last week, The Google Beat is the internet tycoon’s latest venture in search engine analysis: a web video series that explains the week’s top trending searches and their relation to current events. Check out the series’ debut below: