After the media frenzy about Obama’s comment regarding Kanye West’s actions during the VMA Awards, many people have questioned the relevance of “off record comments.” Who is at fault for Obama’s comments ending up on Twitter? Obama? The ABC News employees?

The LA Times referred to the situation as, “Obama, Kanye West and the trouble with Twitter.” However, according to most public relations professionals, the problem is not with Twitter or the ABC New employees, but rather with Obama. It’s not because he’s a democrat, but it is because he is a public figure.

When politicians, executives, or any other public figure speaks with the media, there are certain written and unwritten rules they should all know. These rules are not a secret, but a basic part of spokesperson training. One of those rules is that off the records does not guarantee you won’t read it in the paper.

Although CNBC granted an explicit agreement with the White House that Obama’s pre-interview chitchat was off the record, there are still certain things Obama should not have said. Public figures have to realize that off the record does not grant immunity and that social media is desperately waiting for their next comment. Read more at Utah Business Magazine

Presentation

Today I present at the UVEF Crunch Lunch in Provo, Utah. We expect a big crowd if its anything like the last one of these I spoke at. I’ll be addressing the revolutionary changes in Public Relations and PR tips for startup success on a budget new businesses can survive. Here are some of the revolutionary social media  facts that are changing the PR business:

24 of 25 of the largest newspapers have falling circulation*

Online news is 2nd most trusted source, #1 is TV***

26% of Internet users utilize Twitter for finding news**

By 2010 Gen Y will be larger than the Baby Boomers market segment. 96% of them use Social Media*

To reach 50 million users it took: radio-38 yrs; TV-13 yrs; Internet-4 yrs.  It took Facebook 9 months to reach 100M users.*

Most companies use Public Relations professionals to manage their Social Media strategy.****

The majority of editors now look at blogs to get story ideas.

John Pilmer presentation on YouTube

*Source: Socialnomics

**Source: TNS and The Conference Board

***Source: Pew Research

****2009 Digital Readiness Report, iPressroom/PRSA

Give us a call for more about the Social Media revolution and how it fits into a strategic public relations plan.

Huntsman mounts Harley-sends message

After the pomp and circumstance, the cannons firing and bands playing, the flags and the applause, Ambassador Huntsman (past governor of Utah) rides off of Utah’s capitol hill on board a a “big hog” Harley Davidson. No, not a farm animal, a motorcycle.

Flanked by Utah Highway patrol and his posse of dirt biker buddies, Huntsman may have sent a perfect message to Chinese trade counterparts awaiting his arrival in their country. Buy American, buy Harley. Certainly the US based manufacturer’s public relations team should be “making hay” with this endorsement from the USA’s newly appointed and  most powerful trade ambassador.

Some feel that Obama appointed Huntsman to this post to sideline any potential opposition from the savvy Republican politician. However, the president may yet learn that Huntsman still has growing political, and guerrilla PR, savvy that may haunt the liberal machine.

See KSL video (motorcycle)

President Obama’s recent confirmation of Utah Governor John Huntsman carries some certain intricacies not readily know or realized by the public. On the surface, the choice is great, almost a no brainier. Huntsman fits the China Ambassador mold just about as perfect as Obama could wish.

During his younger years, Huntsman served a mission for the LDS Church in Taiwan and became fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Then in 1999, he and his wife adopted a daughter, Gracie Mei, from China. In addition to the personal ties to China Huntsman has plenty political and business ties as well.

Under the direction of George H.W. Bush, Huntsman served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Ambassador to Singapore. In 2006, he went on a trade mission to China “because of their prominence on the world stage and the way in which they are growing so rapidly,” he told the Deseret Morning News of Salt Lake City.

Hunstman also carries very strong views about the environment and social responsibility, which China lacks. His environmental inniatives in Utah launched the state into a whole new understanding of the sustainability.

Overall, a pretty impressive China related resume. However, there could be a little more to the confirmation than Huntsman’s likeable resume. Chance are, President Obama looked at more than Huntsman’s resume, and focused on the public relations aspects of the choice.

With so much talk about bipartisanship, Obama has had his hands full trying to fulfill the promises that have been made on the campaign trail and while in office. Governor Huntsman matches the bipartisanship model and reduces a threat.

A threat? Why is Governor Huntsman a threat? According to Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, Huntsman is “the one person in that party who might be a potential presidential candidate.” Even Politico reported that with the nomination, Obama is “likely removing one of his strongest potential challengers in the 2012 presidential campaign from the running.”

Now Obama’s nomination of Huntsman takes a completely different form. Pictured to be a natural and seemingly perfect fit, Obama could simply be trying to assuring less competition in the future election.

Whether it is for the China related resume or the push for less resistance in 2012, Obama made a great PR decision. To the innocent onlooker the choice falls within Obama’s bipartisan promises and gives the U.S. a good chance with China. However, to the multi-layered information connoisseur, the nomination and confirmation is an interesting chess move. A chess move that could be attributed to egoism or altruism.

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Alan Ashton & Lt. Gov Gary Herbert address UVEF

Fox News: UVEF Top 25 Under 5

*********

Today, Lt Gov Gary Herbert keynoted a terrific awards program by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF). 160 attendees. 25 top companies under five years of age were honored. Representing $80 million in combined 2008 revenue, the winners created 840 jobs last year. ZAGG, Imagination Learning, and OrangeSoda came in 1, 2, & 3.  Emcee, Rick White, co-founder of rising startup Fusion-io kept the event light with ample humor and insights into the healthy state of entrepreneurism in Utah.

According to soon to be Governor Herbert, 50% of jobs in Utah come from small business.  The Wall Street Journal reported this past month that more than half of the Fortune 500 in 2009 launched in recessions or bear markets. Speakers at the event credited Utah’s relatively resilient economy is due to great startup companies like those honored today.

The Daily Herald honored Alan Ashton, founder of WordPerfect, with a special “Founding Fathers” award for his quarter century of contributing to Utah business and the community.

Media for the event:

YouTube highlights video

Business Wire coverage

Daily Herald coverage

Daily Herald special section on Utah entrepreneurs

Deseret News coverage

Utah Pulse coverage

Wasatch Digital IQ coverage

Fox TV News coverage

Tomorrow, UVEF will announce it’s 2009 “Top 25 Under Five” award winners in the company of Utah’s Lt Gov Gary Herbert*, Fusion-io CMO Rick White, and a who’s who of business leaders and VC types. They will honor the great entrepreneurs of our day. This year’s winners produced $80M in 2008 revenue and created 840 jobs. With Utah’s nationally leading business climate, entrepreneurs will likely have far more to do with economic recovery than Washington’s stimulus packages.

In June, Wall Street Journal cited a study revealing that more than half of the 2009 Fortune 500 launched their companies during a recession or bear market. My experience serving on a number of boards for startups, business incubators, and mentoring organizations shows me that recessions push would be entrepreneurs to take the bold step into the unknown. We are the beneficiaries of such risk tolerant, brave leadership.

*soon to be Governor Herbert, once Jon Huntsman is approved as US Ambassador to China by the U.S. Senate

In today’s business environment, success may seem very elusive to some CEOs. Businesses that have been around for years either have closed their doors or find those doors creaking shut. Bank empires have crumbled like an old cookie, and the well of money has all but dried up for some.

Yet, amid failure we see new ideas and businesses emerging. So, what is failure? In a recent workshop led by Garrett White exploring our “Soul Purpose,” I felt compelled to consider the role of success and failure in developing leaders. The faithful dictionary defines failure as “an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; a lack of success.” But, is failure really all that bad?

Continue reading at Utah CEO Magazine

The secret to effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is planning. Integrate CSR into your organization’s business model for best results. The benefits from your CSR campaign may come in the form of increased profits, an increased positive company perception, or approval from the community through increased goodwill or an improved hiring pool.

Positive outcomes for your CSR campaign require leadership, not luck. A strategic look at organizational objectives and how you plan to accomplish them will greatly facilitate the tactics planning of your CSR plan.

When determining your socially responsible objectives, consider your organization’s roots. Don’t immediately look around the world. Look in your backyard, start local. Make smaller goals and think about the community around your organization. How can you be a responsible corporate citizen? Look at the community’s needs and sincerely think about how your organization could help. Continue reading at Utah Business Magazine

“PilmerPR is pleased to announce the garnering of yet another honor for exceptional public relations results. Thank you to a great client, ElectraTherm, for accepting sound PR advice and thanks to skilled staff that holds up the standard of communications excellence at PilmerPR.”  John Pilmer – President and Founder

EarthTimes covers this Green PR news.

Serving the public relations needs of America’s startup companies is fulfilling work. So, I was especially interesting in attending today’s UVEF event for entrepreneurs.

A large crowd filled the Novell facility for today’s UVEF luncheon. They heard from  Brock Blake, CEO at Funding Universe who addressed his company’s recent survey of 60 Utah angel investors. Utah Angels was the largest group in the sample, but several groups were represented. Here are some key findings.

While recent months have seen about a 50% drop in angel funding activity, Brock is convinced things are “picking back up” in Q2 of this year.  The average Utah angel takes a 14% ownership position with total ownership for all angels per funding round is 34%. Brock counsels entrepreneurs to accept less than 45% angel ownership when seeking funding. He says angel investors do not usually seek to take controlling interest in a company. They want influence, but want others to manage the business day to day.

Angel investment most commonly takes the form of preferred stock (65%), but can be common stock (16%) or other intruments such as stock warrants. Angels take a board member postion 47% of the time or take an advisory board postion 11% of the time.

In Utah, the most active industry sectors using angel investment are Internet/Web (including SaaS) – 55%; Live Sciences – 18%; and Consumer Products – 11%.

85% of angel funding rounds are less than $1 million or less.

Do these numbers match your experience?

For new startup public relations tips see PilmerPR Small Business PR