Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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It's been a week of extraordinary comebacks, a new arrival and a sudden departure.
Forgive me if you are not a football fan, but even the most disinterested among us would have been caught up in the emotions of Liverpool and Spurs overturning the odds to win their respective places in the Champions League Final in Madrid in June. The headline writers have had a great time, with my favourite being written about Spurs triumph in Amsterdam on Wednesday - "The greatest sporting comeback since Tuesday"
Of course, the royal birth has attracted a massive amount of what we used to call in the old days "column inches". At least on this occasion we were spared the interminable wait outside a maternity hospital with reporters doing pieces to camera which took three minutes to say "nothing has happened since I last spoke to you". I congratulate the happy parents, and wish them and wee Archie well. (not to be confused with Archie Bell, who used to sing with the Drells, once upon a time).
As for the sudden departure, that was the dismissal of award-winning broadcaster Danny Baker from the BBC. I will return to this in a moment. |
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I am full of admiration for musicians who create their own followings, and then go on tour to satisfy the demand of fans. One such is Will Black, a Canadian rock musician now living in Estonia and playing #newclassicrock. Hear his story in the Media Coach Radio Show.
There's also of course, a wonderful song from Will Black himself.
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The MediaMaestro is Gaelle Laval, a parent of children at a small school in the Alps. Faced with falling pupil numbers, the school was being required to have larger classes and fewer teachers, so Ms Laval recruited some extra pupils - fifteen sheep from a local herd.
She told Le Parisien newspaper: "National education is unfortunately only numbers. And so now, with this surge in numbers, we are good."
The farm animals were provided by a local herder, Michel Girerd, who with the help of his dog escorted the new pupils along to the school to see them officially signed up with their birth certificates. Among the names added to the register during a ceremony watched by parents, teachers and children were Baa-bete and Saute-Mouton.
The school hopes to pull the wool over the eyes of school inspectors. |
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The MediaMug is broadcaster Danny Baker.
So I see that swathes of social media users have decided that he is racist for posting a picture of a couple with a dressed up monkey, with the caption "royal baby".
It was a daft thing to do, and when he realised, or was alerted to, the racist implication, he removed it. Of course, given the backlash from people who have decided that he must be racist, his role at the BBC was impossible.
Danny Baker has never been, and is not now, a racist. Anyone who knows him would know that. His post has been perceived that way, which has led to a rush to judgement. That's the way of social media.
A damn shame all round, but a MediaMug award for his completely thoughtless action.. |
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Speaking Tip - Be a fussy speaker |
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When I'm preparing to deliver a speech, I am very fussy. I want to know a lot about what is happening. I rehearse small details several times. From the microphone to the introduction to the positions on stage, I want to know exactly who does what and when. Sometimes this can be frustrating for the sound technicians or the MC. I smile politely and ask them just to go with it for a few minutes, explaining that I want all of us to look good.
Here's a checklist of some of the things I do in the few hours before my speech (believe me, you don't want the whole list}
- Meet the sound technicians and the MC (several hours before)
- Agree a time for a technical rehearsal
- Agree the type of microphone, and when I will receive it
- Agree my intro with the MC
- Walk-through the introduction on stage with the MC
- Run a sound check on stage, with colleagues in different seats to check acoustics
- Check the timetable for the other speakers
- Ensure that I have a some water on stage (room temperature, not iced)
- Plan my seat, and put a reserved sign on it
- Ensure I'm in position at least 20 minutes before I'm due to speak
No doubt you will have your own list. The important thing is to give yourself the best chance of delivering a great speech, by minimising things that could be disruptive. Things can, and will, still go wrong, but good preparation is the hallmark of a professional. |
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As Elvis Costello used to sing "Radio is a sound salvation, Radio is cleaning up the nation.." Actually, the rest of the song is not so complimentary about radio, so let's just stick to the intro. There's a popular belief that radio has had its day, and it is not very useful when it comes to promoting yourself. Is that really true?
A survey published by public affairs consultancy TLG suggested otherwise. They questioned 1,000 opinion leaders in large companies, and found that radio had more influence on them than any other medium when it came to corporate reputation. (Television came second, print third, and online sources fourth). The main programme mentioned was Today" on BBC Radio 4, which was singled out as being the most important source of information about a company's reputation. Local radio was also mentioned, particularly BBC local radio. Interestingly, many of the people surveyed worked in "new media", but they still regard radio as critically important.
It's not that hard to get on the radio, and it will definitely pay dividends. Here's what to do:
- Listen to a radio show you want to be on, for an hour. Make copious notes
- Make a connection between something you hear, and what you do
- Phone the show's producer, tell them the connection, and ask if you can come on the show
More often than not, they will say "yes". Why not try it? |
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Social Media Tip - Lessons from the Starman |
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I was a huge fan of David Bowie.Here are a few things that the thin white duke taught us about how to use social media:
1) Be surprising The announcement of the first new Bowie album for years took social media by storm. People love to re-post something unusual and remarkable. You can't do that every day, but once it a while, surprising people can have amazing results.
2) Be creative David Bowie borrowed from a wide range of sources - mime, kabuki, jazz, electronic music - but created his own unique sound. By looking at how other successful businesses use social media, you can create a blend that is both successful and uniquely yours.
3) Be persistent There's no overnight success. Bowie had tried and failed at least half a dozen times before he found a winning formula. If you're going to use social media as a major channel for your business, you need to be prepared to put the time in, and to change your strategy if things don't work out.
4) Be real In every incarnation, whether Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane, Bowie always emphasised an aspect of himself. You can't fake it for long on social media. You have to be real.
5) Be unique No-one wants to follow someone who is like everyone else. There was no-one like David Bowie, and no-one else like you, either. |
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What would you do if you found a giant BoomBox with a low battery?
Here is the answer. |
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Do you need to speak more effectively? |
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I can help. Just click the link |
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