“A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”

After 30 years of misconception, we love this new definition! Concise, to the point and right on the money – just the way we like our writing.

Still, with all the talk of what PR means, we can’t help to think about all things it doesn’t. When asked what we do, the Bolt team has heard some humorous remarks from friends and family. Here are some of our most memorable:

• “So you design your clients’ logos, right?” “No, grandma, other people do that.” “Oh, because whoever designed Tiffany’s logo was really smart.”
• When my husband, who works in finance, tries to explain what I do, he tells people I “get products into magazines without having to pay!”
• Me: “I work in PR.” Friend: “OMG what celebrities do you know?” Me: “None.” Friend: “Oh, PR people aren’t allowed to tell confidential stuff – I get it.”
• My dad tried to explain to my grandpa what public relations is and what I went to school for. He failed and I got a phone call later asking me to explain.
• When I told my family I was pursuing a communication degree to be a public relations professional, they said “does that mean you are going to teach people how to communicate with each other?”
• “I can see you with a microphone talking to reporters.”
• My mom to this day still thinks I do advertising, and then I say, “No mom, PR,” and she says, “Yea, that’s what I said.”
• “PR people are outgoing and yack a lot!”

To some public relations is a glamorous lifestyle filled with parties, celebrities, and no office work. To others the public relations profession is a complete mystery.  If you ask any one of us at Bolt PR though, PR is different every day and just simply fun!

For other PR extraordinaires who feel the same way, we’re always looking for new talent! Send your cover letter and resume now.

We’d love to see some of your favorite looks during the week! Shoot us an email or leave us a comment and we’ll include your best looks in our fashion blog! Thanks for stopping by, the Bolt team.

This week, the Bolt team will launch a fashion blog showing some of our favorite looks at the office. Be sure to check back to see how our PR pros on both coasts dress for the job each day. For now, we hope you enjoy a sneak peek of a few of last week’s favorites!

We’d love to see some of your favorite looks during the week! Shoot us an email or leave us a comment and we’ll include your best looks in our fashion blog! Thanks for stopping by, the Bolt team.

For anyone who hasn’t heard about America’s latest obsession, Instagram is a really cool phone application with a large fan following. This free photo sharing app is available on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It allows users to upload photos, apply filters to enhance effects, and share their masterpieces on popular social networking sites. With Instagram, anyone can easily create beautiful photo art right on their cell phones! Instagram’s success has inspired other app creators to release fun offshoots of the app, like Hiptasmic and BeFunky. These apps also apply filters and frames to personalize photos. Instagram also acts as a social network where users can post, comment, and like photos, creating an interactive experience.

Similar to Twitter, the hottest celebrities have put Instagram on the map and, now, its popularity is soaring. In fact, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz recently announced an Instagram-exclusive contest, asking fans to translate his new song, “I Won’t Give Up” into photo form. Selena Gomez and Randy Jackson have already submitted their photos. Mraz understands the true power of engaging his fans through social media, creating the ultimate interactive experience for his audience. Fans are encouraged to post a photo to Instagram that best represents what “I Won’t Give Up” means to them and tag it with the hastag #IWONTGIVEUP. This open dialogue allows fans to feel closer to their favorite celebrities than ever before, and takes the photo sharing experience to an exciting new level; Not to mention the buzz it generates for Mraz and his new single!

Instagram’s viral popularity is only increasing, and PR professionals can benefit from it. If used correctly, Instagram can be a valuable PR tool to generate significant buzz for contest-based campaigns. Mraz’s contest received 3,000 submissions on its first day alone!

Some of us here at Bolt plan to get artsy with Instagram and you should too! The contest is open until Feb. 20. Mraz will choose 25 winners whose photos will be printed on canvases provided by CanvasPop and displayed at a gallery event on March 8 in New York City. The lucky winners will see Mraz perform live at the event, where he will be signing the photos!

Here’s a look at some of our favorite photo submissions!

Visit Mashable to learn more about Instagram and the Jason Mraz contest: http://mashable.com/2012/02/07/jason-mraz-instagram-i-wont-give-up-contest/

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication
Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

Netflix

Issue: In July 2011, Netflix raised its monthly price by 60 percent with limited forewarning for its subscribers. Then, Netflix attempted to group DVD-mail into Qwikster but abandoned the plan 3 weeks later because of consumer backlash.

What happened: Netflix not only failed to properly acknowledge the price changes, but also failed to respond to negative comments and rants on all of its social media sites. It was not until September that CEO Reed Hastings sent out a brief letter about their regret in not communicating changes. Too little, 2 months too late.

Result: Netflix lost approximately 810,000 customers last year and saw a dramatic drop in its stock price and consumer satisfaction rating. Its second place rank on ForeSee’s online retail quality list fell to 18 place in the 2012 survey.

Johnson & Johnson

Issue: In November 2011, a story was published with the headline, “Johnson & Johnson Gently Poisons Babies with its Shampoo” on the blog Jezebel. The posting was an effort to convince the company to remove dioxide, a suspected carcinogen, and formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, from its products.

What happened: Johnson & Johnson issued a lengthy statement explaining that its products meet standards and regulations in the United States, but was very dry and lacked empathy toward the worries of parents and harmful effects of carcinogens on their young children.

Result: This long series of problems has diminished Johnson & Johnson’s once clean reputation and has caused ongoing public backlash, especially online.

What to Do When It’s You

The goal is to always be prepared in advance, but if you haven’t taken those steps yet and a crisis occurs, here are some tips to get you started.

• If you haven’t already, establish crisis protocol, including chain of command and spokesperson designation
• Remind or notify staff and stakeholders of crisis protocol, especially that the PR team and the spokesperson are the only ones who should communicate with media
• PAUSE and evaluate – it’s important to respond quickly, but it has to be accurate and thoughtful
• Tailor, add to or develop needed messaging
• Determine channels for communication, from a press conference to individual phone calls to social media posts
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
  • DON’T lie or stretch the truth, it will come out
  • DON’T blame the customer, client, community or others, it will never help your case
  • DON’T promise things you can’t guarantee and avoid absolutes like “always” and “never”
  • DO accept responsibility, express emotion and provide genuine feedback when applicable
  • DO say you don’t know yet if that is the case – the important thing is to communicate, not magically have every answer right away
  • DO bring in communication experts if you’re in over your head
• Continue reevaluating and communicating

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

According to the infographic, 90 percent of LinkedIn users believe that the professional network is useful, primarily because it helps them meet potential clients, network with other professionals and locate new hires they might not otherwise find.

How do small business executive utilize LinkedIn?

• Top-level executives primarily use it for industry networking and promoting their business
• Middle management executives use it to keep in touch with people and network within the industry
• Entry-level executives use it to job search and network with co-workers

(PR Daily, Jan. 13, 2012)

How are you utilizing the social network? We would love to hear your LinkedIn experience! Please share with us below.

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

Bolt clients span a wide variety of industries, including technology, education, non-profit, health and fitness, beauty, restaurant and hospitality. For more information, visit http://www.boltpr.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BoltPR.

Account Executive Requirements:

• Entry level to four years of agency and/or corporate communications experience
• A degree in communications, public relations or journalism preferred
• Established media contacts and a proven track record of generating quality press coverage
• Proficient and knowledgeable in the use of social media
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and work in a very fast-paced environment
• Excels in both individual and team environments

Responsibilities Include:

• Media relations
• Social media management
• Copywriting and collateral development
• Event planning and execution
• Strategy development

Compensation:

Bolt PR offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, as well as group health insurance, dental insurance, and access to a retirement plan.

To Apply:

To be considered for this position, please send your cover letter, resume and at least three samples of recent media placements to ncresume@boltpr.com. Applications that do not include all of the above will not be considered. No phone calls or faxes.

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

Pinterest has emerged recently as another innovative social media forum that is rapidly growing in popularity. Given this reality, Bolt PR poses the question: Is this new social network going to become another beneficial marketing medium, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ outlets have, for businesses to consider when developing social media strategy and overall effective public relations and marketing campaigns?

HOW IT WORKS: Pinterest , an online vision board, allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections they find interesting or inspiring. As users upload or share photos, the images become known as “pins,” which the user can then place on customized, themed boards for other Pinterst users to view, follow and “repin” as they like.

Skyrocketing in reputation over the last year, currently with more than 3.2 million monthly unique visitors, fashionistas, foodies, and brides-to-be are just some of the many who have fully embraced the site to explore creative and visually appealing ideas for their next dinner, hone décor, date or outfit. As a result, leading lifestyle brands have recognized Pinterest as a key platform to leverage for brand engagement and awareness.

According to Experian Hitwise, Pinterest, an  invitation-only site, now has 40 times the number of total visits it had six months prior and is quickly finding its way into the top 10 websites for social networking. Clearly, the popularity of this emerging social network is not slowing anytime soon – consumer businesses will want to carefully watch this evolving community and brainstorm tactics to effectively tap into this sea of target consumers.

If you’re debating the leap into Pinterest, here are a few examples to keep in mind:

• Bakeries: Post pictures of delicious and decorative wedding cakes, birthday cupcakes and recipes for top-selling cookies
• Fitness and Health Providers: Share impactful exercises on your own fitness equipment, images of inspiring fitness role models and health tips and diet plans
• Travel Company: Showcase pictures of desirable destinations, including resorts, restaurant, golf clubs and more, tips on how to take a cost-cutting vacation, and fashionable luggage
• Designers/Stylists/Salons: Highlight images of favorite looks, top trending clothing and accessories, and how to dress to impress on a budget

Keep in mind though, there is one downside to this new-found gem: If you want to join, you’ll have to request an invite and endure the waiting list.

Are you pinning? We would love to hear your Pinterest experience! Please share with us below.

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

According to the report, text messaging rates in large texting markets, such as Finland and Hong Kong, are on the decline. Christmas Eve text messaging, one of the biggest days for sending messages on Finnish carrier Sonera, dropped from 10.9 million in 2010 to 8.5 million in 2011. A similar 14% decline was seen in Hong Kong on Christmas Day this year.

So, what gives? The Forbes report blames social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, for this reduction in messages. This trend isn’t just occurring overseas. Text messages are also declining in the United States thanks to social networking and apps like the iMessage from Apple.

Still, people aren’t ready to forgo sending and receiving texts all together. According to a Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project study published in December 2011, about 75 percent of cellphone users in 21 countries said they still send texts.

Do you think text messaging will be replaced by other platforms and services in the future? Weigh in and leave us a comment below.

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA

Bolt PR will execute strategic communication plans designed to specifically meet the goals of each of the new clients, as follows:

• Christophe Salon Newport Beach is a cutting-edge, distinctive salon offering customers unparalleled five-star treatment. Under the new ownership of husband and wife team, Scott and Jennifer Fontana, Cristophe Salon Newport Beach is fast becoming known for its highly trained and skilled stylist and colorist teams, personalized service, one-on-one beauty consultations, and a superior salon experience. Bolt PR has been hired to drive awareness of the Cristophe Salon Newport Beach luxury salon experience, located in the heart of Fashion Island. For more information about Cristophe Salon Newport Beach, visit www.cristophenb.com.

• Grey Lee Designs is a unique collection of timeless, monogrammed heirloom jewelry for women and men. Each jewelry piece is customizable with 14K rose, white or yellow gold, and can be personalized with one or more initials. All personalization is done through metal molding, versus engraving, so pieces will never tarnish or fade. Bolt PR will work closely with founder and designer Regina Chapman to establish brand awareness and generate exposure of Grey Lee Designs through top-tier luxury, fashion, consumer lifestyle and bridal media with far-reaching readerships. For information about Grey Lee Designs and to shop the jewelry collection online, visit www.greyleedesigns.com.

Read full announcement

Bolt PR | Public Relations | Social Media | Marketing | Crisis Communication

Raleigh, NC | Orange County, CA