Brazil surrenders to the multifunctionality of the Social Media Press Release

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The following is a guest post from Brazilian public relations professional Rodrigo Capella.* Rodrigo is a lecturer and writer, he edits the blog PR Interview and has more than 20 books published.

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For a long time, the traditional press release has been used in Brazil. With basic information (title, lead, quotes, boilerplate and contacts of the PR agency), this tool of communication led several news (mergers, product launches, new strategies, etc.) to the journalists.

In the first years of existence, the traditional press release was very well evaluated by professionals working in publications. It happened because the Brazilian PR Agencies always adapted the institutional information according to the journalists’ needs.

Nowadays, the contact of the journalists with this tool is wearing out quickly (most of the media professionals prefer to receive all the information together - image, video, quotes, etc). Even so, for many years, Brazil has insisted - contrary to many countries - to use the traditional press release as a primary tool of communication.

To get an idea, for more than five years, many in the United States adopted alternative tools, such as the Social Media Press Release (SMPR). Made in various formats, this platform can unite, in a single space, podcast, video-release, relevant links, tags, and RSS. There is also, of course, the elements of the traditional press release, like boilerplate and quotes, among others.

An interesting example was the SMPR “Second Life Reforestation Project Qualifies as a Finalist in American Express Members Project,” which facilitated most of the media professionals’ work. An interesting point: this platform has presented to the journalists the direct contacts of the spokesperson (a fact that, for cultural reasons, seldom occurs in Brazil).

Now, after overseeing the successful of the SMPR around the world (here's another example), Brazil has surrendered to this agile tool and already collected some interesting cases. To announce the launch of the new 3DS, the portable console that lets you play in 3D without special glasses, the PR agency S2 Publicom sent to the Brazilian press a SMPR (there’s a password and login to access this platform) with files in English and Portuguese. In this SMPR, it was possible to have access to video-releases, pictures and a variety of information about the launch.

Another interesting example was conducted by CDN in partnership with Cinnamon Communication. The PR Agencies did a SMPR to launch the new VAIO notebook Y. With video release, links, images and testimonials, the platform has brought all the necessary information for journalists reporting the product.

These two examples of SMPR (3DS and VAIO Y) confirm a trend: there is no communication without innovation. Brazil learned this lesson. Now, it needs to be aware of upcoming changes for not getting used to be outdated. 

[The reference to the Social Media Press Release (SMPR) should be understood to flow interchangeably with social media news release (SMNR) or just Social Media Release. I found Rodrigo's post particularly interesting and relevant since it points out some of the basic ways to help PR pros get a better grasp on how one can use social elements and digital assets with releases.]

* Contact Rodrigo Capella via E-mail: capella.rodrigo@gmail.com Twitter: @rodrigo_capella 

Related articles

• Press Releases v Social Media Releases: Enemies or Adjuncts? (socialmediatoday.com)
• Tips to Write Social Media Press Release (seoservicesgroup.com)
• Social Media News Release is an example of curated content (holtz.com)

34 Unforgettable Posts for PR People

That's right, I said 34 unforgettable posts. I compiled a round-up list last year as my gift to you on my 33rd birthday and wanted to continue the tradition on my 34th trip around the sun.

These are writings from some of the top thought-leaders in the public relations industry or from those who provide remarkable contributions for communication professionals or are just really pretty cool and I think  you should read. So without further ado, this year's list from oldest to newest:

1. Micro Interactions in PR (Conversation Agent)
2. Personal Branding: Be careful what you wish for (The Harte of Marketing)
3. Why You Shouldn’t Trust Social Media To An SEO Consultant (Social Media Explorer)
4. 7 Things I Learned Online that I Use at Work (Conversation Agent)
5. Being a Director of Community (Altitude Branding)
6. Hashtags: Coming to a conference near you (Media Bullseye)
7. Moving from Siloes to Hives (The Buzz Bin)
8. Public Relations Roles explained through Baseball Positions (Next Communications)
9. Social Media ain't about one-night stands, it's about relationships (The Viral Garden)
10. Social Media in the Nonprofit Workplace: Does Your Organization Need A Social Media Policy? (Beth's Blog)
11. Could It Be? Is PR Becoming Unnecessary? (The Bad Pitch Blog)
12. Are corporate communicators hopeless in social media? (Mengel Musings)
13. Public Relations Activities That Affect SEO (Online Marketing Blog)
14. Five reasons why your company blog sucks (The Viral Garden)
15. Journalism 2.0: Don't Throw Out the Baby (Read Write Web)
16. Communication silos don’t work (The Harte of Marketing)
17. A 12 Step Program to End PR Fail (The Lost Jacket)
18. Beware the PR Prophets (Communication Catalyst)
19. The last PR stand (Fort Worth PRSA)
20. Your Press Release has a Long Tail in New Media (Conversation Agent)
21. Public Relations Pros Must Be Social Media Ready (Social Media Explorer)
22. Who Owns the Social Media Play: Marketing, PR or Advertising? (Communication Overtones)
23. Building Community for Your Employees (Deirdre Breakenridge)
24. 9 simple words to live by in the digital age (Communications Conversations)
25. Bad Apples in PR (PR Squared)
26. How Are You Measuring Your Community? (Outspoken Media)
27. Relationship Chaining: Building and Activating a Community (Communication Overtones)
28. Proof the Splinternet is real (Groundswell)
29. When Clients Want Coverage in your Blog: Social Media Ethical Dilemmas (PR Squared)
30. ROI: How to Measure Return on Investment in Social Media (Brian Solis)
31. Facebook Friday: 5 Essential Elements to Your Facebook Page Guidelines (Fresh Influence)
32. Captain Planet Style: Powers Combined in PR/Marketing (LAF)
33. What does tomorrow’s PR pro look like? (Communications Conversations)
34. Take the next step: Meet in Real Life (PR Breakfast Club)

Wow! That took longer than I thought it would. Just like last year, there are some source repeats, but I still read some of the same great content creators. I hope you take some time and go through this gift of resources or save it for later. As always, the (comment) party is yours.

(Photo credit: young and with it)

Mining PR Gold: 5 Tips for Pitching Local TV News

I subscribe to a rather larger number of RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters from within the communications and PR industry. There are some excellent resources out there for professionals who are serious about learning and getting better at their craft. I am going to start sharing more of these great ideas, posts, videos, etc. here on my blog as a way to spread the wealth of knowledge readily available.

The PR gold I came across this morning was waiting for me in my inbox. Ragan.com's PR Daily e-news featured a link to a video by Seth Odell on tips for pitching your local TV news stations. Odell is a former broadcast news assignment editor and currently working in higher ed media relations.

What do you think? Do you have anything to add to these tips? The comments are yours.