Today, in the age of instant analysis, with PR pros, image consultants and others give us their take on Tiger and Toyota, it appears like everyone knows what they should do. Athletes are a good example. No matter what an athlete does, all they have to do is apologize, admit their mistakes and go through some type of rehab. All better. I heard it called an “athletic mulligan.”

Perhaps the it’s just one more example where the daily barrage of media and Internet news is pulling back the curtain to reveal what was once the professional domain of just a few. But what about Toyota? How could a corporate giant hesitate and stub its toe so badly? Could it be that they didn’t take the Tylenol 101 class?

Or perhaps crisis communications is being oversimplified. Maybe each crisis is really different, has its own subtleties, and has its own opportunities and risks. Maybe that’s why some companies and some PR agencies still screw it up. There are some basic principles to crisis response, but if you haven’t actually been involved in the minute-by-minute decisions and communications that are involved, you can slip up.

Maybe it’s not so easy.

Some think it will be a waste of time and resources. Others wonder just how it can help their business. And many just don’t understand it and are reluctant to dedicate time and effort to get up to speed. But to such reluctance, I would cite another statistic from the same magazine article – 20 percent of agents and brokers are considering using social media in 2010.

The plain fact is that social media/networking will continue to grow so it should be part of the marketing and communications strategies for any B2B company. It can supplement your print advertising and email blasts – both of which are declining in effectiveness, by the way. And on the PR side, you probably send press releases, write articles for trade magazines and attend events to network, exhibit or speak. Social media is another tool at your disposal.

Here are a couple of examples:

Social media can help with networking. For example, LinkedIn is an easy, natural way to network. It’s all about relationships and social networking is another way to build and maintain relationships.  One marketing pro I know got a new account the same day he set up his LinkedIn account.

Social media is a great way to connect with your audience and share your insights and expertise. If you are in the insurance industry, for example, Twitter is a way to share information that agents and brokers find helpful in doing business. Don’t try to sell yourself. Use the same reasoning as if you were speaking at an industry event or writing an article for one of the trade magazines. Speak about issues of interest to agents and brokers.

Remember, approach social media like any marketing decision – start with a strategy and turn to experts. Your PR and/or ad agency are a logical choice, but there are also Internet marketing firms that specialize in this. Or read up on it first and do it yourself. It is very easy.

Just don’t let news about slow adoption rates slow you down. Whatever your business, as more and more people adopt social media strategies, you want to be there.

With that in mind, here are five predictions, wishes and thoughts on how public relations will look in 2010.

1. Social media will further blur lines between PR and marketing, as advertising agencies, PR agencies, brand consultancies and other marketing agencies all recommend and implement social media strategies. As a result, we may see in-house PR departments combine with marketing functions and their job responsibilities may become broader. More PR agencies may merge with ad agencies or form strategic partnerships with digital experts. Lines will keep blurring.
2. As social media grows as part of public relations strategies, the focus will be on measuring return on investment. By 2009, most PR pros had jumped in with both feet, so 2010 will be the year to understand the impact of social media on sales, brands and image. I think PR pros will have to answer those questions or there will be backlash from company leaders who want to see ROI.
3. Relationships will still matter. Relationships give PR pros the best chance of success in the industries where they have expertise. Online networking is a great way to broaden existing and develop new relationships, but lets not forget the personal (phone calls, meetings) relationships we have developed, cultivated and maintained for years. They still work.
4. PR will grow in importance as the economy recovers. Just as consumers are being more careful with where they spend their dollars, businesses will look for the most cost-effective way to communicate their brand, improve their image and reach their audiences. PR is cost effective and I can see it taking budget dollars once spent on advertising. But the dollars will only go to those PR agencies and in-house staff who are industry experts, can adapt to new communications realities (social media) and demonstrate ROI.
5. I saved the obvious for last: Social media will continue to be an increasingly important part of public relations. As tired as I am with seeing and hearing “social media” in every article, presentation, plan and conversation. PR pros need to keep learning and finding way to use it more effectively.

Happy New Year.

Then our strategic partnership with Bailey Brand Consulting (www.baileygp.com) set them to work on giving our 10-year-old (yes, it looked it) website a facelift. We sent the copy and “assets.” They sent a site map and we approved it. And then I get an email one day from my old friend Reg Pierce. Attached was a logo. Our new logo and something I never asked for or expected.

By juxtaposing a speech bubble with the letter “K,” Bailey combined two simple elements to create a mark that captured the essence of what we do. So I did what any small PR agency would do when their logo is redesigned by a branding heavyweight like Bailey – I approved it with no changes. It became the anchor on the new website, which also is great (www.kimballpr.com) and even scored a Silver when Bailey submitted it to the Creativity Awards (http://www.creativityawards.com/past_competition.html/winners39/CAA39 winners.pdf).

We have great clients, we get them results and now we have an identity that speaks to who we are.

You know good speakers when you see and hear them. They engage you so you’re watching them, not a screen. They appear to be real experts who leave you with messages you remember and can use. Unfortunately I often sit in an audience and see people who don’t know their material, read from a script or speak in a monotone voice that turns your attention to your Blackberry or watch. Get me the hell out of here!

Of course, the most egregious villain in public speaking failure today is PowerPoint. You know the drill. The speaker turns from the audience, stands sideways and becomes glued to a screen where their unreadable PowerPoint slides bore you to death. They engage the screen, not you.

For starters, here are a few tips:

1. Know your material. It’s okay to reference some notes to stay on track, but you should be able to give your presentation and speak to each point as if you are having a conversation with a colleague. It’s not just a matter of practice, it’s a matter of speaking about what you know – and know well.
2. Engage your audience. Begin by knowing who they are and what they’re interested in. Speak to what their interests are.
3. Limit the PowerPoint if you use it at all. A few words or pictures to orient the audience is enough. A video is great. But no one can read or cares about little tiny words or numbers. It puts them to sleep and take attention from the main attraction – you.
4. Practice and practice again. Until you have actually delivered your whole presentation, you don’t know how you will do. Before the first time I deliver a particular presentation, I do this in my hotel room the night before, learn where I stumble and what I should adjust.
5. Get training if you need it. Content is crucial but not enough when you have hundreds of people in a crowd. You’re a professional communicator, so act like one.

We all know why people speak at conferences. It’s good exposure for you or your company that you hope will result in greater exposure, new business leads or maybe a new job. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Take my humble little PR agency (www.kimballpr.com). We’re heavy in the P&C insurance industry with clients who target agents and brokers, risk managers and other non-consumer audiences. Maybe only a few in this universe tweet, along with just selected editors and trade associations. That’s today.

But we need to get them to think about tomorrow, about the notion of sharing information with people who want to receive it. As those involved with communications and social media have long known, that is becoming the preferred way to reach an audience – not force-feeding information with press releases and email blasts.

So companies, even though they understandably don’t see the immediate application or benefit, need to jump in, get their feet wet and get used to this new way to connect with their audience. Sooner or later, they will have to, so they should be ready.