Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

Cryptojacking criminals victimize cryptocurrency owners, Says Stealthcare CEO Jeremy Samide

A growing threat to the safety, security and value of cryptocurrencies has emerged—in-browser cryptojacking that hackers use to target the newer less-well known currencies such as Monero, Coinhive and Zcash—low-profile cryptocurrencies, that ironically are the currencies-of-choice among threat actors. A recent cryptojacking campaign infected over half-a-million victims in just three days. 

According to Jeremy Samide, CEO of Stealthcare, an international cybersecurity and threat assessment firm based in the US and Canada, “In-browser cryptojacking works off JavaScripts, which are installed on the most popular websites and readily available to anyone with criminal intent. With JavaScript the hacker uses the victim’s own browser to mine, or rather ‘cryptomine,’ for transactions, secretly diverting small amounts of currency at a time to his own account where it can be turned into cash.” 

Stealthcare is changing cybersecurity from defense to a more aggressive posture that relies on early warning, threat assessment, AI and human intelligence. Early on, Stealthcare’s proprietary platform Zero Day Live, detected a significant upward trend in cryptomining and cryptojacking, warned its clients of the threat and provided countermeasures.

 “This is criminal behavior plain and simple. Wrongdoers directly attack the weakest link—the consumers who rely on cryptocurrency exchanges and their digital wallets for their transactions. They lure their victims in through elaborate phishing campaigns, drive-by downloads, and other subterfuges,” says Samide, adding, “The explosion of initial coin offerings (ICO) and cryptocurrency exchanges proliferating without adequate security, gave hackers the opening they needed to attack wallets and apps, siphoning off cryptocurrency from these exchanges.”

Newer cryptocurrencies are more likely targets

Bitcoin and Ethereum were targets when they first emerged. But as they become more mainstream, they are also being scrutinized by sovereign governments looking to apply transparency requirements on their transactions. “These legacy cryptocurrencies now appear to be less attractive as hackers target emerging and more privately-focused currencies such as Coinhive along with Monero and Zcash,” according to Samide.

In addition to the in-browser JavaScript threat, cyber criminals are still transforming older malware to include cryptomining and cryptojacking capabilities. In doing so they are creating polymorphic strains of new attacks. Explains Samide, “Some of these cryptojacking campaigns are still using older EternalBlue exploits, which were stolen by Shadow Brokers and used to create the ransomwareWannaCry that wreaked havoc on the National Health Services hospitals in England and Scotland as well as Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK, FedEx, Spain’s Telefonica and the Deutsche Bahn.”

Cryptomining malware threats today are becoming three dimensional, having the ability to circumvent antivirus applications by dropping in and launching malicious payloads that can shut down antivirus processes to evade further detection. As their malware proliferates through various attack vectors, their illicit mining capabilities continue to grow exponentially, stealing hundreds and thousands of dollars over time. 

How to fight back 

Samide insists, “Playing defense is no longer adequate. When we developed Zero Day Live, it became the world’s first complete cyber threat intelligence aggregation platform to spot emerging trends, uncover actionable information, and report on high-value intelligence that allows companies to respond quickly to impending threats.”  Stealthcare researchers and technical staff also provide ongoing assistance that includes human threat assessment and, if need be, disaster recovery and new tactics to thwart future attacks.

The Gartner Research Report for Security Leaders, recognized Stealthcare’s Threat Intelligence platform, and stated that many vendors can provide access to information; fewer provide truly anticipatory content based on customized intelligence.

“Looking to the future,” Samide says, “Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) will continue to pop up. But to maintain their legitimacy, cryptocurrencies will have to conform to government regulations, which will transform many of them into more widely accepted digital currencies to be used routinely in everyday commerce.”

In addition to cryptocurrency warnings and defenses, as well as alerting its clients of the Atlanta ransomware attack, Stealthcare predicted the evolution and growing sophistication of malware or Evoware, which became a reality in 2016 and includes new self-propagating ransomware mutations.  For details visit: Stealthcare News. 

Can a Commodity Steel Producer in Vietnam Become a Global Brand? Can your B2B Company do the Same?

Intel, Stainmaster, Goretex prove the power of "ingredient" brands

By Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

“Building a brand is a long term investment in the financial health of the company.” Prof. John A. Quelch 

Can Vietnam’s leading producer of sheet steel, pipes and girders establish a global brand since the products it manufactures are components that go unnoticed by consumers?

According to Prof. John A Quelch the answer is an unequivocal, "Yes."

Prof. Quelch recently addressed some 40 senior managers of Hoa Sen Group who were at Harvard University to study contemporary marketing strategies—including the latest global branding principles. Harvard Graduate School of Business Prof. Quelch has just been named vice-provost for Executive Education and Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami.

Sell the Experience

Prof. Quelch told the executives a brand is not merely a trademark or logo; it is an “experience consistent with a promise.” He explained that when Starbucks, which started out in Seattle selling coffee beans to brew at home, expanded to become a global icon, the company did not focus on the coffee but rather on “providing a safe place for women to gather. The coffee is good, but it was secondary to the Starbuck's experience that customers participated in creating.”

Before a brand can rise to the level of a Starbucks, GE, Toyota, Apple, Coca Cola, or American Express to name a few big world brands, it must evolve through three distinct levels. Explained Prof. Quelch, the company must first have a history and a reputation for quality before it can move up to creating user imagery followed by winning over customers so that they come to appreciate the company values and establish an emotional bond with the brand.

Even though Hoa Sen, produces only components for the finished product—ingredients as Prof. Quelch notes—it is still possible to establish a Hoa Sen as a world brand. He pointed out a number of famous ingredient brands that are respected worldwide and showcased as part of the finished product’s quality positioning— Gore-Tex, Shimano bicycle shifters, Dolby Sound, NutraSweet, Stain-Master and Intel are among the examples.

For example, explained Prof. Quelch, Intel, the maker of computer microprocessors, launched the “Intel Inside”campaign to
co-market this internal PC component or ingredient directly to the PC customer. “Intel Inside” became a catch phrase synonymous with speed and reliability.

The same goes for bicycle racers who are assured by Shimano components or homeowners who perceive value in buying a new

Hoa Sen Group at Harvard University

carpet treated with Stainmaster to repel dirt and spills. Even though these ingredients are not immediately obvious, these brands offer convenience, assurance, satisfaction, product differentiation and affiliation. Rather than Hoa Sen, being perceived as a supplier of commodity steel products, Prof. Quelch said the company needs to focus on branding the experience of dealing with the Hoa Sen and its people. “Brands have value especially if things go wrong. When the computer system crashes, and the IT manager can say ‘I chose IBM’ it gets him out of a jam because he chose a brand that everyone recognizes and trusts.”

A number of brands engage their customers emotionally by getting them to feel they are part of an exclusive “club” such as Harley Davidson and American Express. Their products bestow prestige upon their customers who become attached to a larger family. To underscore the point, a Hoa Sen manager at the seminar said he likes to use the American Express Card when he checks into a hotel because of its prestige, and the feeling he will be treated more respectfully. This prestige comes in several levels ranging from green, to gold, to platinum and black—all at escalating prices.

Prof. John A Quench at Harvard Faculty Club

Though GE produces locomotives, jet engines, wind turbines and even toasters, that single GE brand is successful across the entire spectrum of business and consumer markets. In the case of Toyota, however, the market would not accept the company as a maker of luxury cars until it created the Lexus brand, said Prof. Quelch.

For the most part, new markets will accept the brand as is. However, adaptation may be required to respond to local conditions. When Marlboro entered China it also acquired a less costly local brand to tap into a segment of the population that could not afford the pricier Marlboro brand. Likewise, toothpaste companies had to introduce new flavors such as green tea to appeal to Chinese tastes. “Do not adapt for the sake of adaptation," warned Prof. Quelch, "Adapt because you will sell more product at a higher margin.”

And don’t hold back. When HSBC acquired Great Britain’s venerable Midland Bank, it immediately replaced Midland with the HSBC brand “despite protestations from Midland employees who believed the customers would be put off by losing the old name so abruptly.”

In addition to commanding a higher a well-known brand’s price and sales volume will fall less in poor economic times and recover more quickly when good times return. Additionally, brands enhance employee retention, speed distribution and encourage shareholder loyalty. Added Prof. Quelch, consumers do expect companies behind their favorite brands to have active Corporate Social Responsibility programs to channel some of their profits from the higher prices into social good works.

The Seminar was organized Tuan Anh Nguyen, CEO Boston Global Forum a think tank dedicated to the promulgation of peaceful solutions to global tensions.

The biggest brands in the world are: Apple, Google, Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Samsung, GE, McDonalds and Amazon.

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston, a corporate communication firm serving clients in the US, UK, EU, China, Japan and Vietnam. He is active in Vietnam-US business and cultural relations as a member of The Boston Global Forum Editorial Board and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon."

 

Cyber Threats to Intensify Says "Cyber Security 2016" Report from Boston Global Forum

“While cyber-security measures continue to evolve positively, cyber threats from crime, terrorism, militarization, espionage, and censorship will continue or worsen in 2016.”

That’s how Boston Global Forum sees the future of cybersecurity in a just-published report titled “Cyber Security 2016” aimed at helping government, business leaders and individuals effectively deal with increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyber threats.

Cyber Security 2016 was published to coincide with the first annual Global Cybersecurity Day, to be held each year starting at noon, December 12 or 12-12-12. As part of the first Global Cybersecurity Day, policy makers, scholars and experts convened at Harvard University to air latest cyber security issues and announce publication of Cyber Security 2016.

“Conflict over cyber security will increase between the West and the states and criminals from which cyber threats emanate." This includes individual and terrorist groups from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, and many developing countries, according to the report.

“Increasing technical sophistication and vulnerabilities in infrastructure, military systems, industrial control systems, the internet of things (LoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, and mobile platforms will increase opportunities for states, criminals, and thrill-seekers to discover zero-day vulnerabilities and benefit from cyber tactics. 

“Individualized encryption and the use of crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin will continue to facilitate anonymous crime and terrorism, and thereby complicate the cyber-security landscape in 2016.” 

The report calls for a number of solutions including secure backdoors for legitimate governance and additional regulation of crypto-currencies.

For the individuals, business owners and professionals, the same advice still applies: practice good cyber hygiene. That means changing passwords frequently and, despite warnings to the contrary, do not use obvious passwords such as “1234” and birthdays. Though most folks say it can’t happen to me, savvy Internet users still get duped into responding to email requests for bank account and Social Security numbers.

Corr Analytics of New York contributed to the writing of this report. Corr Analytics was founded in 2013 and provides analysis to media, nonprofit and business clients, with a focus on strategic and international political risk. 

A complete copy of the 40-page Cyber Security 2016 report may be downloaded at: 2016 Report 

As part of the Global Cybersecurity Day program at Harvard, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung were named World Leaders for Peace, Security and Development and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received the World Leader in Cyberspace Award. For Prime Minister Abe’s acceptance speech click here. Consul General Tsutomu Himeno accepted the award on behalf of Prime Minister Abe from gov. Michal Dukakis, co-founder of Boston Global Forum.

Global Cybersecurity Day was created to inspire the shared responsibility of the world’s citizens to protect the Internet’s safety and transparency. As part of this initiative, Boston Global Forum also calls upon citizens of goodwill to follow it's Ethics Code of Conduct for Cyber Peace and Security (ECCC). 

You may also be interested in Dick Pirozzolo's article:  DDOS Attacks Threaten Foreign Currency Exchange in E-Forex Magazine.

Boston Global Forum, a think tank, with ties to Harvard University faculty, includes noted scholars, business leaders and prominent journalists among its leadership.

60 Minutes, North Korea Bring Cyber Threats into Focus

The 60 Minutes' feature titled "Swiping Your Card" and the alleged North Korean attack against Sony have brought cyber risks into sharper focus than ever before.

 60 Minutes outlined the trail a credit card swipe can take to the dark side of the Web where an active market in stolen account information exists. In addition to theft, cyber attacks can be launched for political reasons. Most recently Sony claims its servers were hacked "in apparent retaliation for the Kim Jong-un baiting comedy The Interview," reports The Guardian.

For insight into the current state of cyber security we asked Anders Corr, Ph.D who is a global authority on the subject and founder of Corr Analytics, a risk advisor to government and industry. The interview with Dr. Corr first appeared in the current edition of FCM360 Forex Summit.

Q. Can you tell our readers about  Corr Analytics and how you got into the cyber security business?
 
A. As security moves from physical structures to algorithms in the cloud, we believe there will be tremendous growth in cyber-security technologies, budgets, and contracts. We are exploring teaming agreements with lawyers and technologists who specialize in cyber-security, cyber-insurance, and actuarial approaches to cyber-risk.
 
Q. We’ve heard the term Cyber-War. Is it a war?
 
A. Yes. The United States, China, and Russia are putting  resources into cyber-defense. An estimated 3% of the US defense budget is spent on cyber-defense, including public and black-budget expenditures. The US almost certainly has the most powerful cyber capabilities of any government. While the military possibilities of cyber strategies are barely known, military use of cyber strategies will grow exponentially in the coming decades.
 
The US and Israel developed the Stuxnet virus, which they used to take control of and overheat Iranian centrifuges sometime before 2010. Stuxnet was thought to have destroyed up to 20% of Iranian uranium enrichment capacity. Attacks like this could take control of nuclear arsenals or asset trading algorithms, with potentially disastrous results.
 
Q. What motivates cyber attacks and who are the players?
 
A. Cyber attacks are launched by governments, criminals, terrorists, and teenagers. Unfortunately, these categories overlap. The motivations for cyber-attacks range from stealing data to disruption of enemy processes. 
 
Q. What can the US do to protect us from cyber attacks?
 
A. The US and NATO needs to spend much more on cyber defense -- on the order of 5 to 10% of total defense spending -- to both defend against cyber attacks and to take the offensive if necessary. We need to get ahead of the Chinese and Russians, and determine whether cyber is an offense-dominant technology in warfare. If it is offense dominant, then the first mover has an advantage, and we need to consider going on the offensive rather than passively building cyber defenses as the French built the Maginot line prior to WWII.
 
At the very least the US needs to hit back against offending countries for not keeping their cyber-criminals and cyber-troops under control. If a cyber attack emanating from Russia results in a major loss to the United States economy, then cyber tactics can be used to recoup those costs, plus penalties, from Russia. No penalty invites further attacks.
 
Q. What about out and out theft?
 
A. On July 25, 2013, the worst cyber theft to date was announced -- a loss of $300 million. Ukrainian and Russian hackers stole 160 million credit card numbers from Visa, J.C. Penney, Jet Blue, and Carrefour, selling the data for $10 to $50 per card. The costs were never recouped from Russia or Ukraine.
 
Q. What is out government doing to thwart attacks?
 
A. The U.S. needs to do more against autocratic regimes that are targeting the United States and our allies. Russia has flown nuclear bombers near Europe recently, and China frequently harasses Japanese planes and ships in their own 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. The U.S. should be using its cyber superiority to degrade the abilities of the Russian and Chinese militaries, and bring them to the negotiating table on issues that matter to us -- including nuclear proliferation, the China Seas, and Ukraine.
 
Q. Retailers, financial institutions, governments and the rich and famous have become cyber targets. Can an small companies—PR firms included—expect to fly under the radar?
 
A.Small businesses need to educate themselves on cyber-hygiene, and practice due diligence by asking their partners, suppliers, and contractors to disclose their cyber-security practices and preparedness. Small businesses, however, need to team with larger businesses to lobby government and provide greater cyber-security protections to the companies that compose the U.S. economy.
 

USA-Canada Merger Coming? The Power of a Bold Assertion

The other day I had the pleasure of promoting author Diane Francis who came to Boston to introduce her latest book "Merger of the Century."

Francis is a PR powerhouse whose willingness to make the Bold Assertion is PR gold.

Simply put: Francis is calling for the US and Canada to merge and she makes a compelling case on every front: geographic, economic, political and cultural. And, she has the numbers to back up her assertion which makes her argument even more compelling.

She's gotten positive attention of notables like Hilary Clinton and Jeb Bush and...her book is a best seller in China. A US-Canada merger think tank could be in Francis's future.

Francis, told 80 attendees at the New England Canada Business Council (NECBC) luncheon at Boston’s Hampshire House that by working as one nation we could establish a “security perimeter” much like that of the European Union.

 She pointed out that culturally Americans and Canadians have grown more alike since the mid 1960s. 

Francis is touring the US on the 20^th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

She is the author of nine books, including the #1 bestseller, Who Owns Canada Now.  An award-winning journalist, broadcaster and entrepreneur, she has been a columnist for Maclean’s magazine, The New York Sun and the Financial Post, and is currently Editor at Large at the National Post and a blogger for The Huffington Post.  

Francis was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy and a Media Fellow and participant at the World Economic Forum for 20 years.  She is currently Distinguished Professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.  A native of Chicago, she divides her time between Toronto and New York.

Diane Francis  with NECBC President Robert Good in Boston

Yes, You Can Get International Press on a Budget, II

Part II of a two-part series covering global media relations strategies and tactics 

In our first installment on getting international press coverage without busting the PR budget, we covered the basics of identifying and wooing the international press corps from two perspectives: how to get foreign journalists interested in your activities here in the States and how to get press attention when you are overseas – at trade fairs, signing a deal or opening a new operation in a foreign country.

Part II offers advice on how to get inside the overseas PR community and the journalists' inner circles where you can build long-term relationships with leading press people.

                                                     
       President Obama made news when he visited  Jakarta, Photo by Dick Pirozzolo © 2010

For starters, when you know you know your company will be taking part in a trade fair or event in Jakarta, Tokyo or Paris one of the easiest ways to start developing relationships with editors and reporters  is to ask the editor of a US daily newspaper or trade magazine for an assignment to cover the event in which your client is participating. Ask for a letter indicating your role as a reporter with that particular media outlet. The letter will be a door opener. At a trade event, having media credentials will get you into the pressroom and direct access to reporters you want to reach. Just be subtle and not too pushy or you will lose credibility. If you are acting as a journalist in addition to your PR duties, disclose your client relationship when interviewing sources for a freelance article at an international event.

Before you go, join the Foreign Press Association of New York at 333 East 46th Street, 
New York, New York 10017. FPA accepts associate memberships from US public relations professionals and organizes topnotch events with leading journalists such as Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball who was the keynoter at a recent event and Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes will be speaking at an upcoming dinner. Telephone 212-370-1054 or email 
Fpanewyork@aol.com to inquire about membership. The FPA will also issue you a press pass.

 Online media directory resources include Mondo Times at http://www.mondotimes.com, and subscription Media Database services such as PR Newswire’s Media Atlas provide overseas media contact information. PR Newswire will also translate news releases with 24 hours advance notice. The New York and Washington, DC bureaus of overseas media outlets will – most often – gladly provide you with press contacts overseas and may even help you by making introductions.

Need a photo in Indonesia?

Internationally, local newspapers are a great resource for getting publicity photos taken. Most staff photographers are happy for the extra work and, if the photo warrants, will submit it to their own newspaper for publication. Similarly, AP provides a worldwide photo service that is convenient but generally costs more than going directly to a local media outlet and asking to speak with someone in the photo department.

 Of course, local PR expertise is worth a great deal when expanding your PR efforts abroad. If the PR budget is not sufficient to hire a local firm for an entire project, many PR industry professionals will gladly offer a few hours of    consulting to help navigate the local media waters in their country.

 For example, we learned from our affiliate in Indonesia that sometimes the rules of “earned media” don’t apply overseas. N Mark Castro of Asia Leads in Jakarta explains,

 “Insofar as print media is concerned, sadly, in Asia, envelopmental journalism is rampant. This is not endemic to Indonesia. It applies to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore – the more refined the media, the more refined the "gifts." But minor media platforms tend to receive and print materials they deem newsworthy, as long as their relationship with the PR person is solid. This is where relationships play a crucial role.”

 In Asia, press clubs provide a remarkable service by helping newcomers get the lay of the land, learn the issues and rub elbows with local and overseas press. Castro, whose wife Kathy is with CNN, points out that, most foreign companies tend to partner with local PR agencies that are members of international associations such as the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club (www.jfcc.com). The global image of Indonesia comes from this club, which has weekly forums with government officials. It's the go-to place when the president’s spokesman is addressing important national issues.”

 In Japan the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) http://www.fccj.or.jp/ is similar to foreign press association in New York. Miki Ebara, NHK’s New York correspondent explains that in Japan there are more formalized routes to gaining media coverage. She says press clubs often focus on specific subject areas, “for those reporting on the Prime Minister's office there is a press club, or the Foreign Ministry has a press club. Automobile manufacturers have their own press clubs, etc., etc. - it's a convenient way for the [PR person who] –  does not have to look for contacts with the press. When they have an announcement, they just notify those who are    registered with the club.”                                                      

 

Ebara adds.  “And once journalists are registered with a press club, they will never miss being notified when an announcement is made. However, it is not mandatory. Anyone can organize a press conference any time, anywhere. It just takes more hustle, that's all.”

 Advance planning and research together with thoughtful insights from indigenous PR professionals and journalists will go a long way toward creating a successful campaign in overseas markets. The rest is just old-fashioned PR smarts, have a good story, localize it, build relationships with journalists and keep your message simple. 

 Dick Pirozzolo is the founder of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations (www.pirozzolo.com). The firm offers global Public Relations services and PR executive training in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the US. Pirozzolo Company represented the Vietnam government during reconciliation and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Other international engagements include clients in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, the UK, China and Japan. 

A Dutch Television journalist interviews  students at President Barack Obama's grammar school in   Jakarta, Indonesia. Dick Pirozzolo photo © 2010

 

Yes, You Can Get International Press on a Budget

Part I of a two-part series covering global media relations strategies and tactics 

Want to get press for your trade fair booth in Jakarta? Did your company do a deal in Tokyo that would be news in Asahi Shimbun? Is there an international angle to a company achievement here in the States?

 If you think it takes a big international PR firm to generate international media coverage, think again.

PR pros who have an international orientation can launch successful global media campaigns. It takes developing word-wide relationships with local PR firms and journalists outside the US, along with a few unconventional approaches and a lot of legwork. For example, we were named the Boston affiliate of HFN Komminikation in Frankfurt a few years ago and maintain ties with PR firms in the UK, Tokyo, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong. Additionally, the personal relationships we've nutured with correspondents from Agence France Presse to Japan's NHK and Qatar's Gulf Times have paid off in news coverage around the world.

PR firms in foreign cities are often willing to work on an ad hoc basis – say for a trade fair presence or CEO visit, which keeps the scope of work and budget sharply focused. If you are starting from scratch, PR networks, alliances and individual firms are easy to find using LinkedIn, Google or references.

United Kingdom-based Ranbir Sahota, for example, works with us on overseas projects.  Sahota knows the media terrain in the UK, Europe and India. Her Vitis PR, Ltd.(www.vitispr.com) is part of a network of independent PR firms such as Globalcom and ECCO international Communications. 

 Where to Start

While alliances are extremely helpful there are other avenues available to generate international press coverage.

A good place to start is with the US State Department’s Foreign Press Centers in Washington, D.C. and New York.

Contact the media liaison sections, which will, depending on overseas news value, contact the foreign press corps for you. It’s not automatic; one needs PR skills to persuade the State Department’s media liaison people that the event, issue or news will interest the foreign press.

The State Department is particularly keen to promote US events with an international angle rather than, say individual media interviews. For example, the State Department helped marshal the foreign press corps for  us when we promoted a news conference on Carbon Offset Trading in New York that had international implications and the International Boston Seafood Show that draws government-sponsored exhibitors from 95 nations.

 Tip – For stories with a public policy angle, contact The Washington Foreign Press Center, National Press Bldg., Suite 800. For business stories – since New York is the media and financial center of the nation – contact the New York U.S. Department of State New York Foreign Press Center 150 East 52nd Street, Fifth Floor

                
        Pirozzolo Company promoted US-Vietnam trade. (Dick Pirozzolo © 2010

Outside New York and DC, The State Department has International Press Centers in Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Atlanta and Cleveland that will help facilitate foreign journalists' coverage of the American scene. Visit http://fpc.state.gov for State Department contact information.

Another approach to kicking off an international PR campaign is to contact the foreign consulates in major cities. The consulates promote economic activity and cultural exchanges and can be a treasure trove of introductions to journalists from their respective countries.

Other ways to build overseas press relations include contacting the local bureaus of major international outlets such as Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters and ask for the names of the bureau chiefs and contact information for their overseas offices. Most news agencies are glad to help.

Don’t forget old-fashioned legwork. Check the online telephone classified listings in New York, Washington and Los Angeles for foreign news bureaus, usually listed under news agencies, news bureaus and TV broadcasters. Doing so will provide contact information for the major US bureaus of Agence France Presse, BBC, Japan’s NHK Broadcasting, Wall Street India and numerous other international news outlets. Typically the bureau chiefs and editorial staffers will be more than willing to introduce you to their counterparts back home.

With ingenuity you can generate media attention anywhere in the world – without busting the budget.

Check back next month for Part II covering more international media relations tactics and journalism traditions in Asia that can help break through the PR clutter.

This article by Dick Pirozzolo, first appeared in its entirety in PR News Media Training Guidebook - Volume 4.  Pirozzolo Company Public Relations (www.pirozzolo.com) offers global Public Relations services and PR executive training in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the US. Pirozzolo Company represented the Vietnam government during reconciliation and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the US. Other international engagements include serving clients in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, the UK and China as well as Japan, Singapore and Indonesia.

McCain Tweet Shows Social Media not Just for Kids

 

A few days ago, US Sen. John McCain tweeted his support when Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a "birther bill" that would have required presidential candidates to show their birth certificates.

“Proud of @GovBrewer for her veto of the ‘birther bill’ -- it was the right decision,” he posted on Twitter.  His tweet was picked up on MSNBC and dozens of political blogs.  

More telling, this party stalwart chose social media  to drive a wedge between the GOP leadership and birther crazy talkers. 

McCain is not alone. Do a keyword search for "tweet" on Politico (http://www.politico.com/) and you'll see that dozens of political figures and Presidential hopefuls, rely on Twitter to present their case – Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, Chuck Schumer and the the undaunted Sarah Palin to name a few.

So much for Social Media being a playground for 18-25 year olds and so much for its dubious impact. Even the less-well known have discovered the ripple effect of Twitter.

Point --  social media cannot be evaluated using the same rubric as TV Nielson ratings or newspaper circulation figures Doing so is a losing proposition. It puts social media at a distinct disadvantages and misses several benefits of participation in Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Blogs.

Consider these benefits.

Social media is often used by TV audiences and readers of the old media to pass along stories, which implies their endorsement. Studies show that I am more likely to read and act upon an article if I receive it from a friend who I consider a leader in the field. It's the two-step communication model being played out in public.

Social media allows us to bypass the gatekeepers -- sometimes you need to get your message out now – unchanged, modified or interpreted by the editors or talk show producers. This is something we used to achieve with mat services that provided press-ready articles to newsrooms around the country.

Social media frees us from putting enormous effort into communicating routine news. For example, in the dark ages, we used to spend an inordinate amount of time on executive hire news releases, striving to get the  "Who,What,Where" editor to run a line or two of a 300-word release. Now, we simply post these releases online and on social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn where the handful of people who matter will see it. And the editors are freed up too because they don't have to waste time sorting through, "I'm so exited to be joining Bloviation Incorporated..." releases.

Social media gives us fast feedback -- best bargain in market research and far more instantaneous than the old days of Broadway when the stage manager and actors waited around for the reviews to come out in the early edition of the Times.

Social media sites such as YouTube, democratize video by giving smaller companies the opportunity to demonstrate complicated products without incurring high production costs. And... the value of positive video produced by customers showing our products in action is priceless. We once worked with a defense contractor who sent DOD officials, YouTube postings by soldiers in Iraq who were using its product because the customer produced video demonstrated "force protection" benefits in such a personal way. Powerful stuff!

Social media puts us all in the conversation. The CEO who posts to his own Blog items gets direct feedback from customers --  unvarnished by PR or marketing staffers.

Social media gives the old media – as well as emerging new media outlets – ongoing access to us and our clients. The amount of time I spend calling editors (outgoing messaging) to pitch stories today is less than a tenth of what it was in the old days.

Today my job is to get the editors to come to us and I use social media to do that job.Editors who are looking for story ideas and sources troll social media sites for what they need when they need it. The more we establish our presence, the more calls we get from reporters looking for a source. It's simply the Internet version of Woody Allen's advice about showing up.

Lastly, we don't know where Social Media is going or how it will develop as a way we communicate with one another any more than we could predict the impact of the Xerox machine, Faxes and PCs during the 80s and 90s. I bet Public Relations Founder Ivy Ledbetter Lee and his pals debated the efficacy of carbon paper and the telephone when PR was in its infancy. About this there can be no debate: it is our job to be experts on communication strategy, tactics and emerging tools and that includes social media.  

And besides, social media is fun, so like the old Alka-Selzer catch phrase... "Try it. You'll like it!"

 

Statue of President Barack Obama at the grammar school he attended when he lived in Jakarta, Indonesia. Children at the school today. © 2011 Dick Pirozzolo

Want More Sales Leads? Integrate PR with your Website

Too often, PR professionals focus on media relations, speaking engagements, white papers, bylined articles and other reputation-building efforts, without fully incorporating the Website into the public relations program. 

It is certainly okay to have PR professionals and Web professionals focus on their respective areas of expertise. But they do not work as a team, the missed opportunities will be too great to overlook

Harry Bartlett, of Bartlett Interactive in Concord, MA puts it this way, "PR can generate high-quality links to your Website that will boost your position in Google searches."

Adds this greater Boston Web design and marketing expert, "I emphasize quality over quantity. Ten articles with links to your URL appearing in online media such as Forbes.com, Bloomberg.com and CNBC will generate more traffic than 100 paid links in what I call black hole sites and dubious directories." 

Your Website is the front door to your organization. You let customers in, but your Website has to welcome journalists too. A few questions to ask: Are you making it easy for reporters and editors to find latest news about your company on your Website? Is the PR and IR contact information easy to find? If a reporter is on deadline, could he or she quickly find the biographies of senior managers to include their background in a news article and confirm the spelling of names? Would a journalist visiting your Website come away thinking that at least one or two people in the organization are "thought leaders" who could discuss broad industry-wide issues?

Since 1998 Bartlett's firm has developed and enhanced hundreds of Websites for a wide range of industries including clean tech, bio-pharma, software and non-profits. "Keeping the Website fresh is a challenge," says Bartlett adding, "A regularly updated dynamic Website with content that is both interesting and current will generate visitors and encourage journalists to check out your organization for article ideas. Managers always promise to update the Website in-house but get waylaid by other responsibilities. Too often the person charged with the responsibility has to go through a cumbersome process to get new information posted. The key is to develop and fund a mechanism for regular updates. If need be, use outside specialists to get the job done."

Online Newsrooms

 To keep the company's face in front of the media, some companies, such as Intel, have turned to stand-alone Websites (blogs) that function as online newsrooms, offering the kind of information journalists want. Check out the Intel Newsroom.

Making your Website interactive or offering something of value -- such as current financial data or research on timely topics – keep people coming back.  For example, Fast Company created a Word Cloud for the State of the Union Address and compared the words the President used this time with his previous address as well as the words US Rep. Michelle Bachmann used in her rebuttal. Visit bit.ly/fvIKBi

Bartlett Interactive developed an online eValuator to keep people coming back. The eValuator is self guided and assesses the effectiveness and health of any website using a range of indicators -- search engine rankings, technical issues, marketing components and the inclusion of analytics to name a few. 

Give the Bartlett eValuator a try at: http://www.bartlettinteractive.com/evaluator/site/

If you are disappointed with your results, Bartlett offers seven ways to boost your Website's impact and visibility; many of them rely on integrating the management of your PR program with the management of your Website.

1. Use paid syndication services to distribute news releases and be sure to include the URL of your organization high in the release. The leading services are PRWeb, PR Newswire, Business Wire, and Send2Press. Each service offers special plans and can tailor releases to specific geographic regions. Numerous add-on services such as inclusion of photos, Twitter feeds and PRNewswire's ProfNet boost effectiveness.

2. Participate in Social Media -- Create a blog and keep it fresh with valuable content. Include a link to the blog on your Website to cross-reference the entries. If the CEO cannot do this, get the PR Director or agency involved. It does not take long for a skilled PR writer to capture and write in your CEO's "voice." 

3. Establish one or two people within your organization as authorities on subjects relevant to your mission or industry. Produce white papers, commentary and op-ed pieces on current issues. Have your PR department scour the Web for opportunities to comment in other respected blogs with expert comment and opinion to generate links back to your organization’s Website.

4. Embed video in your communication whenever possible. Video increases the number of viewers and the number of times the viewers will take the action you desire by 50%.

5.  Send regular email blasts to stakeholders with links to your Website and include video in your email communication to enhance impact.

6. Reinforce all news releases on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

7.  Include an RSS FEED.  An RSS or "Really Simple Syndication" feed is an excellent way to share news and content from your site with others, extends the reach of your content and increases Internet visibility.

Some of the more technical ways to enhance your Website are to include an XML Sitemap, up-to-date analytics and indexed pages, says Bartlett.

No matter what you do technically though, remember your information has to be compelling, interesting, current and relevant. In a nutshell, says Bartlett, "Content is king."

Harry Bartlett and his team of Interactive media experts can be reached at:

Bartlett Interactive Communications, 152 Commonwealth Avenue, #5, West Concord, MA 01742 USA 1 (978) 369-2472. www.bartlettllc.com