#Apple #Antenna_Gate response was defensive PR. Heed the lessons of #Icarus #FanBoy is insulting http://bit.ly/9ZHb2f

Stereotypes exist for a reason. There’s a recognizable pattern, a kernel of truth to the general impressions that form stereotypes.

Many successful PR professionals and TV reporters (especially on FOX) are blonde.  When I named my blog, I purposefully played on my hair color and the wisdom invoked by my favorite accessory — Blonde Pearls PR Blog.

Ten, even five years ago, I would not have been so comfortable doing so. I’m pleased that constraints of rigid expectations have been loosen so that women can be more feminine in the workplace and in our expression.

Yet, we still have hurdles to overcome. Reading Howard Kurtz’s profile on Diane Sawyer, an anchor with an edge (and a role model I have long admired, along with Peggy Noonan who also is blonde), however, made me pause.

There it was. In the third paragraph. A reference to her looks. “This is the non-glamorous side of Sawyer, who at the moment — with her untamed hair, pale skin, black-rimmed glasses and plain white shirt — looks like a 64-year-old housewife in need of a cup of coffee.” Would he write that about NBC’s Brian Williams? CNN’s Anderson Cooper?

Thankfully, the rest of the article gave Sawyer the props she is due — an accomplished journalist bringing critical thought and improvement to her craft for the benefit of the viewers.

Yet, after decades of advancement for women in the workplace, why isn’t there more parity in reporting on the lives and professional accomplishments of men and women? Because stereotypes play a powerful role in how we think about women. Sans makeup, we are housewives or homebodies. Once we paint on the mask we are business women, soccer moms or teachers. Or in the case of female politicians once perceived as homely because of the wrong shade of lipstick, an “image” made over.

I long for the day when stories about women — executives, politicians, anchors, First Ladies — forget to mention designers, makeup and such. Better yet. How about covering men in the same fashion?

Unfortunately, that day is likely far away. The blogosphere is aggressively critiquing Elena Kagan’s makeover for her Senate confirmation hearings to become the next Justice on the Supreme Court. Female presidential appointees and candidates in an electronic age should care about their appearance, just as men should. The challenge is managing the unjustified scrutiny that accompanies women wherever they go.

Wendy Kaminer in The Atlantic recently posed the question: “Would Elena Kagan’s sexuality be a subject of so much speculation if she looked like Sarah Palin, or Kim Cattrall?”  Yes.  However, the commentary would be more flattering, but none-the-less denigrating and distracting from the discussion of her qualifications.

I met with a colleague awhile back to seek advice on job interview strategies. One of her cardinal rules, based on research, was to wear my hair in a bun or french twist so that it was off my face. While I often sport a pony tail on weekends or sultry summer days, I couldn’t bring myself to heed her advice. It just wasn’t me.

My advice in media training to women who appear on TV:  Befriend and trust the make up artist. But decline the lip gloss if you wouldn’t normally wear it.

You have to look comfortable in and with the accoutrements you choose — be it for a televised appearance, job interview or business meeting.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal may be admired for his direct, warrior leadership style. However, the outcome of his interviews with Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone magazine paints a wholly unflattering, lone wolf portrait.  “The Runaway General” article is instructive for anyone trying to manage his or her media image.

When I conduct media training, I draw upon several examples of politicians and business leaders who forgot “the mic is always on” during a TV or Radio interview. Helen Thomas and Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown being among the most recent victims. McChrystal’s Rolling Stone interview now tops my list of how not to engage the media.

Critically, it will be hotly debated if McChrystal should lose his job as a result of his disparaging remarks about his Commander-in-Chief and other administration officials.

As for his apology, it meets the sincerity and contrition tests for an effective mea culpa.  Yet, like so many others (Helen Thomas, for example), it lacks a critical ingredient — the measure of improvement, the action by which the injured party can evaluate the effectiveness of the apology.

There are several lessons that can be gleaned from this error reputation management.

1) Reporters are not your friends; they are image makers. It’s important to remain consistent in your messaging and presentation.

2) You — and everyone of your staff aids attending the interview — are always on the record.  I’ve pitched similar “follow me” interviews — they can be very effective for sharing process and personality. Be sure to provide media training and guidance not only to the primary spokesperson but also those will be playing a secondary role in the interactions.

3) Define your messages and objectives.  Know what you want the outcome to be and plan accordingly.

4) Rehearse.  We don’t call media role playing a murder board for nothing.

5) Stay positive. (Or “Never let them see you sweat.”) It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting a war, deflecting criticism for an environmental disaster or answering questions about a new product launch that isn’t meeting expectations. Showing your crankiness and criticizing others isn’t effective. Leaders take responsibility regardless.

Finally, remember that controversy is the heart of compelling news headlines.

July 1: An updated version of this post appeared in the Capitol Communicator. And while I did not seek permission to share the cartoon below, I trust Mr. Wasserman and the Boston Globe won’t mind the additional publicity.

Many of the students in the media relations class that I’m teaching are frustrated with social media. They work for companies in Salt Lake City and Cairo. For Federal, State and Local governments around the country. For Fortune 500 companies. The common compliant?  I can’t get the CEO, legal counsel or other senior executives to approve a blog or other social media channels.

Social media may seem risky. But …. No risk, no reward. No pain, no gain. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Okay.  Clichés don’t win approval of your social media plans. How do you change perceptions of the C-Suite and build the case of social media — be it blogs, social networking, video/photos, book marking or a combination?

1)   Read. A recent study on corporate blogging by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research  finds that nearly 40 percent of Inc. 500 companies blog. About 16 percent of Fortune 500 companies are blogging. What lessons can be applied to your organization?

2)   Define your purpose. Why should your organization plan a social media strategy? How does it advance your business goals? Who are your audiences? What do you want to learn from your audience? How can you make fragmentation work to your advantage? Will social media be a long-term commitment? A series of marketing or education campaigns? Know what you want to do and for whom before presenting a plan to management.

3)   Look at all the options. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube are among the most ubiquitous. However, LinkedIn, Wikis, or Ning may be more appropriate to building community. The channels and integration depend on what kind of conversation you are trying to achieve. If you aren’t ready for a two-way conversation, then continue to monitor trends and competitors.

4)   Research. If you have budget for primary research to conduct a survey or focus groups, do so. If not, use the myriad of free tools and analytics to learn what content is accessed most frequently on the corporate Web site and to monitor conversations about your company (e.g. blog alerts, Twitter monitoring tools).  Study what your competitors are doing. Make a few phone calls – to peers at similar organizations, to journalists, to trusted customers or clients. Arm yourself with information and prepare a reasoned argument to convince leadership why social media is critical to help achieve business goals.

5)   Create a social media council. If there is strong resistance to social media in your organization, you may need to do this informally at first. Gather three or four colleagues from across the organization to understand better what their concerns and goals are. If your organization is actively planning to launch a social media strategy, defining this group of decision makers is essential to managing the success of the social media strategy. This also is the time to create a company-wide social media policy.

6)   Plan your work. And work your plan.

For additional resources on digital communications, visit PR-Squared’s Jedi Training list or read Digital Strategies for Powerful Corporate Communications.

Best of success!