As Florida crisis communications consultants, Boardroom Communications comments on local, national and international crises in the public domain.  Certainly, the sex abuse allegations and jury verdicts with the Catholic Church are nothing new, but as time goes on, it appears they have not fared well with their circle-the-wagons” strategy.

The Catholic Church is suffering an image crisis that shows no sign of abating. It seems that with each passing day, another sexual abuse case emerges, alleging the Church’s knowledge of, and in many cases, protection of pedophiles in their ranks by those in the highest of offices.  Abuse allegations have been flooding out of Europe and more cases are coming to light out of the United States as well-most recently by a group of men from a school for the deaf in Wisconsin who allege that a priest preyed on as many as 200 of their classmates during his tenure there. The Church seems to be in a downward spiral, and may have already missed the opportunity to salvage at least a little bit of credibility and restore its public image.

One of the most important steps that the church should have taken in it’s crisis communications plan would have been to have the Pope himself, as the most public face of the organization, come forward and accept full responsibility for the actions of the abusers and for the organization that covered up their wrongdoing. Like any CEO of a public company, the Pope has “shareholders” to answer to-the millions of Catholics around the world who keep his organization afloat. And, like any company in a crisis situation, the Catholic Church should have acted quickly, decisively and humbly in a well-planned PR strategy, using one Vatican spokesperson to address the accusations.

The appointed spokesperson should have made public statements, spoken to the media and taken questions, and made plans to work on an ongoing basis with groups like SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) and other sexual victims’ rights groups to show compassion and to amend past wrongs.  Finally, the church should create a comprehensive plan to distribute throughout their parishes around the world about steps being taken to identify and weed out potential pedophiles among seminarians before they become priests, in order to avoid placing children in jeopardy.  The church should map out additional safeguards in parish schools, youth groups and Sunday schools that would educate Catholic youths about their rights and protecting themselves from sexual predators. This type of crisis communication strategy would have made the public feel that the church was earnest and remorseful for the pain inflicted on so many innocent children and teens.

Instead, Vatican priests and bishops are unwisely making excuses, attributing the scandal to a smear campaign by the media, devil-possession and mere petty gossip, all of which marginalize the victims and make the church seem defensive and unrepentant. By not addressing this seriously and reflecting on the mistakes made in the past, the Catholic Church might be orchestrating its own downfall.

On Wednesday, May 12, the South Florida City Group of the Legal Marketing Association, Southeast Chapter will be hosting a meeting on an important topic affecting law firms and legal marketers, “Five Things Clients Want You to Know and Do in 2010.” The event is at Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office, 1221 Brickell Ave.  22^nd Floor, from 11:30-1 p.m., and will focus on what clients are looking for in 2010, as firms assess the economic turmoil of 2009 and prepare for an uncertain 2010.

Laura Meherg, Founder and Partner at the Wicker Park Group, will present at the event, introducing the five critical areas that clients say are most critical for law firms to deliver exceptional client service. Topics that will be covered range from risk sharing and communication styles to alternative fees and billing best practices. Real client comments and actual law firm solutions will be shared with participants as well as an exploration of best practices in implementing services and strategies that benefit the client and ultimately the firms that serve them.

For more information on the event or to RSVP, please contact Jennifer Clarin at jclarin@boardroompr.com or (954) 370-8999, or via SurveyMonkey, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q7QX7PY.  The event is $20 for LMA members and $40 for non-members.

We look forward to seeing you on May 12!

Some of the best content to be shared is that from proven experts in the field. Today’s blogpost comes from just one of those experts. Adam Singer of The Future Buzz is a long-time social media thought-leader and provocateur.

His commentary on social media and public relations is an important read, filled with examples, case studies and thorough explanations as to why social media and P.R. work hand in hand. Give it a read…

(In the interest of full disclosure, this isn’t wanton theft. Adam espouses “stealing” his content. He wants ideas to spread, knows Google knows the difference between new and repurposed content, and knows good sites don’t habitually scrape from others. In this instance, Adam’s stuff was too good to attempt a rewrite…)

“…This week, I’m in Las Vegas giving the opening presentation of MarTech at the LeadingRe Annual Conference and speaking on two other panels during the general sessions.  They’ve prepared an exciting lineup of speakers – including Guy Kawasaki, Scott Murphy, and more.

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So, how did the media report that Spirit Airlines was going to begin charging for carry-on baggage? In a way that caused upset and anger rather than with explanations and understanding. The report did not clarify that the new rule does not apply to the first piece (as long as it doesn’t exceed certain dimensions) and the fact there were several types of carry-ons for which the charge does not apply including 14 types of items people typically bring on trips such as purses, strollers, cameras, umbrellas, and food.

Many headlines and leads reported that Sprit would begin charging for carry-ons, the first airline in the industry to do so. What great news. So, how did the media and talk shows react? Just as expected, with lots of jokes and insults for Spirit Airlines. A few days after the announcement, the morning newscasts reported on proposed legislation by several US Senators to disallow carry-on baggage charges. Below is a sampling of headlines the airline had to endure.

• Airline rules create ‘roller bag derby’
• Lawmakers call airline carry-on bag fees ’skyway robbery’
• Arkansas Senator Lincoln Joins Airline Baggage Fees Fight
• Is shipping cheaper than bag fees?
• True cost of a vacation can be hidden in the fees
• Unbundled airline fees reach the overhead bin
• Spirit Airlines the first U.S. carrier to introduce charge for carry-on bags

So, what could have Spirit Airlines done differently? As experienced Florida public relations experts, Boardroom Communications offers the following PR Commandments:

Thou shall not overload news releases with too many messages that may get sandwiched or hidden amongst other announcements.

Thou shall not to forget to include key messaging in the headline, sub-headline or story lead.

Thou shall not place important news in paragraph three.

Thou shalt not explain the details of new rules at the bottom of a press release. It should be much higher up.

Thou shall not candy-coat bad news – The public is tired of being nickeled and dimed by the major airlines.

HOW MANY EVEN NOTICED WHAT WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE NEWS RELEASE? Based on the stories, not too many – and what is now tattooed in the minds of the American public? Answer: Spirit Airlines was the first to charge for carry-on bags.

It took Spirit Airlines a week to clarify the information – that charging for carry-on bags would compel travelers to be thoughtful in how they pack, and would reduce barding time, crushed overhead bins and passenger frustration. Yes, it’s a tough sell – but no one likes the idea of being charged for something that was once free. But there’s a way to do it – and Spirit missed the opportunity.

We at Boardroom Communications are pleased to announce that Jennifer Clarin, Account Director and Law Firm Practice Group Team Leader, has been named Co-Chair of the South Florida City Group of the Legal Marketing Association, Southeast Chapter. In her new role, she will be handling the programming and membership initiatives for this important organization which caters toward legal and professional services marketing.

Jennifer has been with Boardroom for nearly eight years and specializes in implementing and executing comprehensive public relations and marketing campaigns for a variety of clients including law firms, healthcare, real estate and retail. Like others at Boardroom, Jennifer is involved in the community and industry organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Margaux’s Miracle Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating all childhood cancer.

We look forward to great things from LMA with Jennifer on board!

Boardroom Communications is excited to announce that we are now representing City Theatre, producers of SUMMER SHORTS – America’s Short Play Festival” – as well as the World Premiere Lisa Loeb Musical CAMP KAPPAWANNA.

The festival has become a signature South Florida event, fast and furious fun with the nation’s best “short” plays. In celebration of City Theatre’s 15^th Anniversary Season, the company is kicking things up a notch, debuting their first full-length musical, Camp Kappawanna, with music and lyrics by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb and book by rising national talent Marco Ramirez.

A “short” is a one-act play running 5 – 20 minutes. Put several of them together and you get the “Signature Shorts” series that put City Theatre’s “shorts” on the map! This year’s Signature Shorts features South Florida’s finest talent in a brand-new mix of hilarious comedies and heartfelt dramas.

“Undershorts” is City Theatre’s late-night series of short plays for adults only; the segments are provocative, irreverent, and hilarious. Undershorts pushes the envelope with social and political material reflective of the times!

Combining Boardroom Communications’ creativity and savvy with one of South Florida’s hottest summer events is sure to be a great outcome!

You can see all the shows June 3 – 27 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Carnival Studio Theater in Miami and July 1 – 3 at the Epstein Center for the Arts at Nova Southeastern University in Davie. For tickets please visit www.citytheatre.com or call (305) 365-5400.

The world of social is media is growing in size and complexity. How can you best make it work for you?

Boardroom Communications develops and executes social media strategies for its clients From what we have learned, we think these are important rules to follow:

1. Decide what you want from social media: information, product awareness, customer feedback, news media coverage? Some combination of the above? You will not know where to look or where to share your information online until you have a goal.
2. Post online where your customers are. If they spend their time on MySpace listening to bands, build a page for your audio messages. If they browse Photobucket or Flickr for photos, make sure your pictures are there, too.
3. Value quality over quantity. Facebook says it has more than 400 million members. Yes, but how many of them are your customers or potential customers? If you sell swimsuits, you may want to spend your time and money promoting your company on social sites for fashion and travel.
4. Value your time, too. You do not have to read every news story, blog post and comment. Filter content so that you get the best information in the shortest period of time.
5. Network through Facebook and Linkedin. You will find your customers – and your competition – there. These social media make it easier to learn what people are thinking and talking about.
6. Increase your presence through LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media. It’s easy to connect the RSS feed from your blog to your LinkedIn profile. The more places your appear, the most active you are in reaching customers.
7. Subscribe to RSS feeds. It’s easy through Gmail and other Web services. You’ll receive constant updates about what people and companies that influence your business are saying and doing. Their comments can be grist for your blog posts, Tweets and Facebook updates.
8. Schedule your Tweets so that you do not forget them. With interruptions from phone calls and e-mails, it’s easy to overlook your Twitter account. And don’t forget to comment on other people’s Tweets. Show that you pay attention.
9. Work efficiently. Online services such as TwitterFeed, HootSuite and Ping.fm allow you to post updates across multiple sites with one (or even no) clicks. TubeMogul.com will post videos across multiple sites with one upload.
10. Don’t censor the conversation. Social media give customers control over what it said about your business and brand. Take the criticism with the compliments and learn from both.

The best thing about the Third Annual American Fine Wine Competition Gala Dinner beside the great wine and food, of course, was that it enabled everyone to travel to many of the nation’s best wineries — without having to get on a plane. Budgets are tight, and not every wine lover has the time or budget to visit Napa to sample the nation’s most exquisite wines.

The event, held at the Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, enabled the more than 370 guests to travel the country and sip and swirl America’s best wines…all while sitting in an air conditioned white tent on Lincoln’s grounds.

The event was a success in every sense – from the five course meal that was prepared by some of South Florida most revered chefs, to the great food and wine pre-event media placements, to the entertainment: famed performance artist Michael Israel and soothing jazz singer Nicole Henry. The event was featured on South Florida morning shows, blogged about and even featured on the front page of the local paper’s Food Section. But if that wasn’t enough of a crowd-drawer (which it clearly was, as the Gala Dinner actually over-sold!), a portion of the proceeds from the event benefited three deserving charities: the American Red Cross, the Quantum House, and the Lincoln Culinary Institute’s Scholarship Program. The event raised approximately $80,000.

The key to a successful event: successful parts, including great food, great company, great fun. And a little wine never hurt anyone.

For those interested in an education or career in public relations – whether in South Florida or anywhere, The Future Buzz had an interesting take.

… Kendall Winstanley, a North Hastings High School student in Bancroft Ontario asks:

I am a student in grade 12 who is interested in a career in public relations. I am planning on going to Durham College in the fall for PR. Currently, I am doing a report on public relations professionals and how social media is affecting how their job is performed. I read your blog and was hoping that you could give me some more insight into the topic, so I can fully understand it and give the correct information.

First off, congratulations on choosing PR as your field of choice. You couldn’t have picked a better industry. Not only is it a rewarding and challenging field, there’s data which shows the industry is growing, a nice backup for your decision.

Employment of PR professionals is expected to increase 24% from 2008 to 2018, a much higher growth rate than the average occupation according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With that said, 18% of respondents to a recent Digital Readiness Report said they have no interest whatsoever in traditional PR. And, for the vast majority of respondents, knowledge of social networks (80%), blogging, podcasting and RSS (87%), and micro-blogging (72%) is either important or very important when it comes to PR and marking hiring.

Further, last year’s PEW survey noted more people rely mostly on the internet for news than cite newspapers, and nearly six-in-ten Americans younger than 30 (59%) say they get most of their national and international news online (an identical percentage cites television).

Taken together it’s clear: Much (if not all) of the increasing demand of PR professionals will come from those fluent in digital skills.

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We’ve already established that rainmaking is about more than being good, it’s about knowing the right people. It should be no surprise that – even more than knowing the right people – it’s about having those key people remember you for business matters. That’s where memorable messaging comes in—developing short, concise and creative answers to the softball questions people will inevitably ask.

What’s the first question people usually ask when you’re meeting them for the first time? Most times it’s “What do you do?” More often than not, attorneys respond with a standard, “I handle complex commercial litigation,” or “I’m a (fill in the blank) attorney.” Let’s be honest, the majority of the population has no idea what complex commercial litigation is, or even how they might ever need a complex commercial litigation attorney. By customizing this answer to quickly, creatively and most importantly, effectively, describe what you do, people will start to think in terms of how you could help them, or someone they know. Instead of saying “I’m a complex commercial litigation attorney,” perhaps say something like “I solve business disputes between corporate entities.”

Another important piece of messaging all rainmakers should perfect is the answer to the question “What’s New?” Usually, people tend to answer this open-ended question with an answer such as “Not much” or “I’m so busy.” By responding with these short answers, you don’t leave the door open for follow-up questions, which can be a key way for others to get to know more about you. A great suggestion is to answer this question with something you have going on right now. For example, “I’m currently working on an interesting matter helping one of my clients purchase a related business. You wouldn’t believe how common this is becoming with the economy.” Not only does this tell them what you do, it also opens the floor up to more questions about what you do.

Engage the person you are talking to – it will allow you to elaborate on your message. When you say, “I am currently working on XYZ” add “Are you seeing this as a trend too?” People like that their opinion counts, and you open a dialogue to provide your listener with more information.

While having your key messages down is extremely important, it’s also essential for you to ask the right questions of others. Questions such as “What are your top three priorities for the year?” or “What do you look for in business partners?” not only show you care about what they have to say, it can provide you with insight into what’s important to them and how you can work with them.

Effective messaging is key to the rainmaking process—not only knowing how to present yourself to the public, but asking relevant questions of others, are both key to developing relationships that will result in business.