Can A Politician Be Over Exposed

As a little girl I remember hearing a family story were my brother as a very young child would repeat the slogan "Hopping and Lowe, 3 and 4 ". It was a Democratic Labour Party Slogan back in the '60 for the St. George Candidates Air Hopping and Somebody Lowe (wasn't even born this is a second hand story butI am sure you get the drift). My mom is a die hard D. She does not hide this fact even when the Ds were in the doldrums she would be tooting her loyalty.

It was to my astonishment then that I heard her one night watching the news say over and over Esther Byer Suckoo is a like a lamp lighter. Esther Byer Suckoo is like a lamp lighter. Not being around in the lamp lighter days I had not a clue what the old lady meant so I said to her Mom what ever do you mean? She replied that her mother use to says the only person who is everywhere is the lamp lighter.

Beep! Beeeep! Flashs lights! Flash Lights! - clearly when ordinary persons are commenting on your media exposure you are definitely over exposed. Byer-Suckoo who started her ministerial term as the media darling is certainly starting to fall out of favour. Our local/international propaganda blog also just placed a condom on her head over the prison issue. This is sure to get Barbados' Internet class tongue wagging.

My free advice to the lady and all politicians is that you have to temper your exposure to the media. You must be seen to be doing serious business not at every frivolous dog fight. When you step into the lime light people should pay attention. You devalue yourself through over exposure. Media appearances should be planned to meet a set objective. Use the media rather than be used by the media.

Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in the Caribbean - The Environment

Holistic public relations practices goes beyond people.  You also have to take the planet into consideration.   In the Caribbean we most times neglect our environment but being environmentally conscious is also good for business.  

Do you know what the above symbols mean?  How do we dispose of waste in Barbados, Antigua or Guyana?  How much electricity does St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent and the Grenadines use?  Is there a more efficient alternative?  Are our vehicles roadworthy, or are our trucks smoking so much they could be on the verge of lung cancer?  In Trinidad and Tobago their are environmental police officers but how many other Caribbean countries have this?  How many trees do we cut down on a daily basis – could you use a little less paper?  Do you use harmful pesticides?  These are the kinds of questions we need to ask ourselves if we are to truly take a holistic approach to our Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in the Caribbean. It’s not just a ‘one-way street’.

In a Pew Research Institute survey on American Values, 67% of respondents said that you should pay more to protect the environment, and 90% agreed that there should be stricter laws and regulations to protect the environment.  And, guess who the laws and regulations will ultimately be for? Companies, of course!  

So, why wait to be mandated to do the right thing? The consumer has spoken.  Rack up those brownie points and be viewed as a good corporate citizen by incorporating sustainable environmental practices into your business strategy.  Go the entire distance with your Corporate Social Responsibility efforts and be rewarded with long-term customer and employee loyalty. 

New LinkedIn Publisher

I became a publisher on LinkedIn in June.  It is fantastic to have this platform to add to my other blogs to share my thoughts on issues in the profession with other professionals.

Actually it has given me new impetus to write because I had fallen off giving away to my studies and daily paying activities, leaving my beloved hobby behind.  

Yes, some use this forum to sell themselves, this however is secondary to the real joy I get from writing and to seeing my work published.  I was reading a blog by @Timothy_Hughes today entitled "I Love Blogging"  and I agreed with him wholeheartedly and this inspired me to tell all my friends and well-wishers about my new blog on LinkedIn.

Click to to see my newest blog on China's "new" communications Strategy.  

Be Picture Ready For Your Next Photo Op

As public relations professionals, you come to dread the cliché “grip and grin” photo opportunity which clients love it. And why shouldn’t they?

After all, you may be submitting about 10 different releases about corporate giving a week to the media but it might be the client’s/company’s only opportunity for the entire year to demonstrate publicly that they contribute to the community and are, in fact, a good corporate citizen.

Usually, when these photo opportunities occur in the office setting the company representative is appropriately dressed because they are already in their business attire. However, when the setting is outside the office, the dress may be less than appropriate. Here are a few tips to ensure picture readiness. READ MORE

As public relations professionals, you come to dread the cliché “grip and grin” photo opportunity which clients love. And why shouldn’t they?
After all, you may be submitting about 10 different releases about corporate giving a week to the media but it might be the client’s/company’s only opportunity for the entire year to demonstrate publicly that they contribute to the community and are, in fact, a good corporate citizen.
Usually, when these photo opportunities occur in the office setting the company representative is appropriately dressed because they are already in their business attire. However, when the setting is outside the office, the dress may be less than appropriate. Here are a few tips to ensure picture readiness.
- See more at: http://www.prmrinc.net/be-picture-ready-for-your-next-photo-op/#sthash.Cr4JlDR3.dpuf

As public relations professionals, you come to dread the cliché “grip and grin” photo opportunity which clients love. And why shouldn’t they?
After all, you may be submitting about 10 different releases about corporate giving a week to the media but it might be the client’s/company’s only opportunity for the entire year to demonstrate publicly that they contribute to the community and are, in fact, a good corporate citizen.
Usually, when these photo opportunities occur in the office setting the company representative is appropriately dressed because they are already in their business attire. However, when the setting is outside the office, the dress may be less than appropriate. Here are a few tips to ensure picture readiness.
- See more at: http://www.prmrinc.net/be-picture-ready-for-your-next-photo-op/#sthash.Cr4JlDR3.dpuf