We spend a tremendous amount of time at GolinHarris talking about the importance of being authentic, so when you read about something that's about as far away from authentic as possible, you have to point it out.

Recently a local advertising agency in Miami got snagged. Here's what happened:

The Miami Herald decided to host an online poll of its readers to see which new "Downtown Miami" logo they liked best. After the contest was over, The Herald analyzed their computer network and noted that someone at the ad agency who had created several of the logos, voted more than 1,500 times for one particular image (the "winning" logo). Unfortunately for them, when all was said and done, the real winner was a design created by the City's in-house design team. (See article: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/246669.html)

How embarrassing for the agency. They obviously had little confidence in their work - and in the end, have soiled their reputation. What was the worst that could have happened? Their logo didn't win?

Let's face it, everyone who works in creative industries has a great deal of pride in their work. But if something created isn't right, and won't get the desired results, isn't it better to find out the right way than to try and create a new reality? In the end that's a loosing proposition.

This company has gone down the wrong road and is forgetting that it's a new, transparent world in which we live. The new WikiScanner, a tool that tracks anonymous edits to Wikipedia sites, is a great example of how important it is for PR professionals to practice an authentic approach to every aspect of client communications.

When all is said and done, I hope the Miami ad agency that created the logo campaign uses better judgment when it comes to billing the client and doesn't charge for the time they spent voting!

This week, PRWeek held its Target Green conference in Washington, DC. The prevailing view from those speaking at the conference is that sustainability and environmental issues are here to stay. That's safe enough turf. The problem is that these are highly complex issues to solve. Without a doubt, they also are still very political, even with the sea change in public opinion since Hurricane Katrina.

Congressman Ed Markey gave his view as chairman of the House's Select Committee on Energy Independence and Climate Change at the morning keynote. Markey said after the Iraq war, climate change is Speaker Pelosi's highest priority. His "we're all in this together" message was at odds with his rhetoric. His speech was littered with shots at the Republicans — nothing like an easy target. He seemed to take a harder line on coal, which earlier in the year he said was not to be made into fuels, but acceptable as a power source.

One thing that came through clearly, whether or not it is politically possible today: many Democrats in Congress believe they need to be prescriptive to lower industrial greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. Markey talked about new legislation that would direct computer makers to reduce energy use by PCs in standby mode to 1W from 5W today. That's getting pretty specific. Corporations should take note, given the likelihood that Democrats will expand their majorities in the House and Senate and gain control of the White House next November.

In my view, one way to cut through the political debates over standards and technology is through public education. This can accelerate environmentally-friendly action at the grassroots level. Companies and industry groups have done this when it suits them. I would love to see Congress prescribe that. It would deliver results and make policymaking easier.

- Mike Schmidt, Account Group Supervisor, Green

Every morning, I take some time to clean out my inbox and go over messages that have come overnight. Lately, I've been getting a ton of messages from old and new friends, acquaintances and colleagues, asking to become their 'friends' on Facebook. Once I confirm that I know them, the dialogue takes off. I get invited to groups, get 'poked,' receive updates on what they are doing at the moment. I think I even got bitten several times by the vampire application.

I had started my Facebook account to stay on top of the latest developments in this fast growing social network. It took a couple minutes to set up, but it's taking much longer to manage. Accompanying my work and personal email accounts, Facebook has become the third inbox.

Marketers who develop Facebook applications and virtual goods are surely getting their money's worth. It takes a given user at least several minutes to check out a message sent by a friend and download the new application and start using it. That's significant time to be engaged with a brand.

Yet, there is a lot more that can be cultivated from Facebook. The social network has evolved far beyond the college tier and is competing with LinkedIn in forging professional relations. A glance at a Facebook profile easily reveals that person's personal and professional networks, tastes, attitudes and political preferences. An aggregate review of profiles compiled in a Facebook group can help marketers gain qualitative insights about how those consumers might react to a message, a product or a social issue.

Facebook is more than an electronic addressbook or a friend list. Unlike LinkedIn or Friendster, it blends personal and professional spheres--and has fun with it! It's a platform where organizations can study consumer sentiments while giving them something to talk about and pass along. There are already thousands of companies that have set up shop on Facebook. Look to this address for directing offline conversation and action.

The Word of Mouth Marketing Association is getting ready for a research conference followed by a two-day summit from November 13th through November 15th. This year’s event is heavily focused on the burning issues of the industry. Here are a few highlights from the various topics experts will discuss:

- How companies can leverage social networks without getting a backlash from consumers
- Influencers or networks: Which matters more?
- Who should own word of mouth in the marketing communication mix?
- How to measure the ROI on word of mouth
- How to spark and sustain conversations

The choice of topics, as compared to previous years’ conferences, signals to the progression of the industry. Word of mouth is becoming a line item in marketing budgets and media plans based on solid measurement. It is evolving as a science where many companies are becoming more and more sophisticated at identifying those who generate buzz and understanding the conditions permissible to brewing word of mouth (e.g., types of networks, social context, and quality of messages.).

In the first Word of Mouth Marketing conference I had attended, I had taken fierce notes from many presentations. Yet one speaker in particular stuck in my mind, as he said ‘Everything generates word of mouth.’ He meant all forms of marketing – PR, advertising, grassroots, online, traditional media – contribute to our daily conversations about products and services. Maybe so, but now we are at a point where consumers put so much trust and value in word of mouth, we need to understand it not just as a social phenomenon but also as a marketing science.

Pick up a newspaper these days (or visit the online equivalent) and you can't miss the interest of marketers in social networks. Connected communities represent another venue for driving discussion on topics of interest among like-minded individuals. And tapping into self-identified passion points.

But there's a downside, too, to the new layer of accessibility online social networks provide. When social connections are treated like "mass marketing" channels and the individual is ignored, communicators can actually do damage to the reputations of those they represent and the issues they wish to advance.

Today, for the first time, I "defriended" someone on Facebook. This is a story I've shared with my own team at GolinHarris as an example of what we must avoid within social networks.

Here's what happened:

A month or so ago, a marketing consultant (to remain unnamed) "befriended me" on Facebook. I had spoken to him electronically on a few occasions, we're members of some common industry groups, though we'd never met in person or shook hands.

Over the past few weeks, I (and I suspect many more of his 800+ "friends") received emails urging us to join a Facebook Group surrounding an issue a client he represents seeks to advance. It is a fairly generic notice encouraging people to join the online group and apply pressure to elected officials. It's one of many campaigns he's been promoting online for his clients.

The cause he's supporting isn't the sticking point-- in fact, it's a positive effort relating to the environment -- rather, it's the way he tries to mobilize people around the topic that's all wrong.

Social networks can unearth many deep insights about individuals. One look at your profile can reveal the company you keep (via networked "friends"), your personal interests, hobbies and passion points. When actually considered, these insights can help facilitate incredibly tailored communication with individuals who are likely (by their own self descriptions) to actually care about a topic.

But when these clues aren't considered, communication can quickly become unwelcome and ineffective, particularly in more "personal" touch points such as Facebook. This individual goofed by ignoring specific clues on my profile to let him know how to tailor his communication and help make a determination if such a message was even relevant to me. Facebook, for example, lets users share descriptors of their political affiliations....and I wondered: did he even bother to see what my views may be before blast e-mailing? Did he see if I was already involved with related groups?

There was no evidence of it from his note. Instead of focusing on reaching the *right* eyeballs he was focused on reaching *many* eyeballs.

His time (and his client's money) would be better spent identifying people who have a clear passion for the environment and this specific topic, evidenced through their own self-penned profiles and their involvement in related groups. These folks are more likely to welcome his message and could take action to spread the word about this topic.

Marketers who wish to build support for causes or their own brands within social networks should always consider basic tenants of "influencer" relations:

* Pay attention to the individual
* Try to understand his or her personal interests
* Examine group affiliations and participation
* Read and watch what he or she has said about this topic in the past
* Only communicate if your content is reasonably relevant, timely, and potentially valuable

It's the same advice PR pros hear from other influencers like "mainstream" media and a growing chorus of citizen journalists. The best communicators build relationships by doing their homework, reading or watching the individual's work, and exercising good judgment when pitching a story or sending a message asking for support.

Within social media in particular, personalization isn't optional -- it's a prerequisite. The upside is that most networks make it easy to understand each individual's motivations, if you do the homework.

For now, I'll have to find a way to live with the gaping hole on my buddy list. But I sure won't miss all that junk mail.

Steve Jobs knows how to throw a party.

No, not that Steve Jobs. This one.

We often talk about the value of word of mouth in public relations and the ways marketers can engage their most loyal customers to create excitement. And over the past decade, few brands have tapped the enthusiasm of its customers like Apple. But what's the company's secret sauce?

With typical pomp and circumstance, this past weekend Apple released the latest version of its OS X operating system -- Leopard. Reports indicate the company sold more than 2 million copies in three days, making OS 10.5 the most successful software launch in the brand's history. And at $129 per single user copy, that translates into better than a quarter of a billion dollars of cash.

So what's Apple doing right?

Last Friday, I got a glimpse of Apple's marketing magic firsthand. I ventured out early that evening to my local mall in hopes of grabbing my own copy of Leopard on the way home from the office. What I didn't know is what I'd encounter when I got there.

Nearly two hours later, I walked out with my copy and a better appreciation of what makes the Apple machine tick.

The atmosphere was a little bit like standing in queue for World Series tickets. Self-professed MacAddicts were lining up adorned in apparel from previous product launches. There were the iPhone t-shirts. The OS X Tiger (the last operating system) launch party gear. And I swear I spied one brandmark tattoo.

A young man standing in front of me -- an early adolescent no older than 13 -- sat indian-style on the ground with a Powerbook in his lap, continuously refreshing Apple.com's countdown ticker to Leopard's availability, while clutching a well-worn iPhone in his left hand. He was texting scores of friends and planning his own ad hoc launch party for later that evening when he planned to install the new software at home.

As the Apple Store staff worked the lines chatting up customers and handing out bottled water, they singled him out by name and expressed their gratitude that he was there.

It was clear this was the "connection" marketers dream about building with their customers.

Lots of things contribute to Apple's ongoing success, but here are three which helped Leopard get off to a running start this week:

*Keeping it simple. The new operating system is said to include more than 300+ new features and enhancements, but just 10 are touted heavily in publicity efforts, advertising and even product packaging. While innovation runs deep, Apple doesn't complicate things by promoting every single improvement.

As passers-by stopped to inquire about the growing line outside the Apple Store last Friday night, customers there found it easy to explain the excitement, and relate a few innovative features that made Leopard worth their wait.

A quick look at Apple's Web site illustrates the focused nature of the company's communication. Laundry lists of improvements are hard to find, while simple explanations of a few key technologies (complete with narrated demos) show practical benefits in consumer-speak.

Even the product itself is sold in a more streamlined way than its competition. While Microsoft offers its Vista OS in four different versions -- each with different features and price points-- Apple released a single consumer version of Leopard for all. This "streamlining" makes it much easier to absorb information and spread the word. (To see the contrast yourself, check out the Vista information page, turn away from the screen, and try to recount even a few basic features.)

*Recognizing and rewarding the most loyal. The first few dozen customers in line received commemorative Leopard T-shirts. And the full Apple Store staff welcomed them in, complete with pats on the back and words of thanks. Simple freebies like water bottles while you're waiting in line and interaction with store staff go a long way and show customers they're valued.

There's evidence Apple is now rewarding loyalists by embracing the "consumer generated" media of its fan base, snatching up "fanvertising" created on YouTube to become formal ads for its products.

*Creating personal connections. The Apple Store is a huge component in creating "personal" relationships with the brand. Its Genius Bars allow anybody with a question to come in and chat with an expert and get one-on-one attention. And in my experience, the folks staffing these desks aren't just technically-sound employees, they're brand fanatics, too. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and their customer service is, by most accounts, great.

The young man in line ahead of me was aglow when one of the Apple Store employees singled him out and took a few seconds to chat. That personal touch cannot be replaced by any other kind of communication or marketing. And it's something that will bring him back for the next launch of whatever-Steve-has-up-his-sleeve.

While this was quite a detour from my planned Friday activities, it was a great opportunity as a marketer to see brand building up close. And learn a few ways that Apple stays "connected" to its consumers.