Those of you who live in Indianapolis have probably heard about the Super Bowl Shuffle. No, not the terrible 1985 video created by the Chicago Bears, but the equally terrible 2011 video created by the Indiana Visitors and Convention Association to promote the hospitality industry in Indianapolis at a hotel conference in Chicago. The video was originally intended just for this specialized audience, but in the way of the Internet, the silly thing quickly went viral, earning the derision of locals and out-of-towners alike across Twitter, the blogosphere and even ESPN.

The event was full of high drama–it makes Indianapolis look terrible! We look like unsophisticated rubes! This will ruin our chance on the national stage! People are swearing never to come to Indy because of the poor quality video! The ICVA even issued a sort of apology for the video.

Can we all just take a deep breath here?

The video has, as of this writing, received less than 5,000 8,000 views–hardly a viral sensation. There is absolutely nothing offensive in the video, unless you’re offended by bad lip syncing and awkward dancing.  It’s just a group of people excited about a big party we get to have here in town.

ICVA doesn’t need to apologize. It doesn’t need to release a new video or keep defensively explaining that the video was made for a very specific audience. It needs to say, “here’s the video, isn’t it silly? Hope you enjoy it in the spirit in which it was made. Let’s make Super Bowl XLVI the best ever!” And then it needs to be quiet.

This isn’t a PR disaster case study, this isn’t a nightmare scenario. This was one group of people who underestimated the virality of the Internet and got a little embarrassed. It’s like your mom posting a video of you singing “I’m a Little Teapot” on Facebook–your friends may razz you for a while, but at the end  of the day, there’s no harm done. People will stop talking about it, people will forget about it and our Super Bowl is going to rock.

Indy, stop being so sensitive. Outsiders, stop being so judgmental. ICVA, stop being so defensive. We have bigger problems and more important goals to worry about than this one video. Let’s stop making mountains out of molehills and go back to throwing an incredible party come February.

Edit, 12/1/11, 9:40 a.m.: Last night, the ICVA chose to remove the video from YouTube. The right call or needlessly defensive? You be the judge.

Today’s guest post is by Vicki Bohlsen the president of Bohlsen PR.  Her topic:  The RFP and how tot participate in the process in a way which helps you determine if the project is right for you. 

Would you take a job without meeting your new boss?

I’m sure you’ve participated in the RFP (Request for Proposal) debate. To answer them or not, that is the question.  I know people say they would never an answer an RFP, and I know people who search them out like black jelly beans and answer any and all they can find. I’m probably somewhere in the middle. I’m of the belief that I would never hire someone from just their resume, and that a company shouldn’t hire a vendor just from a proposal.

About a year and a half ago, I had my first opportunity to write an RFP for my own company. We were trying to identify the best website developer for the creation of the BohlsenPR website. It was a lot of fun to approach it in the way I wish all RFP processes would play out – with inclusivity, two-way communication and objectivity.

1. We decided to invite a few people/companies we identified as a potential fit, but we also let it be known that we would accept other proposals from individuals/companies that wanted to participate. Our ultimate goal was to find the best fit for us.

We invited five companies, and we received 11 proposals when all was said and done

2. We gave people the opportunity to ask questions at various times throughout the submission period by offering several open-call times.

 Seven of the eleven companies submitting proposals called and asked questions during these time periods or at arranged times. Several email communications went out reminding those submitting – or wanting to submit – that we’d be happy to provide additional information and answer questions.

 3. As the proposals came in, we had an intern make them unidentifiable. No staff saw a proposal with the submitter’s name during the initial review.

 We did not want to be swayed/influenced by the company’s name or reputation; rather, we wanted to be impacted by the content in the submitter’s proposal.

 4. Two people from the company were given the task of reviewing each and every proposal with a well-defined criteria and ranking system. Each proposal was given at least an hour’s review in which detailed notes were taken. This committee narrowed the field down to three before I even saw them, and only then did we know who the finalists were.

 Then, during deep discussion, we narrowed it down to two and had a one-on-one meeting with each submitter. Ultimately, it was not a simple decision, but having met each company and the person who would act as lead on the account helped us to make a decision.

 5. We provided feedback to the 10 other people/companies who so generously took the time to answer the RFP, letting them know who we chose and why we did not choose them.

We got very positive feedback from most of the companies that did not get the job, thanking us for taking the time to provide the feedback that would be useful for them in their next RFP process.   I don’t know if there is a perfect process for hiring anyone for anything, but this RFP approach seemed as fair as possible – and we even made some new friends along the way.   Now when determining if it makes sense for our company to answer an RFP, I ask myself these questions:

 1.Are we a fit for what is being asked?

2. Can we get more information throughout the process so we can provide the best possible presentation of who we are and how we can meet the client’s needs?

3. Can we do exceptional work for this client?

4. Do they want us to submit a proposal?

5. Do they understand who we are and what we do?

6. Will we learn something from the process, even if we don’t get the gig?

 If I find myself saying, “They’d be foolish not to hire us,” I can assure you we will be submitting a proposal. Just as they need to feel strongly about who they hire, we need to be just as certain. You wouldn’t take a job without meeting your new boss, would you?

Vicki Bohlsen, the President of Bohlsen PR has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate and non-profit media relations and marketing. This includes national and local media placements and the relationships that facilitate them, and expertise in broadcast production, crisis management and media spokesperson training.

After four weeks, Brittany is settling in.  Here is an update on the continuing adventures of our Intern:

By Brittany Wright

I’m into the fourth week of my internship here at Roundpeg, and I’d like to share some of my experiences thus far with all of you. Remember all of the things I wrote about two weeks ago? Well, I have quite a few more things to add to the list now. First, I’ve completed a ghost blog post for a pretty big-deal client, created and published another press release, worked on drip campaigns for both Roundpeg and a client, created a month’s worth of tweets for the same company, wrote a blog posting for our website about the amount of time you should spend on social media in order to create genuine relationships (remember to check it out on September 13th!) and have been managing Roundpeg’s Facebook postings.

On top of all that, the juggling of classes and work is officially underway. This semester I’m taking Agencies & Entrepreneurs, PR Planning and Strategic Marketing Management. Agencies & Entrepreneurs is a class that focuses on teaching future PR professionals about the pros and cons of opening their own agencies versus joining an already successful firm. I’m not sure that there’s anyone more qualified than Lorraine to teach me both sides of the road, but I’m giving it a shot.

PR Planning has gotten my attention because I’m such a research nerd, and now I can begin to apply my findings to an actual campaign. Strategic Marketing Management is a required course than generally gets PR students shaking in their boots because it’s only offered through the Kelley School of Business. Thankfully, I’ve spent much of my working life the marketing field, so I’m not quite as concerned as some others. However, the Kelley School of Business is definitely not a school to scoff at. As one of the top-ranked business colleges in the nation, I know the class won’t be easy-as-pie.

I determined to again maintain a 4.0 this semester and still give 110% to Roundpeg. When I start to get overwhelmed, I just remind myself what this is all about, and that is leveraging myself as a top-notch PR professional in this ever-growing field. I feel blessed that Lorraine gave me the opportunity to hone my skills and work hands-on in her company and I don’t intend to give her any less than my best.

Even though I spend a lot of time doing social media, my background is in traditional, old-school public relations. The kind where journalists are always looking for a good story, if only you present it to them in the right way.

So for the longest time, I’ve approached pitching bloggers–be they moms, business bloggers, or any number of the other kinds of bloggers I regularly contact–in the same way. They just want a good story, right? It’s up to us as public relations professionals to find the right way to present it, and they’ll fall all over themselves to share your giveaway/promotion/event with their readers for free, right?

Wrong.

Pitching bloggers is an entirely different beast than pitching to traditional journalists. It’s some weird bastard child of public relations and ad buys. And it takes an entirely different mentality to be good at it.

The first thing to remember is that some kind of payment is usually expected. This doesn’t necessarily mean money (though it can)–it can also mean payment in product or tickets or some other remuneration. Make sure that you or your client factor this into your budget–unlike traditional PR, the time cost of your pro is not the only cost to consider.

And, even though you’re providing some sort of payment, you usually cannot dictate what the blogger writes. Of course, you can say that you want them to write about this particular promotion, but you’re really paying for the blogger’s unique voice on your product or event. That’s why their readers come back, and why they can be such strong brand advocates. But if you want to choose exactly what’s said about your product, don’t engage in blogger relations. Period. Note that most bloggers, however, will not write about products they don’t actually endorse or like, so in most instances you don’t need to worry about negative reviews from bloggers you’ve reached through an outreach program.

Don’t let these two factors scare you–blogger relations is an important part of PR and can’t be ignored in this day and age. Bloggers have huge, organic reach that makes every marketer drool in envy. Just go in with your head in the right place, and be prepared to make some great relationships and spread your message.

As an Indianapolis PR firm, Roundpeg helps small business distribute their messages through traditional and non-tradional pr channels.

When I was in college, every student in the School of Communications took Media Law and Ethics together. This meant that journalist majors and cinema majors and PR majors were all forced into an uneasy truce as we learned about Sunshine Laws, libel and slander, and of course ethics. One day, we were discussing some point of ethics, and an uppity journalism student raised her hand.

“It isn’t possible for a PR practitioner to be ethical,” the self-righteous ninny said.

Punching her in the face might have proven her point, so I restrained myself and engaged in civil discourse. “The first rule of PR,” I replied as primly as I could, “is to always tell the truth. Not only is it the right thing to do, you’ll always get caught being unethical. Always.”

And it’s true. Honesty is crucial in every area of public relations, from interviews with the media to press releases to social media. Think about it: public relations is, at its most basic core, about communicating with an audience. That could be customers, employees, shareholders, or the public at large. If the people you’re communicating to don’t trust you, they won’t listen to you, and your message gets lost in noise. Lying just shoots yourself in the foot. Besides that, this is the age of the Internet, the place where secrets go to die. It’s possible to fact-check nearly anything in a matter of moments, making you look like a lying, scummy fool.

So what can you do?

If you’re an agency, do the right thing. Yes, it’s faster and easier to cheat, but it will always bite you in the end. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Speak up and say something. If you’re an employee and your bosses ignore your objections, start looking for other work.

If you’re a client, demand the highest scruples from your company. It’s ultimately in your best interests because if the PR company gets caught being shady on your behalf, you’re just as much on the hook as they are. Don’t be left in the dark about what your agency is doing.

Roundpeg is an Indianapolis public relations firm which also offers social media, marketing strategy and web design services.

This week, our interns are begining to make a difference as they write for clients, make updates to websites, and learn new skills. With them on hand, it was easier for me to be out giving presentations around the city about social media.  Look for the video from some of these seminars next week.  For now, here is a look back at what you missed this week.

Friday – Social Media Small Biz Survey 2011 - We’re updating our Social Media Survey for 2011. We would love you to take a minute and add your comments to the study.

Saturday – Meet Our Interns - This time in video.

Sunday – Doing it Right at Home - Guest blogger, Jack Simms, shares the pros and cons of operating your business from home.

Monday -

QR Codes — Hype or the Next Big Thing? - Lorraine shares responses to last week’s blog post and conversations about QR codes.

Social Media and HVAC - How to get “old school” business people to consider the value of Social Media.

Tuesday – Social Media and the Sales Process - Where does Social Media fit into the sales process, and how can it be measured?

Wednesday – How Personal Is Too Personal? - Lorraine revisits a post from 2009 looking at how her perspective has changed regarding how much information to share on social media.

Thursday – Happy Anniversary Indy-Biz!
The Indy-Biz blog was created to celebrate the goings on of small businesses in Indiana.  Five years later we’re still going strong!

Five years ago I was frustrated by the lack of news exposure small businesses received in Indianapolis. The lack of print was a symptom of a bigger issue, our state leaders were consumed with bringing the next big deal to Indiana. More manufacturing plants, more incentives for big companies.

I channeled my energy into a new blog: Indy-Biz.com.  It featured a series of blog posts about the impact of small business on our local economy, including:

• May 15, 2006 - Big Biz-Small Biz Where is the Real Growth?
• June 11, 2006 –  Small Business – Where the Jobs Are!

Like most new blogs, not too many people noticed, so I decided to stop trying to change opinions, and share real stories, about real business instead. We created a place where local business owners could share their success.   If you have been reading Indy-Biz over the last few years, you know that:

• October, 2006 – Hartman Inventory Expands Focus
• November, 2007 - TriplePoint Consulting Launches Sister Company
• April, 2008 - Indy Bloggers Gather for BlogIn – First Blogging UnConference
• December, 2009 - Astbury Environmental Engineering Acquires Air Analysis
• May, 2010 - Robby Slaughter Announces New Book

Over the last five years, the business section of the Indy Star has shrunk to one page.  The IBJ has moved their small business features to their online edition, and we have published more than 1,600 posts about local small businesses.  We have celebrated the accomplishments of clients and friends.  In a small way, we cheered them on, and shared resources to help them grow.

This was my first blog.  I never expected I would still be writing entries five years later, but I know I will still be sharing stories about Indy-Biz, five years from now.

Do you have a story to tell?  Share it here

This summer we have three interns joining us at Roundpeg.   Today you get a chance to meet Stephanie our Web/Marketing Intern

I’m Stephanie Boyden and I will be a senior at Indiana University, originally from Carmel. I study marketing at Kelley School of Business, with a minor in psychology. I have known that I wanted to go into marketing since I was a junior in high school when I took my first marketing class and haven’t strayed since. I  love the psychological and creative aspect of marketing that other fields of business lack. Outside of school I love to play tennis, bike, travel, and spend as much time as I can with my family, friends, and pets.

When looking for an internship, the number one thing that I wanted was a great learning experience. This is what lead me to Roundpeg and is what I hope to gain from this experience. I wanted an internship that allows me to do meaningful work and build a strong portfolio and resume, while still having a little bit of fun. It was clear within the first few minutes of my interview that Roundpeg offered all of these things. I hope to accomplish all three this summer. The ultimate goal of any internship I believe is to gain a real world experience that makes you a better business person, and this is my objective as well.

Outside of work I have a very busy summer planned. When I’m not working at Roundpeg I will be nannying three awesome little girls, ages 8, 5, and 1. On top of that I am also taking two online classes in order to graduate on time, which I’m sure my parents greatly appreciate. Since this is my last summer break before I have to become a “grown up” I plan to take advantage by spending as much time as possible with my family and friends. The thing that I am most excited about this summer (other than my internship of course!) is traveling to Las Vegas  in July for a friend’s 21st birthday.

All that said, I am looking forward to a stimulating and exciting summer at Roundpeg and beyond!

Oprah Winfrey once said, “You know you are on your way to success if you would do your job and not be paid for it.” This sums up my thoughts on my internship at Roundpeg. After working full time for the last several years, it is somewhat scary to take an unpaid internship.  However, I like to think of it as an investment in my future, and I’m very excited about honing my skills this summer.

My name is Melissa Hennig, and I’m Roundpeg’s public relations and social media intern for the summer.  I’m also a graduate student in public relations management at IUPUI.  On top of school and my internship, I’m also  the downtown Indianapolis Relay for Life PR chairwoman.

I actually came across the internship for Roundpeg via Twitter. After sending a few tweets back and forth with Allison, I submitted my resume and the rest is history. I’m very excited about enhancing my writing skills this summer, along with learning more about social media. I am slightly obsessed with social media. While in California last week visiting my brother, I made sure I visited Twitter, Google and Facebook. Yes, I’m that girl.

In my free time, I am a huge sports fanatic – Colts, Hoosiers and the Cubs. In the summer you’ll find me at concerts, the Indy 500 or Cubs games. I also  travel as much as I possibly can, depending on my schedule and finances.  I’ve been all over the world, from the golf courses of Scotland to the beaches of the Caribbean.

Look for more blog posts from me this summer and at networking events around the city, and follow me on Twitter @mhennig1.

What is big, grey and flies at  400 miles an hour?  Hint:  It is not Rocky the Flying Squirrel.  It is a KC -135R, Air Refueling Jet, and Thursday I had a chance to fly along with a team of social media professionals as guests of the US.  Airforce.

Why would the Air Force invite a blogger  like me on this mission?  Because they get social media.  They understand that we reach an entirely different audience then traditional media.   During the flight briefing, our host:  TSGT Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner,  said something which summed it up for me.  He said:

If we don’t tell the Air Force’s story, someone else will.

The Air Force and Grission Base specifically have a terrific story to tell:

• The 100+ buildings scattered across 1,265 acres are home to a military, civilian and contractor work force
• Supporting the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps the base has a $130+ million annual economic impact on the local community
• The base’s Air Traffic Control supports military and civilian aircraft operating between Chicago and Indianapolis
• In addition to military functions, the base provides fire and emergency rescue for surrounding community
• Home of the 434th Air Refueling Wing which supports our troops around the world.

Here is a quick look at what our day was like….

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

In addition to a wonderful adventure, and a chance to look behind the scenes at this amazing place, there were some great lessons for small business owners.

• Contingency plans need both a communication and operational component.  The two pieces need to work together
• Precise communication is at the heart of a successful mission. Whether you are trying to connect two planes mid air or finish a website on time, all team members need to be speaking the same language, with no room for miscommunication
• Be willing to take people behind the scenes and let your customers really understand your process.  Help them be your advocates.

WTHR’s Nicole Misencik was along and prepared this report which aired on the local news a week after our flight: