1. Kyle Wagner, Travel Editor of The Denver Post
2. Catharine Hamm, Travel Editor of the LA Times
3. Ilana Weitzman, Editor-In-Chief of enRoute Magazine (Air Canada)

These Q&A events are an opportunity for PR Professionals to get familiar with the journalists mentioned and their respective publications, the communities they serve, etc. RSVP NOW.

Eric Griffith is a Managing Editor at PC Magazine. In the interview below, he discusses converting the publication from print to 100% digital, the difference between a good “PR pitch” and a bad pitch, how smart phones are changing the world, and PC Magazine’s product review process.

Q: When we first met in 2004, you were the Managing Editor of Wi-Fi Planet, in 2007 you switched to PC Magazine. What appealed to you about PC Mag?

Eric Griffith: They gave me an opportunity to branch out, to write about anything and everything in the world of tech. And it was a brand that I wanted to work for even when I started, even if it is significantly changed from what it was a decade and a half ago.

This year, PC Magazine discontinued its print edition becoming a 100% digital publication. How has the transition been?

So far, pretty smooth– the company was making more money from the Web site than print magazine anyway, so it was a no-brainer (the digital edition is still there for those who like a magazine-esque format). The lost of paper might bother old-school readers, but they’re not exactly the target demo for tech advertisers anymore; if they were, Computer Shopper would still be the size of a Manhattan phone book, too.

In the next decade, will more efficient laptops and smart phones make personal desktop computers obsolete?

I think they might already have made desktops obsolete for all but the most powerful computing tasks. I’ve made it through entire weeks on the road with nothing but my iPhone and stayed fully in touch with the office and personal life as needed. Maybe a little too in touch in this age of Facebook and Twitter.

iPhone 4g Mock-up

Speaking of social networks, do you think a location-based social network will ever make it? The sort of thing Meetro wanted to be.

Seems almost inevitable as more people move to tweeting and updating status by phone.

On the editorial side (editors, columnists, etc.), approximately how many people are behind PC Magazine?

About 40 editorial.

You probably get “pitched” by PR folks regularly. What separates a “good pitch” from a “bad pitch” in your mind?

A good pitch is some from someone who’s actually read the publication and has a clue about what we cover. Wild pitches BCCed to the entire staff (or the entire industry) are just annoying.

An important part of PC Magazine is product reviews. According to your website, “PCMag provides comprehensive hands-on, laboratory-based testing of PC and Internet hardware and software.” Can you tell me a little bit more about the review process?

Reviews are now all-import to us; as we streamline the site, they are becoming the focus. Process is pretty simple: we request products if we have plans for a round-up review, or we get products in as stand-alone when they’re new. We put them through their paces, which is different for all the types of products. We write.

"Reviews are now all-import to us..." - Eric Griffith

According to an article in PC Mag, iPhone’s market share doubled from 5.3% in Q1 2008 to 10.8% in Q1 2009. Will iPhone’s success help Apple increase its share of the notebook and desktop market?

I don’t think it has and don’t think it will. Apple (smartly) made iPods work as well with windows as they did Macs, and had to do same for iPhone. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt Mac sales, but I doubt it’s a big deal overall.

Which small to medium business has been the most disruptive this year?

Probably Twitter. They’re still small.

Last question, if you had the attention of every techie in the world, but only 140 characters, what would you say?

Louis CK is right, Everything’s Amazing, Nobody’s Happy, but that’s what happens when the future becomes the present. http://is.gd/4w4CX

Scott Monty, head of social media at Ford

Scott Monty is the Head of Social Media at Ford Motor Company. In the interview below, he discusses Ford’s social media strategy, media monitoring, how to organize tweetups, and how social media has helped the company communicate its new direction.

Q: According to your bio on your Twitter page, you are the “Head of social media at Ford Motor Company”. Which social media platforms does Ford participate in?

Scott Monty: We’re active in a variety of platforms, but we try to stick with the ones that are the most mainstream. We have multiple accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, and we have single accounts on Flickr, Delicious, Upcoming and Scribd. Our main accounts are listed on The Ford Story.

From what I’ve read about Ford recently, “markets in the middle of the country [USA] were much stronger than on either coast”. How is Social Media helping you reach consumers here in California and other coastal American markets?

That’s nothing new. Typically the perception in the “smile states” (along the coasts and south) runs toward favoring imports. The beauty of social media is that many of the hotbeds of activity are in major metropolitan areas like Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Austin, Los Angeles, etc. It’s a natural match for the markets we need to reach.

How do you monitor the massive amounts of information consumers are posting in social and traditional media about Ford? Do you rely on a social media monitoring company such as Vocus or Burrellesluce?

We use a variety of resources, as pedestrian as Google Alerts and Twitter search, to the more sophisticated like Radian 6 and others. We and our agencies handle the monitoring together.

According to Ford’s upcoming page, “The 2010 Taurus makes its debut in 100 cities across the country…” Some of the Ford Taurus appearances have been “Tweetups”. What does it take to organize a successful Tweetup?

Bloggers live- Tweet the Ford Taurus meet up in Dallas

You’re in luck. I coined the phrase – so technically, I can make up whatever I want. In all seriousness, a tweetup is simply a meeting of two or more people who use social networking sites (typically Twitter, but we’re inviting people via Facebook as well). In our case, the Summer of Taurus tweetups have been pulled together by a combination of Ford executives, agency contacts, and local digital influencers who can host the event for us. We show up with the 2010 Taurus for walkarounds and test drives and we bring senior executives to interact with the attendees as well as to handle questions on Twitter via our @Ford account.

In addition to the general Ford Motor Company Facebook fan page, you also have 18 more specific pages including a Teen Driving Skills, an Alan Mulally fan page, and many others. How do you go about creating compelling content for all these pages? Who manages Ford’s collection of Facebook fan pages?

Many of those other pages are fan-driven. Of the ones that are not, we have a number of people on our team who contribute. And even on the pages that we do administer, we don’t control the flow of information. Typically you’ll find that our pages default to the Ford Motor Company + Fans view, rather than just our content. We like to see interaction and we get in there and answer questions as we can.

How do you think social media will evolve in 2010?

It’s tough to say; the pace at which sites and content are developing makes it difficult to predict more than 6 months out. Personally, I think we’ll see more personalization and more location-based services; we’ll continue to see a rise in the number of mobile-friendly applications and sites; and services like Facebook and Twitter, to name the top contenders, will become more integrated into mainstream sites.

In Russia, the most popular social network is V Kontakte. In most of the Middle East, Maktoob is #1. Does Ford participate in Social Media in non-English speaking markets?

We’ve started to do so and we’ll be expanding it. The bulk of our social media efforts have been concentrated in the U.S., where we’ve needed to focus most of our efforts over the past year. We’ve set our global strategy and it will be up to our regional and country-specific teams to execute it according to the specific needs of their respective areas.

How has The Ford Story helped your company communicate its new direction?

The Ford Story was instrumental in separating ourselves from the other U.S. automakers when the Congressional hearings were going on in December 2008. As we’ve evolved the site, it has become a mixture of Ford-generated content, third-party content, and content generated by bloggers to whom we’ve given driving experiences. In addition, we list most of our major social web presences there for easy reference. Together, these sources provide a 360-degree view of our activities and allow readers to engage with the content and the platform that resonates most with them.

Website screen shot

With the rise of blogs, social media, and online publications such as the Huffington Post, will newspapers be able to hold their readership in the online market?

That’s a tough call. It’s clear that the media landscape is changing before our eyes every day. But I can’t imagine that journalism as a career is going to fade away. The newspapers will have to evolve to adapt to social media – just like companies have – and create a new model that supports their existence.

Last question, if you had the attention of all 6.7 Billion people living on the planet, but only 140 characters, what would you say?

Wow. That’s an unexpected, if interesting, question. While you’d probably expect me to say something like “Buy Ford!” I’d use a unique and powerful opportunity like that to say, “Life is short. Live it well, respect others, and give something back to society.”

Christi Day is an Emerging Media Specialist/Spokesperson for Southwest Airlines. She is best known as the voice for Southwest on Twitter. In the interview below, Christi discusses being customer focused on Twitter, social media monitoring, wi-fi in the sky, and her company’s employee social media policy.

Q: How did the “emerging media” team come about at Southwest Airlines?

Christi Day: Before January, Emerging Media was part of PR. Our work load began increasing, and we were having to devote much more time to the online channels. We felt we needed a team in place so we could devote 100% of our time to these audiences. We now have a 7 person team with backgrounds and experience from all over the Company.

Did you work at Southwest before joining its social media team?

Yes, I worked in PR. Social Media was just part of my responsibility. We now have a team in place to focus solely on Emerging Media channels.

As of right now, Southwest has 372,454 followers on Twitter, Virgin America has 24,958, United has 18,515, and American Airlines has 6,619. Twitter is more than a popularity contest, but followers are an indicator. Why do you think Southwest stands out from the pack on Twitter?

Southwest has as 38 year history of being Fun, Customer focused, and a maverick in the industry. Our Customers EXPECT us to be different and a little “outside the box.” These channels make being that way a piece of cake!

What are some examples of being customer focused in Twitter or the other social media you participate in?

Today was a good example. We had an Emergency Landing in Baltimore. We were able to distribute factual information directly to our Customers super quick. We want them to know the truth and trust us to give them the facts.

Also, if someone has a question or comment they can drop in in the Southwestair twitterstream, I try to get back to them as quick as humanly possible. We use all these channels because we must communicate our messages where our Customers already are. We want to be a resource for them.

It seems like there’s a new social network/app created everyday, how does the emerging media team decide which platforms to participate in?

It’s tricky. Twitter is a great example. We jumped in in July 2007. We really had no concept of what it would become. Our strategy wasn’t rigid or structured, and I think that’s what has helped us grow the way we have. We haven’t locked ourselves into doing just ONE thing. We are able to move quickly and efficiently to whatever vehicle will help us communicate our message.

Have you found that social media monitoring is different from traditional media monitoring?

I feel that it is based off the same principals as traditional media monitoring, but there is just much more to monitor. In traditional media, you know it will be available with the morning news and available for intervals throughout the day. Social Media is so much more! It’s 24/7. And you aren’t just monitoring what an anchor is reporting, you are monitoring the reaction from the audience now…which puts a whole new kink in things!

According to your website, Southwest is testing wireless internet access onboard 4 planes. What has the response been so far and do you see Wi-Fi spreading to your entire fleet in the near future?

The response has been great. Our Customers seem to love it! I don’t have any information on when it will be available fleetwide.

With employees (not in communications) using social networks in the work place, PR professionals along with attorneys and other stakeholders are often expected to put together a social media policy. Does Southwest have an employee social media policy? If so, how did you go about creating it?

Our policy is fairly “laid back,” but we do encourage Employees to identify themselves as Southwest Airlines Employees. We also remind them frequently that anything shared online can become public information quickly, so it is critical to remember confidentiality agreements and policies.

How do you see social media evolving in 2010?

I think it will become much more integrated into every initiative we do. I think as communicators, we will ALL do everything better. I feel like 2008-09′ have been the adjustment years. Now that we have our stride, I think we are unstoppable.

Last question, if you had the attention of all 300 Million Americans but only 140 characters, what would you say?

That’s a tough one! I guess since I manage two accounts (my own, and SWA’s) I get two tweets?

Southwestair would say: “Grab your bags, it’s on”
Christi5321 would say: “I’ve done a dance to that”

1) 60% of YouTube users are age 35+
Source: @sandrafathi

It is easy to mistake the web’s dominant video sharing service for a site that primarily appeals to teenagers and younger people. But the fact of the matter is, the majority of YouTube’s audience is age 35 or older. Those looking to reach a 35+ audience should strongly consider participating in YouTube.

2) Social media is a great equalizer, companies big and small are starting in the same place
Source: @briansolis

Take Twitter for example. Virgin America, one of the smallest and least established Airlines in the US, currently has more followers than United or American Airlines.

3) Southwest Airlines’ most viewed video was one of their cheapest to produce
Source: @christi5321

In other words, there are more factors to creating viral content than money invested.

For full disclosure, Vocus is a sponsor of my PR Professionals weekly e-mail blast. They did not pay me to attend their conference, nor did they have any editorial control over my live tweeting during their event.

5) Kanye West Fake Twitter Outrage

Details: Top 40 sensation, Kanye West, was furious when fake accounts in his name spread misinformation. Twitter suffered negative press coverage because of their slow response. In Kanye’s own words, “The people at Twitter know I don’t have a f—ing Twitter so for them to allow someone to pose as me and accumulate over a million names is irresponsible and deceitful to their faithful users.“

Lesson: Respond quickly.

4) PRSA’s Abuse of Lois Whitman

Details: PRSA threw one of their members under a bus when they held a seminar singling out publicist Lois Whitman for a mistake she made earlier. According to the seminar description, “Pitching a blogger is like pitching a reporter…do it wrong, and you might just end up like Lois Whitman (we’ll tell you who Lois Whitman is and what she did at the session!).“

Lesson: Don’t alienate your customers.

3) United Airlines Broken Guitar Mess

Details: In 2008, United Airlines, mishandled a musician’s $1,200 guitar. After months of trying to get reimbursed, Dave Carroll composed a catchy song and YouTube hit “United Breaks Guitars”. The video has been viewed several million times and has been featured in the mainstream press worldwide.

Lesson: Respect your customers. United Airlines should have understood how important a guitar is to a musician.

2) Habitat Iran Twitter Tag Disaster

Details: UK Retailer Habitat used Iran Twitter tags to promote a furniture sale! The company received monumentally bad press for exploiting discussion about Iran’s green revolution.

Lesson: Be tactful.

1) Golden State Warriors Fan Board Scandal

Details: The Golden State Warriors head of PR was caught making fake posts on the team’s fan board. His excuse? “I just wanted to get some positive things going.” The 30-year PR veteran further dug himself in a hole with this non-apology apology, “I’ll take 100% responsibility, if anybody thinks I did anything wrong“

Lesson: Don’t be deceitful.