Time Magazine’s provocative breast-feeding cover created a buzz of debate and conversation across Internet. Some found the shock value of the photograph disturbing and offensive. Others felt the image successfully drew attention to the issue, provoking thoughtful conversation about motherhood and attachment parenting.

Shock value is also a useful topic of discussion among advertisers. In an industry known for using sex, beauty and guilt to sell products, we have to ask ourselves: what will effectively draw attention without going too far?

Asking these questions may be the best way to keep our moral compass in this business of persuasion. Actively acknowledging our social responsibility while maintaining clients’ interests can be a tricky balance. But we’re sure they are in reach with a bit of creative thinking and a lot of hard work.

Luke Sullivan’s book, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, has a chapter titled “Salesmen Don’t Have to Wear Plaid: Selling without Selling Out” that ties into this concept. He believed advertisers could be proud of their work while practicing good business. “Advertising didn’t have to embarrass itself in order to make a cash register ring,” he writes.

Here at PPBH, we practice this by remembering everything we work on has our name on it. We’re personally invested in making successful campaigns without stooping to cheap and unbecoming methods. We’re proud of the work we do because settling for less isn’t who we are.

Source: Facebook.com

An article today in The Christian Science Monitor reports findings from a survey tied to Facebook’s IPO, in which half of Americans say Facebook is a fad. I’m not sure I can count myself among this half of Americans, as I see Facebook in a different light than most (perhaps because it’s part of my job). IPO aside, I think Americans have too much invested in Facebook for it to just be a fad. Facebook is becoming an increasingly more relevant part of our culture and lives. The article accounts for this view—some 59 percent of Americans under age 35 (hint: I fall in this category)—the same age group as the site’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg—see Facebook as a good bet.

Facebook certainly has some things going its way to ensure its future:

• More than 40 percent of American adults log in to Facebook at least once a week, according to the article.
• Facebook (and Twitter) ad is spending expected to double by 2016.
• There were approximately 900 million active users at the end of March 2012. In fact, an average of 3.2 billion likes and comments were generated by Facebook users per day during the first quarter of 2012.

As I perused the news coverage this afternoon, there seems to be opinions, facts and data in favor of Facebook being a fad, too:

• The IPO price is just too high.
• Privacy. The Christian Science Monitor puts it best: the privacy issue is a stinger.
• Are ads really a money maker? Fifty-seven percent of users say they never click on ads. As more users access the site from mobile devices, they’re not seeing ads. Yet, ads are required to fuel Facebook forward as a revenue source.

So, I’m not sure where I sit, but there certainly is impressive data on both sides. What do you think? Is Facebook just a passing fad or is it here to stay?

For starters…

• You are 50 percent more likely to survive a car crash if you’re buckled.
• Your chances of being killed in a car crash are 23 times greater if you are thrown from a vehicle.
• Since its inception over 50 years ago, the seat belt has been credited with saving one million lives.
• You can get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt or for wearing it improperly.
• The No. 1 reason that vehicle occupants die in car crashes in Utah is from not buckling up or buckling up incorrectly.

Hold on, you ask—there is a right and wrong way to buckle up? You bet. Common improper restraint includes putting the shoulder belt behind your back or incorrectly using a child restraint. But don’t fret: Click It Utah is a one-stop resource with all the information you need to know how to properly buckle you and your family.

The new site includes laws and guidelines for seat belt use among children, teens, adults, pregnant women and individuals with special needs. Check it out—it could save your life and the lives of those you love.

Stacy Johnson (left) speaks with Secretary LaHood, May 9, 2012

Contributed by Brent Wilhite, Account Supervisor at PPBH

How often do you get to meet the top __________ in the nation? The top athlete, the top singer, the top chain saw juggler, the top anyone?

Well, when I heard that the top transportation official in the country would be speaking at an event in Salt Lake City last night, I just had to be there. Of course, there are a bunch of traffic safety nerds at PPBH, so some of us went to meet Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He spoke at an event sponsored by the Utah Chapter of the Women in Transportation Seminar.

Secretary LaHood is lauded for placing the dangers of texting while driving in the national spotlight. Under his leadership, 38 states have banned texting while driving for all drivers. In 2009, at the nation’s first summit on distracted driving, he said, “Distracted driving is a menace to society. It is an epidemic, and it seems to be getting worse.”

At that same summit, Secretary LaHood invited a young man speak to the national leaders about how his decision to text and drive took the lives of two husbands and fathers. That young man is Reggie Shaw. In 2009, PPBH and Zero Fatalities produced an 15-minute educational video about Reggie. We interviewed the widows of the men Reggie killed, we interviewed Reggie’s parents and we filmed Reggie as he was admitted to the Cache County Jail to serve his sentence for killing two men because he was texting while driving.

Last night, Secretary LaHood called for more enforcement and education about the dangers of distracted driving. As he did so, PPBH’s own Stacy Johnson offered to make him aware that Reggie Shaw still goes out with the Zero Fatalities and Don’t Drive Stupid speakers to high school students across the state. LaHood asked Stacy to share Reggie’s story with everyone in attendance. If you don’t already know about his story, you need to see the video. If you do know the story, share it with others. It should be mandatory viewing for anyone who has car keys and a cell phone.

In reference to the fatalities caused by distracted driving, LaHood said, “These heartbreaking stories could be prevented. Some stupid phone call. Think of all your phone calls. Can you remember one that was important? You can remember a lot that were not. Think of a text message that was really important. Most of them are stupid.“

In honor of LaHood’s comments about “stupid” texts and phone calls, we gave him a coveted “Don’t Drive Stupid” t-shirt. I’m sure he’ll wear it at President Obama’s next cabinet meeting.

Let me preface this post by saying that I am an admitted baseball fanatic. To mitigate any potential controversy, I won’t tell you who my team is, but I will say that one of the draws of the sport for me is the element of teamwork that is involved. Each player has a very specific job to do… a discipline, if you will. Everyone works independently from each other, yet as a team with a common goal. Different moving parts of the same whole.

Which brings me to my point: a successful agency works as a team.

Picture this if you will: It’s the bottom of the ninth and the home team is down one run with two outs and a runner on third. The batter hits a hard grounder to the shortstop, which is fielded beautifully. Instead of throwing the ball to the first baseman for the easy out and win, the shortstop decides that he wants to be the one to “win” the game and runs the ball to first for the out. He, of course, doesn’t beat the runner to the base, and the runner on third heads home and scores the winning run for the other team.

Crazy, right? There’s no way that would happen in any baseball game, and especially not on a professional level. I mean, it’s pretty obvious, right? So why is it so common in the agency world?

We’ve seen this conflict depicted in shows like Mad Men, where there is a perceived delineation and competition between the account executives and the creatives, or (especially if you’ve watched this season) even amongst people in the same department (Roger Sterling v. Pete Campbell, anyone?). It can become a game of who brought in which account and who or what is most valuable to an agency. And it’s a game that that specific agency will eventually lose.

A good campaign, product or story is the outcome of a team effort. It’s reaching across departmental lines, utilizing the strengths and diversity of talent of each team member to achieve an optimal result. Because the best results come when people take off their “me” hats and put on their “we” hats. And also when they recognize when it’s time to throw the ball.

Image from amctv.com

You may have heard about AMC’s new reality show, The Pitch. So far, we’re two episodes in and the cat claws of contempt and disgust throughout the advertising world have come out in full-force. If you’re not familiar with the show, the premise is very simple: while the camera is rolling, two agencies are given an assignment from a major brand and have less than a week to come back and deliver the “pitch” (which is the big song and dance where agencies give away all of their ideas for free). Participating in pitches is a lot like gambling—you bet all of your agency’s money and resources on winning it all. Since there are usually at least five other competitors trying to eat your lunch, this is usually a bad bet. You’re ultimately left with a really nasty hangover.

But the reaction to the show has exposed an insecurity in our industry about how agencies are portrayed. Here are five reasons why The Pitch should never have aired:

1. Ad people should never be reality stars. The point of an advertising/PR agency is never to be seen. We are strictly behind-the-scenes people, not the stars (well, except for that creative guy who decided to appear in his own UPS spot). Watching the creative process is like watching sausage get made. Who wants to see that? This is why most large agencies declined to participate.
2. Ad people are incredibly thin-skinned. For the rejection we face in our lifetimes of pitching business and campaign ideas, you’d think ad agency types would get used to it. Yet, we are delicate creatures who believe in the grandiosity of our own ideas until they are squashed by clients and our own kind. Just take a look at the comments section for any article about this show. All the arm-chair agency quarterbacks at home are weighing in on the stupidity of the participants while silently being very thankful their own stupidity didn’t make it to the screen.
3. Ad people say the darndest things! Check out this gem from Tracy Wong, founding partner of WDCW: “How are you going to win an account? You’ve got to slug it out in the gladiator arena with all these other naked, glistening, sword-wielding agencies.” That just puts the most pleasant picture in all of our minds, doesn’t it? Or this one from SK+G’s Ray Johnson: “There are poets and there are killers. If you can be both, you’ll get rich.” Apparently, ad agencies are very violent places.
4. Pitches aren’t really like The Pitch. To best dramatize ad agency pitches, you’ve got to leave a lot on the cutting room floor. But AMC is almost too edit-happy. They turn the actual pitch into a one-minute PowerPoint slide. Where are all the consumer insights? And creative people aren’t the only cantankerous misanthropes. Where are those sad sack media people? Probably out to lunch.
5. It’s really boring if you’re not in the biz. My wife took one look at me getting ready to watch The Pitch and silently muttered, “you nerd” as she left the living room. AMC figured Mad Men viewers might find the derring-do of modern ad agencies a compelling sequel to its hit show. Maybe general audiences will find The Pitch fascinating in 30 years, but my guess is they’ll just keep on watching re-runs of Mad Men.

So have we sold you on this show yet? Be sure to catch the next exciting episode tonight on AMC! Let us know what you think.

From left - right: Frank, Bobby, Ryan and Ali. Not pictured: Patty

Our creative team has grown! We’re thrilled to announce the addition of five new PPBHers in the creative department. Welcome Ali, Bobby, Frank, Patty and Ryan! Here’s a brief intro to the new, fab five:

Ali Griffin, Designer
Former Utah State University soccer star Ali Griffin toyed with the idea of moving to Dallas to pursue a career in a women’s semi-pro soccer league, but in the end, she traded out her cleats for a job in the agency world. Ali, who has a BFA from USU with a minor in marketing, loves traveling and is quickly earning the title as PPBH’s international explorer, having backpacked through or stayed in more than a dozen countries around the world. Her favorite? Korea.

Bobby Brinton, Sr. Copywriter
Bobby Brinton brings a little bit of rock ‘n roll to PPBH. This multi-talented writer had his group, Hudson River School, signed with Sony Records at one time. Bobby, a Ute by education, has since traded music for diapers. He is the proud dad of two, with a third on the way. The rocker in him is still there, though, as he says, “We still raise hell and trash the place, but now I have to clean up afterward.”

Frank Harnden, Production Manager
Frank Harnden brings with him more than 20 years of industry experience, a perfect fit for PPBH’s variety of clients. Beyond his resume and expertise, Frank is a New Hampshire native that has visited all 50 states (and has lived in a few of them, too) and continues to travel as often as he can. Whether it’s Hawaii for his birthday or diving in Cozumel and Honduras, chances are he’s done it. Frank’s two biggest fans are his 18-month-old Cocker Spaniel puppies, Atlas and Orion.

Patty Clark, Associate Copywriter
Patty Clark, whose favorite words are “enigma” and “hyperbole” and hates the word “moist,” joins PPBH from BYU’s top-ranked advertising program. She previously worked as an associate producer and a copywriter at BYUtv. Another fun fact about one of PPBH’s newest team members: Patty has a snail collection.

Ryan Williams, Production Artist
Ryan Williams was dubbed “Thor” almost immediately upon joining the PPBH team for his golden mane that rivals that of the Marvel® superhero. Ryan graduated from Utah Valley University (go Wolverines!) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, emphasis in graphic design. He is an outdoor enthusiast who loves all things rock climbing, canyoneering and mountain biking.

The PPBH team is still growing. We’re currently looking for a Web developer/programmer with extensive knowledge of PHP/MySQL, HTML/CSS, Javascript and jQuery.

Check out the full job description on our Careers page. Resumes can be sent to hr@ppbh.com.

Take, for example, the recent work behind the making of an ad. You’d be surprised how many PPBHers tried to art direct this small, 8.5″ x 11″ piece of work.

Here we observe Lars, senior art director, in his natural habitat, loitering in the direct vicinity behind the designer—preferably pointing.

When the creative director ventures from his office, he often mimics the behavior of the art director to confuse and confound.

If the account manager invades creative territory, she finds herself enthralled, drawn to the light of the designer’s monitor.

Although a group of HADs may start relatively small…

They will flock like beasts to a watering hole, eager to witness and comment on the creative process.

A rare glimpse of hungry HADs feasting on their favorite food source while they strain their necks for a view at the designer’s work.

To his dismay, the art director discovers he is not immune when his lair is infiltrated by the HAD.

And where there is one, more will certainly follow.

As a former journalist, I bring a perspective to PPBH that comes from working in the trenches side-by-side with the reporters and producers for nearly a decade. Before making the jump to what many journalists lovingly refer to as the “dark side,” I found myself smack in the middle of a newsroom evolution and picked up some great tips along the way.

The fact is, we are in an era where journalism is rapidly changing. From the influence of social media to cuts in staffing, newsrooms are continuously evolving across all media. With these changes come unique challenges and opportunities. That means public relations professionals need to evolve and adapt to today’s news environment. Tactics that worked well for clients just a few years ago do not work as well today.

Here are few tips and tricks that will ensure your clients don’t get left in the dust:

Press conferences are boring. Gone are the days of simply sending out a media advisory and having news crews show up in droves to a boring staged press conference featuring “talking heads.” While this tactic is still revered by many clients, it just doesn’t make for a good news story. If your client must have a formal press conference, arrange for media interviews with key players before the event. With reporters covering multiple stories in one day, it is simply not realistic to expect them to sit through an hour-long press conference just to get their interviews at the very end. In fact, if your client is willing to try something new, consider hosting a media briefing rather than a press conference. It is a great way to provide journalists with the opportunity to come get their interviews, video and photos in a flexible setting and timeframe that works well for them. The stories they produce will also come across more authentic, and you will often get better coverage than you would from a standard press conference.

Keep it simple. Press kits can be a very helpful tool in telling a client’s story. Make sure that the key messaging doesn’t get lost in a “creative” press kit. Be sure to provide media with a simple fact sheet that is easy to read and understand. I can’t tell you how many times I passed on a story just because the press kit was too complicated and the information was not presented well. Journalists don’t have time to read a novel. They need the information quickly and seamlessly.

Find the human interest story. With so many news stories to choose from each day, if your pitch doesn’t have a human-interest factor it may get overlooked. Contrary to popular belief, public officials do not always make the best interviews. In fact, there are some news outlets that do not allow reporters to use public official interviews in a story. That creates a challenge for PR professionals because you might have to really work to find the human interest story that will capture a journalist’s attention. Always ask yourself, “So what? How does this affect the audience? Why would they care?” That is exactly what the reporter, producer or assignment editor asks when a pitch or press release comes across their desk.

News photographers are your ally. Many PR professionals only consider their event or story a success by the number of reporters in attendance. However, in today’s evolving newsrooms crews are doing more with less. In fact, it is not uncommon for a photographer to be sent out solo to shoot a package or story to pass off to a reporter. As a PR professional, it is your job to treat photographers with the same respect you would treat a reporter. Make sure that a photographer gets everything he or she needs and that you are as accommodating to them as possible. Never forget that the photographer is your ally, and the fate of your client’s story often rests in their hands. Don’t get discouraged if the photographer doesn’t show up with a reporter. Photographers have a huge impact on a story and its success.

Sometimes, you’ve got to pay to play. The reality is many opportunities for earned media have gone the way of the dinosaurs. The economic downturn has impacted news outlets, and that has led to many companies looking for unique ways to make up the difference. You may have heard of a new “added value” opportunity where a news station will offer interview slots on a news program as part of an advertising package. In the past this was a fairly common occurrence for lifestyle shows, but added value has now crossed over into the news realm. The good thing is, it gives a client another great opportunity to ensure their message is communicated to target audiences.

Relationships are key. It can be easy to get stuck in a rut and forget that in PR it really is our job to work hand in hand with the  media. We all have a job to do, and we need each other to do it. All PR professionals should take the time and effort to get to know the journalists you are working with. It can pay huge dividends for your clients.

We can never forget that newsrooms are in a constant state of change. The tips I shared today may not be relevant six months from now. As the news industry changes, PR professionals need to learn and adapt quickly to ensure continued success. Flexibility is key, and you can’t be afraid to try new things. In the end, your clients will thank you for it it.

Justin Bieber’s Klout score is 100. Sarah Palin’s is 73. What’s yours?

I’m sure you’re aware of the importance a high credit rating carries in getting you great loan rates, or SAT scores in getting your kids in the top schools, but did you know that your social media influence can be measured by a single number? According to some, it all comes down to your Klout score.

Klout.com measures users’ online influence on a scale of 1 to 100, essentially ranking the influence of every person online using proprietary algorithms to quantify this influence. For example, a large following on Twitter or Facebook can boost your rating. Also important in determining your score is the number of posts on social media sites that are ‘liked’ or retweeted.

Even if you have no idea what your Klout score is (or even if you had no idea what Klout was until this post), it could be already affecting your life. In a recent Wired Magazine article, author Seth Stevenson writes about how some top brands are discussing how to use Klout scores. In fact, soon people with high Klout scores could board planes earlier, receive discounts from top retail stores and stay in better hotel rooms.

Not everybody wants a Klout score to determine what kind of service you get, according to the article. The article quotes Jaron Lanier, author of You Are Not a Gadget, saying, “People’s lives are being run by stupid algorithms more and more.”

So, the feelings are mixed on whether these scores carry any real clout, but while the jury is still out, it may be worth your while to see where you rank. Let us know in the comments where you come in at, and whether your ranking surprised you or not.

When I was presenting at a high school about traffic safety this month as part of our Zero Fatalities and Don’t Drive Stupid programs outreach, one student raised her hand and said she recently hit a pedestrian while driving. The teen had been distracted and didn’t notice she was approaching the pedestrian-occupied intersection until it was too late. The driver was able to slow down enough as not to seriously injure or kill the pedestrian crossing at the signal, but not enough to avoid the collision. The impact sent the pedestrian onto the hood of the car and landed on the windshield.

The driver said that was the worst feeling in the world.

Uh…yeah.

I imagine there’s an even worse feeling, however—the one after hitting and killing a pedestrian. The emotional trauma would be especially brutal if you, as the motorist, were at fault but no matter who is at fault—motorist or pedestrian—guilt and trauma would be felt by all involved. Hitting and killing a pedestrian is just not one of those things you dream of doing when you grow up. Neither is being the impacted pedestrian.

Sadly, so far this year, we’ve had nine pedestrian fatalities in Utah, up three from this same point last year. These folks ranged from 6-years-old to 82-years-old. The number of fatalities keeps rising, too. Early this morning, another life was claimed in Salt Lake City as the result of a hit-and-run pedestrian fatality.

Here are some safety tips to prevent further tragedies.

Pedestrians:
• Always cross at a cross walk, and only when it’s your turn.
• Be alert and attentive when crossing the street, watching for motorists who may not be watching for you.
• If available, use the orange flag when crossing crosswalks.
• Stay on the sidewalk; if obstructed, stay to the far ride of the shoulder.
• Eliminate distractions when walking across train crossings to avoid a collision and a fine.
• When around trains, cross only where designated and only when it’s your right of way.
• Wear bright colors when dusk or dark.

Motorists:
• Always watch out for pedestrians, especially at crosswalks and intersections.
• Yield to pedestrians crossing the street.
• After ensuring that traffic is clear when turning, double-check that no pedestrians have entered the intersection.
• Don’t pass any stopped vehicles that are yielding to pedestrians whether on a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
• Don’t begin driving until all pedestrians have exited the crosswalk.
• Be aware of and yield to those conducting roadwork.
• Slow down and eliminate distractions while driving.

In short, both drivers and pedestrians would do well with obeying the rules of the road and simply being careful.

The reality is that the person crossing the street could be your loved one and is certainly loved by someone else. A collision could happen to any of us, even the one time we decide to cross the road carelessly—no one is exempt. So let’s all use some common sense and caution and work together to prevent any further auto/pedestrian collisions and fatalities this year.