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David Mullen

David Mullen on PR and Integrated Communications

Moved to DavidWMullen.comDecember 17 2009

This is my old blog address, which changed over a year ago. Please head over to Communications Catalyst to read my latest takes on integrated communications, public relations and social media.

See you there!

New Book on Marketing in the Social Media Era Also Supports Susan G. KomenApril 7 2009

It’s not every day you get to do something selfish and selfless at the same time, but today is your lucky day.

The selfish part – A new book on marketing in the social media era is available to help you navigate your way through the amazing opportunities and interesting challenges marketers face in today’s Web-powered world.

The selfless part – Every penny of the book’s profits will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to support its dedication to education and research about the causes, treatment and search for a cure of breast cancer.

One of the most interesting things to me about Connect! Marketing in the Social Media Era is that it’s a collaborative project. One hundred marketers representing every discipline within the marketing mix each contributed a 400-word chapter for the book. People like Ann Handley from

Employees Using Social Media Can Give Companies a Nasty VirusApril 2 2009

A couple weeks ago, a virus had its way with my family. Within a four-day span, all four of us were incredibly sick for 24 hours at a time and it seemed there was nothing we could do to stop the next person from getting it.

That’s because despite how careful we were – quarantining the sick one to a bedroom, dispensing large bottles of hand sanitizer, etc. – it’s impossible to be fully conscious of every single time your hand touches something else in the house. For example, we each hold the handrail when coming down the stairs by habit without even giving it a thought.

It’s not much different for companies that have employees who are active in the social media space. And, honestly, what company doesn’t have at least one employee with a Facebook page or Twitter account?

Social media is like a rabbit hole and it’s easy for employees to either not be fully conscious of all the places they touch or forget that Google can find just about anything. A rude comment on a blog post here. A

4 Easy Steps to Better PR MeasurementMarch 29 2009

This is a guest post by Chuck Hemann.

What do you think when you hear the word “measurement?” What about “evaluation?” If you are planning to roll your eyes or let out a heavy sigh don’t. While measurement and evaluation are concepts that don’t always come naturally to public relations professionals, knowing how to talk about them (and ultimately implement them) is critical to your success.

So if measurement and evaluation are so critical, why aren’t more plans building in measurement and evaluation programs? My feeling is that we haven’t seen more widespread adoption because we have not spent time educating account executives on how to do it. When they do hear about measurement, it’s usually advertising value equivalencies (AVE) and impressions.

So, how can we help make it more approachable? Here are four tips to help you get started down the road to better measurement:

1.    Take considerable time setting MEASURABLE goals and objectives. It’s amazing to me how many companies jump into a program without ever considering what they are planning to accomplish by spending the money. Ask your clients what they want to get out of the efforts. If the answer is “We want to improve our communications,” help them narrow

What is the Biggest Challenge For PR Pros in 2009?March 25 2009

We’re one quarter into 2009 and it seems like the only certainty we will have this year is uncertainty. Marketing has often been one of the first budgets trimmed in this tough economy and marketers have not been immune to pink slips and severance pay.

That said, the economy is not the only challenge we face, which made me wonder what you think is the biggest obstacle the PR industry needs to overcome this year to move forward.

It’s hard to pick the toughest opponent, but I think better measurement should be at the top of the list. When sharp pencils are aimed at budgets, the first things typically scaled back or cut out altogether are those which seem to provide the least return on investment. That’s why we need to find better ways to measure our efforts and quantify the value we bring to the marketing mix than simply relying on impressions and advertising value equivalencies. If CEOs and CMOs have a better understanding of PR’s value, then we’ll have a better chance