Andrew Worob

PR at Sunrise

Andrew is a PR and digital communications professional with a background as a reporter. By working in ‘traditional PR’ and experiencing social media networks and platforms on his own personal time for several years, he's gained a unique insight into which strategies and tactics work best to reach client objectives.

What Should Brands Do With Google+ in 2012?

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Posted on 2012-01-04

The hot topic for most people in social media and technology these days is Google+.

With roughly 60 million users (still unclear how many are active) in just a few months existence, it has certainly caught the attention of marketers and the mainstream media. But along with it comes many questions from agencies and brands alike:

Will it succeed? Is it worth creating a business page right away? Aside from SEO, what are the benefits of it?

The answers to these questions are still being debated and likely won’t be answered anytime soon. However, I’m curious to hear just how PR/social media/marketing pros are advising brands on how to approach Google+. Please take the poll below.

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The Most Important Word PR Pros Should Use More Often: “No”

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Posted on 2011-09-22

This is going to be one of my shortest posts. Not because I don’t have a lot of thoughts on it, but because I don’t think you need a lot of words to get the point across on this one…

At times, there are clients (and even PR pros) that sound like nothing more than an infomercial.

“We want a mobile app that is going to let you do 20 different things with just the touch of a button.”

“Lets suggest the client build its blog on Tumblr because WordPress is so 2010.”

“Have you heard about that shiny, new social media tool that was launched last week according to Mashable? We really want it.”

Whether the client comes to you with an idea for a new social media campaign, or a suggestion for a PR event, if it doesn’t make sense for the brand, doesn’t meet the company’s goals, and measuring its success is going to be an obstacle, say something! Don’t be a ‘yes man’ and nod your head at everything the client says just because they are client. They are hiring...

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Top 10 Reasons Why Being a PR Pro is One of the Toughest Jobs You Could Have

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Posted on 2011-08-30

At the risk of this post coming off as slightly depressing for anyone interested in pursuing a career in PR, I’ve decided to have a little fun and run this list anyway.

Also, I want to stress that I realize there are many other jobs that are much more challenging (being in the military, a doctor, teacher, etc.) than working in PR, but like I said, let’s have a little fun with this.

Here’s the top 10 reasons why being a PR pro is one of the toughest jobs you could have:

10. Demanding clients – They always want more results.

9. Demanding bosses – See above.

8. Meetings, conference calls, meetings, conference calls – Every day is filled with these. How can work ever get done?

7. Time management difficulties - No matter how many clients you may have, the work has to get done.

6. Getting the raise you want is no easy feat - The economy aside, it’s tough...

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Top 10 Ways to Succeed in PR

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Posted on 2011-07-20

10. Embrace all of the free online resources at your fingertips. From blogs to tweetchats, and everything in between, a great PR education is just a URL away.

9. Speak up during internal team brainstorms. In order to gain a voice in the room when you are with a client, you need to first use the one you have when you are in a room with your colleagues. You never know when you might say something that sparks an idea (and don’t worry, even if you say something that doesn’t lead anywhere, your managers will still love the fact that you were thinking and trying to be helpful).

8. Make sure you have thick skin. You are going experience challenging clients that do nothing but piss you off and yell at you. You may eve have co-workers that you can’t stand dealing with. Although it may be hard to imagine, I can promise that you will learn a ton from these situations.

7. Be a news hound. Do you like to stroll into the...

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PR and Social Media Bloggers Are Educators, Not Magicians

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Posted on 2011-06-21

Whether it’s myself offering motivational job advice to PR pros and students, words of encouragement being delivered from Danny Brown, or insights from Jay Baer on using Facebook for Business, bloggers have a way of making things sound so easy to do. But at the risk of sounding like a downer, this post is to remind people that this could not be further from the truth.

Nothing we do at our jobs – whether it be in PR, social media, or marketing – ever comes easy. Neither myself, nor the aforementioned bloggers, will ever tell you that we have the magic formula to success and that we know how to solve all of your problems.

However, what we do provide is a massive amount of information that we’ve come across firsthand from our own...

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Can Digital Agencies Survive as PR Agencies Move in on their Turf?

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Posted on 2011-06-16

With more traditional PR agencies taking on digital work, digital-only agencies face not only more competition, but a different perception among marketers.

In a 2011 New Business Report - A Client’s Look Ahead at Agencies – 174 marketing decision-makers were polled regarding their agency use and satisfaction. While only 52% classify their current agency as full-service, a mere 6% stated that they were very likely to use an exclusively digital agency in the future. However, marketers did show some confidence in the ability of digital firms to win full service work. Also, only 55% of those surveyed stated that they were very likely to use their primary agencies services again.

At present, it appears that while preferring a full-service agency, the minds and doors of marketers are open to using digital agencies that can expand their offerings.

So how should a digital-only...

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Five Social Media Lessons From Larry David

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Posted on 2011-06-01

The other day, I was sitting at home watching TV and saw a new commercial promoting the upcoming season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

For anyone that has or hasn’t watched (It’s one of my favorites and should be watched by anyone who was a fan of Seinfeld), you should know that Larry David, who plays himself on the show, has several defining characteristics. Within his traits, there are several lessons we can take away and apply them to how we counsel our clients on their social media efforts.

1. Larry often says the things that many people think, but don’t actually say in public. This may work for Larry, but if your client has a brand page on Facebook or a group on LinkedIn, there are ways of getting their message across without coming off as an ass.

2. Larry can be brutally honest. Now, you don’t want to come...

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Just Because The Client Is Always Right, Doesn’t Mean You’re Always Wrong

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Posted on 2011-04-26

Getting a client to agree with your counsel is often an uphill battle

If you are a PR pro who’s ever worked at an agency, then you know this scenario far too well.

One of your clients - let’s call them Joe’s Laundromat – has a huge launch coming up. Big money has been invested in it and Joe thinks this is the biggest news to hit the industry since the invention of the steam iron.

Upon hearing this news, the agency PR team gets together and writes out a strategy that they believe will help drive success for this launch. However, the agency’s plan does not involve all of the tactics that Joe is eager to move forward with. Despite the agency’s counsel, Joe wants to move forward doing things his way. The agency agrees.

So what am I trying to get at? For starters, every client (and every agency for that...

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Killing Someone’s Confidence Is Not How Leaders Are Made

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Posted on 2011-04-07

Sometimes a manager, or even the client, needs to be sympathetic and act as a parental figure in certain situations.

Every once in a while mistakes happen. And when that occurs, it’s important to not only handle the situation delicately with the client, but also with the employee involved in the situation.

In PR, it’s often said that you need to treat every client differently. They all have their own unique personalities, expectations, and so on.

But the same rings true for employees. Some are better at handling criticism. Others are not.

Whether you are the angry client or the disappointed account manager, there’s a right and a wrong way to deal with a situation.

Ask yourself these three questions before you react and decide the proper course of action:

1....

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Don’t Be Afraid To Tell Your Client If Their Idea Sucks

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Posted on 2011-03-22

We’ve all been there before. Whether it’s a new business presentation or a meeting at the beginning of the year where the client tells us what they are launching, we’ve all rolled our eyes at some point thinking to ourselves that even a 10-year-old could come up with a better idea.

That being said, many of us stand idly by, failing to speak up in fear that the client will not be happy to hear our viewpoint on their big plans. But isn’t that wrong? Shouldn’t we be of the thinking that clients WANT to hear our professional opinions rather than having them move quickly to spend thousands or millions of dollars on something that might just suck? I’m not saying to come right out and say, “your idea sucks,” but speak up and don’t be afraid to give an opinion.

Here are a few ways to handle a situation in which you disagree with what a client...

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