K Street Cafe

I wanted to take a moment to inform K Street readers of an upcoming event series for PR professionals. Starting March 26, the National Press Club and Adfero Group will be co-sponsoring a series of half-day conferences and classroom-style training seminars to help PR pros stay up to date with the latest industry trends and tactics. Topics will include how social media has changed the way reporters, sources and communication professionals effectively work together and how to use new, inexpensive tactics to get the word out.

Events are open to both members and non-members. To see calendar of seminars and conferences and to register, please visit here.

By Amanda Phraner

About a month ago, a co-worker convinced me to join Foursquare, which I read somewhere is the new Twitter. If you haven’t checked out Foursquare yet, it provides capabilities for its users to “check-in” and tell friends where they are located.  Each check-in can earn you various points, badges and even special offers from local businesses.

Foursquare seems like a great opportunity for businesses to connect with frequent customers and market their services.  My question is: Can it also be of value to the grassroots advocacy world? Are there ways for organizations to use Foursquare to engage members and motivate activists?

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Optics (New York Times)
Discover how “optics” has achieved buzzword status in American politics.

DC Decoder: Writing to Congress (Congress.com)
An interesting video with helpful tips on how to write an effective letter to Congress.

In yesterday’s issue of The Hill, Michael Wm. Schick, partner at Adfero Group, discussed how technology routinely used for personal connections across the globe can be leveraged by members of Congress, trade associations and global organizations.

Here is one example of the many uses of Skype:

If you are a member of Congress, there is no substitute for meeting with constituents in person, pressing the flesh, looking voters in the eye and letting them know you are with them. But when votes on Capitol Hill keep elected officials from returning to their home states and districts, Skype can be a life-saver. While there aren’t enough hours in the day to talk to everyone, a video call on Skype allows the senator or representative to deliver the contact some constituents (major donors, community leaders, political allies, etc.) have come to expect.

Check out Michael’s full article, “Skype: The next best thing to being there” here. 

By Elizabeth Sicuso

Over the winter, Price Floyd, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, spoke to a group of communicators about the necessity of social media from the Department of Defense’s stand point.  Floyd’s points, mainly that your audience is larger than you could imagine and that you can’t avoid social media, finally took hold last week with the release of the DoD’s Official Policy on New/Social Media. The newly released memo states, “The policy, which is effective immediately, states that the default for the DoD non-classified network (the NIPRNET) is for open access so that all of DoD can use new media.”

This is a great step forward not only for social media, but also government communications and transparency, and it raises the question that I asked previously – If the DoD can balance security, information sharing and transparency, then why can’t every company?

While the recent hacking of prominent Twitter accounts (see United Airlines recent snafu here) may result in many companies pulling back on social media in caution, in my opinion, the DoD announcement should show them to not be afraid, but instead cautious, of social media.  If the DoD can balance all the priorities of information sharing, principally, national security, then the private sector has no excuse.

How Causes + Campaigns Can Use Foursquare (Advocacy 2.0)
Tips on how various causes and campaigns can maximize the use of the online tool, Foursquare.

Pentagon Loosens Reins over Facebook, Twitter, Web 2.0 Apps (eWeek)
In an effort to balance appropriate security measures while maximizing capabilities of new Internet tools, the Department of Defense recently granted military personnel access to Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps and other user-generated applications.

We the Tweeple: Congressional Directory Adds Twitter Accounts (Washington Examiner)
The annual “Congress at Your Fingertips” book is about to be released, and this year it contains members’ Twitter accounts.

Democrats and Republicans Ape Apple and Google in Dueling Web Spots (The Hill)
Both parties released web ads parodying commercials that have become staples for the dueling tech companies’ marketing.

Obama Seeks Return To Campaign-Style Discipline
(Huffington Post)
Faced with criticism that the President is not connecting with the American people, the White House infuses its communications strategy with campaign style discipline and thinking.

D.C. Wants Google’s Fiber Network (The Hill)
Hoping the District will be a test market for Google’s ultra-fast broadband network, Councilwoman Mary Cheh is circulating a petition urging residents to contact Google for more information about the project.

3 Reasons PR & Communications Pros Need to Know SEO
(Online Marketing Blog)
Learn several ways a better understanding of search engine optimization can provide value and attract attention.

8 Types of People That Belong on Twitter (Inc.)
Which one are you?

Will You Be E-Mailing This Column? It’s Awesome
(The New York Times)
Discover the real reason people forward content.

Understanding Buzz for Your Business (The Bivings Report)
The Tuesday release of Google’s Buzz has stirred debate over how it will compete with major social network players.

By Anne D. Darconte

For over a year now, grassroots practitioners in Washington, DC have been discussing the pros and cons of adopting an ethics code for conducting grassroots advocacy campaigns. While this is not a new issue by any means, it gained renewed attention after the infamous Abramoff lobbying scandal and the presidential election of Barack Obama who promised greater transparency in government. Last summer, more fuel was added to the fire when angry citizens voiced their displeasure at congressional town hall meetings with the health care reform debate. Then the disclosure that bogus letters had been sent to several members of Congress by an employee of a grassroots advocacy firm on behalf of its client resulted in a congressional hearing.

The latest panel to address this issue convened on this week at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. About 75 people turned out to hear the panel participants discuss the pros and cons of a grassroots code of ethics. While most agreed that adopting such a code would be worthwhile, the devil continues to be in the detail. (more…)