PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

IABC Barbados President Christal McIntosh addresses the inaugural meeting

IABC Barbados Board

IABC Trinidad and Tobago President Judette Coward-Puglisi, who spoke about the IABC T&T experience, in deep discussion with IABC VP of Marketing/Membership Cliona Donahue. 

Photo source: IABC Barbados.

Sunday morning, I listened to Joel Osteen’s morning sermon, and as he invited people to download podcasts, it struck me, how many other churches are doing this? Well, I don’t know, but if you do, please tell me about them. As various faith-based organisations try to find new ways to engage people, it has become evident that social media presents not just a free or cheap medium, it presents a place where people of many demographics often interact. Even the Vatican has grasped the meaning of social media for reaching young people.

I remember when I was pursuing my International Relations courses at the University of the West Indies years ago, I learned the true meaning of “the nation of Islam”. We’re accustomed to hearing about the nation of Islam. But do we understand the true meaning of a “nation”. A nation isn’t a physical place. A state is; a country is. Yes, in some dictionaries you’ll read the definition of nation as a community of people or peoples who live in a defined territory and are governed by a single government. However, you’ll also read another definition that refers to a nation as a community of people who share common ethnicity, whether or not they live in the same territory of have their own government. I favour the latter. A nation refers to the emotional or psychological togetherness of a people, and that is what the nation of Islam is, because regardless of what country or ethnicity they may come from, Muslims see themselves as belonging to a brotherhood. So how does this relate to social media?

Fact is, when you belong to a community, and share strong beliefs regardless of geography, you can become a nation. Bloggers certainly hail from all over the world, but we’re bonded in our common interest for blogging, enhancing our blogs, finding content, sharing information and such like. Blog communities are formed when people who have similar interests congregate in an online forum. Whether people return often for the teachings that a blog shares, depends on whether that blog fulfils their need. Similarly, people attend church because they share beliefs and want somewhere where they can interact with others to share their stories and receive advice, which leaves them feeling a bit better about themselves or whatever dreams or plans they have.

This analogy does not imply that social media by itself creates nations. Oh no. but certainly it can attract people who share belief systems and facilitate greater communications, since they are not bounded by geography or time differences. As a forum for congregation, social media tools also attract newbies to whatever the cause or niche discussion may be. And this is why people like Joel Osteen know what they’re doing when they offer their sermons free of charge to the world. That’s why they stand on their pulpits and encourage you to download Podcasts to your Ipod, and play it as you go through your day. They know that social media is not the core of communications. But they know that it makes them, and you, more accessible, and certainly it catapults word of mouth, which really is what evangelism is all about.

I’ve been promising to help my brother with marketing for his company. Like many entrepreneurs who are in the early years of their business, spending on a campaign is not as high as that of a company with much more capital.

So, while the strategies and tactics used must be highly effective, the fact is that they must also be implemented within a tight budget. But back to my brother and I. I’ve been promising this campaign, and while I mulled thoughts over in my head every now and then, I didn’t think of anything that wowed me.

But then this morning, as I was taking one of those “awake snoozes” on the maxi, it came to me… a great idea that involves… garbage. Wow, I can’t share the details of the idea buzz of course, but boy do I love it.

Inspiration is quite an unpredictable thing. It comes to you, at times, when you’re not even trying to think or brainstorm. And when you get that idea, jot down your notes, especially if it comes to you quite clearly and you get ideas for the entire process. Thankfully for me, I keep a little notebook and a pen in my bag. And as soon as I get to my computer, I transfer them before time passes, and I can’t recognise my own handwriting J

In a show of support for a friend, I recently attended a small seminar on event planning where my compadre was a main speaker. Instead of leaving the workshop that day filled with new ideas about event planning, I left with a phrase in my head… “gangsta PR”. See my friend went through a list of marketing tactics, which we’d otherwise call grassroots communication or guerrilla marketing. He used the term gangsta PR to convey the rawness or roughness of the various tactics used in his case studies.

This term has been in my head for over a month now, and in between tossing and turning trying to get a good night of rest, it jumped to the fore of my thoughts, and with my Mac laptop sleeping beside me, I jumped up, turned on the lights, and here I am writing this post.

So gangs and social media, what’s the connection? If we separate the immediate correlation between gangs and violence, and look at it from a sociological perspective, we can make the following statements.

1. Social media networks create groups or communities, much like a gang.
2. Individuals get a sense of belonging from these communities.
3. If you create a Facebook group or blog, this becomes our turf. Unlike a gang leader, however, we’re not highly territorial. Anyone is welcome to step on our turf, and we don’t run them away.
4. Knives, guns, and cuffs have no place in the digital world, but certainly there is some form of aggression that is channelled into reaching various audiences. But watch out for people who may try to attack you online.
5. Bloggers love confrontation. Well, not all. But certainly contradicting what others have to say, bringing a different point of view to the fore, or using personal, digital space to campaign against someone else or a company can give you an adrenaline rush. Plus, haven’t we read somewhere that one of the best places to increase blog traffic is by being controversial?
6. Blogs have so much street credibility, and are a ticket to the underground. Want to spread word-of-mouth instead of depending on in-your-face advertising? This is the way to go. Think of it in much the same way as a a mainstream rapper who keeps making mix-tapes for the streets,

If we look at groups in society, we’ll find that there are some similarities between these and social media networks… friends, family, the workplace. We’ll find that there is some way to make the connection, and the reason for this is very simple. Although, we’re communicating through a computer, the fact is that we’re all human, fighting for some turf, whether it be physical space or mental space. We’re all interacting, some trying to dominate, some trying to compromise, and somewhere in this, we end up being part of a group… a gang… a crew… a possee. And if we’re not trying to join the possee, we’re trying to get others to join us and make our turf look like the most happening piece of online territory.   

Theorists claim that when an industry has an association of its own, that’s the day it becomes a profession. Well, the Barbados public relations industry will soon take that big step in heightening its profile, and creating a forum for public relations practitioners to network, collaborate, and access resources that will enhance their skills.

Members of the online forum, www.BajanPR.ning.com, will host their inaugural face-to-face meeting at 6– 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at the Small Business Development Centre on Fontabelle to discuss the establishment of an association. For the past seven months, these local corporate communications and public relations practitioners have been convening, as an Internet community to discuss matters relating to the profession and now are seeking to further the benefits of their collective association.           

”The agenda for the meeting will include a discussion on establishing a local chapter of an international communications association and the election of a board of management including President, Vice President/ President-elect, VP Communications, VP Finance/ Administration, VP Professional Development, VP Membership/ Marketing,” says Christal P. Mc Intosh, a Corporate Communications Specialist with the Barbados Tourism Authority, who is leading this historic campaign.

Not many Caribbean islands have public relations or communications associations. While professional bodies in other regions such as America and the UK have developed steadily, those in the Caribbean have a different story to tell. Only two countries, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, have professional associations. The Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago was formed in 1972, and the Public Relations Society of Jamaica in 1981. Both associations have had intermittent periods of development, and continue to strive to create a thriving, supportive network for practitioners. The Caribbean Public Relations Association was formed in 1984, with members from Barbados, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago, but it eventually fizzled.

In 2000, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) created a presence in the Caribbean with the establishment of a Jamaican Chapter by Jamaican communicators, known as IABC Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago, entrepreneur and public relations consultant Judette Coward-Puglisi founded the IABC Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Chapter with 22 other practitioners in July 2006. The  IABC T&T Chapter once fell under the ambit of IABC Canada, but in 2007 it was reassigned to the Southern Region, joining Jamaica, and 25 American states (from Florida to Colorado). 

Coward-Puglisi, President of the Trinidad and Tobago IABC Chapter will be a guest speaker at the Barbados Public Relations Association’s meeting.  

All attendees will be required to pay an admission fee of $20 to cover the costs of the meeting and refreshments. For further information or to confirm attendance, contact Christal McIntosh at christalpm@gmail.com or (246) 230-8784 before 12 noon on Wednesday May 7, 2008. you can also visit www.bajanpr.ning.com.

To read more about public relations in the Caribbean, click this link, and look out for my article on social media in the Caribbean in the May-June 2008 issue of the IABC’s Communications World Magazine.