Yesterday, I went backstage at the Lexington Armory, where Limited Brands' Victoria's Secret (VS) would hold its 14^th annual fashion show later in the day, to talk to VS' EVP of PR Monica Mitro. In the thick of it – TV crews, models mid-pedi, headsets, media, hazy pink mood lighting – Mitro discussed the importance of the event and shifts in the company's PR strategy and budget.

“This is the most important event in marketing and PR for the entire year,” she said.

She explained that buzz from the show, and TV feature – this year it airs on CBS, Dec. 1 – spans the entire year. <--pagebreak-->

Months ago, to add an air of newness to the event and reach consumers online, her team launched VS' first open casting contest, as well as vsallaccess.com, a press site that will continue to house VS info.    

“With this kind of event, it was about having a tip sheet, sending faxes, making sure that the right person came and they had information,” she said. “Now, so much has gone online.”

The online contest would be a jumping off point for a social media strategy, including a Facebook page which in less than a year has exceeded two million fans, and a YouTube channel that launched two weeks ago. “We saw there was so much VS content out there anyway because people would post things they saw at events like this,” she said. “With YouTube we could control all that content.”

In line with a shifting PR strategy, Mitro said that the company has reevaluated the allocation of its marketing budget. “Our marketing budget has stayed the same in several areas. In other areas we have to cut because magazines aren't as important to us in terms of advertising,” she said. “We're just having to be more creative with our dollars.”

She explained that VS best reaches its consumer on TV and through Web and social media properties, where it's currently pushing its padded “Miraculous” bra.

“We're 50% above where we thought we'd be in sales [for the product],” she said.

She adds that its success is partially a result of the way the company leverages its supermodels as spokespeople.

“Women are really responding to the curvaceous bombshell body,” she said. “I think Victoria's Secret is the only brand that really has made stars of models. We don't use celebrities for our events or launches.”

VS works with KCD on fashion PR, Full Picture on entertainment PR, and handles corporate communications in-house.

A recent USA Today report noted that social media can be useful as a customer service aid, but a qualified support team is a necessary asset to put those tools to their strongest use. While sites like Twitter and Facebook allow consumers to immediately react and comment on product effectiveness, if we make the connection between PR and customer relations, trained PR pros can help back up those queries posted on social media outlets.

From USA Today:

"Companies go in with expectations too high, and they risk disappointing customers who don't get prompt replies," says Lloyd Trufelman, president of Trylon SMR, a public relations firm for media companies.

Twitter should augment customer service, not be some magic bullet, he says. "If a company's DNA is not truly dedicated to listening and responding to customers in a genuine and timely manner, no technology will provide a solution."

Employees at the recently-closed LGBT newspaper Washington Blade have continued to report on the LGBT community in Washington and delivered DC Agenda today. Seventeen former employees worked on a volunteer basis to put together the publication and hand-delivered it on the streets this morning. On its Web site, the DC Agenda is asking for financial support to cover printing, distribution, equipment, and other costs.

"The DC Agenda represents former Blade employees' commitment to carry on the important mission and work of the Blade," said DC Agenda editor Kevin Naff, in a statement. "We expect this effort to grow and evolve and to eventually include a larger and more diverse group of voices."

More Internet users are on Twitter, including an increase in young people on the site, according to a recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Currently, 19% of Internet users are on the micro-blogging site, up from 11% in December 2008.

In December 2008, 19% of adults aged 18-24 were on Twitter, compared to 37% in September 2009. Twenty percent of adults aged 25-34 were on the site last year, compared to 31% now.

"Internet users who already use social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn are also likely to use Twitter (35%), compared with just 6% of internet users who do not use such social network sites," the study also reported.

MillerCoors added to its “Great Beer, Great Responsibility” CSR platform, launched in March, with the addition of a new Web site.

The platform focuses on environmental sustainability, alcohol responsibility and community investment. “As we look to expand that message and highlight our efforts to consumers, we decided one great way of doing that is a Web site to give consumers a way to learn about our sustainable development and corporate responsibility initiatives,” said Julian Green, director of media relations, MillerCoors. “At the same time, we wanted to build an engagement element to it.”

The GreatBeerGreatResponsibility.com site features interactive elements, including a section where consumers can make a pledge to help prevent drunk driving. In another section called “What Will You Do To Help?,” visitors can post messages on how they are making a difference, whether through water conservation or responsible alcohol consumption.

The site was created by Milwaukee-based Fullhouse Communications. Dig Communications is the AOR for MillerCoors' CSR initiatives.

Huntsworth is reporting “steady and incremental improvements” in new business for its PR and health divisions, according to its interim management statement issued November 19. The company also cited several new account wins for its four brands: Citigate, Grayling, Huntsworth Health, and Red.

The UK-based holding company also expects earnings for 2009 to meet expectations, primarily because of improved revenues in the second half of the year and expected organic growth through 2011. Huntsworth has also completed its restructuring, which folded its 26 brands under the four umbrella brands.  

The Rachel Maddow Show continued its critique of some in the PR industry during the November 18 episode, this time calling out Peter Pitts, director of the global healthcare practice at Porter Novelli.

The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI), which Pitts is president of, came under fire by the host of the eponymous show during a piece documenting what the show has labeled “Affront Groups,” associations set up to sway opinion against healthcare reform but are less than transparent about their mission and supporters.

An excerpt from the show's transcript:

“The Center for the American Progress today documents how CMPI has been a big player in the anti-health reform movement over the past few months. They sponsored anti-Obama tea party protests… They produced a number of anti-health reform online ads and video and even anti-health reform video games…

Who runs CMPI, the Center for Medicine and the Public Interest, this group?  Well, its president is a man named Peter Pitts. In addition to heading up this ostensibly nonpartisan medical think tank… Mr. Pitts is also the director for Global Health Care at the giant PR firm, Porter Novelli.

Porter Novelli, of course, has a bit of a history when it comes to shilling for the health care industry, having helped that industry kill the Patients Bill of Rights way back in 1994.  They said at the time that it was part of a, quote, “big government agenda.” Why does that sound so familiar?

CMPI, of course, would not tell the Center for American Progress who is funding them…”<--pagebreak-->

Though Pitts was not immediately available, Porter Novelli CEO Gary Stockman released a statement.

"When you attract great senior talent to an agency they bring a variety of different viewpoints," he said. "These are leaders who are actively engaged in public policy and public debate; it's part of what makes them so valuable to our clients and so beneficial to our staff... We require that all employees adhere to strict ethical standards, including transparency and disclosure, and we take steps to ensure that our staff are living up to these commitments."

Earlier this year, the show took on Burson-Marsteller and its CEO, Mark Penn, and just a week ago, DCI Group found itself in the sightline.

PRWeek, too, has encountered some advocacy groups that won't disclose their backing. Let's hear your comments on where the industry should stand on this.

Last night's Ad Council PSA Awards at the Waldorf Astoria was filled with leaders from the media, marketing, and advertising world. The annual event, taking place for its 56^th year, honored Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent, who spoke about brand sentiment and his passion for connecting products and ideas with the public.

That enthusiasm was reinforced when Brian Perkins, corporate VP of Johnson & Johnson and chair of the Ad Council, announced to the room of 1,000 attendees the launch of My Ad Council, a Web site designed to promote the Ad Council's PSA campaigns online. Perkins said the site will encourage advertisers and media companies to get involved with the campaigns, which are generated pro-bono by agency partners. The new site was created through a partnering with AOL, which helped to design and create functionality of My Ad Council, and donated financial support.

Perkins said he was excited about the site's interactive element, allowing users to comment on PSAs through sites like Facebook and Twitter, saying, “One of the most exciting and valuable uses of social media is for social good.”

Certainly an inspiring message, and one many PR pros know firsthand.

A one-week study measuring the effectiveness of Fortune 100 Company Twitter use by Weber Shandwick revealed that a majority of companies are not using the social network to its optimal capacity. Rather than engaging customers and encouraging conversation and feedback, most of the accounts provided a one-sided display of news and information.

Here are some of the most interesting results:

• 76% did not tweet regularly 
• 52% were not actively engaged in terms of links, hash tags, references, and re-tweets.
• 50%s had fewer than 500 followers
• 15% were inactive
• 11% were placeholder accounts used only to prevent brand-jacking. 

Perhaps even worse, WS found 41 accounts (not included in the study's percentage) that appeared to be unauthorized. 

A number of the accounts lacked personality or engagement and were created simply for online presence. Only 16% were used to increase sales through coupons and special offers. 

Consumer appetite for celebrity endorsements is fading, yet it can still be an effective tool, particularly to young adult consumers, according to a global study from WPP agency Mediaedge:cia (MEC). The study found that 35% of consumers believe celebrity endorsements improve a brand's awareness, help define its personality, and generate interest. Yet, 53% of respondents said they have problems remembering which celebrity is endorsing which product.

The study, which surveyed adults over the age of 18, found that 30% of respondents aged 18-34 said they would try a product promoted by a celebrity, compared to 14% of adults aged 35-54 and 11% of adults aged 55 and over. Young adults were also 50% more likely to recommend a celebrity-endorsed product to someone else. Overall, 25% said that they had purchased a product because of a celebrity endorsement, but 65% said that too many products are endorsed by celebrities.