Brian Edwards

If there’s one thing I hear a lot, it’s man, you really are a nerd. It comes with the territory I suppose of being interested — deeply interested — in all things technology related. For the business of high-tech PR, however, such an orientation has served me well because I’m able to really understand the tech side of things and translate the tech speak into plain English.  Over my career spanning startups to titans like SAP and Microsoft, I’ve been part of boom-times and lean times. I was there at the start of the Internet, survived the dot-com boom and bust, and am living the emergence of social media.

You can reach me at briane at mckenzieworldwide dot com, and follow my daily updates on Twitter @BrianBuzz.

Rob Goodman

“You must have a blog…You need to get on Facebook…Have you Tweeted lately?” Five years ago would you have heard any of these comments? I doubt it. To me that’s an example of why I have enjoyed working in the high tech world for the past 19 years with the likes of Oracle, SAP and now Open Text. There’s always something new to learn and always fresh ideas that become part of the daily world we live in. Social media is having a tremendous impact on our world, both professionally and personally. Having another medium to use to share information is only part of the story. To me the bigger issue is how we can help our clients to use social media tools to change the way they communicate with employees, customers, partners, shareholders and members of the media. Why just recently I was talking with my kids about life before mobile phones and cable TV. Perhaps I can have a similar discussion with my grandchildren someday about what life was like before social media tools came around.

You can reach me at robg at mckenzieworldwide dot com and follow my updates on Twitter at @rgoodman1.

Megan McKenzie

As long as I can remember I’ve been told that I’m a good listener. I try to listen to the heart of the message and then help put it into words and communicate it in a colorful and compelling way.  There is a little magic in helping tell a story in a way that creates an emotion and action with the listener. It’s part of what makes our work so rewarding.

Years ago I used to do radio interviews where I was always reminding the person being interviewed to just relax and “talk as if you are telling a story to your best friend.”   Then when I was working with my clients at Microsoft and SAP our litmus test was:  “If your mother can’t understand the alphabet soup and techno talk then it’s time go back to the white board.” It’s always important to focus on the business benefits and bring the story to life.

In the new age of social media  the way you communicate your story is constantly evolving. It’s an exciting, dynamic time. Now blog posts, Twitter feeds, FaceBook, YouTube and other social media allow us to communicate and receive information in a personal, direct and immediate way with no filters.  Podcasts and videos give us a “right there” experience of listening to someone talk about a product, company or event in their own words. Social media is an extremely powerful and persuasive tool for business as well as an effective personal communication tool.

But there’s also a lot of noise.  How do you make your story stand out? How do you build  trust in your brand when so many voices are competing for attention? How can you use social media to make an impact and build trust?  That’s what our agency’s blog is all about. I hope you enjoy the ongoing conversation and join in the dialogue. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

You can reach me at meganm at mckenzieworldwide dot com.

Stephanie Wettstein

It’s so funny to remember how we used to fax pitches to editors and use any excuse to make a call on our big brick cell phones, ignoring  the fact that it cost about $5.00 a minute.  How interesting it’s been to see how much technology has changed since I started doing high-tech PR 15 years ago.  I still think about the time I was out on a Microsoft press tour in the mid 90’s and my client was telling me how cell phones were going to evolve, how they were going to be devices that we would use to receive email, get information, take pictures, listen to music etc..  I remember thinking…what is he talking about?  Did  I schedule too many briefings for him on this tour?  Am I over-working him?  Is his blood sugar level too low?  I think about that time often now, seeing how his understanding and vision of the future was so spot on!  It’s having this historical perspective and seeing the constant change that keeps me completely enthralled in the world of high-tech PR.  When it comes down to it though, it’s still all about relationships and communication, knowing your client’s technology, knowing the editors who write about it and figuring out the best way to communicate the message.  The new world of social media not only lends itself to a new form and opportunity for communication but also helps to further establish those relationships.  It’s truly an amazing time.

You can reach me at stephaniew at mckenzieworldwide dot com and follow my updates on Twitter at @stephaniewettstein.

Joscelyn Zell

Sixteen years ago while still in college, I embarked on a journey in public relations with little understanding of the field. I just knew I needed to get actual work experience to increase my marketability post-graduation. Little did I know that a phone call from an angry editor was going to cement my passion for the business. The editor was frustrated because my client had yet again failed to follow through.  Time and time again this had happened, which depleted the editor’s trust in the client and the brand they represented. While I was just a novice, my gut said I needed to listen, be authentic and transparent, find a mutually agreeable solution and then deliver. By the end of the call, the tone had completely changed and in short order the editor regained respect for the company.

I find myself reflecting on this moment often as companies look for ways to build influential relationships and establish powerful brands. With trust seemingly an afterthought in much of corporate America, people’s expectations have evolved. They expect authenticity and transparency. They want a two-way conversation instead of being bombarded with one-way marketing messages. They want a continuous flow of information, and you better deliver or your brand will suffer.

The good news is that technology has created a platform for incredible brand engagement experiences. Now we can go out and create communities through the wonders of social media. There are exciting new media channels to deliver messages creatively and in real-time. And the possibility for building lasting relationships that instill trust is stronger than ever. It just requires the basic principles I learned as an aspiring professional — authenticity, collaboration, engagement and delivery.

You can reach me at joscelynz at mckenzieworldwide dot com.

About Brand Trust Visions

Brand Trust Visions is the blog of McKenzie Worldwide.  We are focused on helping our clients build brands that people trust. To learn more, visit our website at mckenzieworldwide.com.