In parts one and two of my series on the opinion piece and its role in the PR mix, I defined what opinion pieces are, why they are such a vital PR tool and the mechanics of pulling together an op-ed and getting it placed.

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In part one of this three-part series, I defined what opinion pieces are and why they are such a vital PR tool. Now, in part two, I take a look at the mechanics of pulling together an op-ed and getting it placed.

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In my opinion (sorry!), opinion pieces should always be an essential part of any public relations campaign. But today, more than ever, with newsrooms under so much strain and more and more companies clamouring for your audience’s finite attention span, they are an essential part of the mix.

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Volume 4 of the PR News Media Training Guidebook has just been released, and contains a section written by me on getting more bang for your buck from opinion pieces.

The official blurb says:

Journalists in shrinking newsrooms and bloggers depend more and more on messages and content from companies and nonprofits because they don’t have the resources to slow themselves down with old-fashioned reporting. When you prepare for a media interview, you must assume that anything said or written will be used by countless media outlets and bloggers, leaving little room for carelessness and error. You need an instructional guide that provides you with the strategies and tactics to become a leading PR expert in media.

We thank all of the media training experts who dedicated their time to crafting the tips, best practices, key strategies and practical checklists that you will be able to turn to time and time again. Their goal, and ours: to increase your chances of success as you send your messages out into the 24/7 media cycle.

The guidebook is available in print and electronic format. To get a $50 discount off the cover price, please email me or comment below and I’ll send you the details.

Have a look at the table of contents and a sample here.

The PR News Training Guidebook is published by Access Intelligence LLC. Incorporating print and e-mail newsletters, magazines, directories, online services and conferences, Access Intelligence has over 100 titles serving business executives in fields including PR and media, defense, aviation, chemical, satellite and telecommunications, and healthcare.

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8 February 2011 – Ever feel like there wasn’t enough time in the day? You just about find time to eat, sleep, work, and make sure everyone else is doing what they are supposed to be doing. And then the weekend arrives and it’s tax-filing season, back to school, the leaking roof still hasn’t been fixed since winter, the oil mark under your car is doubling in size every day, and you still haven’t booked your Easter holiday.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bit of a helping hand while you are working your way down your to do list? Freeing up your time for things that are a bit more fun and relaxing, as well as being able to give yourself a pat on the back for being so organised?

Now Capetonians do, with the help of Toodu, www.toodu.co.za. Toodu is a new service that transforms your online to do list into introductions to local service providers who can help you complete your tasks. Not only that, the service providers want your business so will provide all the information you need and do their best to impress you.

How Toodu works

1. Go to Toodu.co.za (It’s free)
2. Fill in your Toodu items
3. Take a break
4. Start receiving the information, quotes, prices or proposals you need. (Toodu lets you know by email when you have received a response, so you don’t have to keep checking back).
5. Choose who you want to work with and get in contact with them. Toodu doesn’t share your details with the suppliers so you won’t get any pesky spam.
6. Tick the item off your to do list.

Toodu has some pretty rigorous service standards, and any supplier that doesn’t live up to these doesn’t last long.

Toodu is the brainchild of South African entrepreneurs, Lee Hartman, Richard Hartley, and Nick Goossens who were convinced that there was a better way to find and interact with day-to-day service providers.

“We realised that although searching the Internet was great for finding lots of information, it wasn’t that good for finding specific products and services that met your individual requirements,” said Hartman, Toodu CEO. “Then, once you found the correct contact details, getting information, prices or quotes and deciding who to deal with is time consuming and often frustrating. We decided that finding and engaging with businesses shouldn’t be this hard.”

Toodu is currently a beta service and only available in Cape Town and its suburbs, but is coming soon to other South African cities.

About Toodu

Toodu is more than just a to do list. Adding an item to your Toodu list activates a non-intrusive introduction to the people and companies that have put up their hands and said they can help you get what you need to do, done.

Stop searching and get what you need to come to you.

For more information visit: www.toodu.co.za

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8 February 2011 – Cape Town’s latest start-up, Toodu, helps people get things done, cuts through the clutter of the Internet, and gives business the opportunity to engage with customers who have put their hands up and said “talk to me”.

Launched as a beta service in January 2011, Toodu is a new platform that connects consumers’ online to do lists with local service providers that can fulfil the requirements. Not only that, to be successful the service providers have to show they want the business, provide the customer with all the information they need and do their best to impress the customer.

Get things done

Toodu founder, Lee Hartman, realised that many people procrastinate because while they know they need to get something done, they often don’t know what the next step is. Ignoring a task adds further anxiety and often turns a small job into a big, expensive job. Toodu takes care of the uncertainty around what the next step is by lining up a set of local service providers that can provide the customer with the information and services they need.

Cut through the clutter

Typically the internet is the first port of call for researching how to get something done. But often the sheer extensiveness of the content on the web (some of it accurate, some, not always so correct) is simply counter-productive and it can take a long time to find what you are looking for. Toodu cuts through this clutter by only delivering the details of suppliers located in the customer’s area who have said they can help with the request. In addition, Toodu has rigorous service standards, and any supplier that doesn’t live up to these doesn’t last long on the platform.

Engage

Today, businesses are constantly being told they need to engage in conversations with their community. Sometimes this is easier said than done. With Toodu, however, customers have put up their hands and said they want to speak to certain businesses. So service providers are delivered relevant and appropriate leads who have given their permission to be contacted, via the Toodu service, at that time. It is always up to the customer who they deal with, and to date, the businesses that engage the most actively with customers have had the most success on the platform.

How Toodu works for consumers

1. Go to Toodu.co.za (it’s free)
2. Fill in your Toodu items
3. Take a break
4. Start receiving the information, quotes, prices or proposals you need. (Toodu lets you know by email when you have received a response, so you don’t have to keep checking back).
5. Choose who you want to work with and get in contact with them. Toodu doesn’t share your details with the suppliers so you won’t get any pesky spam.
6. Tick the item off your to do list.

Businesses can sign up to be Toodu suppliers here.

The platform is the brainchild of South African entrepreneurs, Lee Hartman, Richard Hartley and Nick Goossens, who were convinced that there was a better way to find and interact with day-to-day service providers.

“We realised that while searching the Internet was great for finding lots of information, it wasn’t that good for finding specific products and services that met your individual requirements,” said Hartman, Toodu CEO. “Then, once you found the correct contact details, getting information, prices or quotes and deciding who to deal with was seldom a simple matter. We decided that getting things done shouldn’t be this hard.”

Toodu is currently in beta and only available in Cape Town and its suburbs, but is coming soon to other South African cities.

About Toodu

Toodu is a mashup of an online to do list, interactive business directory and a local search engine. It puts customers with specific requirements in touch with service providers that can help them. This saves customers time, money and effort; and delivers to service providers timely and relevant leads that have given permission to be marketed to.

For more information visit: www.toodu.co.za

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By Steve Rennie, managing director of Rennie Property

With South African financial experts still concerned about the threat of a global double dip recession, Steve Rennie, managing director of Rennie Property warns landlords to be extra vigilant about keeping a handle on bad debt.

Collecting incoming payments should always be at the top of any landlord’s agenda, but with the risk of there still being a fall-out from last year’s economic downturn, landlords need to be even more proactive about debt collection.

Landlords and their property managers need to get their hands dirty, says Rennie. First and foremost is accurate and timely reporting that will flag problems early on, giving landlords a chance to take action before the debt starts to gather.

Once landlords or property managers have spotted a problem, it’s vital that they act quickly. This generally involves a few tough decisions on whether or not it makes sense to keep the tenant or not.

If the tenant is an attractive one, that complements the property’s tenant mix, and runs a generally sound and sustainable business it is most likely worth nursing them through the tough times to benefit from a longer term gain.

Put a manageable payment plan in place, or be creative about extracting value from the tenant. For instance, retail tenants might be behind in their rent, but will still be marketing their business. Landlords should strike a deal to ensure that their property features prominently in the tenant’s marketing campaign. Another good option is to agree that the tenant arranges a promotional event in the shopping centre to help attract new shoppers.

On the other hand, if the tenant is not a particularly desirable one and/or appears to be suffering from deep-rooted and systemic financial woes, it may be better to cut for a landlord to cut their losses before they escalate – within the confines of the lease agreement with that tenant, of course.

Other tips from Rennie include:

• Maintain good communication on both sides of the food chain. If your tenants are struggling to pay their rent, you might find yourself in a position where you can’t pay suppliers or your bank. Know who is likely to default so you don’t get caught by surprise, and keep your debtors informed of your position so that they remain favourable to you.
• Do take judgement against defaulters, even if they have absconded and it seems highly unlikely you will receive any money in the short term. You may at least recoup your losses in the long-term when the tenant wants to clear their black-listing.

A double dip recession refers to second recession that kicks in after short period of economic growth following an initial recession. At the Fortune-Time-CNN Global Forum held in Cape Town at the end of June, both Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Absa CEO Maria Ramos warned about the risk of debt-laden developed economies slumping again.

About Rennie Property

Rennie Property, www.rennieproperty.co.za, South Africa’s top-performing specialist commercial property management company, offers property management, broking and consulting services. It was established in 1997, and for the past 13 years has looked after some of South Africa’s most prestigious buildings including Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, and the ABSA Centre in Cape Town. Its present portfolio of properties under management is valued at more than R6 billion.

For more information please visit: www.rennieproperty.co.za

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The third JobCrystal Happiness Indicator takes a look at how salary, level of seniority and location affects how happy South African employees are. Employees earning higher salaries and in more senior positions tend to be the happiest, with employees living away from major metropolitan areas being happier.

1. Salary
Employees earning between R10,000 and R24,999 per month are the least happy, and as income increases employees’ happiness levels rise as well.

“This unhappy group is likely to consist of young employees who know they have great prospects, but who still need to get some experience under their belts in order to advance in their career. This level of disgruntlement may point to Millennials’ trademark sense of entitlement, ambition and awareness of their worth,” said Kevin Laithwaite, managing director of JobCrystal.

It’s important for companies to realise, however, that even the happy high earners are looking for new opportunities – they know they are marketable and will consider new positions.

JobCrystal: % happy employees by salary band
Salary per month Happy employees*

R10,000 – R24,999 55%
R25,000 – R49,999 58%
R50,000 – R79,999 60%
R80,000 + 63%

*Percentage of employees rating themselves “comfortable” or “happy” in their current role when registering on JobCrystal, www.jobcrystal.co.za.

2. Job level
The JobCrystal Happiness Indicator shows a distinct trend towards employees with more management responsibility being happier. Senior managers with large teams and executives came out tops in the happiness stakes.

“It seems likely that the happiness level is linked to how well these senior employees are regarded in the company and how much control, independence and decision making ability they have,” said Laithwaite.

Again, the indicator raises a red flag for employers because even though almost two-thirds of senior managers and executives are happy in their roles, they are open to other opportunities.

JobCrystal: % happy employees by job level
Job level Happy employees*

Manage managers (team 20+) 64%
Manage managers (team 10-19) 63%
Executive 62%
Manager (5-9 staff) 60%
Manager (0 staff) 60%
Skilled (2-5 years) 58%
Manager (10+ staff) 57%
Junior (<2 years) 57%
Manage managers (team 1-9) 56%
Senior (5+ years) 55%
Manager (1-4 staff) 53%
*Percentage of employees rating themselves “comfortable” or “happy” in their current role when registering on JobCrystal, www.jobcrystal.co.za.

3. Location, location, location
According to the JobCrystal statistics, it appears that your employees are more likely to be happy if they don’t live in a major metropolitan area. Smaller cities such as Richard’s Bay, Durban and East London, have a higher percentage of happy employees than larger cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg.

There could be a range of reasons for this including better work-life balance, less stress and even experiencing less traffic.

JobCrystal: % happy employees by location
Location Happy employees*

KZN: Richards Bay 67%
Garden Route including Oudtshoorn 62%
KZN: Durban Ethekwini 61%
Eastern Cape: East London 60%
Gauteng: Pretoria Tshwane 57%
Gauteng: Johannesburg, Sandton, Randburg 56%
Cape Town: Southern Suburbs 55%
East Rand: Ekhuruleni 55%
Cape Town: Northern Suburbs 55%
West Rand: Mogale, Krugersdorp, Roodepoort 52%
*Percentage of employees rating themselves “comfortable” or “happy” in their current role when registering on JobCrystal, www.jobcrystal.co.za.

The first JobCrystal Happiness Indicator, released in April 2010, looked at levels of happiness amongst South African employees and found that less than half are happy. The second JobCrystal Happiness Indicator, released in June 2010,  looked at which South African companies had the happiest employees, and which employers were ranked as the best to work for. The low correlation between the two data sets indicated that even if employees bought into the company culture and values, they also needed to have their individual aspirations met to be happy.

The JobCrystal Happiness Indicator data is compiled from the 110,000-strong JobCrystal database of jobseekers. Employees are asked how happy they are in their current position (miserable, frustrated, comfortable, happy) when they register on JobCrystal. One of the ways in which JobCrystal improves the recruitment process and the hiring success rate for companies is by using this and other data to make the best matches between candidates and vacancies.

JobCrystal focusses on candidates looking to earn R150,000 per year and more. It charges a flat fee per successful placement, with no upfront charges. Companies including Nashua Mobile, Mr Price, The Ovations Group, Santam and Foschini are using JobCrystal to source candidates.

- ENDS –
About JobCrystal
JobCrystal turns traditional hiring on its head by placing employers directly in touch with a pool of 110,000 passive jobseekers. The online service is highly automated and cleverly matches candidates with employers, making the interactive talent management portal faster, cheaper and more effective than any other way of recruiting. Founded by Kevin Laithwaite and Karl Westvig and launched in August 2009, JobCrystal is used by companies including Nashua Mobile, Mr Price, The Ovations Group, Santam and Foschini to source candidates.

For more information please visit: www.jobcrystal.co.za (for jobseekers) or www.jobcrystal.co.za/talent (for employers).

Released on behalf of JobCrystal by:
Vanessa Clark
Twokats Communications
Ph: +27 82 335 1117
Email: Vanessa.clark@twokats.com
Web: www.twokats.com

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Surprisingly these aren’t always at the same places

10 June 2010 – The second JobCrystal Happiness Indicator takes a look at which South African companies have the happiest staff and are the best places to work. The Auditor General has the happiest employees, with Shell Oil, CSIR, Softline Pastel and Anglo Platinum also performing well. KPMG is rated as the best place to work in South Africa with Sanlam, Momentum, Pick n Pay and PricewaterhouseCoopers also getting the thumbs up from employees (see charts below).

The low correlation between companies where employees are the happiest and those rated the best place to work demonstrates an important take away for companies. Even if employees buy into the company culture, vision and environment and so rate the company as a good place to work, they also need to have their individual goals and requirements met in order to be happy. (See data tables below). It’s worth remembering that all these companies mentioned have a significant number of active and passive jobseekers, which have signed up on JobCrystal, www.jobcrystal.co.za, amongst their employees.

The JobCrystal Happiness Indicator data is compiled from the 100,000-strong JobCrystal database of jobseekers. Employees are asked how happy they are in their current position (miserable, frustrated, comfortable, happy) and also how they rate their employer (the best, excellent, fair, poor, awful) when they register on JobCrystal.

The first JobCrystal Happiness Indicator, released in April 2010, (http://www.jobcrystal.co.za/blog/post/JobCrystal/2010/04/Press_02/) showed that fewer than half of South African employees are currently happy in their role. This latest data shows that employees experience a huge difference in the impact of the general company environment as opposed to the achievement of individual career ambitions on their happiness levels.

“It is clear that the companies that focus on gaining staff buy-in for company-wide goals and objectives, at the expense of meeting employees’ individual career goals, are going to find it difficult to hold on to top talent,” said Kevin Laithwaite, JobCrystal Managing Director. “The two go hand-in-hand in terms of attracting and keeping star performers.”

JobCrystal compiles the Happiness Indicator from the data it collects when candidates enter their details on the talent management portal. One of the ways in which JobCrystal improves the recruitment process and the hiring success rate for companies is by using this and other data to make the best matches between candidates and vacancies.

JobCrystal focusses on candidates looking to earn R150,000 per year and more. It charges a flat fee per successful placement, with no upfront charges. Companies including Allan Gray, Santam, Standard Bank and Foschini are using JobCrystal to source candidates.

- ENDS –

Notes to editors:

• Company details are only displayed if there is a statistically significant data sample size.

About JobCrystal

JobCrystal turns traditional hiring on its head by placing employers directly in touch with a pool of 100,000 passive jobseekers. The online service is highly automated and cleverly matches candidates with employers, making the interactive talent management portal faster, cheaper and more effective than any other way of recruiting. Founded by Kevin Laithwaite and Karl Westvig and launched in August 2009, JobCrystal is being used by companies including Allan Gray, Santam, Foschini, Mr Price, Ovations Group and Standard Bank to source candidates.

For more information please visit: www.jobcrystal.co.za (for jobseekers) or www.jobcrystal.co.za/talent (for employers)

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South Africa’s most exciting marketing opportunity to showcase itself to the rest of the globe is here, in the shape of the 2010 World Cup. Visitors are going to experience the country’s natural beauty, football stadiums and world-class cities. And central to the urban experience is going to be tourists’ and locals’ enjoyment of commercial public spaces.

Steve Rennie, managing director at Rennie Property, which manages a R6 billion-portfolio of properties including Melrose Arch, looks at the primary property-related logistics that go into making multi-use public spaces a success during events such as the World Cup. With an estimated 373,000 foreign visitors arriving for the tournament, according to estimates released by Grant Thornton in April 2010, it is paramount that both locals and tourists have a pleasurable experience so that they return, and tell their friends to visit.

The focus for any owner or manager of a public space such as a shopping mall or tourist attraction is on security, ease of access, and showcasing the venue to its full potential and for the maximum enjoyment of visitors.

The biggest challenge for property managers is to maintain the same, or indeed better, standards of service during an event such as the World Cup. It is vital that both tenants and suppliers are kept informed, trained, and motivated to achieve this goal.

Property managers should have been working very hard on setting up the following:

1. Security:

Revised emergency procedures need to take into account additional visitors. Will there be enough hands on deck, and are the staff trained for circumstances they might not encounter in their everyday schedule, such as crowd control, social problems and the arrival of high profile visitors. Cashing up procedures specifically should be revisited, and supplies such as first aid kits should be checked and additional stock brought in.

2. Transport:

Drop-off and parking zones need to be planned, especially if a fan ride service is going to be picking up and dropping off fans attending the games. Road closures need to be taken into account, and ample access and parking for taxis and coaches needs to be provided. Signage and directions should be easily visible and very clear.

3. Supplier management and communication:

Making sure all third party suppliers, eg cleaners, are prepared for additional visitors, and know what additional events are being planned.

4. Tenant co-ordination and security:

Tenants need to be up to speed on emergency plans, security requirements and other planning. Any extraordinary marketing activities should be clearly communicated as well so that tenants can maximize these opportunities. Also, in multi-use facilities there are a range of tenants with conflicting requirements, eg the shops and restaurants love the additional foot traffic while offices and residents want to know that it will be business as usual.

5. Managing one-off property alterations:

Many public spaces are seeing the very quick construction of facilities that will only be used for the World Cup, and then dismantled immediately. Timing is tight in order to minimize disruption to every day business, but the structures need to be safe, well-constructed and stylish … and then quickly dismantled and removed.

Any property manager worth their salt would have done their preparation and have these plans in place to ensure a safe, enjoyable and profitable World Cup for their tenants and landlords, as well as laying the groundwork to benefit from this opportunity for years to come.

About Rennie Property

Rennie Property, South Africa’s top-performing specialist commercial property management company, offers property management, broking and consulting services. It was established in 1997, and for the past 13 years has looked after some of South Africa’s most prestigious buildings including Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, and the ABSA Centre in Cape Town. Its present portfolio of properties under management is valued at more than R6 billion.

For more information please visit: www.rennieproperty.co.za

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