In the following interview, Dan Chmielewski discusses 1:1 with San Madan, on PR and Social Media and effective public relations.

San Madan: Tell us about your business and the work you do. What exactly do you do on a daily basis?

Dan Chmielewski: Madison Alexander PR is a boutique technology communications firm. While we work with companies of all sizes, we have a special affinity for start-ups and have stayed with clients as they have grown. We have a team of senior communications professionals with newsroom experience, considerable hands-on blogging and social media experience, and the vast majority of our clients come in from professional referrals. 

San Madan: What are some favorite projects you've completed and why?

Dan Chmielewski: Starting new corporate blogs and social media initiatives has been very satisfying. We work closely with our clients to train a team of bloggers. Helping them find their voice and be creative has been very rewarding. We’re particularly proud of the blogs set up by ANXeBusiness and Lieberman Software; while we’re very involved with the development side of the ANXeBusiness blog, we drive a lot of topical content on the Lieberman “Identity Week” blog. 

Additionally, when the President’s CyberSecurity Review report came out, we were able to get several privately held security companies coverage in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other major media; we had teams at several clients reviewing portions of the entire report and then we set up group interviews. We got coverage because we were able to react quickly and provide thorough answers to questions while other companies were still reading the report. That was a busy and hectic day.

About Dan Chmielewski

Dan Chmielewski has worked in technology public relations, marketing communications and social media for more than 25 years at large and small technology companies and at large and small technology PR firms.  In addition to managing Madison Alexander PR, he is the co-owner and managing editor of a leading political blog in Southern California.

Dan holds a B.S. in Public Relations and Journalism from Utica College of Syracuse University and was the 2007 PR/J Alumni of the Year, along with his wife, Dawn Chmielewski, an entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times.  Dan was a founding member of the Orange County Chapter of the Software Council of Southern California and he has held leadership positions in youth soccer, basketball and scouting organizations in Irvine, California. He holds a 2002 President’s Award from the Public Relations Society of America and Madison Alexander PR was a 2010 Golden Bridge Business Award winner for Best National Technology PR Campaign.

San Madan: What are some of the challenges you have faced in your line of work? What core-competencies have benefited you the most?

Dan Chmielewski: The biggest challenge is managing the agency’s growth with the type of clients we attract. One of the biggest reasons we might lose a client is because they have been acquired. But we work hard at being good writers who can deliver a solid news hook that communicates the benefits of the client’s technology while providing a true newsworthy pitch of value to a publication or news service. The nicest professional compliment I have ever received was from an editor introducing me to a colleague and said, “Dan is old school; he actually reads your work before he pitches you a story.”

San Madan: When does external PR versus internal PR work better?

Dan Chmielewski: We come across opportunities all the time that benefit more than one client; and it’s not uncommon for us to place a story where two or even three clients are quoted. If you have established a reputation with an editor as someone who can come through with multiple clients who can deliver relevant information to a story quickly, that’s where having an external PR resource can work better over a single internal PR team. PR works better when there is cooperation between the external and internal PR teams. We work hard to partner with our clients because we can’t be successful unless our client PR partner is successful.

San Madan: What are some of the benefits small and medium businesses can get from external PR?

Dan Chmielewski: PR and social media are still among some of the most cost effective marketing dollars a small to mid-size client can spend. It’s about building and capturing mindshare, coming across as a credible resource and a good interview. Stories that run can put a client on the map. We’re fortunate to work with clients who are fearless when it comes to giving interviews. The more interesting the answers, the more likely reporters and editors include them in the story. I have one client in particular who has been given a nickname by certain reporters who call when they want a strong opinion on an issue. Small and midsize clients benefit most from agencies that specialize in those clients. The larger agencies put their best talent on the larger accounts. Wouldn’t you rather have the best talent an agency can offer?

San Madan: How does a company handle a mistake that will be seen publicly? And are crisis communications best handled by external PR?

Dan Chmielewski: Crisis communications requires a team approach.  There’s no magical formula as every crisis is unique to itself.  You need to put a reporter’s hat on and find answers to a lot of questions. What happened? How did it happen? Can it happen again? Can we stop it from happening? Is it our fault? Whose fault is it? What is our role in this situation? Who was affected? How did we/can we fix it? How do we make it right? What don’t we know yet? When will we know? The important thing is to tell the truth.