Public Affairs v. B2B PR: The Differences

As someone with a strong interest in both B2B and government PR, and who has experience interning in both fields, I find it interesting to compare the two. For as much as they are both “public relations” and have many similarities, they also have their differences. After looking at the similarities in my first blog post, let’s now take a look at the differences between PR in public affairs and B2B PR:

Jay Carney, press secretary
for President Barack Obama

1.    Creating Strategy v. Managing Crises – In B2B PR, there is much more of a strategic mindset. The team can create a short term or long term strategy and then try to adhere to it. Crises may arise, but the framework of an agreed upon plan is often largely kept in place.

 In public affairs, there is often no long term plan at all. Rather than being proactive with strategy, the job is often reactive. Though there may be end goals (reelection, certain policies being passed, etc.), a press secretary will often be handling media inquiries or specific, sporadic projects that have a less defined timeline. Whereas in B2B PR we may lay out a strategically beneficial schedule of press releases, media interviews, and other helpful actions, in public affairs there is often no plan for these until the situation arises suddenly.

As a kicker, the situation may disappear just as quickly. A press conference could be scheduled as soon as a Senator decides to introduce a new bill, and then just a few hours before it would take place, the Senator may find an issue with the language of the bill and cancel the whole thing. A Congressional hearing may end up bringing a Representative into the spotlight, and suddenly there are requests for television interviews from MSNBC, CNN and Fox -- all for the next day. A gaffe could lead to the need to prepare a statement for all media that call looking for a comment. This is not to say that these situations never arise in a B2B setting, but rather that general PR has a strong emphasis on proactive strategy rather than being forced to constantly be handling unforeseen situations.

2.    Meeting Different End Goals – In B2B PR, the strategy always consists of, at a basic level,  helping the client as best as possible in order for that client to become a more successful company by achieving their business objectives.

The goals for a politician can often be more diverse. Two frequent goals that may even come in contention with each other are reelection and legislating. This might mean making a politician develop a strong media presence when dealing with certain issues that many constituents back - all in an effort to be reelected. At the same time, however, it could mean shying away from media exposure in an attempt to legislate something that may be unpopular to the constituents.

There is a constant balancing act between legislating and getting reelected, and between trying to get media exposure and trying to stay behind the scenes. Other possible goals include better committee assignments, or positioning for a more powerful position further down the road, just to name a few. In B2B PR, there is less contention. Though there are times that a client may not want a lot of exposure and other times when a client will want lots of it, the goal is always the success of the company within its market.

3.    Being More Than, or Only, PR – One of the first things I learned at Feintuch Communications was that it is important not to just think of ourselves as a PR firm. We handle all sorts of tasks for our clients, from press relations to investor relations, to analyst relations, to complete marketing strategies. This is very different from my experience in Congress, in which a Press Secretary or Communications Director really just handles the media. There are no investor relations projects because there are no investors. There is no need for a big, intricate marketing strategy because as I alluded to earlier, it would all fall off the rails quite quickly. The job ends up consisting mostly of press and media relations, with social media sometimes thrown in depending on the level of the staffer and on the politician being represented. The nature of the job forces its simplicity and precision - there is no market share, there are no investors, there are no analysts, and as I mentioned earlier there is less of a proactive strategy. This all makes public affairs PR a much less comprehensive offering, at least in comparison to the PR discipline and orientation I have been experiencing while interning with Feintuch Communications. 

Is it Pop? Or is it Soda? …Or is it Coke?

Image courtesy of ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

The differences across the country in how we speak, act, dress and live day-to-day life have always fascinated me. Just last week, I was in Minnesota visiting friends when one said the word “bagel” but instead of pronouncing it “BAY-gull,” she (and others around her) pronounced it “BAG-gull.” Furthermore, my friends from Pittsburgh often use terms like “jagger bush” instead of “thorn bush.” And don’t get me started on the never-ending battle of pop vs. soda… (despite the mass popularity of pop, it’s soda!) .

Although these are subtle differences that most people understand when spoken in context, such differences across a language and linguistics can create a challenge for PR/communications professionals who are always striving to effectively communicate a brand’s message to an audience. In many cases, PR professionals can refer to the AP Stylebook for the proper grammar and use of a word. But, some differences, particularly regional dialects, just aren’t covered.

In 1999, the Harvard Dialect Survey, collected data on terms/sounds that were used differently across North America. Last month, this study went viral after Joshua Katz, a Ph.D. student, used the data to inform a series of maps illustrating the variances in speech across the U.S. (Side note: a great proof point for the power of using visuals to make a story come to life!).

In my mind, this all begs the question: Do these variances directly impact how a brand is perceived? If a company decides to be a “soda company” vs. a “pop company” – will that turn off a particular audience?

While the answer to that particular (exaggerated) example leans toward “unlikely,” the topic of dialect variances as a roadblock to effectively communicating a brand story remains.

Have you ever been faced with a situation where dialect got in the way of communicating? What are other cultural factors that influence the way we communicate a brand’s story?

Buckle Your Seatbelts.... Tray Tables Up...and Please DON'T Turn Off Your Devices.....

Finally, the F.A.A. has caught up with air passenger reality.

You know that silly edict about "please turn off all electronic devices that have a switch" that made the entire flying public either closet criminals, plain bored or impotent and docile sheep reconciled to putting our short-term health and well-being...and independence... into the hands of our flight stewards.

It's been a sort of an open joke among road warriors and flight crews that Kindles, noise cancelling headseats, tablets and even active games of Word with Friends (yes that game, Alec Baldwin) have never been implicated in a flying emergency (let alone something more dreaded).  In truth, it helped the cabin crew to establish "control" over its passengers and perhaps saved a few bumps on the head due to flying electronics if an aircraft hit turbulence. Nothing more.

Most of us complied, begrudgingly, even as we played a cat and mouse game of using our devices for a few extra seconds before the flight steward came by and either softly....or not so gingerly...requested compliance.  And how many of us have sat near someone who chose to simply ignore the protocol and do their electronic thing regardless.  Or ever been on a flight where someone, who may not know how to shut off their phone, had their phone ring during ascent?  Ooops....

But that all changed last Friday when the FAA said the rules -- they are a changing.

That's when Marketplace Reporter Dan Gorenstein interviewed our client Jonathan Spira, editorial director of Frequent Business Traveler, to help interpret the new ruling. After their interview, Jonathan (in a PR turnabout), suggested that Dan interview his "agency" head since he too was a fellow frequent traveler who he knew broke out into hives at the mere suggestion of unplugging.

Dan's story ran on NPR late that afternoon.  Grab a read/listen: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/faa-answers-why-cant-i-use-my-ipad-takeoff

The new policy will go into effect later this year after an FAA advisory group weighs in and the policy is formally changed. What won't change? No cell voice calls on planes -- at least during this round.

Probably a good thing for most passengers who prefer whatever privacy/quality/quiet time remains during flying to cutting the cord. 

What's your experience? Ever break the rules during take-off and landing  to read an e-book, don your headset or play a game? Should voice calls remain off-limits (even MetroNorth now has a quiet car each train ride in or out of New York City where you can't even THINK of answering or placing a cell call)?

I'll chill on the point..and celebrate a small victory for productivity and individual rights.  Now to start lobbying for the return of that little bag of peanuts on board!

Public Affairs v. B2B PR: The Similarities

Michael Mallon, Intern

I’ve had lots of different internship experiences in my three post-high school years. I interned for the morning show at 103.5 KTU here in New York; I handled marketing strategies at a startup that made financial mobile apps; and I worked for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) 

down in Washington, DC.

Now I’m in PR.

Although most people might link the marketing experience with my current PR internship at Feintuch Communications, my internship with Congresswoman Maloney was actually the most similar to what I’m doing now. From the view of an intern who had many press and writing-related tasks on the Hill, and who is now working at a full-fledged communications and PR firm, there are many similarities in both tasks and mindsets between doing political press and working in private sector press relations.

There are certainly differences as well, but I will save those for a later date. From what I’ve learned so far, here are the top similarities between government press operations and a PR firm’s operations:

Congresswoman Maloney

1. Master Media Relations – The absolute basis of professional press relations does not change. You still need to put out press releases, you still need to coordinate with journalists, and you still need to serve the client’s (or politician’s) interests.
2. Manage Crises Efficiently – There are times, both in government and PR firms, when crises must be handled with great poise. Whether the politician made a comment that is making headlines as a gaffe, or a corporation’s product must be recalled, there’s a need for communications professionals to attempt to counteract the sudden ‘bad press’ that arises. Writing a story that is favorable toward the client, stirring up positive news articles in important publications, reestablishing your client’s credibility, and other techniques are necessary in either field when crises inevitably arise.
3. Develop Clear and Concise Messaging – PR firms and political press experts must both communicate the message of their client in a coherent and compelling manner. This may be through any number of means, but whether you are working for a politician or a corporation, you must make sure that the message and image that they each are trying to convey to the media and to the public are being conveyed effectively.  That could mean a politician who wants to be seen as one of the leaders of the immigration reform efforts in Congress, or it could mean a client who wants to be positioned as having the best customer service in their industry.
4. Manage Your Databases – It’s important in either field to make sure that your databases are up to date and filled with the most relevant contacts. Journalists move from publication to publication or from one focus to another with increasing frequency, making it necessary to constantly update your databases. That way, when news breaks or it’s time to send out a release, it will go out to the proper people.
5. Handle Difficult Clients – Some clients can be difficult to work with in both fields. Whether it’s a Senator who does not want to do interview and media training but consistently fumbles on television, or a company that is a bit too capricious with its marketing plans, it is a PR professional’s job to advise as best as possible. This means that you are constantly walking a thin line between pushing hard for something because you believe it is strongly in the client’s best interest, and serving the client based on what they want.
6. See the Big Picture – In political press and more general PR, you always need to understand the client’s “big picture.” The more you understand a client and their overall vision, the more you can effectively cater to it and provide the right services to achieve the client’s objectives. In politics, that may mean publicizing something that a Senator did even though it may be unpopular with constituents in order to show that the politician is a team-player within the party – the end goal being a specific committee assignment (which is determined by the party apparatus). In PR, you may have a great plan to get publicity in some well-respected publications which would certainly boost the company’s product sales, but if those publications don’t cater to the marketing plan that the client has, then it does not fall in line with the company’s big picture.

Michael Mallon is the 2013 Summer Intern for Feintuch Communications. He attends Cornell University, class of 2014.

PR, Social Media and Economic Growth in Brazil by Pedro Cadina

Note:  Pedro Cadina is founder and CEO of VIANEWS Communication, São Paulo, Brazil. VIANEWS is of three new firms to join as partners in FC's international network -- the PR World Alliance. This guest blog covers the Brazilian business, PR and social media environment.

Despite a smaller growth forecasted for this year, Brazil ends the second semester showing significant recovery and continues to be the focus of several companies that see enormous potential in the “B” of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies.  In many cases, PR agencies represent the first door for companies willing to participate in Brazilian market.

 

The global brands in PR are present in Brazil but it’s the local Brazilian agencies that are the ones showing higher revenues and faster hiring.  Estimates show that there are around 1.200 public relations agencies in Brazil, the majority of them located in the Southeast region of the country where most of them are small and independent agencies. For the current year, the sector should invoice 2 billion reais (around $1 billion USD), representing 15.5% growth over 2011.  Steady growth over the last three years suggests that 2013 agency revenue will be 3 billion reais ($1.5 billion USD).

 

Support for the government market is the fast growing sector of PR in Brazil.  Revenues of Brazilian agencies are strongly generated by media relations (30%), followed by internal communications (30%) and corporate events. Social media (11%) and investors relations are both growing significantly.

 

A few weeks ago in São Paulo, VIANEWS brought together 40 communication specialists in order to discuss Public Relations and Digital Journalism.  The event provided insight on how public relations, media relations and social media should be addressed by the global companies coming to Brazil.  These are some of the highlights of the discussion:

·       Internet and data traffic show impressive figures in the country. Mobile data traffic should increase 19 times in Brazil by 2016, representing a volume equivalent to 717 million text messages per second. The mobile device sector is just beginning and should benefit from the assembling of Apple products in the country.

·       Brazilians love Internet and social networks and this is an important leverage for brand communications. With more than 80 million users connected, Brazil is already ranked amongst the seventh largest audiences, the fifth in  engagement and is the blogs leader (with Score). Following the US, Brazil has the largest number of accounts in Facebook and Twitter. Brazil has the fourth largest Google+ community.
·       Despite recent crisis in Europe and growth difficulties both in Japan and the US, Brazil should grow around 2% this year and recover its 4% growth rate by 2013. Brazilians haven’t been so optimistic for decades
·       This optimism was reflected this year Digital Journalism Study (Oriella). Almost 52% of interviewed Brazilian journalists pointed out that there will be an audience increase for their publications and 25% bet on a publicity increase.
·       Another important discovery in this study was that approximately 83% of journalists rely on public relations agencies to obtain and double check information.  For 18% of journalists, agencies are the first source they use to search for news.
·       It is impressive to observe the growth in the usage of video formats already available in the Brazilian media.  In 2010 and 2011 only 20% said they made use of video formats in their publications. This year, this number jumped to 44%.

 

At the end of the event, one of the participants asked me “What else do you think we should tell CEOs and directors of global companies that are willing to come to Brazil?”  My reply was, “Well, in addition to a strong industry and an increasing consumer market we also have beautiful beaches, sun and football all year round!!”

Cut the Cord-- It's a Wireless World!

Last week, North America's largest wireless industry convention -- International CTIA Wireless -- rolled around to New Orleans. The annual event, organized by CTIA- The Wireless Association, is the second largest wireless conference in the world; the largest is the Mobile World Congress held each February (in recent years exclusively in Barcelona).


How large an industry?  The attendance forecast for this year's event was between 60 - 70,000 persons and it certainly seemed to fill the convention zone...and French Quarter at night.


I arrived Sunday to be in position for two events on Monday.


Our JumpStart Global Advisors partner firm, 151 Advisors, in collaboration with the Enterprise Mobility Foundation, ran an all day educational event on Monday called "APP-solutely Enterprise," a highly interactive, fast-paced learning and networking event bringing together CIOs, IT leaders and corporate decision makers to discover how they can take advantage of the power of mobile applications in their organizations.


Later that day, our mobile security client, Snap Secure (part of Snap MyLife, Inc.) participated in the ShowStoppers private press event at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel (on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter).  This event, open to media, bloggers and industry analysts, provided the chance for cutting edge wireless technology companies to present their companies, products and services on a one-on-one basis to the press corp.




Michael Subhan (l.) and Robert Kao (r.) of Snap MyLife

Our team consisted of VP of Marketing Michael Subhan and VP of Product Management Robert Kao. We demonstrated the personal privacy protection features of Snap Secure -- over and over again for three hours.
Come 9 p.m., we were ready for a New Orleans feast which we heartedly engaged in at Bourbon House.


On Tuesday, the exhibition floor opened and I was able to walk the floor to view the more than 1,000 exhibitors on display.  You name it -- and it was represented at CTIA: wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, software companies, credit card and mobile banking firms, infrastructure firms, mobile apps, mobile consumer electronics, retail marketing firms, WiFi and mesh companies, accessory firms and more.

Dan Mead, President & CEO, Verizon Wireless

Dan Hesse, CEO, Sprint Nextel Corporation

Philipp Humm, CEO & President, T-Mobile USA

Ralph de la Vega, President & CEO, AT&T Mobility

Jim Cramer, host, CNBC's Mad Money

Jim Cramer served as moderator

The highlight for me was the afternoon keynote address which features the CEOs of the four major U.S. carriers -- Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Sprint and T-Mobile.  Each of the CEOs, on stage individually at first, were given the chance to address the thousands listening in the ballroom and share their vision for the industry, address competitive issues and share their company's positioning. The 'soft sniping' at each other was fun -- for those of us in the room -- it was a game of inside baseball.  The fun part, half way in, was when CNBC's Jim Cramer came out to moderator a discussion with all four CEOs. The questions ranged from mild to ascerbic; the cross-banter captivating.


My takeaway -- as rapid as the growth of wireless has been over the last decade -- we haven't seen ANYTHING YET.  As 4G speeds move from marketing hype into reality, and new handsets and applications are developed to take advantage of them (let alone 5G and 6G), watch your wireless device (phone, tablet, PC) continue to morph and dominate our wireless and connected lifestyle. We will become ever more connected and reliant on our wireless gadgets to establish our identity, pay bills, communicate (voice, data, video conference, etc.), monitor our health, protect ourselves and our families, entertain us and much more.


It's truly time to cut the cord.... and enter the brave new wireless world.

The Tease

It seems like more and more companies want to keep us guessing - whether it’s Apple’s on-again/off-again product releases or GoDaddy’s sexual innuendo-filled ads that force us to the website to “see more” of Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels (um…no thanks!).

Most recently, JC Penney has joined the party by running TV spots of shoppers screaming at sales they’ve missed and being bombarded by coupons and flyers (http://youtu.be/aj3PfcPuauM).  The commercial ends with the tagline, “Enough.Is.Enough.” and teases February 1, 2012 along with a link to JC Penney’s Facebook page.  So, can we assume the company is getting rid of all its couponing?  Is it just a ploy to get people to check out their Facebook page? 

After chatting with a colleague about the commercial (which admittedly is pretty funny), he told me about an article that said JC Penney is getting rid of all promotional sales in their stores. Overall, I think this campaign could be a win for the company – the tease is generating some buzz for both the campaign and the brand…all in anticipation of the “big announcement and full details!”

In the PR, marketing and media world, the “tease” can be both advantageous and disadvantageous to a company or news story.  Think of all the times a news anchor teases us to stay tuned after the commercial for the latest household cleaning product that can KILL US!  The anchor comes back and the news is so far out that we snicker to ourselves and become a little more jaded each time it happens.  As marketers and publicists put more “tease” into their copywriting and campaign elements, are we switching our audiences off by overusing this tactic?

With the Super Bowl (of advertising) less than a week away, let’s see how many brands turn to tease tactics.  I have a feeling that our information overloaded generation will be seeing a lot more of this across mediums (i.e. from TV to Twitter) as companies are doing everything they can to draw us in and keep us coming back.

"Top 10 Secrets to Great Analyst Relations" by Judith M. Rothrock

Industry analyst relations are a critical component of most technology companies' external marketing campaigns. Ignore the analysts and you prospectively lose important third party endorsements, inclusion in RFIs and RFPs, citations in the media and more.

In this guest blog, Judith M. Rothrock, president of JRocket Marketing, an analyst relations and outsourced chief marketing officer organization, offers 20+ years of street smarts on how to effectively engage in analyst relations. JRocket Marketing and Feintuch Communications are strategic partners; Mr. Feintuch has known and worked with Ms. Rothrock in a variety of capacities for nearly 30 years.


Recently I was asked by an industry colleague how JRocket Marketing is able to get even small vendors attention by the technology analyst firms….when the IT market is dominated by billion-dollar behemoths. Here is the JRocket Marketing Tip Sheet:

1. Homework: Know the analyst; pull their bio, note prior companies, schools, etc. Connect the dots and build the relationship off of his or her background. For example, knowing that Mint Jutras www.mintjutras.com principal Cindy Jutras is a math and science whiz from Boston University http://www.bu.edu/ … is going to at least get her to take your call if your brother/sister/aunt/uncle went there and/or you have a penchant for engineering!

2. Competitive P.I.: Super sleuth how your targeted analysts report on your competitors; what they like and don’t like, and get a good grasp of where the biases are going to be. A little private investigating goes a long way towards exploiting opportunities and avoiding pitfalls. For example, if you are in the enterprise solutions space and want to speak about “agility,” you need to know what UNIT4 has said on the topic www.unit4.com.

3. Packaging: Spin works. Net clever messages work. Complex acronyms and boring R&D speak (unless you are talking to an architecture analyst) will put your target analysts to sleep. Be sticky read http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321920765&sr=8-1

4. Powerpoint Simplicity: 50 page powerpoints scream one (or both) of these messages: I’m not sure what’s most important about my company/differentiation; I haven’t done this before so I am going to dump it all on you to figure out. Tight net presentations of 20 slides and one hour are perfect for getting key points across to analysts who are overloaded with sometimes 25+ vendor briefings per week. Skip the highly complex slides that deliver TMI. SYSPRO U.S.’s http://www.syspro.us.com/ ‘Einstein Theory’ received more traction than 60 page powerpoints previously given on the same/similar products.

5. I.V. Drips not Overloads: Analysts are often booked hourly (like lawyers) and three hour (unbillable) meetings and ongoing non-urgent information is going to peg you as a time waster to be avoided. Twice yearly face to face meetings, augmented by 2 additional WebEx’s on launches, acquisitions or other hot topics are plenty for a smaller (non-Microsoft) sized company …but share your key press releases via linked emails and/or twitter. JRocket Marketing’s Grape Escape http://www.jrocketmarketing.com/grape_escape.html is a great example of how to showcase your messaging annually and draw big analyst crowds.

6. Hot Topics: Stay abreast of the industry – what’s hot, what’s not, what’s game changing. They package your messaging to pick up on these trends because that’s what the analysts will be writing about. Check out Gartner’s Top 10 Technology Trends for 2012 http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/gartner-10-key-it-trends-2012

7. Travel Tie-Ins: Get the target analysts travel schedule and dovetail it to ANY locales, happenings or home bases of you or your key executives. Build in a lunch, dinner or airport coffee time to build the face-time relationship. Social media is GREAT, but relationships bond across a meal table.

8. Newbie Knowledge: New analysts (often from the vendor or press community) are feeling their way and grateful for any data you can share about their new assignment. Help them, and they help you! Send a welcome letter, start a file about any personal information they choose to share (spouse, kids/ages, hobbies)…and don’t forget the flowers if they have an illness or major accident because they will never forget YOU for it! Recommendations: for women analysts, nothing says it like a personalized “analyst of the year” Vermont teddy bear http://www.vermontteddybear.com/ or Pro Flowers http://www.proflowers.com/ plant and Mrs. Fields cookie combo … I’ve built 20 year relationships from just doing the “right thing” as we New Yorkers say (and it makes YOU feel great to do it!).

9. Scoops: If your company is the first to do something – bring in your most important analyst under NDA and get them a pre-briefing prior to launch. Some firms will allow a press quote, but even for the larger ones (Gartner http://www.gartner.com/, Forrester http://www.forrester.com/, or IDC http://www.idc.com/) an advance briefing will put them in a position to take a reporter’s call to provide color on the topic.

10. Respect (Both Ways): This is the most challenging tightwire act of analyst relations. Not all analysts treat smaller vendors with the same respect they give “the big boys” and there are quite a few egos. On the flip side, there are dozens of wonderful analysts out there who you can cultivate career-long friendships with. I’ve found that (contrary to what’s staffed at most PR agencies) that AR people who have deep, experienced knowledge of their market, their products and their competitors’ actions get the best shake from analysts. I’ve also found that there are some analysts that, regardless of how earthshaking your IT breakthrough is, will never believe that a small company announcement trumps even mundane news from the giants. Read Brian Sommer’s grid on the types of analysts for a good comedic look at the various analyst “types” in the market http://www.zdnet.com/blog/sommer/humor-the-rosetta-stone-of-it-industry-analysts/1089?tag=content;siu-container.

Visit http://www.jrocketmarketing.com/ for more information or follow Judith Rothrock on twitter @JRocketMarket.

 

It’s Race Day in the Big Apple and the Crowd Goes Wild!

Every year since I’ve lived in NYC, I’ve cheered on marathoners running the streets of New York in the beginning of November.  Every year I’ve said, I’m going to run it one day. This year, I did! And, as I had posted on Facebook after the race, two words sum up the experience – awesome and tiring!

The New York Marathon is one big block party. The media buzz all around New York propels and enhances the excitement of the city. Every year various world-class runners and celebrities mix in with ordinary runners. Everyone remembers the Chilean miner who ran the marathon last year.  This year the big news was that Apolo Ohno was running the marathon. With this kind of attention and publicity, it’s no surprise that marathon day is the one day every year that New Yorkers come out in the thousands to cheer on runners of all ages, ethnicities, class level, etc. 

The three months of training prior to the race, were not easy. The foresight, research, organizational and planning skills PR practitioners use in their jobs were put to good use. I researched various training schedules, chose the one that worked for me and plotted out my running schedule for the next three months. When I completed a run, I’d check it off the schedule.  Sometimes I’d have to rearrange my workouts on a weekly basis to fit them in with other commitments. Often, I would leave work on a Thursday or Friday and run anywhere from 13-20 miles around Manhattan and/or home to Brooklyn; many weeks saw me awake at 6am three or four days during the week for a four- to six-mile run; or I’d have to make sure there was time on a vacation to complete my miles for the week.

Sunday, November 6 was race day, and I was excited and nervous. I hadn’t slept well the night before and had set two alarm clocks just to make sure I was up at 5am and didn’t miss the ferry. Despite trying to remain quiet and not wake my parents and sister, who had flown in from California for the occasion, my Dad woke up, kept me company while I got ready and walked me out the door. I was glad for the distraction. Nerves set in again as it seemed like forever for the train to come. Once I got to the ferry station, excitement took over.

It was complete organized chaos - from boarding the ferry until I got to the starting line. For having to deal with 44,000 runners, the New York Road Runners did an amazing job making sure everyone was where they needed to be and when they needed to be there.

The crowds are what make the marathon spectacular. The entire 26.2 mile route had tons of supporters with signs, both funny and inspirational. Spectators cheered everyone on – whether they knew you or not. If your name was on your shirt, they’d shout for you. If you were wearing a shirt with the Italian flag they’d shout “Go Italy.” Worst case, they’d just shout and holler like banshees. When a runner they knew came by, groups would go crazy!  The energy from the crowd kept you going and when you saw someone you knew, it feels as though you could sprout wings in your chest and fly away. There were little kids giving out high fives. Every mile had a different band, DJ, choir group, elementary school concert band or some sort of music blaring. Some spectators took it upon themselves to blast music to help runners along. Others handed out Gu, bananas and paper towels, in addition to the volunteers passing out water, Gatorade and wet sponges. There were people in costumes – both runners and spectators alike. I think the spectators were having as much fun if not more than the runners. I couldn’t stop smiling for the first 13 miles.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely hit the wall - at about mile 20 - but the crowds keep you going and make you want to finish, as do the other runners. At no point are you alone, and even though I didn’t know anyone else running, there was a certain camaraderie. Finishing was amazing. You realize you’ve just run 26.2 miles through the closed-off streets of Manhattan in front of two million spectators and the exhaustion and pain settle in next to the euphoria.

When asked if I’d run another marathon, my answer is two-fold: I’d definitely run the NYC marathon again and I might do a different one, but only if I have someone to train and run it with. It was my sister’s first time watching the marathon in person and she loved it so much that she’s trying to convince me to run one with her, so we’ll see…