Archive for June, 2011

I’ve known the people at CustomScoop for a few years now. Jen and Chip (and the others who have been part of the Media Bullseye Roundtable, like Doug and Sarah…) They do good work, and have been among the few who have provided real thought leadership in emerging communications, without succumbing to hype.

It’s fair to say I would never have been on their radar if it hadn’t been for my work with the American Red Cross, and the integration of social media with disaster-related communications. That’s why I got a message from them about a week ago. After waves of killer tornadoes in Alabama in April and Missouri in May, Jen reached out to ask me about the logistics of helping out, in the way they best knew how.

CustomScoop is giving away 100 media monitoring packages for disaster-related non-profits.

Having been on disaster assignments, I can’t begin to tell you how helpful that can be.

In the heat of disaster, gathering up clips and analyzing them for reputation management issues can be pretty low on the priority list. And trying to go back and compile them in the waning days of an operation can be spotty at best, and impossible at worst.

The offer from CustomScoop is for disaster relief organizations, and comes with no strings. Additionally, it’s not tied to any particular geographic area. (Jen and I talked about this days before the tornado hit Massachusetts, very close to home for the CustomScoop crew.)

It just goes to show that no matter what you do, or what your skills, there are ways to support those who suddenly find themselves with every need imaginable.