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Gini Dietrich

#FollowFriday: Paul Sutton

By: Gini Dietrich | March 9, 2012 | 
55

You may recognize today’s #FollowFriday as my nemesis.

The person who debates me, even if what I say is fact.

The person who yins when I yang.

The person who thinks Pinterest doesn’t rock and Google+ isn’t effective for small businesses.

But he’s actually one of my most favorite people on the social web. Partly because he isn’t afraid to tell me he thinks I’m wrong and partly because he’s wicked smart.

If you don’t already know him, meet Paul Sutton.

In his business life, he does social, digital, and online communication for Bottle PR in the U.K. Bottle has won tons of awards in the past year, including best places to work and top PR firms in and outside of London.

You can find Paul blogging at the Bottle blog, Bottle PR Uncorked, at FutureComms (his personal, but linked to the agency, blog), and archives at The Social Web, where he blogged until late last year.

Like many of us, he started his career in the agency world doing consumer work. Most recently, with the explosion of the social web, he’s dedicated his time to teaching B2B clients how to use digital communication to grow their businesses.

He’s one of the good guys who has an extensive background steeped in communication.

Most recently he joined me in the fight for defining PR (And I quote, “Anyone care to offer comment for a blog post? You WILL be quoted – I’m not taking the rap for this one by myself…”) and we discovered we actually do agree on most things.

Personally, he is the husband of one gorgeous woman (I mean gorgeous) and the dad of an adorable little girl.

So check him out. You can find him on Twitter, Google+, LinkedInBottle PR Uncorked, and FutureComms.

He’s kind, he’s smart, and he understands civil discourse. If you want to open your mind and have your thinking challenged, I highly recommend getting to know him.

I hope he doesn’t mind my using a family photo here, but I thought you’d like to see what I mean about his wife and little girl.

About Gini Dietrich


Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm. She is the lead blogger here at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is the co-author of Marketing in the Round and co-host of Inside PR. Her second book, Spin Sucks, is due out in November 2013

52 comments
wabbitoid
wabbitoid like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

What I've seen about Paul is that he is one of the remarkably few people in social media who genuinely understands that all these shiny tools are nothing more than tools. I have some clients that really need etsy and some that have to work yelp pretty hard - and maybe some day I'll have one that needs pinterest.  But should I be all excited about pinterest?  I'll be aware of it, certainly.

 

If you need a T3 Torx screwdriver, by all means use one.  Jamming a phillips into the slot won't do anyone any good in the long run.  But I don't think anyone has droned on for more than a thousand words as to just how cool a T3 driver is, for goodness sakes.  And some of them are quite shiny, too.  Paul is one of the few heretics who I can count on to say this, and I appreciate that. 

ThePaulSutton
ThePaulSutton

 @wabbitoid Thanks very much. I love the screwdriver analogy and the words "jamming a phillips into the slot won't do". May well be adopting that myself :o) I think that a lot of people pay lip service to social media as tools and will even say so to clients and peers, but when it comes down to it, show them something new and they're all over it like a rash. I genuinely don't believe that many...maybe MOST comms pros actually UNDERSTAND what 'social media is just a tool'really means...

TylerOrchard
TylerOrchard

@skypulsemedia Always a pleasure reading your comments!

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@John_Trader1 He's super cool!

John_Trader1
John_Trader1

@ginidietrich The size, strength, intelligence, wit and clout (with a c) of your community continues to amaze me.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@John_Trader1 You mean the crazies?

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@John_Trader1 Crazy crazy about sums it up

John_Trader1
John_Trader1

@ginidietrich Yeah, crazy smart. Crazy influential. Crazy passionate. Crazy witty. Crazy crazy.

cahrat_3346
cahrat_3346

@John_Trader1 Apple's sending away 1000 iPad 3's as part of awesome promotion, go to this page for info! @ipad_3_giveaway

Anthony_Rodriguez
Anthony_Rodriguez like.author.displayName 1 Like

I like divergent opinions. It makes me see things in a way I might not have looked. And for that, let the Paul Sutton following begin.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@skypulsemedia Everyone loves you, Howie

Justjeffpls
Justjeffpls

@ginidietrich Ru good lookin or am I gettin weak n the eyes or what?

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@JeffRice63 Maybe a little of both!

Justjeffpls
Justjeffpls

@ginidietrich Checking w/confirmation is good!

Shonali
Shonali

Basically, every day when I look at SS and see who the guest poster is, I follow them (well, most of the time). So Paul's already there!

Latest blog post: Toon Time: Only in Texas

ginidietrich
ginidietrich moderator

 @Shonali Isn't that an efficient way of doing things?? Are we playing hooky this afternoon?

Howie Goldfarb
Howie Goldfarb like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

First off @ginidietrich you are ALWAYS right unless I feel on the rare occasion you are wrong then of course i am right. But you have a superb record. Maybe @ThePaulSutton is a closet Lions fan? That is possible. I saw him tweet to Chelsea that they don't play real Football like they do in the states. That is why my late Grandfather moved to NYC from London because he heard there was better Football here and he never left. He married a Canadian just to have access to their round bacon. Those English are such opportunists I must say.

 

Still stumped on this 'defining Public Radio' mission you are all on. I mean he has the BBC we have NPR what more does the world need?

 

About the photo I saw that same photo on a Billboard in Romania for Verizon you sure that is Paul and not actors?

 

Well @ThePaulSutton blame Gini if your life is all down hill from here. Roasted by me and the exact pinnacle of your career due to @ginidietrich some people never recover just ask @shonali 

 

 

 

 

belllindsay
belllindsay like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @HowieSPM  @ginidietrich  @ThePaulSutton  @shonali I always post something on FollowFridays just to *make sure* I'm notified the very second that *Howie* posts! I actually don't like @ThePaulSutton at all. ;)

Howie Goldfarb
Howie Goldfarb like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @belllindsay  @ginidietrich  @ThePaulSutton  @shonali maybe paul will sell canada to france?

TheJackB
TheJackB

 @HowieSPM @ThePaulSutton @ginidietrich @belllindsay @Shonali The only disadvantage to living in paradise is that I get here after all of you, but you still reap the rewards of my comments and there are many...really.

 

Back in my university days we would sometimes visit the pub before class and invariably one of us would stand up and shout "It is a Cookbook!"

 

We found it very funny, the professors less so. It did lead to a few interesting dates. But since this blog is supposed to be about business/PR/social media let me tie it all in together.

 

Sometimes using pop culture references can be a very effective way of building a brand. For example, the students who clearly had a few drinks but could still participate in class proved that one day they would be qualified to work as bankers, lawyers and airline pilots.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich moderator

 @HowieSPM  I have nothing to say to this. I'm fascinated at how your brain works.

Howie Goldfarb
Howie Goldfarb like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @ginidietrich I thought Follow Friday was really your open invite to roast someone I haven't gotten to know yet.

 

On that note @tylerorchard has invited me to speak to the Canadian Parliament to discuss how personal branding can save the Queen's Empire. See Follow Friday success

TheJackB
TheJackB like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @HowieSPM Uh oh, you better watch out or they might pay you with the funny looking Monopoly money they use.

 

I miss the summer that I lived in Canada. It was so much fun riding a sleigh pulled by Polar Bears and hanging out with the MacKenzie brothers.

 

Bob and Doug are hosers, but so much fun.

StevenHerron
StevenHerron

Hi Gini,

I just discovered your blog and will definitely follow Paul. I need to correct you, however, on the "ying and yang." It is actually "yin" instead of "ying."

ThePaulSutton
ThePaulSutton like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Thanks @ginidietrich What a totally unexpected but very wonderful surprise. A week before the big FOUR-OH and I've achieved a life-long (ish) ambition with a Spin Sucks #FollowFriday. I can now retire a happy man.

 

Being your nemesis is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I mean, I know for a stone-cold fact that every single time I go up against you I'm going to lose. But if it creates debate and makes people think, I'll continue to be the fall guy. 

 

Thanks again, Gini. Feeling very humbled right now.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich moderator

 @ThePaulSutton Dang. I should have waited and done it as a birthday post. And...some day you'll win. I mean, you have to. Right??

ThePaulSutton
ThePaulSutton like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @ginidietrich It's not like you to be smug. Oh, hang on... :o)

 

By the way, I don't understand civil discourse. Had to Google it...

Howie Goldfarb
Howie Goldfarb like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @ginidietrich  @ThePaulSutton wow double whammy. 40 huh? all downhill from there. The day after I turned forty I for some reason stopped wanting to watch sports and now I just watch greys anatomy reruns.

StephanieFlo
StephanieFlo

The best friends are the ones who challenge us. Thanks for sharing @ginidietrich v. @ThePaulSutton! http://t.co/kl9f4d7H

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@StephanieFlo LOL! I love being challenged. And @thepaulsutton is very nice about it

Shelley Pringle
Shelley Pringle like.author.displayName 1 Like

Hey Paul! You seem to be popping up all over the place. Can't wait to read your blog about the latest/greatest PR definition. And I have to agree with Gini and Lindsay--you've got a beautiful family.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich moderator

 @Shelley Pringle I have that blog post open, too. Want to re-read it this morning.

ThePaulSutton
ThePaulSutton

 @ginidietrich @Shelley Pringle Thanks Shelley. I'm intending running the post I talked to you guys about on FutureComms next week. Was planning on early this week but time ran away. The one you've got hold of is opinions of the BOTTLE crew, so not quite your own more, um, outrageous thoughts... I'll let you know when it goes live :o)

belllindsay
belllindsay like.author.displayName 1 Like

Yay Paul!!! I already follow/chit-chat with Paul, and I adore him. Smart and funny and shares my views on Pinterest! ;) And I *love* seeing the family pic - in this weird world of social when you feel "friendly" with people all over the world, it's so fun to see them in their "real" life (er, in a non-stalker kinda way). Gorgeous family!! 

KenMueller
KenMueller like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I like Paul already. While I disagree with him on Pinterest, I'm closer to his views on G+. And anyone who understands civil discourse is a friend of mine. Even if they are a friend of yours. 

Trackbacks

  1. [...] Friday” and then gives the name of a person that she finds interesting. I found her pick for her March 9 post to be especially interesting because she chose a man who she refers to as her “nemesis,” a [...]

  2. [...] Paul Sutton: You can find him on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Bottle PR Uncorked, and FutureComms. [...]