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From Michael Meath, Founder/President of Strategic Communications, LLC, a terrific tidbit on professional integrity especially in a crisis: “Be Accountable: Your reputation depends on your integrity. It’s best to deal with bad news up front - the longer you wait the less control you’ll have of your message.” 

 Good pr requires careful listening and inquisitive dialog. The resulting information gives you what you need to identify the most effective ways to communicate your company’s messages with specific audiences and make recommendations to management.  And no, one size does not fit all. Each situation requires its own plan of attack. A press release may not be the right tool for one task but it might be just the ticket for another. An e- newsletter might work with one demographic and not with another. A “no comment” can be the kiss of death.   Unfortunately, some corporate managers fail to recognize this and simply tell their pr team what tools to use for a particular situation despite the fact that communications is not their bailiwick.  Many public relations professionals take the path of least resistance and simply follow these marching orders. The real pros though assert their expert opinions and know-how. To not do so is quite simply a disservice to your employer.  Yours is no small job. Good communication translates to sales, brand loyalty, top of mind awareness and is essential in a crisis. To get the right end product, the best pr pros understand that each project requires an individual approach. They know that it’s how you communicate that’s the trick. And they share their recommendations with those who are counting on them. Those of us in pr need to know our stuff. But that isn’t worth much if we do not share what we have come to know through education, trial, error and hands-on experience. We need to be confident. To assert our opinions and the benefit of our expertise. Only then can we be truly effective and give our employers the counsel they count on to continually strengthen and distinguish their brand.

There are a number of ways to strategically trim your marketing budget during a recession to keep your CFO happy while continuing to keep your company in the spotlight. Here are a few possibilities: 

1. Concentrate on public relations activities. Work harder at getting articles and expert columns placed, promote your in-house, new product or other activities in atypical ways that are newsworthy.
2. Maximize your community partnerships. If you work with a non-profit, elevate your partnership in the public eye. Promote your relationship and the benefits to the overall community. And ensure that your involvement is publicized in the organization’s newsletter, on their website, etc. If you have typically sponsored a special event hosted by a non-profit, talk to them about investing that money into something more unique that still assists their mission, where you can stand out beyond the traditional banner and logo visibility.   
3. Review trade shows and special events. Are the trade shows in which you typically participate providing proven return? Does the cost to participate – booth space, displays, giveaways, staff time, etc. – outweigh the benefit? Are you buying tables at events at which your representatives do not utilize the time for networking? Are you maximizing the benefits of special event sponsorships by a presence (booth, giveaway, etc.) at the events, using them to entertain clients, or taking your investment to the next level? If you cannot give a positive response to each of these questions, you may want to reconsider the associated investment.     
4. Stick to what you know works. This is not the time to try new media channels. Use those advertising/promotional methods that are tried and true.
5. Communicate more with your customers. When your employees speak with customers ask for their feedback on what you could be doing better to serve them during this period. Set up a section of your website asking for the same input. Get out there and meet with your customers more in whatever way is most appropriate for your industry. Touch base with those long-term customers who you may have been taking for granted. And by all means, respond to all feedback and requests. The resulting word of mouth and loyalty go a long way.
6. Use your website more. Your website is the perfect spot to reinforce your messages and keep them fresh. Give your websites some customer friendly upgrades by posting helpful information, offering web-only specials, and providing another avenue for personal communication.      
7. Keep your messages positive! We all know there is a recession. Your customers do not need to be reminded of it over and over again – especially by you. Keep your messages light and upbeat.

From one of our favorite pr execs - Shelly VanDusen, Vice President, Public Relations, KeyBank, N.A. - here is some great advice:

“To effectively showcase your business and garner media attention, offer clients as story sources who are willing to share their experiences and discuss how they’ve benefitted from your products and services. Testimonials lend credibility to an organization, creating positive perceptions in the marketplace.” 

Public relations is a tough business. We do our best to make it look easy, yet it’s a think-on-your-feet, string-pulling, relationship-leveraging, deadline-driven, time-intensive, always uncertain science. Oh, and proving cost-benefit is not as cut and dry as paid advertising. Something that your finance folks will love!

First of all, one well-placed news story is not a pr plan. A pr plan is multi-faceted. It may include sponsorships, volunteerism, speaking opportunities, and yes, definitely media coverage. Above all else…there has to be a hook. News must be compelling. Regardless of how important your new office system may be to your business, that alone does not make it interesting to the public. To be newsworthy, your story must evoke emotion, be unique, current or cutting edge. If you find your news doesn’t have legs, reconsider pitching it to the papers. Second, if an opportunity for visibility arises,  seize the moment. Sometimes, it presents itself out of the blue. In these instances, identify the right spokesperson and start moving…possibly at an uncomfortably fast pace. Prepare company stats and background information on a tight deadline. With the right amount of savvy and a little hustle, your company can achieve outstanding results. Third and this is the cardinal rule,  there’s no guarantee your press release or story will get the coverage you desire. Keep in mind, pr is not paid advertising. It is, however, much more credible. A couple of last things. Do not forget your current customers. New ones are great – and we want them! – but your long-time clients tell their friends who tell their friends about you. Include them in your pr plan. They are invaluable. And that goes for your employees too! One final tip…be sure to leave some room in your schedule each month for brainstorming. Take it from TAG, your business will be head and shoulders above the competition with a proactive pr plan in place.  

Anyone who has worked in public relations knows it can be a challenge to measure results beyond the number of articles placed, media coverage received and a listing of each of the community/customer/employee relations activities undertaken. Nonetheless, assessing your pr program is essential! We need to look no further than our own spouse or significant other to understand messages we mean to get across are frequently misinterpreted. So why should we assume that our pr plan is working “just because.” And why do we put such emphasis on increasing outputs, if our hard work does not relate to outcomes. You may be thinking, “I don’t have the time or the budget for measurement.” Trust me, there are numerous low or no cost tools right at your fingertips– including tracking web site statistics on visits and downloads; do-it-yourself surveys; advisory groups; and case studies to name a few. To get started, define specific quantifiable goals and objectives and then establish criteria to measure these. These goals should be aligned to the strategies of your business as a whole. And instead of measuring the overall pr program, break down each of the components - whether it’s a special event, sponsorship, news article, customer relations campaign, or whatever else. While there is no fool-proof research tool to measure pr effectiveness, there are umpteen models and formulas out there for measuring, creating and evaluating, that will work in harmony with your unique organization and its mission. The goal - prove your pr program measures up. And show its return on investment. 

So, your company has a variety of tools in its public relations arsenal – all aimed at helping to build your positive brand image and improve accessibility for target audiences. Among those are your quarterly newsletter, web site and brochures. Problem is, your newsletter ends up going out maybe twice a year; your brochures include photos that are circa 1980; and your web site is outdated and downright inaccurate. Sadly, when you circulate stagnant marketing collateral…instead of helping you put your best foot forward, you end up shooting yourself in the foot. The good news is, getting back on track is an easy fix. Make a production schedule for the year. Be sure to include names of persons responsible for individual tasks, hot topics to cover, edit and design deadlines, as well as print and delivery dates. Remember, outdated information screams “unprofessional” and perception is reality. If you can’t remember the last time updated your web site, or when you created that company fact sheet – find your blue bin and recycle all remaining copies NOW. Don’t over think, just do it! Old logos, dated photos, and obsolete data are like a neon billboard signaling your inability to keep up with competitors. So take heed, don’t let the very tools you use to make your job easier, work against you. Update today!

While mixing and mingling at a neighbor’s Super Bowl party last Sunday (GO GIANTS!), one of TAG’s staff members heard several of the partiers complimenting the overall neighborhood, the close camaraderie and friendly nature of the people who live there. Then time and again, they said, “I wish we lived here. Let me know if a house comes up for sale.” Pretty good public relations for the ‘hood. Transfer this same notion to your business and reap the benefits. Host an open house, lunch and learn, reception or cocktail party at your offices. Showcase yourself and the people who work for you. In other words, “bring ‘em out!” “Them” may be your employees’ families, prospective clients, current clients, political leaders and/or the general public. Any business can take advantage of this pr tactic and reap the morale boosting, relationship enhancing, product or service highlighting benefits. It shouldn’t be stiff or stuffy, just engaging and memorable. Find a reason to celebrate. Invite those that have helped you along the way and those you want along for the ride in the future. They won’t forget the gesture and you’ll actually look forward to your next gig as host.

From our friend, Howard Dolgon, co-founder of Alan Taylor Communications (now Taylor). The firm is the leading lifestyle, entertainment and sports pr firm in the country. He is also President/CEO/Governor, Syracuse Crunch AHL Hockey Club. Here’s his tip:

“Stay aware of current events and trends. Be well read. Be informed and understand the landscape. An uninformed pr professional is an ineffective one.”

The former CEO of a local company was known for saying, “Shoot, aim, shoot.” He did not abide people who weren’t willing to go for it to outshine the competition. He would shake his head in disbelief if he witnessed the reactions that pr consultants frequently receive when trying to get clients to act or react quickly to an unexpected opportunity that knocks.  Current events and hot trends provide unique and rare opportunities for visibility and increased sales when they relate to your product, service or industry. While most companies do have the insight to see the possibilities that these pose, they typically do not understand the need to react immediately to beat the competition to the punch.  A couple of examples of companies who saw a golden moment and grabbed it are Nike and Subway. On Sunday at the 2005 Masters, Tiger Woods chipped an incredible, nearly impossibly shot that hovered above the hole, and as the cameras zoomed in, just by chance, right before the ball dramatically fell in the hole, you saw the Nike swoosh, clear as can be. It was a corporate sponsor’s dream. Did Nike execs wait till Monday to schedule a meeting to discuss what to do? Did they check their budget to be certain that they would not be spending money earmarked for the following quarter? Absolutely not. They saw an opportunity. They seized it. They just did it. They lived their slogan. They understood that timing was of the essence and that the oomph and emotional appeal would be lost even a week later. Ads were running the next day! A full-fledged pr and ad campaign quickly followed.  Subway was just another chain of sub shops before the health food craze hit. So when issues like obesity and trans fats began to build steam, Subway grabbed the golden moment and reinvented itself as the healthy alternative to fast food, becoming one of the first businesses of its kind to jump aboard the fitness bandwagon. They introduced Fresh Fit meals along with a catchy ad and pr campaign. (Who doesn’t chuckle over their fast food drive-through parody: “I’ll have the love handles, double chin and blubber.”) The sales followed. Subway reacted faster than the competition to the healthier eating trend and it paid off in spades. What if they had sat around hemming and hawing about the upside and downside? They likely would not be in the positive market position they are in today.  Your big breaks in life don’t often present themselves more than once. You have to know when to react. And, as importantly, you have to react quickly and decisively. So, when a real opportunity comes along, do not sit around half-cocked. Shoot, aim, shoot.