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Crisis PR: Three Core Principles and Planning Checklist to Guide Your Actions

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Reputation Skewered

Posted by Tom Gable

Most major organizations create crisis plans in advance of need, update them regularly, have a strategic array of tools and tactics ready to go (hidden Web sites, video, audio, fact sheets, media kits) and even rehearse their responses. The better job an organization does before a crisis strikes – or at the beginning to quickly manage a crisis based on sound principles should a plan not be in place – the better the result. These fundamentals came to mind in tracking the Toyota recall, the changing communications strategies and lack of responsiveness early in the game.

In creating a crisis plan and carrying it out in any crisis communications situation, three basic principles should guide your actions:

One – Be honest and stick to the facts. Do not speculate, hypothecate or exaggerate. Those impacted by the crisis deserve nothing less – and your reputation may be damaged irreparably if you aren’t truthful and authentic.

Two – Think strategically about the long-term. It is too easy to be reactionary, get caught up in the grinding short-term pressures of the situation and scurry to respond to those demanding answers from every quarter. What do you stand for? What are your core values? Your culture? Are your responses to the crisis consistent with these values and authentic – no hype? How will your actions today be viewed a year from now? Five years from now?

Three – Maintain unified and consistent communications during implementation of your plan. Nothing will erode your credibility faster than conflicting messages coming from different sources within your organization (be aware that the media – and class action attorneys in some cases – will pursue every angle in search of controversy, unethical behavior or criminal intent).

Another key factor for launching a crisis plan: speed of response. As witnessed with the issues swirling around Toyota as it sank deeper into a crisis PR vortex, lack of pro-active communications resulted in the news media, elected officials and other outside sources taking control of the message momentum. Instead of being fast and responsive, Toyota seemed to adopt the Three S Strategy: be silent, slow and stonewall.

Crisis PR is a team sport that requires a great play book. As a starting point for creating your own plan, Gable PR has developed a detailed checklist (click here) to guide any organization through the essential elements required. Think of it as a critical pre-flight check list. From this start, any organization can adapt it and keep it evolving to keep up with the changing requirements for communicating in the nanosecond news cycle spawned by Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and traditional media embracing 24/7 coverage.

Depending on each crisis, some areas will require more research, planning and action than others. Please take a look at the list and let me know what else might be added, enhanced, edited, deleted or explained more clearly. Crisis PR, to borrow a line from Ernest Hemingway, is something of a moveable feast and the goal is to take charge of the menu.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Crisis PR, Horizon Management, In the Beginning, Team Play | No Comments »

Beyond Crisis PR: Can Toyota Change Its DNA?

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Road to Recall

Posted by Tom Gable

The Toyota crisis PR case is not just about the recent recalls, global media scrutiny and potential Congressional action in the U.S. It has metastasized from neglected issues within the body corporate to impact vital functions in every fiber of the Toyota being.

Possible deeper issues were discovered by Ken Bensinger of the LA Times and others in major media. He started following the case after an off-duty CHP patrolman and three family members died when the accelerator stuck on their Toyota and they crashed in rural San Diego County in August 2009. Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, apologized. Soon, Toyota recalled 4.3-million-vehicles, its largest recall ever.

As outlined in an interview with the NPR affiliate KPBS in San Diego, Bensinger and his LA Times colleagues started probing. They found issues going back to 2001, 2007 and 2009. Toyota talked about floor mats as one cause, then the next day said there were issues with a sticking accelerator pedal. Analysts thought the answers didn’t add up and began asking about design flaws in the electronic throttle system. Were there deeper problems that Toyota wasn’t addressing?

Bensinger said Toyota talked about quality and safety but seemed to be ignoring problems. He said they practiced global “obfuscation” and he then walked the KPBS listeners through a litany of Toyota transgressions over the past decade.

The problem from a PR standpoint wasn’t just obfuscation and a pattern of not dealing with the issues in a forthright manner. As I noted in the same interview, the issues go into the heart and soul of the corporation. What does Toyota stand for? What are its values? Those are the first questions corporations need to ask themselves if they are going to position themselves above the competition. Then, can they deliver on the promise?

If Toyota stresses quality and safety, can it relaunch and walk the talk over time? Can it invest in image as a part of corporate strategy, not in stonewalling, silence and slow responses?

The Wall Street Journal in an essay on Feb. 6 identified deep cultural factors to be overcome:

In Japan there is a proverb, “If it stinks, put a lid on it.” Alas, this seems to have been Toyota’s approach to its burgeoning safety crisis, initially denying, minimizing and mitigating the problems involving brakes that don’t brake and accelerators that have a mind of their own. President Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder, was MIA for two weeks and the company has appeared less than forthcoming about critical safety issues, risking the trust of its customers world-wide.

This has been a public-relations nightmare for Toyota, as its brand name has been synonymous with quality and reliability. Crisis management does not get any more woeful than this and the cost of this bungling so far—the initial $2 billion recall and the loss of 17% of share value since Jan. 21, when the gas-pedal recall was announced—is only a down payment on the final tally. The recall will surely expand, including cars produced in Japan. Lawsuits are being filed and an expensive settlement looms. And then there are the idle factories and empty showrooms to account for.

It is not surprising that Toyota’s response has been dilatory and inept, because crisis management in Japan is grossly undeveloped. Over the past two decades, I cannot think of one instance where a Japanese company has done a good job managing a crisis. The pattern is all too familiar, typically involving slow initial response, minimizing the problem, foot dragging on the product recall, poor communication with the public about the problem and too little compassion and concern for consumers adversely affected by the product.

The New York Times also documented a pattern of slow response on safety issues and detailed engineering issues going back to 1996 and covering almost every model.

Can Toyota change its DNA? At a press conference in Nagoya on Feb. 5, Toyota President Akio Toyoda expressed his deep regret for the inconvenience and concern caused to Toyota customers. He said he would take the lead toward improving quality around the world by establishing a global quality task force and implement a six-point action plan to improve quality in every region.

Turning the Exxon Valdez wasn’t easy. Check back in two years, which is probably the minimum time it will take to make a course correction, set new plans in place, start building a new culture and generating consistent, positive results over time versus navigating through the rubble from a permanently damaged reputation.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Client Service Results, Crisis PR, Horizon Management, Hype Free PR, In the Beginning | No Comments »

PR and Reputation Management for the Future – Clear Vision, Moving Horizon

Friday, December 18th, 2009

The Moving PR Horizon

The Moving PR Horizon

Posted by Tom Gable

As reported here previously, a PRSA Counselors Academy survey identified the key issues facing the PR agencies and internal staffs in the ongoing transition of the PR professional from vendor to trusted counselor. The top line action items: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), providing authentic counsel, embracing social media, improving technology and finding new ways of measurement.

My segment during a panel discussion of the findings at the PRSA International provided ideas on enhancing client service. As covered earlier, Gable PR and many others recommend getting off to a fast start by using internal and external audits. They are a cost-effective and quick means of gathering the intelligence required to create strategic long-term programs.

With research in place, agencies and internal PR staffs can start planning to build future image from a strong foundation and based on a bright, strategic vision. As an analogy, think about creating a beautiful new high-rise office building, cathedral, synagogue, museum, football stadium or other major architectural undertaking. What do you want the finished product to look like – the final rendering? Then, what are the essential elements needed to bring the vision to life?

Steel-Solid Facts, No Hype

In PR, branding and positioning, the foundation must be legitimate, ethical, credible, authentic and steel-solid with facts. From there, image builds on three to four core values. Then, every piece of communications provides additional support for each core value, building a row at a time to create a future award-wining edifice. Add a row or two of hype? And the walls will come crumbling down.

How to organize the PR efforts necessary to create new images and reputations? We call it Horizon Management, a concept that assumes you can plan for and achieve the desired results. Then, once the desired position is reached, positive communications must continue to perpetuity. Markets change. Competitors come and go. New communications tools are created and channels opened. So aim for the horizon – and keep moving the horizon!

The pro-active PR professional routinely looks a year or more ahead for new opportunities and provides the leadership that keeps relationships and results growing over time. Go beyond the ordinary and expected. Fresh ideas keep clients and bosses engaged and enthusiastic. The approach also builds trust and respect. Even if there is disagreement, clients know the professional is focused on their future success, not personal agendas. As a result, the PR professional is transformed from vendor or staff person to trusted counselor and strategic partner, building relationships that endure and prosper.

Horizon Management

Here are a couple of quick tips for launching horizon management.

Conduct an Environmental and Situation Analysis

  • Annual plans, milestones, events, conferences, quarterly reports, audit info, other “knowns”

Get Creative with the “Flip Side”

  • What exists? What doesn’t?
  • Where are the holes?
  • What new ideas can we bring to the table?

Take Your Plan Over the Horizon

  • Propose bigger ideas, new programs, and added value
  • Have short-term action items for daily engagement
  • Set a vision for the future (changing image, behavior)
  • Brainstorm regularly, provide continuous creativity
  • Update monthly and keep moving the horizon
  • Manage for results, not time
  • Understand client rhythms, synchronize
  • Set new standards for responsiveness

Monthly Litmus Test on Program Success

Examine recent client experiences, relationships, evolution, momentum, stagnation and any confusion or misdirection:

  • What worked?
  • What didn’t?
  • What (or who) changed?
  • What was missing?
  • What steps do we need to take to generate clearly superior results?

Detailed Check List for Client Success

  • Understand the client business, plans, and goals
  • Match expertise to client needs
  • Do your homework
  • Set realistic expectations
  • Build a team – internally and with the client
  • Develop long-range plans, critical steps
  • Establish procedures, protocols for planning, ongoing creative, approvals, measurement
  • Be strategic and authentic
  • Use appropriate tools and tactics
  • Communicate consistently and creatively!
  • Keep moving the horizon
  • And celebrate as you build relationships that endure to perpetuity

Obviously, these are bullet points that require a lot more thought for each and could be turned into a chapter in a book (They are! The Fifth Edition of the PR Client Service Manual is advancing toward release in Spring 2010). For a free PDF of the Fourth Edition, circa 2001, email me at tom@gablepr.com.

Posted by Tom Gable

As reported here previously, a PRSA Counselors Academy survey identified the key issues facing the PR agencies and internal staffs in the ongoing transition of the PR professional from vendor to trusted counselor. The top line action items: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), providing authentic counsel, embracing social media, improving technology and finding new ways of measurement.

My segment during a panel discussion of the findings at the PRSA International provided ideas on enhancing client service.  As covered earlier, Gable PR and many others recommend getting off to a fast start by using internal and external audits.  They are a cost-effective and quick means of gathering the intelligence required to create strategic long-term programs.

With research in place, agencies and internal PR staffs can start planning to build future image from a strong foundation and based on a bright, strategic vision. As an analogy, think about creating a beautiful new high-rise office building, cathedral, synagogue, museum, football stadium or other major architectural undertaking.  What do you want the finished product to look like – the final rendering? Then, what are the essential elements needed to bring the vision to life?

Steel-Solid Facts, No Hype

In PR, branding and positioning, the foundation must be legitimate, ethical, credible, authentic and steel-solid with facts.  From there, image builds on three to four core values. Then, every piece of communications provides additional support for each core value, building a row at a time to create a future award-wining edifice. Add a row or two of hype? And the walls will come crumbling down.

How to organize the PR efforts necessary to create new images and reputations?  We call it Horizon Management, a concept that assumes you can plan for and achieve the desired results.  Then, once the desired position is reached, positive communications must continue to perpetuity.  Markets change. Competitors come and go. New communications tools are created and channels opened.  So aim for the horizon – and keep moving the horizon!

The pro-active PR professional routinely looks a year or more ahead for new opportunities and provides the leadership that keeps relationships and results growing over time. Go beyond the ordinary and expected. Fresh ideas keep clients and bosses engaged and enthusiastic. The approach also builds trust and respect. Even if there is disagreement, clients know the professional is focused on their future success, not personal agendas.  As a result, the PR professional is transformed from vendor or staff person to trusted counselor and strategic partner, building relationships that endure and prosper.

Horizon Management

Here are a couple of quick tips for launching horizon management.

Conduct an Environmental and Situation Analysis

Annual plans, milestones, events, conferences, quarterly reports, audit info, other “knowns”

Get Creative with the “Flip Side”

What exists? What doesn’t?

Where are the holes?

What new ideas can we bring to the table?

Take Your Plan Over the Horizon

Propose bigger ideas, new programs, and added value

Have short-term action items for daily engagement

Set a vision for the future (changing image, behavior)

Brainstorm regularly, provide continuous creativity

Update monthly and keep moving the horizon

Manage for results, not time

Understand client rhythms, synchronize

Set new standards for responsiveness

Monthly Litmus Test on Program Success

Examine recent client experiences, relationships, evolution, momentum, stagnation, confusion

What worked?

What didn’t?

What (or who) changed?

What was missing?

What steps do we need to take to generate clearly superior results?

Detailed Check List for Client Success

Understand the client business, plans, and goals

Match expertise to client needs

Do your homework

Set realistic expectations

Build a team – internally and with the client

Develop long-range plans, critical steps

Establish procedures, protocols for planning, ongoing creative, approvals, measurement

Be strategic and authentic

Use appropriate tools and tactics

Communicate consistently and creatively!

Keep moving the horizon

And celebrate as you build relationships that endure to perpetuity.

Obviously, these are bullet points that require a lot more thought for each and could be turned into a chapter in a book (They are!  The Fifth Edition of the PR Client Service Manual is advancing toward release in Spring 2010).  For a free PDF of the Fourth Edition, circa 2001, email me at tom@gablepr.com.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, In the Beginning | No Comments »

The external PR image audit: quick benchmark, reality test for measuring reputation

Friday, December 4th, 2009

The Ears Have It

The Ears Have It

Posted by Tom Gable

Client relations and finding new ways of measurement were two key issues facing PR firms based on results of a recent PRSA Counselors Academy survey which was released at the International Conference in San Diego. Connecting better with clients through an internal audit and other methods was recommended in the previous posting and in a talk to the conference. For developing valuable insights into image and the competitive environment, conduct an external audit, Although not new (probably first done by Edward Bernays), it can be done quickly, at far less expense than many other forms of qualitative research and will provide insights you can use in developing brilliant long-term plans for your clients.

Where internal audits delve into the soul and culture of an organization, external audits can probe the perceptions of media, analysts, customers, suppliers, academicians and visionaries in the space, serving as a reality test of the quality of a client’s image. As we found in some cases at Gable PR, the results can be a rude awakening.

Popping Bubbles (and organizational charts)

Gable PR was working with a scientific and research institution that was incredibly full of itself. An external audit showed it to be held in much lower esteem than several competing institutions. The findings helped get management focused on a program to first change their culture, planning processes and internal communications before getting pro-active with a new public relations program aimed at raising reputation to new heights. With one software company, the media thought that it had gone bankrupt because it hadn’t issued updated software in 18 months, much less a news release.

The best external audits are conducted by skilled interviewers and without the participants knowing the identity of the client. The audits can be positioned as gathering information for a marketing study to be published in a trade journal (which we often do). Stress confidentiality and anonymity to encourage candor and promise to send a copy of the results.

Start with a 30,000-foot question that establishes the focus of the research, such as: “In looking at companies in the accounting software (biotech screening, wet suit manufacturing, real estate development, etc.) field, who is the industry leader?”

The Qualities of Leadership?

The respondent may mention more than one. Pick one and ask: “What are the attributes that make them a leader?” If they make general statements like “quality,” probe deeper; do the same for categories such as technology, science, people, financial strength and culture (“Tell me more about the people.”).

Then, look at the flip side: “Any negatives?” Become an investigate reporter, of sorts. “Anything they need to change?” Open-ended questions work wonders.

Have a list of other companies in the field to ask about, including your client, and move through a reasonable number. “What about HyperGalactic Turboware?” “Effluvia BioDiagnostics?” “Are you familiar with the NanoMolecular Research Institute of Fleem? Your thoughts?” Delving into three or four, including your client, will provide a reasonable number for analysis.

With just seven or eight smart open-ended questions, a skilled interviewer will secure sterling insights into perceptions from the outside world. Move toward closure with a big picture question such as: “What are the two or three biggest issues facing the industry in the next two years?” And: “Anything else you would care to add?”

The Message Not the Messenger

Once the audits are complete, create a master document with all the answers inserted randomly after each question. Don’t include attribution. By mixing up the answers and eliminating sources, the focus is on perceptions and messages, not the messenger.

Conduct a gap analysis with the internal audit. How do perceptions line up? What exists? More importantly, where do you need to go?

At this stage, the PR firm can use the findings to brainstorm on recommended long-range plans for the client. Set timetables for repeating the external audit as one means of measuring progress in moving an image in the right direction. Establish other means of measurement, which can include social media monitoring, content analysis and regularly scheduled online surveys using tools such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang. Both are inexpensive, easy to use and can provide additional insights to consider in your strategic planning on positioning, differentiation and more importantly, getting the organization aligned to move its image and reputation in the right direction.

(For a sample external audit questionnaire, email: tom@gablepr.com)

Next: Basic Check List for Success in Client Relations

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, In the Beginning | No Comments »

Foundation for PR Success: Fast Client Connection, Insights and Intelligence

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Getting to know you

Getting to know you

Posted by Tom Gable

A recent PRSA Counselors Academy survey identified the key issues facing  PR agencies and internal staffs in the next few years in the ongoing transition of the PR professional from vendor to trusted counselor. The top line action items were finding new ways to: demonstrate return on investment (ROI), provide authentic counsel, embrace social media, improve technology and find new ways of measurement – all to the benefit of client service (and agency success!).

The results were presented at the recent PRSA International Conference in San Diego. A panel featuring Sydney Ayers, Joel Curran and yours truly delved into recommended action plans to move programs forward faster with brilliant research, planning and implementation using what the computer people call parallel processing on implementation – moving huge amounts of data (or other things) simultaneously toward a desired result.

Moving with Alacrity

Linear thinking and processing no longer cut it. Clients operate in real time (just like agencies!) and are expecting more from their PR professional than ever before. This is good news. Our profession keeps getting better. We are challenged to do even more and faster toward measurable results.

To get there, the best agencies and staffs build and nourish a pro-active, collaborative culture. At the heart of this culture is a commitment to providing authentic, strategic counsel for the long term and delivering meaningful results (as the survey indicated). The best agencies and internal teams from big to little create systems for research, planning, creative and management that enable them to work smarter and more effectively toward the ultimate goal: helping their clients, companies, organizations or institutions outpace their competition, grow market share and build momentum for future growth.

The first action item covered: a compulsion to understand the client universe.

Connecting with the Client

The following research check list probably replicates what most agencies and internal teams already do, perhaps providing an extra idea or two to build on. This can be a starting point for getting to know the client as fast as possible. There is a sense of urgency because of the state of the economy, growing competition and the 24/7 news cycle. PR pros need to know, to understand, to project, to feel, to be intuitive and empathetic and recommend brilliantly. Almost instantly. For your parallel processing research assignment, delve into the following five research action items:

  • Business and Marketing Plans, Research
  • Industry, Analyst, Competitive Reports
  • Media Coverage, Perceptions
  • Social Media Buzz
  • The Internal Audit
  • Envision the world in two years
  • Critical success factors to achieve their vision
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Challenges
  • Competition
  • Points of differentiation
  • Core values
  • Culture
  • Anecdotes to bring the stories to life
  • Targets audiences prioritized
  • Expectations
  • Critical time lines
  • Means of measurement

Internal audits are both a research and bonding exercise. At Gable PR, we will interview five to 15 people within a client organization, depending upon the size and complexity. Audits can last from 15 minutes to any hour (this is a powerful way to start a relationship and start your positioning as authentic, trusted counsel). We often conduct the audits at no charge, as our contribution to the learning curve (for a sample internal audit, please email be at tom@gablepr.com).

The audits are conducted individually and anonymously to encourage candor. We compile all the answers into a single document under each answer and remove the attribution. We also move the answers around randomly under each question, so there is no pattern; perceptions are important, the sources less so.

Agency teams analyze the verbatim responses, brainstorm, strategize and develop an executive summary with what we call “indicators for action.” The action items can include improved visioning, branding, internal communications, marketing initiatives, culture and future opportunities, plus insights into the heart and soul of an organization. The findings can be a wake-up call for senior management. One recent internal audit of a major cultural institution found huge gaps in internal communication. Different parts of the organization working in silos, largely in the dark (the so-called mushroom effect). The institution was in a crisis mode. The findings helped its board of directors and senior management come together with a new vision for the organization and the plans to achieve the vision.

The research and internal audit provide insights and strong foundations for getting it right internally, which has to be done before connecting with external audiences. Next: the external audit and gap analysis.

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PRSA Survey: Social Media Mastery, Authenticity, ROI are Top Three Issues Facing PR Profession

Monday, November 16th, 2009

PRSA International Conference Hotel, San Diego

PRSA International Conference Hotel, San Diego

Posted by Tom Gable

In an era dominated by millions of corporate, institutional, government and other voices clamoring for attention through every communications channel possible, members of the PRSA Counselors Academy responding to a national survey, ranked “demonstrating return on investment,” “providing authentic counsel” and “mastering social media” as the top three issues to be addressed in helping their clients and advancing the future of the public relations profession over the next two years.

The survey was conducted online during October among 450 members of Counselors Academy, a professional interest section of the Public Relations Society of America dedicated to providing principals and senior counselors of public relations firms with the resources to grow their firms and the counseling skills of their people. Membership is limited to accredited counselors (PRSA or Canadian Public Relations Society) or consultants with 10 or more years experience in the profession. Eighty-nine responded, or almost 20 percent of those surveyed.

The results were released on Nov. 9 during the PRSA International Confernece in San Diego and served as the foundation for a panel discussion on “How to Tackle the Three Toughest Issues Facing PR Counselors Today.” The panel was chaired by Tom Gable, APR and PRSA Fellow, CEO of Gable PR, who designed the survey. It included Sydney Ayers, APR, president and CEO of Ayers Public Relations and chairwoman of PRSA Counselors Academy, and Joel Curran, APR, senior vice president and managing director, Manning Selvage & Lee, Chicago.

The survey asked respondents to rank from 1 to 5 their impressions of different internal and external issues facing the profession in 2009-10 in four major categories, with 1 being “Very Unimportant” and 5 being “Very Important.” The top four issues in each category:

Client Relations: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), 4.60 and No. 2 overall; providing authentic, strategic counsel, 4.55, No.3 overall; measuring results, 4.43, No. 5 overall; and connecting PR to the C-suite, 4.25; and raising agency fees, 3.63.

Media and Technology: mastering social media, 4.70 (No. 1 overall); enhancing technology capabilities, 4.53 (No. 4 overall); the 24/7 news cycle, 4.31; and decline of traditional media, 4.24.

External Issues: the economy, 4.34 (No. 6 overall); government regulation, 3.59; losing business to consulting firms, 3.20; and dominance of the biggest multinational firms, 2.80.

Partnerships and Resources: values and ethics management, 4.23; developing strategic partnerships, 4.18; recruiting and retaining talent, 4.13; and expanding agency services, 3.98.

Respondents represented a cross section of agency sizes: under $500,000 in annual billings, 27.3 percent; $500,000 to $999,999, 42.4 percent; $1 million to $4.99 million, 21.2 percent; $5 million to $9.99 million, 9.1 percent; and over $10 million, no responses.

Those responding were largely senior practitioners: less than 10 years in the profession, zero percent; 10 to 15 years, 6.1 percent; 16 to 20 years, 3.0 percent; 21 to 30 years, 57.6 percent; and more than 30 years, 33.3 percent.

From the data, the panelists provided insights and action plans for addressing Client Relations, Social Media and Changing the Way PR Firms do Business.  Next: lessons from the panel; connecting with the client.

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PR Horizon Management: Pointing Clients Toward New Territory, Long-Term Results

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Posted by Tom Gable

The public relations profession faces many challenges in these hardscrabble times. Clients are holding tight, cutting their public relations budgets or simply saying goodbye. Competitors swoop in, looking for hints of weakness in a client-agency relationship. Business consulting, advertising and marketing firms aren’t far behind, promoting their tool kits as a means of not only surviving but growing in touch economic times. What steps can agencies take to ensure that their clients are incredibly pleased with the work being done, the results generated on their behalf and the agency relationship?

Based on lessons learned from working through three previous recessions (some better than others!), I’ve come to realize that success in client service and retention requires a manic sense of urgency to deliver short-term results combined with a disciplined approach to creativity and long-range planning. Smart agencies provide clients with ideas and strategic plans that will be generating results six, nine and twelve months into the future. The best way to get the agency or in-house team pointed in the right direction and taking action: create a system and process to drive results.

Developing Your System

At Gable PR, we experimented with different approaches in the 1992 recession. The goal was to have clients envision gaining market share and mind share from their competitors by committing to pro-active public relations. Statistics from several sources provided validation; the companies that continued marketing in troubled times grew faster than those who didn’t. We began calling our system “horizon management” and worked to get the client on board for sailing together toward new and beneficial destinations.

As recently presented during a recent PRSA Webinar and based on longer lessons found in The PR Client Service Manual, pro-active systems work best with an interactive team process; the more brainpower the better. One approach is to hold regular meetings every Monday to update on all client activities. For long-term impact, use the meeting to brainstorm new ideas for each client on a rotating basis. Chose one client or two as the subjects for the next meeting. Have the team leader or account manager review background information in advance of the session, including client calendars, milestones, known events and activities, conference schedules, editorial calendars and focus editions.

The Planning Spreadsheet

Then, to make it easy for everyone to visualize the flow of activities and critical deadlines, plot your plan on a project management program or Excel spreadsheet. List activities in the first column, months in the subsequent columns over the next year or two and put in check marks to note when activities or events are expected to take place.  A rough sample can be found here on the Gable PR Web site.

Then, during the creative session, analyze each opportunity and see what result might be generated to advance the client’s business, marketing or capital plans, or all of the above. Envision media relations, community relations, investor relations, social media activities, trade relations and public affairs opportunities unfolding across time.

Agency teams can brainstorm on the tactical approaches within each area, set priorities and also get creative in looking at what we call “the flip side” — what’s there and, more importantly, what’s not there? The initial road map gives the agency a simple planning document to track, and makes it easy to take detours and add new side trips while still keeping the original destinations in mind as the program unfolds.

From Brainstorm to Masterful, Strategic PR Plan

With team brainpower, the agency has now created a master plan for the year, with a series of new ideas it can present to the client, implement and keep updating with creative sessions that are adjusted to point to new horizons. Clients get excited. They see the agency as creative, intuitive, pro-active and worth keeping! New ideas can also drive new budgets.

The flip side is sitting back and bemoaning the lower budget and managing for time, not results. This inevitably ends up with the client calling to ask one of the worst questions on earth for an agency: “What have you done for me lately?”

Every agency’s mission, as well of those on internal PR staffs on the client side, should be ensure you do great work both lately and for the long-term. Techies call this parallel processing. Handle the daily tasks with alacrity and skill while working on your horizon program that generates results that go beyond the ordinary and expected for every client. The approach creates value and ROI for the client and relationships that endure to perpetuity (well, maybe not quite that long, but potentially for years and even decades).

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FTC to Bloggers: Disclose Freebies, Payments. Blogestapo in the Works? Implications for PR?

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

FTC Finds Blogger Freebie
FTC Finds Blogger Freebie

Posted by Tom Gable

As reported by the Associated Press, The New York Times and others, the Federal Trade Commission on Oct. 5 voted 4-0 to approve final guidelines for regulating anyone who reviews a product, including bloggers. As the AP reported:

The FTC will require that writers on the Web clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products. The commission also said advertisers featuring testimonials that claim dramatic results cannot hide behind disclaimers that the results aren’t typical…For bloggers, the FTC stopped short of specifying how they must disclose conflicts of interest. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC’s advertising practices division, said the disclosure must be “clear and conspicuous,” no matter what form it will take.

Bloggers have long praised or panned products and services online. But what some consumers might not know is that many companies pay reviewers for their write-ups or give them free products such as toys or computers or trips to Disneyland. In contrast, at traditional journalism outlets, products borrowed for reviews generally have to be returned…The FTC’s proposal made many bloggers anxious. They said the scrutiny would make them nervous about posting even innocent comments.

Consumer advocacy groups were quoted as saying lack of disclosure is a big problem in blogs. They suggested putting more pressure on bloggers to “behave properly,” according to AP.

As reported in The New York Times:

The new rules also take aim at celebrities, who will now need to disclose any ties to companies, should they promote products on a talk show or on Twitter. A second major change, which was not aimed specifically at bloggers or social media, was to eliminate the ability of advertisers to gush about results that differ from what is typical — for instance, from a weight loss supplement…For bloggers who review products, this means that the days of an unimpeded flow of giveaways may be over. More broadly, the move suggests that the government is intent on bringing to bear on the Internet the same sorts of regulations that have governed other forms of media, like television or print.

The buzz on the blogosphere ranged from taking umbrage and pleading First Amendment privileges to those who felt bloggers needed to be held accountable and readers deserved to have all the facts, including those of sponsorship and freebies.

Then there are the concerns about business bloggers and experts who comment on companies, industries and trends rather than products. What type of disclosure is required if they have been paid by the company they are commenting on, or a direct competitor or consulting firm with ties to the company, its competitors or the industry? One “mommy blogger” from the United Kingdom questioned how it would impact those who receive free books to review.

I review books because I love them, and getting some for free is a bonus – now the US is cracking down on us mommy bloggers…They call it blogola – payola for bloggers – the term for free stuff that bloggers get to review on their site and even the cash that some accept for those reviews. Those “offers” can also take place on micro-blogging sites such as Twitter, as exemplified by the recent controversy surrounding the #nestlefamily event – in which bloggers have agreed to take part in a promotional event organised by the multinational company.

PRSA looked at the FTC notice and offered some possible applications of the guidelines:

  • Bloggers who receive cash or in-kind payment (including free products or services for review) are deemed endorsers and so must disclose material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.
  • Any firm that engages bloggers by paying them outright to create or influence editorial content or by supplying goods or services to them at no cost may be liable if the blogger does not disclose the relationship.
  • Advertisements or promotions that feature a consumer who conveys his or her experience with a product or service as “typical” should clearly disclose what results consumers can generally expect or specify how the results were unique to the individual circumstances.
  • If research is cited in an advertisement or promotion, any sponsorship of the research by the client or the marketer should be clearly disclosed.
  • Celebrities who make endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media, should disclose any relationship with the advertiser or marketer.

One thing absent from the debate so far: enforcement.

Is the pronouncement actually part of a clever strategy to grow the FTC bureaucracy? After all, government is one of our few growth industries.

Will the FTC create a new Blogestapo modeled after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)? Staffers in blue uniforms will sit hunched over computers in new facilities throughout the land reading a zillion tweets, clicking through to a million blogs and news Web sites and looking for evil-doers. Next, a press conference featuring the media-savvy President Obama talking about the importance of saving our country from the new Axis of Evil: Twitter, Facebook and Blogging.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Crisis PR, Hoax and Fraud, In the Beginning, Social Media | No Comments »

Politics, PR and Promotion: When is it good for business?

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Attention Companies

Attention Companies

Posted by Erin Koch

As a rule, most companies, from small storefront shops to multinational corporations, try to avoid the appearance that they favor one political viewpoint over another … and with good reason.  If I am a strong supporter of Candidate A, and I see a sign for Candidate B in the window of my regular dry cleaner, I might choose to have my shirts pressed elsewhere.  Likewise, if I am a supporter of progressive causes, but learn that the former CEO of a nationwide pizza company gave millions to conservative groups, I might order my pepperoni pie from a competitor.

So, most businesses remain (publicly, at least) neutral, rather than risk alienating half of their customer base.  Two well-known companies recently contradicted this apolitical strategy – with very different results.

Since it was sold to a major food company in 2000, ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has worked hard to maintain its image as a progressive, forward-, and free-thinking company.  Earlier this year, the company renamed one of its ice creams “Yes Pecan” to honor Barack Obama’s swearing in as President (a play on his campaign slogan “Yes We Can”.)  Then earlier this month, the company renamed its popular “Chubby Hubby” flavor “Hubby Hubby” to commemorate the fact that the state of Vermont legalized gay marriage.  (That new name will only be used in Vermont.)

While some may be annoyed at the ice cream maker’s partisan spin, I think their strategy is sound.  Why?  Because it remains authentic to their brand and their core principles.  Their loyal and generally liberal customers will probably love it.  And they’ll get lots of media attention, which means more mindshare and the potential for more customers.  (My favorite flavor is chocolate fudge brownie and, come to think of it, I haven’t had any in quite a while!)

A contrary example comes from similarly progressive mainstay Whole Foods.  Company CEO John Mackey wrote an op ed that was published in The Wall Street Journal critical of President Obama’s health care plan.  The resulting reaction has included storefront protests as well as a growing “Boycott Whole Foods” group on Facebook (now approaching 34,000 members).  There has even been speculation in the financial media that the CEO was going rogue, and acting based on his personal beliefs rather than what is best for the company.

While I certainly agree with John Mackey’s right to self expression, I don’t think the critical op ed was a wise move from a reputation management perspective.  Given the company’s progressive and politically active customer base, voicing a personal opinion that likely runs contrary to what most of his core customers believe could have been strategically misguided, leading to long-term damage to the brand image.

In sum, taking a highly visible political stand is almost always risky, particularly if (as for most companies) “being political” is not part of your corporate reputation and image.  But if you do find your company thinking about making such a leap, look first:

  1. Who is in our customer base and what will they think of this?
  2. Does this align with our core values and principles?
  3. What are the short term risks and benefits?
  4. And what are the long term risks and benefits?

Photo credit: zoovroo

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Journalists Take Umbrage at Being Profiled by PR Firms; a Double Standard?

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
090719-M-0440G-568

Embedded and Profiled

Posted by Tom Gable

The recent media feeding frenzy over the Pentagon hiring a PR firm to profile the work of journalists applying to be embedded with the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is tinged with irony.

The story broke in Stars and Stripes, which reported that The Rendon Group had been hired to examine individual reporters’ recent work. It would then determine:

“…whether the coverage was ‘positive,’ ‘negative’ or ‘neutral’ compared to mission objectives, according to Rendon officials.”

Follow up stories in Wired and elsewhere complained about the military trying to shape coverage. The Wired coverage also quoted Paul McLeary at Ares, a defense industry blog, who wondered if the reaction was overblown. “While a bad move on the military’s part, I don’t see the Rendon contract as being as insidious as some would have it,” he wrote.

Several writers soon blogged indignantly about the experiences and included excerpts from their profiles. This self-aggrandizement seems to be somewhat of a double standard. It’s okay for the media to probe as deeply and broadly as they would like for information on others, but not for others to probe into their bodies of work?

The best journalists dig deeply before they interview anyone and check sources and resources afterward to make sure they have it right. In a similar vein, professional PR people should know where a journalist is coming from before they show up to interview the client or organization spokesman. Whether it’s a technology, financial, personality, lifestyle, investigative or any other type of piece, a quick search of the archives can determine how the writer approaches his or her work and what to expect.

  • Are they thorough and balanced, or do they have a history of doing hit pieces?
  • Are they more interested in human stories, finance, technology?
  • Have they ever covered this niche before?
  • How long have they covered the niche and do they have a degree or advanced degrees in the field?
  • How much background or technology briefings do they need in advance?
  • What outside resources can we point them to for more background?
  • When the story finally runs, what is the headline or soundbite?

As a former financial journalist and correspondent for Stars and Stripes, I can attest that controversy sells. Investigative pieces generate far more interest than positive features on achievements by an individual or organization. One reporter who blogged about being profiled probably got more attention from his posting about the Pentagon controversy than he has had from any previous piece in traditional media or social media. And one wonders if he was happy that the Pentagon fired The Rendon Group seemingly in response to the feeding frenzy.

Agreed, the military or any other government agency shouldn’t reject a reporter from legitimate media outlets from being credentialed to cover the war, the White House or anything else. In any work with journalists, be professional. Search the archives, understand where they are coming from, of course, and then help them to do their job in every way possible.

I liked Tom Ricks in Foreign Policy who said: “The Pentagon is checking out journalists. So what?” Plus, his photo is more provocative than most. Check it out!

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Crisis PR, In the Beginning | 2 Comments »

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