Posts Tagged ‘research’

PR University Panel Shares Secrets of Writing Like a Journalist

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Wordsmith at work

Posted by Tom Gable

How to cut through the clutter and connect with the media with powerful stories they can actually use? PR University convened a master class webinar recently to answer the question: “What kind of writer are you? Newsroom vets and PR wordsmiths share power secrets of writing like a journalist in six easy steps.”

The steps outlined by Jon Greer, moderator, were fairly straightforward. The PR pros on the panel then added extensive details to each step. Some of the highlights follow below with guidance from Nancy Brenner, senior vice president, director of media relations, MS&L Global Corporate; Jeff Crilley, president, Real News PR; Rory O’Connor, senior vice president and partner, Fleishman-Hillard; and yours truly, CEO, Gable PR.

Step one: be an internal reporter

Think like a journalist. Train your ears and eyes and find ways to rise above the competition.

Become an investigative reporter. In trying to earn our media coverage, we rely on telling a good story with facts. Can we truly differentiate against the competition? In what ways and can we provide ongoing proof of principle over the next two to three years with real stories, facts and details, not vague words.

Rory said the most important thing PR professionals can deliver is great content. How to connect with your ultimate audience, not your clients?

Nancy said to dig deeper and probe for better stories and anecdotes. She said to track trade organizations and associations in your client’s industries to find supporting data. They often have trend stories that the PR pro can build upon. Tom suggested using government, independent research and other outside studies for validation. In some cases, the PR pro can then provide the journalist with additional sources for improving the depth of the

Jeff said to push back on client who is trying to get too much of a commercial message into the release. Go for the good story and you will get the commercial, he said. Go for the overt commercial message first and you probably won’t get a story. He noted that the media are overwhelmed with added online and social media responsibilities so “do the job of the journalist” and help them tell a good story.

Step two: organize your material

Think of each release as part of a series. He were building image for the long-term. You’re thinking also about how people search for topics. Check what news stories and press releases come up as top candidates in the Google news and other searches. Look for what is they are, and what is not there.

What rises to the top? What is important? What is less important? What is unimportant?

Step three: start writing

To get started, Jon said to start with the first thing you think of; don’t delay or try to be perfect.

Tom recommended starting with a great headline. Think about search engine optimization. Tell your story concisely and with strong words. Read the media you are trying to reach. How would they write the headline? Think about your target audiences and what is important to them. Get creative. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?

In addition the perfect headline and work toward it. Stick to three or four major points and paint big pictures. Go for the most important fact first. Think about the benefits to their readers, viewers or listeners. Think about relevancy to the journalist’s audience. Are you offering any new insights? Can you provide examples, facts, metaphors, quotable quotes and good anecdotes to bring your story to life?

Step four: continue adding useful information

What does the reader or viewer need to know? Look for facts and outside validation. Can you enhance their understanding with government or other data? Can you quote outside sources, such as noted critics, pundits and authors?

Step five: review and revise

Applied the “so what, who cares,” test first. This is a good way to read through copy and see what could be eliminated, edited or enhanced. Will anybody care?

Jon said to set the work aside if you can and reread with a fresh eye after doing something else. Is anything missing? Is everything in the right order? Would a typical reader be confused? Nancy said good editors strive to tighten every sentence. The best reference book to guide you on the way: Elements of Style, by Strunk & White.

On quotes, Tom said to read your material out loud. Are you communicating well with each sentence?  Is your work rife with empty phrases?

Also, edit for jargon. Tom said some words, such as solutions, seemingly get dropped into news releases unconsciously, somewhat of a verbal tic. Lazy writers sprinkle the releases with jargon rather than striving to develop well-crafted, creative and compelling ideas that capture the personality of the company, its points of differentiation and the defining factors what it is offering.

On complex stories, Rory said to tell the story to friends. Have a dialogue. They will often find the holes.

Step six: work with an editor

Edit for both style and content. Is the story well told? Rory shares his copy with another former journalist at this firm. If you don’t have internal talent, turn to a friend or colleague on the outside. The outside viewpoint can sometimes be very helpful. Nancy said PR pros sometimes get too close to details of a story and produce jargon or “inside baseball” types of copy.

Nancy suggested writing for readers on smart phones, which is where more people are getting their news every day. Plan for a shorter word count, including shorter headlines. Can you edit your headline into a bright subject line?

Tom said an editor from the Wall Street Journal who made his copy significantly better said to never fall in love with your prose. Don’t take editing personally. Think about the final product. Is it really going to communicate with the audience – the ultimate test of good writing.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Hype Free PR, News and Media | 2 Comments »

Problem-Solving and Creative PR from the Leopard Hunter

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Finding Rarities

Posted by Tom Gable

We just returned from an African adventure, including a week in three different isolated camps in Botswana where we armed ourselves with cameras and bounced and careened through rugged terrain in search of game. The morning drives would start at dawn and the afternoon drives hit the road when the weather started cooling around 4:30 (it got to 115 degrees one day). We extended the searching into cooler night drives where we tracked leopards and other carnivores using infrared lights.

What amazed us were the abilities of the guides to find rare animals after seemingly random searching on dirt and sand roads, trails through the bush and even off-roading through scrub brush or twisting back and forth among islands of green amidst barren plains to look for leopards and lions resting in the shade. We got as close as five yards to cheetahs, leopards and lions, including one lazy, impala-filled male who rolled into the shade of our stationary Range Rover to take a nap, unperturbed by the steady clicking of cameras.

During one excursion, we noted more distinctive trees on the horizon than in most drive areas and our guide seemed to be following a pattern. At the end of the day, when relaxing at camp over dinner, I probed into the secrets of this king of the leopard-hunters and found lessons we can all use in problem-solving and generating creative ideas for our clients.

Start with the big picture: thousands of acres of brush, jungle, open plains, swamps, watering holes and islands of green (the client industry). Then, define the goal: finding the one male leopard known to frequent the area (differentiating a disruptive new product).

The guide started with looking for environmental indicators: fresh tracks in the sand along the roads (competitive and trend data). Animals used the roads because it was easier and safer than venturing into the bush, where predators lay in wait. The guide used his own version of a Gable PR exercise we call “The Flip Side”: what’s there, turn it over and what’s not there.

He saw baboon and hyena tracks, which indicated that the leopard wouldn’t be in this area (tough competition). He noted the direction and took an alternate route, going perpendicular to the road, noting new tracks and then took a parallel road to the original (pursuing more data). He found more hyena tracks, so he narrowed the quest further and took a new angle (new market niche; new positioning). As he eliminated bad options, he soon found the breakthrough: fresh leopard tracks and no hyena or baboon tracks (the ah-hah moment in brainstorming).

With the search area narrowed further, he started looking for certain habitats known to be favored by leopards (favorites of the target). He eased the vehicle along the edges of the possible locations and looked for something that might stand out – differentiators such as different shapes and colors, or a leopard tail curving down from a tree branch. Leopards are well camouflaged but their shapes are different than brush and bush. He spotted a lump in the shade next to a green bush with ears sticking up then saw a sudden flash of red color as the leopard yawned. Success!

I liked the process: analysis, logic, narrowing the focus, creative thought, constant refining and patience. Our guides kept circling and trying new routes. The roads and trails – however primitive and rugged – provided some structure so they could proceed within a pattern. The approach offered freedom to explore but not randomly so it could be pursued strategically and repeated.

The same process works for PR professionals. Start with the big picture. Set a goal. Narrow down the search strategically. Eliminate the things that won’t work, for a variety of reasons. And bring in colleagues and strategic partners if needed for new ideas. Think like the leopard-hunter and you might just be rewarded with a rare and magnificent discovery in creative development and problem solving.

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COP-16 Climate Change Panelists Told to Avoid Media; NYT Chides IPCC for Bunker Mentality, Bad PR

Friday, July 16th, 2010

IPCC Media Training

Posted by Tom Gable

Imagine that you have been selected and agreed to participate with other noted scientists in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess climate science and policy options related to global climate change, with a major event set for late November 2010 in Cancun where the world would be watching.

You are pleased as a scientist but wondering if it’s worth the commitment. Coverage of the previous meeting in Copenhagen, the Conference of the Parties (COP 15), was mixed, at best. Recently, global media questioned the authenticity of the climate change scenarios, citing hacked emails from English scientists who appeared to be conspiring to keep opposing opinions and contrary studies out of peer reviewed journals. Although outside studies cleared the scientists of wrongdoing (but urged improved communications and openness with those on all sides of the issue), skepticism did not wane.

Now, you are four months away from COP 16, to be held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 in Cancun and you receive a letter from the IPCC advising you to keep your distance from the media. The directions: refer questions to group leaders or the Secretariat. Do you feel stupid – your expertise, education and credentials not valued? Is IPCC afraid of new issues surfacing?  What are they hiding?

As reported by Andrew C. Revkin in The New York Times, several scientists worried that the IPCC bunker mentality would “do little to build its credibility after a trying year of attacks by foes of restrictions on greenhouse gases and skeptics of climate science.”

Revkin opined: “But any instinct to pull back after being burned by the news process is mistaken, to my mind. As I explained to a roomful of researchers at the National Academy of Sciences last year, in a world of expanding communication options and shrinking specialized media, scientists and their institutions need to help foster clear and open communication more than ever. Clampdowns on press access almost always backfire.”

Revkin asked for input from Rajendra K. Pachauri, the chairman of the climate panel. His response, as reported by Revkin:

“My advice to the authors on responding to the media is only in respect of queries regarding the I.P.C.C. Some of them are new to the I.P.C.C., and we would not want them to provide uninformed responses or opinions. We now have in place a structure and a system in the I.P.C.C. for outreach and communications with the outside world.
The I.P.C.C. authors are not employed by the I.P.C.C., and hence they are free to deal with the media on their own avocations and the organizations they are employed by. But they should desist at this stage on speaking on behalf of the I.P.C.C.”

Instead of a bunker mentality, adopt the tenets of authentic PR. In this model, research, preparation, fact-based communications and authentic engagement with the media (and all constituencies) can be the keys to success in building reputations and changing perceptions. For the IPCC, they have a wealth of talent they should be engaging in the communications battle. Scientists are used to presenting and answering tough questions, particularly when their work is subject to peer review. But working with the media requires different approaches, so investing time up front in education and training could make the engagements much more productive for the scientists, leading to more positive results in the media.

As the NYT and other coverage and comments in Discovery reported, the media from around the world will be seeking input from representatives from individual countries. Interest is high, particularly in third world countries where they feel they will be punished for the sins of the big polluters, such as China, India, the United States and other industrialized nations. They need energy to grow their economies. How will the global process translate to local impact?

As PR and news people know, readers and viewers want to know how decisions will impact them personally.

With some work, the IPCC organization turn its brilliant cadre of scientists into global ambassadors for the credibility and integrity of the IPCC process and advance local understanding. The scientists can be trained to easily transition away from IPCC issues and focus on individual areas of knowledge and expertise. They can refer to their own published works and those of their peers or other organizations as additional resources for the media.

With trained scientists, IPCC staff can serve as more than a news bureau and controller of messages. It can connect with the media in new ways by facilitating interviews with scientists, conducting interviews on key emerging topics on video and posting them to YouTube, holding a series of briefings with scientists from different regions of the world for select regional media and providing instant updates through Twitter, streaming videos and active blogging.

Instead of jumping into the bunker and getting defensive, the IPCC can use the Cancun meeting as an opportunity to open new lines of communication with the media and improve understanding of the issues and the nuances. Creating new media relationships with scientists from throughout the world can only help improve the overall quality of news coverage. Bottom line: an open, engaged program of pro-active media relations will have a positive impact on the long-term reputation of the IPCC, its people and the process.

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

Nine Easy Ways to Fail in Building Brands, Reputations

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Non-Digital Branding

Posted by Tom Gable

You and your internal teams and outside consultants have worked for months to develop a plan to incorporate image as a part of corporate strategy for the long-term benefit of reputation and organizational success (something BP is probably working on as we speak so they are ready to launch the “new BP” once the old BP solves the oil crisis).

As covered before, you start with basic questions as the creative foundation for building your PR and reputation management plan:

  • How do you want to be known in two to three years?
  • What do you stand for – the core values?
  • Does the organization have a culture, a personality?
  • Can you establish a solid foundation from your values and then demonstrate proof of principle over time (walk the talk)?
  • Can you be disciplined enough to carry out a strategic program of reputation management for reaching multiple constituencies?
  • Is your strategic plan, financing, mindset, commitment and other resources up to the task?
  • Can you clearly differentiate against the competition for the company, the people, the technology, the culture and the vision for the future?

Once you’ve brainstormed, strategized, debated, drafted and then fine-tuned the plan, you are ready to start the evolution of the image to rise above the competition, to the benefit of faster growth, better margins, improved morale, overall community reputation and goodwill on the downside should something negative occur (we also kid during seminars and talks that this also leads to whiter teeth, better posture and improved digestion).

The digestive processes, however, can suffer if the organization doesn’t deal well with nine gnawing issues that can derail the best plan. These elements of failure are compiled from case histories we’ve experienced at Gable PR, research into bad branding experiences by others and references from the classic literature in the field: Reputation and Fame and Fortune by Charles Fombrun; Competitive Advantage and other books by Michael Porter; CEO Capital, by Leslie Gaines-Ross; Good to Great, by Jim Collins; and Leading Change, by John Kotter; among others. The list can undoubtedly be expanded, but these transgressions can serve as a good starting point:

  1. Lack of total CEO commitment, vision
  2. Lack of an organization-wide commitment; turf wars; individual agendas
  3. Ambiguous or unclear core values and theories
  4. Weak positioning, lack of differentiation
  5. Insufficient or contradictory proof of principle over time; unsubstantiated hype
  6. Talking to yourself instead of the market (jargon, argot; your features inside of benefits to the outside audiences)
  7. Making reactionary changes to short-term market or other conditions and sending confusing signals
  8. Being research averse; failure to measure progress or lack of same against your goals, make course corrections, adjust tactics and strategies
  9. In total, not delivering on the promise of the brand, positioning

Each of the branding questions up front and the nine ways to fail are big ideas and what we call thought-starters – leaping off points for spirited debate, more research, creativity, strategic adjustments and challenges to ever idea, assumption and result. Can you overcome hurdles, change the flow of the game and move toward brand-building victory?

The ongoing process can not only be intellectually stimulating to all involved but cause for future and continuing celebration in a team sport where everyone wins.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, Hype Free PR, In the Beginning, Team Play | Comments Off

The New PR: Building Images and Reputations in 3D

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Your Move!

Posted by Tom Gable

In researching new approaches to reputation management and brand building for the upcoming fifth edition of The PR Client Service Manual, it has become more clear that PR is taking on an increasingly important leadership role in strategic planning and intelligent execution of the most complex communications programs. We are evolving to what I’ll call the three-dimensional chess model, or image-building in 3D.

The PR profession continues to master new tactics and tools that go beyond the flat two-dimensional approaches used in most programs. The concept is to go high, wide and deep in creating images with the substance to break out of the competitive clutter for maximum impact.

Only PR has the capability to strategically and intelligently integrate the many disparate channels of communication and move image in the right direction over the long term. The 3D approach can create extraordinary image momentum and ROI as the game pieces move in an intricate orchestration toward ultimate victory: building reputation as desired.

The importance of adopting a 3D approach has been reinforced by experts at many recent conferences, including the recent Counselors Academy spring meeting. A key message: don’t fall in love with your tools; figure out how to work them strategically for maximum impact.

Envision all your target audiences and their sources of information. What channels do you need to use to ensure they get the right information in timely, strategic fashion to support your program goals? Where do you build your positions of strength and support? As the plans unfold, can you envision five moves ahead, ten and twenty or more?

Analyze the key milestones in your program – the known deliverables, activities, encounters, events, presentations, financial news releases, analyst meetings, government conferences, etc. What exists? Then, look for the holes, the gaps. What exists? More importantly, what doesn’t?

The approach is essential in building new brands, launching new products or technology or positioning and repositioning organizations.

Why does PR lead and not other marketing, management or communications disciplines? Given a fact-based, no-hype approach, it’s where strategy, core values and communications intersect to build a depth of awareness and credibility that paid media can’t deliver.

For a brief case history, Gable PR used the old 2D model several years ago to introduce disruptive technology into a crowded field where all competitors sounded alike: issuing a launch release and holding a press conference at the major trade show of the year. The results weren’t spectacular.

Using the 3D model for a more recent similar challenge, Gable PR established an 18-month plan to manage the flow of information, build relationships and connect to multiple audiences and through different channels. The client had a brilliant scientific advisory board. To begin laying the foundation and also getting critical feedback, SAB members began vetting the technology with some of their respected peers in business, technology and academia.

With the initial relationships built understanding in place, the agency began educating the media – without asking for coverage – six months before launch, preparing for when the client would blast out of the stealth mode with power and momentum for long-term branding. Select media were pointed to academics for background. Analysts were pointed to academics and media for validation. The agency pitched exclusives to media in different categories (dailies, financial media, trades, blogs, etc.). The bottom line: the client exploded onto the scene with major coverage online and in dailies, trades and financial media the first day of the biggest industry conference of the year. The instant buzz at multiple levels and through highly credible channels drove interest from potential investors and strategic partners.

The momentum built from there with a series of academic papers, presentations, speeches and presentations at financial conferences. The client was acquired within two years – ahead of its exit strategy.

NEXT – Nine ways to botch positioning and branding with PR

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, In the Beginning, Leverage | Comments Off

The Future of PR and Social Media – Strategic, Integrated, Coordinated, Human

Monday, May 24th, 2010

No Magic Beans

Posted by Tom Gable

In listening to several gurus of social media at the Counselors Academy Spring Conference May 21 through 23 in Ashville, NC, a key theme emerged: there are no magic beans from social media to plant and instantly grow attention, engagement and business success for any organization. New technologies and applications will continue to emerge almost daily. The challenge still becomes to be smart in setting standards, goals and objectives, then integrating all the tools for precise execution over the long term.

The stage was set with the May 21 keynote by Brian Solis, principal of FutureWorks. A few key points lifted from his talk included:

  • Adopt the new KISS – keep it simple and share.
  • The is new measurement on the way: resonance. How long a message stays alive – the long tail.
  • Social media is the slot machine for attention. Become like a journalist. Be relevant.
  • What you share is important. There are no official audiences anymore.
  • Be creative. It increases your influence.
  • Social media is all about sociology and psychology. Social media is an emotional experience.
  • Measure. Work backward from what you are trying to make happen.
  • Integrate the tools into your strategic plan. There is no single tool or tactic.
  • Bottom line: engage.

A breakfast panel the next day delved into “Listening and Brand Monitoring in the Social Space.” Moderator was Carrie Kandes, vice president Marcus Thomas. The panelists: Eric Israel, Attensity; Ken Miner, Spiral 16; and Amber Naslund, director of community, Radian6 Technologies

Each stressed the importance of listening before doing. This included monitoring the depth and breadth of the conversations. Amber proposed that social media is the new phone. She said technology will continue to change so told counselors to avoid having obsessions with the “tool thing.” How do the tools fit?

Business is becoming more like politics. Every consumer has a voice to be considered. Companies need to position themselves to be able to react internally and externally to conflicting voices and outside complaints.

Ken said that like any other business tool, social media monitoring needs to be part of a process. Set standards. Define goals and objectives before you begin, he urged.

Once you start monitoring, how to use the data? Being strategic is not just an automated process with algorithms. Smart analysis and interpretation requires human brain power. Look at things in context and connect the dots in your process of brand monitoring, tracking trends and looking for blue water opportunities.

But attention not enough. What is needed to compel people to do something?

The panelists warned that brand monitoring can be a time sink. Decide what you want to achieve and how much time to invest before you launch a full scale listening program. Be strategic – consistent advice from the days Edward Bernays first launched integrated plans to change reputations and drive new behaviors.

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Posted in Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, In the Beginning, Leverage, Social Media | 4 Comments »

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. (more…)

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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 | 2 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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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, In the Beginning | 1 Comment »

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

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
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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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