Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
In Linton Weeks’ recent NPR article regarding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Weeks writes that the governor has opted for a strategy of “self-defense by public relations onslaught.” I wonder if this really is a strategic approach to counter the current impeachment proceedings and sway public opinion, or merely the desperate attempt of a man who loves attention.
While public relations is all about shaping public perception, its effectiveness and the final results will be influenced by the strategy and tactics employed. Without clearly identifying the objectives, understanding the target audience and developing a strategic plan, Blagojevich’s efforts are almost guaranteed to be ineffective or in this case counter-productive. Suggesting that he considered appointing Oprah to the vacant senate seat, for example, certainly did not strengthen his case.
If his goal is to change public perception about him and his past actions, it is unfortunate he is using his “15 minutes” of national media attention without having developed a plan or even thought about his desired outcome. Had he sat down and took a strategic approach; he may have been able to avoid some glaring mistakes and achieved his objective of winning public support.
Ultimately, the messages Blagojevich has communicated during his recent broadcast media blitz are simply reinforcing existing perceptions. As an observer, it does not appear to be a strategic PR campaign for self-defense but the behavior of a man who craves the limelight and is trying to hold on to it for dear life.
Last night Colleen Moffitt, Melissa Liton, Paulette Zimmerman and I had the opportunity to attend TechFlash’s launch party at the Palace Ballroom. What a fun night! It was terrific to catch up with the movers and shakers in Seattle’s tech community.
Highlights of the TechFlash event included mingling with Jeremy Lewis of Big Fish Games; chatting up Brian McAndrews before he shared his insights on the future of online advertising; catching up with Ken Myer, WTIA President and CEO; and talking with Blake Cahill of Visible Technologies and Rahul Sonnad and Autumn Radtke of Geodelic, Nick Wingfield with Wall Street Journal as well as countless others and friends.
After the TechFlash launch party, we headed off to Capitol Hill to catch up with Danielle Morrill at Pelago’s Whrrl party. Colleen and I enjoyed talking with Danielle (who is also our cousin) to learn more about Pelago’s Web/mobile application which is designed to leverage an individual’s social network using mobile location technology.
With Whrrl, a person can find out where his or her friends are, determine what they’re doing and where they’ve been. In effect, your friends light up your map with their experiences so you can discover cool places, events and even new people that you might otherwise have missed. You can use Whrrl on a Web browser, via SMS, or as an application on your mobile phone.
All and all it was a fabulous evening. If you were at either of these events, send us a comment we’d love to hear your impressions.
A recent article in PRWeek titled “Client Service Remains a Staple for Smaller Firms” makes a great case for why small PR firms are the best choice for many companies, especially in a down economy. The article points out several reasons why small firms have a competitive edge, including:
Client Service – Small firms can provide senior account executives for every client. These executives are accessible, quick to respond and they forge close relationships with clients.
Budget – Boutique PR firms can do “everything a large firm can with a more reasonable budget,” Scott Phillips of Chicago-based Phillips and Associates. They have less overhead and can therefore charge very reasonable rates. Small firms can also quickly scale the budget up or down depending on a client’s needs.
Dedication – Each client matters a great deal to a smaller firm, and they are willing to go the extra mile to exceed expectations and garner great results.
As companies reassess their PR budgets and strategies and consider hiring a small firm, there are a few important points to consider. We recommend asking the following questions before selecting a PR team:
Is your business complementary with their current portfolio or clients?
What experience does the PR person or firm have in your industry?
Are they passionate about what you’re doing?
Are they asking smart questions throughout the process?
Do they have the capability and bandwidth to do a good job?
We recognize that selecting a new team can be a difficult process and have developed a white paper to help organizations understand the various approaches and options available to them when faced with building and evaluating a high-performance PR team. The paper discusses the different processes for selecting a PR team, the advantages of each process, how to evaluate a potential candidate or agency and tips for building solid relationship with your PR team.
To receive a free copy of the white paper “Selecting a Winning PR Team: A Strategic Approach,” please e-mail [email protected].
While television still remains to be the leading news source, you will notice a steady decline as shown in the Pew Research Center graph located to the right.
As the Internet continues to rise as a leading news source among consumers, it’s important from a PR perspective for organizations to keep in the mind the possibilities that exist for reaching audiences and sharing news via the Internet.
Given the widespread adoption of broadband in the home and the continued shift online print publications and newspapers are pursuing (read our past blog entry here), the survey results come at no surprise.
First, news online is now more mainstream than newspapers. A positive print article
about your organization in the New York Times will still earn high recognition, however, an article appearing in the New York Times online has the potential for reprints, pick-up and user comments -providing you with insight from readers.
Second, online outlets provide more flexibility for time. Online journalists are more likely to cover breaking news as it happens versus long-lead publications that often work 30 to 90 days in advance.
Third, the Internet has opened the door to blogs and social networking -creating even more ways for organizations to share news and connect directly with their customers. Many blogs that attract the masses (Tech Crunch, Digital Duo, mocoNews) also receive article reprints in newspapers such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times and the Washington Post.
As you evaluate the best medium to share information about your organization, keep in mind the mainstream reach of the Internet and the possibilities for reaching your target audience.
An editorial board is a group of people, usually at a print publication, who set the tone and direction of the newspaper or magazine. They are chartered with preparing the paper’s editorials and they determine what the publication will say on a range of issues as well as dictate which issues or political candidates the publication will endorse.
At a newspaper, this group usually consists of the editorial page editor, editorial writers, opinion editors and the managing editor. Sometimes, the editorial board also includes the publisher and the owner of the newspaper.
A successful editorial board informs, educates and inspires its readers. Editorial boards meet on a regular basis to discuss current news and trends both locally and nationally. The editorials are often written by individual board members in consultation with their colleagues.
There are great benefits to meeting with an editorial board. It is an excellent way to build or improve your relationship with the editor and publication, as well as tell your side of a story. Consider requesting a meeting with the editorial board when:
- Your company is about to break a sensitive news story and you want to provide background information and present your point of view before the story appears. If done successfully, this can help sway editorial coverage in favor of your company.
- The publication has been printing unfavorable pieces about your company and you want to share your perspective.
- Your company has a new executive team member or an important initiative that you want to introduce to the board.
- There is a pressing issue that you believe deserves broad community support. By providing insight on an issue affecting community members, you can help establish thought leadership and raise awareness of your company.
For instance, we are engaging the editorial boards with the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to educate them about the implications of proposed budget cuts. We believe the new two-year state budget proposed by Governor Christine Gregoire deserves further attention as it will have detrimental implications on several non-profit organizations, including the Washington Poison Center (WAPC). Our goal is to help these editorial boards understand how a reduction in WAPC’s non-profit’s funding will impact our local community and to encourage them to write about this topic.
Other experienced PR practitioners shared their point of view about working with editorial boards.
Andy Bowen, president of Clearview Communications + PR Inc., believes in order to be considered for editorial endorsement or criticism, the issue that is being presented must have been previously covered by the media. He explains, “The issue must be of genuine public importance and in debate for an editorial board to consider endorsement or criticism.”
Sabrina Kidwai, media relations manager for the Association for Career and Technical Education, recommends conducting a watchdog project prior to the meeting to “monitor how they are covering your issue and bring that information into the meeting. It is helpful to do your homework and know how they have covered issues in the past.”
For examples of editorials written by the Seattle Times’ board members, check out the following links:
- Joni Balter, “Gregoire-Rossi: Ridiculously Close“
- Bruce Ramsey, “A Map of Delinquent Mortgages“
- Lynne Varner, “Saving Seattle Schools“
We hope this information is helpful as you consider when to engage with editorial boards. For more tips on how to secure the meeting, or best practices when working with these groups, please call us at (206) 282-4923 ext. 112.
We also would love to hear from you if you have experience working with editorial boards that you’d like to share with us.
Facebook is becoming the first stop for many people when they want to learn about the latest news in their community. Individuals are reporting on the events in their communities with photos and personal commentary, making Facebook an excellent source for local happenings and news.
We witnessed this phenomenon first hand in Seattle when individuals reported on the weather conditions during the December snowstorm and most recently during the storms which caused significant flooding throughout our state. Friends reported on which streets were being plowed, where flooding had occurred, as well as road and school closures. They also shared information about how they were coping with power outages or cabin fever.
Clearly, sharing information on Facebook is not restricted to weather conditions – friends share information about their interests, hobbies and travel schedules. There are some posts that focus on the mundane, daily activity of life, but many posts provide timely insights and perspective into relevant happenings. Recent examples include posts covering industry tradeshows such as CES and Macworld, how to deal with the onslaught of people in D.C. for the inauguration and updates on political events, appointments and scandals. After all, an individual’s Facebook network is more likely to report on items that are more relevant to him or her. Given this, Facebook has become a source for relevant, timely and specific news.
Facebook is not the only site providing this level of personalized news to consumers. There are a number of growing sites where people, intentionally and unintentionally, act as citizen reporters and share information with their networks, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Big Canvas PhotoShare, Sweat365 and many others.
As more and more consumers participate in social media sites, traditional media outlets will need to adapt to address this increased level of competition. In addition, companies looking to raise awareness should be evaluating how to leverage these Web sites in an effective, authentic and productive way.