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.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with a staggering 690 million users. By providing an easy solution for networking, while also acting as an outlet for content publishing and sharing, LinkedIn has become the eminent social media platform for business professionals. According to Ogilvy, LinkedIn is a fast and flexible medium with high-impact effects, making it an important element to consider in communications plans.
Considering the strengths of LinkedIn, it’s not surprising that Betsy Hindman, the author of “Why CEOs use LinkedIn during Crises” praised the common use of LinkedIn during the COVID-19 pandemic. She argued that LinkedIn posts, when used thoughtfully and intentionally, are an ideal medium for CEOs and other spokespeople to address crises with messaging to assure and inform. People tend to trust other people more than faceless organizations, so the humanized message from a leadership position comes off as more personal and sympathetic. The public nature of the post allows for the message to spread beyond the confines of an organization’s stakeholders or customer base, potentially even going viral. A widely shared statement on important issues, such as COVID-19, is crucial because when people’s expectations for communication are not met, the company appears silent on the issue. In some cases, silence is not acceptable. In the absence of a message, people will fill the communication void by drawing their own conclusions about the company’s true position and the meaning of the silence.
Unfortunately, LinkedIn cannot immediately be a perfect outlet for an organizations’ messaging because the audience must know, appreciate, and trust an individual’s profile as a source of information. Without dedicated followers and interaction opportunities, a post is unlikely to garner the reach and engagement necessary. To create a LinkedIn presence capable of amplifying announcements and driving interactions, here are a few steps to take:
- Optimize the profile. This includes filling in as much thoughtful, relevant information as possible, using a professional and flattering image, providing access to previous work and accomplishments, and adding skills and endorsements.
- Grow your audience. To do this, invite everyone in your existing community, ideally with personalized connection requests, then ask your network to introduce you to people they know that would be helpful to connect with on LinkedIn.
- Publish and share content. You can share your work, including blogs and bylines, as posts to your page, or write an article on LinkedIn Publisher. Share content relevant to your industry, company, life, or interests, and make sure to use tags to allow people to find your posts.
- Engage with your community. To help ensure that other people interact with your content and your profile, actively engage with posts in and outside of your network. Endorse the skills of your connections and constructively participate in groups. By building reciprocal relationships with your network, your profile and content will spark more conversations and grow your audience.
LinkedIn can be a powerful tool in your crisis communications plan, so start building a strong network and establishing trust. In the process, you will gain an online community, a platform for crisis messaging, and discover the strength that can come with professional networks.
In a recent episode of The New York Times’ “The Daily” podcast, Counting the Infected, the team discussed how the newspaper handled tracking and analyzing data related to COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Beginning in early March, the Times formed a dedicated COVID-19 data team. This group of reporters and researchers were tasked with aggregating case and death data from a number of sources around the country. As the team evaluated the data they had on hand, they ran into a few roadblocks that highlight the great potential and serious limitations of data.
Taking a step back outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to recognize that data can be used in multiple ways. It can help tell and strengthen stories by providing detail and specific metrics to the situation at hand. Data can also be used as a source, similar to how reporters work with corporate spokespeople to ask questions about a topic or product. Depending on the data, it can be sliced and diced to provide more insight for broader education. If someone or some company has access to strong or unique data, they are in a unique position to be able to help tell a story that will educate others.
The Times used this same lens when viewing their COVID-19 data, which is when they realized their data was having shortcomings. Because they were tracking cases and deaths by location, they did not have too many details beyond those figures. Just like when interviewing a subject matter expert, they could only look at the data in so many ways to answer the many questions at hand (i.e., age, gender, race, profession, etc.).
While they were able to create a hive of data, they knew they needed more details that could help uncover the who, why and when of positive cases and deaths. After requesting data from the CDC with slow movement, The Times’ legal team sued the organization arguing that the newspaper was working to educate the public and this data would provide the general public with the valuable insights they needed to safely live and make decisions during this time. The New York Times won the suit and secured access to data on 1.5 million cases, which meant they had enhanced data on nearly 88 percent of cases reported in May. After reviewing the data, the Times was able to uncover key trends and patterns. An overarching trend was just how pervasive racial disparities are within nearly every aspect of the pandemic – specifically infection rates, working conditions and age. I highly recommend listening to the episode to learn more about the patterns and how the virus has impacted populations differently.
As marketing and communication professionals, securing compelling and unique data can feel like winning the lottery. Data can define truths and shed light on topics that can help demonstrate thought leadership and build credibility for an organization. However, data does not always have all the answers, especially when human error or ambiguity is present when asking questions and gathering the results.
When creating future campaigns that have the potential to leverage data, it is important to be grounded in knowing how to determine what stories are best told through data. While data can help make a topic more compelling, not all stories need the metrics. Knowing how to tell the difference will help prevent the misuse of data or losing a story to the lack of it.
Lastly, if a company has access to data, test its strength by asking questions. The best data can answer the tough questions and help tell a story in a new light. After the data has been analyzed and it is clear how it will shape the overall story, it can be shared with the greater public with confidence it will help educate effectively.
As a boutique firm, we opted to join the Public Relations Network (PRN) in 2013 to provide our clients with in-country communication counsel and support around the world. Since that time, we have worked with PRN member firms in Germany, Italy, France, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and the U.K, to deliver top-notch results on behalf of our clients. Similarly, we partnered with member agencies to provide their clients with media relations counsel and execution in the U.S. on behalf of their clients.
Therefore, we are thrilled to share that the Public Relations Network has expanded its reach to Brazil with the addition of SPMJ Comunicação and to Viet Nam with the addition of EloQ Communications. Both with target audiences and media, we recognize the dynamics within a market vary. Having a trusted partner in-country to strategize with and execute activities is extremely valuable for our clients. Through the Public Relations Network we can deliver cost-effective results for our clients globally.
Given the growth of its membership, PRN has also expanded its board of directors. Earlier this month it was announced that Richard Postins, Prova PR (U.K.); Jodi Echakowitz, Boulevard Public Relations (Canada); Héctor Iván Lira Hevia, F1rstcomm Comunicación (Mexico); and Sarah Song, Integra Communications (South Korea) were appointed to the board. They will join current directors Veit Mathauer, Sympra GmbH (Germany); Belinda Chan, Creative Consulting Group (Hong Kong); and me, Colleen Moffitt, Communiqué PR (U.S.).
The new larger board will help showcase cross network brand collaborations, drive inter-network knowledge sharing and coordinate future PRN member meetings. The next two meetings are scheduled as follows:
- Winter 2021 – Taipei, Taiwan – Jan. 28-29, 2021
- Summer 2021 – Seattle, U.S. – June 24-25, 2021
We look forward to future campaigns with our colleagues around the globe!
As public relations professionals, our job is to get the word out for our clients and effectively tell their story to promote brand awareness. With three avenues of media—earned, paid and owned, it’s critical to find the right balance for each client depending on their business objectives and target audiences. While all forms lead to one road – awareness – earned media remains at the heart of public relations. Earned media is the backbone for a brand’s reputation, playing a pivotal role in demonstrating third-party validation and building credibility among target audiences.
Credibility is playing an important role in today’s society and doesn’t come with a price tag. Only 34 percent of consumers trust the brands they purchase. Rather than look to brands, people trust recommendations from highly respected peers to influence their spending habits. With an average person dedicating over six hours on the internet daily, there’s room for brands to capture audiences’ trust and attention as much of their days revolve online.
Global head of training and facilitation at Golin agency, Matt West, recently hosted a webinar within PR Council’s Agency-Ready program, focused on the power of earned media in our modern society. His perspective and examples shed light on the critical function earned media plays for all businesses.
Matt brings this concept to life by looking at the eye-catching car company, Tesla. Founded to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, Tesla has taken earned media to a whole new dimension. For 17 years, the company has spent zero dollars on advertising yet recently became the world’s most valuable automaker. Yep, you read that sentence right! When companies, such as Tesla, have a compelling story or disruptive news, earned media can be its most effective weapon. As Tesla continues to be a fierce competitor, the company focuses on earned media through revolutionary car designs, word of mouth, and publicity stunts to create every company’s dream— an enthusiastic customer base.
Switching gears to another famous car company, General Motors (GM) has estimated spending over $4 billion on advertising in 2019. With a profit of $6.4 billion in last year, GM’s $4 billion advertising expense could have raised profits by over 60 percent if they had the same earned media mentality as Tesla. Tesla’s bold approach to neglect advertising and focus on the creation of luxurious and sustainable automobiles generated an explosion of organic engagement. This key element to Tesla’s success results from a steadfast commitment to create popular and authentic products. True creativity and innovation are presented at every level of Tesla’s product development, with the outcome of automobiles that revolutionize the industry.
The lesson for public relations professionals is to always think bigger, more provocatively and outside the box for clients. Clients come to us prepared for innovative and game-changing work that will yield measurable business outcomes. With great products, it’s up to us to tell the client’s story in a relevant and interesting way to grab the media’s attention. Additionally, we need to clearly understand what’s happening in the industry and our clients’ unique narrative to generate radical results. In a time where people rely on influencers and objective parties to determine what to purchase, earned media is a powerful way to expand audience reach to boost brand awareness.
I recently read an article in Fast Company that took a thought-provoking approach to time off.
Most people are familiar with the concept and importance of a work ethic. One source defines work ethic as,
“An attitude of determination and dedication toward one’s job. Those with a strong work ethic place a high value on their professional success. They exhibit moral principles that make them outstanding employees in any position. If you have a strong work ethic, you believe in the importance of your job and typically feel that hard work is essential to maintaining a strong character.”
Work ethic is deeply ingrained in many people’s view of professional performance, character and ultimately their value. However, the drive to consistently go above and beyond to prove ourselves often leads us to burn out and feel unsatisfied with our work-life balance. Too much focus on work ethic and not enough on rest ethic has numerous negative side effects.
The article introduces the concept of a rest ethic by comparing it to breathing:
“Think of your work ethic as the inhale (it is, in a way, as essential to your career as air is to your body). With a good work ethic, we make, execute, coordinate, manage, fulfill, and get things done. Task list – inhale. Project execution – inhale. Making our ideas come to life – inhale. But we can’t keep inhaling forever. Eventually we have to exhale. This exhale is your rest ethic, and it is just as essential.”
I found this visual description particularly enlightening. If we inhale breath after breath without the release of an exhale, eventually we will explode. Consistent and productive “exhales” can help us avoid such a consequence.
Outlined below are three takeaways about what a rest ethic is and how to cultivate one:
Rest is a skill that needs to be learned
According to the article, rest should not simply be a result of free time. Rather, it should be something we schedule and protect. We should create time and space for resting the same way we create time and space for an important meeting. Rest is most beneficial when we’ve made it possible to maximize our time, rather than rushing, delaying or squeezing it in when we have a spare 15 minutes. Rest should be viewed as an activity all its own, rather than an activity we do in order to keep working.
Resting also takes practice. If we haven’t been in the habit of “exhaling,” then doing so can feel tedious, stressful or unproductive. This is also why it’s good to ensure that rest is active. Some may think of rest as idle or sedentary, when resting can include an array of activities. The article states that “good rest requires full detachment from work and our often frantic and anxious mind.” Whether that’s completing a puzzle, planting a garden, cooking in the kitchen or rock climbing, rest is best when it requires our full attention.
Introspection is key
Use your time off to check in with yourself. Often, we navigate our professional lives without realizing how busy and anxious we are, and it’s not until we take a step back that we see it. When we take time to reflect, we can take action to reset and find solutions. A few ways to reflect as outlined in the article are:
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Ask yourself: “What (or who) gives me the most sense of meaning in my life?”
- Ask yourself: “Am I giving the things I care about most the time they deserve?”
It’s also a good practice to balance self-reflection with light-hearted fun, as introspection can sometimes be emotionally taxing.
Try a ‘tech shabbat’
Inspired by Tiffany Shlain, author of 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, a “tech shabbat” is switching off all screens and connected devices for 24 hours. Shlain recommends doing this on a weekly basis. While it may seem daunting, a digital detox can be a perfect way to recharge and create distance between us and work, especially when so many of us are working and living under the same roof. If a full 24 hours seems like too much, a good first step is to try disconnecting for an afternoon or morning.
Perhaps the next Saturday hike you take, you’ll leave your phone at home and instead print your maps beforehand and truly connect with the world around you. Or instead of catching up on a show on Sunday, you’ll print out that new recipe you’ve been wanting to try and get your hands dirty in the kitchen.
However you choose to exhale, I hope it helps you feel refreshed and balanced against your work ethic.
Before the pandemic, many of us led or participated in many meetings a week. In fact, according to an organizational psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, in the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that there are 55 million meetings a day. That is a staggering number, and the higher up in an organization you climb, the more meetings you’re likely to be required to attend.
Now with the pandemic many of these have become virtual meetings. Often this means sitting in front of your computer on Zoom or Microsoft Teams for many hours a day. One of my clients, for instance, had 48 meetings or appointments in one week.
All of this makes me wonder if the amount of time spent in meetings is contributing to workplace burnout, which the World Health Organization classified in 2019 as an occupational hazard. Moreover, research increasingly shows that sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for one’s health, perhaps contributing to higher rates of cancer or other ailments.
Fortunately, Freakonomics recently re-broadcast, “How to Make Meetings Less Terrible,” by Stephen J. Dubner and produced by Matt Franssica. It contained some great reminders surrounding best practices for meetings, some of which I’ve summarized below.
Tip 1: Don’t drain the life and meaning out of meetings.
Often people call meetings without clarity of purpose or objective. Before you schedule a meeting make sure you have an actual problem to discuss or a decision to make. If the issue can be resolved or decided over email, you probably don’t need a meeting.
Tip 2: Have an agenda, don’t recycle it, and invite the right people to attend.
Frame things on your agenda as questions. This will ensure that you’re honing in on the items that need to be discussed and decided upon. Once that is done, you can more easily determine who needs to be in attendance. Remember, the more specific the agenda, the easier it will be to issue purpose-driven invitations.
You can also think of categorizing attendees as core or secondary participants. For instance, you might decide to solicit input from the secondary participants and offer to share the minutes with them, as opposed to requiring them to attend the meeting. This can be an effective way to make sure people feel included, without taking up their valuable time.
Tip 3: Decide in advance how much time is needed for the discussion.
Don’t just default to an hour. This is the average meeting length, perhaps due to calendaring software, but often meetings can be much shorter. And, according to experts, the tighter the timeframe, the better. Limited time for discussion and debate creates pressure to keep things moving, and because time is a precious resource, this can be helpful.
Tip 4: If you’re leading, your experience is going to be more positive than the attendees.
Remember, when you call a meeting, you are creating an imposition on others. Be on time, don’t dominate the discussion, and be sure to end your meeting on time.
These are just a few of the tips that were shared. For more insight, please listen to the full interview or consider reading the following:
- The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance, by Steven Rogelberg. (90 ratings, 75% five star on Amazon)
- The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, by Priya Parker. (227 ratings, 74% five star)
- The Meeting: Gatherings in Organizations and Communities, by Helen Schwartzman.
- Death by Meeting, by Patrick Lencioni. (504 ratings, 67% five star)