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.
After reading Mark Goulston’s book, Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, I can safely say it’s a must-read for anyone looking to increase their persuasion and collaborative work skills. While the whole text is full of great insight on how to harness the power of persuasion, I found myself most struck by Goulston’s chapter titled, “When All Seems Lost – Bare Your Neck,” in which he describes how projecting vulnerability yourself produces vulnerability in others. The basis for his theory here are the brain’s mirror neurons. Scientists have found that these neurons act as the basis for empathy, making us, if only for a moment, feel the same emotions as someone we are watching. If you’ve ever cringed when a friend gets a paper cut or cheered when a movie hero ends up with the girl, you’ve experienced your mirror neurons at work. Other scientists refer to these neurons as “Dalai Lama neurons” because they are evolution’s efforts to dissolve the barriers between self and others.
Moving on from the neuroscience, why is this mirroring important for life in the workplace? If we circle back to Goulston’s main points about vulnerability, he states that baring your neck to someone else will induce mirroring of this vulnerability in others. Thanks to biology, they won’t be able to help it, even colleagues who may not like you very much. This tool is an effective way to show authenticity and honesty, bond and connect with others, and help the other party see your point of view. Finding the courage to expose your vulnerabilities can be difficult, but trusting in the reciprocal empathy of others is proven to be effective. Collaborative and highly functional office environments thrive on expectations of mutual respect, a side effect of mutual vulnerability.
On the other side of the coin, disguising your vulnerabilities can be harmful because of these same mirror neurons. Whatever negative attitude you’re painting over your distress will rub off on the people you’re interacting with, making the situation worse. Take, for example, using anger to cover up fear of failure. Maybe you have a big presentation coming up that you’re nervous won’t go over well, so you project a “screw you” attitude to hide feelings of helplessness. Rather than receiving support or empathy in return, you’re likely to get back a “fine – screw you, too.” Baring your neck (read: exposing your fears) to your coworkers will produce empathetic reactions, including offers of assistance, words of encouragement, etc.
Collaboration and cooperation are important aspects of any human interaction, specifically in the workplace. Whether it be negotiating a contract with a new client or pitching your next great ad campaign, learning to recognize internal distress and respond with vulnerability can create an atmosphere of valuable openness and respect that is a surefire recipe for success.
If you’re looking for information on how to more effectively connect with journalists and consumers, you may want to read “Business Wire’s Complete Guide to Modern Public Relations.”
This report, which was published by Business Wire, a leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure, provides insight into the way consumers receive news and how digital media has impacted this over last decade. The overall message of the piece is straightforward: times are changing in the media industry, meaning public relations and communications professionals must evolve in their practices as well.
The guide highlights the four key elements PR pros should keep in mind when reaching out to journalists:
The future of business communications
The first section introduces how the concept of a news release came about in the first place, thanks to American publicity expert and founder of modern public relations, Ivy Lee. Although the core elements of news releases have remained much the same, the way news and information has historically been distributed to media outlets has changed drastically. This is a result of companies increasingly seeking to cater to the way that consumers interact with the media, both in terms of accessing and reading content, as well as engaging directly with media through blogs and social media.
Lee offers guidelines for PR professionals to ensure that news releases are successful in their delivery and reception by their target audiences:(1) be trusted and timely, (2) focus on the facts, (3) be interesting, and (4) be impactful with media. These guidelines are timeless and essential for keeping journalists engaged and interested.
Tips on press release development
This section details the elements of a news release and why their mastery is important when communicating with journalists. Since a press release lets journalists know the news elements are for developing a story, it must contain attention-grabbing, accurate, interesting and relevant information.
Who, what, when and where (the four W’s) are questions that need to be addressed within the first few paragraphs of a news release to keep a journalist reading further and committed to determining whether to move forward with the information.
Implementation of multimedia elements can also increase engagement with news releases. The inclusion of pictures, infographics, videos, etc. in any announcement has been proven to retain the reader’s interest for longer. Multimedia elements can also communicate the overall message of an announcement more effectively than those that only have text throughout because visuals enhance reader engagement.
Business Wire mentions that when developing a press release, it’s a best practice to put yourself in your reader’s shoes and take the perspective of someone who might not know anything about the subject matter you’re discussing. The news release must do a good job informing the reader about the topic, why it’s worth covering, and why it’s relevant, in order to be successful.
Relationship building
This is arguably the most important part of the guide because it analyzes how imperative it is to build and maintain relationships with journalists, even before news is available to share. This is a best practice because, after all, journalists are people too, and they are experts at recognizing authenticity, or lack thereof. It’s important to remember that a journalist having access to your information is not the same as forming a relationship with them.
A great first step to doing this is researching journalists and bloggers, at both the local and nationwide levels. Knowing what they cover, their angles, interests, and biases helps make the connection more personal, and increases the likelihood of a response. A networking opportunity will always be more genuine when there’s proactive thought put into it beforehand.
Measuring success
The final section of the guide explains eight ways to measure the results of a public relations program or campaign. These include to: (1) get granular, (2) properly count the overall results of each programs, (3) look at the influence and reach of your news, (4) use advanced attribution, (5) research the devices your audiences use, (6) listen to social conversations, (7) track the amount of time your audience spends with you, and (8) don’t manage analytics alone.
The value of public relations is increasing, which means there is an increasing number of ways to assess the success of a PR campaign. Being able to properly identify and calculate the ROI, reach and value of a campaign is vital in the marketing, public relations, and advertising industries. Business Wire goes into detail on each measurement tool to highlight how and why to use it.
This guide is an asset to not only public relations professionals, but also to those who want more insight into the everchanging digital world and its effects on consumer media engagement. Updating your understanding of how the information age works is necessary for effective communication with journalists and their target audiences.
Months of cover-letter revisions and tapping into every connection in your LinkedIn has paid off – you have landed the ever-elusive PR internship. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and you are going to gain more experience in the next few months than you have in years of schooling. You want nothing more than to thrive and grow in this new position, but how? From one new intern to the next, here are a few tips that I have picked up along my journey with Communiqué PR (CPR) so far that are valuable tools to succeed as a PR intern.
Take notes
Although obvious, I want to reiterate the importance of taking notes. The CPR office is always stocked with composition notebooks, and we take great advantage of them. If your office does not supply them, I would suggest investing a few dollars in a pack of notebooks. I carry mine with me wherever I go so I am able to jot down things from to-do tasks that get casually asked of me (they aren’t always requested via email), to book recommendations from colleagues. There have been times where I have forgotten to bring my notebook to a meeting or check-in and I always regret it when I’m sitting at my desk later, thinking “What did they say again?” Mistakes happen, and people forget things, but try not to be the intern who has to ask someone to repeat something that has already clearly been stated – it could be perceived as you not listening.
Writing is key
Clear written communication is critical in public relations. You might find yourself writing a byline for a client or a speech for an executive, so make it a point to improve your writing throughout your internship. There are a few ways to make sure your writing is up to par, one of which is using the correct grammar and style. The correct way to write in the PR and Journalism world is to follow the AP Style Guide. As a PR intern, this book is your bible. It will tell you everything from the correct way to write a date, to which numbers to type out versus using numerals. It gets updated every year, so make sure you have the most current copy at your disposal.
Another way I have improved my writing at my internship is by reading critically. In the morning I pour myself a cup of tea and browse Medium and The New York Times and make notes of words and phrases that caught my eye that I can inject into my writing at CPR. I also look for places that were uncomfortable to read, where further edits could have been made. Learn from other writer’s successes and mistakes.
Accountability
You are responsible for everything you say, do, and write during your internship. You are new to the field, which means the work you are doing now is the foundation of your reputation. Use this to your advantage, since you have a clean slate and the opportunity to create a positive image for yourself in the industry.
Remember that everything you do has your name attached to it, so remain accountable for your actions. You don’t have to be the perfect intern and know everything there is to know about PR, but when you don’t know something, do not say “I don’t know.” Instead, follow up with an action item or an indicator that you will use your lack of knowledge as a stepping stone, such as, “I’m not certain on the answer to that question, but I will look that up and get back to you right away.” This shows you are eager to learn more and will continue to add to your knowledge bank.
Compete with yourself
Try not to compare yourself to other interns since every person has different skillsets and abilities. You may be great at editing, while the intern two desks down may be everyone’s go-to for creating briefings – and that is OK. You can’t control other people, but what you can control is your progression in the industry. One way I compete with myself is at the end of every day I evaluate what I can improve on tomorrow. I pick out a few things I want to focus on; it can be as broad as time management or as specific as finding more tailored publications to pitch contributed content. My advice here is to not see your shortcomings as stopping points or places to avoid, but rather opportunities to improve.
Be bold
This may come as a shock, but no one can read your mind. Be bold and confident and ask for what you want. I learned about press briefings on my second day at CPR and was fascinated with the idea of hearing a client and a journalist interact in real time, so I sent a note to the team asking to keep me in mind for future briefings and consider letting me sit in on them. I have since been invited to sit on calls and edit briefing documents, which exposed me to the preparation side of things as well. I promise you your superiors want to see you thrive and prosper in this new role, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and what will help you succeed in your PR internship.
Recently I was at a meeting where the head of global communications for a Fortune 100 company recommended that managers read a book called “The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business” by Erin Meyer. He raved about the book as a wonderful resource to those doing business with people in different countries.
As a small boutique PR firm, you might not think we have many international clients, but over the years we’ve served clients headquartered in Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, France, the United Kingdom and Mexico. In addition, some of our U.S.-based clients have also taken equity investments in foreign companies, which requires us to effectively collaborate with their parent company.
Every time we work with people living in another part of the world, we learn about their company’s unique culture, their communications preferences and how business is done in their country. For instance, a few years ago, we had a software client headquartered in Japan. I knew formality in business communication was important, but I had to learn the specifics of what that meant. To come up to speed, I spent a significant amount of time reading articles about Japanese business etiquette. This was helpful, but I wish I’d had “The Culture Map.”
In her book, Meyer provides readers a unique methodology to decode cultural differences so they can work together more effectively. She also does an excellent job explaining how cultural differences shape behavior and perceptions. Finally, she reminds readers that many of our perceptions are relative and based on our own unique culture experiences.
Consider the perception of age. If you’re 50 years old, you may think 30 is young. If you’re 15 years old, 30 might seem old. Similar relative perceptions exist around culture. Meyers asks readers to consider whether people in Spain build trust based on relationships or tasks: Are they a more relationship-based culture or a task-based culture? The answer is not as obvious as it might seem – it depends on what type of culture you grew up in or in which you currently live. If you’re from the U.S., the culture of trust tends to be more task-based than Spain, so you may perceive them to be more relationship oriented. However, if you are from India or China, trust building in Spain may seem more task-oriented in comparison to your culture.
This is just one of the eight areas that Myers focuses on in her book. The other areas include:
- Communicating: low-context vs. high-context
- Evaluating: direct negative feedback vs. indirect negative feedback
- Persuading: principles-first vs. application-first
- Leading: egalitarian vs. hierarchical
- Deciding: consensual vs. top-down
- Disagreeing: confrontational vs. avoids confrontation
- Scheduling: linear-time vs. flexible
When you scan this list, you can see the importance of each of these areas in doing business. Without an ability to communicate, evaluate, persuade, lead, make decisions, trust, and even disagree, it’s unlikely much will be accomplished. These foundational skills are critical and many of them are influenced by the cultural norms of your country.
Build-A-Bear Workshop’s “pay your age” campaign proved to be too good to be true.
The limited-time-only promotion provided customers with the chance to purchase the stuffed toys, which usually range in price from $20-$35, for the amount of their age.
Only hours after it began, the company cancelled the event due to safety concerns posed by ridiculously long lines and large crowds, with some reports of people waiting in line for up to nine hours.
After leaving customers angry and children disappointed, CEO Sharon Price John described the premature shutdown as “heartbreaking” on The Today Show (Today).
In addition to an authentic apology, John also noted that the “pay your age” promotion will continue all year long with Build-A-Bear’s “Count Your Candles” birthday program, where kids under the age of 14 can “pay their age” for a Birthday Treats bear during their birthday month. Additionally, the company offered discount vouchers valid through the end of August to the disappointed customers who were turned away after waiting in line.
Despite being ready for large crowds due to the promotion with fully staffed stores and fully stocked shelves, the customer response far exceeded the company’s expectations. Extensive media coverage of mobs of kids in tears probably wasn’t what the company had in mind when it decided to promote its birthday program, but from a crisis communications perspective, the company responded well to the debacle.
Specifically, John’s apology on Today will likely be used as a textbook example for PR and crisis management case studies. John’s remarks during the interview were incredibly poised, authentic and forward-thinking. Not to mention, sharing that she is a grandmother gave her the opportunity to genuinely empathize with parents across the nation who know how hard it is when kids get excited about something that doesn’t happen. After apologizing for the mistake and addressing the emotional nature of the pandemonium, she focused on what the company is doing to make it right.
The phrase “there’s no such thing as bad press” is certainly true in today’s media landscape. And if you judge success by column inches, live shots on network television and how much a company is being talked about in the public sphere, then what Build-A-Bear accomplished in terms of earned media is nothing short of incredible. Here are a few takeaways highlighting how Build-A-Bear responded effectively to this PR crisis:
Communicate quickly. In crisis communications, responding quickly with accurate, factual information can help manage a story in a favorable direction. The tone for coverage around any issue is usually set by the first few stories that break within 24 hours following an incident. In this case, the company reacted swiftly and hit the national media with an authentic apology the following day, which certainly set the tone for resulting coverage.
Embrace authenticity and transparency. Mea culpa when necessary. Showing character by apologizing, making wrongs into rights, and moving forward shows good character. John was authentic in her remarks, even pointing out she is a mom of three and empathizing with the parents of disappointed children. She owned the mistake, redirected the conversation to the company’s mission and values, and focused on moving forward.
Have a contingency plan. Even the most thoughtful plans sometimes go awry. While Build-a-Bear did not have one in place for this promotion, the company scrambled to put something together and is honoring a slightly abbreviated version of their original commitment with the discount vouchers and extended promotion.
The Build-A-Bear debacle is an example of how strong brands weather storms, however, what the results of the failed promotion will mean for the company’s reputation with customers in the long run is yet to be seen.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: Creating a unique podcast in today’s saturated market is difficult – really difficult. But if you can do so effectively and creatively, the resulting success can truly change the way your business’s voice is projected and the way consumers view and interact with you.
A good case study of a strong corporate-made podcast is General Electric’s The Message. This eight-part sci-fi series, released in 2015, follows a fictional team of cryptologists as they attempt to decode an alien message from outer space. The podcast is the brainchild of GE’s in-house agency The Grid, their ad agency BBDO, and the podcast network Panoply. The medium of The Message opened a new way for GE to tell stories and speak to the public. GE’s global chief creative officer Andy Goldberg describes the podcast as a strategic approach to interaction with the same audience yet engaging in an entirely new way, giving listeners a different association with the company.
Thus was born GE Podcast Theater – a throwback homage to old school radio and General Electric Theater of the 1950s hosted by Ronald Reagan. During its eight-week run, the podcast had over 1.2 million downloads and reached No. 1 on iTunes podcast charts – talk about raging success.
Is a Podcast Right for You?
While GE’s success story is the cream of the crop as far as corporate engagement through podcasts, it might be unrealistic for your company to spend hours cooking up artfully crafted, customer-oriented episodes. Podcasts require a lot of effort, time, and commitment to keep up and keep engaging, especially today when it seems like everyone and their mother has one. How will you separate yourself from the crowd? If you’re feeling confident and creative, these considerations might help you determine if a podcast is the right move for your business.
- Filling the air
You should assume that each podcast episode will be at least 20 minutes, if not more. While that in itself might not be too scary, consider that you’ll want to keep podcast publishing reliable in order to grow and maintain a regular follower base. Once or twice weekly is a good basis for publishing episodes. I’d recommend committing to that schedule for at least 6 months, at a minimum. If you don’t have enough varied material to talk about that often, developing episodes can become more of a burdensome to-do than a valuable marketing addition.
- My next guest needs no introduction…
Whether or not your next guest actually does need an introduction, it’s important to have them on your show! Audiences would much rather hear multiple voices and viewpoints in conversation as opposed to a lengthy monologue. Make sure you can keep it varied, or at least relevant, with guest speakers from your company, the industry, etc. Not only do these other voices maintain interest, they also build approachability, an important aspect of the medium of podcasting.
- Build it and they will come…
… or at least we wish this were true. Building a reliable and committed audience following is no walk in the park. Audience trust is a bond built through analysis, insight, and storytelling. Make sure you have the budget and the time to put the work in to marketing, writing, planning, and editing to bring those podcast downloads rolling in.
Creative and innovative businesses with good journalistic abilities should not feel discouraged by the challenges of podcasting. The risk and energy investment can be well worth the significant rewards in community building, publicity and marketing, and customer engagement. Podcasts are having a moment, and you could be the next big player in the game.