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11 Tips To Re-Invent PR

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I applaud for its latest edition, The Marketer Issue. Each page is dog-eared and marked up; what amazing blog fodder. This article, , is rich with tips on how marketing needs to re-invent for future success.

I’m taking the ideas herein, adjusting them with my spin and sharing them as tips for public relations peeps. After all, we in the PR profession must re-invent too if there’s a chance in hell for success down the road.

People who know me know I’ve been in the field of public relations since 1984. I entered the profession as a pure PR’ist and stayed as such for probably 10 years. That’s about when email entered the scene and slowly and surely all things changed. Pure/traditional public relations was turned on its head (for out of the box thinkers like me), and I slowly began to migrate towards marketing.

We all know what’s happened to the profession since the onset of social media and social marketing – that boundary between marketing and public relations has blurred to near non-existence. Step up, PR, and re-invent yourself for future success; your investment portfolio will thank you.

To push you in the right direction, here are 11 ways to re-invent, and I credit Ad Age’s Maureen Morrison for writing the article that provided this inspiration:

>> Be a multi-disciplinarian. Used to be back in my Chicago agency days that people asked, “Are you a strategist or tactician? Do you specialize or are you a generalist?” I was never a specialist; I wanted to know everything. That’s why I love being an agency brat – we get to service a breadth of clients from all walks of life and industries. This is amazing training.

>> Learn Data & Analytics. The old excuse has always been to leave the numbers to the marketers. No more, PR! We must interpret data as well as analytics to create better campaigns and programs. Do not leave the back-end analytics to marketing; without this knowledge you’ll miss the opportunity to make key decisions. Your leadership ability will also suffer.

>> Master social media apps and tools. No brainer, right? (Aside: I wrote that once in a corporate article and was never hired again, so now I get to use it and no one will fire me.) Just when you think you’re getting tired of keeping up with the Jones’s, push the gas and plow back in. Social media is NOT going away, and developers will keep tossing new apps/tools at us every day. You have to walk the talk.

>> Be technology centric and driven. The new generation of tablets, digital readers, smart phones, personal health monitoring devices, and other new gadgets are being developed at an amazing pace. Be well read and informed about these; in fact, incorporate budget to buy the devices and play (if you get that opportunity).

>> Understand ROI. No doubt about it, PR has to contribute to ROI, and we’ve always skirted that issue. Setting up metrics (I don’t care if that word is over-used; it’s the word to use) and measuring how our programs affect the bottom line is a critical success quotient for practitioners’ value.

>> Be nimble, agile and a quick study. Teams are strapped for time; training budgets are out the window, and it’s up to you to be agile enough to learn on your own. Being a quick thinker with wit, problem/solution solving, and flexibility to roll with the punches are what will earn you success.

>> Less tactical; more strategic. I’m unsure if strategy can be taught or if it’s innate. I’d like to think that with maturity as a professional, a strategist orientation unfolds. As a youngster in PR, you will be assigned tactics to execute; ensure you align yourself with a senior mentor who can help you with ideation. Observe how these peoples’ minds deliver and then emulate that example.

>> Search marketing. This arena is no longer strictly under the guise of digital marketers or internet marketing specialists. Trust me when I tell you, “PR people must understand the basics of search marketing and then some.” Whether you master this is not critical; however, understanding and contributing about this topic is important. The impact search marketing has on a PR program influences the entire integrated campaign.

>> Keep “traditional.” I am absolutely against using the word “traditional” to differentiate what others deliver as PR practitioners over what I deliver in a blended offering (PR and social with marketing). While I firmly advise losing “traditional” to describe PR services, don’t lose sight of how our profession evolved and became viable. When I see youth in the profession suggesting the , I cringe. In no way will the press release die; it (along with other PR tactics) will continue to evolve.

>> Focus on the audience. It’s the role of PR to keenly focus on all stakeholders and craft and deliver messages targeting each. Consumers’ outside-in communication orientation with business requires a higher level of creativity and strategy for PR programs. We have to continually understand from where and how consumers comingle with business.  This will drive strategy as we execute integrated marketing programs.

>> Be financially savvy. Yet another numbers request and this one is serious. Ensure you are savvy about interpreting profit-and-loss statements. Understand issued by your company so you can influence business objectives with communications strategy.

It’s a tall order, friends, and no one is suggesting you learn it overnight. Tackle each one as soon as you can and then master the areas you like more. Staying fit as a PR person requires constant learning. Those who adopt a approach like this, or similar, will enjoy a storied career in this exciting profession.

(I think I need to print bumper stickers – “Proud To Be In PR.”)  What can you add to this starter package?

Boing Boing Corporate PR

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What a time to be in corporate public relations…can you pick three corporations right now that have been in a boat load of trouble lately? Right alongside these three examples are CEOs at the helm suffering from poor brand image as they take the fall for the team.

>>Avon. CEO Andrea Jung is struggling with recent mismanagement. Stories in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere suggest her leadership is suspect. Forecasts are way off base, the SEC has launched and investigation, and investors are none too pleased.

(Aside: I used to sell Avon; so did my mom. I was my own best customer. I still love many of its products but the line diversified to include Curves fitness products, attire and a teen line. Way too much; unruly, but who asked me?)

>>Netflix. No surprise, right? This company flip flopped its subscribers about DVDs and pricing while opening new markets in the UK at the same time. Who is tired of reading about Reed Hastings’s PR debacle already? Read the link on this; Gini does a fab job of rehashing the entire mess, so no need to reinvent the wheel here.

>>H-P. I was surprised to learn the company would spin off its PC business unit. Without its flagship product line as a source of revenue, how would it meet expectations on Wall Street? Then, after installing Meg Whitman, former e-Bay executive and California gubernatorial candidate, as CEO, the company flip flopped and decided to keep computers in its product suite. H-P cited expense as a deciding factor.

I am certain you have more examples to share of corporate flip flops that unfolded in the public domain.

Now, let’s segue to the corporate boardroom. For sure there is a chief public relations officer who has a seat at these boardroom tables? I mean, right? One would expect serious PR strategy and input into serious corporate decisions that impact investors, analysts, stakeholders, consumers, the media, and more.

Why then are these corporations being “permitted” to make these customer-facing errors as if they weren’t thought through? Is there no PR counsel at the table or is PR not being invited to lend its expertise? Honestly, watching these gaffes unfold and multiplied hundredfold by word-of-mouth marketing makes me wonder.

The H-P debacle is pretty intense. The company just told the world it really didn’t want to devote innovation to its PCs; rather, it would produce subpar product. That’s my takeaway after a spinoff failed. I already have a negative image of H-P’s computers anyway; having them try to get out of that business doesn’t bode well for future sales.

For any business regardless of size, here is the type of PR counsel I provide (as do my colleagues):

>>We are trained in strategy to assess the effect of corporate decisions on markets and external audiences.
>>We know how to create story angles and to which media to pitch them for best light in sticky situations.
>>We contribute to messages developed with each audience in mind, and we draft appropriate communications targeting each.
>>We anticipate the backlash and negative impact of un-vetted business decisions.
>>We develop ongoing strategy to counter market pulse and rebuild damaged brands.

It strikes me that corporate PR, in two out of three of the above examples, is getting the raw end of the stick. Who’s responsible for allowing these very public gaffes; certainly no reputable PR professional would counsel its C-suite to engage in flip flop at the risk of damaging stock, brand, sales, and future growth.

Media Training, Hoodies and Facebook

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Advertising Age has a fascinating article in its Sept. 5, 2011 issue oriented to the media training of 20-something leaders of tech companies who sit in their hoodies and sweat under drilling questions posed by reporters. These CEOs typically have no concept of media training and have not been privy to the wily nature of seemingly friendly reporters who turn aggressive to get their story.

Mark Zuckerberg proved that correct when he stated  his notorious faux pas, “privacy is over.”

He’s not the only one…every CEO and business leader regardless of age, industry or company needs to be savvier when being interviewed by media. It’s easier in the internet era for reporters to dig up dirt from more channels than just a printed magazine, and thus it’s easier to get hung up during an interview.

Where I have to disagree with this AdAge piece is when Brandee Barker, former VP of PR at Facebook, suggests that Zuckerberg helped “shape a media environment more accepting of the less-structured response or mishap.”  She states in the article, “There’s an authenticity that comes across, and if it’s awkward and they say the wrong thing, that’s OK.”

Really?

This woman is sending entirely the wrong message to young CEOs that it’s OK to come across as a noob and act befuddled. How can this be appropriate media training? When that tech leader grows up and heads to another company will that style be acceptable? In fact, like the Zuckerberg debacle, those situations will stick like glue and be resurrected throughout a leader’s career.

Ask Sarah Palin! She floundered and fell flat on her face in front of Katie Couric during her bid for vice president on the ticket with John McCain. Ask John Kerry who ran for president and all anyone could talk about was that he needed a haircut and acted like a statue in front of the cameras.

Being polished in front of reporters certainly comes with seasoned experience; losing your personality is one thing with too much messaging and training, but getting permission to bumble an answer and be accepted for it is another.

Media training is what we public relations practitioners strive to do with our internal and external clients.

It begins with research. When there’s a story brewing, the PR person must conduct due diligence to find all the stories and reporting style of the interviewer.

Then, we develop Q&A using the company’s approved message map so everyone says the same thing. Approved messages help deliver the facts without straying into murky waters (although this happens frequently).

Role playing is part of media training. A PR team tries to trip up the executive and put him or her in a stressful situation with a barrage of media questions. Using that message map is critical at this point, and knowing the tricks to sidestep a tough question is always helpful.

The onus is on PR only at the back end during prep. Executives must always be cognizant about their accountability to position the company in the most positive light. Often, company leaders forget they’re still on tap at the very end of an interview. This is when reporters swoop in for the kill, when there’s an apparent moment of relaxation. Leaders have been known to really mess up at this time because they think the interview is over.

It’s never over until the mic is off, the phone is hung up, and the reporter has left the building!

If you’re a business owner and you’re seeking the limelight to tell your story, or if you’re a politician running for office, then media training is absolutely a must. There are varying levels of training, and you don’t need to hire the big guns, either. Unless, of course, you’re Sarah Palin or John Kerry seeking the presidency of the United States.

Christine O’Donnell — Say NO More

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For the first time in my 27 years in public relations and media relations, I watched right here as a guest walked off a national prime-time, LIVE broadcast based on the recommendation of her “handlers” – those PR peeps who sit on the sidelines and direct traffic for their spokesperson while nodding heads or coaching silently. (I know, I’ve been one of those frequently.)

Christine O’Donnell, you may recall, is a Tea Party candidate who tried to run for U.S. senate in Delaware, and her book, “Trouble Maker,” details many of the issues she either believes or doesn’t believe in.

When Piers Morgan queried her about gay marriage and masturbation, she began to unravel.  You can watch the interview with link above and form your own conclusions. It’s a good lesson for everyone including public relations/media relations as well as those figureheads who deem themselves prepared for prime time television.

There are so many other links you can go find, and many are attempts by Christine to massage her weakened brand and accuse “the producer” (she calls Piers the producer albeit he’s the host) of sexual harassment during the CNN interview.

The point is, PR, that if your spokesperson, client, company executive is NOT ready for live, national, primetime and potentially raucous interview tactics (do you remember Sarah Palin and Katie Couric?), then by all means KEEP THEM OFF TV!

Here are some media relations thoughts for everyone’s digestion:

** In media relations, it’s your job to comb previous interviews with that particular host to understand the style and potential for the segment to go downhill fast. Always expect negativity!

** Negativity sells, and there’s absolutely no way a former politician (especially in the Tea Party movement) can be safe. I say “especially in the Tea Party movement” because their policies and beliefs are strong, and when you get the “liberal” media going 1:1 with a candidate, there’s going to be bashing and addressing the issues.

** At the first sign of discomfort by an interviewee, the host is going in for the kill. Obviously, Christine was not prepared for a negative interview and did not expect to be thrown off course – book promotion, not running for office, I don’t want to speak about this issue today, “you’re being rude.”

** I fault Christine O’Donnell’s media relations people for this debacle. Either they didn’t prepare well enough or thoroughly enough to identify all the possible land mines any host would attempt to uncover, or they were not seasoned enough to manage this situation.  With issues as contentious as gay marriage, abortion (I don’t know if she addressed that topic in her book), masturbation, and the like in a book she wrote and is promoting, it’s open season!

** Preparation for an interview of international importance like this should be oriented to diving into all the Q&A with possible discomfort zones. Role playing and watching tapes of previous interviews would be part of the prep; in addition, dog earing book pages with highlighted text should have also been part of the prep.

** Piers Morgan is an investigative journalist; it’s his business to uncover scuttle butt on everyone who sits across from him. He wants ratings, and boy was he enjoying himself – trying not to laugh at Christine’s obvious discomfort.

** Finally, when has a PR person EVER stepped in front of the camera on national live TV? Are you kidding me? Terminate.

What thoughts can you offer based on your own experience, your experience being interviewed, and the prep that needs to happen in this contentious media age?

(Image: CNN)

BM & Sh&tty PR

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What does “BM” imply to you? Excrement. Poopie. Crap. Sh$t.

It’s also the texting lingo and acronym for the previously esteemed Burson-Marstellar, which even uses “BM” as its domain name, a leading global public relations agency that was recently named agency of the year by someone.

I would be remiss not to also write about the recent unethical behavior by B-M as it went stealth on behalf of Facebook to schmear (the only thing I schmear is cream cheese, hold the lox, on a bagel) Google in a very unprofessional, unethical, and nasty campaign it lied about, took Facebook posts down about, and slapped more egg on the face of the public relations profession.

We’re really taking a beating, and it disgusts me when the alleged leaders of the industry behave in this fashion. Look at the home page of the B-M website; what a trove of extreme tweets – one apologizing to the woman whose Facebook comment was removed (obviously because it was anti-BM); the statement by the firm about its work for Facebook; and its notation of being selected North American Agency of the Year. Oh, and there’s one more – B-M is hiring; want to work there?

*** @JessicaRMurray Jessica we’re sorry about removing your post. Clearly, your comment was fair. Please feel free to repost. 3 days ago · reply · retweet · favorite

*** Our firm’s statement on our work with Facebook https://bit.ly/kjkJ0L 4 days ago · reply · retweet · favorite

*** #Burson-Marsteller is named North America Agency of the Year at #Sabres https://bit.ly/jBbY5j 5 days ago · reply · retweet · favorite

*** RT @maggievdleeuw #Burson-Marsteller is hiring experienced #b2b & social media folks in our Corporate Practice https://bit.ly/jqYvo8 #in #SM 6 days ago · reply · retweet · favorite

I will not repeat the excellent job of my esteemed colleagues who always know the news just as it breaks in the PR world; in fact, I get my news from these Ad Age Power bloggers the likes of Gini Dietrich at Spin Sucks and Spin Sucks Pro as well as Waxing Unlyrical’s Shonali Burke (who I just watched in a dark video on her blog and love, love her accent; can’t decide if she’s doing the British thing with American slathered in or American twang and trying to maintain some semblance of British propriety).

You can also see for yourself on B-M’s Facebook page; its now allowing everyone to party on in true critical fashion; however, B-M is nowhere to be found! So, go ahead, hijack the page just like everyone else. B-M got its hand slapped for removing comments from its Facebook page just hours after the campaign surfaced. Someone even posted this from the Huffington Post on the B-M Facebook page (that’s a good shiner if there ever was one). I think I need to post this post there.

While I’m a tad late to the party, it’s easier to watch the fireworks, comment early and blog late. That way, I can see the fall out (and it’s a beaut) and add some hot links to this post. However, in all seriousness (I’m trying to be that way sometimes), I hate that this happened. And, “hate” is a banned word in my house; in fact, I charge for that word. Each time the kidlet uses it, she pays me $.25.

I’ve written with this community about What is PR. We spent something like six weeks drafting commentary, together, about all the ways we need to define PR. In fact, we even came up with something called the PR Justice League. (I recently saw sketches for our super power figures by Beatriz Alemar of BlackCat Strategy.) Many have been so up in arms about the values, ethics and standards in public relations that the venting launched right here and continued into an entire series.

To sum it up, we didn’t absolutely define PR, but we tried and we brought the discussion to a semi close. What we did discuss and share about was the necessity of ensuring people in business and young peeps entering the profession understood that at the core of this profession is a passion for standards of quality. When the leaders among us deem the mighty dollar more important than upholding values and ethics, we are doomed as small-businesses to pick up the pieces and suffer their arrogance.

I’d love to survey the B-M employees globally and ask them one simple question, “Do you believe your employer, B-M, should’ve counseled Facebook against engaging in this anti-Google campaign?”

About that image above, courtesy of PRinyourpajamas.com, I’ve not seen an apology yet, have you? Comments very welcome, but I know everyone’s seen the story already…thanks for reading!)