All of the meat processing companies have been slow to grapple with the growing pink-slime hullabaloo, even though there doesn’t seem to be much evidence that their products are particularly unhealthy, said Bill Marler, a Seattle lawyer who specializes in food safety and food poisoning cases.”My only complaint about this product is I think they could have been more up-front with the public,” Marler said. “When companies are not open about what their product is and what it contains, positive and negative, people get concerned and assume the worst.”
The meat industry failed itself by not staying abreast of social media and online forums for signs of trouble, said Jonathan Bernstein of Bernstein Crisis Management in Sierra Madre.
“They lost control of the message,” he said. “Perception is everything. If enough people perceive that something is wrong, it’s wrong. Reassurances that something’s safe from groups that are now distrusted are useless at this point.”
The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) — the vending machine industry association for all of you snacking junkies – is trying to take a bite out the perception that they are a major cause of obesity in kids. They named their initiative, begun earlier this year, Balanced for Life.
On their website they write: “The Balanced for Life campaign is designed to correct the misperceptions many have about vending’s role in growing obesity rates. All too often our industry is seen as a quick-fix solution to what is in fact a very complex problem. At the same time, we want to demonstrate that we want to be part of the solution by working to educate people about nutrition, healthy diets and the importance of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle.”
Also from the website is this campaign description: “The campaign will target a variety of school officials, including parents, school officials and educational boards, along with federal policy makers, Members of Congress, state legislators and the media. To get our messages out to these target audiences, the campaign is built around a comprehensive media campaign that includes advertising, newspaper editorials, bylined articles, television interviews and special events. In each case the campaign will deliver messages about the balanced choices that are available in today’s vending machines; the importance of balancing calories consumed with calories burned; the importance of daily physical activity; and the importance of teaching young people about the elements of a healthy, balanced diet. What we’re really trying to do is position our industry as a partner working to help solve the problem, explaining that vending machines in schools offer a balanced variety of foods and beverages and can be an important tool in teaching young people to make smart choices. “
The website does its job. A mission statement, print ads, machine graphics for vending machines, template media pieces, posters, and more are all available for free to the members. But it primarily looks like a “pull” strategy. NAMA has also partnered with the non-profit “America Scores” to work on making children live more active lives. The collaborative efforts are a wise step to lend the much-needed credence to such a campaign. Great stuff.
And yet, run a simple news search on the success of this effort and you find a plethora of vending machine-bashing stories from school districts throughout the country. Here is one of the latest headlines I found: “Health movement has school cafeterias in a food fight USA Today – Aug 21 8:44 PM. “Elizabeth Nyikako, 16, a senior at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, used to buy a Coke or a Twix candy bar from school vending machines, but no more. Now she gets bottled water and granola bars.”
The beverage distributors are also now in the fight to change the image.
Do you think that anything can work in situations such as these or are these groups simply facing an emotional runaway train?
It’s easy to play up the adversarial relationship between “Hacks” and “Flacks,” but the truth of this perennial love/hate relationship is that that we really do need one other. Although the value of PR professionals to journalists is often called into question, as this article points out, “the popularity of services like HARO and ProfNet should be proof enough that journalists have a need for PR professionals.”
That said, as PR professionals, our jobs are two-fold: Not only are we advocates for our clients, but we’re also here to make life easier on our journalist comrades. Between a non-stop news cycle, scary budget cuts and mounting competition for clicks, there’s a good chance they’re working in a pressure cooker environment, so the best thing we can do is to think from their perspective and assist rather than annoy. After all, it comes down to relationships, and there’s nothing worse than trying to work with someone who makes your job harder.
So, without further ado, here are our “Top 10 Yeas and Nays” for better PR practices. Although some may seem pretty obvious, those are often the ones that are first forgotten.
DON’T even think about…
- Not doing your research/reading a journalist’s articles before pitching. Know who you’re targeting, and only send something to them that you think would be of interest.
- Sending a pitch via email blast. The shotgun-spray approach is not appreciated; rather, think like a sniper.
- Asking if you can see and/or edit an article before it’s published. This is a huge no-no!
- Making up a response if you don’t know the answer. It’s perfectly acceptable to say, “I’m not sure. Let me check and get back to you.”
- Disregarding deadlines. Your journalist friend has theirs, so make sure you meet yours.
If you want to develop good working relationships, DO try…
- Respecting the journalist’s preferences. If they’re an email person, and you’re more comfortable on the phone, adapt. Work their way.
- Keeping pitches and releases short and to-the-point (and as buzz-free as possible). Repeat after me: Less is more.
- Thinking about how to streamline the process. Have assets and answers ready, and be available when the reporter is writing and may have a question. (Package the story beforehand as much as possible: angle, visual content, facts, references, spokespersons, etc.)
- Proofread, proofread, proofread. And when in doubt, hit spell check again before sending that pitch – perhaps even send to a colleague to review with fresh eyes before contacting the reporter.
- Focusing on relationships. I said it above, and I’ll say it again – it’s all about relationships. They make the job easier and a whole lot more fun! For example, interact with, read, comment on, share and praise a reporter’s work that you find of interest – not just when it’s a story about your company or client.
It is interesting that the word ‘consultant’ derives from the Latin, consultare, meaning to debate or discuss. That implies its function is to assist in two-way communications – yet, the role of management consultancy is positioned as assisting organizations to improve performance, through logical analysis and development of plans. The focus is more on management rather than consultancy.
The history of management consultancy is tied closely to analytical processes and a rational, scientific approach to organizational operations. Consultants provide expertise, often in a prescriptive manner, determining ‘best practice’ that will result from adhering to recommended strategies.
This philosophy underpins modern management with a belief that outcomes can be predicted, risk managed and success achieved by a process of research, reflection, monitoring and evaluation.
Public relations has followed this route in seeking increased status and recognition as a serious business management consultancy service – whether operating within an organization or as external experts.
Personally, I don’t believe the world is so readily predictable – for me, the idea of rational management is largely a placebo, making organizations feel in control by virtue of implementing processes and seeking the ‘right way’ to operate. (That’s not to say processes aren’t important – but they should not take precedence over a need to adapt and respond to a dynamic environment.)
Consequently, I am interested in the idea of ‘integrated reporting’ and the involvement of public relations in advocating its adoption alongside governments, global businesses, the investment community – and management consultants.
Toni Muzi Falconi argues, in relation to the Stockholm Accords, that the development of integrated reporting is a real opportunity for public relations to be part of the strategic management of organizations. He sees this move away from the traditional ‘annual report’ approach as putting stakeholders at the heart of business concerns.
From this viewpoint, PR is not simply going to be involved in producing the narrative within the integrated report – rather it will be pivotal in ensuring interactive, ongoing communications (dialogue) between senior management and key stakeholders.
Arguably, that emphasises consultancy over management. But the language of integrated reporting is that of assessing and evaluating quality, performance, value and impact. That is, a systems approach where stakeholders are engaged in transactional relationships with organizations and sustainability is about keeping the system going.
Sadly, I remain skeptical that the momentum behind integrated reporting is anything more than an opportunity for perpetuating the myth of the rational manager. The black and white of a written report inevitably loses the richness of real world relationships, the complexity of an organization’s day to day operations and the increasing chaos of the external environment in which it operates.
I’ve been paying attention to the things that command attention, both of myself and others, and I’ve made a list of 21 techniques that work. This list is far from all of them I’m sure, but it should be enough to get you started …
1. Be wrong
The world is full of people trying to do the right things. It’s become so common that many of us are bored by it. We long for someone that’s willing to do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, be the wrong thing. If you have the courage to be that person, you’ll find lots of people paying attention to you.
2. Be right
You can also gain attention by being right … but only if you’re more right than everyone else. Run a mile faster than anyone else, explain your topic more clearly than anyone else, be funnier than everyone else. Embody perfection, and people will take notice.
3. Communicate what others can’t
As writers, we take ideas from our heads and put them on the page. Sometimes we forget how difficult that is for some people and how valuable that makes us. Lots of people would give anything to be able to say what they mean. But they can’t. So, they turn to songs, books, and art that communicate for them. Be a producer of those things, and you’ll never lose their attention.
4. Do something
Everybody online is trying to say something important, but very few are trying to do something important. If you want attention, dare not to just give advice to others, but to live that advice yourself. Then publish it to the open web.
5. Surprise people
Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, say that one of the best ways to set yourself apart is to break people’s “guessing machines.” Take a surprising position, making outlandish analogy, or otherwise do the opposite of what you normally do. As long as it’s unexpected, people will stop and pay attention.
72andSunny’s mantra is “Be brave and generous.” Since 2004, the company has embodied this message internally and externally–with edgy, award-winning advertisements featuring world leaders kissing, and employee collaboration processes that produce fun, buzz-worthy campaigns.
The best mantras are like that. They inform a company’s everyday decisions, both behind the curtain and in front of the crowd.
“Mantra” is a Sanskrit term, meaning “sacred utterance” or “sacred thought,” depending on the dictionary. Traditionally concentration aids given by Hindu gurus to devotees, mantras are words or phrases repeated to facilitate transformation. In business, a mantra is akin to a motto, albeit more fundamental to a company’s internal purpose than simply a marketing slogan. It’s concise, repeatable, and core to a company’s existence.
“Think different.” “Don’t be evil.” For some of the world’s most innovative companies, mantras become a rallying point for employees and customers.
The key is simplicity. “Create a mantra of two or three words,” author and former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki instructed at the most recent Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston. “Make it short, sweet, and swallowable.”
Mantras are not mission statements, though they’re often confused with the cumbersome paragraphs of platitudes generated at corporate retreats involving trust falls. When asked for their company mantras for this story, over 100 business owners, from startups to energy companies to retailers, submitted gobbledygook claiming to be mantras.
“Our collaborative ideology is our greatest differentiator,” writes one firm. Another shares its “mantra”: “[our company] exists to fuel our clients’ growth while delivering maximum accountability through our performance-based financial models by leveraging the power of the search engines.”
Read full article via Fast Company
Late last year, NASCAR lifted its long-held ban on liquor sponsorship, opening the door for Diageo Crown Royal brand to become race team sponsor for driver Kurt Busch. One might think that alcohol and driving, on any level, would be a potent cocktail. But the sponsor immediately embarked on an aggressive campaign with a socially responsible message promoting responsible drinking. While that tag, some claim, has become so cliché, many no longer see or hear the message, Diageo just issued a news release that shows they are staying the course.
Many of their brands are very familiar worldwide: J & B Scotch, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Smirnoff, Tangueray, Baileys Irish Cream, Captain Morgan. Godiva cream liqueur, Red Stripe beer and Guinness, are some.
As reported by PR News earlier this year, “With so many brands that have different personalities and target different drinkers, it might seem impossible to connect them all to the umbrella company.” So, instead, they communicated in what they called a brand-centric way. In the case of Captain Morgan, for example, he became a character that could do such things as run for president or talk about responsible drinking. “To promote politics-free partying, for example, Captain Morgan would advise: ‘Liberal with the cola. Conservative with the Captain. Drink responsibly.” (PR News)
Tying to celebrity sports personalities such as the racers is a long-proven, effective way to deliver messages. What do you think?
On July 25, Diageo issued the final news release:
Diageo launches Global consumer information policy
As part of its commitment to leadership in responsible drinking
Diageo today announces plans to provide consumers with nutrition information and a responsible drinking reminder across its range of Diageo-owned spirits, wines and beers. Diageo recognises that consumers want to make informed choices about what they drink. The purpose of the global consumer information policy, which will be rolled out across 180 markets, is to provide consumers with meaningful information in the best, least confusing ways possible. This information will be delivered through multiple communication channels, including labels and secondary packaging, a global website and consumer care-lines.
The policy will include responsible drinking reminders and facts on nutrition, allergens and alcohol content/serve size:
> Responsible drinking reminder: Responsible drinking messages remind adult consumers of the importance of enjoying beverage alcohol in moderation. As part of our existing range of programmes and initiatives to support moderate and responsible drinking, the words ¡°Drink Responsibly¡± (or a translation of) will appear on labels and secondary packaging. A responsible drinking reminder will appear on advertising tailored to the brand or local market.
> Nutrition information: Diageo will include an energy value on labels and secondary packaging unless local regulatory requirements demand otherwise. Within the EU, values will be provided for energy, protein, carbohydrates and fat. This information – also delivered through the global website and consumer care-lines – will not be provided in a way that implies health or dietary benefits.
> Allergens: Where known allergens exist in our alcohol beverages, allergen statements will be provided on labels and secondary packaging, as well as through the global website and consumer care-lines.
> Alcohol content/serve size: Alcohol content (ABV) information will be provided on labels and secondary packaging, the global website and consumer care-lines. We will support standard serve size/unit labelling in those markets where there is an agreed definition and recommended guidance on consumption from an authoritative source.
Commenting today, Rob Malcolm, President, Marketing, Sales and Innovation, Diageo, said: ‘The consumer is at the heart of everything that we do. We want our consumers to continue to enjoy the quality of our brands as part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Our consumer information policy is another voluntary step for Diageo and is also part of our wider commitment to responsible drinking. We recognise the importance of enabling them to make informed choices about what they drink. As a responsible and responsive company we have developed a policy which helps them to do this.’
Diageo is putting appropriate resource behind rolling the policy out across its global business in the most efficient manner possible. Around 10,000 packaging variations worldwide will be changed during the course of the roll-out, over a five-year period. New product launches, packaging renovations and promotional packaging changes will include the consumer information.
I asked the students in my online Public Relations Techniques class, University of Maryland University College, to select some of the best examples of persuasive public relations that they felt measured up to “Best Practice” level. Here are some of the winners they chose:
Susan Hollman likes Amazon.com’s “Holiday A-List Campaign.” It won a PRSA Silver Anvil award. Susan wrote that “Amazon.com and UTA Dobbin Bolgla won this award in 2004 for a promotion in 2003 … The campaign was based on prior knowledge gleaned from research that indicated that customers like to get ‘celebrity promotions that incorporate exclusive content.’ A prior online event with messages from singers such as Madonna and Seal, were both successful with customers and with gaining unearned media. The budget covered the agency fees. All additional media coverage was unearned through articles, celebrity websites, etc. The celebrities provided the online messages at no cost, including a video concert by the Foo Fighters. All participants got free publicity and promotion of their products. Even publishers were involved in some cases, providing extra copies of books to Amazon.com to meet the anticipated increased demand. A real win-win situation. When the campaign was evaluated, these were some of the highlights that make me feel this campaign was a PR best practice.
-Participating celebrities agreed they would do it again.
-There were in excess of 157 million media impressions.
-Sales and site hits increased and Amazon had its “best holiday season.”
-The featured products all had sales spikes when they were highlighted during the campaign.
Kimberlie Payne cited Sears Roebuck& Co. She wrote: “For the past seven years Sears Roebuck & Co. has produced a free calendar for its customers commemorating Black History month. According to a recent press release at prnewswire.com, Sears announces that it is ‘proud to celebrate African-American history and culture through an original keepsake calendar distributed to nearly two million customers free of charge at its stores nationwide now through February.’ Since the 1990’s ‘Softer Side of Sears’ campaign, the company has been continually re-vamping and re-energizing its hardware-only image. To add to its widening clientele and to demonstrate social awareness, Sears is reaching out to its publics again in order to persuade them to view the company as a diversified and culturally open place to work and shop. ‘Every year we look forward to creating a new and meaningful calendar that demonstrates to our customers that we not only value African-American culture, but that we also celebrate it across our entire company,’ (prnewswire.com).
Mark Hurst admires the Tide laundry detergent brand. “I began to notice the company’s commitment to public relations while watching a Christmas special this past holiday season. The company sponsored a children’s movie on one of the major cable networks and used the movie to promote its own public relations campaign. During the movie, the first commercial of every series was a Tide commercial that featured a running animated story of a small-town event that was being threatened by an unforeseen snowstorm. The story was beautifully animated and beautifully crafted. In each sequence, a new family was introduced (usually from a different social demographic) and clothes played a prominent role in their family story. An animated box of Tide was always subtly placed to catch the viewer’s eye…At the end of the story, the big event turned out to be a clothing drive for underprivileged families. Of course, the story had a warm, feel-good ending and Tide used this ending to announce their own clothing drive for underprivileged families.
Tide has recently announced a new, socially responsible product line called ‘Cold Water Tide.’ This product is designed to save energy by cleaning clothes effectively using only cold water. As public awareness of the global warming crisis continues to rise, Tide is certain to garner plenty of free media attention by developing a product line that can help to ‘Turn the Tide’ of global warming. To make the product introduction interesting to consumers, Tide has developed a website, http://www.tide.com/tidecoldwater/challenge.jhtml where they invite consumers to ‘Take the Coldwater Challenge.’ By logging in and sending the link to their friends, consumers can track the impact they’ve had on the environment (through social networking) on a prominently displayed map that displays the location of people who have read their note. Tide has a built-in calculator on their website that allows families to calculate how much money they will save by using Coldwater Tide. Again, Tide is coming to the aid of poor families by prominently announcing that it will donate $100,000 to the National Fuel Funds Network — an organization that provides money for low-income families to pay their energy bills. The challenge seems to be working. So far, about a half million Americans have taken the ‘Tide Cold Water Challenge.’ For this latest campaign to help raise social awareness of the global warming problem (and also to improve the company image), Tide gets my nomination as an example of a PR Best Practice.”
Paul Hill likes SNAPPLE. In a combination of advertising and PR, Snapple latched onto an idea to solicit customer letters. The idea was the brainchild of the PR department at Kirschenbaum & Bond. “The phenomenon behind this Big Idea is that people want ownership of Snapple and they are willing to write to the company about their relationship with this drink. The first unsolicited letters related how the writers felt — that they discovered it, they want to own it, and they are driven to share the news with others. The letters gave the agency an idea for a campaign based on a Snapple employee named Wendy who receives the letters, reads them, and responds to them. The campaign features real letters from real people who have tried the beverage and love it. The television production crews travel to these people’s hometowns and film them there–a technique which could backfire when you put untrained performers on camera, or could be a stroke of genius if they project an infectious enthusiasm, as has happened. The filming also becomes a publicity event at the local level because the company involves the community in the release of the commercials. This incredible relationship evolved to the point that Snapple eventually was receiving some 20 boxes of letters a month.”
Elizabeth Henderson is impressed about how Jack In the Box restaurants turned their image around after an e-coli scare. “They are now known as a leader in food safety. Most other fast food chains followed the lead of Jack In the Box in implementing new food safety measures. They have used their new safety program to persuade customers to return to their restaurants. From the website: http://www.jackinthebox.com/aboutourco/foodsafety.php …”Jack in the Box® restaurants strive to ensure that the food we serve exceeds our guests’ high expectations for quality and safety. Our food quality and safety program has been recognized as the most comprehensive system in the industry today. In our restaurants, Jack in the Box implements a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) system for managing food quality and safety. Critical Control Points are key steps in the product flow that affect food safety. Introduced in 1993, our HACCP system encompasses farm to fork procedures for safe food handling and preparation in every restaurant….”
And there is much more…” Chad Elliott found another PRSA Silver Anvil winner that impressed him. It is Duracell’s campaign of “trust”. “Partnering with The American Red Cross, Duracell moved away from its traditional performance-based claims in favor of the notion of trust in launching the program entitled ‘Together We Can Become Safe Families.’ Distributing more than 150,000 guidebooks and coupons to help families prepare for unforeseen emergencies, positioned the brand before the public as one it can ‘trust.’ Using the American Red Cross was brilliant, because by name association alone it gives the batteries instant credibility. Identifying with Americans’ continued concern over terrorism, the strategy launched a program tailored to preparedness. The agency PainePR was responsible for the effort.”
Anthony Tornetta thinks the “Reading is Fundamental” (RIF) program doesn’t get enough credit. “This program is a good one — children see their sports heroes and other celebrities they see on T.V. reading and telling them to read. RIF is the nation’s largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization. This program is very persuasive and subtle. It is telling kids that it’s cool to read and that they should read as much as possible. I think their commercials are the most persuasive part for children when they see sports and celebrities on television.”
Erin Bessemer acknowledges that it as much marketing and advertising, as PR, but she admires the image created by “Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives” promotion. “For more than ten years, Yoplait has been associated with helping women fight breast cancer. Save Lids to Save Lives has proven effective for the Yoplait Company and is part of their larger promotion of women’s wellness. In its first seven years, they have donated more than $14 million toward finding a cure for breast cancer.” Yoplait has also been the National Series Presenting Sponsor of the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation’s Race for the Cure since 2001. See http://www.yoplait.com/breastcancer_commitment.aspx
“I see Yoplait’s commercials all over television. You usually see a woman exercising and then taking a break to enjoy here yogurt snack. At the end, she licks the pink lid to save and send in to the company. I feel this campaign is effective because it links Yoplait’s public relations with a very good cause.“
Alison Mingo calls to our attention The American Legacy Foundation’s “truth” ads. They have received multiple awards such as International Andy Awards, The One Show, Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and Cresta Awards. “Arnold Worldwide is the agency responsible for producing this past year’s ads that convey, through satire, the stupidity of smoking cigarettes. The messages invoke different emotions from viewers in the shocking yet realistic information provided. Most importantly, though, these ads reach the target audience of young people who may be tempted to smoke or those who have recently become addicted. The anti-smoking messages have already contributed to the public’s awareness of the hazards of smoking that have led to statutory legislation banning smoking in public places.”
June Kruse – Also acknowledging the close connection among PR, marketing and advertising, loves the “Got Milk?” campaign. “When you see a celebrity sporting a white mustache in a magazine ad, you will know that’s the famous National Milk Mustache Got Milk Campaign.The campaign is funded by America’s milk processors and dairy farmers, with a goal of ‘educating consumers on the benefits of milk and to raise milk consumption.’ In addition to ‘Got Milk’ and ‘Got Chocolate Milk,’ ‘24/24 Milk’ was launched to stay on top of the diet craze. Their slogan ‘milk your diet, lose weight’ suggests ‘a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes 24 oz of fat free or low fat milk each day may give your weight loss efforts a boost.’ These campaigns have successfully raised our awareness of the importance of milk.” You can check out the facts, ads and commercials at these sites. http://www.whymilk.com/, http://www.2424milk.com/index.htm, http://www.milkdelivers.org/index.cfm
Kandra Berry loves an award-winning newsletter, ”SAMHSA News,” published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This monthly “offers the public information about substance abuse and mental health issues on a monthly basis.” See http://alt.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA_News/index.asp
Jacqueline “Jackie” Nemes loves Dell Computers/GCI Read Poland’s campaign “No Computer Should Go to Waste.” “This international effort recently won the PR News Corporate Responsibility Award for Environmental Communications. I believe this campaign measures up to Best Practice level because it has accomplished its socially responsible mission in creating positive social change. In 1997, the National Safety Council released estimates that more than 300 million computers would become obsolete before 2004, and efforts to dispose of them would generate a wide range of toxic wastes. Socially responsible companies searched for and developed solutions to this electronic waste. For example, Dell Computers began offering an online service called Dell Exchange, where customers can trade in, donate or auction their obsolete computers. In partnership with the government of Malaysia, Dell and GCI succeeded in their global campaign to raise public awareness of recycling/donating options for unwanted computer equipment and persuading public action. In 2004, informed citizens throughout the world recycled more than 100 tons of computer equipment and donated more than 850 tons of computers.” Pauleta Gumbs admires the American Red Cross Blanket Days for the Homeless program. See http://www.semredcross.org/blanketdays/
“This campaign was established to provide blankets for homeless and disaster victims. The campaign encourage groups, families, individuals to hold blanket drives in their hometowns and claims to collect more than 7,000 blankets each year. One of the reasons I feel that this campaign is effective because it plays on the audience emotions.
“Take this paragraph: ‘Your Help Is Needed. When temperatures drop, local shelters fill with thousands of homeless people- teenage runaways, victims of domestic violence, substance abusers, and the mentally ill. The cold weather also intensifies the suffering of people whose homes have been destroyed by home fires or other disaster. A warm blanket wrapped around the shoulders of someone who has lost a home is a comforting reminder that someone cares. How You Can Help. Your new twin-size blanket donations will be provided to local homeless shelters and disaster victims; financial donations will pay for additional blankets if needed, comfort kits, and also will support other vital Red Cross services in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.’ ‘Good Deeds’ are published on persons who went beyond their call of duty to ensure the campaign was and remains a success. Check out the feature story on the Warren Couple http://www.detnews.com/2005/macomb/0502/10/B05-85577.htm.
Margo Ochoa notes that Baker Winokur and Ryder have over 25 years of connecting the consumer with entertainer and she feels their work hooking celebrities to non-profit causes is the stuff of legends. There is plenty of unearned PR that can be accomplished with a popular celebrity Angela Gaines likes Lee Denim’s creation of the community/fundraising event Lee Denim Day, raising money for breast cancer research. See http://www.denimday.com/
“Lee Jeans sponsors Denim Day on the first Friday in October annually. Organizations across the country participate by allowing employees to contribute $5.00 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and wear jeans to work. The organizers of this effort were ingenious in utilizing the desire of a casual workplace environment to help find a cure for a disease that affects millions of people every day.”
Brian Harrington feels Southwest Airlines’ Adopt-A-Pilot Educational Program http://www.southwest.com/adoptapilot/?sr=PR_pilot_020105 deserves some PR recognition. “This program encourages students to research potential careers as it simultaneously encourages achievement in school and self-esteem. Throughout a month-long program, Southwest pilots volunteer their time as they visit classrooms around the country, correspond with students while traveling, and encourage interest in math, science, and a wide variety of other genres. Since the program was introduced in September 1997, the program has involved over 65,000 students in its efforts to increase awareness in a myriad of areas relating to scholastic achievement. Additionally, this program has been cited for its impact on schools faced with a lack of funding due to budget shortages (this especially includes many classrooms in areas that are considered ‘disadvantaged.’ This year alone, the Adopt-A-Pilot program has engaged nearly 15,000 schools from around the country. Southwest Airlines, due in part to this program (and a variety of other factors), has come to be known as the ‘Luv’ airline.”
Yes, press releases still matter in the digital age. And while SEO helps broaden the digital footprint for your release these days—there are still fundamentals that can NOT be overlooked if you want to see pick up from those who matter. Even so, too many in PR are still sending out releases that miss the mark. Here’s how to make sure that yours never fail to fail:
- APPEAL only to the vanity and ego of your boss/CEO/client, etc.
- NEVER consider your audience—the news media, potential customers, current clients, etc.
- CONFUSE. Right at the start, no reader should have any idea what you’re talking about. This shows profundity and complexity of thought.
- NEVER proofread or use spell-check. Typoes keep the the media on they’re toes. As do bad grammer.
- A “NEWS” release is not a news story; it’s an ad. Brag from start to finish. Avoid information.
- PUMP UP the buzzwords. When you pepper your release with phrases like “end-to-end ROI,” “scale visionary initiatives,” and “drive transparent paradigms,” you’re cookin’!
- INFLATE a brief announcement into 1,000 words. For unusual creativity, shrink an important story into a few opaque sentences.
- NEVER cite objective outsiders like customers, analysts, researchers, etc. Use lots of long, windy quotes from company insiders—from the CEO to the parking attendant.
As I’ve previously written on my company’s blog, news releases, in most cases, are a worthless bother.
Yes, there are times when they are a necessary evil. Earnings releases come to mind as they contain legally binding statements. But the traditional news release is a dreadful animal–read by few–and should be put out of its misery.
I receive at least 10 relatively illegible news releases daily (and many reporters tell me they get up to 300 each day). And rarely, if ever, can I get past the subject line in my e-mail inbox. Most of them simply seem to take up space.
To think that in the days of “The Love Boat” and “Magnum P.I.,” news releases actually helped facilitate news stories. Now, a free service like Peter Shankman’s HARO (Help A Reporter Out) provides a far more effective reactive medium to solicit information to a reporter. And there are just a few PR people left who still know how to proactively pitch–keep it concise, relevant and don’t make it all about your client, but a broader trend.
“It’s not conversational or engaging, and the only way to capture attention is with a racy headline, which journalists see past,” said Jason Kintzler, a former reporter who founded and nowadays leads PitchEngine.com, a social media news release service that allows companies like H&R Block and Budweiser to bypass traditional media outlets and serve customers and influencers directly.
If your company still relies on traditional media outreach as the cornerstone of its storytelling efforts, it’s past time to become your own media company. Create media objects (like the video I so easily embedded in this post) and deploy them through your own resources. Activate your fans to help tell the story. Make sure the story shows up in the curated content collections maintained by trusted guides. Hire journalists to write company-sponsored columns about the significance of your news. And these tactics just scratch the surface of a smart content marketing approach.
The days of relying solely on the press to be your story-telling surrogate are over.
Most surveys tell us that the majority of editors and writers work largely by email and phone to communicate with their sources. However, we also know from communication research that face-to-face communication still holds a valued place in how we relate to one another. The trade show site is an ideal place to build and maintain a rapport with key editors and reporters that we work with by email and phone for most of the year. Since trade show season ramps in the first quarter in most industries, now is the time to start planning.
The advice that I offer may seem simplistic to veterans, but it is not obvious to those with little or no experience in working with trade and professional journals. Generating publicity surrounding a major trade show has three key benefits:
1. Prior to the show it can create interest in attendees visiting your booth to see the new products.
2. During the show it can introduce major trade publication editors to your company, its products and the industry experts on your staff.
3. Following the show you have additional editorial opportunities to pursue based on the discussions you have had with editors.
Several weeks prior to a trade show there is usually the opportunity to send the show’s publication brief overviews of the new products or services you plan to introduce. This information often is buried in the piles of paper your exhibit manager or marketing director receives in the months prior to the event. If you don’t find information about this editorial opportunity in the exhibitors’ packet, call the show management’s public relations department.
Major trade shows, such as NetComm in the telecommunications/networking industry and the National Management Health Care Congress in health care, are well attended by the industry’s top reporters and trade publication editors. Major shows like these are terrific venues to meet face-to-face with the editors whose publications best reach your customers and prospects. Editors are interested in innovative products and meeting potential sources of industry expertise. While most can give you only 20 – 30 minutes, these few minutes can establish valuable relationships and lay a foundation for future coverage.
My experience in the past is that meetings with editors at trade shows can result in editorial coverage in 90 to 100 percent of these publications, including those that are Web-based. Assuming of course, the company’s spokesperson addresses topics of news value to each publication.
Follow-up to thank editors, reconfirm any commitments made by the company or an editor and to suggest story ideas not discussed during meetings puts a company in a position of laying out nearly a year’s worth of coverage.
If you’ve taken my advice and employed the leaky faucet approach to PR, you’re writing a number of press releases on a consistent basis. Obviously, you don’t want to spend any more time writing your press releases than you have to.
I’ve come up with a short list of tips to help you write your press releases faster, without sacrificing quality. In fact, if you follow these tips, you should be able to crank out a well-written, newsworthy press release in as little as 15 minutes.
- Keep a list of ideas – Jot down ideas for news stories whenever you think of them. Don’t have any good ideas? Check out our Ultimate Collection of Press Release Ideas for inspiration. Having a list of good ideas ready to go can save you a lot of time when you sit down to write.
- Stay on point – You’re not writing an epic. You’re writing a press release. Press releases should be focused and on point. Focus on getting the story across as clearly as possible in the fewest number of words.
- Outline your press release – Before you start writing your press release, create a basic outline of the main points you need to cover. This can be in bullet point form. This will help keep your writing focused, so you don’t waste time trying to figure out what to write about or writing fluff that will later get edited out.
It is my observation that media relations is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in a professional communicator’s took kit. It is often described as synonymous with the broader discipline of public relations or reduced to the more narrow field of publicity.
I define media relations as the art of building and sustaining relationships with professionals who determine and produce editorial content. My definition may sound simple — take a reporter to lunch — right? Wrong!
The effective practice of media relations requires strategic direction, planning and a lot of discipline and tenacity to be successful. It is far more than distributing news releases and calling editors or reporters to ask if they received the release.
It requires:
- Policies about the process of working with editorial representatives.
- Research into understanding your organization’s key audiences and how those audiences match the audiences of the myriad editorial outlets available today.
- Research and development of a specific database of editorial outlets based on audience matches.
- Research and understanding into how to reach specific editors and reporters by learning about individual preferences, deadlines and editorial focuses.
- Developing, continually analyzing and crafting the right messages for the right audience at the right time.
- Discipline to nurture the relationships.
- Knowing the right communication tool, news release, phone call, email, etc. to use to carry your message.
All rolled together, this is the plan. While conducting a session on media relations planning some years ago, I had a media relations manager at a large health system dispute the concept that one could plan media relations. She was entirely in a reactive mode, never seeing that her organization had the opportunity to be an excellent source of information about health care in her community. Needless to say, they got no positive editorial coverage. An effective media relations plan not only helps build a brand, it can help you survive a crisis.
Why? If you have a solid, respectful relationship with key editors and reporters, you are more likely to be treated respectfully when your organization has bad news to deliver. Editors and reporters are human and they respond differently to those they know well and trust compared to those with whom they have no relationship.
My favorite resources
My favorite resources: There are many resources to help the professional who wants or needs to become more expert in media relations. I have my favorites. They are:
On Deadline, Carole M. Howard and Wilma K. Mathews, ABC, IABC Fellow, published by Waveland Press, Inc. This is a great primer on media relations with lots of tips and specific direction.
, Wilma K. Mathews, ABC, IABC Fellow, published by IABC. This is handbook that is step-by-step guide to media relations and is excellent for the profession with no experience.
Inside Organization Communication, edited by Al Wann, ABC, APR, IABC Fellow, published by IABC. This book is a compilation of expertise in all disciplines in organizational communication and offers an overview of media relations. It is a good resource for the professional who would like to get a refresher or overview of media relations as well as many other disciplines in the communication mix.
I’ve worked as a journalist for more than 15 years and one of my greatest fears, for which I’ve realized, is simply getting information wrong. I try really hard not to make those mistakes, but with so many moving parts it’s often inevitable that mistakes will happen.
Sometimes journalists are not on the top of their game. And sometimes they’re just no good.
Whatever the situation is with a journalist that’s interviewing you, there is a way to make your experience go well.
What follows are some techniques to making sure your story gets recorded correctly, and with the tone you expect. I can’t guarantee that the journalist will write the story in the manner you want, but these tips will definitely reduce the number of errors, so you won’t have one of those, “Uggh, that’s not what I said. It’s all wrong!” experiences.
The era of Big Data has arrived, and social media big data will be a huge trend this year. This means public relations professionals have to step it up to keep up.
The monitoring tools we currently use are crude at best and provide only a glimpse into the mirror. There are mountains of data and we don’t really have the skills to see what they all mean and really connect the dots.
Up until now, we have used free tools such as Google alerts to monitor mentions or paid tools such as Radian6, Lithium, Custom Scoop, Cision and many others that give us ideas about what is being said and by whom.
If we are really sophisticated, we will use sentiment scoring, influence measurement tools, or text analytics which allow us to mine more information.
5 Essential Skills to Master Big Data
There is a whole new skill set we have to master to understand and be ready for the insights and opportunities Big Data brings to public relations.
Following are five essential skills to master Big Data you can undertake right away.
- Become an analyst. Don’t be intimidated by data and analytics. Use your brain and look for the ways in which different insights might help you to make better business decisions.
- Learn Excel. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to take an advanced Excel course to learn how to manipulate data in spreadsheets. We need to move beyond the basics. Take a course locally, or the one linked to above. It is the still that will pay back in spades.
- Collect Data. Consider collecting your own data to supplement what you get from any tools you use. With services such as 80legs and Gnip, you can also gather your own data and analyze it. You can even pull an RSS feed or feeds into a Google Doc and go from there. The key is, don’t be intimidated.
It’s that time of year when us pundits make bold predictions about upcoming trends in 2011. I had considered putting on my Nostradamus cap and making some reputation management predictions, but then I discovered my fellow reputationista Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross had already staked-out that turf!
Oh well, I’ve never been one for predictions, anyway. So, how about some certainties instead? Some solid, often unwritten, rules of reputation management that will pervade 2011–and beyond?
OK, here goes!
Law #1 – Everyone has an online reputation
We all have an online reputation to maintain. Don’t believe me, go ahead and “Google Yourself”–I promise you won’t go blind! Even if you don’t find anything written about you, then that’s still your reputation–or lack thereof. In 2011, you should make sure that what’s found in Google, Facebook, Twitter et al is something you’d be equally comfortable showing your mom or your boss!
Law #2 – Your reputation is an extension of your character
It doesn’t matter how hard you work on managing your reputation, it will only ever be as solid as your actual character. Tiger Woods had a reputation of being the greatest golfer–and a family man. His character revealed otherwise. As Abraham Lincoln once said,
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
Law #3 – Every reputation has an achilles heel
While Toyota may have spent years telling us that its cars are the most reliable in the world, sticking gas pedals told a different story. In fact, even though Toyota tried to deny the increasing incidents of sticking accelerators, its customers were the ones steering the car manufacturer’s reputation in another direction. Instead of denying the issue, Toyota should have been the first to recognize it! When you recognize and acknowledge your weaknesses, before your customers, you have the opportunity to craft a response before the public outcry. Do you know your reputation’s weakness?
Law #4 – Listen twice, act once
OK, so I’ve plagiarized this from the saying “measure twice, cut once,” but it’s appropriate, when it comes to listening to your customers. I tell our customers at Trackur that they should spend twice as much effort on listening as they do responding. It’s too easy to simply jump in and reply to that tweet or Facebook post–without fixing the underlying problem. Instead, you should spend time actively listening to the feedback you’re collecting about your reputation. Listen for trends. Listen for opportunities. Listen, listen, listen–ok, that was three listens, but you get my point. When you actually take onboard what your stakeholders are saying about your reputation, you do more than just fix a problem, you make sure you fix the underlying issue that created the problem in the first place! GAP’s customers weren’t so much angry that the company’s logo was changed, they were mad that the company hadn’t initially thought to listen to their feedback–a decision the apparel company quickly reversed!
With the end of 2011 almost upon us, it’s an opportune time to look back at the worst PR moves of the year. There were many mishandling of crisis PR situations this year – reputations were trashed, careers and brands forever changed amidst a slew of PR blunders.
As Warren Buffett has said “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
The worst handling of a crisis PR situation:
Herman Cain: With Herman Cain dropping out of the race this weekend, we saw a complete disintegration of all of the basic rules surrounding crisis PR. Cain never addressed the various sexual allegations in a clear manner, rather, he dodged reporters, cameras and questions.
Cain believed that the issue would go away and the media would stop asking questions merely because he asked them not to. He never told the story, nor did he get out in front of the story and tell the truth. But the story never went away – and his initial reaction to these allegations was that of a “deer in headlights.” Cain looked lost and confused – and now is a lost and confused private citizen rather than a frontrunner candidate for President of the USA.
Anthony Weiner: Another political scandal takes the cake, that of disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner – once regarded as the leading candidate for Mayor of NYC — Weiner’s reputation was tarnished due to a sexting scandal. Had Weiner told the truth from Day 1, the story may have been limited and not exploded — his wife stood by him, he didn’t break any laws and his issue may have passed. Instead, the formerly brash, outspoken Weiner appeared broken before our eyes in the media. Broken for lying and dumb activities.
Penn State: For evil to succeed, good people stand on the side and allow evil to happen. At Penn State, a blind eye to child molestation went on for years. Watching the reaction of the university leadership and community one saw warped values at Penn State which I believe will harm the brand for many years to come. “WE ARE PENN STATE” has long been the university slogan – that slogan has now been changed to “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” as it relates to the (at least) 8 children who were raped and molested by Jerry Sandusky, the assistant football coach at Penn State.
In the eyes of many, the crisis was compounded by student reaction at Penn State – as they rioted in support of head coach Joe Paterno after he was fired. They flipped over trucks, brought down light posts, set off firecrackers and clashed with police amidst chants of “Hell no, JoePa won’t go!” and “We are Penn State!” They make it quite clear he’s a winner on the football field and don’t care that he never called the police – and Sandusky visited his locker room very regularly.
For years companies have sought to place their products on primetime television programs and in feature films. A few seconds of exposure on a popular drama or comedy series can be worth as much as $500,000 based on the cost of a 30-second commercial..
When actors drink Fiji Water on Friends, Will & Grace, Touched By An Angel and other programs, it was through product placement. There are two competitive publishers of legal books whose products have appeared on Ally McBeal, JAG, Philly, The Practice and other series. Ford and Coca-Cola are even producing their own programs to insure exposure for their products.
Ford Motor Company products were placed by Showcase International in 26 of the top 27 shows that use cars, according to Richard Briggs, Showcase senior managing director. The firm also placinged T-Birds and Mustangs in Spiderman. “We believe that thoughtful and seamless placement is appropriate for our client, otherwise the entertainment content begins to look like a commercial which can lead to viewer dissatisfaction and a potential turnoff to the brand,” says Briggs.
The degree of exposure varies by network. Each has its own regulations. The FCC’s standards and practices do not allow cash transactions for product placement because it would be considered paid advertising. Companies provide the products free in exchange for a few seconds of exposure.
Now issues-oriented organizations involved with the environment, abortion, healthcare, foreign or domestic policy and other sensitive and controversial issues should be looking to Hollywood. Primetime drama and comedy programs have become a new editorial forum where the producers, directors, writers and actors advocate their own issues.
Screenwriters are taking current events and issues and quickly dramatizing them into West Wing, JAG, Law & Order, The Practice, The Agency, First Monday and other popular television series. Jay Leno even took a Katie Couric interview on The Today Show and edited it so he became the interviewer. The result was an altogether new version of what the person being interviewed actually said or meant.
Because of this, it is becoming more difficult for the viewer to separate fact from fiction and remember whether the information came from the evening news, a TV magazine show or primetime entertainment.
In fact, more people may be watching primetime series than the evening news. According to Hank Rieger, former president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, viewers of the evening news and magazine shows range from an average of 11 to 16 million depending on the network. However, more than 17 million people average watching West Wing and Law & Order.
A West Wing storyline on global warming mirrored the Clinton-Gore environmental policy. Another episode touted the Clean Air Act and it impacts asthma, breathing and lung diseases. Yet, The Practice attacked EPA in one program for not protecting children from arsenic leeching from wood playground equipment.
One of the first episodes of First Monday about the Supreme Court dealt with the pro-life, pro-choice, Roe v. Wade controversy. Future programs will feature more sensitive subjects..
If questioned, would a viewer be more apt to recall the controversy regarding U.S. military policy on female dress requirements in Saudi Arabia according to how it was reported on the news or magazine programs that featured Lt. Col. Martha McSally, or how the issue was dramatized on JAG?
Congressman Gary Condit’s wife, Carolyn, demanded an apology from the producers of Law & Order following an episode about a politician and a missing aide. The producers said the show was fictional. She lost, as did her husband in his re-election bid.
The military armed forces have long recognized the influence of television and staffed offices in the Los Angeles area to work with Hollywood to get the best possible exposure for their branch.
Knowing the power of television, following 9/11 White House Advisor Mark McKinnon met with industry leaders and asked them to reflect in storylines President Bush’s message of reassuring children and promoting tolerance.
Feature films such as A Civil Action and Erin Brockovitch have a life long after running in theaters B in primetime, pay-for-view and a multitude of cable television channels. Overload, the only Arthur Hailey novel not made into a feature film or mini-series, condemned a fictional public utility. Using a controlled media production company as a front, a public utility acquired the rights to Overload and promptly shelved it.
Just as important as getting a product hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of exposure, organizations with critical issues must build Hollywood relationships for their special interests. What’s next? Stories on religious misdeeds, airport security, oil drilling in Alaska, or price fixing at Sotheby’s? Or stories similar to Enron and Arthur Andersen?
Rene A. Henry, Fellow PRSA, is an author, consultant and member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He has judged the Primetime Emmy Awards a dozen times.
A few months ago in early February, a Congressman attended a meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee. At a little after 2PM, he cast a vote on an issue before the committee. Just shy of a half hour later, the Web site Gawker posted a shirtless photograph of the married Congressman that was itself posted to Craig’s List in correspondence with a woman who had placed an ad under the category of “Women Seeking Men”. In response to inquiries, there was a statement that it was believed that the Congressman’s account had been hacked. At a little after 2:30, I saw the story posted on Facebook. By 3:30, approached by media about the matter the Congressman was quoted as saying that he needed to speak with his wife. By 5 PM, just less than three hours after casting his last vote and only 2 and a half hours after the story appeared on the Internet, the Congressman was no longer a Congressman. In a breathtaking span of less than three hours, a crisis unfolded on the Internet and consumed a Congressional career in the speed of its path. In short, crisis communications is not the crisis communications of your father – not even of your older brother. In only 5 years, social media has changed crisis communications entirely.
The Case of the Shirtless Congressman is dramatic. Many crises are less so, but they do not necessarily have to be. In fact, under the circumstances, there is perhaps little that could have been done to mitigate the damage from this virtual tsunami. This one just represents how much things of changed. But it also says something about the need for involvement.
A voice on the telephone is often the first impression a future customer, potential client or stakeholder has of a company or organization. The tone, pleasantness and politeness of the individuals in their telephone communications are responsible for the image the company projects to the public.
No company wants the reputation of being arrogant, rude or uncaring, yet many do because of the way employees handle telephone calls. But how many CEOs ever assess the way calls are handled in their organizations? Some organizations even block public access by not listing telephone, fax or e-mail addresses on the letterhead of some corporate executives. This practice only exacerbates problems and speaks volumes about the company’s attitude.
John B. DeFrancesco, co-founder of DeFrancesco-Goodfriend Associates, Chicago, which is now a part of L. C. Williams & Associates, believes business telephone etiquette is an important and often overlooked marketing public relations tool. He asks: “Are your employees guilty of ignoring courteous telephone procedure? If so, you could be losing valuable business. Most executives know the importance of making a good first impression. Poor telephone manners can result in prospects or disgruntled customers going somewhere else when they are treated rudely on the phone.”
In a poll conducted by his firm several years ago, 40 percent of business executives are either “usually dissatisfied” or “sometimes dissatisfied” with the way their calls are handled by a receptionist or secretary. Less than half were “usually satisfied” and only 16 percent “sometimes satisfied.” DeFrancesco cites the following as a short list of major offenses cited by survey participants:
- *Placed on hold too long” is by far the most exasperating phone discourtesy, noted by 76 percent.
- Unreturned phone calls, 59 percent.
- Screening of calls, 36 percent.
- General lack of courtesy, 22 percent.
- Asking ‘who is calling,’ 22 percent.
- Background music while on hold, 18 percent.”
According to Advantage Media, Inc. of Chatsworth, California, telephone courtesy does make a difference. “When callers are treated courteously, they normally respond by treating you more pleasantly and with greater respect,” says Advantage Media. “Courtesy even helps irate or angry callers become more reasonable. … Telephone courtesy not only smoothes your relationship with callers, it also helps you become the best you can be as a professional member of your organization’s team.”
Good telephone etiquette can be taken right to the bottom line. Dr. Robert Walker, vice president of development for Texas A&M University, will not allow any of his calls to be screened and he promptly returns all calls. He also is a good listener and was well-rewarded one day by a woman asking a number of questions during a 30-minute conversation. At the end, the woman asked him to call her attorney to make arrangements for a gift of $15 million she wanted to give the university. Her first choice was another university. However, she could never get past the gate guardians to speak with anyone in authority. Even though she had no direct contacts or past experience with the university, after hanging up from her first choice, she made a blind call to the Texas A&M development office. One university’s lack of respect for callers led to a generous gift for one who did understand the benefits of telephone etiquette.
Here are tips for good telephone etiquette:
- Return all phone calls promptly.
- For whatever reason, if a call cannot be returned, have an associate respond.
- For voice mail, your greeting should include your name, the day and whether or not you are in town that day. If you plan to be out of town, let the caller know when you will return. Voice messages should be changed daily and at a minimum, once a week.
- Never have another person place a call for you.
- Be sure all employees understand the organization=s policy.
- Don’t screen any phone calls. The only possible exception might the most senior executive. Employees who work for tax-payer-supported organizations should take all calls without question.
- Always be courteous and say “please” and “thank you.”
- If you’re calling someone, give the secretary or receptionist your name. If you’re not known to the individual you’re calling, also give your title and the name of your organization.
- Identify yourself by name when you answer the phone. In large organizations it’s also a good idea to identify your department.
- If it is late in the day and calls can’t be returned because you are in a meeting, have an associate or secretary return the call and let the caller know when you will be able to return the call. If the call is important, give the caller your home number or ask the caller for his/her home number.
- It is important to let the caller know when you can return a call. An extended meeting may prevent a call from being returned one day, but let the caller know if you will be in meetings the next day or even going out of town.
- News media representatives work on tight deadlines. All news media calls should be returned promptly or immediately referred to the public relations office for response.
- Keep a log of all incoming and outgoing phone calls with day/date and time. Then you know exactly when someone called your or when you called someone else.
- Take accurate and complete messages with the name of the callers, company, time, date, and message received, action to be taken, and the name of the person taking the message.
- If you are not certain how a name is spelled, politely ask the caller to spell it for you.
Note: Rene A. Henry is vice president-public relations for Innovative Communication Corporation, a privately owned telecom and media company with operations throughout the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Belize, France, Sint Maarten, Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe and Martinique. He also is the author of six books including “You’d Better Have A Hose If You Want To Put Out the Fire – the complete guide to crisis and risk communications,” “Marketing Public Relations – the hows that make it work!” and “Offsides! – Fred Wyant’s provocative look inside the National Football League.”