The Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world’s largest global PR partnership, finds the global PR business on track and ready to face exciting challenges from new frontiers the world over, notwithstanding the recent monumental economic challenges which had clients and budgets across most industries racked by financial woes.
Since December there’s been a general euphoria among Worldcom partners, about where the industry is going, according to a survey which reported a general uptick in new clients and new engagements. Continue reading →
In a world where there are now thousands of print and digital publications and blogs, covering everything from the nuances of sports law, to the ways in which technology affects our everyday lives and culture and the joys of botany, securing media coverage for your business has arguably never been easier. On the flip side, there is a vast chasm of noise now coming at us every day, which makes it exceedingly more difficult for your big product announcement, or CEO profile you are pitching, to get the attention you think it deserves.
And it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. A recent study of business media reporting by the ITDatabase found that, in general, the top-8 business publications in the U.S. (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, BusinessWeek, The Economist, the Financial Times and USA Today) were, “follow[ing] the lead of the media at large in focusing on what’s new and where the money might be going rather than where the money is now.” Continue reading →
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if PR pros got the communications equivalent of a bulletproof vest upon college graduation? Come on, we’ve all needed a little bit if kevlar from time to time! Since such a product doesn’t exist (although it should), here are 4 Tips to Bulletproof PR!
Tip #0.5: Have this song playing in the background while you read this. It helps.
Tip #1: Plan Start to Finish For a plan to be useful, it needs to go as far ahead as possible. Of course, it’s subject to change for any of a million different reasons, but it goes back to the old writing adage that it’s easier to edit than to create. The act of creating a long-term plan forces you to think about causes and effects of your campaign. Before you send out one release, make sure your entire team (and of course, any client contacts), know the next steps. From a client relations standpoint, having a plan reinforces your image as an expert.
Tip #2: Anticipate the Bad
Poop Happens. Know it, accept it, plan for it and be ready to deal with it at all times. Look at it with this analogy. If you take your dog for a walk and bring a plastic bag with you, when your precious pup does his…uhhh…business…you don’t end up with poop-covered hands and a smell that won’t go away. The more you think about, discuss and prepare for the inevitable moment when the stuff hits the fan, the more bulletproof you’ll be.
Tip #3: Be Honest and Transparent What’s one sure way to NOT be bulletproof? Get caught in lies and deceptions. Just look at the recent BP oil spill as a “How Not To” guide. Seemingly every day, there as been a report of the public being misled on the entire incident, from the initial explosion to the clean-up efforts. Sometimes the truth can hurt. A lot. Like to no end. However, if you tell the truth from the start, it’s ALWAYS better than being caught in a lie down the road. Protect yourself and your client by just not lying.
Tip #4: Know When To Stop Talking Perhaps the biggest lesson a PR pro can learn is when shut the hell up. We are a gabby sort, us PR folks. We like to talk, share, learn, etc., etc., etc. But knowing when to stop talking and sharing is critical. Every PR pro I know has inadvertently said something they shouldn’t have to a reporter. It’s OK to not pick up the phone or wait a little while before returning an email. I know it sounds like a direct contradiction to Tip #3 (be honest and transparent), but saying NOTHING is much different than misleading.
Mel Brooks once famously observed that “it’s good to be the king.” It’s probably also pleasant to be Bill Gates or Michael Arrington. I’d even guess that some folks think it’s pretty good to be me.
What is it like to have responsibility for running a PR firm? You might be able to imagine the upside, but there are struggles too. Here are some of the pain points — and some of the issues that folks like me think about on a daily basis: Continue reading →
If you were to ask me about my PR firm’s competition, you would only hear good things.
Really!?
Eight years ago my friend and mentor Joan Stewart shared these words of wisdom with me that even in this economy I still believe ring true: “There’s enough business to go around.” I really took that idea to heart and have made a great effort to never turn away from, or ignore, other firms specializing in the same areas my firm does. Continue reading →
It’s safe to say that the majority of us that work in PR tend to fall into the workaholic category. I will fully admit that I am one of those. Of course, I’ve trained myself to take social media breaks, etc., but I am now about to enter new territory.
If you haven’t heard yet, I’m almost ready to deliver the next member of the PRBreakfastClub family. That means that I’ll be taking maternity leave for six weeks. SIX WEEKS! Gulp.
Now, I know having a baby is like a big deal, but not being immersed in the PR universe for six whole weeks? This concept is starting to turn into a very hard pill to swallow.
If you are a workaholic like me, when you go to sleep, you dream about work. When you’re on your way to the office, you think about work. When you watch the news, you’re always wondering how you can get your clients on it. Continue reading →
One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a public relations practitioner and as someone who talks frequently with entrepreneurs and small business owners is: “Why should a start-up like mine use PR?” Or: “What value would PR give a small business like mine?”
Those are certainly fair questions. After all, like any good professional service, PR offers many beneficial services, resources, expertise, counsel and value, and yes, that does cost a pretty penny. (Hopefully, a penny most businesses find valuable.)
Before answering that question, though, I like to ask the CEO: “Well, what is your business’ story? What’s unique about you and your company/service/product?” Continue reading →
Today’s coffee talk is with Chris Barger, director of global social media for General Motors. In March I had the opportunity to listen to Chris’s keynote speech at the 2010 Media Relations Best Practices Summit hosted by PRSA and Ragan’s PR Daily, and immediately knew he would be a great guest. In my opinion, because he was so candid and honest in how he presented that I still remember the information he shared today. He’s also quite funny which kept the attendees paying attention ;).
Like your typical PR professional he’s a fan of caffeine and is very specific with how he needs it. If you’re going to ask him to coffee remember to get him one of the following: Tim Horton’ english coffee cappuccino, Dunkin Donuts coconut coffee light and sweet, and Coffee Beanery’s crème brulee. So sit tight because this is a long one but I promise the golden nuggets of information make it completely worth the procrastination at work ;).
As director of global social media for General Motors’s, I’m going to assume you receive resistance but would you say it’s changed?
The resistance today is definitely different than it used to be before the crash last summer. Continue reading →
Memorial Day is a time to remember our fallen heroes. What is a solemn occasion has also marked the unofficial start of summer. Yay! This means many of you (majority in the New York City area) are still cleaning off that grill from this weekend’s festivities.
Since moving to Austin about a year ago from New York City, I learned that barbecuing isn’t simply throwing meat on a grill. My barbecue knowledge increased when I landed Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q as a client. They’ve even trademarked the tagline, Real Texas Bar-B-Q®. What I found out from their Bar-B-Q Insiders is that grilling isn’t really barbecuing.
So here’s my attempt to tie in real Texas barbecuing with pitch letter writing: Continue reading →
The Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world’s largest global PR partnership, finds the global PR business on track and ready to face exciting challenges from new frontiers the world over, notwithstanding the recent monumental economic challenges which had clients and budgets across most industries racked by financial woes.
