PR in 2010: Moving forward after the blood letting

Last year was unforgiving for many in the media, as outlined in a just released analysis by the Vocus Media Research Team - “2010 State of the Media: An Analysis of the Changing Media Landscape.”

The report states that in 2009 about 293 newspapers and about 1,126 print and online magazines folded. In addition, more than 10,000 jobs were lost in the broadcast and radio media industries.

As a former journalist, my heart sank far too many times to mention last year with each phone call or news release disclosing another layoff, shut down or cut-back.

The strong survive
But over the last few months, as I’ve stayed connected with my cronies and met new contacts, it’s clear the strong can survive. These media professionals are reinventing and redefining their careers as freelance Web writers and editors, and establishing new online research sources to assist pared down staffs. Print journalists are learning to report on camera for the Web and on-camera reporters are doing more writing for the Web. These media pros continue to remain valuable contacts for PR professionals and together we are digging deep to stay ahead of this constantly morphing industry.

As we build media relations for 2010 based on solid, strategic marketing plans, the Vocus report reminds us we need to invest additional energy to get the attention of media contacts who are being asked to do more with less. Here are just a few tips provided in the report:

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Marcom A to Z — N for News

Bader Rutter recently commissioned a proprietary survey with BusinessWeek magazine to uncover, among other things, where the C-suite gets its news. One might think this demographic still turns to print publications first. While senior executives continue to tap traditional media, online channels have become their preferred source for news.

Marketing communications professionals should take note. While most traditional news outlets have created prominent Web sites, it will be increasingly important to make sure news targeted to this group appears online.

The survey we conducted through BusinessWeek resulted in 84 qualified responses from executives at companies with more than $200 million in total revenue. For this question, respondents were asked to select every answer from the list provided that applied to where they get their daily/weekly news.

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Tips for titillating PR award entries

As public relations practitioners we can all write, think strategically, boil complicated subject matter into an easy-to-read news release or brochure, and promote our clients’ successes. However, it can sometimes be challenging to craft a captivating, back-patting award entry to display and leverage our own good work.

I recently helped coordinate the judging of the PRSA Paper Anvil awards. During the annual judging, our local chapter members review, judge and provide critiques on public relations campaigns and tactics from a sister PRSA chapter. Being a judge turns the tables and provides an opportunity to understand what judges look for in award entries, as well as identify what qualities and components make an entry worthy of an award.

As a frequent PRSA and BMA award entrant, I took away a few best practices for drafting and compiling an award-winning entry:

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Media relations: What’s your click factor?

I recently had dinner with a handful of old newspaper pros and our discussion turned to “PR people.” It was animated.

As a former journalist now working in public relations, I had to agree with some of the digs they were making on the profession. 

During my newspaper career, there were many times I shuddered to see on my caller ID a PR agency contacting me again about something their client did, received or was planning to do. Sadly, their earth-shattering news was often not. Even seasoned PR practitioners were guilty of sending ideas void of relevancy to my readership.

The bad news
Here’s a good example: I received an urgent call from a PR agency about a staff hot dog cookout their client, a private, for- profit hospital, was holding that same day. For background, this privately held hospital had received a great deal of negative media attention after neighbors opposed plans the hospital presented to rebuild its facility and rezone a few adjacent residential properties. This PR person strongly suggested I get a photographer to the hospital patio (in less than two hours) to capture the cookout for our newspaper. Strike one: Too little, too late.

After a five-second pause to soak this in, I asked the eager PR person how this photo-op would be of interest to my readers. Her response? “Oh, it’s just a way to show how they’re integrating into the community.” Strike two: It was a private cookout — no one outside the hospital had been invited. Integrating?

After trying to explain to this desperate caller what we look for in a news release or photo opp, she begged me to please just send a photographer anyway, “Because the client is trying to gain some positive media exposure.” Strike three:  A for-profit business begging for free fluff advertising. I don’t need to explain why this is a no-no.

I politely gave her the number for our publication’s advertising department and suggested that she keep the newsroom in mind when she has real news to share. 

Click.

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Marcom A to Z — I for Influence

If you want to influence, get in touch with your argumentative side. I speak about argument not necessarily between one person and another or in terms of an emotional barrage between teenagers. Argument is the ability to grasp a point, own a position and unemotionally craft a strong response from a singular vantage point.

Sales, marketing and public relations professionals — and I’d argue all business people — should hone their ability to argue. In truth, the best brands support and evolve from a very well-defined position, and communications initiatives therefore support — argue for — that position.

If you want to have influence, argue. Verbalize a position, communicate, show and tell. From a more evolved level, if you want to influence influencers, do that while also:

• Telling them what they need to hear;
• Talking about a subject they’re interested in;
• Speaking through channels they prefer;
• Using words (or pictures, audio, video, etc.) that they can make their own.

We’re talking about the harnessing the power to turn a stranger into your best sales person or spokesperson. You need to feed that person their lines — good sound bites that can be easily repeated/retweeted — and do so convincingly, subtly.

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Marcom A to Z — H for Headlines

Front page, top of the fold in bold. That’s the best newspaper real estate. Your spokesperson or company strives to own that space (with positive news).

What newspaper boys once yelled from street corners now appears in a list on a Web site, or in 140 characters on a Twitter stream. No screaming today, only well-written headlines to suck people in to read more or buy an issue.

The headline has become the all-important communications tool. Inundated by news via traditional sources plus e-mail, tweets, direct messages, texts, RSS feeds, etc., who has time to read everything important these days? The average news consumer craves quick hits, sound bites, newsworthy headlines. We’re forced to spend valuable minutes sorting through detritus to arrive at the few articles worthy of a full read, and perhaps a re-tweet (RT).

Once a job only for professional reporters and editors, thanks to the democratization of news communications, we’ve all become journalists to some degree, and headline-writers without doubt.

With that in mind, here are a few important headlines about headlines.

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Marcom A to Z — E for e-

Pick your favorite digital application: Web sites, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter. If you’re unfamiliar with and aren’t learning about these tools, you’ll become professionally obsolete. It’s that simple. Technology drives the entire marketing industry today.

I’ll focus on PR in this post. These new channels add tools to the arsenal that facilitate information collection and distribution, as well as conversation and dialogue. To Grant Thekan’s point in his post, Digital marketing lesson from Sir Alex, it’s important to strategically choose the right e-channels for a given situation. Failing to at least consider all available channels is to practice PR in a vacuum.

Today, it’s do (adopt and evolve) or die (by becoming irrelevant).

I read an interesting blog post recently by Valeria Maltoni about Google Wave, a new online communication and collaboration tool to be launched later this year: Will Google Wave Eliminate the Need for PR as Media Relations? Threatening! Will PR lose a tool or part of its strength with the next technological evolution?

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Trade Show Marketing: The Good, Bad and Ugly

In the past five months, we’ve helped one of our clients execute four separate trade shows. This has meant a lot of planning, coordinating and walking! At these shows, I’ve seen some smart marketing tactics, as well as some silly stunts. Trade shows can be useful touch points with current and potential customers, trade media and industry leaders, especially in a slow economy when building relationships is more important than ever. Through strategic planning and clearly defined goals these events can help provide a valuable catalyst for future business and editorial opportunities. However, sometimes exhibitors just miss the mark.

The Good
Public relations is as much about growing relationships as it is about communicating the news. When it comes to good trade show marketing, face-to-face time with valued editors is paramount.

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Marcom A to Z — C for Crisis

Forget death, Ponzi schemes, CEO compensation, an inflammatory YouTube video, product malfunction or corporate malfeasance. The most terrifying crisis that should keep you up at night is not the worst-case scenario itself, but the inability to respond strategically and at lightning speed.

Your CEO’s reputation and that of your company mutually define one another, more so today than ever before. If you’re charged with protecting that reputation, your reputation then is at stake if a crisis communications plan isn’t written, discussed, distributed, tested and, most importantly, understood throughout the organization.

Ten-plus year ago, we talked about the need to respond quickly. Today, we define quickly in minutes rather than hours or days. Consider that an inflammatory article could be re-tweeted and blogged about immediately after its original posting, taking it from a local situation to a global discussion in five minutes flat.

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Milwaukee’s Home Field Advantage

I went out to Miller Park the other night in search of a big win, but came away with much more … a lesson in optimism.

Our agency team was attending the annual awards night for PRSA, which this year was held in the Metavante Club at the home of our beloved and division-leading Brewers. Settling in for the traditional prepared remarks and public relations entry commentary, we were first treated to the words of Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn. What could this crime-fighting boss possibly tell a crowd of what amounted to the city’s PR community? As it turns out, plenty.

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The corporate awakening toward social media

The exponential rise in interest in social media is pressuring businesses to sit up and pay attention. And it’s happening fast. Not only is there a significant number of mainstream media reporting on this phenomenon, but it seems the lion’s share of bloggers and micro-bloggers with their sights trained on corporate America are also espousing the virtues of facilitating a dialogue with customers.

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