I bill by the hour and will charge extra for being project manager of the Death Star.
It’s a tough line of work, being in Public Relations, what with all the evil we do.
Just ask the blogger at the Huffington Post who blithely portrayed public relations professionals as cynical, evil minions of “the dark side”:
Can you ever trust a PR person? If he’s working pro bono and has only six weeks of unemployment to his name, then the answer is probably.
After Kevin DeSoto , 41, was laid off after a 20-year career in PR and marketing — an industry which is sometimes cynically referred to as “the dark side” — he began using his social media savvy to help others… for free.
Note to blogger: “Can you ever trust a PR person?” Really? You actually wrote that with a straight face?
The story, titled Kevin DeSoto, Former PR Exec, Crosses Over to the Good Side (!) condescendingly compliments Mr DeSoto for his admirable work on behalf of people in need. I suppose that the author of the piece thought that his pro bono work would seem even more admirable if DeSoto’s recent change of fortune had transformed him from a killer of Jedi Knights into a pillar of the Forces of Good.
Yes, I know the “dark side” slam on PR has been around a while, but I’m challenging it anyway. Besides being a lame angle for a story and lazy stereotyping, it’s unfair to public relations professionals. It also cheapens what Mr. DeSoto is doing. To that end, Mr. DeSoto made a good point that was unfortunately met with a backhanded compliment:
Since leaving the corporate world, the former camera marketer says he has focused on “going back to the basics of true, honest PR and marketing,” which may sound oxymoronic but after being “burned” in the corporate world, DeSoto says he is confident his good deeds will pay off some day.
“I struggle with being optimistic about this sometimes, but I have a strong conviction that if you do the right thing, it will pay off some day. Good things can happen when you give your time, skills and resources to help someone with asking for anything in return.”
Most PR professionals I know do pro bono work as a matter of course in our careers, and it doesn’t take a sudden job loss to make that happen. On the whole as a profession we’re not unethical shills for nasty corporations that rape the environment or bilk taxpayers. No, most of us work for non-profits, hospitals, social causes and responsible companies. Yes, by telling our client’s story we help sell products and services–but that makes us a vital part of capitalism, not Lords of the Sith.
There are bad players in every profession–whether it be PR, journalism, law, medicine or even blogging. Tarring everyone with the same “dark side” brush isn’t fair or responsible.
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Think people don’t read something in to everything about the way you look and present yourself? Think again:
Those seeking clues as to what’s going on inside Procter & Gamble during these challenging economic times might do well to take a look at the firm’s just-released 2010 annual report to shareholders.
Right up front is a photo of Bob McDonald presiding over his first annual report as chairman and CEO of the Cincinnati-based consumer goods giant. It’s shot in profile, with McDonald wearing a conservative, dark, pin-striped suit, and looking off-camera.
That’s a big shift from the photos in recent years of A.G. Lafley, who had been chairman and CEO for eight years before his retirement in February. Lafley favored open-collared shirts and hadn’t appeared in a suit and tie since 2003.
The change in style is obvious. And glossy annual reports tend to be tightly controlled to convey precisely the messages and images that corporations want their shareholders, employees, and customers to receive. Few companies, if any, are more protective of their reputations than P&G.
P&G spokesman Paul Fox said people shouldn’t read anything into McDonald’s change of dress for the annual report photo.
“Tie or not, our purpose to touch and improve the lives of more consumers more completely in more parts of the world remains unchanged,” Fox said in an email.
Still, corporate annual reports are key tools for making strategic impressions, said LisaMarie Luccioni, a professor of communications at the University of Cincinnati and certified image professional. Whatever message McDonald’s photo conveys, it’s safe to assume it was meant to convey something, she said.
“I do think it is deliberate. When you’re talking about an annual report, you’re talking about the prime piece of nonverbal literature that represents not only the company but its vision, its leadership,” Luccioni said. “I am convinced that every picture, every word was very much scrutinized in an impression-management way.”
Of course, that excerpt is a rather extreme example–P&G is a huge company with loads of cash riding on perception–but it should give you pause when you consider your presentation to clients, partners, employees–heck everybody.
This isn’t about changing who you are. Certainly, you gotta be you (See: Writing, Redhead or Kramer, Shelly or Godin, Seth ). This is about putting your best foot forward, and thinking of how you will be perceived and what effect that perception will have on your bottom line.
Be reasonable. If you make your living as a banker, you better look like a banker. Doesn’t mean you can’t have style or be a tad irreverent at times–just remember nobody (especially these days) wants anyone being irreverent about their money. You’re a cook with long hair? Wear a hairnet–please. Sell real estate? Show clients around in a clean car.
I don’t shave everyday. It’s a thing with me–I hate shaving and my wife says a little stubble is attractive (honest!). However, I can assure you if I’m pitching to a conservative prospective client, I shave and will likely wear a suit. Maybe someday when I’m making huge coin that will be different; but for now, I shave. (It almost goes without saying; but if I am acting as a spokesperson for a client, of course I shave and look my best.)
Just as you shouldn’t show up to casual day at the office in sweat pants and a tube top (guys and gals), don’t run afoul of your business norms if it’s going to scare away the customers. Be yourself–but be smart about it. The default position is to present your best, most polished self.
We just read an article with some great advice on hiring a PR firm. We recommend the entire article, but this section on fees is especially worth a read.
Phase in the fees.
Retainers for smaller agencies run $2,000 to $5,000 or so per month. But don’t begin on retainer. Set up a specific project with a price tag attached so you can evaluate results.
Paying for customized services is another option. For instance, hire a publicist to write press releases on an hourly basis for about $100 to $250. You can also contract with a PR pro to work in-house for you. Rates vary with experience, say, $50 to $200 per hour. Some PR companies, such as Pinnacle Worldwide, provide a network of international independent agencies, so you can contract for services in any country or city.
We totally agree with their stance on retainers. AlexanderG PR welcomes the opportunity to show what we can do on a single project or closed-ended time period before we “earn” a retained relationship.
And yes, the retainer fees mentioned in the article are industry standard. We get paid for our work like any other professional. Most reputable PR firms and consultants can command every penny of that retainer because they offer a great ROI.
Project fees are also a good way to go, too.
Here are some warning signs that usually indicate you will not get what you pay for:
A firm promises “guaranteed results.” No one can ensure press coverage or other specific outcomes. (Editor’s Note: emphasis ours)
A firm does too much research. “There should be a balance between planning and doing,” says Dave Kowal, whose agency is based in Northboro, Mass.
There are proposals with no specifics. You should know exactly what’s planned.
You’re charged an unusually low retainer. This probably means you can’t expect much work.
We hasten to add, however, that an unusually low retainer is often accepted–and plenty of work is done–because many clients will not or cannot pay more. Not all firms that accept a low fee are dodgy; many do it in hopes of establishing a longterm relationship.
That’s tricky, though. Once a PR firm gets into a “lowball” situation with a client, they may never get paid what they’re really worth and end up losing money in the long run.
Be advised…you get what you pay for. If you pay a PR firm a non-professional wage, you’ll likely get non-professional results.
The internet can be either a boon or boondoggle to companies when it comes to the monitoring of their online brand presence.
For companies that pay little attention to their online storefronts, the rewards are continual brand hijacking, abusive pay-per-click tactics and outright attacks on brands.
MarkMonitor, an enterprise brand protection firm, offers solutions and services to safeguard brands, reputation and revenue from online risks. In their white paper “Online Brand Protection: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Proactive Strategy” MarkMonitor recommends a series of protective measures, including:
Identifying all domain names in your portfolio
Manage your portfolio proactively
Monitor for potential abuse
Respond to abuse
Great paper–in particular, we recommend you take a look at the section on monitoring for potential abuse. You can do this inside your company, or there are several online services that offer affordable methods to do this for you. No matter how you do it, the key is never-ending vigilance.
Creating an ideal domain portfolio is a good start to establishing and protecting your corporate brands online. However, it is just the beginning. While defensive registrations enable you to own and control the domain names that may be abused by third parties, it is simply impossible for any corporation to register every potentially harmful domain name. Therefore, the next critical step for defending your brands online is to establish a strategic monitoring program that constantly searches the internet for potential abuses, including:
Cybersquatting
Domain kiting/tasting
Trademark infringement
Traffic diversion schemes
False associations with unrelated third parties
Pay-per-click abuse
Sponsored in abuse
Logo/image abuse
Offensive content
Channel non-compliance with brand guidelines and/or pricing
Many small–and even larger–companies cannot afford to hire a person devoted to these critical tasks. This is what the bad guys count on. Again, a monitoring service is worth the price if it can save you the damage of brand equity loss, not to mention real money gone forever due to internet banditry. (They can also help you identify new customers–but that’s another post).
Brand managers should assess the degree to which website traffic is diverted to sites that abuse its brand and the amount of lost advertising revenue that is diverted to fraudulent pay-per-click sites, You should look at quantitative and qualitative indicators, including:
Degree of fewer “negative impressions” due to successfully shutting down web site which degrade your brand
Improvement in website traffic due to successfully shutting down traffic diversion tactics (Cybersquatting, pat-per-click sites, paid search ads)
Better quality response rate to online advertising due to successfully shutting down fraudulent pay-per-click sites
Productivity gains and/or hours saved per week in detecting and responding to infringement by leveraging available technologies and solutions
From the public relations perspective, monitoring is critical in protecting your brand’s reputation and credibility. One of the services we provide at AlexanderG Public Relations includes online brand monitoring and image management. This helps us head off potentially bad PR by identifying and addressing problems before they become full-blown crises; it also helps our clients determine where best to apply their messaging and online resources–often increasing market share in the process.
Nasty stuff outlined in this post is happening to oblivious companies everyday. The message is simple: if you don’t know what’s going in your online storefront, it’s the same as someone setting up a fake store just around the corner from yours in real-life –selling low quality goods and ruining your good name.
Heavy thunderstorms knocked out the power at AlexanderG PR HQ last night. As I lit candles I thought of the ways I had been burning the candle at both ends.
After a long week with more than 70 hours of work (most of them billable!) I frankly welcomed the lack of electronic communication.
Admittedly, I did Tweet a little from my cell to my Tweeps in the local news media to get the info on how long the outage was anticipated to last; but after that I settled down to an early night of blissful, much-needed sleep.
This morning I awoke before seven and have already completed a pitch for a client and re-arranged an account in my billing software.
Were the electricity on last night I’m sure television, the internet or work in general would have kept me up late, and I’d be snoozing instead of writing this. Not saying one is better than another, but it was certainly nice that Mother Nature put the brakes on work and other distractions and gave me no other option than to get some rest.
It’s a good reminder–work will always be there, and no matter how hard you shovel you’ll never fill the hole in one night.
Maybe next time I have a crazy week I should just trip the breakers?
We’ve talked before about what to do when a reporter calls to interview you about something positive. Today we cover some basic information on giving an interview in a contentious, potentially confrontational setting–broken down into 8 key points.
The Scenario:You’ve been asked by a television news reporter to give an interview about allegations against your company.
The first question you ask yourself is: Is it best to give an interview, or lie low?
Answer: When you have nothing to hide (and no legal reasons not to) it’s good to be proactive and get your side of the story out there. Just remember to take care of how you present yourself and your side of the story:
1. TV reporters will generally want to interview you on their schedule, not yours. However, if you’re not prepared to speak, try and schedule an interview after you’ve had time to prepare. If that luxury is not available, take a few moments to huddle with your public relations or management team and decide what theme and key points you want your messages to convey in the interview. Prepare for the worst questions with your best answers. Developing three simple sound bites that sound natural and unrehearsed can get you through almost any interview.
2. Repeat your key message and points several times during the interview, if the interview is long enough for that opportunity. Even if you are asked a question unrelated to your key message, bring your key messages into your answer:
Key Message: Your company is the top-ranked firm in the Midwest for employee satisfaction.
Question: How do you respond to the allegations from two former employees that they were working in a hostile work environment?
Answer: We have consistently demonstrated the utmost in professionalism in our human resources practices. In fact, we’ve been named the top-ranked firm in the Midwest for employee satisfaction.
Retort: But these former employees say they were unfairly treated.
Answer: In any organization our size there are bound to be conflicts, but you don’t get named the top-ranked firm in the Midwest for employee satisfaction without treating people right.
Keep in mind, this isn’t about pleasing the reporter but about getting your message across.
4. Never repeat or initiate a negative. Notice in the answer above the interviewee reinforces the good without giving any reiteration of the negative.
An extreme example of this is President Nixon:
“I am not a crook.” If he wasn’t a crook, it was probably not a good idea to introduce that word into the public conversation.
5. “No Comment” is never the answer when asked a tough or hostile question. Use the opportunity to refer back to your key message: “I don’t know the answer to that, but I can tell you that…”
6. Always be honest and if you don’t know the answer to a question, then admit it.
7. Watch for efforts to put words in your mouth or the application of a negative “frame” around the situation. Some reporters may try to get you to tacitly agree to “allegations” by framing the question in a way that makes you seem complicit:
Question: As you have not denied allegations of hostile work environment, what will you do to meet the demands of the employees?
Answer: Our company’s reputation, as illustrated by our being honored as the top-ranked firm in the Midwest for employee satisfaction, is solid.
Retort: But you have not denied the allegations.
Answer: We’re not in the business of responding publicly to human resource issues. That would be irresponsible and not in keeping with our ethics and acclaimed employee satisfaction rankings.
8. Don’t take it personally. Even if the reporter is hurling the most heinous, unkind allegations at you (“Some people say that your company kills kittens…”), a thin-skinned show of temper, self-pity or weakness will be magnified and may go viral for all the world to see.
Be graceful, take your time and politely respond with your key messages. Attacking the reporter almost never helps. Most reporters are ethical, hardworking folks performing a vital public service–but your job is to take care of your company’s interests and yourself–they know that.
Just remember, the media can do a lot of harm (or a lot of good) to your reputation–but not without your help!
BP Plc plans to name Robert Dudley to succeed Tony Hayward as chief executive officer as the board looks to recover the company’s position in the U.S., two people with knowledge of the matter said.
Dudley, the director of BP’s oil spill response unit, is ready to be announced as the company’s first American chief and to take the helm Oct. 1, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because a final decision hasn’t yet been made. The decision was reached in discussions with board members about how best to take BP forward and rebuild its U.S. position, the person said. The BP board meets today to “rubber stamp” the plan, the second person said.
“The fact he is American should help to keep things a little more straightforward in his dealings with the U.S. administration,” said Ted Harper, who helps manage $6.8 billion at Frost Investment Advisors in Houston. He doesn’t hold BP stock. “Dudley’s most important task will continue to be making sure that the well is capped.”
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Dan Coyle takes a break between sets at KCRiverFest in Kansas City to talk about his use of social networking and PR to market his music. More about Dan’s music and touring schedule at www.DanCoyle.com
Use VOCUS or other PR email platforms? Be careful how you use them. Read on…
Got another “pitch” sent via an email marketing platform. I won’t go off on the tangent explaining why I so loathe this approach with every fiber of my being multiplied by infinity with the intensity of a thousand suns — on a stick. But I will share with you a DISCLAIMER that was at the top of this particular piece of spam:
This press release was sent through the Vocus PR platform. Should you no longer wish to receive these communications, please unsubscribe through the link in the footer. If you do not want to be listed on the database, please contact Vocus directly to request for your details to be removed: PHONE NUMBER
If you’re not taking the time to validate your lists whatsoever and think the above disclaimer helps your case? You’re content to spend life polishing turds. Fine, I’m in a mood. But to hide behind Vocus which BPB knows, loves and uses from time to time is lazy.
Heavy thunderstorms knocked out the power at AlexanderG PR HQ last night. As I lit candles I thought of the ways I had been burning the candle at both ends.
Use VOCUS or other PR email platforms? Be careful how you use them. Read on…
