Best Practices in PR

Throughout the semester our class was asked to collect "best practices" in the industry from interviews we conducted, speakers we heard and sites/blogs we visited. These 5 "best practices" appeared time and again…

#1 Develop a strong relationship with the media…be relevant.

Know which writers would have interest in your story, make it newsworthy and write your release like a journalist. Be thorough and accurate with your coverage and take the time to investigate your best contacts instead of sending blankets of releases. Follow-up calls and knowledge of a writer’s past work can also get your foot in the door.

As one of our class speakers and award-winning blogger Scott Baradell said, “If I receive your release in my inbox twice -- or, say, 11 times -- I question how carefully I've been targeted as a recipient. If you don't even bother to put my name on the correspondence, I know I haven't been targeted at all. Delete, delete.”

His site, http://www.ideagrove.com/blog/, gives other important tips for PR pros and amateurs alike.

#2 Get BUZZ…not INK.

I interviewed the Director of Corporate Communications at Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Greg Artkop. He advised, “If there’s one thing that I would encourage anybody to do in this business, it’s to think different about what you’re doing…you want to be the news, you don’t want to make news.” He added, “It’s not wacky, it’s wow” that you aim for.

This does not necessarily mean coming up with goofy gimmicks. Let the story tell itself. If it’s newsworthy, people will want it and you won’t have to sell it. The obstacle is creating buzz and getting people talking, and often that means simply targeting the right media.

Recently, Artkop and his team took Dr Pepper’s HUNT FOR MORE contest to Jimmy Kimmel Live and did an in-studio hunt, with a $23,000 prize for the winner. Artkop pursued this show because it reached Dr Pepper’s target demographic. Instead of only sending press releases to local newspapers and magazines, this one hit reached two million viewers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live ran an advertisement during the show and had coverage on its website for several days.

That’s how you go beyond wacky to get the big hit for your product or client. Artkop stresses, “Success comes in different sizes.” Public relations practitioners must “be realistic about what [they] want to accomplish,” he said.

#3 Stay current…follow trends.

In addition to staying current with media contacts, it is crucial to read the paper, check online sources, track your client's image and investigate the competition. Artkop explained the importance of reading everything. “If you can understand what’s going on in the media you will be able to take advantage of it," he said.

#4 Protect your rep.

With hundreds of press releases hitting media desks everyday, accuracy and credibility are paramount. By using “bait and switch” tactics or exaggerating how newsworthy your pitch is, you will quickly lose the respect of media and any possibility of getting your information in print.
PR is often synonymous with spin, and to earn the respect of your publics, media and other contacts, it is crucial to be objective, newsworthy and let the stories speak for themselves. Especially in cities like Dallas with so many other PR professionals, earning a bad reputation could end your career. Protect your reputation by working with integrity, as it will preserve your contacts and keep you in business.

#5 Learn how to use and assess blogs…have a crisis plan.

The marketplace is becoming more digital each day, and blogs are a new powerful medium for expression. While blogs can be used as a tool to promote a product or craft an image to the public, they can also be used to attack your latest ideas or executives.

Blogs can be used to your advantage to gauge public opinion about your client and your competitors and receive direct feedback from your consumers. Good practices for crisis communications are essential in the blogosphere too, however. When you receive bad ink on a blog, you are able to respond to that bloggers’ concerns in a public place for others to see, possibly winning over the disgruntled blogger and that blog’s viewers with a timely, thoughtful response.

With readers receiving information from radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the Internet, learning ways to craft a positive image and combat bad ink in each medium are essential or your client will suffer.

This reveals the need for readily-available crisis strategies. As noted in an earlier blog, Levick Strategic Communications provides important tips for PR professionals dealing with crises, http://www.levick.com/expertise/out/attack.php.
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This is the last official blog for the semester…meant to culminate a semester of researching and interviewing. These practices are important for amateurs and pros alike, and by keeping up with these 5, PR success should hopefully ensue!

Look-Look at them!

Look-Look.com has challenged our class to research the trend of the “New Entrepreneur” as we see it at Southern Methodist University, a private university in Dallas with approximately 11,000 students (6,000 are undergraduates). SMU is embedded in the up-scale Park Cities area where tuition for 2007-2008 will exceed $40,000/year for undergraduates living on campus.

As it takes more than vision and ambition to become an entrepreneur, SMU students seem to have a distinct advantage in regards to the monetary backing and resources necessary to make dreams into entrepreneurial realities.

Below are my responses to Look-Look's three questions…

1) “How and where have you seen New Entrepreneurs in your world?”

Personally, I have taken classes with at least two of these “New Entrepreneurs.”

One SMU student, Lindsey Marie, has her own accessories line of fashion-forward necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Visit her website, http://lindseymarie.com/

(Photo compliments of Lindsey Marie's website)

Another student from the hilltop, John Thomas, has been an entrepreneur since his teenage years. By age 16, Thomas had formed his own computer consulting company.

His passion is real estate; however, and Thomas used the cash flow from his consulting company to launch his real estate investing career at age 18.

His next goal is to own a development company and build large shopping centers (“lifestyle centers”). He claims he knew he was interested in real estate development by age 5; he’s a third generation developer.

Thomas explained, “The idea of creating something from a vision and being able to give people a place to work, shop, live and play is incredible to me.”

2) “Do you see a shift toward a certain type of attitude toward work?"

Young entrepreneurs today seem to share numerous similarities in their attitudes toward work.

Calvin Carter, an SMU alumni who started a Web development company while studying at SMU in the ‘90s, did not stop with one successful venture...and neither did Thomas.

According to Dallas Observer, “He was an entrepreneur. He didn't dream of running companies. He had an itch to create them. He had, as they call it, ‘the bug.’” http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-12-02/news/whiz-biz-kids/ (Photo compliments of Dallas Observer)

The example of Thomas as a third-generation developer supports the “domino effect” theory of new entrepreneurs...we often go into similar jobs as our parents or family members.

“When young people grow up in an entrepreneurial or self-employed household, of which the NASE [National Association for the Self-Employed] estimates there are between 19 million and 22 million, they're much more likely to start a business themselves."

According to a 2006 issue of BusinessWeek, “The defining qualities of this year's fearless young entrepreneurs: They've all got clear revenue models, their ideas fill a gap they found in their own lives, and because of technology, they're operating on a skinnier shoestring than ever before.” http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2006/sb20061030_754921.htm

To operate on a skinnier shoestring, “several of our featured entrepreneurs' businesses have assembled teams of employees that work from home, making office overhead a nonissue,” a 2006 BusinessWeek article reported (see link above).

Attitudes about work are changing, and are changing early. BusinessWeek reported the results of a 2006 poll of middle and high school students. The youth entrepreneurship organization, Junior Achievement, found that "70.9% would like to be self-employed at some point in their lives. That's up from 68.6% in 2005 and 64% in 2004” (same link).

A testament to the prevalence and success of entrepreneurs near SMU is the Dallas chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). It has 162 members, between the ages of 23-51, with average member sales totaling nearly $9.93 million! http://www.eonetwork.org/Resources/ChapterFacts.aspx?id=84

3) “How do you think this will change business in the future, if at all?”

With the ability to handle work via computer, without a storefront and with employees scattered across the globe, business might shift from face-to-face interaction to more isolation and cyber contact. According to Ejovi Nuwere, a young, accomplished entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur can be a very lonely job (check out his site, http://www.ejovi.net/).

Also, social online networking and blogging communities might become more developed and specialized as more business becomes linked to the Internet and online forums are more imperative to communication within or between companies.
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That's my take on the trend challenge...be sure to read other blogs from my class for more student viewpoints on the "New Entrepreneur."

SMU Baseball: "They Make it Rain"

Hey!

So, the sad news is SMU Baseball has yet to play an NCBA game. We drove down to A&M Commerce this past weekend only to find its field was far too muddy and wet to play on. We're scheduling some make-up times, and it looks like Commerce will be driving up here next Wednesday to play a double-header in Dallas. (I'm going to have a talk with the guys at practice tonight about laying off of the rain dances during warm-ups because someone is taking them way too seriously! :)

Anyway, our hats and jerseys are in, our practices and tournaments are set for the rest of the semester, and now we just need to get on a field and see what we can go against these NCBA teams. A special thanks to those in the SMU Athletic Department who made the trip down to Commerce to support us...we hope to see you at the ballpark again soon!

Revised Schedule:

Apr. 14-15 v. UNT @ W.T. White H.S. (Noon start both days)

Apr. 21-22 v. Baylor @ Richland College (Noon start Sat., 2 p.m. Sun.)

Apr. 28-29 @ Tech

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PR-wise, my next blog will be about the trend research I've been doing for Look-Look.com. I'll save my findings until this time next week, so be sure to check back!

I hope everyone has a great week and a happy Easter!