Posts Tagged ‘press release’
Friday, May 17th, 2013
The political tug of war between the Obama administration and Republicans has returned to its insane level of rhetoric that we remember prior to the November elections.
Some Republicans argue the administration misled the public about Benghazi to help ensure a victory in November. Some Democrats argue Republicans are making something out of nothing to tarnish Obama and Hillary Clinton’s potential presidential run in 2016.
Republicans want to know who knew what about the IRS. The administration also criticizes the IRS but points out the president does not run the agency.
And both sides of the aisle express unhappiness with subpoenas related to the Associated Press.
Some of the media seem to be complicit in a reality game show atmosphere, working side-by-side with politicians on whom can deliver the most sensational sound bites. These “scandals” raise some important discussions, but good grief. If only some politicians would work to solve our everyday problems with the same zeal that they try to call hearings and speak craziness into microphones.
For a moment, take off your political team’s bloodied uniform and acknowledge some of what’s really happening: In general, the administration wants to downplay any links to these issues as much as possible. On the other hand, some Republicans want to make these issues seem as dreadful as possible and portray the government as a stalker peaking through your bedroom window at night. Call it high stakes marketing far beyond the traditional press release. If some of these microphone huggers really wanted the truth, they would wait for their hearings to finish fleshing out the facts before demanding justice with their scary words.
The media are already analyzing how these current issues might impact Obama’s legacy without acknowledging our tug of war may likely have moved on to something new in six months. But Obama is taking some important steps for crisis communications:
- He showed concern about the IRS issue by saying, “Americans have a right to be angry about it, and I’m angry about it.”
- He took action by accepting the resignation of the top person of the IRS.
- The White House released e-mails related to Benghazi.
- He brought back legislation to help legally protect journalists.
- He answered questions at a news conference.
- He for the most part keeps his composure.
- He asked Congress to help improve security at American embassies.
I’m not saying he’s right. I’m saying those are some of the moves you make when opponents say you’re wrong.
Of course, others might share examples pointing out the administration put itself in this PR mess in the first place. Fair enough. But these latest steps help the president reach his larger goal of refocusing attention to his agenda. He is building a dam against gushing water. But some water will always leak through. His critics also have public relations firms armed with strategies. Even if Obama registered tomorrow as a Republican and shouted “pretty please with a cherry on top,” critics know to share phrases such as:
- “We demand more information.”
- “We reject the apologies as insufficient.”
- “This is politics at its worst.”
- “He is not going far enough.”
- “We are determined to get answers.”
So the tug of war continues with almost everyone landing in the mud. Some politicians hope to score points. The media hopes to improve ratings. Too much of the public is desperate for details that prove that the opposing party is truly the scum of the Earth.
And I, of course, write a blog, tired of grown-ups who can’t solve problems or controversies without acting like the sky is falling and it’s the other guy’s entire fault.
Tags: Associated Press, AZ, benghazi, crisis communications, hillary clinton, journalists, marketing, media, obama, politicians, politics, PR, press release, Public Relations, public relations firms, republicans
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Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
When I scrolled through emails offering story ideas, the number of writers who typed the actual words “press release” on their press releases confused me.
Companies and government agencies might believe adding the words press release makes an email to media more official, separating the information from other informal exchanges. I question even this philosophy considering just about any information relayed to the media is fair game, whether the facts are quickly thumbed out on a Blackberry or reviewed by too many cooks in the marketing kitchen.
But too many businesses and PR pros add press release to their pitches as if a college professor is peering over their shoulders, ensuring they follow protocol. Press release not only seems unnecessary, but the words may actually negatively impact a pitch’s success. When I reported, pitches with press release on top immediately indicated someone was sending me the same information everyone else was receiving. No one was handing me an exclusive or offering me a scoop because I was special. I simply was on somebody’s media list. Someone instead was sending a statement typically filled with jargon and worded too formally. I imagine some classically trained PR pros could impress upon me why the words press release are more necessary than I realize, but I’m pressed to think of too many examples.
Tags: communication, Communications, jargon, marketing, media, Media Relations, pitch, pitches, PR, PR pro, PR pros, press, press release, story idea, story ideas
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Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Companies often spend so much time focusing on getting the attention of the media, they often ignore the value of sharing the news with their most important stakeholders: employees. As brand ambassadors of a company, employees represent a huge opportunity to spread the word about new products, services and other company news.
Employees shouldn’t have to find out about company information from an external source or by watching and reading the news. They should hear the news first from the company. This builds trust and sends employees a message that the company sees them as a valued stakeholder who should be armed with important information.
The carefully crafted news release and media pitch should have an “equal and opposite” pitch for employees. Big budgets are often allocated toward PR campaigns that don’t always guarantee results while few resources are allocated toward employee communications that have a proven direct and positive influence on the bottom line.
The external communications folks working on the PR campaigns, press releases and pitches should partner with the employee communications folks. Here’s how:
- Integrate. PR plans should have an employee communications component. How do they fit together?
- Educate. What do employees need to know about the news topic? How does it fit into the big picture? How does it relate to employees? If they interact with customers, what key messages should they have in their hip pockets?
- Collaborate. Ask employees for newsworthy or creative ideas related to the PR campaign.
- Elaborate. Make news and PR efforts a regular part of department meetings and conversations. These are great opportunities to arm leaders with information to share with employees as well as for show and tell. Send links to TV news stories to leaders to show at their team meetings. Share articles on the intranet or in the employee newsletter. This is also a great way to spark conversations and perhaps even more newsworthy ideas.
Tags: Arizona, communication, employee communication, employee communications, employee newsletter, integrated communications, intranet, media, media pitch, news, news release, Phoenix, pitches, PR, pr campaign, pr campaigns, pr efforts, press, press release, Scottsdale, tv news
Posted in HR Communications, Internal Communications | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
You’ve determined your company’s compelling story. But before pitching it to journalists who can’t wait to share it with the world (or at least your local market), you must make an important decision: Who would give the interview?
Plenty of minds that excel at business and are attached to fancy titles don’t do well in interviews. Some businesses feel compelled to put their bosses front and center with journalists and several of those executives over the years sent me into sleep mode. Some at the top are at the bottom in personality. And that’s OK. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. But you don’t want to offer a journalist someone knee deep in industry lingo who can’t connect with the public. You certainly don’t want someone talking to the media who is gruff and naturally defensive. As any sports fan knows, just because someone can afford to buy a football team doesn’t mean he or she should be the face of the team.
Watch Andy the miner in our video Nearly One Mile Underground. He is not the CEO, but he is an excellent example of someone who can help sell a message. And most journalists prefer to interview someone in the trenches rather than a suit in the corner office. If the boss offers the best of both worlds, so be it!
1. Personality: Choose someone outgoing who speaks with energy and passion and doesn’t find speaking to reporters nerve-racking.
2. Genuine: Find a spokesperson who journalists will believe genuinely loves the company and feels invested in its success.
3. Smart: Select someone who can speak from the heart without sounding like he or she has memorized a trail of talking points. But your choice must be smart enough to adjust to tough or unexpected questions and to realize what words would lead to an embarrassing experience.
4. Appearance: Being genuine doesn’t mean being a slob. We all know good executives and employees who disguise themselves as fools in fashion. Some journalists judge a book by its cover, so find someone who at a minimum appreciates a tucked-in shirt.
5. Story: Find someone with a good story to tell. Why did that person join the company? How did it change their life? What are their really cool experiences? I found some well-spoken people with all the key messages only slightly more interesting than a press release. Most journalists want to focus on people. Give them someone interesting and they’ll likely give you a good story about your business.
Tags: Arizona, boss, ceo, communication, executives, interview, journalist, journalists, media, Phoenix, PR, press release, reporter, reporters, Scottsdale, talking points, video
Posted in Media Relations, Media Training | No Comments »
Monday, January 2nd, 2012
A mom says Target employees humiliated her while she breastfed her baby in the store. To support her, breastfeeding mothers then staged a nationwide “nurse-in” at Target stores. How did the company deal with the nurse-in and media attention? To borrow one of Target’s lines, we “expect more.”
Support Groups: If an advocacy group contacts your company about an event at your business, quickly answer questions. Post comments on their blogs explaining your position. Support groups frequently feel strongest about issues. They pass on concerns to the broader public that may not be paying close attention. Don’t underestimate the power of such groups. Work with them. Be sympathetic. Surprise them and support their concerns when possible. The groups will share the company’s goodwill with the public and explain how the business is turning a problem into a positive. A group describing its mission as “to change the cultural perception of breastfeeding” says it was tough communicating with Target about the breastfeeding incident. The group says someone from Target eventually called back and summarized the call by releasing a statement. Meanwhile advocates pointed to how Whole Foods handled things when facing a breastfeeding incident.
Facebook: Acknowledge the complaints. Stun the planet and ask people to share stories and post pictures. Respond to questions. Embrace your role in the discussion. Welcome shoppers who may usually favor the competition and prove your company is a different type of business. In the Target case, mothers used a Facebook page to organize. As we wrote this, the page included more than 7500 members. The day of the nurse-in, Target posted on its Facebook page “How long do you leave your holiday decorations up?” Some people used the comment section to discuss the breastfeeding issue.
Twitter: Target was more on target on Twitter. We read several examples of Target responding to people on Twitter about breastfeeding. Here are examples of the company’s posts to Twitter:
- We support breastfeeding too. We have a long-standing policy allowing breastfeeding in public areas of our stores.
- We continue to educate our team members on the policy, and ask guests to contact us if they don’t feel comfortable.
- Nursing mothers are welcome to breastfeed in our stores, including in public areas, wherever comfortable.
- We have a long standing policy that allows breastfeeding in our stores and have addressed the Team Member incident.
- We’re happy to support nursing mothers! Please let us know if you encounter any problems.
YouTube: Post a video. Make clear the services your company offers for, in this case, breastfeeding moms. Video puts a face on your company. A video helps you standout while engaging and educating viewers. Video may capture attention more than any press release. Target has a YouTube channel called Target Theater with more than six thousand subscribers. We didn’t see any videos about breastfeeding or the nurse-in. Watch a recent example of a FedEx video responding to a PR problem.
Pressroom: Provide news releases and links about the situation. Give phone, email and social media information for contacts specifically handling the situation. Give a timeline of what happened. Recognize what journalists want to see. Target’s pressroom states the “Target Public Relations team is always interested in hearing about how to serve the media better.” We searched but could not find news releases about the nurse-in and breastfeeding situation.
Media Relations: We read several statements Target released about breastfeeding. We didn’t see a lot of Target spokespeople on air. We saw a Target manager on ABC News saying “Target is a family-oriented company, so if a guest chooses to breastfeed in our store, Target supports it 100%.” Target’s pressroom lists four media contacts. The efforts of those contacts, management and support staff should expand way beyond news releases. Identify managers in geographical regions the company feels comfortable putting on TV. Fly key team members to areas needing help handing media questions. Consider allowing a “pool camera” in each TV market to shoot video of the breastfeeding moms.
A company might win the war of words by drawing up a conservative game plan, taking a few hits and assuming the PR problem will blow over and be forgotten. If you like to do things the way they’ve always been done, feel free to play prevent defense. But PR problems also open opportunities to establish your company as an industry leader while inspiring trust and growing your reputation. Drop the icy and impersonal company language for something thoughtful and sincere and watch the headlines change. Expect more.
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Tags: blogs, breastfeeding mothers, Facebook, FedEx, journalist, journalists, media, Media Relations, news release, PR, PR pro, press release, Public Relations, Social Media, target stores, Twitter, video, Whole Foods
Posted in Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Your product or service alone does not a news story make. To give a news story some legs, there has to be a focus on people. People who use your product or service. People whose lives changed because of it.
This is what my TV reporter husband tries to achieve with his news stories. He builds his stories around people – not products. It’s not enough for him to take a press release about a product and simply run a story about it. To strike a chord with the viewing audience, a good news story needs to be about people. What’s unique about them? Why should viewers care? If they used the featured product or service – great, but let’s hear their story first.
Your product or service might be fantastic, but a slick news release showcasing features is not enough. Stories people can relate to help increase the chances of your company’s story getting on the air.
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Tags: Arizona communications consulting, Arizona public relations agency, Arizona small business marketing, branding, communication consulting, Keith Yaskin, marketing strategy, media interview, media pitch, media training, news release, news story, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix public relations agency, PR, press release, Public Relations, reporter, small business strategy, The Flip Side Communications, TV interview
Posted in Media Relations, Public Relations | No Comments »
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Take the public relations pro who starts off her email: “I have some timely story ideas that your viewers might have interest in hearing more about. Any of the story ideas listed below can work well for in-studio interviews or packaged segments. Please let me know if you have interest in booking. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.”
She goes on to list six topics from flu to insect bites. Her press release’s email signature doesn’t make it clear who she is or where her marketing agency is based. She sends the email to an Arizona journalist, but for all he knows, her marketing firm could be based in New York or Illinois.
Journalists welcome story ideas, but publicists should focus their communications skills on one topic at a time especially when time-deprived reporters rest their trigger fingers on the word “delete.” The marketing strategy should zero in on one great pitch, not a series of generic ideas that make a press release wallow in mediocrity. If your goal is to ensure journalists see your agency as a hub of experts and place your contact information in their iPhone favorites, that relationship will build itself naturally with one or two great (and specific) pitches.
Whether in the worlds of old or new media, too much of a good thing can miss the target.
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Tags: Arizona public relations, Arizona public relations agency, communications skills, iPhone, marketing strategy, media pitch, media pitching, Media Relations, Phoenix marketing agency, Phoenix public relations agency, PR, press release, Public Relations, reporter, Scottsdale communications consulting, Scottsdale marketing agency, Scottsdale public relations agency, story ideas, The Flip Side Communications
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Friday, September 17th, 2010
- Starting with a subject line that includes 21 words
- Trying to spark coverage by diving into complicated stock holdings and land deals that would take journalists half-hour specials to explain
- Screaming an opposing candidate is putting someone at risk without offering an interview with one of those people supposedly at risk
- Putting at the top with stars “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.” In Media-ese, that often translates into “FOR IMMEDIATE TRASH.”
- Making an email 10 paragraphs, forgetting many reporters now read off small smart phones, not stadium-sized monitors at their desks
- Not including pictures or video
- Answering follow-up questions by responding with an answer that everyone knows is a non-answer and expecting it to be accepted
- Calling out the other side for playing politics because everyone knows both sides are engaged in the same game
- Saying “let me check into that” when reporters ask for documentation to prove one of the claims in a press release
- Not realizing there are better and more subtle ways to persuade the media to cover issues that play toward your candidate’s strengths other than sounding like nothing more than a political mouthpiece who studied spinology in college
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Tags: Arizona communication consulting, Arizona public relations, communication consulting, Media Relations, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix Public Relations, politics, PR, press release, Public Relations, The Flip Side Communications
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