Case-in-Point: Public Relations is a Valuable Business Discipline
Many business leaders recognize that public relations is a valuable business discipline…but, does your organization practice a disciplined approach to public relations?
To be successful, a public relations program must be fed a routine diet of meaningful information—this requires inclusion of a communications pro at the most senior decision-making level and the time to foster dialogue with key audiences and appropriate media representatives. In fact, in its Annual Report of the News Media, the Project for Excellence in Journalism has found that today’s stories contain fewer sources—reinforcing our firm belief that organizations must show the fortitude to invest in the process of communications in order to earn the trust and sincere interest of media and potential customers. The turtle beats the hare (almost) every time.
At Common Ground Public Relations, we know the best communications plans invest in the long-haul. At the same time, we know the boardroom likes results now. We call that “the early win” and we work hard to build quick momentum while laying the groundwork for long-term success.
Case-in-Point: Employee Relations
How valuable are motivated employees?
Low-morale has a direct impact on your bottom line…through turnover and training expenses, union organization, lack of cross-selling between divisions, and the like. Repps Hudson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sums it up well, “When morale is good, people are happy. They have the welfare of the group and their workplace upper-most in their mind.” A strong internal communication strategy is as important as payroll and benefits are to maintaining motivated employees. Imagine employees engaged in the company’s success via an internal advisory panel; or managers able to masterfully share corporate objectives and provide constructive feedback to-and-from their direct reports; or employees who understand the economic forces that influence the bottom-line and decisions that consequently impact them.
This Case in Point highlights the significance of your most valuable resource…the employees that sell your stuff, talk to your customers, and represent your company and brand every day.
The most respected companies are always noted for their employee relations programs. Is it time for your organization to review its internal communications initiatives? Any corporate awareness program should include an employee component.
Case-in-Point: When Public Relations Can Help
Consider a continuum of influence, where at either end there are polarized groups for and against an organization. By focusing on only those two ends, the larger masses are not mobilized to their full potential…so the most impactful communications strategy requires identifying the motivations and desires of those groups that can and do matter, then to build communications strategies on that common ground.
Public relations requires engaging critical audiences in a meaningful dialogue. When based on fact and truth, it is inherently credible. Public Relations can: sell a product through expert positioning, reverse adversarial relationships through third-party endorsements, motivate employees by educating and informing on business drivers, alleviate market skittishness with thorough, upfront messaging, minimize bad news with proactive media relations, create local connections and news from national trends.
Case-in-Point: Applauding Innovation
Did you catch the Wall Street Journal’s special section on Success Stories? A few of our favorite thoughts….
Trendy retro shoe maker Puma is banking on its CEO’s philosophy that “If you have a good strategy, you have to follow through on it, even in tough economic times.” As the WSJ continues: managing costs, applauding innovation, and nurturing your brand all blend nicely with a little luck to create success. One might have thought an $8,000 stereo speaker retailer wouldn’t make it through a tough economy. Wrong. Bang & Olufsen is prevailing through investment in new projects and even the CFO got on the spend-vs.-thrift bandwagon. His quote: “Innovation, after all, is a way out of recession.”
Case-in-Point: Trust – The Ultimate Must-Have For a Successful Business
Think about it. A reporter decides to what degree he can trust your statement. Consumers decide how worthy your warranty is. Employees decide whether you have their interests in mind. From this, critical loyalty decisions are made. A recent Intelliseek survey proves once again that consumer word-of-mouth and news media coverage are far and away more powerful than expensive advertising when it comes to forming opinions based on trust.
The process of public relations facilitates a true dialogue between organizations and their critical audiences. The act of listening allows organizations to be nimble and accommodate marketplace changes; by communicating, they are seen as proactive and transparent. Organizations establish fertile ground for trust to grow, and are prepared for nearly any eventuality.
In this day and age, the only thing worse than being surprised by customer or employee behavior is not being prepared to appropriately respond.