My PRgative

For several years, there was a communications manager at an organization who was responsible for the flow of all news and public information through press releases, story pitches, and media inquiry responses.  The manager wrote opinion-editorial pieces for major newspapers and industry journals and managed the speechwriting, media interview talking points and public statements of the board members and senior managers. The department also produced high-impact publications, web site content, branding/marketing collateral, and employee communications materials.

To overcome growing public opposition to an expansion project, the team met the challenge to deliver a $1.5M annual branding and public awareness media campaign highlighting the organization’s economic value, community outreach and industry-leading environmental stewardship initiatives.  The manager guided the creative development and media buys for placement of campaign advertisements.  Beyond the “I buy, you bill me” model, there were partnerships with several media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV channels and specialized media services to maximize message penetration through editorial outreach to complement the advertising placements.   The results of the campaign were reflected in a public opinion survey:

• 58% overall positive awareness of the organization.
• 69% approval of overall organization activities.
• 60% agreement that the organization’s expansion project is a good idea.

After years of roadblocks, the expansion project was finally able to move forward.  The first phase of the complex opened a couple of years ago, creating jobs and generating millions of dollars in economic ripple-effect impact.

Public relations is no longer about pushing your agenda onto your communities the way my campaign did.  Public relations 2.0 is about engagement with the many publics that are involved with and impacted by your organization. It’s still about traditional media. But it’s also about monitoring the various and multiple conversations taking place in social media about your organization, and participating in those conversations. 

In this recession-era landscape of uncertainty, there are many employees, customers, vendors and industry watchers wondering what and how your organization is doing. Many of them are online asking good questions, making uninformed statements, sharing concerns, and engaging others about your organization. 

Given what’s at stake, it’s astounding that some organizations are not there.  Assumptions about some organizatiosn go unheard and without a response. Meanwhile,  press releases have less of a chance getting printed today, and fewer are reading them on organization websites because the conversation going on about the organization isn’t taking place at the online corporate office. 

Marketing an organization in new media is about more than having a static Facebook page. It’s about engaging  many communities in social media.  Employees, customers, vendors, and industry watchers are there.