Public Relations

March 11, 2003
Execute the Basics, Positioning Will Follow

About the author: G.A. "Andy" Marken is president of Marken Communications, Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif. He may be reached at [email protected].

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In the past six months we have seen announcements by five global firms planning to spend big dollars on new advertising and public relations positioning programs. Even United Airlines that is operating in Chapter 11 has launched a positioning effort even before it has solved the problems that put it in that position.

Hundreds of other firms reading the "news" on how to change the market's perception of the company, improve the firm's image and advance sales will be doing the same with smaller budgets.

Positioning ... now that's a horse business hasn't ridden for awhile. It is the magic elixir the company can take to improve itself without actually changing a thing.

But after 25-plus years in the field, I don't think there is a quick fix solution. Despite everyone's rush to embrace specialties, public relations is not brain surgery. Positioning appears to be part of our increasing trend to concentrate on specialties such as focus groups, research, media placement analysis, crisis management, issues management and strategic planning.

Public relations simply is a matter of serving two masters--client management and the media (if we don't serve them, our other publics will not be served). In our "24, 7" treadmill world, public relations practitioners are not aware of or overlook the simple solutions--the basics including editorial treatment, fast response, well thought out/well executed press materials, being an editorial resource, thorough follow through, common sense and enjoying your work and the people you work with.

A Matter of Equals

Once I received e-mail from a new vertical market website in Sweden thanking me for providing in-depth technology, product and applications information my company had developed for a client. The easiest thing would have been to ignore the new site--after all, technology/informational sites come and go every day. In addition, our assignment was to promote the products in the Americas, not Sweden, Europe or the rest of the globe.

However, the Internet has blurred country borders.

News in the United States is read and heard instantly in Chicago, Omaha, Atlanta and San Diego as well as Denmark, Argentina, India and Taiwan.

While the aspiring website may never be the next Google, the investment of a few hours providing information could provide the client with big returns. The effort will win a favorable friend and support for the company and possibly influence others who will access the site for information. The support may even improve international relations. Editors, reporters and outlets are created equal, but some are more equal than others. Every PR person reluctantly will admit he has first-, second- and third-tier editors, reporters and news/review target priorities. Ignoring, responding at your convenience or "forgetting" commitments is completely unprofessional.

People such as Steve Wildstrom of Business Week as well as John Markoff and Judd Biersdorfer of The New York Times certainly are more lusted after by company management and PR people. They deserve complete and immediate response. However, the same is true of the thousands of other editors, reporters and analysts, particularly those specific to and in tune with your industry.

While your boss may read these two publications religiously, it may come as a rude surprise that not everyone else does. However your boss (and target publics) also read, listen to and watch other media. These outlets also influence your firm's stakeholders--employees, customers, investors, legislators and business partners. Media people move from outlet to outlet and they remember the professionals and the not-so professional.

Timely Response

I constantly am amazed when people, especially members of the media, send me a note saying thanks for your prompt response. This tells me that they might not expect this in today's business world. What does that say about our businesses and staffs?

Members of the media also have their lists. They also compare notes. They are quick to tell you which firms and PR people respond as well as those that take days, weeks or never respond to even simple requests. No one in this business should be that busy or that filled with self-importance.

Inquiries from members of the media should not be an interruption to your work. They should be the meaning of your work unless you are too involved in market research, planning and positioning meetings.

Treat your e-mail like snail mail. Handle it only once. Respond to everything in your inbox before you leave in the evening, even if is to say you will get a complete answer back to them within a specific time period or pass the request to another member of your team.

With public relations now being carried out on a global scale, I admit the challenge of keeping up with online correspondence is formidable. For example, I often handle European and East Coast correspondence early in the morning and then late in the evening I focus on the Pacific Basin. It can make for a long day but it also can be an interesting day.

Press Materials

Any PR person who spends time talking--talking, not pitching--with members of the media will hear the same comments again and again.

Good writing is hard. Editors will tell you it is hard to find, and PR pros will assure you it is hard to produce, yet it is one of the most important parts of the job. The challenge is that you have to know so much and use so little. Data dumps do not impress anyone. In addition, people quickly see through smoke screen expertise. In an effort to conserve budgets we also have seen companies assign the writing of white papers, position papers and technical/application articles to marketing and product managers. The logic is that it is more efficient. They are quick to tell you that they "know" the subjects and, therefore, can do a more competent job.

Most of the time they submit--ready for instant publication--some of the best data sheets and brochures you have ever read. "XYZ, the industry's leading," "ABC, incorporating advanced features such as..." and similar fluff may make your boss feel good but they certainly do not sway the reader, especially when he is on the publication's editorial staff.

Read the articles written by reporters and editors. They are educational and informational. The work you submit to the press should meet the same standard. If the reader understands, believes and agrees with the information in the article, he will turn to the firm for more information or buy the product/service being discussed.

An analysis report of company mentions, location of the mention and tone of the mention may be one measure of PR success. The real payoff for the company in developing and submitting quality press materials will be at the cash register, not in a stack of press clippings.

Be an Editorial Resource

Knowing the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of analysts and members of the media is only one aspect of your job.

In our opinion it is even more important to know everything possible about your company, products, markets and competition (products and people). Time and space are precious commodities in the media today. There not only are fewer publications, there also are fewer editorial wells and fewer people to fill those wells.

Editors, reporters and analysts also have A, B and C contact lists (yes they prioritize their PR contacts). The PR people who quickly, accurately and consistently assist them in filling pages and airtime become the people who get the first call or e-mail. Not every inquiry is going to produce feature coverage for your firm and products. However, as a key resource, you are in a much better position to help focus the coverage. Staying that current is impossible, though, isn't it? Wrong. The Internet provides an entrance to a cornucopia of information on product areas, applications, markets, technologies, trends and competition. There are use lists, news services, reviews, white papers, research reports and studies available on every industry, product and service you can imagine--and some you don't want to imagine.

Monitor user groups--yours and your competition's. Bookmark those sites that serve up useful information. Compile folders of industry, company and product information.

Common Sense

Sometimes it seems that in our rush to be creative, we check our common sense at the door.

The abandonment is most apparent at trade shows when everyone rushes to introduce new products/services. Gala press conferences are held that seem to be designed to impress management without delivering company or product substance or news.

Folders in the pressroom stuffed with brochures and sales sheets. Dated news releases intermingled with fresh announcements ... just in case. Press kit folders that don't quickly communicate your show location and new products do not serve the media.

Whether it's a concern for the environment or the desire to save money, the new trend is CD press kits. The discs sit quietly in the pigeonholes displaying the company name and perhaps even the name of the show. In fact, some are great designs.

Unfortunately as you hold the disc in your hand you have absolutely no idea what news the electronic press kit contains. This makes it extremely difficult for the press to determine if they need to come by your booth for more information.

Most of the CDs will be stuffed in a drawer or piled in the office to be reviewed "later." Then in three-six months they will find their way into a landfill somewhere and remain untouched for 100 plus years. So much for conservation and exposure.

Enthusiasm

This is a great profession. We get to work with some of the best people in the world.

Despite what you read, the companies, management, products and services we work with are some of the best in their respective industries. When they aren't, good PR efforts will help them disappear more quickly.

We also work with some of the most intelligent writers, reporters and industry analysts in the world.

Public relations people should take their job seriously but not take themselves seriously. Unfortunately too many people seem to get the two reversed by focusing on the importance of their position and role rather than service.

The job comes first. It starts with the basics. If these are carried out in a professional manner the marketplace will do the positioning for you.

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