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PR Articles |
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| Levines Laws For Pitching With Panache |
| Excerpted from "Selling Goodness- The Guerrilla PR GuideTo Promoting Your Charity, Nonprofit Organization, Or Fund Raising Event"
Whether you are making a pitch over the phone or in person, whether to anewspaper or magazine journalist or a reporter or producer in the electronicmedia, there are fundamental rules to follow. To some extent, they coincidewith universal rules that apply to all human relations-courtesy, honesty,respect, integrity-but some of them are relatively unique to media relati More.. |
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| Guerrilla PR- Chapter One |
| THE NATURE OF MEDIA
Thirty years ago, Marshall McCluhan, the father of moderncommunications, wrote the immortal words, "The medium is the message."Today I would amend that to, "The medium is the media." Our civilization isutterly dominated by the force of media. After our own families, no influenceholds greater sway in shaping the text of our being than do the media thatcloak us like an electronic membrane.
We all think of ourselves as unique, unlike any person past or present.Indeed, what giv More.. |
| Read more About Guerrilla PR- Chapter One |
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| Celebrities Cant Have It Both Ways |
| Corporations are willing to pay substantial amounts of money to prominentpersonalities so that consumers will relate the brand with their favorite star,and thus will be more likely to buy the product. The buying public impartscredibility to the celebrity because of his or her charisma as well as thecredibility that comes with prominence in the media. The power of someone'spersonality also entails risks for the brand with which they are associated,because any controversial behavior may reflect ba More.. |
| Read more About Celebrities Cant Have It Both Ways |
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| PR: Focus on What Matters! |
| Sure, as a manager, you have a talented member of the PR team assigned to your department, division or subsidiary, or housed at your agency, and s/he is darn good at placing product and service plugs on radio and in the newspaper. Which may be all you want. And that's fine.
Unfortunately, when your PR folks concentrate primarily on tactical fixes like publicity placements, at least be aware of what you are NOT getting.
You don't get a comprehensive effort that persuades those important outside More.. |
| Read more About PR: Focus on What Matters! |
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| The Role Of Public Relations In Branding |
| Because PR can be difficult to control, it is often discredited. According to DickLyles, president and chief operating officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, afull-service consulting and performance improvement company, "People tendto migrate to things they can control. Even now, when an executive looks at anadvertising message that's exactly what they want to create, with exactly theright positioning and so forth, they say, 'That's the message I want to send.'That's great, even though people m More.. |
| Read more About The Role Of Public Relations In Branding |
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| Anatomy Of A PR Campaign |
| The message is determined by analyzing the brand being marketed, and doingso with clear vision and self-knowledge. Too many marketing executives relyon their own concept of the brand's identity, and never bother to discover whatattributes the public has assigned to a product. Just because you've decidedthat you want to project a certain image doesn't mean that's the image you'reprojecting. Extremely high-profile marketing campaigns have failed becausenot enough market research and communication More.. |
| Read more About Anatomy Of A PR Campaign |
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| Cultivating Positive Media Relationships |
| Some people think that publicity is all about paparazzi snapping photos of celebs and intruding into their private lives -- or as Woodward and Bernstein blowing the lid off of a government scandal. But, as a small business owner, publicity is actually one of your greatest allies! People who read about you in the newspaper or hear an interview with you on the radio will sit up and take notice -- much more notice than if they simply see a flier of yours posted at the Laundromat. But you have to be More.. |
| Read more About Cultivating Positive Media Relationships |
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| Do You Really Need PR? |
| The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that puts you in charge of the care and feeding of a lot of people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you're going to be?
As that manager, it also helps if you accept the fact that you need the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that helps you reach your business, non-profit or association objectives.
And it's also helpful if you believe it's a good idea to try and persuade those important outside folks to your way of thinki More.. |
| Read more About Do You Really Need PR? |
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| Why Do You Want PR? |
| To get someone's name in the newspaper or a product mention on a radio talk show?
If that's all you expect, fine. But that response tells me that, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may have overlooked an important reality: people act on their own perception of the facts, leading to predictable behaviors about which something can be done on your behalf.
And you may be compounding that error by failing to insist that your department, division or subsidiary PR people make this More.. |
| Read more About Why Do You Want PR? |
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| PR: Time For a New Playbook? |
| When your public relations results pretty much depend on whether your news item gets used in a newspaper column or on a radio talk show, you may be ready for a fresh approach.
Why not shoot for a 1-2 PR punch?
First, focus sharply on those external audiences who play a major role in just how successful a business, non-profit or association manager you will be.
And second, use the proactive public relations blueprint outlined below to help you persuade those important outside stakeholders to y More.. |
| Read more About PR: Time For a New Playbook? |
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| Managers, Have You Been Shortchanged? |
| You have been if you're a business, non-profit or association manager whose public relations budget is focused largely on nifty brochures, column mentions and broadcast plugs. Especially without a workable plan that helps you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.
A plan, say, like this one: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which le More.. |
| Read more About Managers, Have You Been Shortchanged? |
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| Managers, Got a Grip on Your PR? |
| What are you trying to do with your business, non-profit or association public relations program? Get a little publicity for a service or product? Or, perhaps, you're doing what you really should do, persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.
To reach that objective, and get a real grip on your PR effort, you need a model like this: people act on their own perception of the More.. |
| Read more About Managers, Got a Grip on Your PR? |
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| A Managers PR Paradigm |
| If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a business, non-profit or association, your primary public relations model probably should read this way: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accom More.. |
| Read more About A Managers PR Paradigm |
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| Know What Matters Most About PR? |
| When, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you are able to persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your department, division or subsidiary's success.
And again when those outside stakeholder behaviors deliver results like more people returning to buy again, new prospects sniffing around, individual capital gift levels rising, or more inquiries arriving about strategic alliances and joint ventures.
It especially m More.. |
| Read more About Know What Matters Most About PR? |
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| Managers Need Basic PR |
| True, because department, division or subsidiary managers for a business, non-profit or association really DO need a dynamic yet workable blueprint for reaching those key outside groups of people who have a big say about how successful those managers are going to be.
Unfortunately, a primary emphasis on communications tactics does not take the place of a well thought-out public relations plan for persuading your most important external audiences to your way of thinking, then moving them to take More.. |
| Read more About Managers Need Basic PR |
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| PR Going According to Plan? |
| Think carefully! You're a department, division or subsidiary manager for a business, non-profit or association and you really need to achieve your operating objectives.
But even a yes response to the headline above leaves the really big question unanswered - does your current public relations plan help persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success?
If the answer to that question is uncertain or even no, change i More.. |
| Read more About PR Going According to Plan? |
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| Managerial Survival Key |
| or business, non-profit or association managers like yourself, survival pretty much depends on whether you achieve, or fail to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives.
Which strongly suggests that, if you haven't already done so, you may wish to employ a set of tools that will help you persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success.
The tools comprise the fundamental premise of public relations More.. |
| Read more About Managerial Survival Key |
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| Mission-Critical Public Relations? |
| As a business, non-profit or association manager, any tool that helps you reach your department, division or subsidiary objective IS mission-critical.
And particularly so when that tool helps you persuade your most important external stakeholders to your way of thinking, and then moves them to take actions that lead to your success.
Here is such a mission-critical tool. One that lets you get serious about your public relations. It shifts the emphasis away from communications tactics to a worka More.. |
| Read more About Mission-Critical Public Relations? |
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| When Managers Play the PR Card |
| The payoff for business, non-profit or association managers can be a real assist towards meeting their department, division or subsidiary objectives.
Playing that public relations card means they've decided to pursue their objectives by reaching, persuading and moving those outside audiences whose behaviors most affect their organizations, to actions those managers desire.
Here's a blueprint to help them do just that: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to More.. |
| Read more About When Managers Play the PR Card |
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| How Managers Hit PR Paydirt |
| As a business, non-profit or association manager, you'll know it's PR paydirt when you're able to persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your department, division or subsidiary's success.
Proof of the pudding will be outside stakeholder behaviors like increasing repeat purchases, more inquiries about strategic alliances, new specifiers of your components, more membership inquiries, or a jump in capital contributions.
But to More.. |
| Read more About How Managers Hit PR Paydirt |
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| The Best PR Has to Offer Managers |
| How cool is this? You're a business, non-profit or association manager. You decide to get serious about your public relations and shift the spotlight away from communications tactics. You implement an action blueprint that (1), helps you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking. And then (2), helps move them to take actions that lead to your success as a department, division or subsidiary manager.
It comes into sharper focus when that public relations blueprint helps deli More.. |
| Read more About The Best PR Has to Offer Managers |
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| Not Getting the PR Results You Want? |
| The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit or association manager, you're too focused on communi- cations tactics and not on a workable blueprint for dealing with those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect your department, division or subsidiary.
If this sounds familiar, the blueprint I refer to provides the tools required to persuade those key external stakeholders to your way of thinking. Then, hopefully, move them to take actions that lead to your success.
More.. |
| Read more About Not Getting the PR Results You Want? |
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| Managers: Are You PR-Fit? |
| Can you honestly say that your business, non-profit or association's key outside audiences behave in ways that help lead to your success on-the-job?
Or, have you pretty much ignored the reality that target audience behaviors can help or hinder you in achieving your department, division or subsidiary's operating objectives?
Truth is, your unit's public relations effort can never be truly fit until the primary focus of the PR people assigned to you is shifted from tactical concerns to a more com More.. |
| Read more About Managers: Are You PR-Fit? |
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| Dont Expect to Bump Oprah From A Magazine Cover |
| "I want a pony, a tree house and the fastest bike in the world."
"I want the G.I. Joe with the parachute and camouflage Jeep."
Those wants from when we were children haven't changed much now that we have traded in our play clothes for suits and ties. When I sit down with clients, I always ask them what they want out of their publicity campaign so I can create a realistic list of expectations.
But I usually hear:
"Front page of the Wall Street Journal."
"I want to sit next to Katie and Matt. More.. |
| Read more About Dont Expect to Bump Oprah From A Magazine Cover |
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| Managers and PR Genius |
| The real public relations geniuses might be managers. You know, managers who pursue their objectives by reaching, persuading and moving those outside audiences whose behavior most affect their organizations, to actions those managers desire.
Their "secret" is probably a PR blueprint something like this one: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reach More.. |
| Read more About Managers and PR Genius |
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| Something New For Managers? |
| A new public relations blueprint could be a good idea if you're a business, non-profit or association manager who's not getting the important external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives.
You know, behaviors like more people interested in your services or products, or more capital contributions coming in the door, or more corporate membership applications hitting your desk.
While those kinds of behaviors may warm the cockles of a manager's More.. |
| Read more About Something New For Managers? |
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| If Your PR Cant Do This, Bag It! |
| As a business, non-profit or association manager, why continue a public relations effort that doesn't deliver the key external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives?
Time for a change. One that will base your PR effort on a fundamental premise that makes sense. And one that actually leads to outside audience behaviors like these: new proposals for joint ventures or strategic alliances, prospective buyers browsing your services or products, spe More.. |
| Read more About If Your PR Cant Do This, Bag It! |
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| Hey, Mr/Ms Manager! |
| Does it really make sense to bet your PR budget on results like newspaper mentions and zippy brochures while your all-important outside audience behaviors are probably receiving much less attention than they need?
I mean, the concern is valid. What your most important external audiences believe about your organization, and then to what behaviors those perceptions lead, has a lot to do with whether it - and you - succeed.
Ignore that reality and you invite a lot of pain and suffering. But, bite More.. |
| Read more About Hey, Mr/Ms Manager! |
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| Get Outsiders on Your Side |
| Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose job success depends in large part on the behaviors of their key external audiences.
I refer to behaviors like inquiries on the increase, new waves of specialized employment applications, more and more followup purchases, new levels of membership queries, a substantial boost in capital donations, or more frequent component specifications by engineering firms.
If you are such a manager, you almost assuredly need help More.. |
| Read more About Get Outsiders on Your Side |
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| Managers Who Leave PR to Others |
| You're a business, non-profit or association manager who needs to achieve your organizational objectives on schedule. Since public relations should be helping you do just that, why leave it wholly in the hands of others?
In your own best interest, get personally involved in your public relations effort and ask the PR team servicing your department, division or subsidiary a few questions.
Are they focused on a workable, comprehensive plan for producing those key external audience behaviors like More.. |
| Read more About Managers Who Leave PR to Others |
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| Make Your PR Budget Work Harder |
| Do it by restructuring your business, non-profit or association public relations program so that it delivers the stakeholder behavior changes you want. Changes that lead directly to achieving your objectives.
A good first step is to base the restructure on a reality like this: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-d More.. |
| Read more About Make Your PR Budget Work Harder |
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| PR: Lets Talk Fundamentals |
| How much more fundamental can you get than this? As a business, non-profit or association manager, if you don't get your most important outside audiences on your side, you will fail.
To me, failure means key target audiences that don't behave as you want them to. For example, capital donors or specifying sources who look the other way, customers who fail to make repeat purchases, community leaders working closely with your competitors, prospects still doing business with others, organizations l More.. |
| Read more About PR: Lets Talk Fundamentals |
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| Are You a PR Chowderhead? |
| You are if you stand by while your public relations people futz around with communications tactics instead of nailing down those outside audience behaviors that help you reach your objectives.
No slap at communications tactics. They come in real handy at the right time, as noted later in this piece.
But the real public relations opportunity lies with this reality: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done More.. |
| Read more About Are You a PR Chowderhead? |
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| Publicrelationistas? |
| Is that what we are? Fanatic, over-the-top disciples of some wretched obsession?
Well, maybe not fanatic, or even wretched or obsessive, but certainly SOLD on the reality that people act on their own perception of the facts before them, leading to predictable behaviors. And equally sold on the next step too, create, change or reinforce that perception/opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization.
Why am I sold on what amounts More.. |
| Read more About Publicrelationistas? |
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| How About MANAGING Your Own PR? |
| It's one thing for a senior manager to approve story angles for the publicity folks to use in shopping around for print and broadcast placements. Not an especially large amount of managing needed there.
It's quite another matter, however, when that senior manager, with the best interests of his or her own department or unit in mind, actually overlooks the reality that people act on their own perception of the facts, leading to predictable behaviors about which something can be done on his or he More.. |
| Read more About How About MANAGING Your Own PR? |
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| Are You PR-Challenged? |
| You won't be if you accept a very simple premise. Here, in just two sentences, is your pathway to effective public relations. A pathway that lets you target the kind of stake- holder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.
People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people wh More.. |
| Read more About Are You PR-Challenged? |
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| Dont Need No Stinking PR? |
| Almost assuredly you do, especially when your most important external and internal audiences behave in ways that stop you from achieving your organizational objectives.
With that attitude, you could have a long wait before you see community leaders strengthening their bonds with you; customers making repeat purchases; unions bargaining more frequently in good faith; prospects becoming customers; employees beginning to value their jobs; political leaders and legislators starting to think of you More.. |
| Read more About Dont Need No Stinking PR? |
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| Dont Put Up With Junk PR |
| n public relations, "junk" is more about attitude and lack of understanding than a measure of quality.
Hopefully, if your public relations mission is yet to be accomplished, you agree that its primary thrust MUST be to take advantage of the fact that people act on their own perception of the facts before them leading to predictable behaviors. Then create, change or reinforce that perception/opinion by reaching, persuading and moving to actions YOU desire, those people whose behaviors most affec More.. |
| Read more About Dont Put Up With Junk PR |
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| Public Relations Mixup? |
| When you pay good money for public relations services, you have a right to expect its primary focus to be on your most important outside audiences, those people whose behaviors have the greatest impact on your operation.
Often, however, that primary focus is limited to a communi- cations tactics debate about the relative merits of brochures versus press releases versus newsletters instead of planning how to achieve those key audience behaviors that directly support your business objectives and More.. |
| Read more About Public Relations Mixup? |
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| Why PR Packs a Punch |
| Done right, it delivers the key, target audience behaviors you know you must have to achieve your organizational objectives.
I refer to perceptions of your organization, and resulting behaviors such as:
* customers making repeat purchases;
* prospects starting to do business with you;
* employees really valuing their jobs;
* suppliers doing all possible to expand your relationship;
* community leaders strengthening bonds with you;
* businesses seeking beneficial jo More.. |
| Read more About Why PR Packs a Punch |
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| Get PR Off the Bench |
| Something that results in your most important outside audiences doing what you need them to do should not be warming the bench.
But that's exactly what's happening at organizations that allow their public relations people to play games with tactics like newsletters, press releases and brochures instead of aggressively pursuing the major benefits PR can provide.
If this describes your public relations program, why not give real PR a chance, especially since you're already paying for it?
Tell y More.. |
| Read more About Get PR Off the Bench |
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| I Cant Afford A PR/Publicity Campaign -- Can I? |
| It's a phrase I hear over and over again from many entrepreneurs, small businesses owners and inventors: "I'd love to hire someone to launch our publicity campaign professionally, but we can't afford it, so I'm just going to have to do it on my own."
Over the past several months, I have been conducting an informal survey among entrepreneurs and business owners who have contacted me about my services. I have found that due to their lack of information or knowledge on the topic, many businesses t More.. |
| Read more About I Cant Afford A PR/Publicity Campaign -- Can I? |
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| Public Relations: Why it Works |
| The short answer is, it works best when its fundamental premise is the guide, which insures that the primary focus of your public relations program is the behaviors of your most important outside audiences. Not less urgent matters like personalities, communi- cations tactics or administrative concerns.
PR strives to effectively manage the perceptions and behaviors of your outside audiences with the goal of helping you achieve your organizational objectives.
Pretty important stuff.
But not dif More.. |
| Read more About Public Relations: Why it Works |
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