DIY PR – A disaster in the making
I wrote an article for Dynamic Business nearly a year ago that I want to revisit.
The premise is simple.
Strategic communications, corporate affairs, media relations, PR, issues management, stakeholder relations, crisis communication – these are all specialist fields of advice. So I’m always amazed when I hear horror stories about clients who “got a mate” to do some “PR” and, in the words of the great Cold Chisel (Bow River) …the whole episode went no-where in a hurry.
I hear it a lot. “We sent that media release out and no one called us.”
No, and neither would I. Because I saw that release. It was poorly structured, not written to style, you sent it to t he wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. And so on it goes.
It’s like saying you’ll get a mate to do you tax or financials because they can add up. Or getting a mate to look over some contracts because they did 6 months of law school. Or even better, asking a mate to remove than mole on your back because they work in a hospital.
So here it is in a nutshell folks.
Fact one – DIY strategic coms is like DIY -learning to become a pilot. Not a great idea, bound to ensure you crash and burn.
Fact two – There is more than one tool in the toolbox
Fact three – Relationships bring results. If some mentions “media distribution list” run like the wind. Your advisors should know people on a first name basis and be able to pick up the phone to them, or at least understand how to get to the right reporter without a list.
Fact Four – you get what you pay for. Simple fact is, some people want results that cannot be realistically achieved. Doing it on the cheap will not save you money. Enough said.
Things you should look for in a firm of advisors.
- Work with specialists, not generalists…so a firm that knows what it’s good at, and isn’t caught up trying to be all things to all people.
- A firm with capacity. Bigger isn’t always better, but they need to have the resources to deliver.
- Experience in the right areas – you have a right to know who is doing your work – don’t settle for the B team
- Fun. Do they know how to make it fun, and do they share your DNA?
Gemma as a fellow PR practitioner I agree whole-heartedly with your comments about DIY PR, however I think there are some parts of the relationship-building process business owners CAN do for themselves. This includes making and building contact with their local media (newspapers, radio, TV etc) and social media. Both of these tools are part of PR strategies, but can benefit from the business owner’s personal input.
Johanna
Yes and that’s a strategic decision – is that their core function? Is that how a CEO, GM or senior exec’s time is best spent ? I think not.
Thanks for the comment – appreciate it.
GT
Responding to Gemma, and the feed back letter from Johanna: I do not want to generalize but I have have spoken to a number of PR firms and have been left with a bad taste. Most of the proposals I receive are based on an hourly rate, contain boiler plate material saying how good the firm is, and what activities they execute on my behalf. I know it is impossible to guarantee desired PR results. However, they tell me what they will do but do not attempt to quantify what they will at least strive to achieve. Accordingly, these proposals come across as an open (cheque) book and I can not quantify the value of their proposals.
Actually, Gemma, I disagree. With the right resources and some guidance, a reasonably intelligent business owner can develop and implement an inexpensive PR campaign. I help them do it every day. See, I want small businesses to succeed…they are the foundation of our economy. They can barely keep the lights on right now, let alone pay to outsource PR. Yes, PR CAN be about relationships in some instances, but that is far less frequent. Gone are the days of taking the editor out to lunch to pitch your story. I give small business owners the resources and the guidance necessary to help them create and implement do-it-yourself PR campaigns.
Hi there – Thanks for the comments – Gary, what you’ve said is, unfortunately for our profession, not unusual. My advice ? Look for a strategy based practice that can prove their ability to deliver tangible outcomes based on a clear and well thought out strategy. You shouldn’t settle for what you’ve described. Good luck!
And thanks too Jennifer for your comments – we’ll have to agree to disagree. I can’t say i’ve ever taken anyone out to pitch a story. And when I was a chief of staff, I didn’t operate that way on the flip side. Stories must stand up on their own two legs – full stop. You can give people all of the tools you like, but if they don’t know how to own a relationship and don’t have the respect of the media they’re dealing with, things will be difficult to say the least. Good luck all, thanks for the comments.
Yes as with all other comments appart from the other self marketer. We get excellent PR from relationsips with the media not a firm who has mixed loyaltys and style and attiudes of their industry not ours. As for a good use of the executives time. ABSOLUTELY. The closer they are to the story the better the result. Business owners con’t insulate yourself from the hard work of PR and hide in the cocoon of concultants world and you’ll be like us always in the media, always positive and respected rather than regarded as just another PR package. Great Topic and some good lessons from those in business in this blog and it’s comments.