Checkmate - Speaking

How to get the most from your PR firm - 10 tips

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:24:00-0400

The relationship between a company and its public relations firm is often compared to a marriage. There are good ones, bad ones, and lots of variations in between.

Great relationships succeed for a variety of reasons; one of the keys to success is the internal (client side) contact. Bruce MacDonald, SVP Communications for ACCION International – a 30-year veteran whose experience includes a 10-year stint as a journalist – believes there are several behaviors and philosophies that directly impact the success of client/agency relationships:

Tell your PR firm what’s going on – “Don’t treat them like a vendor, treat them like a partner; don’t leave them in the dark. Make sure the account team understands which direction the ship is being steered and what the destination is,” MacDonald said.
Embrace objective outside counsel – Companies should hire PR firms because they add value and perspective not found within. Don’t squelch independent thinking, embrace it, MacDonald advises. “If the agency offers no added value in terms of objective judgment based on its own experience, then it’s of no value to the client. Don’t be afraid to tell your emperor when he’s not wearing any clothes."
Trust – An agency/client relationship has to be based on mutual trust; without it the relationship fails. “In return for me sharing sensitive information, the agency needs to be a creative picture of discretion. I need them to internalize confidential information and help me brainstorm new ideas to work through issues and opportunities. While that takes time, it’s also the way to keep the relationship fresh a long time,” MacDonald noted.
Use their mind, not just arms and legs – Although PR firms provide "arms and legs" support, you’re selling the relationship short if that’s all you use them for. “While PR agencies understand their clients rely on them to execute the tactics, they also want to be admired for their minds. Invite fresh left-brain thinking and you’ll both win. This is more vital than ever with grassroots social media transforming everything.”
Respect your agency – “Respect is rocket science based on its relative dearth in today’s society. I’m always amazed at the number of client-side people who believe that fee-for-service equates to servitude and a suspension of courtesy,” MacDonald explained.
Face-to-face is very, very good – In this era of impersonal e-mail, MacDonald believes it’s crucial to bring the PR agency account team in for as much face to face as possible, budget allowing. “Aim for a minimum of one face-to-face per month. More if possible. Once in awhile, get out of the typical meeting mode and spend time together in a different setting.”
Seeing is better than telling – “If you want your PR agency to orchestrate a successful new product launch, bring them in for a briefing so they can see it up close and personal. This will ignite understanding and creative thinking.”
Understand your own customers – Because PR firms are on the front lines with traditional media and social media, they understand the persuasive impact of customer and consumer validation. “As clients, we need a thorough understanding of how our consumers are engaged with our brand. The best stories reside with them; it’s our job to help the agency cultivate relationships and engagement.”
Manage expectations internally – “Unreasonable, unmanaged or unmet expectations are the single point of failure in an otherwise sound relationship. If your agency legitimately tells you something isn’t possible, then don’t let your own executives continue to believe it is possible. Close the loop ASAP and bring expectations in line.”
Share your own MBOs – It’s important to make sure client-side folks communicate (to the agency) the specific goals they – personally – are being tasked with. “If your MBO is to increase social media visibility 50% over the next 90 days, then make sure your PR agency understands this so they can help you achieve this objective in the right timeframe … or fine-tune your MBO so it’s a realizable stretch.”

Three themes for Obama's inauguration speech

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:53:00-0400

A business reporter called me today. He’s interviewing communications executives, asking them one question:

What would you say to Barack Obama about his inauguration speech? What themes would you suggest to capture or transcend the mood of the times?

This is what I told him.

Mr. President, this is the most challenging time our nation has seen in 80 years. You were elected because America wanted – desperately needed – change. You offered vision and hope for a better today, a better tomorrow.

You must continue making people feel hopeful. Without hope, we become embroiled in doom and despair, and the downward cycle gets worse. You can break this spiral of negativity and put us on a new track that goes up the mountain.

But hope by itself isn’t enough.

Mr. President, it’s time to take concrete action to improve things. You need to give the American people a clear path. Tell us what’s most important, why, and when things need to happen.

And finally, continue to talk to the American people like you did throughout your campaign. You became President by empowering. You inspired people, yes, but you inspired because you reached out to them, included them, sought out their opinions and urged them to get involved. You made them feel important again and gave them a voice. You understood how a true democracy emanates from the bottom-up, at a grassroots level, not from a top-down autocracy.

It’s not about Barack Obama, it’s about what we, the American people, can do together to mobilize change. So please tell us what we need to do and how we can make a difference. Don’t shy away from telling us what we need to hear.

So Mr. President, three things:
1. Hope
2. Action
3. Together

Will virtual events replace traditional shows?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:22:00-0400

Today we are pleased to have guest-blogger Kim Orso, a Director of Beaupre’s Speakers Bureau, to discuss virtual vs. in-person trade shows.

There truly is a trade show or conference for everything – The Bead and Button Show, Totally Tools, The Shreveport Hunters Show. Name the industry, chances are there’s some event out there to support it. As a matter of fact, I just learned there are 13,000 events produced annually in the U.S. and Canada. This was reported in “The future of business events: Why trade shows live on” written by Columbia Business School marketing professor and author of Trade Show and Event Marketing, Ruth P. Stevens.

Ruth’s article paints a very rosy picture for the future of live trade shows and conferences. She reports that the leading platform for virtual trade shows, Unisfair, claims to have run more than 300 virtual events on behalf of companies, trade associations and other organizations. Even though that number continues to grow, the virtual event hardly seems to be a threat to the traditional trade show.

Ruth spent a year and a half researching the business event scene in order to write her book. She argues that, historically, communications media (with the exception of the telegraph) have adapted and co-existed as new media channels have been introduced. As an example, television isn’t going away because of the Internet, it’s just changing how it does business. She sees integrated marketing communications as a way to success and says the Internet and live events should work in tandem. She also argues that online interaction can’t replace face-to-face contact.

I completely agree with Ruth on her assessment of the trade show industry. My brother-in-law has been selling paper to book and magazine publishers for more than 20 years now, and he’s frequently been asked how business is faring with the proliferation of the Internet. He responds positively by saying that we will always need paper, because of the three “B’s” – beach, bed and bathroom.

I look at trade shows in the same vein. They won’t ever go away because of the three “P’s” – product, people and productivity. Attendees want to touch, see and experience new products being introduced to market. Exhibiting companies like to meet face-to-face with potential and existing customers and partners. And, as long as companies pick the right events and properly prepare for a trade show, business can be very productive when prospects and partners congregate under one roof.

While the advent of the virtual event is intriguing and many online tradeshows have been successfully launched (see Stratus Technologies’ upcoming Availability Summit), the Internet doesn’t appear to be a real threat to the face-to-face venue. Instead, they can supplement each other and help companies get the most out of their marketing dollars.

- Kim Orso, Director Speakers Bureau

Obama's lesson for PR pros

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:24:00-0400

I just read the transcript of Barack Obama’s recent speech on race, prompted by his minister’s fiery sermons. Whatever your politics, it was a refreshingly honest, sophisticated and, consequently, powerful address on a controversial topic.

No one really knows how it will affect his candidacy, and that’s not what this post is about. As CNN analyst David Gergen said, it was just refreshing to hear a candidate speak to the public as thinking adults, not children.

There’s a lesson here for high-tech communications professionals, who are continually skewered for engaging in a galling idiom of press-release-ese (example) and BS that simply disrespects its audience. Sometimes the least common denominator exerts a gravitational pull.

As professional communicators, let’s remind ourselves that it's almost always worth the effort to battle for plain speak and authenticity, expressing respect for our readers, listeners and viewers.

Heidi Klum and trade shows

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:19:00-0400

Since I just watched the premiere of one of my favorite TV shows, Project Runway, I thought it timely to use Heidi Klum’s famous catch phrase regarding a topic on a lot of our minds: trade shows, “Are they in or are they out?”

Like most of my compatriots, I frequently attend events to deepen connections with clients and meet new people. I find the experience extremely valuable and enjoy seeing, live and in person, what’s new in a particular industry. Lately though, I’ve noticed an eerie quiet at the convention halls that makes me wonder: Are trade shows just a place for exhibitors to “dress up for each other” as Van Morrison would say, or are they helping drive revenue as they were always intended?

I decided to conduct my own informal on-floor poll at several recent events to find out what people think about trade shows in general. Are they working? Do they generate quality leads? Is the investment worth it? Are people more interested in virtual trade shows as discussed in this BtoB magazine article and this Beaupre Endgame article?

About 75% of those surveyed agree that trade shows have definitely become less of a lead gen tool and more of a brand building tool, but even those who see value in attending for brand building purposes say the financial investment (usually substantial) often doesn’t translate into a big return. About 80% of the companies I talked to are narrowing their trade show schedules so exhibition and sponsorship dollars are spent on only one or two of their “sweet spot” shows per year. People also told me that in a lot of cases their companies believe it’s important to “be there” to avoid speculation that something is wrong with their company. That reason doesn’t seem like a good use of precious marketing dollars to me.

I want to know what you think. How many trade shows will you attend in 2008? Are you exploring any virtual trade shows yet? Do trade shows generate quality leads for your company? In your opinion, are traditional trade shows in or do we need to say Auf Wiedersehen?