"WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS?"

Some years back, I had a client who would always have a folder for me – stuffed with papers – each time I came to his office.

Invariably, the papers were marketing or PR campaigns done by other companies. And on every one of them were the scribbled words: “Why aren’t we doing this?”

Several times, I tried to explain to him that there were numerous reasons we weren’t doing this…among them:

* Just because that particular medium or campaign was appropriate for some other companies, didn’t necessarily mean it was appropriate for his company.

* Because the way you distinguish yourself – in both PR and marketing – is not to do what everyone else is doing. Quite often, I’ve found, it’s to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

* Because if you echo the same line as everyone else, your own voice will get lost in the crowd.

* Because you have to develop – and continually reinforce – your own specific message, and your own USP.

* And, lastly, because I – the expert whom you hired as your PR counsel – didn’t believe those particular media or strategies were best for your company.

I found it offensive to be asked, “Why aren’t we doing this?”

I tried explaining it to him on two or three different occasions. And then, rather than explain any more, I fired him. My explanation was simple: I only worked with clients who wanted original thinking, rather than just to follow the crowd.

That was about eleven years ago. And, recently, I fired another client who asked the same question. My reasoning was a bit different this time, though.

He would send me e-mails almost every day – sometimes several a day – with info about some company or campaign, and then the question: “Why aren’t we doing this?”

So – in the spirit of experimentation, and keeping an open mind – I started doing this, in addition to implementing the strategies that I had first proposed (and that he had agreed on).

Lo and behold, after about a month, he asked why his invoices were so high. I explained to him that, in addition to the strategies he and I had originally agreed upon, he was always asking me to pursue this. And that, as a professional with over twenty years of successful public relations experience…I actually expected to be paid for the work I did.

He grumbled a sort-of acceptance. Then, a week later, he e-mailed me that, unless we could lower his costs, he might not be able to afford PR counsel any more. So I e-mailed him back – “You’re fired!”

Simply put, the money wasn’t worth the aggravation.

My moral of the story(ies)?

Beware any client who says “Why aren’t we doing this?”

Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
www.winstoncommunications.com
steve@winstoncommunications.com

DO WE REALLY WANT A "SEAT AT THE TABLE?"

Members of the PRSA Counselors Academy gave encouraging answers in a national survey about the practice of public relations. Their answers show some promising trends about how we see the future, as well as a sense of ethics responsibility. If I had voted, however, I would have taken things a step farther.

Right after listing "providing authentic strategic counsel" as a priority, I think we should add another one - "Providing authentic strategic leadership." What I mean by this is going a step farther than just counseling senior management how to approach a certain strategy. I mean that we should have the guts – risky as it may seem, and even if the strategy in question is theirs – to tell them if we believe the strategy will not deliver the desired results. I mean that we should be telling them, if circumstances merit, that no matter how hard you publicize a bad product or service...it's still a bad product or service. And - as we're seeing repeatedly these days - sooner or later, if you don't have anything really worth publicizing, it comes back to bite you.

Sound a bit confusing? Let me give you some real-world examples of reputations that could have been saved.

Suppose, some years back, GM's (and Ford's, and Chrysler's) PR people had told senior management, "We're producing lousy cars that do not excite people. Instead of spending millions to publicize and advertise these lousy cars, why don't we start concentrating on producing better cars? Then we can create communications strategies that demonstrate and reinforce that 'quality' image...in a credible way. And, that way, everybody who drives one of our cars can become a brand ambassador with friends and family."

What if, a year or two ago, AIG's PR people (or agency) had told senior management what at least a few of them must have been thinking? For example, "It's really not a good time to be planning an event that people might see as over-the-top, when the company's in so much trouble."

What if Wells Fargo's PR people had said the same thing?

What if AIG's PR team or agency had said to management last year, "Are you really sure you want to give out such bonuses, at a time when we're accepting billions of dollars from the taxpayers?"

We should be providing leadership, as well as counsel, if we ever genuinely want a "seat at the table." It's easy to say we want that seat. But we may never get it until we have the guts to take a stand. It's risky, for sure. But, suppose - just suppose - AIG's PR team had been able to spare them the outrage that's still attached to their brand? Suppose they had counseled management not to have that meeting, or at least to have it in a different place, and to tone it down? Suppose they had counseled management not to give out such huge bonuses to some of the same people who helped destroy the company? They would have saved the company billions. They would have saved it from debtor-status for the coming years. And they would have prevented the loss of millions of potential customers who now would never even think of doing business with AIG.

There must be some CEOs out there who would appreciate that kind of leadership!

Yes, I know what yu're saying right now...that there are many - maybe even the majority - who don't want to hear it.

Several years back, I sat in a meeting with the senior management of a professional sports franchise that had been mediocre for years...and, as a result, was hemorrhaging fans, and hemorrhaging goodwill. After listening to them toss around ideas for "marketing" promotions for about ten minutes, I interrupted the conversation.

"Gentlemen," I said, "instead of spending all these millions on promotions that will never buy long-term goodwill, how about trying the best marketing plan of all...spending the money on better players?" They all looked at me with surprise, and a bit of hesitation.

Finally, the CEO said, "We'd love to, Steve. Ideally, that's what we want to do. But we just can't afford it right now."

My answer was simple: "We can't afford not to. Promotions may put fannies in the seats for a game or two. But good players put fannies in the seats every game." I purposely hesitated for a moment, while they thought about it. And then I added, "You can put a coat of paint on a 1960 Studebaker. But it's still a 1960 Studebaker. And, after driving it once or twice, no one's going to want to drive it again."

Happily, I was able to change the culture a bit. And they did go after better players.

All this is by way of saying that we not only need to provide strategic counsel. We also need to be able to remind management that the best marketing of all is a better product, if that's what we really believe.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is when we'll really deserve that "seat at the table."

Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com

DON'T CALL ME A PUBLICIST!

As a PR practitioner for many years in the corporate world, and now as the owner of an award-winning PR/Marketing practice, I'm very uncomfortable when someone refers to me as a "publicist."

I consider myself a "Public Relations Professional" - someone who helps people or companies tell their stories; someone who creates effective communications strategies and objectives; and someone who works very hard at establishing "relations" with the media. To me, a publicist has always had a somewhat-glitzy connotation...a pushy, in-your-face Hollywood-type who represents other Hollywood-types, and who will do just about anything to achieve "publicity" for that Hollywood-type (or for themselves).

Our profession seems to have - and probably always will have - an image problem. I can't tell you how many times, when I've told people that I'm a "Public Relations Professional," I get a knowing wink, along with "Wow, that must be great! Going to all those parties, on yachts..." I've given up trying to explain to those people what I do, because they're never going to get it, anyway.

It's for those reasons, among others, that I have a problem with being called a "publicist." That name implies, to me, a release-flinger and a contact-list and cell-phone junkie who may not have any real communications skills.

I don't "get publicity" for my clients. I create strategies to position and explain their stories - if I think they have worthwhile stories to explain - to their various publics. In so doing, I help them achieve higher visibility, enhanced reputation, and increased business. And that's being a "Public Relations Professional."

Don't get me wrong; there's probably a real need for "publicists" in this world, especially for movie stars, entertainers, and writers on book-tours. Just don't call me one.

I've been doing this for twenty years; generally six, and often seven, days a week; for 10-14 hours a day. And I just don't like being labeled a "publicist."

By the way, the last yacht party I've been to was about six years ago. And the time before that...I can't even remember.

Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com