My advertising brothers and sisters are going to hate me for saying this, but...
Ad agencies are finally realizing what PR can give that they can't - third-party credibility. Which may be why some of them are starting to offer services that blur the line between advertising and PR. And which may be why, over the past several years, a couple of major ad agencies have spoken to me about starting up Public Relations departments for them.
When a company gets written about in print or online, or gets positive broadcast coverage, that's more effective than ten technolgically-wizardous Super Bowl ads.
Let's face it, advertising - particularly broadcast - has never been more visually smashing or interesting than it is today. Yet, it often comes off as "eye candy." Particularly in times such as this, it just doesn't seem, in most cases, to generate the appropriate sales. Take the aforementioned Super Bowl ads, for instance. A few days after the Super Bowl, I often ask people if they can remember which products that specific ads - even the most interesting ones - were for. And very few of them can remember.
One of the reasons is that we get bombarded, these days, by about 17,000 messages a day - many of them, perhaps most of them, marketing messages. And many of those messages are only 30 or 60 seconds, flashing by us in a frantic 24/7 whirl, only to be replaced by the next mini-message.
Public relations, though - when done correctly - has the innate ability to generate top-of-mind consciousness that can stay top-of-mind. Rather than getting lost in the never-ending swirl of messages, an effective public relations message has "legs" - it can serve to continually reinforce the original message. And, when that happens, that message is hard to forget. And it usually generates business.
Bottom line? I'll be the first to say that there is definitely a place for honest, ethical, creative advertising in this world. But one inescapable truth remains. Advertising is bought and paid for. Public relations is earned.
Start the debate, folks!
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
IS THE BIG-AGENCY MODEL BROKEN?
There's a major - perhaps fatal - flaw in the big-PR-agency model. The flaw is the model itself. It really hasn't changed all that much, while the rest of the world has.
In my experience, big agencies often get caught up in bells and whistles, rather than substantive strategies. And this is true even in the pitching stage, before they even have the account.
As former Director of Public Relations for a substantial public company, I've sat through a lot of big-agency presentations over the years. And to say they were long on style and short on substance is a dramatic understatement.
True, they each trotted out their home-run hitters for the presentation...but we knew that, if we hired them, that would probably be the last time we'd see the big stars. The actual work would be done by minor-leaguers.
These presentations were invariably masterpieces of technical wizardry, meant to prove that this particular agency was on the cutting-edge of technology. And they piled on layer after layer of reasons why we should hire them...how wonderful they were, how talented, how "proprietary" their "advanced" systems were, how thrilled their clients were, their company's history, etc. (Suffice it to say that, after a half-hour or so of this, my eyeballs were not the only ones in the room that were rolling.)
What they didn't do, however, was to ask us about our needs. To ask us about our internal structures. To ask us about our goals and objectives. To ask us how we would measure results. To show us that they had any understanding at all of our company's history, or our company's clients, or our company's areas of pain.
They didn't ask questions. They didn't probe. They didn't show any interest at all in getting to know our company or our markets. They didn't show any interest at all in learning what we expected from an agency relationship.
And they didn't get our business, either. After sitting through a number of dog-and-pony shows, we decided to keep the work in-house.
It's dangerous to generalize, of course. But it just may be that, in this day and age, when swiftness and flexibility and real-time responses and fewer layers of management/accountability and increased personal initiative are required, that many larger agencies can't keep up. Or haven't learned how to keep up.
It just may be that many haven't yet learned that technology is - still - not as important as talent. That bells and whistles are - still, and hopefully never - as important as substance. That stifling corporate structure is not as effective - especially when a quick response/action is called for - as individual initiative. That top-down management is not as nimble as employee-empowered management. That bloated "org charts" and command-structures serve only to inhibit timely response. And that one pro who knows what he's doing is worth more than ten juniors who just push "send" buttons without having a clue as to the real principles of effective public relations practice.
No one should be saying that the era of the big agency is over. What I'm saying, however, is that these agencies need to do what the rest of us have been working on for a while now - change your structure, your management philosophies, and your operating systems to reflect the fact that we're in a new age. That things are changing - daily - and we must change with them. That what worked in the past will not work today.
That most clients, or potential clients, don't give a damn about what you did for others in the past...they only care about what you can do for them today. And that the best way to prove what you can do for them is by asking questions about them...not bragging about yourself.
If big agencies have the foresight and the strength - and the courage - to adapt to this new world, there's no reason they can't flourish.
But right now, in some cases, the big-agency model may be in need of some real structural overhaul.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
In my experience, big agencies often get caught up in bells and whistles, rather than substantive strategies. And this is true even in the pitching stage, before they even have the account.
As former Director of Public Relations for a substantial public company, I've sat through a lot of big-agency presentations over the years. And to say they were long on style and short on substance is a dramatic understatement.
True, they each trotted out their home-run hitters for the presentation...but we knew that, if we hired them, that would probably be the last time we'd see the big stars. The actual work would be done by minor-leaguers.
These presentations were invariably masterpieces of technical wizardry, meant to prove that this particular agency was on the cutting-edge of technology. And they piled on layer after layer of reasons why we should hire them...how wonderful they were, how talented, how "proprietary" their "advanced" systems were, how thrilled their clients were, their company's history, etc. (Suffice it to say that, after a half-hour or so of this, my eyeballs were not the only ones in the room that were rolling.)
What they didn't do, however, was to ask us about our needs. To ask us about our internal structures. To ask us about our goals and objectives. To ask us how we would measure results. To show us that they had any understanding at all of our company's history, or our company's clients, or our company's areas of pain.
They didn't ask questions. They didn't probe. They didn't show any interest at all in getting to know our company or our markets. They didn't show any interest at all in learning what we expected from an agency relationship.
And they didn't get our business, either. After sitting through a number of dog-and-pony shows, we decided to keep the work in-house.
It's dangerous to generalize, of course. But it just may be that, in this day and age, when swiftness and flexibility and real-time responses and fewer layers of management/accountability and increased personal initiative are required, that many larger agencies can't keep up. Or haven't learned how to keep up.
It just may be that many haven't yet learned that technology is - still - not as important as talent. That bells and whistles are - still, and hopefully never - as important as substance. That stifling corporate structure is not as effective - especially when a quick response/action is called for - as individual initiative. That top-down management is not as nimble as employee-empowered management. That bloated "org charts" and command-structures serve only to inhibit timely response. And that one pro who knows what he's doing is worth more than ten juniors who just push "send" buttons without having a clue as to the real principles of effective public relations practice.
No one should be saying that the era of the big agency is over. What I'm saying, however, is that these agencies need to do what the rest of us have been working on for a while now - change your structure, your management philosophies, and your operating systems to reflect the fact that we're in a new age. That things are changing - daily - and we must change with them. That what worked in the past will not work today.
That most clients, or potential clients, don't give a damn about what you did for others in the past...they only care about what you can do for them today. And that the best way to prove what you can do for them is by asking questions about them...not bragging about yourself.
If big agencies have the foresight and the strength - and the courage - to adapt to this new world, there's no reason they can't flourish.
But right now, in some cases, the big-agency model may be in need of some real structural overhaul.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
ETHICAL PR: LET'S LEAD BY EXAMPLE
When we become shills for clients whose business objectives don't go beyond glitz or hype, who wouldn't know a true Business Plan if they tripped over it, and whose horizons extend no further than their own greed, we become no better than them. And we become what real PR professionals spend their whole careers fighting against. We become the sleazy, old-fashioned "publicist"-type...who'll take anyone as a client, who'll do anything to "promote" that client, and who'll use any methodology to prove "results."
Like this type of client, we become interested only in short-term results, rather than long-term strategy. We become interested in the quick hit, rather than in building long-term momentum. And - because we often know, in our hearts, that this client may not be around forever - we become interested only in the quick buck.
Just as so many of the business and financial institutions we once trusted have betrayed our trust for a quick buck, it's sometimes tempting - particularly in a recession - to think about the shortest route to the money.
However, like the companies who've fallen victim to this philosophy over the past few years, our own firms may not be around for long, either, if we compromise our core values. As hundreds of companies around our country can testify, once you lose your reputation, it's awfully hard - or impossible - to reclaim it.
Our mantra, as public relations professionals, should be no different than those of corporations that utilize ethical business and marketing practices...
1) Determine your core values.
2) Make sure your people understand - and practice on a daily basis – your core values.
3) Educate your clients as to your core values.
4) Be willing to pass on a potential client who you believe does not share those values.
5) Be willing to walk away - yes, walk away - from an existing client who violates what you believe to be ethical core practices. (It's a lot cheaper in the long run, both for your finances and for your reputation.)
6) Hold on tightly to your moral compass. The business graveyard is filled with PR firms that didn’t.
7) DON'T JUST PREACH YOUR CORE VALUES...PRACTICE THEM! EVERY DAY!
This could be a golden opportunity for PR. Let's take the lead. Let's set an example for our clients with our own behavior, before we’re put in the uncomfortable position of having to publicly defend theirs.
I believe that, if we're going to be put in the position of defending corporate agendas…we should be helping to set them.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
Like this type of client, we become interested only in short-term results, rather than long-term strategy. We become interested in the quick hit, rather than in building long-term momentum. And - because we often know, in our hearts, that this client may not be around forever - we become interested only in the quick buck.
Just as so many of the business and financial institutions we once trusted have betrayed our trust for a quick buck, it's sometimes tempting - particularly in a recession - to think about the shortest route to the money.
However, like the companies who've fallen victim to this philosophy over the past few years, our own firms may not be around for long, either, if we compromise our core values. As hundreds of companies around our country can testify, once you lose your reputation, it's awfully hard - or impossible - to reclaim it.
Our mantra, as public relations professionals, should be no different than those of corporations that utilize ethical business and marketing practices...
1) Determine your core values.
2) Make sure your people understand - and practice on a daily basis – your core values.
3) Educate your clients as to your core values.
4) Be willing to pass on a potential client who you believe does not share those values.
5) Be willing to walk away - yes, walk away - from an existing client who violates what you believe to be ethical core practices. (It's a lot cheaper in the long run, both for your finances and for your reputation.)
6) Hold on tightly to your moral compass. The business graveyard is filled with PR firms that didn’t.
7) DON'T JUST PREACH YOUR CORE VALUES...PRACTICE THEM! EVERY DAY!
This could be a golden opportunity for PR. Let's take the lead. Let's set an example for our clients with our own behavior, before we’re put in the uncomfortable position of having to publicly defend theirs.
I believe that, if we're going to be put in the position of defending corporate agendas…we should be helping to set them.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
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
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
Saturday, July 11, 2009
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
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
Friday, July 3, 2009
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
I've been climbing mountains since my early-twenties. In the Alps, in the Rockies, in the Smokies. And I've learned some great business lessons from my passion for mountain-climbing. These lessons have served me well, both as a senior executive for large corporations, and, now, as owner of my own PR/Marketing practice.
A few of the lessons I've learned...
1) Even the longest of journeys starts with a single step. And you have no chance of achieving your goal unless you have the courage to take that first step.
2) A lot of small steps add up to a big distance.
3) You must always keep your eye on the summit of the mountain (your goal). But you must also keep concentrating on your next step, as well; accidents can happen otherwise.
4) When an obstacle appears insurmountable, you must figure out a way around it. Or you won't reach your goal.
5) The climb ahead is not always what it seems. The most ominous-looking route up a mountain may turn out to be the best. And the most innocuous-looking route may turn out to be the one loaded with traps. You have to THINK, and to ANTICIPATE.
6) Beware of "false summits"...places that, when viewed from below during your ascent, appear to be the summit of the mountain, but actually aren't. The real summit could be obscured by weather, by rock, etc.
7) Mountains are filled with bears. With mountain lions. With snakes. With rock that appears sturdy but can give way. And with sudden, violent weather outbursts. So, too, business is filled with often-unseen traps. Have a crisis plan in place. And go over it beforehand...so that when the unexpected crisis does hit (as it most assuredly will), you'll know how to react.
8) Always be aware of your environment. There could be a lot of threats that you may not be able to see.
9) You're capable of more than you think. When you think you can't breathe anymore, when your muscles are screaming with pain, when you think you can't take another step...guess what? You can!
10) When you finally reach the summit of a high peak, don’t celebrate for too long. Experienced climbers know that, at those altitudes, the weather can change very quickly - generally for the worst. And they know, too, that the journey's actually only half over - you've still got to make your descent. The same is true of achieving your business goal. Don't celebrate for too long...because there's always another mountain to climb.
11) From 16,000 feet, you can see everything. If you look.
Wow…now I'm even more excited about my upcoming climbing trip to the Great Smokies!
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
A few of the lessons I've learned...
1) Even the longest of journeys starts with a single step. And you have no chance of achieving your goal unless you have the courage to take that first step.
2) A lot of small steps add up to a big distance.
3) You must always keep your eye on the summit of the mountain (your goal). But you must also keep concentrating on your next step, as well; accidents can happen otherwise.
4) When an obstacle appears insurmountable, you must figure out a way around it. Or you won't reach your goal.
5) The climb ahead is not always what it seems. The most ominous-looking route up a mountain may turn out to be the best. And the most innocuous-looking route may turn out to be the one loaded with traps. You have to THINK, and to ANTICIPATE.
6) Beware of "false summits"...places that, when viewed from below during your ascent, appear to be the summit of the mountain, but actually aren't. The real summit could be obscured by weather, by rock, etc.
7) Mountains are filled with bears. With mountain lions. With snakes. With rock that appears sturdy but can give way. And with sudden, violent weather outbursts. So, too, business is filled with often-unseen traps. Have a crisis plan in place. And go over it beforehand...so that when the unexpected crisis does hit (as it most assuredly will), you'll know how to react.
8) Always be aware of your environment. There could be a lot of threats that you may not be able to see.
9) You're capable of more than you think. When you think you can't breathe anymore, when your muscles are screaming with pain, when you think you can't take another step...guess what? You can!
10) When you finally reach the summit of a high peak, don’t celebrate for too long. Experienced climbers know that, at those altitudes, the weather can change very quickly - generally for the worst. And they know, too, that the journey's actually only half over - you've still got to make your descent. The same is true of achieving your business goal. Don't celebrate for too long...because there's always another mountain to climb.
11) From 16,000 feet, you can see everything. If you look.
Wow…now I'm even more excited about my upcoming climbing trip to the Great Smokies!
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
Thursday, July 2, 2009
THE NEW RULES OF THE GAME
The rules for media relations success - even in this economy, and even with a rapidly-shrinking media base - are so simple that they bear repeating:
TARGET your media.
TARGET your journalist.
TARGET your pitch.
TARGET how you can become an ongoing resource for the media, rather than a pain-in-the-ass shill for your client or company.
People...the rules have changed! "Pitchmen" (or women) who specialize in pushing a button and sending out the same release to hundreds of media (no matter what their demographics, their slant, etc.) have gone the way of the dinosaur. "Output" artists who just throw a bunch of mud (hundreds - or thousands - of releases) against the wall and hope that some of it sticks are no longer welcome in journalists' inboxes.
There aren't many journalists left to "pitch" these days, of course. Recently, a good friend of mine was laid off after 22 years as an Editor at a major daily. A few months earlier, he had mentioned to me that there were so few people left in the newsroom that you could roll a bowling ball across it and not hit anyone. And that you practically had to shout across the room to converse with any other journalists.
In this new world, if we don't help journalists do their job, they're not going to help us do ours (generate coverage)! And if that becomes the case, our own offices are going to look like newsrooms do today - empty.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
TARGET your media.
TARGET your journalist.
TARGET your pitch.
TARGET how you can become an ongoing resource for the media, rather than a pain-in-the-ass shill for your client or company.
People...the rules have changed! "Pitchmen" (or women) who specialize in pushing a button and sending out the same release to hundreds of media (no matter what their demographics, their slant, etc.) have gone the way of the dinosaur. "Output" artists who just throw a bunch of mud (hundreds - or thousands - of releases) against the wall and hope that some of it sticks are no longer welcome in journalists' inboxes.
There aren't many journalists left to "pitch" these days, of course. Recently, a good friend of mine was laid off after 22 years as an Editor at a major daily. A few months earlier, he had mentioned to me that there were so few people left in the newsroom that you could roll a bowling ball across it and not hit anyone. And that you practically had to shout across the room to converse with any other journalists.
In this new world, if we don't help journalists do their job, they're not going to help us do ours (generate coverage)! And if that becomes the case, our own offices are going to look like newsrooms do today - empty.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com
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