THE FIVE PILLARS OF PR

THE FIVE PILLARS OF PR?

1. Read the Room [and know the types of PR you are engaged in]?

Pillar #1 is about situational awareness. This will be an ever changing landscape that requires resetting from time to time. When in doubt of where to start, start here, with the types of PR that you or your company will find yourself in:?

• Brand Communications/ Proactive PR?
• Reputation Management —?also known as Crisis Rapid Response
• Activations
• Strategic Communications/ Public Affairs

2. The Nuts and Bolts [the practical workings of your PR efforts]?

Pillar #2 represents the practical working elements or tools that will allow fluidity in any and all PR and External Communications efforts.?

• Select Your Spokesperson — This is the person who will speak to the media and be “on record” for your company. (That said, make sure to choose just the right person, and choose wisely.)??
• Prepare Your Media Kit —?Your Media Kit is a 1-3 page branded synopsis of what your company does, who you are communicating with (or who you reach or want to reach), and what value you contribute.?
• Key Messages/ Talking Points —?These are 3-5 succinct, sound bite bullet points that capture and highlights your company’s value proposition, mission, and overall message.?
• External Communications Calendar —?Make sure you prepare a timeline of what is on the horizon for public consumption, news, and external communications. I.E. What is happening in 3,6, 9, and 12 months that is worth talking about??

Brand Architecture —?This critical set of tools:?

3. Sharpened Pencils [i.e. the skills and techniques to communicate effectively]?

Pillar #3 —?perhaps the most humbling one of them all?—?is about ensuring that all external facing individuals (spokesperson, sales professionals, etc.) can effectively communicate the company’s message and influence the outcome of a situation, article, or story without creating confusion or chaos.?

• Media Training helps individuals confidently convey clear and memorable messages to the audiences that matter most. A few types of Media Training to consider:?
• Pro tip: Stay on message?

NOTE: Media Training is a ‘muscle to flex’ —?something to strengthen through practice and experience. We do not recommend ‘winging it.’

• Media Relations involves working with a member of the media in a positive, consistent, and credible manner for the purpose of earned media. Conversations with members of the media are not the familiar, everyday, jargony, hallway chats — they are conversations that are sustained by key messages [and must be treated as such]. Great media relations considers the member of the media’s:?
• Clarity in Differentiation —? This includes the exact characteristics, measurements, or means that separate your business or brand from your competition. What does your business offer that others do not? What makes you special??
• Monitoring is the practice of continuously gathering and consuming relevant information to keep a pulse on:?
• Design Thinking [to put yourselves in the shoes of your audience] —??Design Thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems, and create innovative solutions to then go prototype and test.?
• Discernment —?i.e. You have to make a decision –?and get good at making decisions.

4. Playing the long game?

Pillar #4 is about being aware of long and short term goals AND creating a sustainable PR strategy. As a result of PR efforts, in addition to the fireworks of exciting media hits, you want to build relationships with your audience, establish trust, and display your value over time. A few things to consider:

• Set Goals —?Identify and clarify short AND long term PR goals. A good place to start is what successful earned media looks like in local, state, national, and industry publications.?
• Consider Your Exit —?How would this look to potential investors or buyers of your company??
• Stay Consistent —?Things will not move at the same pace or frequency as other business functions such as sales or marketing. It’s not a “magic pill” approach. It’s a slower turn, a slower ‘spin’ that gets results.

5. Infinite Creativity

Pillar #5 is about staying creative. If we allow ourselves to adopt Peter Thiel’s “Zero to One” mentality, to create something entirely new rather than incrementally adding to what already exists, our ideas, possibilities, and thus opportunities expand. There are so many ways to tell the story of your company through PR and External Communications. Endless ways.?

• Multichannel —?In the new era of PR, Media Relations, and External Communications, it is important that our PR efforts also leverage the power of digital media (i.e. social media, etc).?
• Multifaceted —?If your brand was a person, what would they do? All brands are multifaceted. PR is about showcasing aspects of your story, such as your brand outside of your organization, and bringing those aspects to life in a new way.?
• Finding your balance —?The trick to avoid spamming people is to only speak up, share, and draw attention to your company when you have something important to say. The practice of PR is not about the fame game. It’s about building your reputation and brand, and establishing a deeper connection with your audience.?
• Stay Relevant/ In the Now —?Think of PR and Communications as hot, tasty content. Similar to your favorite food at your favorite restaurant — you’d know if it was cold, expired, or not fresh. Similar to PR stories, they should also be considered consumer products.?