Starting a New Year opens the door to a fresh start, but in the world of public relations, we are always on the cusp of something new, no matter what the calendar says. To remain valuable to our clients, we must always be among the first to gather, process and present new information – seeking out what is relevant, helpful and informative should be second nature. And that’s what I love about this profession… Read the rest of this entry »
Deliciously handcrafted by Royal Palm Chocolates
One of the best parts about being a PR professional is getting to know a wonderful variety of people and discovering their passions along the way. Over the past few weeks, I have devoted a lot of time to “new client immersion” with Royal Palm Chocolates of Naples, Fla., owners Philip and Stephanie Fincher and their strategic manager, Sam Hernandez. How to describe this experience? In a word: sweet!
As I was logging on this morning from my mountain retreat, I was thinking how grateful I am that our house is wired for wireless and how easily I can work from here when I landed on Anne Tergeson’s article in today’s WSJ.com, “When Guests Check In, Their iPhones Check Out.” I stopped what I was doing to read it, and I started thinking… Read the rest of this entry »
Every day is like a new gift!
Every day offers something exciting and new — I am constantly amazed by the talented and passionate people I come across in my life as a PR professional. What other career would present the opportunity to meet with experts in environmentally friendly trash bin cleaning, olive oil and wild animals — all in the same week? Here’s just a sampling of the inspiring, exciting goings on in my little realm…. Read the rest of this entry »
As a PR professional and writer who also happens to be training for the NYC Marathon, I am compelled to find the metaphors in my enthusiastic pursuit of personal and professional development. And while running 15 or 16 miles at a stretch, what else is there to think about but the similarities in my parallel lives of working and training? Read the rest of this entry »
It’s Monday, it’s raining outside, and the economic forecast hasn’t really brightened since Friday, but that doesn’t give us a free pass to curl up on the couch and retreat from the world. On the contrary, now is the time to seek motivation where we can find it — it’s the time to discover our strengths and pursue our passions. How else can we ensure a brighter tomorrow?
Here are three approaches that can inspire a more positive, productive mindset: Read the rest of this entry »
Today is Day 1 of my personal training program at Fitness Together Fort Myers and so far, I see many parallels between their personalized, one-on-one attention and an effective public relations plan that focuses on achieving client’s goals and objectives.
Those of us in the field of public relations are trained from early on about the importance of creating a thorough, specific crisis communication plan. In most cases we file it away, secure in the fact that it’s there if we need it. For me, that was yesterday. The beauty of a well thought out crisis communication plan? It actually works.
Leaving out names to protect the innocent, no sooner had I completed a crisis plan for a new client than a crisis occurred: a key employee walked off the job without notice. She was the only full time person licensed to manage one of the major functions of this organization and without a replacement, the regulatory agencies warned they would shut down the business within the next two days. To complicate matters, this same employee called the media about the impending shut down and two TV stations got right on it. We had five hours to get control of the situation until the 6 p.m. news. What to do? Refer to our newly minted, trusty crisis plan, of course.
Within two hours, we appointed a spokesperson, drafted a statement for the media, coached the client, contacted the media with a response and set a time with the reporters for an update. The result? While the news stories ran as scheduled, the facts were presented fairly and the points we made in the statement were mentioned right up front. The positive, timely communication with the media allowed the story to be reported accurately with little drama and minimal impact.
Here were the lessons learned:
1. By planning calmly and rationally in advance, we were prepared for the worst.
2. We had an immediate plan to put into action – no time was wasted.
3. Because we were so calm and organized, the client was too – and that made a huge difference in the outcome.
I highly recommend preparing a thorough crisis communication plan for your client’s or organization’s peace of mind – and yours as well! To learn more, visit my website.
I’ve written before about the exciting, interesting people I meet on a daily basis — one of my favorite aspects of my career in public relations. A great example is my friend and client Randy “RJ” Vann, a Southwest Florida business man and an avid horseman. So what do a drive for solar technology and a passion Paso Fino horses have in common? RJ shows us… Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of working on the agency side of public relations is the diversity of businesses you can explore and share with the world. Read the rest of this entry »
