Public Relations Solutions

As a myriad of New Year’s posts begins to appear, I am compelled to add to the mix with my own reflections on the PR life. And while we all tend to recount our mistakes or regrets, I recommend that you also reflect on the positive things you accomplished in 2010. This will provide you with inspiration and excitement to get your business off to a good start for the New Year. Here are a few examples of experiences we look forward to building upon in 2011…

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A great class...a great semester

As I upload my final grades for the Fall semester, I realize how much I am going to miss this class and each student in it.  In my third year as an adjunct professor of Public Relations Strategy at Florida Gulf Coast University, teaching this course is a real highlight of my career. Read the rest of this entry »

A country general store in the NC mountains offers an interesting encounter and a new perspective.

Although we need not wait until Thanksgiving to reflect on gratitude, the impending holiday season brings those thoughts to the forefront. And sometimes, those little reminders come upon you when you least expect it — during a visit to a little country store for example… 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 »

It has been an inspiring week, both at work and in marathon training – two areas of life that are somehow intertwined.  Is it the more rigorous training that is fueling more energy and focus at work?  Or is the self-discipline and organization practiced at work making training more productive?  Maybe a little of both… 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.

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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.

Working from our vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina has its pros and cons.  For one thing, by creating an advance to-do list of projects that require some thought and concentration, I usually head up here with specific things to accomplish and end up getting a lot more done than I anticipated.  Still, the spotty internet connection (and sometimes no service at all!) spurs intense anxiety attacks about what I am missing, unanswered emails and yes, even unviewed Facebook updates.

For this trip I decided since my Sprint aircard is mostly unreliable up here that I would try Verizon’s version — to no avail.  Same intermittent connection that throws me off every 15 minutes until it cuts out entirely…perhaps we should have considered a beach house for our getaways?

Today, after my initial hair pulling, hand wringing fit, I decided to take a more positive approach.  Surprisingly, I felt much better and discovered five ways to make the most of the time “unplugged.”

1. TIME TO THINK

Aaaah….with the surrounding quiet except for the patter of raindrops, I actually took some time to think about my next writing project — how would I approach it, how I could make it different, what angle I could take.  My focus definitely improved with this single-minded effort.

2. TIME TO WRITE

Next, I was able to write an advertorial piece straight through — no stopping to check email because there weren’t any coming in! I was able to finish surprisingly quickly with little editing needed, probably because I was not trying to do several things at once.

3. TIME TO FINISH A CONVERSATION

When I completed the advertorial I actually maintained my side of a short conversation with my husband without once sneaking a peek at my inbox — that way I fully comprehended what he was saying and was able to answer intelligently.  (Not be be misunderstood: I do actually uphold my side of personal conversations — just not during business hours!)

4. TIME TO TAKE A WALK

Before moving on to a new project, since the connection was still not working, I took a short walk outside, breathed some fresh mountain air, watched two deer walking the path behind our property and then came in from the rain.  Quite refreshing and good to take a little break!

5. TIME TO FEEL HAPPY ABOUT BEING RECONNECTED

While all that was good for a time, a hint of anxiety started to creep back in when I realized I could not finish my next project without some internet research. Packed up my bags and headed a mile away to my aunt’s house where for some reason I can always get a connection.  Aaaaah….sweet relief, and happiness to be back up and running! Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow!

To learn more, please visit me and my firm at www.pkecreative.com