Category

Public Relations

Jun 22
Love0

Better Business in Charlottesville

By Communications, Marketing, Public Relations

Teri Kent is my hero. Truly. Teri started Better World Betty as a resource for all things green in our community. Then, she took it to the next level, creating, managing and executing the Better Business Challenge.

Last night, the Jaggers Communications team was delighted to be present as friends of the firm walked away with awards they earned by converting to a paperless system, reducing waste, increasing recycling efforts and reducing energy consumption. It was a fine display of environmental stewardship and we were proud to be applauding fans of the effort.

Teri has been at the forefront of the whole effort. She’s professional, efficient, inspiring and enthusiastic. When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

We’re also so proud to be affiliated with, neighbors and friends of participating organizations including Rebecca’s Natural Food, Woodard Properties, Beer Run, Camp Holiday Trails, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, C’ville Coffee, Eppie’s, GreenBlue, Jean Theory:, and Relay Foods. Congratulations to all the winners and, indeed, to all the participants; this effort is just another reason we’re so proud to be part of the Charlottesville community.

 

 

 

Jun 20
Love0

How Bad PR Tactics Can Damage the Industry

By Communications, Crisis Communications, Public Relations

I’m concerned. The whole situation with the ouster of UVa President Teresa Sullivan by, among others, Board of Visitors Rector Helen Dragas has turned into one of the biggest PR headaches I’ve ever seen a university battle. And then . . . news that Dragas has hired PR firm Hill + Knowlton to represent her and “burnish” her image was released.

As a PR professional, is this a job my firm would take? Hell, no. We’re firmly in the camp of taking only clients who agree to be transparent; who have a prayer of repairing damage done; who  agree to and act on recommended counsel.

That being said, witnessing how Hill + Knowlton is handling the work concerns me further. Evidence of their counsel, thus far includes:

  1.   A letter to the editor published by Dragas’s sister; not an entirely credible source in mending the Rector’s reputation.
  2. Some suspected blog lurking and commenting from unidentified sources offering support for Dragas, sometimes out of context.
  3. A terribly written statement (that was, later, translated into plain English by Waldo Jaquith, underscoring the lack of clarity and, yes, SPIN, the firm is attempting).

I’m puzzled over how a firm could allow their client to walk, unescorted from the Rotunda to her car at 3:00am, facing media and protesters and enabling this:

“As reporters urged Dragas for comment, she replied, “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.” — as reported in The Hook

A responsible firm with a client in this kind of crisis should be glued to her side for the duration of the engagement. I can’t imagine letting a loose cannon like that out of my sight for a minute.

Come on, Hill + Knowlton; either have the guts to fire an indefensible client or bring your A game and get her to do the right thing. You’re giving the public relations industry a bad name.

May 16
Love0

Still Working. Still Committed.

By Corporate Strategy, Crisis Communications, Public Relations

Does that sound familiar? Do you feel like you’ve heard that somewhere? That’s because BP Global does not want you to forget that they are still working in the Gulf of Mexico funding nature research, promoting tourism, and helping the area recover from the oil spill of 2010. 

Look, I know no one loves big oil, but they have done a phenomenal job with their crisis communications. Here’s a feel good video for you:

Restoring the Gulf

Everything you could want to know about where they are and what they are doing is on the website dedicated to their restoration work. What actually happened during the spill? How have they changed their safe guarding measures? What are local residents saying? How has it all affected wildlife? Yes, it is all on there. The bad news and the good news on what happened and BP’s response program; it’s all there. What is great about this? Hearing live people tell their stories. These voices are of real people affected by the spill. This is not a spokesperson telling us how they are helping:

Hope with BP’s Vessels of Opportunity Program

Showing the hard realities of the crisis makes the positive response feel more authentic. This spill happened 2 years ago, and BP has invested heavily in their communication to make sure that the public knows they are involved. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube are  updated regularly. The stories are both informative and personal.

Crisis Communications is one of those aspects of our work that doesn’t get a lot of day-to-day attention. It’s easy to talk about Social Strategy or Brand Positioning, but when it comes to a crisis, you want to have that red folder to turn to. We work with our clients to think about what would be a crisis within their company, who would be your spokesperson, which media would you reach out to, how would you acknowledge fault and move forward with an actionable plan. And then, like BP, truly invest in that actionable plan.

So I’m ready for it. Do you hate me for saying I think BP is doing a good job?

May 14
Love0

Paradigm Shift

By Corporate Strategy, Public Relations, Social Media

Shortly after I started working for Marijean, she sat me down and told me all about the types of companies that she did not want us to work with. This was not something I was used to. Publishers and Sales Managers in the past basically said “if they can pass a credit check, move forward.” Not MJ. She has a clear vision and moral compass that she wants to see mirrored in the companies we call clients. 

We also are not and never will be a marketing firm or an advertising agency. I often have to resist the urge to suggest print campaign ideas. (All the training and conferences from my previous life at a newsweekly are hard to shake off. They drill the frequency and modular sizing in your head, I tell you!) Our work is about listening to the client and their audience and creating a communications strategy, policy and plan that delivers their ideas to the correct people in the tone that is authentic to their brand.

So, be mindful of the companies I bring in and focus exclusively on the public relations bit. Got it!

It has taken me some time to come to terms and even embrace this reality. And now, everywhere I turn agencies seem to be doing an about face and changing their idea of “advertising” altogether.

A recent article in Newsweek discussed the eventual collapse of the advertising industry with one of its own, Jeff Rosenblum, cofounder of Questus in New York. He talks about how businesses for years have used advertising as a band-aid for bad behavior and then the internet turned them all on their heads by giving consumers a voice to complain with. Now those advertising dollars may as well be thrown away if your client base is badmouthing your brand. These advertising agencies would be better off acting as businesses consultants to help resolve the client’s issues, Rosenblum says. Change the corporate policy. Stop using child labor overseas. Or beating dolphins. Or whatever other activities the public may deem as unsavory. This is an age of transparency. If your company is engaging in moral misconduct, a print campaign will no longer distract your audience.

The thing is, we can’t convince your company to change. We can listen to the social web and tell you what your audience is saying and perhaps that will inspire a turn-around.

It’s an interesting idea: the paradigm shift of an entire industry.

Apr 18
Love0

Bethanny Frankel is my Imaginary Friend.

By Public Relations

I guess she isn’t really imaginary. Bethanny Frankel is a real person. She just isn’t my friend in real life. Regardless of how strangely loyal to her I feel, she is, in fact, a stranger. It’s a weird thing. I watch her show (and have since Real Housewives of New York). I ask for Skinnygirl margaritas when I’m out. I read her blog. I have tried her recipes. Now that she has launched a line of shapewear, I’m even pondering underthings. It’s safe to say that I am FULLY bought in on the Skinnygirl brand. And that’s all a little nuts when you consider that it isn’t the products she’s selling that I’m even that interested in. I’m compelled by her story. When she first started on the Real Housewives of New York, she was single and practically broke. Over the last few years and by the miracle of reality TV, I’ve watched her create this business from nothing, get married, have a baby and become fabulously successful. Not for nothing, it’s been a bumpy road. She is a ball breaker, but it is her vulnerability that wins us over. If you’ll remember from Rusty’s post a few weeks back, that is proof of true courage. My point is this: the “story” is selling the product for me.

Let me back up a bit. I few weeks ago Marijean and I met with a company on the verge of expansion. They came to us for various reasons. One being that they would like some help telling their story, but they struggle with how that story would be compelling to a new area that doesn’t already know them. I think a lot of companies struggle with this. It’s hard to know what about your journey is interesting to other people. So I’ve been thinking about what it is about Bethanny and Skinnygirl products that makes me care to continue listening and following the story.

1) The story is constantly being told (via the website, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook). With every episode and product launch, more behind-the-scenes stories are released.

2) The challenges and successes of the company were shared (through the show) every step of the way. Seeing the company struggle made me even more apt to applaud them when they did become successful. I remember there being distribution, staffing and bad publicity issues to name a few. But we also got to see new products launch and the chaos behind the scenes on book tours.

3) Content balances between business and personal. Of course, the show is mainly personal (relationships, work on the apartment, her daughter, Brynn) but the web presence balances the two nicely.

Now, I’m not suggesting you must approach Bravo for a reality show deal in order to tell your story. (Although it wouldn’t hurt.) With YouTube, WordPress, Twitter and Facebook, there are plenty of ways to get the story out there. It’s a matter of having a story (yes, you do!) and making sure to continue telling it as it evolves in a way that feels authentic. And, as always, if you need help finding your story, we are here.