Posts Tagged ‘Industry Tips’

Now, let me preface this by saying that I'm the first one to admit that there is such a thing as a stupid question.

Come on, don't defend it. We've all heard the adage that "there is no such thing as a stupid question." But if we're being honest here, that's simply not true. I personally know this in large part because I've asked PLENTY of stupid questions in my time.

Still, managers have made careers (or at least motivational posters) out of this phrase (cynics have made their own posters, as well). And it's partly (or even mostly) true. Employees benefit from being in an environment where questions and open dialogue are encouraged, not shunned. After all, an intern can't simply Google "how should I pitch this byline article." That being said, I bet everyone has seen someone take this mantra to its extreme - as a free pass to abandon their own creative and problem-solving faculties.

This is all part of why I'm of the opinion that the ability to ask the right questions is one of the greatest tools in predicting their future success in the workplace - PR or otherwise. Entire careers are built off of having the gift of asking the right questions at the right time (reporters, lawyers, salespeople). PR is no different. I help run Prosek Partners' internship program and I can say that one of the biggest things I look at when interviewing a candidate (or in evaluating their performance) is their ability to ask the right questions. We can't (and don't) expect people to know everything about PR or about the financial services industry. But we do prefer if they can ask smart, targeted questions that will get them on the road to understanding.

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8 comments Written on August 17th, 2012 by
Categories: Communication, Industry Tips, Public Relations, Recruiting
Tags: , , , , ,

For background and context, I am socially active on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare; I use LinkedIn for professional purposes; and of course I write for this blog. I have also been practicing investor relations (IR) since before Reg. FD, and yes, things have certainly changed over the years. Case in point: I am often asked by my corporate communications-focused colleagues about the role social media should play in a corporation’s overall communications strategy, including IR. This was not a question I was being asked three years ago, let alone in 1999.

While I fully support the use of social media as part of a broader corporate communications strategy, my answer as it pertains specifically to IR is very simple: virtually none. This response usually shocks my colleagues. After recovering the power of speech, they usually ask something like, “But how could social media not be a key aspect of IR when it is an entrenched part of almost all communications programs?”  At a time when many agencies espouse the virtues of all things social media (CJP included) people often have difficulty understanding how I could advocate limiting its use in the IR function. However, with that said, I have heard arguments that IR departments should engage in social media “because their peers do.” (Evidently peer pressure is alive and well.)

My stance is based on two irrefutable and undeniable facts:

  1. Current regulations subjugate social media platforms to a secondary option; and
  2. The audience is not there.

Allow me to explain.  While social media plays an important role for B2B and B2C companies, its role within the communications discipline of IR is decidedly negligible.

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1 Comment » Written on February 7th, 2011 by
Categories: Communication, Industry Tips, Investor Relations, Social Media
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During a recent quarterly account review meeting a client said to our team “I totally recognize the value of not being included in that article.” Music to my ears.

Every good PR practitioner dreads flipping through the newspaper or a magazine to discover an industry feature in which a client that should have been included was not. However, when there’s a negative piece and the client could have been mentioned, but was not, there is a feeling of sweet relief perhaps even greater than the joy of landing a dazzling profile.

In this particular case my client, which we will call “Company X” for the purpose of this blog post, is one of a few players in a nascent industry that unfortunately receives a lot of negative press due to lack of knowledge about the business. While we work to educate key constituents about the benefits of Company X’s service offering, building its brand reputation and separating it from the less reputable players in the pack is an integral component of the campaign.

Rome was not built in a day. The same can be said for building a company’s brand reputation, but when working to do so the human element is paramount. The first step can be as simple as a face-to-face meeting. When media will be media and sensationalize a topic, there are cases where you should just let it die, where engaging will only exacerbate the issue and result in more of the wrong press coverage. However, there are absolutely cases where you should engage. As an overall approach to an integrated communications program, regular, proactive dialogue with media must be front-and-center.

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14 comments Written on February 4th, 2011 by
Categories: Communication, Industry Tips, Public Relations
Tags: , , , ,

If you read TechCrunch, follow reporters on Twitter or remember Chris Anderson’s infamous PR black list, you know that one of the biggest miffs reporters and bloggers have against PR people is the unfortunate practice of assaulting them with extremely irrelevant pitches. This likely stems from the act of building enormous press lists using databases and pitching everyone blindly on the list -- sometimes referred to as “carpet-bombing.”

Aptly nicknamed for the military strategy of carpet bombing, which Wikipedia defines as “the large scale bombing of large targets (e.g. cities) usually by dropping many unguided bombs,” this unsavory practice has put a blemish on the industry and its practitioners. You would think that by now, this would no longer be an issue, but it is. Obviously, nobody’s perfect and we’ve all sent a pitch or two to someone we thought was appropriate, but in an effort to help anyone new to the industry or anyone who is a habitual offender who needs list therapy, here’s a tip to avoid being a carpet-bomb pitcher in the first place: Always take the extra steps to know who you’re pitching stories to and why you think they’d be interested in what you’re talking about.

The best way to avoid being an offender is don’t put all your trust in the database. Anyone who thinks putting a keyword in Cision and clicking “export list” cuts it, is likely an offender. The database is certainly a great starting point, especially if you are targeting an obscure vertical or want to know the local papers of a particular city or state, but it should not be the end point of your search. Dig deeper. Refine your search by closely studying the outlet and the journalist’s bio and, equally important, visit the publication’s website (Duh? I know, but…). Check out the editorial contacts. See what reporters are writing about.

This all seems very basic and logical, but sometimes we need to be reminded of the fundamentals to avoid making big mistakes. Have some tips to share on this topic? Comment away!  CJP

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2 comments Written on January 13th, 2011 by
Categories: Industry Tips, Public Relations
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