Friday, November 21, 2014

Public Relations: Bill Cosby's Rape Response

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 The handling of rape allegations being made toward Bill Cosby raises a number of public relations strategy questions and confirms some Karl James public relations perspectives. We address a couple of these below.
How does high-profile celebrity Bill Cosby seemingly not understand the rules of media interviews?
Our take after watching this recent Associated Press interview with Bill Cosby centers on arrogance rather than ignorance of the reporter rules. Similar to the old adage “power corrupts,” power also creates a sense of being beyond the rules. Know this when working with public relations counsel to prepare for media interviews: no matter what you are told, no question is off limits.
When in public relations crisis, your attorney will always be wrong
Bill Cosby’s attempt to bury the interview on camera pales only to the response issued by his attorney. The attorney letter threatens media. It confirms our perspective on lawyers’ approach to public relations: When in crisis, your attorney will always be wrong.
The rules of winning in the court room are different from the rules of winning over public opinion. Attorneys are correct that “saying nothing” works for court proceedings. If you don’t say anything, it cannot be used against you in a court of law. And, attorneys must be part of dealing with any crisis situation. But know this:most attorneys fall back on their legal training and are not considering whether the court of public opinion will bury you before and regardless of what the court of law determines.
The wave of allegations by alleged victims of Bill Cosby, coupled with a prosecutor’s comments on TV’s iconic fatherly figure’s guilt—albeit, admittedly, unprovable in a court of law—has lead to NBC and Netflix pulling new ventures featuring Bill Cosby. And TV Land has removed re-runs of The Cosby Show. The new shows on NBC and Netflix provided the impetus for allegations against Cosby to gain traction.  Certainly there are many strategies to consider in resurrecting the Cosby brand. Many of which, we as outsiders remain, unaware. Hoping this goes away, however, will not move Cosby beyond this round of rape allegations. Removing himself from the public spotlight, never to venture into public again, might work. But every time Cosby resurfaces, the questions will be there waiting for him.
So why are people listening to the allegations of Bill Cosby that have existed for decades? The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting take.

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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Avoid Media Misquotes With These Tips

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 When coaching clients on how to work with media, we start by asking for each participant’s greatest fear. Inevitably, the majority say being misquoted or taken out of context. Who could forget this recent boondoggle by Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor. 
Of course, most of the blame for being misquoted is placed squarely on the shoulders of the reporter. Rarely, if ever, do we look inward for the source of disconnects between what we say, what the reporter captures and how the reporter transfers that knowledge into a story. But most of us would benefit from such introspection prior to launching into a public relations campaign.
More than likely our responses to reporter questions are too long, too convoluted and too sprawling in scope. This allows the reporter to determine what information is important, why it is important and how it should be used in the story. In this scenario, the likelihood is next to nil that public relations messages you want conveyed will appear in the story.
To combat the crap-shoot nature of this approach, we must coach reporters on what is important, why particular insights are germane to the story and how to use those elements. Coaching creates a framework for receiving the information. This increases the likelihood your comments remain in the intended context during public relations efforts.
Coaching, however, requires preparation for each media engagement. Unfortunately, people frequently throw caution to the wind and wing it. This decision often results from arrogance, time constraints and, sometimes, laziness. The displeasure of an inaccurate or incomplete story typically changes how or whether people prepare for media interviews in future public relations campaigns, however. Some tips follow to enhance your coaching ability:
  • Attempt to understand what angle the reporter intends to take.
  • Research previous coverage by a reporter.
  • Understand audiences receive information based on their perspective, which derives from personal experiences.
  • Craft messages that resonate with a given audience and that advance your agenda.
  • Repeatedly rehearse aloud answers to anticipated questions using crafted messages.
  • Develop illustrations, anecdotes and other examples to reinforce messages.
  • Ask who the reporter already contacted and what information was received.
  • Ask who else the reporter intends to contact.
  • Anticipate what those people might say and attempt to address those items in the context of your position.
  • Consider video-recording rehearsals to gain feedback on verbal and nonverbal communications.
Now that we are prepared to create some context for reporters, we must turn our attention to ensuring the accuracy of the statements we make during interviews. Some public relations tips to improve accurate reporting by increasing reporter retention:
  • Place comments in a series of three.
  • Present ideas or thoughts in chronological order.
  • Repeat concepts throughout the interview.
  • Ask the reporter to repeat your quote back to you.
Finally, we must prepare to make what we say impactful. Consider the reporter and the audience receiving the information when determining how to make your comments memorable, which translates to you being quotable. Use words that trigger reporters to take note during public relations outreach. When you preface a statement, for example, by saying, “These points deserve emphasis,” people instinctively pick up a pen and take note. For other triggers to greater retention of your messages, I offer insights contained in the book “Made to Stick.” In this book, researchers Chip and Dan Heath powerfully portray why some ideas stick, and some don’t. They reduce “stickiness” into the acronym SUCCES.
  • Keep it Simple.
  • Make it Unexpected.
  • Communicate clearly with Concrete examples.
  • Create a path to believability by building Credibility.
  • Stir the Emotions to get audiences to care.
  • Tell compelling Stories to motivate desired actions.

http://www.karljames.com/2014/11/11/public-relations-whos-blame-media-misquotes/

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Thursday, November 6, 2014

10 Steps to Greater Value From Your Public Relations Effort

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 The following guidelines give insight into some of the coaching we give to our internal public relations teams when approaching media to help tell client stories. If you handle your own public relations efforts or partner with a firm like ours, this is what you should expect. These 10 steps serve as a process for you to craft on-strategy, on-message, incremental-value-producing public relations results.
Step 1: What audience are we trying to reach?
To effectively pitch media, you must first understand who you are attempting to reach with your message. Once you know the audiences, then you can clearly identify media outlets that target those audiences.
Step 2: Why is it important the audience gets this information?
The answer to this question typically serves as the lead paragraph in your media pitch. In answering this question, however, you might include answers to several additional questions:
  • Where might this story pitch fit within the particular media outlet (program, department, etc.)?
  • Is there an editorial calendar opportunity you could cite as a fit?
  • Are there other upcoming events or activities that would make this timely and relevant (regulation, legislation, conferences, reports, analyses, add-ons to other related news)?
  • What form would we suggest the editorial opportunity take (commentary, Q&A, profile, feature, top tips, news, trend analysis, point-counter-point, bylined article, in-studio appearance, webcast, case study, white paper, other e-offers)?
Step 3: What brand messages support the story angle and how can you use those in a media pitch?
Though a pitch may be a tool for making inroads with a particular media outlet, it also presents an opportunity to begin illustrating how you want to be positioned. Rather than telling an editor that your firm seeks to become known for uncompromising quality, for example, develop a story pitch that demonstrates quality-centered brand positioning. Actions always speak louder than words.
Step 4: How does this media pitch support the agreed-upon strategies of your communications plan?
This is an important distinction that will elevate your public relations efforts to the strategic level. Presumably your communications plan supports the advancement of a particular agenda. Media coverage that supports strategies tied to your business objectives certainly are more valuable than those that don’t. If you don’t have a plan, review what you want to accomplish and how media coverage can help get you there. Ask yourself of every story pitch: what are my objectives, what will it take to achieve those objectives, and what actions and messaging must we employ to produce desired results? If you cannot tie media coverage to business objectives, reassess your public relations efforts.
Step 5: What media outlets will we pitch, why, in what order, and when?
This is a matter of prioritization. First, define success. What media outlets will give you the most bang for the time you invest. Then do your homework to become the expert who brings knowledge and opportunity to targeted media. Time is anything but limitless for our clients. The same is true of reporters. Therefore, timing, order and certainty of purpose become crucial to efficiently generating the media coverage you desire. If you want them to take your call, ensure you bring them something they value.
Step 6: Who is the appropriate contact at the media outlet and why?
To truly understand how a media outlet is structured and who covers what, you must delve deeply into it. Read, watch and learn likes and dislikes of targeted reporters. Invite editors and reporters out to lunch. Many are required to get out in the community and develop a network of sources. Send an e-mail complimenting them on a piece you found interesting. Attend events where an editor will appear to get some face time. Introduce yourself.
Step 7: How can we maximize the effort to produce a media pitch by repurposing it to other non-competing media outlets (verticals, horizontals, online, etc.)?
If you are going to research and craft a media pitch, it makes sense to determine what other opportunities exist for you to gain additional coverage based on the same pitch. Media outlets in direct competition with one another never want to see the same story run among their competitors. In fact, it will alienate them. But a feature pitch for a medical industry publication might play well as a Q&A pitch to association newsletters with a similar focus. By slightly changing the format or the focus, you can create incremental value.
Step 8: How can we maximize the effort to produce this media pitch by repurposing it into different venues (industry webinars, conferences, annual meetings, trade shows, speeches, presentations, etc.) beyond traditional media?
Now turn your attention to other venues to further extend the value of your efforts. With some adjustments, you can easily turn your media pitch into an abstract that satisfies calls for speakers and papers at a trade show. Once your abstract is accepted, you can go to work on creating media attention at the show. Send media invitations to your presentation. Arrange at-show briefings to establish yourself as a knowledgeable media resource. For those media and customers who cannot attend the trade show, let them know the video of your presentation will be posted to your website.
Step 9: If unsuccessful in your initial media pitch, what can you do to make it a fit?
One sure-fire way to alienate the recipients of your pitch, regardless of venue, is to repeatedly attempt to convince them the same pitch is a good fit. Reach out to them with additional material, such as new statistics, trends, issues, case studies and other information that will create an undeniable interest. Help them do their job by providing photography, illustrations and video—everything they need to create a package that works for their venue.
Step 10: Media coverage is the beginning, not the end, of your public relations efforts.
Once stories appear in the media, you must turn your attention to extending the value of the actual placements. Now is the time to take the credibility gained by media coverage directly to your audiences. Include media coverage in sales kits, direct-mail campaigns and on your website. Use media coverage to establish credibility and expertise with other media and venues. The value of public relations begins, not ends, once media cover you.

http://www.karljames.com/2014/11/04/10-steps-incremental-public-relations-value/

Connect with Karl James & Company on all of the following social media.
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