Part Two of Two
As we saw in Part One of our series on pooling PR resources, partnering on a communications campaign can be invaluable in lean times. These joint initiatives can make a
campaign more elaborate by expanding the PR budget to include the frills one organization alone can't afford. They can also extend reach in terms of broadening audiences to
include multiple companies' contacts. Either way, the benefits can outdistance an individual organization's PR budget in terms of dollars, resources and results. Of course,
sharing the benefits entails sharing control over a campaign's planning, messages and implementation.
While most PR pros say they have experienced little friction while pooling PR with other organizations, they also have a laundry list of caveats and advice for avoiding
potential problems. In this second installment of "Pooling PR," we share counsel from experienced experts for managing your public relations partnerships wisely. They offer their
advice for everything from finding the appropriate partner to divvying up the workload to overcoming minor differences. Following is their guidance on getting maximum benefits out
of these cost-effective PR partnerships with minimum strife.
Finding Partners
- Offer to do all the work. Other nonprofits love partnering with the AAOS, says Sandra Gordon, director of public education and media relations, because in many cases all
they need to supply are cash and approval. "They are invited to a meeting with our ad agency, and they certainly approve every word. But it really doesn't require a lot of work on
their part, which is a good selling point." - Who would be good for this? Scoping out potential partners is a normal part of early campaign planning at AAOS. Consider how a related organization might fit into every
project, especially if the aim of the campaign is to address a new or expanded constituency. Look for an organization that already has that audience and propose a campaign that
allows both to swap audiences. - Get to know us. Brown bag lunches among PR staffs at local nonprofit organizations have been invaluable among the "Big Eight" cultural attractions in Atlanta, says Kathleen
Neal, whose firm conducts PR for the museums, botanical gardens, theater companies and other cultural institutions that make up the Big Eight. Not only have partnerships grown out
of these informal networking gatherings, but they helped these organizations recognize that they were not direct competitors for the same audience.
Getting Along
- Check egos at the door. Many partnerships are hatched on the senior level and without consulting the actual PR staffs that have the tactical knowledge necessary to
implement them. The higher the partner company's profile, the more likely you will have to contend with press-conscious execs in each organization who want to position themselves
and their organization more favorably in press releases. "There are a lot of machinations going on behind the scenes in terms of how some of these people convey information to
their PR people," says Brenda Siler, recalling her days running PR for a non-partisan think tank in Washington D.C. While taming celebrity egos is itself a dark art, it helps to
have strong PR staffers involved in the process of crafting these pooled PR projects early on. - Finding uncommon ground. Get your differences on the table early because it makes later communication easier. "We have recognized and acknowledged that there are some cultural
differences and some philosophical differences, but the bottom line is there is a [shared] constituency," says Siler of a recent partnership with two other nonprofit
organizations. Otherwise, the fundamental difference between organizations become "the dead moose on the table no one wants to talk about," says Siler. "It's important to talk
about it, so it doesn't become a barrier to full expression." - Let experience be your guide. Each company should define and discuss its core PR competencies and let the division of labor fall around that. "The feeling around the table is
talk about what you know, and let the other folks talk about what they know, and see how it works out together," says Siler.
Getting It Done
- Make speedy media response a priority. Almost everyone seems to get surprised by a press query that comes in before the pooled PR plan is in place, and invariably it sends
the teams scrambling to mutually approve a proper response. Do this piece early and notify all partners immediately of all initial or new press queries. Or, decide that one agency
will handle all press up to a particular point in the campaign or event. - "Don't double pitch the media," warns Gabriel. Tracking which PR department has spoken to which press contact is critical. "The most critical element with working with several
agencies is each agency has its own list and they keep the lists updated. I would suggest a better idea is having one agency take the lead on the calls." - Make sign-off deadlines. When multiple organizations are involved, the most time-consuming part of the process is getting execs from each company to mutually approve the
content. "I've got these guys trained," says Sandra Gordon of the AAOS. "I give them 24 hours or sometimes 48." Agree on turnaround times on approval for each partner up front. - Communicate...and then communicate some more. Everyone agrees that keeping each organization or agency fully informed of the others' activities, especially regarding press
contacts, is critical. Most lean heavily on email for keeping all partners in the loop. - Designate a fearless leader. Public events and PR projects that involve multiple organizations truly require a single point person who ensures that all of the parties are
living up to their budgeting agreements, warns Neal. The "Atlanta Celebrates Picasso," event, involving more than half a dozen local parks, museums, theaters, etc., "did not quite
meet our expectations because after the initial excitement the ball was dropped. Each entity ended up funding the PR of their own event. There needs to be one person to be sure
where the buck stops and where it is distributed," she says.
Our PR Pool Guards
Sandra Gordon, Director, Public Education and Media Relations, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 847/384-4030; Kristen Gabriel, founder, MarCom Associates, 323/650-0606;
Kathleen Neal, President of Arnold Neal Communications; Suzi Prokell, founder, Prokell Publicity, 972/644-9505; Brenda Siler, Director, Public Relations, Speech-Language-Hearing
Association, 301/897-0104; Marilyn Tomasi, President, Columbus/Franklin County News Bureau, 614/226-6928