Brits jumped for joy last week after London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Summer Games following an agonizing selection process. (Editor's Note: The celebrations were
marred the very next day after terrorists exploded four bombs on London's subway and bus systems, murdering, at press time, at least 50 people and wounding at least 700 people.)
China, meanwhile, is well into the planning stages - about $30 billion worth - as the host of the 2008 Summer Games. Shelley Bird, chief communications officer at NCR
Corporation, had last year's Summer Games in Athens on her mind as she talked about 'going for the gold,' communications-wise, for PR News' 2005 edition of "Lessons
Learned From The PR Trenches." An excerpt follows:
Most of us can only marvel at the accomplishments of the young athletes in Athens at the 2004 Summer Olympics, but none of us is too old or too out of shape to benefit from a
gold medalist's mindset. While natural talent plays a role in any endeavor, winning athletes will tell you that, to come out on top, you need razor-sharp focus, unyielding
discipline and thorough preparation.
In public relations, that means charting a course and checking it frequently to stay on strategy and on message. With management placing greater and greater demands on us to
produce results, it can be easy to veer off in the wrong direction to pursue something that is "do-able" even if it isn't necessarily desirable.
Let's take media relations as an example. Whether you work for a company or a public relations firm, there is usually pressure to "get ink." In the larger scheme of things,
that's fine, because it's part of what we do. But the pressure to produce results - and any resulting adrenaline rush - needs to be properly channeled so that time and energy are
spent producing the right result, not just any result.
One way you can get thrown off balance is dealing with an unsolicited media call.
Media relations pros spend so much of their lives just trying to get the media's attention, so when a reporter calls asking the company to comment on some industry news or
trend, it's hard to resist. In many cases, it can be an opportunity to position your company well and, at the same time, help a reporter who's faced with a tight deadline -
clearly a "win-win" situation.
However, problems can spring up if the reporter presses for answers that are beyond your expertise or beyond the company's guidelines for public comment.
Responding to such questions puts the corporate imprimatur on personal opinions. If a spokesperson is off base, it can undermine the company's credibility.
Even when personal opinions hold up, they place the company in the position of depending less on skill and more on luck -- and sooner or later that luck will run out.
If questions go beyond your expertise, don't reach. Instead, arrange to have the reporter speak with someone in the company who can help - or even another source, if
possible. Then explain the type of questions you'd be happy to help with in the future. Either of these approaches will win a reporter's respect while avoiding a potentially
career-limiting misstep.
Another problem of well-meaning but unchecked zeal is working too many angles at once.
The print media have only so much space - and the electronic media have only so much time - to devote to major corporate stories. And once they have written about a company,
it's likely to be a year or two or longer before they are ready to check in and see how that dynamic new strategy is working.
Pursue the truly big opportunities carefully - see your primary pitch through with one reporter before moving on to the next.
As natural as breathing? Not necessarily. At a large company with multiple business units, wires can get crossed easily. Well-meaning people who are eager to produce results
can wind up competing with each other for the media's attention.
A few years back, we spent considerable time and effort to arrange a major daily newspaper interview for our CEO. At the same time, one of our business units caught the
attention of another reporter at the same publication with a more narrowly focused pitch on a technology issue.
The publication decided to make that the story, and the corporate story never got out of the blocks. The lesson we learned from that experience is that it is not simply
enough to have good, talented people with a desire to win.
To go for the gold, you also need a clearly defined goal, a plan to get you there and flawless execution.
(To order a copy of "Lessons Learned," go to http://www.prnewsonline.com.)
Contact: Shelley Bird, chief communications officer at NCR Corporation, can be reached at 937.445.4435, [email protected].
McDonald's Mulls New Dressing
What's next on the menu? Ronald McDonald, sans the funny face, in blue jeans and a Bo-sox cap? Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. said last week it's beginning a
multimillion-dollar fashion makeover for workers in its 31,000 stores, considering the likes of, among others, fashionista Tommy Hilfiger plus P. Diddy's Sean John clothes and the
Phat Farm brand. Good move or major gamble? We asked Mike Paul, president of MGP & Associates PR (New York City), who specializes in reputation management, for his take on
McD's latest effort to attract younger people to the Golden Arches:
"Right now, most existing clothing for McDonald's workers is polyester. But if workers could put on something designed by, say, P. Diddy, they might say, 'This is pretty
cool.' And when employees are wearing clothes they feel comfortable in, it exudes confidence in their personality and how they treat [customers]. But this is more about employees
than customers; the main reason you have uniforms is to provide a team approach that reflects well on the brand. It's also corporate saying to its workers, 'we get your message'
and, in turn, the employee perspective is, 'you're really listening to us,' which all companies can learn from."