As the war in Iraq enters its third week, we asked many PR
executives for their take on how the conflict is impacting their
profession. With communications such a vital part of Corporate
America, the war with Iraq is likely to change PR conversations but
to what degree will depend on the type of client and the kind of
media you're pitching. But it is a different world.
"You know things have changed when you're on your way to work
and you hear the weather report for Baghdad," says Myron Marlin,
senior VP-strategist for the APCO Group, who served as director of
public affairs at the Justice Department during the Clinton
Administrations. "When dealing with the media you have to be
cognizant that [the war] is something everybody is focused on...You
have to be in that mindset when pitching stories but still remember
that people need 'pleasant distractions'." He says that although
dynamics have changed PR pros still need to stick to their game
plans. A recent study among advertising executives bore a similar
dynamic. The study, which was taken by AdAge.com on the evening the
war started and continued through 5 p.m. the next day, asked: "Does
it make sense to shut down advertising, further weakening the
economy during the new kinds of conflict we're engaged in?" Among
1,089 respondents, 67% voted no to curtailing advertising.
A consensus emerged among our respondents that, while massive
uncertainties abound, it's crucial that PR executives -- on both
the corporate and agency sides of the business - - maintain strong
media relations as the war plays itself out.
B. Jay Cooper ([email protected]);
Senior VP- Director of Strategic Communications - APCO
Worldwide
Be compassionate. Be careful that your words don't have double
meaning. Be direct. Use various methods of communication. Update
your Web site. Consider adding a message of support for the troops.
Remember your employees. Know which have family in the military.
Show a special kindness to them. Don't promote yourself. Use common
sense. Use direct mail for a more personal touch. If you advertise,
make sure your message is appropriate to the moment. Be aware of
what your customers may be experiencing with loved ones at war or
at risk. The situation will change quickly. Be ready.
Gwendolyn Coverdale ([email protected]);
Assistant Director of PR - Temple University Health System
Because crisis situations often impact health care providers
directly, we always maintain a high level of preparedness. It's not
uncommon for reporters to ask us for an expert to put a local angle
on a national event such as 9/11 or the subsequent anthrax scare.
With this in mind, it's a good idea to have experts who could
comment on some aspect of the war identified and prepped ahead of
time. Reporters are working on stricter deadlines now and
appreciate a spokesperson who has stayed up-to-date on current
events and can make room in his or her schedule for an interview at
a moment's notice.
Additionally, the 24/7 news-environment that we live in has put
greater pressure on reporters to seek out "fresh" news angles. To
help meet this need we actively seek out stories that can be tied
to world events. For example, perhaps there is a doctor who has
been called up to serve in Iraq, or the wife of a recently deployed
serviceman who has just given birth.
Katie Delahaye Paine ([email protected]); President -
KDPaine & Partners
The best advice we can offer is to avoid reacting to breaking
events, and to instead spend the time researching and planning
relationship-building events in the future. The biggest lesson we
can learn from this Gulf war is how effective embedding reporters
has been in getting the Department of Defense's message out. After
numerous failures in the past we finally learned that the best way
to get your messages out is to develop close relationships with
reporters, and what better way to establish relationships than to
get those reporters down in the trenches with the soldiers. It was
an offer no reporter could refuse. Perhaps a few CEOs who might
have been immune to pleas from PR people to open their kimonos and
bring the media into the fold a bit more might begin to pay
attention now that they see how well it worked for the Department
of Defense.
Kevin Donahue ([email protected]);
Managing Director, Crisis Management - Dix & Eaton Inc.
With understandable media and public focus on the war in Iraq,
companies both large and small are reassessing their business plans
and supporting communications. Business leaders are trying to
strike the appropriate balance between concern for our troops and a
perceived need for something approaching business as usual. Here
are some timely considerations:
Revise communications programs to reflect business plan
adjustments, new budget realities and refined corporate
objectives.
Be sensitive to media priorities, recognizing that while non-war
news goes on, you may need to adjust your strategy, sharpen your
focus and rethink whom you approach - and when.
Consider postponing or scaling back product/service roll-outs
until the attention of consumers and the media is less
diverted.
Continue planning, considering how the post-war environment may
affect the mindset and behavior of key constituents.
Manage expectations as to what you and your company can
realistically accomplish in the current and post-war environment -
from media coverage to earnings performance.
Rethink global communications strategies to reflect changes in
perceptions and attitudes toward the United States.
Andy Gilman ([email protected])
President & CEO - CommCore Consulting Group
With 250,000-plus troops in the Gulf region, it's possible that
the current conflict touches many more companies and individuals
than we know. Our foremost concerns must be for those who have
risked their lives for our country. After this concern, as it is in
most crisis situations, employers must focus on how their employees
are being affected by the conflict. War situations affect each
employee differently. Employers need to recognize this factor.
Employees like to hear from senior management, even if it is a
message that shares a concern. Employees are also comforted to know
about emergency preparations and contingency plans. These
communications should be consistent and frequent. We've often heard
senior management state: "Our employees are our most important
asset." In these times, it's critical to walk the talk.
Robbin Goodman ([email protected]) Executive
Vice President Makovsky & Co.
It is certainly not "business as usual" for public relations
professionals when it comes to working with the media during
wartime. It is appropriate to pause and revisit the appropriateness
and tone of your message, and make adjustments. But it is not
necessary to completely stop outreach. Public relations
professionals should be better equipped than other categories of
marketers to quickly adjust to the crisis scenario and offer useful
assistance. It is important to be cognizant of the media's focus,
and that reporters are people, too, affected by the crisis.
Reporters can be highly sensitive to pitches that sound like they
are exploiting a bad situation. If you are able to offer
spokespeople who can present expert commentary related to wartime
issues, be sure that that your tone is factual and straightforward
rather than promotional. Be sensitive as well that broadcast and
daily newspapers are focused on the here and now. Even reporters on
traditional beats such as marketing, the energy industry and retail
are reporting on the impact of wartime in those sectors. It is more
important than ever to review the newspapers and wires on a daily
basis before contacting reporters.
Tom Joyce ([email protected]) Partner &
Chair, Corp. Practice - Carmichael Lynch Spong
With America at war, it is critical for PR practitioners to be
prepared, and to adjust plans, messages and campaigns accordingly.
Pitches that may have been effective at another time, can either go
unnoticed or shelved until a later time. This does not mean that
media relations stops now or during a war, but it does mean that it
is more important than ever to be selective and prudent while
working with the media. As it was during 9/11, there is room for
media relations, but there should also be respect for journalists
whose lives are very different right now. At the conclusion of a
war, media relations will return to normal, but terrorism that can
happen anytime should keep everyone on their toes. It is now a very
different world. Effective media relations can continue while
America is at war. However, through its duration, it is even more
important than ever to use common sense and be sensitive when
interacting with reporters e.g. don't call on deadline, reach the
right reporter, etc.
Lisa Kovitz ([email protected])
Managing Director - Burson-Marsteller
Just as it was post 9/11, or during the O.J. Simpson trial or
the death of Princess Diana, when the news goes wall-to-wall on a
story, the need to shift tactics is clear. What can you do when
there's no time for soft features on TV news or talk programs. Now
is the time to thoroughly cover media that has to do lifestyle
reporting all year round -- consumer magazines. Make sure to read
the magazines you want to pitch -- features change regularly, as do
the staff. But, the best research tool is to go to the newsstand
and buy it. Look over surveys or consumer research the client has
already done and re-package for magazine consideration. Remember
lead times are long so look ahead as well. Radio is also an
excellent place for soft features. As recently as yesterday (3/19),
one talk show booker told me she wanted to book an
"Oscar's"-related topic because she felt her listeners were going
to need some "relief" from the war coverage. Additionally, music
oriented stations need to keep things "light" -- experts on more
general topics (entertainment, relationships, travel) are often
very welcome.
Matt Shaw ([email protected]) VP- Council of
Public Relations Firms
To some extent, the war in Iraq can be viewed as the latest in a
series of seismic events whose cumulative effect has changed the
world we live in, and by extension, altered the public relations
landscape in which we work. PR professionals have been adjusting,
adapting and reinventing themselves ever since the silicon/golden
goose retired in 2000 and the new realities of terrorism and
business settled in. It is not a stretch to suggest how we deal
with this period of adversity will determine how integral our
respective roles will be in the future. Let's face it, for the next
few weeks placing a story in the mainstream media is going to be a
serious challenge. But thankfully public relations is not a
one-dimensional discipline, and is best used to shape long-term
strategy, not as a short-term fix.