Leading Results

One of the best descriptions I have ever heard for a good public relations program is that it should be like rolling thunder off in the distance. You should always hear it in the background, and it should make itself known – all the time, not just when there is an event.

A strong public relations program takes a lot of work – and if don’t have the time or ability – it takes a hired hand. By way of example, I had the opportunity to take part in a community event this weekend. It was called the fresh air fest, and this was the second annual event. It was a great community opportunity to come out and participate and learn about reusing and recycling. The Girl Scouts were there. Habitat for Humanity. The local Toyota dealer showing off the Hybrid cars and so on. But there weren’t many people coming by.

Now, I know the organizer personally. She pours her heart and soul into making this, and other events, interesting, entertaining and educational. But she was left without a lot of help to get the word out. They have a great web site - http://www.freshairfest.com – which was done by a volunteer who knew what he was doing – but that and some local signage on a busy street and a brief blurb in the suburban newspaper was not enough to drive traffic on a busy day before Mother’s day. When it was over, we talked about all the things that could be done if there was enough time (or bodies) to do it.

To make the festival an ongoing success, we talked about what we could do to position and communicate for it all year long. One of the displays is a trashy art contest – art made from trash. How great would it be to have the art teachers in the public schools get students doing something for this? But that has to get onto the teachers calendar in September as they plan the year – not May. Our local schools have a requirement of 20 hours of community service for 9th grade – those students could have coordinated a project around this event. Intel – a local employer – sponsors a hazardous waste pickup – old computers, CRTs, etc – on earth day, but wouldn’t it have been great to have also done something here as well. I could go on and on… the point is that PR and community outreach (whether local or industry community) is not a one-time thing. I has to be part of a sustained effort – always in the background.

So in your business don’t just think about PR as the press release you send to announce a new product or a new customer… Plan out your year. Think about the newsworthy items, activities and events. Develop a relationship with the bloggers, reporters, etc that cover your local town or your industry and make it a real relationship – call them with tips as well as when you have news. And if you can’t do this all yourself, hire someone – a freelancer, an agency or a business student (communications student) to help. Firecrackers pop – Thunder makes itself known over a long distance.

What do you think? Do you have an experience to share?