Keep the conversation going
In celebration of Treacy Marketing Group’s 25th anniversary, I wrote this blog post on great story telling strategies that stand the test of time. It’s a new way of life for public relations practitioners, and it is fast-paced. One-way communication was then; two-way, 24/7 dialogue is now. Today, conversation is happening between stakeholders, not at them. What haven’t changed are the most crucial components of any public relations initiative: planning, building a narrative, and telling a compelling story. Five traditional values of great public relations stand the test of time: Know...
Read MorePR Pro as Biz Pro
I strongly believe that a good PR pro is also a business person – understanding it, developing it and quantifying it. Whether you are with an agency or a business, or you are novice or seasoned, good PR pros know their role leaps beyond selling the company story and into credibly selling the company’s products and services with its customers. This post will help connect these dots for why we as PR leaders work hard building relationships and drawing attention to CEOs, companies and industries. No matter the kind of business, when practicing PR, the bottom line always matters....
Read MoreTraditional or Social…What Blend are You?
Today it is very common to hear PR discussed in terms of “traditional” or “social.” There is a big distinction. Yet both tools fit into the PR mix for gaining exposure, for lead generation and for client story telling to various stakeholders. Simplified, I would distinguish traditional PR or media relations from social PR, or word-of-mouth marketing. With social media debuting 10+ years ago and now a serious component of an integrated communications mix, both initiatives play important roles for our clients. Breaking news and news tips are increasingly first being...
Read MoreCustomer-centric PR: letting others tell your story
If you are not using third party, customer-centric PR, there is a high likelihood that your brand’s full potential is not being reached. Whether you run a PR agency, a nonprofit, a small-mid-size business, a 10-person marketing department, or a larger corporation, the size of your brand potential might just depend on the PR philosophy that you apply. How many third parties do you foster to help shape your brand or – big ghast – to collectively become your largest public voice? We call this philosophy customer-centric, or third party PR. Brand advocates can be at work on...
Read MoreProfessor Punts: Another Quarter, Internship Intelligence and Life with Social Media
The summer sailing season winds down in September as the crisp air signals for me the beginning of another fall quarter teaching principles of PR at DePaul University. No sooner can we blink than the first frost brings with it final exams during Thanksgiving week. Time flies. In teaching, there is never a dull moment – especially with 28 engaging, smart 20-somethings eager to find out if PR is for them. During 10 weeks and 20 lectures we wove PR conversations into current events. There were four Presidential debates, Apple’s release of the iPhone 5, Chick-Fil-A’s branding...
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