I went out to dinner this past weekend and was so happy to have to wait for a table. Sounds odd, right, but after 14 plus months of the most challenging times for our restaurant partners, I was glad to wait. I was also glad to be extra patient with the mostly new staff the restaurant was lucky enough to recruit and glad to tip extra generously to help workers start to make up for lost time.
A specialty area of our PR services has always been assisting tourism, entertainment and restaurant brands when they are growing and expanding, rebranding, entering... ⇢ read more
As members of PRConsultants Group, a national network of independent public relations firms, we are given opportunities to gain new insights from our colleagues, as well as continuing learning opportunities. We recently attended our network’s annual conference (handled virtually this year), and one of the key speakers, Shannyn Lee of Win Without Pitching, shared ideas that truly resonated with where we’ve been moving in our business. In fact, a recent new business exchange we had a week prior to hearing her presentation is a perfect example of her advice at work.
Many small businesses like ours have a sincere desire to... ⇢ read more
Read enough crisis communications plans and you’ll see a host of contingencies for communicating with journalists, lawmakers, shareholders and customers. You’ll also see a variety of templated news releases, dark websites and proposed hashtags. Rarely, however, will you see any strategies and tactics directed at one of the most important audiences in any crisis: the employees who work for the organization at the center of the incident.
Why are employees so often overlooked? Maybe it’s because communicating with them is a routine matter at most organizations. Maybe it’s because employee communications lacks the glamor of media relations and executive communications. Or... ⇢ read more
As public relations counselors, we’re used to preparing our clients for how to deal with bad news. But, this past September 2018, our client experienced the opposite issue – how to avoid being overwhelmed by good news!
United Food Bank of Mesa, Arizona, learned that it would receive an abundance of USDA bonus food, along with trade mitigation foods resulting from U.S. trade renegotiations. In all, the food bank would receive about 3 million additional pounds of food, most of it requiring refrigeration.
For a food bank, 3 million pounds... ⇢ read more
Since 2000, teamworks communication management has worked closely with a group of incredibly talented communication professionals from all across North America who collectively form PRConsultants Group. Starting with our first multi-market project for Barnes & Noble.com, and continuing through other national campaigns for organizations such as Cold Stone Creamery and Make-A-Wish America, we continue to be impressed with the breadth and depth of communication expertise these colleagues bring, along with geographic reach for feet-on-the-street execution.
Recently, some 50 members of PRConsultants Group gathered in Houston for the network’s annual conference. This event changes locales each year, providing members from throughout the... ⇢ read more
By Solveig Raftery, The Firm Public Relations & Marketing
It's a turning point many companies and organizations eventually reach: After establishing a promising product or service, you decide to hire a PR agency to promote your valuable efforts. You conduct due diligence, research PR companies, and find one that offers the services you seek and that understands your vision and goals. You sign a contract.
Now what?
Hiring a PR agency is a significant investment, and of course you want to ensure this investment is effective. Fortunately, when an organization and a PR firm collaborate well, they can reap very satisfying results.
Listed below... ⇢ read more
By Solveig Raftery, The Firm Public Relations & Marketing
It's a turning point many companies and organizations eventually reach: After establishing a promising product or service, you decide to hire a PR agency to promote your valuable efforts. You conduct due diligence, research PR companies, and find one that offers the services you seek and that understands your vision and goals. You sign a contract.
Now what?
Hiring a PR agency is a significant investment, and of course you want to ensure this investment is effective. Fortunately, when an organization and a PR firm collaborate well, they can reap very satisfying results.
Listed below... ⇢ read more
My colleagues and I in PR often decry the decline of our business, as ad agencies, social media operations and promotional firms all grapple for clients. It used to be fun, we say, when we did big events and had big budgets. When it was less about data mining and more about the clever idea and a solid PR strategy.
Now companies cast about for free ideas, via RFPs or crowdsourcing or websites in which creatives compete for (absurdly low-priced) business.
I was brought back to today’s stark reality when a friend and I attended a little event in town. Shop-owners had... ⇢ read more
By Jennifer Evans, Principal of The CKP Group in Houston, Texas.
My spouse and I work in different environments. He leads a technical team in the oil and gas industry. I spend my time at The CKP Group building robust communications efforts for clients. Still, we frequently “talk shop” and share best practices. There are two things we both detest: rudderless meetings and ineffective or missing measurement.
Meetings that matter
Meetings should be meaningful and strategic. Most meeting appointments originate from either an information gap or a problem that needs to be solved. Face time is key to relationship management whether it comes... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc., and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
When you put a group of premier public relations experts in a room for three days, you never know what magic will happen. And this year's conference was no exception. Our theme, "Turn it Up," had multiple applications, including a colorful conversation of best/first concerts, and action-packed sessions on branding, social media, PR strategy, and lots more. The theme, how do we work together to "Turn it Up" for our clients, our individual firms, and most importantly, the incredible collective experience of PRConsultants Group, was prevalent throughout the... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc.
I recently published an article on my firm's site about how a "Parking Lot" approach to marketing discussions can be an incredible tool for adding calm and focus to a meeting. We've used this tactic with great success at our PRConsultants Group conference. When you get 40+ PR professionals in a room, can you imagine how many ideas and topics are on the table? The excitement for collaboration is measurable, and the topics to discuss on our agenda far exceed our few days together. We’ve used the Parking Lot there to keep the... ⇢ read more
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