The Public Relations Blog

Gather ‘round. Here’s a tale of the possible demise of a national brand, Redbox, with lessons to ponder from other national brands like Blackberry and Blockbuster. The takeaway for you is this: Are you doing what you need to do in terms of brand relevance to prevent extinction?

It’s true: PR firm abandonment happens. Sometimes companies select a public relations firm to help achieve new message goals, and then run out of time or forget all about it.

Part 2 - 5 More Things Your PR Firm May Not Tell You (But Wishes You Knew)

An investment in public relations is one of the smartest ways to build your brand and reputation. Good PR generates outstanding news coverage, boosts your name and reputation online and helps manage (or avert) a potential communications crisis. The investment is even more valuable when you start the process knowing the no-nonsense realities of working with a professional firm.

Let’s be straightforward. PR tools like earned media coverage, online reputation management and crisis management can constitute a significant investment of your marketing budget’s dollars. However, they’re also highly effective when utilized the right way – and while they provide significant, lasting benefits over time, there are some unique challenges associated with PR that deserve some attention.

Bidsketch recently published an article focused on how most copywriters use an antiquated and self-centered approach and fee structure to projects instead of a client focused, service minded approach to their clients and projects.

Economists say the Great Recession ended in 2010, but many small businesses didn’t start feeling any type of recovery until quite recently. Others are still struggling. The public relations industry is definitely feeling the effects of the recovery, as more companies are utilizing the power that PR firms can provide.

Somebody’s got some explaining to do.

They’re calling it “operation clean turf,” and it’s all about cleaning up the online reputation of companies that previously used fake online reviews to help promote their brands.

Public relations has always been critically important for handling a crisis, successful reputation management and increasing audience buy-in. However, with the pervasiveness of social media, where complaints can go viral quickly, smart PR is the oxygen and the lifeblood of repairing a negative online reputation. PR is the answer to jagged comments pulled from that great and rapid-fire social media complaint box, where your company (or any company) could be the next point of interest.

You can’t ignore bad news about your organization; and in fact, it deserves a proper response. Sometimes, even organizational leaders use their social media accounts to respond in the heat of the moment, and instead of putting out fires, they spark new ones.

Moving ahead with a successful public relations initiative calls for an “all in” attitude. What does this require for the best results? Being honest about your organization, and being an active participant in the news and willing to be somewhat in the spotlight, for starters.