The Public Relations Blog

As a public relations firm dedicated to helping companies manage crisis communications, improve their reputations, and manage online reviews, it often surprises us how many of our prospective clients don’t understand the differences between these things. We think it’s important to educate companies about these critical areas of PR. If you don’t know the difference between crisis communications, reputation management, and review management, you’re in luck, as we outline the three below.

3 ways to bring your media relations efforts back to life with help from PR

Over the years, the business community has reported that many tools and concepts are “dead.” From press releases to polling, people are quick to declare the premature end of something that no longer seems to be working for them. One such device that has suffered this fate is the media kit. Is it really dead – or perhaps just misunderstood and misused?

Blockchain has received a lot of attention in recent months, especially after the explosive growth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in December. Many people associate blockchain solely with financial applications. Others see potential for blockchain technology in nearly all aspects of life. It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what blockchain is in order to thoughtfully consider how it may help your company, including your public relations efforts.

Pitching the media about company news that has a positive economic impact is one of the best ways to gain earned media coverage. (Hint: That’s because it’s newsworthy.) This is especially true when it comes to announcing jobs. News stories about employment opportunities are a great way to recruit employees. The news media enjoys sharing this news with their audiences. If your company plans to expand and increase its workforce significantly, then it’s an opportunity to gain some earned media coverage.

Don’t make these errors when a crisis hits your company

On the afternoon of Thursday, April 12, an employee at a Starbucks in Philadelphia decided that two men who were sitting at a table and had not purchased anything were a threat. That employee called the police who arrested the men and held them in custody until 1:30 a.m. the next morning. The men, who were waiting for a business associate, were African-American. Another Starbucks patron, Melissa DePino, recorded the incident and posted the video to Twitter at 2:12 that same afternoon. She tagged the video @Starbucks.

Applying the PDCA/Deming Cycle to public relations for strategic growth and improvement

Using measurement and evaluation (M&E) is a process that takes deliberate planning to thoroughly implement. It’s more than lifting some data from your analytics software and hoping to do better next month. Our previous blog posts discussed the difference between measurement and evaluation, the importance of knowing your purpose in this process, what kind of measurement data to collect and how to create SMART goals.

With the increased emphasis on quantifying the results of public relations actions, having a solid grasp of the fundamentals of measurement and evaluation is essential in making wise decisions around the use of data. Although many people put them together, measurement and evaluation are separate concepts. To be most effective, you must remember that they’re distinct tasks at different places within the framework of data collection and analysis. 

One of the first things we do upon rising in the morning is check the news to see what’s happened overnight. Some seek out the weather report or stock reports, while others prefer to digest leading headlines or sports news. The fact that news occurs around the clock is one of the main reasons it’s imperative to have a trained media spokesperson on staff at all times.

A guide for a PR informational interview

At some point during their education, most public relations students receive the assignment to interview PR professionals about the industry, the job and to offer advice to someone considering a career in the profession. Trying to find a PR practitioner who is willing to speak to you can be frustrating. We know that PR pros are busy; and we also understand how important it is to help students prepare for their future in PR. Therefore, we created a list of the top six questions we get from PR students in informational interviews.

Advertising Value Equivalency is an outdated PR measurement

Earned media coverage is a terrific way to get your organization in front of audiences that may want to purchase your products and services. Unlike advertising, earned media is an unpaid, third-party mention – that may be a quote, an endorsement or interview. How do you measure earned media coverage and prove its value to executives? Make sure you discuss measurement with your public relations agency early in the relationship so you have shared objectives for communication efforts.