Ask Andi: Is using PR the best way to recover from a business problem? We had a product issue, and want to build up our reputation again. What is the role of public relations in my business?
Using PR to repair or maintain a good reputation is an important asset in any business. Accuracy and understanding foster a good reputation. A business’s credibility often comes from a willingness to listen. With respect to those with whom you interact. Even when there are problems, describe the problem and likely impacts. Listen with empathy and concern. Deal fairly and honestly. Then your business will weather very difficult circumstances.
Using PR to recover from a business problem
How does a business recover its reputation after encountering a significant problem Our reader is correct to ask about the role of public relations – which is one of the major vehicles any business can use, to manage and improve its market reputation. Let’s take a look at the role of public relations, and how to tie together fees and outcomes.
Public relations is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its public as defined by the Institute of Public Relations. Publics can include customers, employees, shareholders, the general public, competitors and other peer groups, the media, and any other sources that can influence or educate the marketplace.
Most businesses use public relations to identify relevant targets, and then determine how best to influence them. The objective can range from changing or neutralizing hostile opinions, to building positive impressions or reinforcing favorable opinions. The outcome of most public relations efforts ranges, depending on the situation. In the case of problems, a typical outcome is to minimize business losses. When a business is on the upswing, the goal may be to make it easier for sales to find their targets, get in the door, and beat the competition.
Let’s focus back on our reader’s problem, recovering from a difficult situation. Remember the importance of trust and honesty in building a reputation. In a difficult situation, spin control, or trying to put a good face on a bad situation, can be tricky. You don’t want to mislead the marketplace, while you explain the problem. You do want to inform the market, helping people understand what your business is doing to make improvements.
Damage control and reputation recovery
According to Dawn Dankner-Rosen, President of DDR Public Relations, when in any negative situation, crisis, or bad event that has cast a negative light on the business, you want to get to the point where you can focus on the positive. She says that you cannot disregard what happened. You have to remember that honesty is always the best policy. Own up and admit to the negative occurrence, and then move ahead. In no way do you want to cover up what has happened.
Dawn maintains that good public relations are not spin masters, they are honest and upfront, present the facts and help their customers to move forward to the future. Once you’ve admitted that you’ve done a bad thing, you can describe what you’re doing to resolve it, and show the good that is coming from your efforts, trying to replace bad with good by disseminating a stream of positive messages.
How do you go about selecting a public relations firm, and setting up an arrangement that will get you what you want? Interview several public relations firms and ask them for their advice. Look for public relations firms that are already working with your target markets. In crunch time, you may not be able to afford the time it takes for a public relations firm to come up to speed on what your target market is all about. Additionally, you want a firm that knows enough about your market, that they can do a good job of educating and guiding you, not the other way around.
If you are not sure where to find PR firms to talk to, open up the Yellow Pages, call business peers and ask them who they have used, go on the web, and lookup public relations organizations – there are several.
Rebuild your brand
A great way to find a PR consultant is by asking media people who they respect. Also, consider word of mouth, suggests DDR Public Relations. Editors and reporters know who has been honest, upfront, and helpful. This is the core of a good public relations professional.
Pick a PR firm based on several factors. How well do they know your target market? Your ability to communicate with them and vice versa. And their experience handling similar situations. Also, look for PR firms that get back to the media in an instant.
Most editors and reporters are working on deadlines. You may only have a window of an hour or two to get your message across. Don’t blow an opportunity because a reporter didn’t get a prompt call back. Selected 1-3 PR firms as ones you could work with. Talk with them specifically about how they would charge.
Agree on a target amount/month. How much you are willing to spend. However, beware of open-ended billing arrangements. Concept development, theme, and strategy are all important. Go through these steps and end up with nothing published. In which case you would probably be very disappointed. Instead, focus on results. For example, you may want to have articles published in several trade journals.
Get the word out on what your company is doing to improve things. Be interviewed by media outlets your customers subscribe to. Reproduce an article and use it as part of your sales literature. Link the majority of your payments to outcomes that will cause you to say the effort was a success.
Looking for a good book?
Try the audio CD, Get Free Publicity, by George McKenzie. My thanks to Dawn Dankner-Rosen, President of DDR Public Relations, for her contributions to this article. Her firm is a Westchester-based public relations and marketing consulting firm, in business for 23 years.
