Archive for Public Relations
May 28, 2010 at 9:22 am · Filed under Workplace, Public Relations
Running a professional services firm is a constant guessing game of “What If?” While a vast majority of our clients are on retained programs, with set fees month after month, some are project-based. We are uncertain how the business will fluctuate month to month.
And as a growth business, we’re also engaged in a number of new business discussions. These are companies we’ve not worked with who wish to retain our services - or those of another firm. We need to plan the resources for each.
Our resource is the time of our professionals. And like any resource it is finite. There are so many hours int he day, and so many people working here. The math is quite simple. And before long, you run out of people and hours.
Like manufacturing, I can search for efficiencies. Less double-up in meetings. Smarter allocation of work from senior to junior professionals. Use of technology to suicken repetetive processes, whether that’s a report on the day’s newspaper headlines of a summary of work in a month.
But unlike manufacturing, I cannot pre-purchase machinery in advance of work orders. People aren’t as readily available and if they aren’t busy with clients, it’s a squandered resource. Yes, everyone can help with running and promoting the company. But that’s not the most effective use of valuable skills.
So most of the time managers in charge of an agency play “What If?” What if we secure the new client assignment? What if our existing client delays or cancels a major project? What if we have several people out sick? (Last week we lost seven people simultaneously to a virulent flu.)
Lately I’ve been silently planning for a major piece of new business. We’ve been preparing our strategy during the days, evenings and weekends. And initial signs are encouraging. That’s forced me to look at office space, technology, people, resources. In quiet I’ve found space for eight new desks, interviewed ten people and prepared a capital plan for new technology. And that’s all without the certainty of success.
The problem is, if you don’t play “What If?” then later down the track you’re forced to deal with “What Now?” In almost every instance I would prefer to be prepared. So it’s back to planning - but don’t tell anyone.
March 5, 2010 at 7:02 pm · Filed under Issues Management, Media Industry, Public Relations, Australia
Poor Jothy Hughes. This “publicist” couldn’t get his client on national television. The firm bought gold, so Jothy arranged for actresses to pose as divorcees. At a staged event they would sell their wedding jewels and act excited by the value. Hooray for divorce!
But Jothy’s emails trying to tempt gold-diggersgold sellers were published. Now Jothy’s dodging camera crews in car parks and his employer refuses to acknowledge his existence. The story received national airplay in AUstralia on “Today Tonight” and “A Current Affair”.
A PR man’s worst nightmare? Maybe not.
One conspiracy theorist notes the responses and car park interviews are too polished. Was this guy caught out or stage managed? The crisis has forced gold buying parties into prominence never-before seen.
Now I know I’m supposed to be creative in my job. But it never occurred to me to fake a crisis in order to propel further media.
Is that what those Exxon Valdez guys were thinking?
February 24, 2010 at 1:01 pm · Filed under Public Relations, Social Media
This morning I presented at a Dow Jones seminar here in Sydney at the up-market Hilton Hotel. Apparently they host a series of forums across Asia Pacific, and this was the first social media event in Australia this year. A similar event had been held in Singapore a few weeks back.
The audience of 150 people were predominantly from the client side, with fair representation from the major agencies. Leading banks, corporations, government departments and others attended.
The first speaker was Social Media Senior Advisor at Telstra – a real coal-face position. The last speaker was regional salesman for Dow Jones, Lars Voedisch (and former FH Singapore person!). In-between was yours truly!
Knowing many would focus on the tools and tips and case studies, I focused on the meta-trends (erosion of trust in institutions, explosion of publishing and thus the death of top-down communications). I said it would be a good deck for counsellors to use with their CEOs so they understood the framework for engaging in social media.
There was one reporter in attendance – Glen Frost from “The PR Report”. Also there was our new Account Director, Paris Brimo. I paired Glen and Paris so she’s now the “cover girl” for the next edition!
All in all a great way to spend the morning (and the better part of a day preparing the deck). If you need the slides they are here: http://www.slideshare.net/Wallyballoo
February 17, 2010 at 8:10 am · Filed under America, Public Relations
Through the miracle of modern technology and a wide network of contacts, I am the guest lecturer this evening at the International Public Relations course at Indiana University. My former Ford colleague Jim Bright has been a professor there for several years. Given his troupe is preparing for a field trip to Japan - and to satisfy their interest in how a boy from New Jersey is lucky enough to land in Sydney - I get to speak to the class.
As I gaze out of the Skype video window into the classroom, I’ll see 16 students. Nate from Evansville has the wickedest sideburns I’ve ever seen. Ashley was inspired by a cruise at age 13 and one of her dream jobs is to work on a ship as liaison with international travelers. Sam is “super jealous” I get to live in Australia as he’s already been here - and is itching to get back! There’s Rachel from Chicago and Bene’ from Nashville (one of my favourite American cities). Alexei is keen to learn the cultures of Japan and India, while Shabrelle can’t decide between public relations and corporate law (is it because they’re both creative fields?).
Angela wants to know if we really say “G’Day Mate!” (We do.) Alex est Francophone parce’qu’elle adore la France (moi aussi)! Meanwhile Kristopher speaks Japanese which may not prove useful in South Bend (not South Park) but will be a bonus in Tokyo. Paula is from Tulsa and is keen to learn about Asian cultures (there’s a lot to learn). Samantha’s already done an internship and is fluent in Spanish. And Alexandra is already an officer with PRSSA - the student public relations association.
Finally I’ll see Professor Bright and his able assistant Kate Lee (who is privately cheering for her fellow Canadians in Vancouver now).
So as you all hunker in to the cold and wet and snow of Indiana, spare a moment’s thought for all of us trapped down here in Australia. (Speak to you soon!)
January 7, 2010 at 9:00 am · Filed under Investor Relations, Issues Management, Public Relations
Yesterday Jetstar announced a partnership with AirAsia that starts with joint-procurement agreements and extends to service agreements at shared airports. The deal centres on two similarly aligned organisations looking to reduce costs.
Yet by carefully crafting messages – and relating those to the company’s core values – Jetstar placed its consumers at the centre of this ho-hum corporate deal. To showcase the power of public relations, think through these two different headlines:
JetStar Alliance To Cut Cost (hypothetical)
Jetstar Deal Means Lower Asia Fares (The Australian – front page)
In the front page article, new partner AirAsia said round trip fares between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur should drop $200 to $600 per person. The ability to demonstrate an immediate consumer benefit means a lot. Consumers will support restructuring, even some job losses, if they perceive an immediate benefit.
Frequently companies seek public relations counsel to manage restructuring announcements. They’ll develop announcements with euphemisms for job losses. Downsizing. Restructuring. Business Process Reengineering. And my favourite, “Rightsizing”.
Author Don Watson developed a handy reference tool for those seeking to understand dense corporate-speak. “Weasel Words” is a collection of “contemporary clichés, cant & management jargon.” There Watson offers this definition to “rightsizing” – Job Eliminations.
When developing messages to support a restructure, think to the end consumer. What’s the benefit? Quicker call times? Lower costs? Better products? If you place the consumer at the heart of your messages you’re transactions are going to be better received.
January 5, 2010 at 7:52 am · Filed under Public Relations, Australia
Australian employers are coming back from holidays to find the return of high employment. In December job advertisements spiked – in a trend unseen before. Traditionally job ads over Christmas are dominated by casual and seasonal roles (gift wrapping at the mall, anyone?). Yet this past December recruitment advertisements increased 2.5% with an 18.5% increase in advertising and media. (See The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Dial back three years and you’ll recall the pre-crisis period. At that stage I was in a similar role at another firm (they who shall not be mentioned). I received a CV from a recruiter who enthusiastically recommended this bright candidate. She was unique and very qualified. And with 18 months experience she wanted a base salary of $75,000.
Now recruiters are human so I called and suggested the 4 key is right below the 7 key on the numeric keypad. Wasn’t this a typo?
Turns out the young candidate wasn’t the only enthusiastic one. No, the recruiter assured me, that was the salary expectation and once I met the young woman I would understand. On principle I refused the meeting.
In public relations we walk a razor-thin line. We have an obligation to provide a fair and equitable salary to our professionals. Yet clients are demanding the best services for the most reasonable fees. And after the horror year of 2008-09, we need to re-build and re-invest in technology, training and more.
Australia is also a talent pool where Asian companies love to swim. Singapore for three years? Seoul for a posting? Hong Kong for a change? With the growth in Mandarin classes even an in-land China posting is attractive to new professionals.
2010 will be a competitive year as the economic growth of Australia is compounded by the increased demand for talented people. I plan to play and play hard – but it’s never going to be a place where I’ll over-pay for 18 months experience!
October 14, 2009 at 8:47 am · Filed under more on me, Public Relations
You can tell I’m a child of the 1970’s when I immediately think of David Bowie as a way to chart the changes in my life. His lyrics immediately pop to mind - especially as I’ve made a major change in my career. (Dear Gen Y’ers and Millennials - do watch this historic footage below.)
On Monday, 12 October I started a new role here in Sydney with Fleishman-Hillard, one of the largest global public relations consultancies. I’ll manage the Sydney office and have a triple-barrel title (SVP & Partner, GM - Sydney). I’ll have to get a longer business card.
For two years I managed my own consultancy, Perception Counsel. It was coincidental to launch a new business in the lead-up to The Great Recession. (Cool to see it with capital letters like 1930’s The Great Depression.) The upside - as all business owners know - is the flexibility and freedom that comes from reporting to yourself. Yet what I missed most was the interaction with like-minded colleagues. And in a single stroke I entered a wide and varied network. FH has 80 offices and I’ve had welcome notes from Atlanta, Seoul, Tokyo, Dallas, New York and St Louis (Global HQ firmly in the Midwest).
In addition, FH is part of Omnicom Group - one of the world’s leading diversified communications companies. Partner firms are in advertising, branding, direct mail, social media, etc. It’s exciting to have an insider’s pass to such an extensive network, especially as I love design but make an awful Pictionary partner (”It’s Lassie. No! It’s Liza!”).
The upside of the new job is there wasn’t that much surprise on Day One. Fleishman was exhaustive in the recruitment process. And while most candidates assume the inquisition is one-way, the firm wanted to ensure I knew what I was getting myself into. I walked in with my eyes wide open.
What have I found?
Fleishman-Hillard has been in Sydney since 2001 and has been a quiet achiever. There’s a considerable track record of high-profile clients and assignments. Today the office has a solid quartet of practices - Healthcare, Consumer Marketing, Technology and Corporate-Finance. The team today is solid and experienced. And like most firms there’s room to grow and time to trial new tactics.
So wish me luck as I adjust my new computer to all my favourite settings, import my contacts, find where the files are stored and adjust to a new routine.
June 10, 2009 at 8:55 am · Filed under Public Relations, Australia
Australian slang could be studied at a doctoral level and still you’d be finding new phrases. It’s a social leveler unknown in America. George Bush tried to speak like a common man - most days he came across as inarticulate. Here in Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd peppers his comments with common man language. Yet as an erudite man it comes across as studied and slightly false.
“Fair shake of the sauce bottle, mate,” said Rudd yesterday when defending postings in a Ministerial shake-up. Critics say not enough women got postings. Kevin defends the roles and winners by comparing it to a barbecue sauce bottle.
“If you were to compare what this Government has done in terms of promotion of women of talent and ability compared with our predecessors, it’s chalk and cheese,” he continued. Once again the colloquial language comes out.
For communicators this is done in an effort to boost understanding and retention - right away every listener gets a mental image that is emblazoned in their mind.
How does Rudd’s Government compare to Howard’s? Chalk and cheese.
May 28, 2009 at 8:54 am · Filed under Issues Management, Globalisation, Public Relations
“Could I try the heart?” asked Canada’s Governor General, Michaelle Jean as she leaned over a dead seal. She was showing her support for the Inuit tradition of seal hunting in the face of an EU ban on seal products. While Inuit cull small numbers of seal using traditional methods, EU members object to the larger-scale killing by commercial hunters of thousands of seal pups.
So after eating some raw seal meat the Governor General tucked into a bite of raw heart. Her verdict? It tastes “like sushi.” She encouraged all Canadians to sample raw seal.
(Side question: Is this now a national duty or merely an invitation? Are Canadians obliged to eat raw seal much like Japanese school children being served whale meat in school canteens?)
During the peak of “Mad Cow” disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) brave British politicans were photographed…enjoying a barbequed steak! Nothing could hold these brave men back as they tucked into a prized British export. (”If it’s safe enough for me…”) Eventually England killed 4.4 million head of cattle.
Now Swine Flu is in the headlines. The misnomer is leading to bans on the export of pork. And while world health authorities have changed the name to “H1N1 Virus” it lacks the same pizzaz as “Swine Flu” especially to the readers of The Daily Telegraph.
Today’s cover features “the first family of swine flu” - now under quarantine to stop the spread of the disease (pictured below: John and Fiona Darcy with sons Jarryd and Nicholas - source: The Daily Telepgraph).
My question: Will they put some pork on their fork? Should Kevin Rudd stop by with a take-away serving of Pork Lo Mein?
April 24, 2009 at 9:47 am · Filed under Media Industry, Public Relations
Public relations practitioners are the “behind the scenes” men and women who assist companies in good times and bad. They help companies get noticed and achieve balance reporting. We can train people to sit in front of television cameras and remain “on message” about an issue or a product. But it’s rare we’re the source of the story.
Today “The Australian” features a front page story on the media management of a high profile legal case. In this case the public relations firm and its client are the story - the print edition features investigative-style photographs of two PR people leaving court.
The article does not question the role of the public relations person - the reporter notes that it’s standard practice for a legal firm and/or company to have a PR firm available to assist journalists. What is under review is the practice of issuing media releases and “backgrounders” to journalists while a motion is being heard in court.
What the article does show is a shift in media opinion against the company and its agency. When the public relations firm becomes the story then the story is always going to be bad news.
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