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Greetings!
Buzz, our sometimes grouchy and always cantankerous spokesperson, had a great summer and hopes you did as well. Now it's time to put away the white belt, madras shorts and muscle shirt and make the remaining months of 2007 the best of the year. We hope our tips will be helpful to you and your team.
As a reminder, you can go to www.sawmillmarketing.com and click on the BuzzCuts button on the upper left hand side of the home page to review our archived issues. And don't forget to check out the Buzz Blog, also accessed via the Web site. Estimated reading time for this issue of BuzzCuts: 63 seconds. The Sawmill Team - Susan Anthony and Jeff Davis
Media Relations Tip #20 - No PR Program Means Media Chooses the Message
Why Let Reporters Decide How You Are Perceived?
If you slip into a reactive-only mode and are not regularly distributing news or pitching stories about successes, innovations, new products/services, etc., then guess what? Any news coverage you do receive will most likely be either "negative" or about something you're unprepared to talk about.
The media will cover what they feel is of interest to their audience and in our experience they don't automatically seek out only what clients consider to be the good stories.
So crossing your fingers and placing that responsibility solely in the media's hands means the public's perception about your organization will be shaped by what a reporter in search of a story determines to be newsworthy.
You won't always get positive coverage or puff pieces about your organization - nor should you - but by not periodically offering suggestions to the media via a proactive PR program, your chances of getting a good story now and then are pretty slim.
Crisis Communications Planning Tip #2 - Tell It Like It Is
Get ALL of the Facts Out - and the Sooner the Better
One of the most challenging aspects of crisis communications is getting an organization to agree to communicate the facts of the situation -- even (and especially) when they cast a less than positive light on those involved.
When a high profile business executive had his driver's license yanked because of a DWI incident, he issued a statement fessing up and the media pretty much yawned.
While we will never know if the incident would have generated more intense media attention if he had elected to be less forthright, it's a good bet that it would have added additional embarrassment to him, his family and his company.
Media Training Tip #29 - How Not To Get Quoted...Even When You Want To
Taking the Soundbite Concept Too Far
One of our favorite media training bloggers, George Plumley, recently shared a great tip, called "Don't Talk Yourself Short." It's worth passing along:
"There's a lot of emphasis on giving short answers for audio or video interviews - the all-important soundbite - but here's a good reminder not to make your answers too short!
"Try to answer in full sentences as it makes it easier for them to edit. So if they say 'What percentage of employees do you think lie on their resumes?' Don't answer 'about 46%.' Rather say: 'My best estimate is that at least 46% of employees lie on their resumes. It's probably even a little higher for those applying for executive positions."'
As our blogger friend says, "one of the things meant by 'easier for them to edit' is that no one can throw the clip 'about 46%' on the evening news. In other words, you're selling yourself short by giving a super short answer because you won't get quoted." |
