Oh, the infamous, go-to when things go wrong, catch phrase, PR fail. You read it in blog posts and status updates, you see journalists, activists and even other PR practitioners use it at a whim. While this generation uses the term “fail” a lot when describing bad decisions, stupid mistakes or a face plant on the sidewalk, we also see that people almost automatically attribute any company’s faux pas to their public relations. You failed at relating to your public, so therefore you have a PR fail. I see the logic, but are you using the phrase correctly?

Consider this – is there a difference between an actual PR fail and a breakdown-in-communication fail? And should we differentiate the two?

So what’s the difference? A PR fail, one would think, consists of an actual public relations professional making a move that is beyond common sense. Example: a PR representative who keeps reaching out to a reporter after being repeatedly told not to do so. You can also argue that a PR fail occurs when PR succumbs to a boss’/client’s ill-advised demands, pitches information poorly, out of context or straight up disregards standard ethical procedures.

If someone says “don’t touch me,” then don’t touch them. If you are pitching a story about various dog breeds and pitch it to TechCrunch, expect to find your pitch here. A PR fail, in all its glory, is a total breakdown in an execution of whatever tactics or strategies someone has employed.

Conversely, a breakdown-in-communication fail would look more like when PR scrambles to get the transparency ball rolling during a crisis, but the actions or words of employees, executives, journalists, etc. overtake their attempts. Example: a PR representative trying to smooth over an employees’ poor decision making process when dealing with a celebrity. Obviously, this is all about the failure to communicate at all levels, and it makes you wonder if something like this where you can blame a larger group of people should be lopped into the “PR fail” category? Ponder that one for a minute….

Yes, PR fails happen, we are human after all. And with this wonderful thing called individuality, what one person says or does can be interpreted differently by almost every single person on the planet. Even unintentional remarks, like “no comment,” end up tarnishing people’s ability to set the record straight later on. With a fear that “no comment” is a kiss of death, we have essentially encouraged anyone with a podium to speak before thinking.

Wouldn’t we all have fewer headaches if maybe we stopped for a second and said, “Hey, I am very interested in answering all your questions and addressing the issue head on. But first, let me get all the facts so I am able to answer all of your questions and concerns to your satisfaction.”? And then go and actually obtain all the necessary information, because people want straight answers, they may not like them or you afterwards, but at least you won’t be accused of lying, avoiding the issue or not being transparent – all of which are commonly referred to as “PR fails.” Seriously, in the end, being informed and up front about the issues is your best, and sometimes only, defense when all other hope is lost.

So should we be so quick to blame PR for a CEO’s gaffes in the national media, or should we chalk it up to the old PR adage of “we can only help if you want it”? Either way, failure to relate with the public at large hurts. No, we cannot spin things so they don’t look as bad, nor can we go back in time and change regrettable events. The only thing we can do is admit to our mistakes, learn from them (or from others’) and make sure it never happens again.

Reaching out to the world at large can be a very daunting process, and many times the end result is something less than desired especially if you are a scientist. A lot of times today’s society, particularly this generation, is seen as one of the most informed population in history. So it’s not a surprise when you hear or read news pieces that spew industry terms, scientific processes and general gobbly-gook without much explanation – after all we have Wikipedia so we should know everything, right?! Wrong. The unfortunate truth is you can never assume anything. Yes, people are smart, but they are also human.

In the latest issue of Wired, the article, “Why Science Needs to Step Up Its PR Game” discusses how science needs to reevaluate their approach and pick up some PR pros on the way. And I completely agree.

One particular argument stemmed from a panel discussion on the deniability of climate change. The panel ended up being about finger-pointing and blaming political sabotage and did not discuss ways to actually get the public on their side. This is just a classic case of “we know what we are talking about so everyone should just believe us.” The problem, however, is not in the actual science it’s in the message. A scientist writes for other scientists, but when you are trying to convince the entire world, you need to put that data and research into context for every individual.

The article also mentions scientists don’t want to “spin” their work or “frame” their messages. Public relations is not about spin; it’s about understanding that each audience or public interprets messages differently and it is about understanding how those interpretations are made. This is why PR practitioners clearly define various audiences during the planning period, because they know they will have to disseminate information in various versions and formats. For example, you can tell Group A the sky is blue, but you sometimes have to tell Group B the sky is not red therefore it is blue, and Group C has to be told the sky is above you, it has clouds and it is blue. In the end you still come to the realization that they sky is blue.

There are so many fascinating things going on in the world today, but little is acknowledged or reported properly because the message is either too technical or too impersonal. There actually is a good reason why celebrities’ lives are such news fodder and are used as official spokespeople, because people identify with them on a human level.

When people are confused or bored, they will not listen to you, let alone support you. However, you must be very careful not to be condescending to your audiences, and this is one of those crazy high-wire acts PR professionals practice on a daily basis. As the article mentions, it would behoove the science world to get over the fact that data should speak for itself and let a PR person give that data life.

Beyond the obvious reasons as to why the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is making headlines, there is an interesting reminder as to the clout of social media. As if BP didn’t have enough to worry about, someone created a parody Twitter account, where the user, posing as a dim-witted company (most likely PR) exec, posts snarky, funny remarks regarding BP’s missteps during this whole oil spill debacle. It’s important to keep a pulse on what is being said about your company in newspapers, TV shows, blogs, and now it’s also crucial to see if someone is posing as you on the Web (and this goes beyond just websites saying how much they hate a certain company).

Social media, even if you chose not to participate, will talk about you whether you like it or not. If you are smart, you know that a strategic public relations campaign can do wonders for your bottom line, but now it comes with the need to up the ante on monitoring and interacting with the masses. Whether you choose to acknowledge the Interwebs’ shenanigans or not, working with your current PR representation can help you gain a better understanding of where you stand with your audiences – and how to tweak your messaging accordingly.

Your messages, even in short bursts on Twitter, should align with any outwards messages you carry via marketing, advertising or through your PR efforts. By syncing up you build a stronger shield and avoid floundering messages sent based on heated emotions. If BP’s actions have shown you one thing, it should be that a united, but transparent, approach could be the difference between being shown in a bad light and being chased by a lynching mob.

If you haven’t already, talk with your PR department, or find someone, and discuss the various ways they can help you not only leverage social media with your current campaigns, but also use it as a gauge on your company’s online image. Like I said, you don’t have to participate in it, but you can’t ignore it either because someone will capitalize on your indifference.

A recent survey, sponsored by Glasscubes.com, found that 89.5% of their respondents said collaboration between agencies and their clients would generate stronger results for their campaigns.

When asked to define an effective, collaborative PR relationship, some common themes emerged, including:

• Openness (open door, open minds, open communication)
• Frequent, two-way communication
• Trust
• Clear expectations
• Partnership

Seeing as Glasscubes is an online collaboration tool, they have also outlined five ways to improve collaboration between agencies and clients. This survey provides interesting statistical data backing up what many of us have already been thinking – if only everyone were more upfront and open with one another. They also make the valid point that everyone brings something different to the table. After all, the client is an expert in their field while PR practitioners are an experts at creating targeted messages. Put these two together and you get one very effective communication machine.

But in order to get to that point, we all need to get over our fears of working together. Many times we run into clients who think they know nothing about PR so they think they probably have nothing to add, or agencies that don’t collaborate in fear they will look unqualified or unprepared. However, with these fears comes one reality, no one is a mind reader. By being available to each other and being more receptive to various ideas we open up the potential for truly more valuable results. So take the first step to creating a great collaborative relationship with your agency or client, and find out what great things can come about.

We all get stuck in industry speak, especially when you have a boss who throws words like revolutionary/synergy/leading at you (even though you know those words mean little these days). Public relations practitioners are definitely in the same boat as they many times have to write news releases, pitches, etc. to reflect their clients’ way of thinking. By taking a quick glance at most of the news being pumped out today you can tell that this practice is alive and well.

Our world is over-saturated with buzz words – one person used it, more people caught on thinking it would set them apart, and now everyone uses it (and so on and so on). The other thing about buzz words, particularly ones prevalent in certain industries, is that not everyone knows what they mean. Granted when you’re using industry terms you are more than likely only targeting people who understand those terms, but is that really the best way to approach news output when anyone can find information on you?

Steve Safran, in his recent Lost Remote post, commented that when targeting media “you have to be authentic – and that makes companies nervous – but when done right it can have much more impact….” And he’s right. We sometimes get so caught up in the moment we forget that not everyone is as excited as we are. Whether you are a client or a PR practitioner, it’s important to stand back from your work ever so often and take stock. Ask yourself, “is it really necessary to say our new product is exciting?” Safran also mentions, if your news is actually exciting it will come through; don’t force it. You never know if will backfire on your future efforts to release information that may actually be of interest.

As always with most PR advice, know who you are targeting, use the right message, and when all else fails make sure the message you create can be understood by your grandmother.

Yup. And there are a lot of other things you may not know about that are in place to guide PR practitioners through the tumultuous world of relationship management.

As mentioned in a previous post, there is a real need to educate the public about what public relations is really about. As PR practitioners, we have not done the greatest job when it comes to building our own credibility, nor taking our own advice. Keith Trivitt and PRCog, in a PRBreakfastClub post, have even thrown their hats into the ring to get PR associations and organizations more involved in the fight to show the true worth of PR. They even suggest there be a stamp of approval that PR practitioners can highlight when generating new business.

Although I think Trivitt’s and PRCog’s ideas have merit and should be backed by the PR community, I still think we need to focus on the industry standards that are already out there. Each association and organization (whether local, national or international) has their own set of code of ethics, as well as awards and seals of approval. I think the problem with this is that there may be too many options available, and no one outside of the industry knows they exist.

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is one prime example. Although argued as the largest PR associations in the world, it is still not always the preferred leader for PR standards or community building. So when someone is looking to find a PR practitioner to work with, do they look for someone who is actively involved with PRSA or someone with a more local focus, such as the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)?

Also, we have the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) credential that can be taken by anyone voluntarily who works or teaches in the industry. Although PR as a college major is starting to become more popular and more common as a job requirement, accreditation can still set a PR practitioner apart from the rest.

However, like I said this is voluntary. To work in PR, you don’t have to have a background in PR. The credentials are not mandatory, and no one is forcing continual learning. While I don’t think it is necessary to mandate APR accreditation or only hiring PR majors, I do however feel there should be some sort of push in regards to informing the public of the benefits of hiring someone with those credentials. After all, would you hire an accountant without their CPA or a lawyer without having taken their Bar exams?

So what’s the answer – do we hit up the associations and organizations, create a code of ethics and demand a seal of approval? Maybe. What I do think is we need to strengthen what we already have and work to generate public trust just like we do every day for our own clients. Let’s not be that cobbler who has children with no shoes.

How do you perceive PR? Do you think there should be more emphasis on the inter-workings of the industry or should we just leave it be?

Confusion, provoked or accidental, can be a major deal breaker in many business relationships. No matter how carefully you construct your presentation, contract or speech, there will almost always be someone out there who misinterprets it. In the world of PR, this is bound to happen, especially since not a lot of people understand what a PR practitioner actually does for a living (beyond stereotypes). To make it even more confusing, the advancing use of social media and need to manage it are adding elements to PR that didn’t exist before (not to mention intertwining with advertising and marketing programs).

Todd Defren, a principal at SHIFT Communications, had an interesting way of tackling this dilemma on his blog, PR-Squared. He began discussing how the various fields in communication (marketing, advertising and PR) are starting to cross over into each other when it comes to social media (i.e., marketing is using it to build relationships), and how this move is confusing clients. He then includes descriptions of two other companies that tout social media strategy to point out the differences between social media marketing, interactive agencies and PR agencies.

Yet, in the end I think he may have actually shown that when a company gives a brief description of what it does (in social media) they do not provide enough information for a client to truly see the difference in services or strategies. Why is this important? Because a client who thinks everyone does the same thing will begin making demands that you may not be equipped to handle.

One of the biggest culprits of confusion, in my opinion, comes when you assume. So why not take the time and present any information on your company, what you do and what you can offer in a more clear and comprehensive way? Being upfront about your services is one thing, but by really informing your (potential) clients of what industry terminology means, how your specific strategies relate back to your core competencies and what really makes you stand out from the crowd you can start off your PR-client relationship off on the right foot and build a successful campaign.

Navigating the throes of social media, you probably have been wondering how to manage it all. From setting up Facebook pages to interacting with others on Twitter, it all can seem daunting and an insane. Well, a PR professional should be able to help.

As recently defined by some industry experts, such as Sarah Evans and Heather Whaling, a social media consultant can guide you through the terms, setup, maintenance and a slew of other important strategies and tactics associated with being, well, social on the net. Many times, even those of us in the biz, tend to explain PR in a way that only fuels the general stereotype that it’s all about media, journalists and publicity. We sometimes forget that not everyone sees PR as a consultancy when it comes to other ways of communicating with different audiences through various tools and media.

While a PR practitioner is unlikely to actually roar at you (but I’m sure they are thinking it at times), there is a simple way to remember how and why PR can work for your social media strategy. Based on Evan’s and Whaling’s posts, as well as my own experiences, here is a tip for when you get all flustered and confused about how all it all works – just remember what is behind a PR person’s R.O.A.R.:

Regulation (well, manage, but that didn’t fit the acronym)

Do you know where your message is and if it is intact? If playing ‘telephone’ as a kid taught you anything, it’s that what one person says is not always what another one hears.

While before social media it was relatively easy to keep up with news outlets and trade publications to ensure the correct message is being conveyed, today it is a whole other story. Not only are you monitoring traditional media, but now you have blogs, news aggregators and social media and that means a lot of different interpretations of your message. A PR consultant/practitioner can help you determine the best way to hone in on these miscommunications and help you build stronger ties with the community. They can also show you how to use social media as a means to spread your message using the appropriate tools and methods without overwhelming yourself and your audience in the process.

Opportunities

It’s a safe bet that a lot of PR practitioners live online, or at least have a pretty good grasp on how to find valuable information using social networks. Journalists, activists, business owners, consumers, you name it, are on there too. And with tools like Twitter, opportunities for partnerships, interviews, answering questions to technical question, etc. are now at your finger tips. Whatever your industry or business goals, rest assured there is an opportunity out there waiting to be tapped, and PR people know about it and are dying to tell you.

Answers

Each and every social media tool has its own terminology, its own way of posting information, and now its own way of having other pages link back to it. It’s a continually evolving “thing” that really won’t stop anytime soon. PR practitioners, especially ones who live and breath social media, make it their job to keep up with these changes, understand their value and translate it all into how it can be used by and for you. By simply asking what is possible, you will get answers to your social media needs as well as carefully laid out strategies and tactics specific to your business and/or campaign. Remember, the more questions you ask, the better prepared you will be to tackle social media head on. Who better to ask than the people who use it daily to their advantage?

Relationships

It is public relations for a reason, because you are relating with the public. Whether it is social media publics or traditional media publics, it doesn’t matter. PR practitioners were educated and trained in building and maintaining relationships. This can go for their relationship with you, your employees or your own clients, and with social media the ability to create these relationships has only become more prolific. PR practitioners can help you find posts and updates regarding your business and help create actual conversations with people online, so instead of talking about you they may actually start to talk with you. Imagine the research you wouldn’t have to do if you just listened and conversed with the audiences that are already there waiting to be heard by you.

So when thinking about, or even after, starting up a social media campaign remember there are a lot of smart and talented PR people out there who can successfully guide you through the social media jungle.

One of the biggest hurdles for any public relations business is determining how to bill. There are a myriad of models, each touting superiority over the others. However, each time the person actually doing the work will feel gipped in some way.

This topic is constantly broached by the industry, whether as a whole or individually, and no one ever seems to agree. Some companies meticulously keep record of every hour spent on each client’s account; some rely on retainers, while others provide an a la carte menu. Even though PR practitioners are directly affected by this debate, we have yet to come up with a viable solution.

As Gini Dietrich points out in her blog post, “It’s Time to Rid PR Firms of the Billable Hour,” even though we know it’s a problem, little has changed. And unfortunately, this most likely comes down to the way the creative mind works. Yes, a lot of work that goes into PR is analytical- and research-based, but more times than not it all comes down to an idea. So how do you bill for an idea, especially when you have no inkling on how long it will take to come up with it?

Clients (for the most part) do not see the behind-the-scenes chaos that can occur as PR practitioners work like fiends to get work done on their accounts. Sometimes you can spend ten minutes writing the best pitch of your life, and sometimes you will spend over four hours slaving to just get one journalist on the phone. The life of a PR person is not dull because you can bet good money that no day will be the same.

Personally having worked with both models of pay-per-hour and retainer, I can tell you neither is perfect. With pay-per-hour, you actually kill the flow of thought every time you have a random idea or are pulled into spontaneous meetings — let alone the barrage of complaints you receive if you don’t spend enough or too much time on any one account. With the retainer, you are in danger of over-servicing your clients, which happens a lot. Also, once you start over-servicing, you will have little evidence to back up any argument for more money from the client.

I think a large part as to why these dinosaur ideas of billing still exist are due in large part to how business in general is run. Clients pay their employees, vendors, suppliers, etc. based on a specific model, so why would they treat PR, marketing or advertising any different? The industry is complacent, too, because there really is no good way (yet) to determine the value of our brains. It’s a constant battle to prove the worth of PR, before and after a crisis especially, let alone provide an invoice that outlines the exact science that went into a communication campaign (successful or not).

Do I have an answer to Dietrich’s question? Nope. Is there a better way to bill clients? Probably.

So how to we get there? I think the first real step the PR industry has to take (which one would argue is a step we have been doing since the inception of the field) is to use our own abilities to put PR in a good light. Ask any PR pro — many times it is easier to toot the horn of a client than it is to show your own worth; this is something we need to overcome.

Public relations as a whole needs to truly educate the public what it is and not take the brunt of the world’s assumption that PR is evil and behind every disaster. Any time a business or public figure has a crisis, rest assured someone has already written a blog post on the massive “PR failure” that has occurred. Sometimes, yes, PR was not prepared, but keep in mind that PR practitioners can only do so much when their hands are tied by lawyers and CEOs who think they know better. Advertising has always had this edge about them, and it always seemed like they could get away with anything because they were the “creative” ones.

Well, so is PR, and not that we should “get away” with anything, but we need to show people that each account, each day, each tactic is different and it takes a lot of effort, creativity and time to work through it all. By being open with clients and the public as a whole, we as an industry can show how PR does a lot more good than harm – the funny conundrum of it all is that we rarely make public the successes of our own campaigns except to ourselves. Besides, the news doesn’t care that a PR campaign saved the planet; it’s only interesting if we crash and burn (insert sarcasm).

Moral of the story: Don’t let failures rule the PR industry. Show the positives and hopefully the understanding of what we are worth will fall into place. If not, then we keep going until it does.

Understandably, the PR world is a bit upset with Margaret Heffernan’s post last week about PR not being worth the time or money based on her seemingly bad experiences. One of her points, which I disagreed with (along with a lot of other people), was to look for pay-per-hit models, which means paying only for each result. While results are very important in every business, “hits” in PR it is not the end-all be-all.

Here is the problem:

• Quality vs. Quantity – Rachel Kay asks this in her rebuttal post to Heffernan, how do you define quality hits? Anyone can distribute a news release and have it picked up a few times. If you use the right tools, your release will likely get picked up by search engines, Yahoo! News, MarketWatch, and some random local paper, to name a few. But just because someone picks up your news release doesn’t mean you made it. Many times a release pick up is just that and no one cares. What about when you get mentioned once in a highly circulated magazine, is that better? The old “all press is good press” adage actually doesn’t make sense unless you use your time in the press to create positive feedback. By pushing for a certain number of results per month no matter what the cost/means, then you risk showing yourself as a press monger and devoid of really caring about your business. The role of a PR practitioner in media relations is to do just that, relate with the media and not just shove information down their throats. A PR pro’s work is a delicate balance of understanding an audience, knowing what real news is, and respect.
• PR is Not Just Media Relations – Public relations is not a one lane highway. It’s about defining audiences/publics, targeting messages to those audiences, building and sustaining relationships/conversations with those audiences, and doing it all over again. A PR practitioner’s job can sometimes resemble a cluster of five lane highways with an umpteen number of overpasses. Also, the term “audiences” doesn’t necessarily equate to only “journalists.” Audiences can be employees, customers, clients, executives, media, investors, the list goes on. Furthermore, the steps taken to define and work with those audiences are also crucial in developing further communication plans that can affect the bottom line. As Kay also mentions, the research done in PR can be invaluable when it comes to defining goals, strategies and tactcis. Every time your competitor announces something or trends emerge a good PR person will work in their clients into the conversation. It’s not just about getting print to run news of your new upgrade, its about making a client the go-to resource for media, the one everyone goes to when looking for feedback on industry news. It’s also about understanding your audiences and what type of information they are looking for from you.
• A Recipe for a Sour Relationship – If a client thinks PR is all about the number of hits and that all it takes is for a flack to call up a journalist and schedule coverage then clearly someone let the ball drop in terms of education. We all sometimes forget that just because we know what we are doing, doesn’t mean other people understand our profession or daily work load. It’s beyond critical to sit down and take someone through the process. Show them how planning makes a difference, trend and rapid response help companies become leaders in their industries and how the little things now will make an impact later. To a PR person getting 25 news release picks up may not be as successful as getting one journalist to finally take a meeting with their client/CEO. Yet, most CEOs don’t see that meeting is as valuable unless it results in some sort of article or company mention. This kind of thought process is actually a slippery-slope that can lead to disastrous agency/client relations. One thing people take for granted is that being on someone’s radar is just as valuable – I mean, in your personal life you keep friends and family in the loop, don’t you? You go out for coffee with colleagues and mentors/mentees, as well, no? All the while you are not expecting something in return except maybe good conversation, right? Well, then why do some people expect a different situation when it comes to PR practitioners and media?

What it all boils down to is professional respect. Yes, there are some loons in each industry, especially in public relations, who will buy into whatever companies and potential clients want. However, in the PR profession, there are very well educated, and considerably experienced practitioners who have seen it all and are fearless in their endeavor to make the word more informed and balanced.

Before embarking on any partnership or business transaction, make a clear case to what you want from the relationship, make sure you educate the other side on what your expectations are, and in turn look for the other side to educate you on the realities of your goals as well as reasonable results you can hope to gain from your relationship. In other words, do your homework and don’t be upset if someone tells you “no.”