Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
There’s an old proverb that says you need to live something to truly understand it. This idea holds particularly true in the field of public relations (PR), where the day-to-day work and nuances of the business can be discussed at length with fellow professionals but can easily go over the heads of any non-PR folks unfortunate enough to get stuck in the middle of the conversation. But as a PR professional, it can sometimes be difficult to understand how things look on the other side, particularly with the people we aim to work with every day. I’ve heard it plenty of times before: my story idea had everything the reporter could’ve wanted…why is he/she passing on this great opportunity?
To answer this question and get a sense of what it is like to be on the other side of the PR world – specifically, the media side – I contacted an old colleague who had actually made that switch within the last couple of years. Cari R., now an assistant editor at a prestigious publication not to be revealed due to restrictions from their PR department, was a rising star in the communications world before she made the leap to the other side. Today she reports on the latest happenings in science and health and was also kind enough to chat with me recently about some of the key things she now understands about being in the media after making the switch from PR professional to journalist.
What’s one of the main things you realize now about the journalistic process that maybe you didn’t when you were working in public relations?
For me, it’s the speed of how quickly things need to be done. Now don’t get me wrong – public relations can be extremely fast-paced and testing in the sense that there are a million things to do and everything needs to happen ‘’ASAP,” but with reporting, news is only as good as its timeliness (to some people, anyway). I had to adapt to that fact when I first started working as a reporter and I’m still working on it today.
With that said, however, my reporting niche doesn’t have a ton of breaking news items that need to be posted online within an hour of them happening. Generally, I have a good amount of time to put an article together and refine it – something I value greatly. I really do enjoy the process of speaking to different experts or researching a topic in-depth to really help build-out and tell a better story.
Now that you’re a journalist, what is your biggest pet-peeve when working with PR professionals?
That’s an easy one and most reporters probably say the same thing: don’t send pitch ideas on topics I don’t report about, and for goodness sake, don’t email me or call a million times about your pitch. If I haven’t responded after a follow up email or two, call it quits. Remember, reporters have to monitor all of the email we receive to avoid missing out on an important story, but we can’t respond to everyone because of the sheer volume of emails we get. Understand that your email will be read and if I’m interested in your idea, you will receive a response.
What have you taken from the world of public relations to your journalism career?
Well, I think my experiences in PR were great training to become a journalist. Taking complex topics and simplifying them for a large audience, putting together a clear story arc with a beginning, middle and end; and, of course, meeting deadlines were all important in PR and translate to my work now. I also love that I have an understanding of the PR side of things because I can provide perspective to my colleagues on certain things that they may find odd but can easily be explained through the lens of a communications person.
Be honest…do you miss public relations?
Ha! Yes, of course I miss PR! I absolutely love what I do now, but there’s nothing like jumping on the phone and getting a story placed, you know? I also can’t wait until they list me on Cision – it will be a monumental day!
A special thanks to Cari for taking the time to speak with me for this blog post. Next time I pitch you a story, I promise it will be right up your alley and I’ll only email twice.
There’s an old proverb that says you need to live something to truly understand it. This idea holds particularly true in the field of public relations (PR), where the day-to-day work and nuances of the business can be discussed at length with fellow professionals but can easily go over the heads of any non-PR folks unfortunate enough to get stuck in the middle of the conversation. But as a PR professional, it can sometimes be difficult to understand how things look on the other side, particularly with the people we aim to work with every day. I’ve heard it plenty of times before: my story idea had everything the reporter could’ve wanted…why is he/she passing on this great opportunity?
To answer this question and get a sense of what it is like to be on the other side of the PR world – specifically, the media side – I contacted an old colleague who had actually made that switch within the last couple of years. Cari R., now an assistant editor at a prestigious publication not to be revealed due to restrictions from their PR department, was a rising star in the communications world before she made the leap to the other side. Today she reports on the latest happenings in science and health and was also kind enough to chat with me recently about some of the key things she now understands about being in the media after making the switch from PR professional to journalist.
What’s one of the main things you realize now about the journalistic process that maybe you didn’t when you were working in public relations?
For me, it’s the speed of how quickly things need to be done. Now don’t get me wrong – public relations can be extremely fast-paced and testing in the sense that there are a million things to do and everything needs to happen ‘’ASAP,” but with reporting, news is only as good as its timeliness (to some people, anyway). I had to adapt to that fact when I first started working as a reporter and I’m still working on it today.
With that said, however, my reporting niche doesn’t have a ton of breaking news items that need to be posted online within an hour of them happening. Generally, I have a good amount of time to put an article together and refine it – something I value greatly. I really do enjoy the process of speaking to different experts or researching a topic in-depth to really help build-out and tell a better story.
Now that you’re a journalist, what is your biggest pet-peeve when working with PR professionals?
That’s an easy one and most reporters probably say the same thing: don’t send pitch ideas on topics I don’t report about, and for goodness sake, don’t email me or call a million times about your pitch. If I haven’t responded after a follow up email or two, call it quits. Remember, reporters have to monitor all of the email we receive to avoid missing out on an important story, but we can’t respond to everyone because of the sheer volume of emails we get. Understand that your email will be read and if I’m interested in your idea, you will receive a response.
What have you taken from the world of public relations to your journalism career?
Well, I think my experiences in PR were great training to become a journalist. Taking complex topics and simplifying them for a large audience, putting together a clear story arc with a beginning, middle and end; and, of course, meeting deadlines were all important in PR and translate to my work now. I also love that I have an understanding of the PR side of things because I can provide perspective to my colleagues on certain things that they may find odd but can easily be explained through the lens of a communications person.
Be honest…do you miss public relations?
Ha! Yes, of course I miss PR! I absolutely love what I do now, but there’s nothing like jumping on the phone and getting a story placed, you know? I also can’t wait until they list me on Cision – it will be a monumental day!
A special thanks to Cari for taking the time to speak with me for this blog post. Next time I pitch you a story, I promise it will be right up your alley and I’ll only email twice.
I just finished reading “How We Got to Now” and loved the book. It is informative and inspiring, and generated many ideas that may be applicable for my business and clients.
The book looks at the “hummingbird effect” on innovation and how it shaped the modern world. For those who have not read it, let me elucidate.
In his introduction, Steven Johnson explains that changes in the sexual reproduction strategies of flowers led to the evolution of hummingbird wings. Without flower nectar production, there would be no reason for hummingbirds to hover mid-air. The evolution of their wing was a direct result of their need to extract nectar and the environment around them.
Many human innovations have spawned, and will continue to influence, similar changes. For instance, the printing press led to mass production of printed material, which led to the realization of the flaws of human eyesight when reading materials up-close. Without printed material, humans did not realize a need for glasses.
Today’s Technology Innovations
This concept got me thinking about our clients and their innovations in areas that include better imaging of the earth, improved tools for collaboration, and leveraging artificial intelligence for human capital management. I could not help but wonder about the specific hummingbird effect our clients’ innovations will have on the world and into the future.
For instance, consider the introduction of collaboration tools, such as Smartsheet. In the years to come, it will be interesting to know exactly how professional collaboration will change the way people work. How will those changes impact an organization’s bottom line? And will tools for better collaboration impact small and large organizations equally?
In his book, Johnson explains that the productivity gains from bar-code scanners were not evenly distributed. An economist studied this and found that bar-coding benefits the big-box retailers as opposed to the small mom-and-pop stores. It is logical to assume the productivity gains from new workplace tools will not benefit everyone equally.
Clearly, it is early still for the examination of the impact of collaboration tools and none of these questions can be answered until there is an ability to measure results. There is plenty of anecdotal information, but in the years to come there will be better quantifiable data.
Similar questions could be asked of many other of today’s innovators. For instance, Communiqué PR’s client BlackSky will enable satellite imaging as a service to provide nearly real-time imaging of 90 percent of the earth. What will be the hummingbird effect of this innovation. How will it impact commerce on a global scale and how will it improve lives? What other innovations will be spawned from the ability to monitor the earth and its changes over time?
Collaborative Networks & Sharing Ideas
Finally, as I read Johnson’s book I was struck by the number of times he mentioned collaboration as it pertains to innovation and how ideas travel in networks.
For instance, Johnson explained that Thomas Edison’s “greatest achievement many have been the way he figured out how to make teams creative: assembling diverse skills in a work environment that valued experimentation and accepted failure, incentivizing the group with financial rewards that were aligned with the overall success of the organization, and building on ideas that originated elsewhere.”
Certainly, workplace collaboration tools will play a role in better assembling, aligning, and organizing work groups. Social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook also will impact sharing and connecting with other like-minded people. The Economics of Technology Professor Susan Athey has already designed a study and measured how networks such as Facebook and network aggregators like Google have impacted the consumption of news.
Later in the same chapter, Johnson explains that if we think the “lone genius” comes up with an innovation, as opposed to the innovation coming out of the “collaborative network,” then we will create different policies. For instance, tighter patent control favors the genius, while open standards and employee participation in stock plans make it easier for the collaborative network.
Given this assertion, I have to think that tools that enable collaborative work will also have an impact, or a hummingbird effect, on the pace of innovation. Policy changes are imminent.
“How We Got to Now” is truly an excellent read for anyone working with entrepreneurs or organizations at the forefront of innovation. It will help you better understand our world, give you insight into human ingenuity, and provide you with a lens into the process for making incremental gains versus envisioning something truly revolutionary.
We’re thrilled to congratulate our client, Works Applications, for successfully unveiling its new Enterprise Productivity System (EPS) this week at the 18th annual HR Technology Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. With its next-generation, cloud-based system slated to make its official debut in the U.S. in early 2016, the Japanese-based company deserves recognition for its game-changing technology and ambitious goal to enter the U.S. software landscape and compete against established Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) providers such as Workday, SAP and Oracle.
Founded in 1996 to provide ERP solutions to Asian companies, Works Applications has quickly grown to become the No. 1 Human Capital Management (HCM) ERP provider in Japan. Its products, which help companies improve operational efficiency, are currently used by more than 7,000 customers including Fortune 500 companies such as Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co.
Works Applications is the largest vendor in payroll and human capital management software in Japan; however, the company is an unknown player in the U.S. and faces tough competition from established ERP brands. But rather than continuing to play it safe and guard its position in Japan, the company has opted, under the inspired direction of co-founder and CEO Masayuki Makino, to address a largely stagnant ERP user experience in the U.S. and bring its next-generation offering to North America.
Designed to break away from the traditional ERP model, AI Works offers unprecedented speed, artificial intelligence capabilities, integration of productivity tools, and a focus on productivity – all of which support operational efficiency and reduces time spent on data entry, enabling better allocation of employee resources and talents. And unlike other enterprise software companies, Works Applications doesn’t charge for implementations, change requests, or any other unexpected fees, providing customers with predictable costs for their investment.
To support the successful unveiling of AI Works to key U.S. audiences, we worked closely with Works Applications’ marketing and communications teams in Japan and the U.S. to develop a strategy that aligned with their objectives and expectations. Because the company is an unknown entity in the U.S., we understood that introducing them as well as the AI Works platform would be an essential first step to officially launching the product. With that in mind, we identified the HR Technology Conference & Exposition as an ideal opportunity to preview the technology and implemented a campaign to brief key journalists and analysts about Works Applications and its new EPS system.
At the conference, the team hit the ground running and each day was filled with media interviews, analyst briefings, networking events and much more. In fact, the busy schedule included in-person briefings with 15+ analysts and journalists from research firms such as IDC, Gartner and Constellation Research, and publications such as Business Insider, Talent Culture, Tech Target, HR.com and Human Resources Executive, among others. And to top off, featured articles from Bloomberg Business and TechCrunch focused on AI Works and Works Applications’ entry in the U.S. were published to coincide with the start of the conference, spurring a surge of interest in the company and setting the stage for a successful week.
We’re proud to be a part of the Works Applications team and to help the company introduce its truly innovative solution to U.S.-based businesses. We look forward to preparing for the official launch of AI Works next year and supporting a solution that will have a revolutionary impact on HCP in this country. Until then, learn more about Works Applications here and stay tuned for more exciting updates in the near future.
Automobile recall stories have become more and more frequent in recent years, with dubious management decisions and cover ups causing damage to long-admired brands General Motors, Honda, and Chrysler. Most recently, Volkswagen made headlines for an emissions scandal that has already unseated the company’s CEO and promises to cost the Volkswagen billions of dollars in penalties, as well as the hard-earned trust of its customers.
Each day, new revelations about Volkswagen’s actions are coming to light and, with each new detail, the company that just this summer achieved its goal of becoming the world’s dominant car maker quickly finds its brand diminished and its revenues plummet. From a PR perspective, it’s fascinating to watch how a global institution with an otherwise stellar reputation navigates a crisis of this magnitude. While much is still being learned about the situation, already there are lessons that other businesses can take away from this evolving story.
Cheaters Get Caught
Volkswagen’s scandal began back in 2008, when tougher emissions rules were first implemented. Unlike many other car manufacturers that opted to install a system that uses a chemical catalyst to ensure that unburned fuel doesn’t get into exhaust, Volkswagen decided to go its own way. The path the company chose involved the development of an elaborate scheme featuring software that could identify when cars were being tested in order to reduce harmful exhaust and make it appear as if the vehicle actually met the new requirements.
Unfortunately for Volkswagen, this software, called “the switch,” worked so well that clean-air advocacy group, the International Council on Clean Transportation, honored the company by selecting its cars for a study on how diesel could be a clean fuel. What they found, however, was that two of the three models tested exceeded emissions caps by as much as 35 times, leading the organization to alert the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) last year.
When Caught in a Lie, Fess Up and Try to Control the Message
When presented with the findings by the EPA and CARB, Volkswagen chose to dispute the test results, citing “various technical issues.” Interestingly, the company did implement a voluntary recall of 500,000 cars in order to install a software patch that it said would fix the issue. In the end, the patch didn’t work and Volkswagen remained in the hot seat with the EPS and unable to explain why the diagnostic systems of its vehicles don’t register accurate emissions under test conditions.
This month, Volkswagen did finally admit the truth about the scheme to fix the emissions tests, but it took the company a few rounds of admissions to finally tell the whole truth. First, they admitted to installing the “switch,” then admitted that the number of cars with the switch was larger than originally reported—as many as 11 million worldwide.
When given the opportunity to come clean, the company chose to deflect and deny. For Volkswagen, this was a critical misstep. Sure, the company’s reputation would have taken a hit for the scheme either way, but by admitting the truth earlier, Volkswagen would have had an opportunity to better frame the situation and present a sense of remorse that may have been perceived as authentic. If Volkswagen had opted to trust its customers by admitting fault and taking responsibility when initially caught, the company may have prevented losing the trust of its customers and society-at-large.
It’s likely that more will be revealed in the coming weeks about this elaborate scheme and, for those of us watching, the story promises to remain dramatic. This reputation-crushing misstep also acts as a strong reminder that all companies are vulnerable to potential crises that may threaten their integrity and core values. As such, it is imperative that organizations be prepared to respond to a crisis with a communications plan that can be implemented with lightning speed and transparency. When a crisis occurs, swift, accurate, and controlled communication delivered with transparency and sensitivity during the initial hours and days following the crisis is crucial to preserving a company’s reputation. Unfortunately for Volkswagen, the damage from this crisis may already be done and irreparable.
Even though pumpkin spice products and cozy sweaters just hit the shelves, most journalists and PR pros have already moved on to the biggest shopping event of the year: the holiday season. For PR pros with consumer-facing clients, the guidelines around holiday gift guide pitching are often outlined by editors to streamline the selection process. But for those of us with B2B clients, it’s less clear how our clients’ services fit into the holiday season news cycle.
Following are four strategies for inserting B2B companies into retail reporters’ holiday coverage:
- Leverage Company Data. Does your client have any unique data it can share with journalists? If so, now is the time to leverage it. When clients analyze their data to develop newsworthy statistics or trends, it almost always drives results, but holiday-related statistics can hit a grand slam. This data could include trending products, year-over-year spending habits, or how in-store sales compare to e-commerce sales across geographic areas.
- Promote Holiday-Themed Customer Success Stories. How are your clients’ products or services helping retail customers prepare for the holiday season? If there’s an interesting story to tell, see if your clients’ customers are willing to participate in a case study or speak with the media about how it has helped them during the holiday season.
- Create a Branded, Holiday-themed Infographic. Compelling graphics present important points in a clear, concise way that is sure to capture attention. If you’re not familiar with Photoshop, you can create an infographic with easy-to-use tools like Easel.ly or Piktochart. Then publish it on your client’s website to increase traffic. Studies show that web traffic tends to increase by 12 percent after publishing an infographic.
- Offer End-of-Year Predictions. The New Year brings a multitude of stories and lists predicting which trends are in store for the coming year. Work with company executives to compile a list of unique, well-founded trend predictions for their industry that can encompass everything from new innovations to market consolidations. Be sure to ground your predictions in fact or current trends to back-up your claims.
The holidays offer an excellent platform to drive media results as long as you creatively tailor your strategy to fit your B2B clients’ unique brand story. These are just a few of the strategies that you can tailor to hit a grand slam this holiday season.