Issues Management

ISSUES MANAGEMENT-  is a corporate process that helps organizations identify challenges in the business environment (both internal and external) before they become crises.

Two prioritizing issues are Likelihood and Magnitude.

• Likelihood-  How likely is it that this issue will play out to the companies disadvantage?
• Magnitude-  If it does play out as a disadvantage, how significant is the harm?

Two Key tactics

• analyze the problem
• create a plan to protect the company

Source:  Reputation Management

Integrated Communications

INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS-  is a dynamic communication practice aimed at advancing not just the market plan, but the overall operating and business plan of the firm and in so doing aligning brand with reputation.

-One way messages don’t work in the present day.

-A tw0-way dialogue driven collaboration is the best practice.

-Leadership is not solo, it should be spread in an organization.

-Ask appropriate questions, Establish achievable goals,  and state measurable objectives.

Source: Reputation Management

A Look at Coming Up PR Podcast

I listened to Coming Up PR podcast.  This podcast centers on public relations and especially students that are interested in public relations.  This exact podcast was about the topic of investor relations.  The public relations professional that they interviewed was a professional in this field. 

Catalina Dorobetti said that in investor relations the main goal is not to pitch the media.  Her main goal for investor relations is financial reporting.  She stated that in this field financial knowledge is beneficial but not a must.  She seemed to think that a communications background is more important.  She also says that social media is very useful.  I would have to agree because social media is taking over most forms of public relations.  Proofreading is something that can make or break a company. 

I really liked this certain podcast because it really appeals to public relations student.  Even though this podcast was presented in a relaxed format, it really gave good information in their question and answer format.  I think it is cool for listeners to hear a different side of public relations.  This podcast is not put out by an older generation which is good but can turn some of the younger generation away.  I think a younger more current format and style can help relate to a younger public relations generation. 

The more podcasts I listened to the more I gained respect for Coming up PR.  Their podcasts are entertaining and actually hold my attention more than most other podcasts.  I gain a lot of insight on different topics in the world of public relations as well as other fields related to public relations.

Overall, I would recommend this podcast to other PR students.  I think it would be beneficial for them to listen.

Global Corporation Communications

Think GLOBAL, act LOCAL

-Credibility and trust are at the core of Global Corporation Communications.

-Staff in Global communications should be centralized.

-Practicioners must relate message to audience. 

-The Internet is essential to use for fast communication and unity of message.

-Knowledge of different cultures and practices are key in keeping quality relations with foreign countries.

Investor Relations

Some Goals and Tools for Investor Relations

Goals

• Ensure that a company’s securities (stocks and bonds) are fairly and fully valued in the marketplace.
• Fulfill corporations’ affirmative disclosure obligations under law and government regulation.
• Create a competitive advantage.

Tools

• Quality press releases
• Full use of Internet
• Mass release for material news

Source:  Reputation Management

Community Relations

SOME DO NOTS OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

1.  Arrogance-  Do not have action without empathy

2.  Broken Promises-  Losing the safe feeling of commitment can lead to the loss of trust in other aspects.

3.  Creating Fear-  Do not create of a fear of unreliability.

4.  Deception-  This causes disappointment because expectations won’t be met.

5.  Disrespect-  This causes uneasiness which cause bad relationships.

Source:  Reputation Management

A Look at Waxing Unlyrical

The blog Waxing Unlyrical is such an interesting public relations blog that I enjoy reading on a daily basis.  I find it has interesting information and practical advice for a PR student or a new PR professional.  Shonali Burke, the author of this blog, gives readers an interesting look at the world of Public Relations.  This blog goes past the just writing press releases.  One thing that Waxing Unlyrical focuses on is the use of social media in the world of PR.  This is very practical because modern PR is shifting toward this outlet more and more every day.

I like some of Waxing Unlyrical’s names of blog posts.  They are very catchy and seem to really pull the reader in.  Blog posts like “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of PR” and “Is Yours a Signature of Excellence”  are just a couple of the many names that stood out to me. 

Another good part about this blog is that it is not just one-dimensional.  It cover topic that relate to PR as well.  Marketing, business, and networking are just a few of the extra topics that are in the blog.  Shonali gives her blog a fun feel, but it does have helpful content as well.

In the future, I would like my blog to be close to what Waxing Unlyrical is today.  It is just a really cool and informative PR blog that any PR student should check out on a regular basis. 

The blog has definitely help me hone my skills in the area of PR and has actually made my interest in going into the field go up. 

I recommend any person interested in PR to check out this really cool blog.

Again, it is Waxing Unlyrical

Government Relations (Chapter 6)

Government Relations Best Practices

1.  Shoot Straight-  It’s always better to be honest.  Being dishonest will only cause problems down the road.

2.  Be Consistent-  Being consistent shows stability which instills confidence. 

3.  Know Your Issues-  If you don’t know what your working on you can’t be at the top of your craft.

4.  Know Your Audience-  Do your homework on this issue because knowing your audience can be one of, if not the most, important thing in Government relations.

5.  Know Your Environment-  You have to know your setting and situation to practice Government relations.

These are just some tips I learned from Reputation Management.

Organizational Communication (Chapter 5)

It is very important to make decisions that align employee PERFORMANCE with reputational interests.

Here are some tips to execute these practices.

1.  Communicate strategies via commander’s intent.

2.  Stay on the message in words and actions.

3.  Rally around a cause in times of trouble.

4.  Practice “delivering the brand” before a customer encounter

Source:  Reputation Management

Interview with a PR Professional

Recently, I interviewed Gary Kimler, Southeastern University Public Relations Director. I was looking forward to hearing from a PR professional and gaining as much knowledge as I could from him. Kimler was very open and helpful during the interview and I appreciated how gracious he was to spend time talking with a college student. I was inspired to do this kind of thing in the future when hopefully students come to me for help.

Kimler’s educational background started with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida. He also was in the U.S. and attended journalism school provided by the Army. Before working in Public Relations, Kimler worked as a journalist in various newspapers: including The Tampa Tribune and the Lakeland Ledger. Kimler said that education prepared him, but nothing was like the “real world” experience.

Although there is no “typical” day or week for a PR professional, Kimler shared with me some typical things that do occur on the job. “Inquiries from the media, writing press releases, handling unexpected matters, and greeting media are just some of the things I do,” said Kimler.

Being a PR director at a private university can be a difficult task. When doing this job, one has to be away who is on campus, if they are media or not, and what type of story are they trying to get. These situations get even more serious because the campus is private property. Kimler said one of his main jobs is being a diplomat to the media that visit the campus. He stressed how tough it is to not be rude, but to be stern when the media is causing problems on campus. One of Kimler’s main goals is to keep good relations with the media, but also protect the university he is representing.

Even though Kimler has been working at Southeastern for about a year, he has worked large-scale events like the Southeastern University Leadership Forum. During this annual event, famous leaders are brought in to speak to people on the campus. This is a major event that has brought in names like Tony Dungy, Colin Powell, Jack Welch, and last year former President of the United States George W. Bush and his wife. This large event surprisingly doesn’t have as many people as I thought working on it. For this reason, Kimler has a lot of work set out for him every year. It is definitely a year round struggle to organize such a huge event. Kimler works hard during the half-week at the Forum. During this time, countless media outlets are on the campus and each speaker has deferent stipulations with the media. Kimler’s job during this time is to organize the media in line with all these different stipulations and rules. He also makes sure all things run smoothly on the media and communications side of the event.

Kimler was more than happy to share some helpful tips about Public Relations. Though he gave me many tips, three tips stuck out to me. “Never lie, never say no comment, and prepare, prepare, prepare,” said Kimler. This tips, though simple, can help a PR professional practice their job at a high level.

Kimler noted that “Nothing is more important than writing skills,” when working as PR professional. Also, he made sure to share with me that this job is all about communication and being a true diplomat.

I was very fortunate to have the chance to interview Mr. Gary Kimler. His advice truly helped me and I will try to apply the techniques he taught me to my professional career. I would like to thank Mr. Kimler again for being so gracious and letting me gain a little insight on a PR professional’s career.