Public relations and managing reputation

Free report on PR and social media…Trust, crowds (utilisation of, communicating to, segmenting of…), integration (or not) of social media and corporate websites, the death of ‘networked’ communication, content generation issues and the challenges of change within social media were some of the primary themes that were either explicitly stated at the 2010 Frocomm New Media Summit, bubbled under its surface or were notable not for their articulation, but by their surprising absence…

In the B2B environment, op-eds (opinion pieces) can be much more effectively leveraged than in the B2C environment because they can be placed multiple times across different industry sectors. Op-eds are a valuable part of public relations and media relations strategies because of the media coverage they can generate.

Op-eds are a valuable part of public relations and media relations strategies. This is because of the media coverage they can stimulate and the positive positioning, through thought leadership, they produce. An additional, and extremely valuable, characteristic of op-eds is that the content generated as part the op-ed scoping process, can also be used to create more than a single media placement.

Media releases, whilst not entirely dead as a means of generating media coverage as part of a public relations strategy, are these days nowhere near as effective as establishing a thought leadership platform. One key result of thought leadership is that media will often call the PR professional looking for talent and content, rather than the other way around!

An organisation should customise stakeholder communication in respect of, and in response to, stakeholders’ core values. This means aligning an organisation with societal and stakeholder expectations. This is often driven by CSR and thought leadership which, when strategically applied, will lessen the impact of a crisis and lead to a faster ‘reputational’ recovery post-crisis. All of which will be enhanced by the involvement of a best practice public relations professional.

Here are five excellent public relations and marketing blogs where professionals can learn plenty of interest and value. They tell me things I didn’t know, provide a fresh perspective on a topic or notion and/or explain an idea I am familiar with in a lively, engaging manner.

Public relations is both a positive social force and a facilitator for helping positive social forces take place. Climate change is a perfect example of how public relations can make, and help make, a positive difference to the world. This post discusses how this can occur at both a strategic and tactical level.

Who has responsibility for educating public relations professionals so that they maximise the profession’s strategic and/or functional potential? Candidates include: universities, industry associations, leaders of public relations within organisations, PR consultancy leaders.

The culture of public relations is not only based on a gratifying and inspirational aesthetic, it contributes in a positive way to society and provides a working milieu that is inspiring to be part of. Here are five reasons why: it helps society; it is creative and fun; it is innovative and educational; there are plenty of tactical tools to play with; it pays well.

Forming strategic alliances is an excellent way to enhance and/or protect an organisation’s reputation. It extends the reach of an organisation’s communication ‘footprint’, provides strong ROI and generates 3rd party credibility.