The Politics of Public Relations: Electing the Right Firm

On Election Day, Americans went to the polls, stood in line, showed IDs, filled in circles by candidates of choice and fed ballots into Scantron machines. This may seem uneventful to some, but having an active hand in who is representing you and who is receiving your tax dollar is important. After all, when you vote for and elect a political candidate, you essentially said, “You’re hired.”

When it comes to voting, party allegiances aside, you must know your needs and what issues are important to advancing your idealisms—and you should be informed about the candidates. Otherwise, how will you know who will work toward what you envision, thus, who to vote for?

Alas, some people vote for a candidate because he or she is the only familiar name they see on a ballot. Others are influenced by mudslinging campaigns and go in with muddied ideas of which candidates will and will not keep promises. The truly engaged voter, however, does his or her research.

These same principals apply to selecting the right public relations firm for your business or organization. Say this was the PR election of 2010, and next week you were charged to go out and vote for a firm to represent your goals and fulfill your needs. Would you know who to vote for? Would you be able to pick out your best candidate among all the commercials, yard signs, and vote-for-me mailers? A public relations firm, just like a political candidate, should be a reflection of your company’s mission.

A politician’s track record speaks volumes. So does that of a public relations firm. Check out the company’s past portfolio and know what their customers say about them. A full-service public relations firm should be able to meet your marketing needs, serve to forward your brand, mediate between you and your stakeholders, garner positive media visibility, and prepare you for communicating through foreseen and unforeseen business complications.

The firm should put in writing what it can do and deliver with real, measurable results. If a politician could do that, wouldn’t you vote for him or her? They’d have our vote.