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.

The Branding Game: Playing on the Same Team within a Company

If your employees were sent an anonymous “off-the-record” survey, what would they say about your company? Would your employees know your company or organization’s mission statement? Would they speak highly of your brand, or would they lack loyalty?

According to businessblog.com, a “brand ambassador” is someone who not only buys into your brand, but also promotes it and carries forth its message. You would think employees of a brand would be among its most devoted ambassadors. However, not every company is set up so that employees take on the role of a promoter. This problem happens when a company’s management is not accessible, corporate values are not preached in everyday work manners, or the company (team owner) makes drastic changes without consulting employees (the players).

Let’s make an analogy. It would be most beneficial for all the members of the team to not only know which sport they are playing, but to be playing for the same purpose. Imagine if the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings didn’t buy into the team? What if, during press conferences about a win or a loss, he sang the praises of another team . . . let’s say the Green Bay Packers? Wouldn’t that seem disconnected? In this instance, inflammatory?

(Note: This is not a personal shot at Brett Farve. His career in playing for these two teams sets up an interesting dynamic that can be translated into the corporate world.)

Take a corporate brand for example. Starbucks trains its employees thoroughly. They even coach per their Green Apron Book how employees should treat customers so that the customer’s experience from store to store is pleasantly consistent. The employee not only promotes the brand, but carries the message of quality products and services.

In his book, The Starbucks Experience, author Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., describes just how well the Starbucks strategy works. The employee is motivated. The employee buys in. You get a better
experience from the happy employee. The brand thrives.

When you order your next caramel macchiato or skinny cinnamon dolce latte, think about your employees and how you promote brand ambassadorship in your company or organization.

Rebranding: Changing Your Logo? Research, Research, Research

Poor Gap. They were so excited about launching their new “ throwback” logo. The stage was set; press releases went to the media; stories launched all over the Internet. Then, it happened. There was an outcry against the logo from customers; an online campaign opposing it went viral, and the logo crashed faster than a rookie NASCAR driver.

Headlines across the nation showed no mercy: “ Gap Logo a No-Go” (Montreal Gazette); “ Gap Scraps Logo After Just One Week” (AOL DailyFinance); “ New Gap Logo, Despised Symbol of Corporate Banality, Dead at One Week” (Vanity Fair Daily).

This Gap marketing malfunction begs several questions: If Gap’ s fans were so outspoken post release, did the company seek their customers’ opinion beforehand? What exactly made the logo so unacceptable? Was it the color? Was it the font? Was it the placement of that little blue box?

Belk, on the other hand, just introduced their new logo into several of its primary markets with successful unveiling ceremonies and grand re-openings across the region. This was the first time in 43 years that the company launched a major rebranding effort. The new logo incorporates elements of the company’ s history and also gives a nod to the future.

Belk talked to their customers first. In fact, they researched customer sentiment about the logo with extensive focus groups and market studies. The company invested the requisite time and money to make a logo well received. Headlines this time: “ A Brand New Look for Regional Retailer Belk” (The Birmingham News); “ Belk Chain Reinvents Itself with New Logo and Identity” (The Florida Times-Union).

The customer may not be sitting in an office at your corporate headquarters, but they are an integral component of the success or failure of your company. After all, where does brand loyalty reside? With the customer.

When Great Brands are Represented by Bad People

Have you ever been involved in a business transaction where you said to yourself, “if this is how this company operates I would never do business here?”

I loved my BMW X5 SUV and hated when my lease time was over. It was a fabulous vehicle and my second BMW in five years. I loved the panoramic moon roof and not just because the name of our company is Panorama—although, I must admit it was one of the “seal the deal” thoughts I had just before I told my salesman that it was THE ONE.

And under normal conditions, when I returned it in December, I would have turned right back around and leased or purchased another. But I couldn’t. My business partner threatened me with mutiny if I even considered it, and frankly I couldn’t have agreed with her more.

Why? Because our firm worked with this particular dealership on a RTW, or as we know it a “Register to Win,” and the general manager with whom we dealt was totally unprofessional. I could not morally turn around and add value to his bottom line after the behavior he exhibited during the time of the RTW negotiation and program.

As I’d sit across the table listening to this guy rant and rave, I’d think to myself—he knows I’m a customer. He must know that how he behaves in front of customers and prospects is directly related to this dealership’s reputation and whether they purchase a vehicle from him. I’d taken my best client to BMW for a win-win business deal because I loved the brand and wanted to bring it recognition and more business. That didn’t happen.

To make matters worse, the VP of the well-known retailer we were working for was new to the area, could have easily purchased any vehicle in his showroom and actually made a comment to that effect—at first. Her tune had changed by the time the deal was done.

Personally, I didn’t care if I ever stepped back into his place of business—beloved BMW or not. I wasn’t going to reward that sort of behavior.

My point is this: companies spend millions upon millions of dollars to build brand equity and awareness to capture market share. They strive to create stellar images of products and services to compete in the marketplace and that fill the needs and desires of the consumer, carefully crafting messages and managing minute details of every aspect.

But one never knows how much business is lost because of the one-on-one human factor where transactions must occur in a professional manner.

Companies, ours included, depend on our employees and contractors to represent us in a manner that reflects the positive nature of our companies, helping us protect our brand.

The general manager of the BMW dealership not only acted out, he put it in writing. Nearing the close of the deal, I guess he just couldn’t take it any longer. He sent an email to our client and copied everyone imaginable, ranting and raving.

By that point, we were all past ready for that project to be over.

When I turned in my X5, my salesman at BMW begged me (I may have seen tears) to send the email to the corporate office, and I probably should have. I have a feeling that BMW USA would have been terribly disappointed in a person that they had put enormous trust in to represent it. And come to think of it, I’d probably still be driving a BMW.

Building a Green Brand

When an international cement company was presented an opportunity to purchase a landmark piece of property, they didn't have to think twice.

The property had historical value and had been passed down through a family in the small town where one of the company's major plants was located. The purchase would allow the townspeople a recreation venue and eventually be home to a nature preserve with LEED certified buildings, sure to attract visitors from thorough out the region.

All of this because the company wanted to responsibly license a new quarry and would need to mitigate wetlands. It could have easily chosen to do just that---and only that. Instead, it listened to the creative solutions put on the table by the small group of consultants hired to work on the project who saw the potential. A simple brainstorming session turned into a full-fledged project.

The results were stunning.

Blue Spring Nature Preserve is becoming a reality because of a company's commitment to do the right thing. It provided the seed money for the initial funding, formed a 501c3 and assembled a team of community leaders, civic volunteers, elected officials and others as part of a steering committee. It then engaged a company to create a master plan for the project.

In an effort to bring the Blue Spring Nature Preserve plan to fruition, Panorama Public Relations has developed a campaign to engage stakeholders and raise additional funds through grants and corporate donations.

First, Panorama Public Relations built an identity for Blue Springs Nature Preserve as a brand. The central effort in this stage was to develop a logo. Panorama commissioned a logo that featured a single tree overlooking a stream. The logo pays tribute to an iconic tree on the Blue Springs property as well as the diverse ecosystems found therein. In addition, Panorama developed style sheets that prescribed font faces and colors to be used in all communications.

Next, Panorama prescribed a series communications avenues that would keep stakeholders informed regarding the project. The key channel is the web site, which showcases images that demonstrate the beauty of the site along with captivating history of the site and the stated mission of the preserve. Panorama also publishes an e-newsletter on a quarterly basis, which gives stakeholders the latest news and features about the site. In addition, Panorama has been instrumental in conducting media outreach activities, which have resulted in coverage in local publications and industry trades. In fact, Business Alabama named Blue Springs the “Best Conservation Development” for 2008.

Lastly, Panorama recommended capital campaign materials for use in fund-raising. In addition to the use of the web site, Panorama specified a series of presentations, posters, pamphlets and donor cards. These materials would give steering committee members the tools they needed to solicit private donations and sponsorships.

For more information on Blue Springs Nature Preserve, click here.