Ethics is good business

In a perfect world, everyone would like to be ethical. The majority of people don’t set out to do bad things, and we would all like to be thought of as good people.

Somewhere in business, however, things get complicated.

There are numerous ways for a company to be ethical that vary from sector to sector and country to country. Legitimate “Green” initiatives, sustainability, community outreach and charity are just a few ways that a company can be socially responsible within their communities and industries. Those individuals passionate about corporate social responsibility or CSR will have great intentions and gusto to make the world a better place.

However, a problem these passionate individuals often face is in demonstrating the value of CSR initiatives to superiors focused on the bottom line. CSR initiatives are expensive to implement and sustain, and if the value cannot be easily shown, many companies will scrap these good intentions under the guise of good returns.

So how to demonstrate the value? A little PR lesson helps.

The companies with exceptional CSR practices tend to be some of the most successful companies in the world. In 2010 Maclean’s magazine listed their top 50 socially responsible corporations. Names like Adidas, BMO, CIBC, Enbridge, McDonald’s, Telus and Volkswagen jump out, but most readers will recognize every single name on the list.

The key correlation here: CSR = Powerful brand.

When CSR practices are integrated with public relations effort, what a company has gained is positive brand image. While it is important that a company does good things, it is equally important that the company’s public relations function communicates these good deeds to the general public. To make the money spent on CSR worth it, it is necessary to be seen doing good things, not just to do them.

In the end, CSR is a win-win situation. The company gets good publicity and is seen as a good corporate citizen, and the public benefits from the initiatives designed to help their communities. In the end, being socially responsible is being financially responsible.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations loves to make the world a better place, one company at a time. We would love to help you be the best company you can be! We encourage you to visit us on Facebook, or to check out our website.

PR News You Can Use

1. Social Media Public Relations is so much more than a virtual meet and greet!

2. If your website doesn't speak to you, or to anyone else....your PR professional can rewrite it and GET YOU NOTICED!

3. Pitching in PR means no flyballs...just the occasional flyer!

4. Even the best ideas can die if not heard... Public Relations helps you breathe life into your business or career plan by getting your key messages out!

5. Always promote outside the box because inside is just too crowded!

6. Public Relations is not black and white, but comes in many trendy shades of grey...and all the colors of the rainbow too!

7. Promotion allows for some boasting that you can get away with!

8. Public relations campaigns allow you the power of getting your message out directly, precisely and immediately...now how good is that?

9. Vision in PR is as important as seeing the "E" on the eye chart! Good PR can help you find the "Z" too!

10. A "PRESS RELEASE" doesn't mean overall "FREEDOM FOR ALL MEDIA"!

Inside Job: The Key to Internal Communications

You’ve heard it before, “you’re only as strong as your weakest link.” Sounds cliché, but based on multiple studies and various fields of research, this saying can ring true. Your business - no matter how small or large - is made by its employees. Trust us when we say, a little internal communications goes a long way.

The Smile Factor

According to an article by Shawn Achor, we reach our highest levels of intelligence and brain functioning while we are content. Apply this to your employees. A happier employee equals a more productive, intelligent and focussed employee. This can affect business results more than you think.

Service-Profit Chain

To prove the importance of employee engagement, let’s look at the Service-Profit Chain. This theory directly links employee satisfaction to profits. After all, satisfied employees are more likely to engage in positive behaviour. This results in increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and lesser turnover. Of course, these actions drive positive results such as innovation and customer loyalty. What does this mean to you? Revenue.

Driving Satisfaction

So we’ve proved to you the significance of employee satisfaction. Now, let’s look at how to achieve it. Communication between upper management and lower-level employees is essential. More importantly, however, is communicating the right way. Remember to use the following:

1. Simple language – Jargon interferes with the message you are trying to convey.

2. Stories and metaphors – Make people want to hear what you are saying.

3. Repetition – Repeat to engage memory.

4. Transparency – Honesty and openness build trust.

Finally, understand that behaviour is communication itself. Align what you say with what you do. Don’t be afraid to go out of your way to communicate your message. Tell your employees you appreciate them; then throw a party. This enhances your credibility and drives your message home.

Bring in the PR

To develop an employee relations plan to achieve your business goals, bring in an external PR firm. Outsourcing this work will provide you with an outside view of employee engagement and corporate culture. Expect your PR partners to develop a communications plan complete with realistic tactics and workforce satisfaction measures.

Kathryn Kates can help you to develop a stellar internal communications plan. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Breaking Out the Ruler: A Guide to Measuring PR Efforts

Key Messages. Strategies. Tactics. These are the first things that pop into our minds when generating a communications plan. We get so caught up in the creative ideas and unique twists that we forget to ask, “What did we achieve?” We would say the most critical part of a PR campaign is measurement. Here’s why:

Thinking Like the Boss

As communications people, we sometimes forget that PR is a strategic function. Our methods need to align with the overall business plan. Often, companies break themselves into silos, each focussing solely on its own efforts and forgetting the need to communicate cross-functionally. In actuality, these so-called silos should be working together. The CEO wants to know how each function of the firm affected one thing: sales. Can you bring results to the boss? Time to start measuring.

Counting Pebbles

Let’s take a look at what to measure. The classic rules of PR state that we should look at AVE and MRP. How many stories? How many mentions? How many readers? But what does this really mean? On their own, these methods are like “counting pebbles in the driveway” as some forward-thinking individuals would say. Don’t get us wrong, measuring output is an essential step in getting real results. After this step, however, it is crucial to determine the outcomes.

Defining Outcomes

So your campaign generated 185 media stories, 34 reprints and was “seen” by 150,000 glaring eyeballs. Sounds like a success, right? Not to the boss. Take a look at what you should be measuring as a strategic PR advisor:

• Impact on sales
• Traffic to an event
• Change in awareness, attitudes and understanding
• Employee engagement
• Shift in investment behaviours

Each of these items is visible to the CEO, and means something to the business beyond simple media mentions.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations can produce tangible results for your business. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Communication isn’t a One-Way Street

In many organizations public relations and communications are used as interchangeable terms. The role of PR is to communicate on behalf of an organization with the various publics who have a stake in your organization. As we discussed earlier this week, the best way to create meaningful messages for these publics is to tailor the message to their interests. The reason we do this as communicators is as a means of engaging with our publics.

And then…

Once the message is conveyed, however, a communicator’s work is not finished. In order to continue engagement with the general public, a communicator must enter a dialogue with stakeholders, discussing issues and truly understanding one’s consumers. This idea isn’t new to public relations, and is demonstrated in a study by Jim Grunig from 1992. Grunig’s two-way symmetrical model states that effective PR is a two-way dialogue, with information being exchanged between communicator and public in both directions. This is often how public relations differentiates itself from advertising, which is decidedly one-way. The key difference is feedback.

Back Talk

The proliferation of Social Media has made feedback commonplace in the 21^st century. Individuals interact with each other online via chat rooms, “walls,” or blog comments. Even newspapers, the quintessential one-way medium, have adopted feedback mechanisms online. This adoption of “back talk” is an acceptance of the value in Grunig’s two-way model.

Public Relations is Relationships with the Public

Without feedback, public relations really isn’t relatable. PR isn’t selling, but at its purest is relationship building. Anyone who has built a successful relationship recognizes the importance of two-way communication, even if they don’t know a fancy name for it.

Why it’s important

It is important to realize that getting your message out there is only half the battle. To maintain that message, a good communicator will enter a discussion with the public. The best way to know what a public wants or needs is to get to know them.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations loves talking to people, especially new people! We would love to hear from you and talk with your publics. We encourage you to visit us on Facebook, or to check out our website.

Meaningful Message, Personalized PR

In their study “Capitalizing on Effective Communications,” Watson Wyatt examines what it means for an organization to communicate effectively by studying both effective and ineffective firms. The amount of information they dispense is immense, but one conclusion in particular is important for the public relations profession. Of the firms Wyatt studied, the most effective communicators tailored their messaging directly to the individual groups they aimed to engage

Individuality

A concept sometimes taken for granted by poor communicators is individuality. Every individual has unique feelings, opinions, beliefs and thoughts. No one person is alike. Because of this, the way that two people interpret the same message can be drastically different. The idea of individuality is not new, and yet poor communicators continue to make the same mistake of sending out one message and hoping it fits every group.

Tailoring

While it is impossible for communicators to tailor a message for every person they approach, segmenting goes a long way. Market research and trends allow the active communicator to group individuals based on any number of factors (age, gender, interests, shoe size, anything!) The strategic communicator will specific target groups as part of the communication planning, and will set to work.

The Result

The resulting messaging, when done correctly, will speak to the interest or opinion that were used to group the individual. Starting from the consistent core message, an organization can tweak certain parts and emphasize certain others to capture interest among stakeholders. Most importantly, a directed message has a greater chance of capturing interest than basic overarching messaging.

Tailoring messages is an important part of communication planning, and communicators ignore this step at their own peril.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations is a boutique firm with years of experience in tailor-made public relations. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

PR and the Overworked Journalist

We know you are busy. If you are successful, we know you work hard. If you are trying to be successful, we know you work even harder. The importance of hard work is a constant motif in any success story, and we know that sometimes you really want to be recognized for all that effort.

As we have already discussed, public relations is your vehicle to gaining the publicity you crave. With an intimate knowledge of what is newsworthy, a PR professional will follow the channels necessary to put you on the map. While this is standard knowledge, what sometimes gets lost in all this is PR’s integral role in connecting your company with the media.

You may be busy, but it is likely that journalists are busier. Newsrooms are shrinking and news coverage is growing, meaning these are some overworked/caffeinated journalists you must rely on to get your story across. So while it is important that your story be newsworthy, it has become increasingly important that you make the journalist’s life easier. To do this, there are some rules that must be followed:

· Know his/her interests: Nothing makes a journalist angrier than being contacted about a story that isn’t in his/her field or sector. Take the time to research journalists who deal with your sector and topic.

· Have a detailed (but not too detailed pitch): Don’t make the journalist work to understand why your piece is newsworthy, have a brief pitch that sets it out for them quick and efficiently.

· Give them what they need: In the event that a journalist is interested in your story, make sure you have everything they need. Have media alerts, press releases and hi-resolution images at your disposal for when your story gets a bite

· Be courteous and kind: It may seem basic, but treat journalists with respect. They are hard workers just like you, and simple acts of kindness could just make their day.

You are busy, and journalists are busy. The best way for you to liaison has always been and will always be through public relations. PR gets busy helping you both along, and is integral in building beneficial links between your two worlds.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations is a boutique firm with years of experience dealing with journalists. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

The PR Light Bulb: Generating the Best Ideas

When you own a small business, you always know what’s best. Decisions are on you. Operations are your kingdom. Customer service is your world. And PR, well that’s easy, right? Why would you need help? You know your business. The truth is; a little bit of external idea generation can go a long way.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

As emotional human beings, we always think our own ideas work best. According to Dan Ariely, author and professor at Duke University, we sometimes become sensitively attached to our own thoughts. Think of the last time you were brainstorming in a group. You propose an idea. It gets shut down. Bob, to the left of you, comes up with a better solution. It gets accepted. You know it’s a more thoughtful, intellectual idea. But all night, you think of how your own suggestion could have worked. It makes no sense, but it’s a part of who we are.

Wisdom of the Crowd

Now think of the benefits of working in a group: more knowledge, different perspectives and various backgrounds of expertise. The wisdom of the crowd theory refers to just this. Collectively, we make better decisions than we can alone. Two heads are better than one. Take, for example, the classic “guess how many jellybeans are in this jar” game. Alone, no one individual often guesses correctly. But if you average the guesses from a large group, it comes scarily close to the right answer.

Putting Heads Together

Applying these concepts to your small business, it is definitely an asset to have an external PR team. You bring knowledge of your company; they bring knowledge of the public relations industry. Together, you can come up with a campaign that wins.

Kathryn Kates is an experienced master of ideas. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Hit the ground running: The benefit of multi-city PR teams

As we have previously discussed, public relations projects are no longer tied to one geographic region. PR client relationships can span cities, provinces, countries or continents. There is however a slight issue with all of this. PR may not be tied to geography, but specific company events and processes are (after all, it has to happen somewhere).

For this reason, it is good practice for local PR teams to build multi-city PR relationships and teams when a client’s business spans numerous cities or countries. It is important that a company’s brand be as locally specific as possible. If the existing PR plan is applied with a team familiar with the new city several important geographic issues can be handled correctly. These include:

· Language: If language is a factor, there is no time for hesitation in contacting the local experts.

· Laws and legal systems: Nothing can stall a PR initiative quicker than a nasty legal problem. When doing PR outside your city, know the law.

· Media challenges: How many media outlets are there? What types? Who covers what? The locals will know.

· International PR: On top of the previous issues, different countries bring a long list of changes, from changes to ethical systems, political systems, behavioural norms and religion. All of these things need to be respected and accounted for in a PR plan.

A team effort can go a long way in implementing a successful PR campaign in multiple cities. Don’t stumble when entering a new area, hit the ground running!

Kathryn Kates Public Relations is a boutique firm with partnerships in various fields and locations. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Don’t Read the News, Be the News!

Publicity is an interesting concept. There is no shortage of opinion on what it means and how it is used. From a public relations perspective, publicity is messaging from your organization that is deemed worthy of attention by the media. Although publicity as a rule is largely uncontrollable, PR professionals are experts at finding the newsworthy wherever it exists. Great news comes in many forms, including:

1. Timely news: Have you ever noticed that certain groups of stories dominate the airwaves? Great stories snowball, causing more and more “spin-off stories.”

2. Significance: Does your story affect a lot of people? Then tell them about it!

3. Local/Proximity: Local news is founded on it. If you are important to the community you operate in, they should know about it.

4. Unusual: Sometimes life is predictable. It’s when it isn’t that we pay attention.

5. Human interest: If your story tears at the heartstrings, speaks to the human condition, or displays great feats of courage or ingenuity, people will pay attention.

6. New: Pretty simple. If it’s new it’s news.

7. Celebrity: Celebrities dominate public consciousness. This is definitely the easiest way to get publicity.

Publicity isn’t always easy to spot in your own work. Your best bet is to go to the experts! Public relations professionals are trained to see the newsworthy in your messaging. They can put you on the map!

With years of public relations experience, Kathryn Kates Public Relations knows a thing or two about publicity. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Choosing the Right PR Firm For You

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of doing Public Relations instead of just thinking about it. A proactive and continuous approach to public relations is the most effective way of maximizing your organization’s communication.

Assuming you are ready to take the leap onto the Public Relations bandwagon, here are some important things to take into consideration when choosing the right PR firm for you:

1. Your PR goal: Do you need PR to do up a crisis plan, or to get you through a crisis? How about to integrate your communications and engage key stakeholders. Will you need PR advice daily, weekly, or erratically? All of these things factor into your choice of a PR agency. Don’t know the answer to these questions? A PR firm will gladly help you understand your PR needs!

2. Location, Location, Location: As we have discussed before, physical proximity is becoming increasingly irrelevant in our globalized world. More important is a PR firm’s knowledge of your geographic, demographic and social markets. As many organizations have many such markets, it is advisable to choose a firm with a wide variety of knowledge and expertise.

3. Expertise: Speaking of expertise, it is obviously important to pick a firm that knows what you and your competitors do. Your best bet here is a boutique PR firm with expertise not only in your field, but in many other fields applicable to what you do. A wide knowledge and expertise base demonstrates the creativity you want applied to your company.

4. Reputation: Your PR firm is looking to work for you. Like any new employee, references and reputation demonstrate value. Don’t be afraid to ask around. If a firm is worth it they will have nothing to hide!

5. Basis in media: Although the world of social media is changing media as we know it, traditional media isn’t going anywhere. A PR firm should have a strong basis in media, with contacts and media savvy.

Kathryn Kates Public Relations is a boutique PR firm specializing in traditional public relations, corporate photography and media relations training. We employ staff with a variety of specialties so as to diversify our collective expertise. We invite you to visit our website or to follow us on Facebook. We would love to hear from you.

Don't Just Think PR, Do PR

It’s hard to make the decision about HOW to promote your business. With so many options, it’s easy to revert back to the classic advertising, sales promotions or direct sales. To really connect with your customers, however, you need to take that next step. That is, don’t just think PR, do it! Here’s why:

Get with the Times

You may think that you can wait for a few big sales before you begin to promote your business. But what if those sales never come? What if they won’t come until you get your name out to the public? The time to promote yourself is now, and what better way to do it than with PR? A PR campaign can happen quickly and efficiently.

More Bang for Your Buck

Unless you have the budget to get a Super Bowl ad timeslot, or employ an entire Canadian sales force, PR is right for you. PR professionals have a knack for getting media attention in very creative ways. The best campaigns may even cost a fraction of a regular marketing plan.

Make Those Connections

Especially for small and medium-sized businesses, it’s crucial to build relationships with your customers. PR is about just that. It’s about two-way communication, buzz creation and mutual satisfaction. So are you ready to invest in PR?

Kathryn Kates can get the word out about your business. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.

Is PR Marketing? Is Marketing PR?

Public Relations is the most ambiguous term in the English language. Ask a person on the street, and they would say it’s like advertising, promotions or selling. But is that really what PR is all about? Is it the same thing as marketing, or is it a separate entity? Here is what we can tell you:

Marketing defined

The basic purpose of marketing is to provide value to the end-user of a product or service. This is done by positioning a brand a certain way and aligning each part of the marketing mix with this vision. The goal of marketing is to achieve sales. Simply put, marketing is about the product.

PR defined

PR is about building relationships with multiple stakeholders; the media, consumers, government and shareholders, to name a few. The goal of PR is not just to sell, but to raise awareness, change attitudes or influence behaviours. Simply put, PR is about the people.

PR + Marketing = What?

So how do PR and marketing work together?

- PR is an essential part of the promotional mix, and can be used as a low-budget marketing tool

- Marketing is part of PR in reaching a consumer audience

- PR and marketing together can effectively communicate your company's key messages

Really, the two go hand-in-hand, especially when it comes to putting the word out about your business.

Kathryn Kates knows how to maximize the use of PR for marketing your business. We invite you to check out our website, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page. We would love to hear from you.