By Stephen Abbott, principal, Abbott Public Relations
This is one of those times when someone dares to say: “The
Client isn’t always right.”
Success isn’t guaranteed. You have to work at it.
Seems obvious, right? But in my career, I’ve had a handful
of clients, and have heard of many others, who wound up failing because they
didn’t understand that they needed to do what it takes to BE successful.
And in public relations, as in any endeavor, you have to actually
do something to be successful.
Yet, a few of my past clients simply didn’t believe me, and
we parted ways, only for me to later hear of them floundering and then failing
in the very tasks to which they refused to dedicate themselves when I was
working with them.
Of course, this breaks my heart to see, and I never gloat
about it.
Still, without naming names (and in the most general of
ways) I think it would be instructive to take note of some of the ways in which
they failed to connect with PR, because as I’ve said before, public relations
is a greatly misunderstood profession.
They included political clients who insisted that they
didn’t need to convey clear, concise messages to the right voters, only to
learn, tragically, that targeting a great message matters as much as wearing
the right tie during a speech or making the right political contacts.
I’ve also heard of some would-be politicians who believed
they could campaign part-time, while their opponents worked full-time
campaigning. Their opponents learned quickly that these are the times to one-up
them over and over and over again at events while their opponent was home in
bed.
There were a couple of business clients of mine who insisted
that they did NOT need to build up their reputations over long periods of time in
order to generate positive images that would lead directly to sales (a plan
that works, if you keep at it!) Instead, they felt only a quick burst of
exposure would do the trick.
That works as effectively as the quick “exposure” a streaker
at a college game earns. It doesn’t help their reputation at all, and their
name, if it’s even known, is quickly forgotten or turns into a local punch
line.
Finally, some thought they didn’t need to remain in constant
and regular communication with me while I directed their PR efforts. Bad idea. Communication
in a couple of cases became sporadic and then dried up altogether, either
through miscommunication or new people in the company not knowing they should
keep tabs on the campaign. This
basically means the client gave up on PR, despite clear goals and great tactics
that would have borne positive fruit. Neither of them used PR services again,
with tragic consequences for their businesses.
By failing to keep doing what it takes, a client leaves a PR
campaign in limbo and may leave a consultant unaware of changing conditions or of
possible new, positive things being done that could boost their reputation
immensely.
In fact, many failures of public relations to yield results can
be attributed to a failure of the client to remain dedicated to the process.
Failure to stick with a PR campaign because one doesn’t
understand PR is inexcusable, and it’s certainly rare in the case of my clients,
because I go to great lengths to educate them about how PR works. I discuss,
for example,
- How PR
must be a long-term effort, requiring frequent interaction between client
and the consultant
- How PR
campaigns must be planned with a full picture of the client’s needs and
problems, so these can be properly addressed in a campaign and measured
afterwards
- How PR
encompasses reputation management, image creation and online and off-line marketing
techniques, and that this is likely to require a commitment to real CHANGE
in a corporate attitude towards their customers (yes, REAL and authentic change!)
- And how
it uses tactics such as media releases and events to generate positive
buzz among a targeted group of early adopters and thought-leaders who will
later become their customers, and that a series of un-serious “stunts” and
“getting mentioned in the local paper” isn’t always the best, or even the
most effective, goal
Despite this, I hear from PR consultants whose clients tell
them they want to see results OVER NIGHT, especially from companies and
candidates that have done real harm to themselves that must be repaired in
order for them to survive. The truth? That’s not possible.
Lawyers need more than one meeting to begin forming an
effective case.
Many diseases require more than a day or two of treatment by
medical professionals for the treatments to pay off.
Students can hardly proclaim themselves fully “educated”
after just one semester at college.
In the same way, a PR consultant can hardly be expected to
make miracles happen with only a half-hearted dedication to their efforts, or with
a poor understanding on the part of his or her client of what needs to be done,
how, and why.
Remaining dedicated to any task – especially building or
re-building a reputation – is crucial to success.
That’s a main reason why PR consultants insist on receiving
paid retainers at least on a quarterly basis, and often for six-month or even
annual installments.
Reputations aren’t built, or certainly not re-built, of the
course of a few days or even a week. A PR-developed reputation isn’t a one-off
item a business can buy off the shelf like a can of soup and then forget about
it. And like all good things in life, both patience and dedication to the task are
required to make PR work.
Speaking for myself, I’ve been blessed with many
understanding and wise clients over the years, and I’m very grateful for this.
I would urge clients of PR consultants and those who are
considering hiring one to craft a PR campaign, or to hopefully establish an
ongoing working relationship with one, to understand that it WILL take time.
But chances are, public relations WILL pay off.
