#PR Isn't About "Happy-Talking" Customers [Abbott PR]

I’m sure it’s happened to you before. You drive by a business, and, perhaps not even noticing it at first, you cringe.  

"It’s funny," you may think to yourself, "but I haven’t been in the place since last November." Maybe you can't even remember why.

One way or another, you were put off by the place, and never went back.

Then you drive by a second business, and you almost want to invent a reason to stop and go back in, even though you may have no business to transact there. 

How does that happen? And (you might be thinking) how can I make THAT happen for MY business?

Some people view public relations as the domain of glad-handing, back-slapping "yes-men" or pretty faces who tell clients whatever they want to hear. But the  truth is, this kind of PR person wouldn’t be much help to the client who cringed, above, or to that client’s business. These efforts instead could be an expensive distraction; or worse, a waste of money. Simply trying to distract customers from a bad experience doesn't fix the underlying reasons for the bad experience. And it won't change perceptions if they have new bad experiences if they return.

Changing a negative reputation into a good one, or at least a neutral one, or reinforcing a business’ already-positive image, is really what public relations is all about. 

In the negative example above, becoming aware of the company's problems - whether it's poor service, shoddy merchandise or even the bad odor of the establishment - by using customer feedback effectively, then making sure that current and past customers know you are aware of their past bad experiences and are taking steps to correct them, are the first steps to changing bad perceptions.

Perhaps a sign out front, reading, "Newly remodeled," touting a new product line, or, even better, new management, would help entice disgruntled customers back into the door. But of course, real changes will have had to have been made. Customers are savvy, and can see through the old "new paint job" or "new signage" approach, IF there aren't real changes made along with them.

An ad in the paper and a mailer to past customers trumpeting a totally new approach to customer service, may help, too, as long as that claim is then TRULY backed up with EXCELLENT service and products and a clean environment when customers begin to return. (Because, again, savvy customers can not and will not be fooled - and you should not try.)

For the business with an already good reputation, but with little repeat business, a company e-newsletter, mailed every other month to regular customers and containing special deals to reward their loyalty may help remind them why they liked the business so much on previous visits. 

A Facebook page is also a great way to interact with customers on a daily basis, posting specials, customer and employee profiles and promoting new services and products.

Special programs to reward regular customers solidify that important base, and increase word-of-mouth buzz about a company. And of course, an effective social media presence on facebook and twitter, with perhaps a video element on YouTube, also backs up a company's reputation and are channels for effective and immediate feedback.

A paid advertising campaign highlighting satisfied customers may also be necessary to let people know that they, too, can have good experiences there. Advertising - online and in print - can also reinforce the good work you've done to improve customer experiences.

All of this underlines the seriousness of the profession of public relations. It involves the art of effective communication, writing skill, and  the ability to determine a course of action that will truly be effective in widely varying situations and appealing to diverse publics.

PR isn’t just happy talk, it’s a profession that helps make companies more successful through an approach of identifying positives and negatives and creating plans to addressing them in a systematic way.

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Stephen Abbott is a public relations consultant and political messaging specialist, and the principal of Abbott Media Group, specializing in helping political candidates, business leaders, groups and start-ups craft effective messages. Visit Abbott Media Group for more information.

Donald #Trump's Disastrous Announcement Speech

Donald Trump's announcement speech stands as a perfect example of why using a professional speech writer is vital to making a candidate's views coherent to voters and giving an elevated, Statesmanlike tone to a campaign, especially on the Federal level.

While managing and advising campaigns, I've found that wealthy candidates (and particularly, self-funding candidates like Trump) believe they have a "right" to simply spew forth whatever is contained in their brain at the moment. Trump's announcement speech demonstrates why this approach is horribly, disastrously wrong.

The fact that he apparently had a beautifully written, 20-minute prepared speech that he chucked at the last minute tells me he doesn't take professional advice, which speaks volumes about his character and his attitude towards taking advice from others.

How does he expect to govern if he doesn't take advice? Well, he actually tells us: He's going to bully China, bully Putin, bully Mexico, bully the CEO of Ford.

Not that we shouldn't stand up to them all, and the sad thing is that he isn't RIGHT when he says that 'free trade' deals have been detrimental to our economy, but he must bring Congress and the American people along with him. And he does that that with the proper tone and the correct political rhetoric that inspires us to come along with him.

Listening to a blowhard at a coffee shop or a bar blow off steam with irrational "bomb them all" language and simple, but wrong-headed, solutions is one thing, and can easily be excused as the ramblings of someone who hasn't studied any of these issues in depth.

But a presidential candidate isn't simply making thoughtless statements in a coffee shop, he's placing himself into history.

And that makes hearing a self-obsessed braggart make arrogant bloviations from a presidential announcement podium is historically inexcusable.

Unless Donald Trump now gives a series of serious, scripted policy speeches in the coming weeks - which is extremely unlikely - his candidacy is doomed, and it was a long shot to begin with, so he'd better start listening to people.

4 Keys to Building a Positive #Reputation [Abbott Media Group]

Your reputation - how you're perceived by others - is bound up in a host of factors, the most important of which your clients or customers are observing when they interact with you, or when they interact with people who have had dealings with you.

And in this Internet age, even millions who have never dealt with you can form an opinion of you based on what OTHERS who have never heard of you are saying!

So it's more important than ever to take control of your reputation and mold it in a favorable way, because uninformed people and forces well beyond your control will take hold of it if you don't. An like a boat that's left un-moored at the  dock, it will be drawn out by the tides and tossed with the winds whichever way they choose.

What factors will help "tie down" your reputation so these capricious winds can't get hold of it?

1. First to consider is the quality of your service or product. No amount of PR can paper over a consistently horrible product. The job of PR isn't to make a bad thing look great, because people can easily see through a snow job. And that snow job boomerangs back onto you rather quickly. But a great product, well conceived, unique and useful to customers, speaks for itself. The core of a good reputation is something of good repute to give to the world.

2. Similar to the first, the second point is to ensure that the way in which you deliver products or services is professional. It's not enough to have a great product or service. If you deliver it without passion, care and true professionalism, it will still be seen as a "negative." Having great food will bring them back to the restaurant. Once or twice. But a rude wait staff will cause them to forgo the experience again, and lead to bad-mouthing online.

3. How you treat your clients and customers is the third point that can make or break your reputation. Not only will an overworked and under-appreciated staff be less productive, they'll fall down on points 1 and 2 - the quality of the product and the professionalism of how it's delivered to the customer or client. You'll also experience heavier turnover of staff, and dozens or thousands of unhappy former employees again will not bode well for your company's reputation.

4. The final point of reputation is how the public perceives the good you do in the community. Good works is a plus and definitely has value in Public Relations and reputation-building efforts. In fact, it's seen by many as the key tool in the tool bag of Public Relations. While it can be over-used and its value overstated, good works done in the community is counted as a positive and helps "move the needle" towards a good reputation. However, as noted in 1 above, no amount of good deeds (charity and other things that are unrelated to your business model) can paper over a horrible product, poorly delivered, by unhappy or disgruntled employees. And doing charity work as a way to paper over some bad press is transparent, and is easily seen for the fraudulent effort it is.

All of these keys to a good reputation work together to create a positive reputation among your "publics." This includes your current customers, your past customers, your future customers, your employees, local and regional news media, these publics and others online, and those these various groups happen to encounter second- and third-hand.

A professional Public Relations person who is skilled in how to build a positive image for you and your business can reach out to these groups, tailoring just the right messages for each.

Let Abbott Media Group's PR division help you present these to publics that need to hear more about what you're doing!

Taco Bell "Shell Licking" PR Crisis Goes Away Only After Better Training

Taco Bell is facing yet another PR nightmare Monday after an employee was pictured brazenly licking a stack of taco shells and then uploaded the photo to Reddit and facebook, where it was duplicated and shared endlessly online. The story hit "old media" throughout the world (here and here and here) almost immediately and spread like a Western wildfire.

The company is just coming off a scandal about its meat's composition, and fast food giant Burger King had a similar incident last year with the employee standing in two pans of lettuce, which was exposed on 4chan.

The dangers of social media are on full display here, and it's another lesson teaching us that mishandling it can get you burned.

Usually a great tool used by customers to show off how they enjoy a company's products, dozens of the "licking" photo were being "tagged" by facebook users with Taco Bell's name, making the photo instantly and repeatedly show up under "Photos of Taco Bell" on the company's official facebook page.

The social media meltdown was being handled gingerly and cautiously by Taco Bell PR people who maintain the company's facebook page.

Typical responses on Monday were: "Hi Jen - We have spoken with the restaurant and confirmed that the shells were never served to customers. This is completely unacceptable and we are taking the appropriate action against everyone involved." and "Hi Kyle - We have 100% confirmed that the taco shells were never served to customers. Plain and simple, this is unacceptable and we are taking the appropriate action against everyone involved."

(Despite skepticism of these statements, they certainly CAN confirm this because these restaurants are completely covered in closed circuit cameras to discourage theft, and in some cases, build a case for firing. Obviously the case for firing makes itself in this situation.)

Both of these are good statements, the only kind a company can really make in such a crisis.

Clearly, there are "haters" online urging this crisis on - as they do with every crisis - posting the image repeatedly and saying they will NEVER eat at ANY Taco Bell again. That seems like overkill and piling on, but it's clear that this has an emotional kick to it that will put many people off Taco Bell and change their image of their product.

The fact is, franchises desperate to cut labor costs helped bring this on themselves. Companies seem far less likely to even bother to train lower-wage employees in basic ethics, due in part to high turnover. The same seems true of food-handling procedures, which is even more frightening. THIS is the result of that lack of training.

NEXT STEPS
PR can never be used to cover up or "make the story go away" without something positive coming out of it. Customers are wise to a whitewash, and are incredibly savvy.

Any PR response MUST include corrective action not just with this franchise, but with the entire company. And it should be a wake-up call for other fast food outlets, too, that a crash course in ethical behavior must be taught to each and every employee, and that enjoying oneself on the job is one thing, but crossing the line with unsafe food handling can never be tolerated.

If I was the CEO of Taco Bell's parent company, I'd demand that all employees be huddled into a meeting THIS WEEK in each restaurant that would start a comprehensive review of ethics and food handling, and begin to stress the seriousness of the situation to each employee. Bad publicity hurts where it counts: In profits. A dip in sales from weeks of bad press will mean a cut in hours at every single restaurant around the country. Actions have immediate consequences.

With a renewed commitment to decent food handling practices, the company may actually do a great service to the industry. A "teaching moment," if you will. It's either that, or this becomes a story that tears down years of good image-building efforts with weeks of bad press. Your call, Taco Bell.

When cutting your business expenses is foolish

Often, the first thing to be cut in hard economic times is the advertising and Public Relations budgets.

Of course some ads continue to run: ads for large auto dealerships, chain furniture stores or national fast food chains run perpetually. They've got the money to stay on the air and keep people aware of their great car prices, deals on sectional couches and Big Macs, just in case we ever want these things.

Some smaller companies, however, pull their TV and newspaper ads and are never heard from again, because of their over-reliance on ads to bring in customers. I know of one company that decided to rely solely on small newspaper ads, and then they pulled the ads. They were gone within six months.

When they couldn’t afford to run ads, what little visibility they had created dried up, because the awareness an ads-only strategy provides is fleeting.

Smarter business owners – the ones who have employed Public Relations and reputation management strategies as well as running ads that back up their PR messages – know that these strategies WORK even when ads stop working. That’s because using PR to build a reputation has LASTING and POSITIVE influences on customers and potential customers.

Long after a TV ad is forgotten, people remember that a company raised $10,000 for a local charity they cared deeply about, or that a group of employees were there with a crew to clean up after a natural disaster, or they recall that local pizza parlor owner who gave free pizzas to their kid's class when they won a spelling bee (and they have the newspaper clippings to prove all three events!)

But when these businesses consider cutting back on reputation-building efforts, they are failing to understand not only the power of ongoing PR, but the nature of the news media.

Newspapers have been cutting back on their reporting staffs for more than a decade now. That fact alone should prove the ongoing value of PR. Why? Because papers have remained the same size, and editors are hungry for content. That means they rely on PR pros to provide them with news-rich and new-worthy content (via news releases, events and news availabilities) more than ever before.

That’s why PR pros like Stephen Abbott, principal of Abbott Public Relations, can be a Godsend to a company lacking the vast sums required for ad campaigns.

Abbott has years of experience in both the public relations field and in the field of news gathering, and can connect these kind of dots for clients.

As a writer skilled in creating content for news media that will appeal to editors, Abbott can create content that can get you noticed – at a time when competitors are foolishly cutting back on BOTH advertising and Public Relations campaigns.

And while it’s understandable that EXPENSIVE Public Relations firms can be a tough pill to swallow during tough times, APR can work with clients to make it affordable to keep building your company’s reputation.

APR can be found online at http://www.abbottpr.com, or by phone at 603.341.0372.

Doing What it Takes - Trusting the PR Process

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.

Abbott Public Relations can be reached online at http://www.abbottpr.com.

An Introduction to Abbott Public Relations

Abbott Public Relations uses a variety of written communications tools, including social media and the use of news releases, media statements and backgrounders, to convey messages about their clients to the right group of people, called “publics.”

Spreading the good news about you, your cause or your company to people who don’t need to hear it or won’t understand it makes no sense, and is wasteful. But the kind of targeted campaigns used by PR professionals are designed to reach the publics who care, and that is far more effective.

APR works with clients to determine the publics that are necessary to target, and crafts messages and themes most appropriate and effective for each.

APR principal and owner Stephen Abbott is committed to providing PR and reputation management services at reasonable and affordable rates. With APR, even individuals and one-person micro-businesses can afford to effectively and efficiently get the word out about their services and products.

That’s why we offer monthly retainers that are far less than what some major firms charge for ONE news release, and there are attractive discounts for paying quarterly in advance.

APR offers a personal, one-on-one service ethic that is unrivaled in the business and cannot be obtained in larger firms, where clients are often seen as little more than cash cows to be billed by the hour.

Though New England-based, PR services are offered throughout the United States and internationally.

Stephen Abbott brings over a decade of PR and media experience to clients, who range from non-profits to politicians to individuals seeking to increase their visibility and reputation.

He would welcome your call and is eager to help you fulfill your dreams.

APR can be found online at http://www.abbottpr.com, or call 603.341.0372.

What’s Your Band’s Logo?

Quick, what’s Rihanna’s logo? What’s Lady Gaga’s logo? What’s Justin Bieber’s? What’s Madonna’s? How about Elvis? The Beatles?

Their “logo” was in fact themselves. Sure, they used various fonts and styles throughout their careers – and some groups, like KISS, have font faces that are easily recognizable, and even the Beatles had (and have) a somewhat recognizable font-based logo - but that’s incidental to a group’s brand, which is composed of their body of work, which was, rightfully, their focus.

Contrast that with many bands (and, incidentally, many small businesses) just starting out. Their obsession is frequently on a “wicked cool” logo, which is usually anything but. Young bands’ logo designs are usually overcomplicated, poorly drawn and have very little to do with the style, influences and general message of the group.

Getting the right style and “look” for a band is obviously important, and it’s something young bands get wrong. But getting the right sound, message and style should be the main focus of a band.

Abbott Public Relations’ music division, Abbott Music, focuses on getting that other stuff right - the logo, the look and the feel of a band, while also guiding a band towards an appropriate style that will actually please the ears of those who hear what’s produced. It’s a different kind of management, for a different kind of group.

Send your logo over and I’ll be happy to discuss it with you, along with other concerns you might have.

Visit Abbott PR for more information.

GOP Candidates Must Have Big, New Ideas to Win Primaries and in November

Big Ideas capture the imagination. They change lives. They change countries. They can even change election campaigns that are drifting aimlessly, five weeks before Election Day.

But first, they must be articulated by courageous Republican candidates for office. I don’t see that happening much here in New Hampshire.

In the new film Inception, a character says, “Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks.”

It sticks in elections, too. It sticks in the voter’s minds. It resonates, and sinks deep into the subconscious. Consider:

"It's morning in America." - Reagan correctly identified hope and change - and optimism - as what would win against a bleak Carter-led nation.

"It's the economy, stupid." - Carville and Begala correctly understood the mood of the nation during a horrible recession. The Washington GOP elites didn’t. So we lost.

"Hope and change." - GOP activists ridiculed this as “the hopey, changy thing.” I said it was foolish to ridicule hope during a near-depression filled with misery. Regardless of how inept Obama’s policies turned out, he had this advantage during the election, and it worked.

"It's not Ted Kennedy's seat, it's the people’s seat." - Underdog Scott Brown electrified his Senate campaign with this one line, smashing the idea of inevitability and opening voters to his message.

These themes, backed by powerful Ideas (some better than others) resonated. And yet, campaigns here in New Hampshire aren’t talking about New Ideas, but instead opt for the same, old slogans.

Examples? "Lower taxes" and "More jobs" are okay as slogans, and nice as concepts. All Republicans agree with them. But that's the problem. No candidate simply spouting slogans can break out and be noticed. Slogans aren’t fleshed out. Will these slogans create jobs? What's unique? Where are the New Ideas?

NH Democrats in 2006 and 2008 won by adopting these innocuous, me-too concepts. Voters trusted them twice, in part because the GOP failed nationally and statewide to impress them with new and better ideas to back up the slogans.

Being Idea-less, some candidates are being advised to simply spout slogans and run an Idea-less Primary, relying on spending lots of money on TV and getting “face recognition” alone to get attention. This is a rather weak strategy.

Candidates don’t need a million dollar TV strategy. They need million dollar ideas. The ideas will generate coverage and recognition.

They must capture the voters’ imaginations with the power of these Ideas. They need Great Ideas and must deploy them correctly to run transformative, memorable, winning campaigns.

Winning candidates will say to primary voters, "Here's something new, different, and consistent with Republicanism. THESE are the BIG, NEW IDEAS that will win us the election in November!"

And these Ideas can’t be backward-looking ideas that seek to return us to the 1950s (or 1760s) or try to turn the GOP into big-spending mini-Democrats. 21st Century voters won’t stand for either approach.

So, what are these Ideas, exactly? I can certainly suggest a few directions. But when a candidate calls me and is willing to listen, I’ll be there to help them effectively articulate their own Great Ideas.

Stephen Abbott
Abbott Public Relations
www.abbottpr.com
603-341-0372

Rooftop Publicity vs. "Street Level" PR

Go to the top floor of a 10-story building in a city, open a window, then shout the name of your company or product at the top of your lungs, shut the window, and walk away. Congratulations, you’ve just engaged in PR - all by yourself!

This scenario is about as effective as most companies are when they engage in public relations, if they engage in PR at all, that is. In fact, they’ve actually only engaged in a rooftop publicity stunt.

By contrast, what does hiring a professional Public Relations consultant do for you and your business?

PR pros will offer an objective outlook. You cannot possibly see all of the communications problems your company faces on a daily basis. PR pros will do the interviews and research to get to the bottom of why your messages are falling flat. People will open up about problems they likely won’t tell “the boss.” This strategy, along with analysis of trends and other data, is the Assessment Phase of a PR campaign.

PR pros will be honest with you. Once communications problems are identified, the PR pro can tell you frankly and honestly what your unmet communications needs are, and how to address them. A brief, clear and concise report will outline what’s wrong.

PR pros will target messages effectively. Not all messages are a “fit:” for all audiences. Shouting from a rooftop may be an effective way to create noise, but little else. But people get enough noise already, and they are very good at blocking it out. PR identifies specific publics towards which messages should be directed, rather than a vague “general public” who will tune out your attempts at noisemaking. This plan forward will tell you exactly what PR will do for your firm, so it can be measured later, and adjusted, if necessary.

A professional PR firm like Abbott Public Relations will not shout a message from the rooftop, unless perhaps all the target market happens to be all standing below (which is highly unlikely.) To do so would be a waste of your time and resources.

Using publicity stunts or scattershot advertising is simply not the way you should be spending money when money is scarce.

If you hire APR, we’ll go down to street level, pick out the few people who will deeply care about your product, and will deliver your message concisely and intelligently to the right people, at the right time. That will make all the difference.

Stephen Abbott is a public relations consultant with Abbott Public Relations. APR can be found online at http://www.abbottpr.com.

Your business has done something good. So, what? - Telling others about the good you do, the right way

Your business has done something good.

So, what?

That may sound harsh, but if you don’t tell anyone about what you’ve done - and tell them effectively - your actions have not effectively built the reputation of your business.

To do that, you must effectively tell those who NEED to know about it, and they must be told in just the right way, using the right medium.

Sounds complicated, huh?

Well, luckily, there’s a tool to accomplish this task, and there are people who know just how to do it.

It’s called the news release, and it’s a tool public relations professionals use to accurately get the word out about what you’ve been doing - be it a good deed or a new way of serving your customers.

But like any tool, if it’s used poorly, or used improperly, it can actually backfire and cause harm.

For example, someone may wish to dabble in road construction, but if a person jumps onto one of those trucks and starts laying pavement incorrectly, they may injure themselves or others, not to mention waste some expensive road-building materials.

That’s why it’s best to trust a Public Relations professional to craft a news release.

But why not simply dabble in writing a news release yourself? After all, how hard can it be?

Turns out, it’s pretty hard, and like most things in life, it requires skill and experience to do it correctly.

A PR pro can get it to the right audiences using the right channels - be it online, via email blast, to specific news media outlets or in a corporate newsletter. Some channels are better than others for certain messages.

A PR pro will use the right wording to attract news media, or whomever the target audience happens to be. This is a technical skill that PR pros have honed over many years.

A PR pro will know what is acceptable to include in a release and what isn’t, and won’t fill it with “red flags” that will prevent it from reaching its audience (a release is not a pure advertising tool, something that most people don’t fully understand.)

By crafting and using news releases the CORRECT WAY, PR professionals can help you gain goodwill from your clients and customers, as well as your future clients and customers (and if you don’t know who THOSE are, you also need to talk to a PR professional.)

Please consider hiring Abbott Public Relations to deliver your professional public relations services.

I offer years of news release writing and public relations experience to all varieties of clients - to small firms, start-ups and individuals.

I stand ready to build and/or enhance your reputation.

Stephen Abbott
http://www.abbottpr.com
stephen(at)abbottpr.com

Abbott Media: Four "A's" of Being a Great Micropreneur

Entrepreneurship is the way our economy grows, and becoming a "micropreneur" and running a small, one- or two-person business is the way many companies begin.

But how do you know that you are you cut out for a certain business? Before you launch your micro-business, you need to consider many factors. Among them are these five key factors that can help determine whether you can effectively do the job you’re considering:

Aptitude - Are you suited to this job? Do you have what it takes? This is no small matter. If you aren’t a good “fit” for a job, you’ll regret it, probably right away - hopefully. It would be a shame to discover, months or years into a job that you simply aren’t “cut out” for a job. Questions to ask yourself: Do I have the right skills for this job? If not, can I develop them? What are my best skills? Do they match THIS particular job?

Attitude - Are you willing to put your all into the job? Will you feel great about going to work (even if “going” to work means going to a spare bedroom)? If you can’t approach the job with a good attitude, you shouldn’t be doing it. Questions to ask yourself include: Do I feel good about doing this kind of work? Is this a “dream” job? Do I think it can it become a huge success, over time? Can I get up every morning “psyched” about this job?

Ambition - Do you want to achieve something great with this job? That’s an important, but often overlooked, question that few ask when considering a job or a new career. Ambition means more than wanting to dominate your field and be the pre-eminent practitioner of your career - but wanting to do that is a start! Ask yourself: Can I become the best in this field? Will I be able to earn the respect of my peers in this field?

Action Plan - Once you know what kind of business you’re going to pursue, having a plan is really the first step along the journey to success. If you start out without at least a basic roadmap, how will you know where you’re going? What goals can you reach without a plan? The likely answer to that question is “none.” If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. Even a short, one-page “mini” business plan, outlining factors such as your mission statement, your plans for financing, a marketing strategy and short-term goals can help you from veering off-course. Ask yourself: What do I want to be earning in six months, a year, and two years? Who are my customers going to be? How much will I charge for my products and services?

The eBook "37 Instant Businesses" by Abbott ePublishing describes 37 businesses with a great deal of information on each, including: how to set them up, basic target markets, legal and other pitfalls to avoid, estimated income, level of difficulty in setting up each business and other strategies for success. Check out http://sn.im/37inbiz for details. Abbott ePublishing is online at http://www.abbottepub.com.

At Abbott Media, we empower microbusinesses and encourage the micropreneurs who run them to embrace innovation with both new and old media to inform, inspire and serve. Find out more online at http://www.abbott-media.net

Don’t Need PR When You’re Doing 'Fine'? Think Again.

"I'm doing fine, right now. I don't need anyone to do PR for me."

Uh-oh. I've heard this several times now in the past few weeks and it's potentially a very dangerous attitude.

Anyone who's doing "fine" in these tough economic times should be very grateful - or they have “defined down" what "fine" actually means. Either way, kudos to you if that's how you feel.

One need only hearken back to late 2008 and earlier this year to remember what it means NOT to be doing fine. No one needs a reminder that the economy fell off a cliff, and while it's been clawing its way back ever since, it's not there yet for most businesses.

But back to doing "fine." Even if that is the case, there's no guarantee that your business will continue to do so. Whether it's government stimulus money or some other program that's artificially propping up your profession and spurring temporary spending, or whether you simply, and suddenly, have enough business NOW (for the first time in a long time) you shouldn't take public relations for granted.

PR can lay the groundwork for consistent, sustained growth. A few simple steps right now can not only keep your name in front of the customers you may need in the near future, it can also build your reputation amongst those who don’t even know they need your product or services, and can make everyone feel better about you, even if they never need to call on you.

Not investing in PR when you have no business is almost understandable (although that, too, is a poor idea.)

But not effectively working to promote yourself and your business when things are seemingly picking up is a potentially dangerous idea.

Bottom line: Don't be lulled into thinking things are going to automatically go back to what they were without any effort to reach old and new customers with public relations. Because they won't.

Feel free to call Abbott PR today for a free consultation. 603-785-7796.

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Kanye West's Trashed Reputation

It’s been suggested by Stephen Kersey at the Bizzia.com business site (and elsewhere online) that the Kanye West outburst at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards - in which he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech and blurted out that singer Beyonce’s video was better - was all an elaborate hoax and marketing ploy.

The evidence he cites is:

MTV has been using similar marketing stunts for years. From Eminem getting Bruno’ed to Madonna’s kiss, they’ve been very inventive in their attempts to create controversy and draw attention.

Secondly, the participants are too perfect. Kanye has a rebel reputation, Swift is innocent and Beyonce was able to save the day. If that wasn’t a marketing stunt, it was a huge coincidence.

Finally, MTV has motive. Their award shows aren’t nearly as popular as they used to be.

If this turns out to be the case, it was a bold move on the part of MTV. But it will have been an extremely bad move for Kanye West, because the event severely damaged his reputation.

Already a bit of a laughingstock after the cartoon South Park ridiculed him in a "you're a gay fish" storyline (a must-see episode), and infamous for saying that Pres. Bush "doesn't like black people" on national TV during a live event to raise money for New Orleans victims of Hurricane Katrina, West's reputation didn't need another hit.

And if it was a plan, it went horribly wrong. Since the incident, West has had a humiliating interview on Jay Leno's first show (in which he came close to tears) and has been the subject of HUNDREDS of riffs on his line "I'm gonna let you finish..." on twitter and in online spoofs, including one in which he interrupts Pres. Obama's speech on health care, rather than Joe Wilson (viewed by over 3.33 million people.)

From a purely reputation management point of view, it was an extremely damaging outburst that will have repercussions on the career of a man who is already known - inside and outside the music community - as a rather egotistical jerk. It's all well and good to say the man's music is hard-edge and he has to have a "bad ass" image to go along with it. But while I don't have stats, I bet a lot of white teen girls buy his music, and many will be greatly offended by his verbal attack on Taylor Swift.

His own pledge on Leno's show to "take time off to think" about this debacle and his career is great self-given advice. Removing yourself from the limelight in this case would be the best thing to do. When he comes back, let him do it with some humility. Perhaps release a ballad, or something that softens that nasty exterior of his and restores his reputation somewhat with his core publics.

Whatever it is, the "comeback" needs to be one in which his reputation doesn't take further hits, or he could find himself radioactive with music companies, and not at all "active" on the radio.

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In Business, Consistency Matters to Your Reputation

I was watching someone create a Website the other day and pointed out to him that the colors on the page he was creating should be consistent with his company’s other printed materials. That wasn’t happening, and that’s a bit of a problem, because when it comes to company’s reputation and image, consistency matters.

When you walk into a Best Buy store, everyone who works there is wearing a distinctive blue shirt, each with the yellow “tag” logo with the words “Best Buy” stitched onto it. You instantly recognize the logo, and the blue color, as representing this national company.

The branding continues in its advertising fliers in the Sunday newspaper, and on its corporate Website. All feature the familiar blue color with the slanted yellow tag that instantly ID the company as the place for electronics sales.

The same is true whether you’re selling electronics, hamburgers or a professional service. If you confuse the customer in any way - with confused logos and branding, no consistent color scheme, or in some other crucial way - you could be failing to make a lasting positive impression on them.

APR’s black and orange logo is distinctive, and is featured on business cards, Website and printed matter.

Consistency builds a brand - but not just consistency of a company’s corporate colors, although we’ve seen how important that can be in the Best Buy example.

Consistency in service, attitude, and promptness can also make or break a company. Every sale must be as close to customer-centered as possible. Every employee must be there to SERVE. And yes, the customer must be able to latch onto visual cues such as logos and colors to instantly and fully understand what store he or she is in, and what products and/or services they are known for selling. If any of these messages is “off” - either because there’s no consistency in logo design or through an inconsistent corporate branding of its products and services, or through poor in-store or online service - then the entire experience is ruined and the loyalty of the customer will likely be lost.

Because consistency plays such a vital role in reputation building, Abbott Public Relations offers a consistency analysis free with a retainer (also available through a la carte pricing) that looks at all of your company’s materials: your Website, your business cards, your fliers and brochures, and your other written materials, logos and yes, even the corporate colors.

Let APR help you build you reputation.

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A Broadview of Banal Branding

On July 10, 1985, “Classic Coke” was introduced to much fanfare after a colossal failure of “New Coke” that Spring, after a huge public outcry.

One has to wonder whether the roll-out of the new name for Brink’s Home Security will be reversed in a few months, too, after much public confusion.

“We are now Broadview Security, the next generation of Brink’s Home Security.”

That’s the confusing message that welcomes people to the new Broadviewsecurity.com Website.

Boring, bland, banal, colorless, under-whelming, and a stupid pissing away of 150 years of brand equity.

This new name, announced by company officials June 30, 2009 and foisted onto the world by Ketchum, conveys nothing, other than perhaps weakness, blandness and dullness. Shame on the branding experts at Landor Associates, an otherwise top-tier branding agency, who were engaged to come up with this yawn-inducing substitute. Folks, you’ve got it wrong this time.

I feel very sorry for the Brink’s Home Security employees. They must be devastated.

I know a bad public relations move when I see one, and this could be a big one.

Ad Age Magazine’s June 30 issue quotes a real branding expert, Denise Lee Yohn, as saying, "Trying to transfer that trust from Brink's to a different name is particularly challenging [in a

bad economy.] People are looking for proven suppliers with reputable names."

No kidding. And not only is the name gone, the traditional Brink’s Badge logo will be replaced by a logo with two odd “boomerang-like” swoops that suggest an Internet ISP and seem lifted directly from credit card giant Citi, only rendered in light blue (a weak color.)

In-yard signage and window decals will look something like a white fingernail, or a real estate sign. Will would-be burglars fear a white fingernail-shaped real estate sign in the yard?

The Broadview Website explains that the company spun off from The Brink’s Company last October, and is now a separately traded company. They also reveal that The Brink's Company granted them a license to use the Brink's Home Security brand for up to three years after the spin-off.

So why not keep it until the last possible moment? Why not transition? Why not keep elements of the Brinks name, as some of the “Baby Bells” did after the Bell System broke up in 1984 (Bell Atlantic and BelSouth, to name two.)

Just because change must happen, that doesn’t mean you pick a crap name to replace a time-honored one. That means you try to continue a legacy that has served them for 150 years.

As part of my work with clients who engage me on retainer as a public relations consultant, I always undertake an audit of all materials - Website, printed matter, signage, the works - to ensure that branding is clear and consistent, and that it makes sense.

Most of the time, being vague is a business killer.

Something like “John Doe Enterprises” is a worthless name, because it tells customers exactly nothing about what John does. “Well, I’m trying to be all things to all people,” I’ve heard. Well, that’s not good enough. If you’re doing EVERYTHING, you’re doing few things well. And it’s not about you, it’s about perceptions about you by your past, present and future customers.

In 2006, Stephen Abbott Communications became Abbott Public Relations, in part because the old name sounded like it was a phone company, and PR was my major focus. In 2008, I launched Abbott Media, a company that writes and sells electronic books, explores New Media, news reporting and other writing ventures, because these had nothing to do with PR. That, I believe, is smart branding. [In 2015, Abbott Media and Abbott PR became Abbott Media Group.]

The Broadview Website claims the new name “represents our legacy, our future and our unchanged commitment to "Creating Customers for Life."

Legacy? Seriously? Broadview as a name is the OPPOSITE of building a legacy. But this is marketing-speak, not real English, meant to be understood.

I have no doubt the people at Landor are sincere, and smart. The work on their Website (which, tellingly perhaps, fails to mention Broadview) affirms they are an astoundingly capable firm. And granted, branding is not easy or an exact science. But like many re-brands, this one seems to have clearly come up desperately short in the common sense department.

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Six Possibly Better Names for Brink’s Home Security, off the Top of My Head:

• “ShieldHearth Security” - It even has a warm feeling when you say it, and you know immediately that it shields your home and hearth.
• “HomeSecure” - Again, blazingly obvious and quick to grasp what these folks do. (Although if the company seeks to reach into business security more, this may not be the best option.)
• “SecuriGuard” - Security and Guard. Simple. Direct. Too difficult to screw up.
• “Solidus Security” - From the Latin for solid. In English, it conjures up the same thing. SolidiShield would also help us envision solidity.
• “AmeriBrinks Security” - This one is admittedly tongue-in-cheek, but why didn’t they fight for the name?

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