7 Common Pitfalls of First-Time Political Candidates [Abbott PR]

As first-time candidates throughout the U.S. begin to prepare for elections this year and in 2022, it's a good time to take a look at some pitfalls these candidates often encounter.

1. Trying to self-manage a campaign. If you serve as your own campaign manager, you're being managed by a fool. Why? Because you cannot objectively make decisions affecting yourself. For example, you cannot objectively tell yourself that your wardrobe is inappropriate, that you must tone down your favorite diatribe, or that you're speaking too long. This is true for your spouse and other close family members, too. They cannot be totally objective. To run a winning campaign, it takes an outsider's clear view of the campaign to make these kinds of decisions - objectively. Sometimes it's hard to hear that you're approaching a campaign from the wrong direction, and you may even be upset, but better you hear it from someone who WANTS you to win, rather than from voters on election day. (Note: For some races for smaller offices with smaller budgets, a strong campaign adviser - or a communications consultant - may be fine as a substitute for a full-fledged, full-time manager. But the advice holds - get outside help.)

2. Failing to raise and spend the right amount of money. Speaking of money, if you don't have the cash, you must raise it. First-time candidates often delude themselves into thinking money doesn't matter. It does. Without money, there isn't a campaign. And it must be not only raised, but spent, wisely. Even if you think you only need a small amount of money, media and voters will be watching to see if you have the ability to raise more than you need. The truth is, candidates need professionals to help them to raise money - or force them to, if necessary.

3. Focusing on the wrong issues. You have 40 issues that you want to tackle in your campaign: abortion, the IRS, Federal defense spending, social security, etc., etc. But wait a minute, you're running for a seat in the state legislature! Much of this will be irrelevant to the office you're seeking. Spending time on issues you would have no control over if you're elected is a waste of time, and can unnecessarily give voters reasons to vote against you. A campaign must focus on a select few, relevant local issues, and not deviate from them.

4. Talking about the wrong issues ... to the wrong people. You should never lie or change your views to chase poll results in order to get votes. Voters can sniff out a phony. But it simply makes sense to speak to groups and individuals about things they care about. Making wildly irrelevant speeches to influential groups is a sure way of looking foolish - and irrelevant, yourself. Relying on speech writers, your manager and/or your communications consultant to direct your campaign's focus on issues is a wise move. It will likely keep you from looking completely out of touch, and will give your campaign a polished look and feel, without compromising your principles.

5. Steering out of the Mainstream. Okay, so you believe in UFOs and aliens, you  think flying cars can solve traffic jams, and that JFK was shot five times by CIA operatives, Castro and the Mob working together. Keep it to yourself. While some of this may seem "folksy" coming from long-time politicians, remember this: nuts don't often get elected. And if they do slip in, they frequently don't stay elected. Say something off-the-wall and it by very well be the only thing voters remember about you, and the only thing the media will focus on, and can easily destroy your chances of victory. In short, keep irrelevant views to yourself. A speechwriter will be able to "filter out" items that you may not notice in a first draft, and keep you from saying things that will "ALIENate" voters.

6. Running to lose. Sometimes, the better part of valor is not running at all. If you don't have the financial resources, if you don't have the support of colleagues and family members, or if you don't have the willpower, health, time or effort to run an effective campaign, don't do it. (And if you can't keep your head above water in one of these areas at any point in the campaign, consider dropping out.) If you do run, however, you must run to win, not to make a point. People don't vote to make a point, they vote for winners. And voters sense when you're just riding a hobby horse, and don't really care about winning.

6. Being Unprofessional. Failing to present your campaign as professional is a sure sign you haven't hired professionals to design your campaign. For example, you had better use professional design and printing, because if you don't, you may be viewed as not credible as a candidate. Independent candidates often get carried away with their message, filling a sign, website, or brochure with trite slogans and LOADS of text, resulting in unreadable nonsense no one will actually read. This is the sure sign of an amateur candidate - one who will not be  taken seriously. Keep it brief and keep it professional, and the best way to do this is to have it written by a professional.

A professional campaign consultant will help you to avoid these pitfalls, and many more, in the course of your campaign. Abbott Public Relations offers a wide array of reputation building and campaign consulting services for right-of-center candidates and future candidates in Florida and throughout the US.

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.

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Sorority Sisters Turn Selfie "Sin" Into PR "Win" [Abbott PR Blog]

Video of some sorority sisters who attended an Arizona Diamondbacks game but spent the entire game taking "selfies" of themselves and their food went viral this past week, but the episode turned into an excellent PR lesson.

The girls' actions went viral on social media when FOX Sports announcers caught them taking selfies of themselves and their food during the game, repeatedly pointing the camera on the sorority sisters as they continued to NOT watch the Diamondbacks play the Denver Broncos, instead making "duck faces" and laughing at their own camera phones throughout  the game.

When the video went viral on TV news shows and on social media, the Diamondbacks offered to give them all tickets for a "re-do" - and attend yet another game.

But the sisters, on their facebook page, said "thanks, but no thanks." And then turned their gaffe around by posting:

"Alpha Chi Omega at Arizona State University would like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports for reaching out to the chapter after last night’s game and subsequent media frenzy. We appreciate their generous offer of tickets to tonight’s game. However, instead of chapter members attending the game, we have asked the Diamondbacks and Fox Sports to provide tickets to a future game for families at A New Leaf, a local non-profit that helps support victims of domestic violence."

Whether the ingenious and socially responsible response was their own idea or that of the organization's PR team is unknown - and not really relevant. The fact that someone was smart enough to capitalize on the sorority's instant fame from their sports "sin" of not paying attention to the game to do some good for an organization is a PR "win."

[See also: the original story on Mashable]

#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.

================
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.

4 Ways To Build #Trust With Your Customers [Abbott Media Group]

4 Ways Your Business Can Build Trust With Customers

People will do business with those that they trust. Public Relations can help to build that trust.

There are several ways a business can begin to build trust with their customers and future (potential) customers. Among them are Consistency, Courtesy, Care, and Community Involvement.

Being Consistent is critically important to a business. There's a reason why restaurants, pet stores, hotels, and hardware chains, among others, are so popular. Ideally, they offer consistent service and products offered professionally in multiple locations. Customers know they can get the same products and services offered for about the same price, wherever they go. For some, that may seem "boring," but customers actually yearn for boring over the alternative: inconsistent service and the inability to get their favorite products. Public Relations professionals can guide a business to accept and disseminate internal policies and standard graphics and messaging that will help create a consistent experience for customers.

Courtesy is also an important factor in building Trust. If service is offered in a cold manner, or worse, in a rude manner, the bond of Trust between a customer and a business is broken. This is even the case in a long-term relationship. There's no such thing anymore as a small incident of discourteous conduct. Even one incident in which a customer is treated poorly can ruin a company's reputation in this era of instant online reviews. A Public Relations professional can help isolate and identify areas in which internal standards aren't being met, and can, once those are addressed, help repair and rebuild Trust with customers who experienced a lack of courtesy during a business transaction.

Care is shown in a multitude of ways by a business, and customers recognize when it's not there, contributing to a lack of Trust. Products or services offered in a sloppy, slapdash way can instantly signal to the customer that the business doesn't really care about them. Caring isn't a small thing, it's a major thing, and in fact, should be the top concern of any business. If you're not in business to care for the customer, why are you in business at all? Care can be demonstrated by proper training and internal messaging that makes it clear that business owners have high expectations of their employees. PR can deliver those messages in a compelling and clear way that leaves no doubt that Care is required from everyone.

Finally, Community Involvement can be a tremendous trust-building tool. While some effort should be made not to alienate a customer base with involvement with overtly political or controversial causes, showing concern for one's community is more than a gimmick to grab headlines. Instead, it shows that a business is intimately tied to the community in which they do business, and that they care about their customers' well-being, more than just as a source of cash. Public Relations professionals can help identify community activities that reflect well on a business and help show that concern that leads to stronger feelings of trust with their current and future customers.

For more information about building Trust, visit Abbott Media Group at www.abbottmediagroup.com.

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!

How reclaiming your PAST customers can save your current ones

APR's mission statement reads, in part: "Abbott Public Relations offers written communications services and strategies that strengthen your reputation with your past, present and future clients, within your company and in your community."

Wait... "PAST" clients? 

Yes. While it seems counter-intuitive, APR believes that reaching out to those who haven't been using your products and services lately, but still might, is a great, untapped resource many businesses fail to re-tap.

Going back to a well that you thought was dry and finding water (or business) is an amazing experience. 

It also yields valuable information from these past clients, such as: Why did they stop using our products and services? What would bring them back?

Learning the answers to these questions is really invaluable to your business and its ongoing reputation, because they can help you to identify ongoing problem areas and avoid problems that avoid making your CURRENT customers into PAST ones.

Obviously, not all prior customers or clients are WORTH reaching out to and bringing back. Those who didn't pay you, were difficult to deal with, or were not a good "fit" in other ways are best left in the past.

Once you have reached out to your past customers, you've taken the first step to bringing them back, and you could have prevented your current customers from fleeing, as well.

The Value of Bad News and Negative Feedback

Justin Bieber has a tattoo of his mother's birthday (1975) to show how much he loves her. How sweet.

The tat, which he got in January, 2013, joined 15 others, including a crown, an Indian head (his high school mascot) and an owl, a Jesus portrait, along with LOVE spelled out on his knuckles. How bad-ass of the boy.

But there's a tiny problem with his inky tribute.

The tattoo reads: "I IX VII V" which is NOT the year 1975, but simply "1, 9, 7, 5" - a mere list of numbers. The year 1975 in Roman Numerals is ACTUALLY rendered "MCMLXXV." M = 1000, CM = 900 (or 1000-100) LXX = 70 (50 + two 10s) and V = five.

So, yeah, that was unfortunate. And it received heavy and snarky coverage online when he first revealed it. (see here, and here, and here.)

This raises a couple of questions. Who got this wrong - was it the tattoo artist? Unlikely. Even an artist who's been in business for a week would have known better.

Or did he come up with it himself? Well, that's possible. He might have looked in a book and seen the numbers, and put this together himself, presenting it to his friends and then to a tattoo artist.

But the most important question is: If he showed this list of Roman Numerals to others and to an experienced tattoo artist, why didn't someone tell him it was not a rendering of the year?

If he did show others, it's entirely possible that they simply were too afraid to tell him it was wrong - a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes," in which no one will tell the emperor that he's not wearing an invisible cloak, but is simply naked - out of fear of offending the emperor.

In the case of Bieber, is he surrounded by sycophants who were afraid to say "no, you're plan is wrong" to the Star who may send them packing for scuttling his poorly laid out plans?

If this is true, he’s not alone. Business owners and political leaders are often presented with “bad news,” by their advisers, including their public relations consultants. 

Sure, negative feedback is not always welcome, and not always fun to hear. It also should be offered tactfully and presented gracefully.

But it must be presented, and should be welcomed. 

To demand that, “We want only positive feedback here,” is a remarkably bad policy, which can lead to something far worse than a tattoo, which can in most cases be fixed.

As Elon Musk said recently, "I think it's important to take as much feedback as you can from as many people as you can about whatever idea you have. You should seek negative feedback, especially from friends." This is a lesson Justin Beiber needs to heed, as do we all.

What those in business and politics (as well as the arts, the military and any other institution) can take from Bieber’s tattoo flub is that it pays to listen to your consultants in good faith. They are not simply paid to be “yes men” and sycophants, but to give honest and frank advice designed to both avoid reputation-damaging mistakes and help to claw your way back when you make them.

Another problem is that often, consultants are not included in major decision-making meetings, and are left out of the loop. That’s a huge mistake, because they are there to prevent major screw ups and poor ethical decisions that can quickly come back to haunt them — like Bieber’s tattoo.

Sadly, either no one has told young Mr. Bieber that he made an error or he didn't care, because a recent photo shows the same erroneous numerals on his chest.

Don't likewise ignore the good advice of your PR professional when it's offered. Even if it's "negative."

Martha Stewart's latest misstep (and how to fix it)

Martha actually has been in an Apple Store, back in 2010.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, Martha Stewart, apparently distraught at breaking her iPad, went on a tirade against the Apple Corporation and risked damaging her brand and her own public reputation and image.


As Business Insider (and many others) reported, Stewart dropped the iPad - which was given to her personally by the late Steve Jobs - and the glass shattered.

Her tweet, "I just dropped my iPad on the ground and shattered two glass corners. What to do?does one call Apple to come and pick it up or do I take it?" made her come off as completely detached from the millions of average Joes and Joans who have to get off their butts and go to the Apple Store to have it fixed or replaced.

She noted, in a clearly exasperated tone even detectable on twitter, "i cannot believe that Apple Public Relations is mad at me for tweeting about my Ipad and how to get it fixed! steve jobs gave it to me!"

She later explained it was a "silly joke" but the following day, was still at it, noting that "Let's now talk turkey: Ipads addictive,awesome,expensive. Glass should /could be unbreakable. That the iPad works with cracked corners-great. ... But the cracked glass is sharp and can cut. I was just upset that I(someone)was clumsy and let the iPad fall out of the car. To fix is time..."

Leaving aside the fact that the billionaire Stewart has many assistants who could have not only explained this to her or could have taken it themselves (or, God forbid, that could easily have quietly bought another iPad!)

She continued to rant and rave about it on twitter until, apparently, Apple’s PR department stepped into tell her to stop talking about it. And yet, because they didn’t solve the problem, she continued to rant about the incident and Apple’s failure to act, making the perception of her detachment even worse — even though her atrocious spelling does bring her a bit down to earth a bit.

Stewart is no stranger to either controversy or potential career-ending moves. In 2004, Stewart was convicted of charges related to the ImClone insider trading affair and there was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire.

But she launched a rather successful comeback campaign in 2005 - begun when she deplaned from the flight from her prison wearing the now-famous poncho that was made for her by her fellow prisoners - and her company returned to profitability in 2006. She rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011 and became chairman of the company again in 2012. [wikipedia]

But this misstep, while seemingly small compared to insider trading, reignites the image that she is a privileged, out-of-touch multimillionaire who doesn't, and can't, relate to readers and viewers of her online, print and television productions.

I don't really believe that's true, frankly, but the perception is clearly driven home by the tweets, which are bound to be retweeted many, many times and - if the writers at SNL are still on the ball - will surely be the subject of a rather nasty, and even possibly funny, skit.

NEXT STEPS
Were I her PR consultant (and call me, Martha! I’ll even come to your house!) I’d advise her to come clean and admit that she was clearly distraught over the situation and tweeted without considering her next steps to make the situation right. This means she abandons her first reaction, which was to claim the entire thing was a “joke” which wasn’t the case, clearly. The fact that she was distraught over losing a precious memento is understandable. We can all relate.

Then I’d find a way to make “iPad” and “Martha Stewart” more than a punchline when they are Googled together. (Hint: Elementary schools need iPads, even in Connecticut. Perhaps not in wealthy neighborhoods, though.) While this seems crass — and gets PR people in trouble — if it is meant from the heart, and isn’t a ‘stunt,’ people will at least give her credit for honoring the legacy of Steve Jobs, and the intention of his gift to her.

Press photos (or even iPhone photos posted online by average Joes and Joans) of her standing in line at an Apple Store would also go a long way to repairing not only the damaged iPad but also her once-again tarnished image.

I have no doubt Martha Stewart will bounce back. She is a remarkably resilient woman and businessperson and she always seem to be able to do so. And that, of course, is a “good thing.”

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.

What is "Public Relations?" A brief definition

People often ask, "What IS Public Relations, anyway?" For those people, I've come up with a brief definition that helps address many of the important issues that PR consultants deal with on behalf of their clients. Here it is:

pub·lic re·la·tions (noun)

the communications management function that seeks to:

• build, maintain and protect reputations
• develop and maintain positive images and perceptions
• change negative perceptions into neutral ones, and eventually, into positive ones
• create positive, clear and satisfying communications with customers and others being served
• manage outside communication to ensure accuracy and positive perceptions

Please also take a look at the bold new look of www.abbottpr.com.

No More Back-Slapping Hucksters: The True Role of Public Relations

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. They instead could be an expensive distraction. Or worse, as 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. 

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, may have good experiences there.

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.

================
Stephen Abbott is owner and principal of Abbott Public Relations, a division of Abbott Media Group, which can be found online at www.abbottmediagroup.com

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.

Five Ways to Destroy your Online Reputation

By Stephen Abbott, Abbott Public Relations

Engage in Flame Wars – Allow people to get under your skin. Swear at them, yell in ALL CAPS. Say things about people you’ll later regret, but cannot erase, because they’re on a chat board now. Forever. Be sure to use your own name when doing this (and just a note, even a pseudonym may not hide you if you sounds like, well, you. Say far worse things online than you ever would in person, face-to-face with others, including to people you know and would otherwise treat with respect.

Post Pictures Injudiciously – Post pictures of yourself drunk, or drinking heavily. Touching members of the opposite sex inappropriately is a plus. Or if you’re passed out. Or post pictures of co-workers or clients in these conditions. (Forget that pictures online last forever, even if they’re posted for moment. Pretend others can’t “tag” you on Facebook or that people can save the photos and repost them or save them for future ‘reference’ – even if they’re up online for a few moments.)

Spam Everyone, All The Time – Send people emails to join your Multi-Level marketing business. Do it every day. Do it five times a day. Ask them to join your religion. Constantly. Post messages about how they’re going to hell if they don’t join. Post prayers and scripture passages. Tell them they are wrong, about everything. Post 1,000-word Facebook messages about your cat, or dog, or fish, or about your vacation. Pester people generally. Try to sell them something. Exclusively use for business your PERSONAL Facebook page (don’t create your own business page, whatever you do!) Explain in great detail why their football team is going to lose. Do it every day, leading up to the game. Insult the players’ personal lives, physical appearances and religions. Insult others’ intelligence for supporting that team. Double your efforts if it’s their high school team. Extra points if your target is the child of a friend who plays on a youth team.

Tick Off Angry, Social Media-Savvy Customers – Pretend the Internet doesn’t exist. Treat customers with contempt, thinking “they can’t do anything about it.” Pretend that we live in the pre-internet days when a nasty experience only got blasted to 10-20 people, rather than 10,000 to 20,000 in an instant, via Facebook, twitter, yelp, Yahoo Local listings, or any number of outlets. Pretend your customer with a camera in her phone WILL NOT post your profanity-laced treatment of your employees on YouTube, and that it won’t go viral and make you a laughingstock.

Generate Negativity – Do all of the above, with reckless abandon – and more. Post hateful statements on others’ Facebook posts. Trash talk everyone. Overly use profanity. Everyone loves profanity. Call people names. Try to goad people into acting the same way. Continue the thread. Threaten people. Insult people’s parents, spouses and children. The Internet will shield you from any repercussions.

DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT!

If you’ve messed up, or have been the target of any of this behavior, please contact Abbott PR and we can begin repairing your reputation or that of your business. http://www.abbottpr.com

How Abbott PR Can Make Public Relations ADD UP in 2011

By Stephen Abbott, principal of Abbott Public Relations

Public Relations remains a mysterious and nebulous concept for many, though it's actually not a mystery at all. It's an art and a science, applied to business and personal situations to address and solve problems that, if they're left to fester, can have a deleterious effect on one's reputation. That, in turn, can lead to reduced respect, reduced influence in one’s profession and, perhaps most crucially, reduced sales of one's products and/or services.

I've used the acronym "Add Up" as an example of how I approach public relations on behalf of clients and illustrate the process APR uses on their behalf.

Analyze the situation. Jumping in without even rudimentary analysis of the situation is like jumping into a lake one has never seen before – foolish, and possibly dangerous. A situation analysis in PR usually includes discussions with all of the relevant publics involved, be they management and owners, employees, customers and other stakeholders involved in some way with an organization, company or community. This helps the PR professional learn all the facts on the ground that could be leading to problems that may be contributing to a decline in reputation.

Determine problems. Being able to name a problem is a first step towards solving it. This is true in one's personal life and of course it's true in business as well. Once the situation is fully analyzed, PR professionals can then research the problems as they truly exist and begin to understand what PR tools and tactics will need to be addressed, which is the next step ...

Diagnose the situation. Doctors use their analysis of a patient's health to determine a diagnosis. In the same way, PR professionals can use the analysis and problems that arose in the early stages of the process to come up with a diagnosis, allowing them to move forward to the next stages.

Understand publics. Without an understanding of the publics who will be affected by the messages to be used to address problems and issues, we can't be as effective as we otherwise would. Some PR practitioners don't get this, and end up "shouting from the rooftops" to get their message out, thus possibly squandering all the previous effort in researching and diagnosing problems. Instead, a clear, targeted message is planned and prepared to go out to clearly identified targets. This is absolutely essential for the success of any PR campaign.

Present the campaign to publics. All of the research, analysis and planning leads up to a campaign that is presented to predetermined publics, i.e., those who will most benefit from and be positively influenced by messages that enhance the client’s reputation and standing in the community, their ability to continue to grow or expand, or other goals that can be measured over time.

This final "implementation phase" utilizes tools and tactics of the PR professional that best meet the needs of the campaign at hand. This expertise, along with the ability to comprehend and work through the previous steps, is why it's best to hire a PR professional to enhance, change and manage your reputation.

Public Relations and the enhancement of reputation it can bring with an effective PR campaign is vitally important to the continued success of your business, organization or personal fulfillment. The accomplishment of business goals is tangibly connected to maintaining good relations with publics your business interacts with daily, as well as creating inroads with those who will become clients and customers in the future.

Contact Abbott Public Relations to learn more about how your reputation can benefit from Public Relations in 2011.

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

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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