• 3 Ways to Start Thinking Like the Client

    3 Ways to Start Thinking Like the Client

    I often find myself asking people to “think like the client.” This concept is ironically simple and complex, yet when mastered can go a long way in delivering client service that is truly a notch above.

    To think like the client, here are a few key tidbits that may help get someone one step closer to becoming a client whisperer:

    1. Know the business priorities. Ultimately PR is a tactic to drive sales. Of course we want to be strategic, creative while developing 360 campaigns that hit traditional and social channels, but why do we do this? To drive sales! Knowing what the business goals are of any company, can greatly help shift a PR plans focus for an initiative/plan and ensure we’re progressing towards the bottom line for clients. And knowing these goals will also help any PR person navigate and be nimble along the way, leading to better and quicker results.
    2. Your boss’s boss. Everyone has a boss, including our clients. And these bosses are all under pressure to deliver results that tie back to the business priorities. Keep this in mind when a client is asking for an update – do they want a quick temperature check? Or do they need an update they can share easily internally? Depending on the answer, how you frame the update could vary significantly. Knowing your boss’ boss also comes in handy in helping to juggle and multi-task throughout the day; if you have 10 “urgent” needs, figure out which are most important to your client… odds are it’s what your day-to-day contact is feeling pressure from their boss on, that becomes your focus for the day as well.
    3. Make PR a Hero. Once you have a clear understanding of business priorities, and can get to the core of what your boss’ boss wants, make PR a hero via updates that show the brilliance behind all the work being done. Cut out any jargon and speak/write in a relatable way to showcase the many benefits of layered tactics (video, social, media relations, events, etc.). PR can indeed impact larger business goals in a great way, so speak to that and help your results shine, which will ultimately make PR shine and remain relevant within the wider company needs.

    At the end of the day, we are lucky enough to have clients that view us as extensions of their team. So, keep in mind what they need, and why they need it, to remain one step ahead and a true partner on the account.

    Matter

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  • Uber Cabs Finds Opportunity in a Crisis

    Last week, United Steel Workers of America Local 8751, the labor union representing Boston city school bus drivers, created a crisis situation for themselves and every parent and child in Boston when they refused to pick up 33,000 school children at their bus stops Tuesday morning. Their intention was to voice grievances over supposed safety and performance improvements, but their actions made them look heartless, selfish, and despicable. Okay, so you’re angry about certain aspects of your job. The way you decide to let everyone know about it is by taking it out on innocent children who are just trying to get to school? You shouldn’t need a Public Relations professional to tell you this plan isn’t going to work out in your favor. But, I don’t think the Boston bus driver’s union did a whole lot of thinking, or planning for that matter, before executing their surprise strike.

    As a parent, I can only imagine the panic and worry I would have felt after arriving to work and receiving news my child’s bus driver had purposely left him or her stranded at the bus stop. I can also picture the anger and headache of having to rush home, come up with an alternative plan to get my child to school or miss a day’s work. Perhaps if the school bus labor union had held a planned rally or written a well thought out letter to the community they may have received sympathy, or at least made the community aware of why they were unhappy. Instead, they brought bad publicity to themselves, and managed to anger the very people who may have been able to remedy the grievances they were trying to protest.

    As the school bus drama was unfolding last week, Uber Cabs, an up-and-coming smartphone cab company known for their sleek black cars, came up with a brilliant Public Relations plan amid the chaos. While most of Boston had come to a standstill, and parents and children were left improvising on ways to get to school, Uber Cabs swooped in and came to the rescue. They began advertising on their blog and social media sites that they were offering free rides for kids to get to school and back, no promo codes required, and no questions asked. The perception that Uber was swooping in to help out parents and children in a difficult situation generated lots of positive publicity for them, including coverage in the Boston Globe, local news stations, and social media. They did a great job of thinking quickly on their feet and taught other companies a lesson; always look for ways to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

    Matter

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  • Which top athlete is pushing cookies on your kids?

    The old saying “All publicity is good publicity” does not apply to high-profile athletes who endorse, support or promote unhealthy food. It’s bad PR for Lebron James, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, to position himself as a fan of McDonald’s fast food, or Serena Williams, a women’s tennis champion many times over, to push Oreos to the masses. And, it’s a particularly bad idea in 2013 when an ever-expanding generation of kids is already pummeled by sugar-rich ad spending and easy access to sweets.

    Good PR for professional athletes would mean partnering with brands pushing healthier foods aimed at increasing the energy, stamina and overall good health, in kids. It’s not such a stretch, is it? I can foresee Usain Bolt endorsing a healthy breakfast cereal that gives him just the right amount of energy to get to the finish line first. I can see Adrian Peterson promoting fruit and vegetables that give him the endurance to play all four quarters of a challenging football game. Why not David Ortiz as a case study of why eating fish for dinner helps him hit home runs in the playoffs? (And here in Boston those are home runs that we need and like!)

    These athletes are setting an example – and they accept the responsibility to be a role model in all areas of life whether they are ready for it or not, and their endorsements of unhealthy food (and often, corresponding behavior!) results in followers who take the same path. That path could be a healthier one for so many if high-profile athletes stopped shilling their credibility by pushing cookies and cheeseburgers on the kids who worship them. They can and should say “no” to sugar and credit a healthy diet as a key contributor to their own athletic success.

    In the meantime, however, big brands will continue to spend big money on athlete endorsements – it’s estimated that $1.3 billion was spent on athletic endorsements in 2013 – and few of the paid athletes will demonstrate a legitimate concern for the message they are sending children.

    What about you?  Do you think athletes should give serious thought to the foods they endorse?

     

    Scott Signore

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