The Intrepid Group regularly conducts media training sessions for clients. We focus on teaching, training and preparing them to present key messages effectively and professionally to the media. There’s usually a large focus on crisis in our training, where we assist them in dealing with the media in high-stress, demanding and often the most critical environments. Training includes an overview of media outlets, a discussion on communication techniques and then delves into message preparation and interview simulations. It’s intense. Our clients hate us during the process; they love us when they put the training to use. 

I’ve been conducting media training sessions for about four years and have never been interviewed on camera – I’ve done plenty of print, radio and phone interviews, but have always stood behind the camera while my clients went on air. I prefer it that way. My expertise comes from my education, from my experience under the auspices of Ari Fleischer while at the White House, from watching countless media interviews, and from conducting these training situations. 

Today I found myself on the other side of media training when a local news producer that I work with regularly called and asked if I would be a source for a story she was working on. The issue was easy and uncontroversial – she simply wanted to talk to me, on camera, about how my family’s financial savings situation. It would be brief – 10 minutes at the most – and she would only be using one or two soundbites from the entire interview. Cake, right? I agreed. 

An hour before the interview I was surprised at how nervous I was. Not because of the interview, but because I was testing my own expertise. I regularly conduct these training sessions where I tell clients exactly what to do when talking to the media and today I found myself in this exact situation. I was nervous because I had such high expectations for myself. I turned to my mentor and boss, Chris Thomas. Chris has been interviewed countless situations and under the toughest circumstances. He has been a spokesperson on national TV such as The Today Show, Good Morning America and CNN, as well as local broadcast news. I couldn’t have had a better expert at my disposal. 

Chris simply revisited the key media training points I’ve given so many times before. Since they’re fresh in my mind, I thought I would share them with you in case you find yourself in front of a news camera in the near future: 

1. What’s your objective? What are you trying to accomplish with this interview? What are you trying to avoid? 

2. What are your key messages? Have two or three prepared, know them well, and keep them short. 

3. Brainstorm possible questions – what could the reporter ask you? How will you respond? How can you tie your key message into each question. 

4. Ask the reporter ahead of time for as much information as possible. Know what the reporter’s objective is so you can help them accomplish their goal for the story, but also figure out how your objective and messages tie in. 

5. Don’t go off the record. EVER. 

6. Practice outloud. 

7. Practice Some More. 

8. Speak in soundbites. The average television quote is 12 seconds or less, so keep your messages short and simple. 

9. Look the reporter in the eyes and talk to them as they’re a friend and an equal, not a stranger or an enemy. 

10. Breathe, have some water, and stay calm. 

The world’s best athletes have coaches or trainers who work with them consistently to improve their technique, learn new skills and maintain their game. It should be the same with media preparation. Just because you had a media training session three years ago (or conducted one last month) doesn’t mean you’ll be ready when called upon by the media for an interview, especially in a crisis situation. The game is constantly changing. We highly recommend our clients continuously refresh their techniques and practice their messaging so when they do get the chance to be on national or cable television, they use that opportunity to their advantage. 

My interview went fine, although I’m sure I’ll hate how I look when the story runs. Such is the life of being a woman. But today I understand better what it’s like to have that bright light in your eyes, a camera and microphone right in your face, and the solid gaze of a producer questioning you and only you. It’s nerve wracking even under the kindest of circumstances. Luckily, I was ready for it. Are you? 

Right now it’s March and that means my mind is wandering to the important questions of life: Does Florida have the talent to repeat? Can Villanova really go to the Sweet 16? Who will this year’s George Mason be? And since I have been invited to be a part of six different brackets, I’m obviously dedicating a few minutes of today to pondering these questions.
Fortunately, I work at a really cool place. My bosses happen to be huge sports freaks so they encourage us to participate in brackets, and actually have two separate games going on in the office. There’s no cost to enter, but there is a cash prize at the end. Starting Thursday, the conference room will have a game on the flat-screen consistently … until we need the conference room for real work.
The understood March Madness law is that no work gets neglected, no client gets ignored, and no job goes undone. But as long as we’re doing what we need to be doing, why not have a little fun?
The Salt Lake Tribune ran this fact in a recent article: “According to Chicago-based firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas Inc., companies stand to lose close to $3.8 billion in worker productivity during the tournament. The firm estimated companies would lose $4.05 for every 13.5 minutes employees viewed games online rather than tending to their duties.”
This could be a compelling argument for business owners to set strict rules about the tournament, but what my bosses understand is that they have employees who care about March Madness and are going to be paying attention to the games whether or not it’s allowed. They don’t want us sneaking around, calling in sick, taking long lunch breaks to watch the game, or constantly checking the Internet for scores. Plus, the bosses care about the games as much as the employees. So they use this common interest as a chance to connect with their employees, and an opportunity to build company morale. We love March around here. And the winner of the bracket REALLY loves March, and our bosses, who provide cash as a reward at the end of the tournament.
Work is just that: work. But I’m impressed with companies that truly recognize that its employees are its most valuable asset. The most important aspect of public relations – and unfortunately, the most overlooked aspect – is INTERNAL relations. You know, relationships with your employees.
I’m not saying you have to make every day a nonstop party. Obviously you’re in business and that means working hard. But encourage your employees to play hard too. Make sure they have lives outside of the office and you are supportive of those lives.
And at least for the next three weeks, let your employees linger a little longer in the break room to watch a close game, or a top seeded team get upset. Because, let’s face it, you know you want to know the score.

I absolutely hated middle school. I was surrounded by beautiful blond girls named Staci and Tiffani and other 80s “i” names. But I was too skinny, wore huge plastic framed glasses, had braces, and didn’t really ever learn how to do make up or hair. I was ugly. And the girls at Herndon Middle School let me know it.

So I anxiously waited to finish middle school so I could get to the stage of life where people don’t write notes about people they don’t really know, don’t push the ugly girls into lockers, and don’t pick on smaller kids. I survived by thinking, if I can only endure school and get to adulthood where people use common sense, and live by the golden rule… Or karma… Or some other philosophy that all adults seemed to understand that made them nicer than teenagers. Yes, adulthood. That would be better.

But here I am, all grown up, and it still feels like middle school. I recently heard a story from a client who had gotten an anonymous e-mail (I’m not making this up, someone actually created a fake e-mail name like somethingyoushouldknow@hotmail.com). In the e-mail, there was a link to a negative web site article about a person this client works with regularly. As he told me about this, my mind wandered back to the time Staci slipped a note into my best friend’s locker telling her that she shouldn’t be friends with me. Staci didn’t sign it, but we knew it was her.

In this situation, my client already knew the fact provided by the anonymous tipster and it had the reverse effect – the client had a good idea of who the sender was and thought it looked pathetic and desperate. But it did get me thinking … where are the adults? I hear all the time that it’s a “dog eat dog” world, but I disagree. Dogs seem more honorable than a lot of business people these days. I think the honest truth is that some of us never grew up and we’ve maintained middle school attitudes.

Don’t get me wrong, I strongly support a competitive marketplace because healthy competition is good for the consumer, and it forces companies to create and offer better products and services. But I’m also an advocate of fair play. Anonymous e-mails? Seriously? Again, where are the adults? What ever happened to “good goes round,” “do unto others,” and qualities such as share, respect, honor? Is adulthood going to be one huge disappointment?

Another notable component of this story is that e-mails are easily tracked. The same way we could tell the note given to my best friend was from Staci by the way she dotted her I’s with hearts, here in 2007 it’s VERY easy to track IP addresses. Who comes out looking worse — the subject of the e-mail or the person who sent it and reverted to juvenile habits, even creating a silly e-mail address?

This story emphasizes that public relations is much broader than media relations alone. Today, anything you say can be used against you. Every memo, every e-mail, every conversation over lunch or in an elevator or behind closed office doors… it’s all public relations. You are defining your own brand by what you tell others and how you treat others. Do you want to be the company or executive who is always verbally attacking and criticizing competition, making enemies with everyone else on the playground? Or shouldn’t you be the company who is involved in the community, has healthy relationships with competition, and uses the industry as a gauge to improve your own product or service offering? The company that people respect.

I think it will be fun to see Staci at our ten-year reunion. I plan on putting on a smile and letting things from the past remain in the past. I’m an adult now. (Besides, I landed a hot husband and will enjoy showing him off … again, I’m a fan of healthy competition!)

A lot of us get so emotionally involved in our jobs that we often don’t step back and look at the big picture. We say negative things about others to help ourselves in the moment, but often end up hurting ourselves in the long run. When we’re tempted to criticize or burn the competition, we need to remember that Salt Lake is a very small market. Word gets around in a small town, and our reputation is our most valuable asset. Unless you’re in the business of making enemies, it’s best to think positively, speak positively and act like adults.

To me, this title essentially sums up everything I want to say in this blog. Yesteday I had a client approach me about possibly helping with online branding efforts, but he was incredibly hesitant because it didn’t deal with newspapers or magazines. I conducted a two minute crash course in PR 101, explaining to him that our agency was equipped to handle any number of projects outside the realm of media relations.

Today on my list of things to do, I am working on developing Web site coby, editing radio ad copy, working on a technical writing project that will be a resource guide for a new software program, and trying to get a client on Oprah. And as of yesterday, I’m working on an online branding project.

Public Relations has endured countless definitions since first being introduced. Here at The Intrepid Group, a huge amount of time is dedicated to media relations (essentially, working to get our clients mentioned in the media in a positive light). But beyond that, we can get involved anytime a company is communicating with a public, whether it’s the media, employees, stakeholders, etc.

If your current public relations strategy is limited to media relations alone, I recommend reevaluating your strategy. PR is MUCH MORE than media relations and your PR person will be thrilled to hear you say it.

Communications professionals know that the choice of words they use is a key component to messaging to the public. Republican strategist Frank Luntz, the man who coined the phrase ‘Death Tax’, has just written a book titled “Words that Work”. The book discusses the importance of word smithing in communications, and while reviews of the book have been mediocre at best, it does have some interesting case studies, including the coining of the phrase ‘Death Tax’.

Jimmy Carter found this out the hard way when he released his new book on the Middle East, titled “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” Supporters of Israel were deeply offended by the use of the word apartheid. Or perhaps Carter strategically chose that word, either way; it’s affect created quite a controversy.

There are examples of “word” blunders almost every day, and we’ll see a lot more as we near the 2008 elections. With the advent of new media such as blogs and podcasts, and the influence of the traditional media, it’s more important than ever for communication professional to choose their words wisely. Words matter.

I have been following the media coverage closely since last night’s tragedy at Trolley Square. Having managed more than three dozen crises from murders, kidnappings, accidents, arrests to executive salary controversies and terminations, I view stories like these through a different lens.

It is impossible for most to comprehend how challenging it is to try to manage a crisis situation with its ever changing dynamics, the drama taking place behind the scenes especially in the executive suite, and the speculation that runs rampant. It is usually apparent from an organization’s response as to whether or not they are executing a current crisis plan, as well as if they working with an experienced crisis communication professional.

It never ceases to amaze me the attention and exorbitant fees companies and individuals in the midst of crisis are willing to pay for anything that can help to ease the pain. Yet, on the flip side, ongoing crisis planning and preparation seems to be a low priority or even an unnecessary expenditure.

In the case of Trolley Square’s planning and response, the jury is still out. So far, the initial statement released last night was thoughtful and well written. Because of the unfolding drama, investigators and witnesses have dominated the coverage and mall management has been more of an afterthought. Today will be the beginning of a much larger test for Trolley Square as it faces tough questions regarding its role, if any, in the incident, ongoing security and reopening for business.  

I have been asked by a couple of local media organizations for my perspective regarding when the mall should reopen and how it should respond. Many of my answers revert back to crisis planning. It is important to understand a crisis, or the incident itself often doesn’t result in the greatest damage, it is usually poor response or lack thereof.

A couple of important tips for crisis planning include the following:

1. It is imperative for an organization to identify its key audiences and organize or have a plan for responding to each one. Following two mall shootings in Tacoma, Washington in 2005 and Fort Lauderdale, Florida last December, the media reported shoppers were undeterred when they reopened quickly after the incidents. However, shoppers quoted in media stories commented that employees were distraught and were the only ones mentioning the tragedy. From these sources, it seems apparent that not enough attention, grief counseling and training was provided for employees. 
2. Every organization should get in the habit of meeting regularly to update plans and participate in training. It is a good idea to retain a crisis communication firm or consultant in this process to provide an outside perspective as well as to equip the firm with a deep understanding of your organization and planning so they are empowered to assist in the event of a crisis. In addition, my clients tell me that their top executives are less likely to cancel or postpone crisis planning because of the investment in my firm’s involvement. You also may want to consider retaining a firm or consultant outside of those who already provide public relations services to your organization in order to preserve legal privilege.       

You never know when a crisis situation big or small may suddenly impact your organization. You can never be too prepared even for circumstances that seem unthinkable.

As a native East Coaster, I rarely find anything to complain about that side of the country. But this past week or so I have watched in surprise as Boston, one of my favorite cities, turned into an anti-guerilla marketing, terrorist stopping machine. How in the world one city got so worked up over a marketing-stunt-turned-bomb-scare is beyond me.

Yes, the East Coast has endured more than its share of disasters. I don’t think any of us truly appreciate or understand the fear that comes from living through a random sniper prowling the streets (DC 2002—my brother’s high school football season was cancelled to keep the kids from being outside and in the line of fire) or a world-stopping terrorist attack (NYC and DC 2001—my mother-in-law was in the Pentagon when it was hit and is still recovering emotionally from that day), and the precautions you find yourself taking to protect the places and people you love. So I give credit to the Boston police force that took the threat seriously and did everything in their power to protect the city.  But at the same time, come on! Chill out! These didn’t look like bombs – they looked like electric, neon signs of cartoon characters flipping the bird. 

After the fiasco that was this campaign, and the amount Turner will be paying out of pocket to get this problem to quiet down and go away, it will be a while before we see another nation-wide guerilla marketing campaign. 

I think the whole thing is an unfortunate series of events. We all know that thanks to TiVo and similar devices, traditional advertising is blocked out, even skipped. People zoom through commercials or use the 2:30 to get up and move around. Most of us don’t even notice ads anymore. Guerilla marketing is currently my favorite to observe and watch. I love the creativity and ingenuity that goes into a single campaign. They’re clever. They push advertisers and marketers to stretch. They’re just fun.

Well, at least until someone sees them as a terrorist threat.

It’s a shame that world events have pushed us to the point that we’re paranoid. But the lesson we can take away from this is that, unfortunately, the world has pushed us to this point. People are scared. They will call the police on anything that could be a bomb threat, from backpacks to envelopes to marketing campaigns. If we aren’t allowed to take water bottles on airplanes, we should anticipate that placing electric signs around major cities may be a problem. This event will make companies and especially advertising agencies pause and think before they act, which may not be a bad thing. The best marketers will be the ones who can examine and foresee any possible backlash on their campaign. Expect the worst case scenario and plan for it. And of course, now we all know: Don’t Mess with Boston. 

This Sunday, this blessed Sunday, is my favorite day of the year. This blog entry might be atypical for a woman, but I was raised on the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Orioles as much as I was politics and history (I’m a DC native). Sports are in my blood. I served as the sports editor at BYU’s newspaper for several years, shocking most of the men reporters under me as I rattled them with statistics, facts and figures that most women roll their eyes at. I can’t throw a football to save my life, but when playoffs and the Super Bowl rolls around… Let’s just say that my life revolves around that magical day. 

The Super Bowl has taken on a life of its own during its unique history. I personally find it appalling that the majority of the watchers now tune in exclusively for the ads, which have a track record of being more uneventful than the game itself. Seldom do you see one ad, or a series of ads, that is worthy of the hype associated with the price point of that :30 spot. 

What is especially noteworthy to me as a PR practitioner — besides the fact that Peyton Manning is getting his well-earned and much deserved chance to wear the ring — is how everyone seems to jump on the Super Bowl bandwagon in order to get some extra publicity. My grocery store and even my bank are offering football related specials. Does it work? Only for the select few who are doing something incredibly different.  After practicing PR for the past five years, I’ve learned that one of the best ways to get PR is to be where the cameras are. Election Day, the post office on Tax Day, the Super Bowl, 4^th of July Events …

The local media consistently covers these stories, and I am shocked that more companies don’t take advantage of these opportunities. For example, we had a spa client and wanted to generate publicity for them around Valentine’s Day, another PRable event. Rather than simply creating a Valentine’s Day package, we partnered with a women’s shelter and provided pampering services and chocolates to the residents leading into the holiday. We were covered by three of the local TV stations and garnered a major newspaper feature. 

The key element to all of this is to be creative and tell a compelling story. If the news is going to be covering it any way, give them a unique angle that no one else will have. Take advantage of big stories – make them work for you. If the media is going to be there, you should be there too. Just be there with something VALUABLE and NEWSWORTHY to say. And if you’re not sure what that is, call and ask a professional who does. 

But don’t call this Sunday. I have a game to watch. 

The main reason blogs and podcasts became so popular was because of their position and perspective outside of the mainstream media. As corporations have embraced the blog phenomenon, the attraction has diminished for the early adopters that brought us blogs. So what’s next for these tech savvy pioneers? And can corporations and PR professionals follow? Take for instance Second Life. In this computer-generated world, users create their own character for free. For a small amount of real money users can accessorize with new clothing, a car, even a house. That’s where corporations are already getting involved. For example, Toyota offers a virtual version of their Scion for users to purchase in Second Life. W Hotels is opening a virtual hotel, American Apparel sells virtual models of their real clothing for a dollar each (they also offer a 15% discount to real world shoppers if they make a purchase in Second Life), and the Sundance Channel is screening movies.

Second Life is already being used for product test markets (This is how Toyota tested the Scion), and connecting virtual sales to real world sales. So it begs the question, is this the next big thing?

For PR pros and marketers, Second Life presents a new, targeted environment to communicate with. Think of the possibilities! I had a conversation about this with Sprout Marketing’s Director of Interactive, Josh Carr. He posed these possibilities: “Are 3D firms going to become as necessary as Web Design firms? Will there be a land grab for virtual real estate? What about Second Life real estate agents?” I would certainly predict some political messaging as we near the 2008 elections. The possibilities are endless, and stretch the imagination.

The press release may be the most antiquated, overused and least understood tool in public relations. While it is a necessity for public companies to disclose information, far too many executives and even PR professionals incorrectly believe the press release is the primary vehicle for garnering media coverage.

The truth is many journalists view the hundreds of releases they receive each day as “historical record.” I was recently discussing this topic over lunch with a prominent broadcast journalist who confirmed this theory when he said “Don’t PR people understand when we receive a press release, even a meaty release, our first thought is all of our competition has the same information. If I am looking to do a feature, I like to have a scoop. It typically has to be really big news for us to do a significant story as a result of a press release.”

Several months ago we were given a lead on a new business opportunity with a financial institution which was looking for a new marketing partner. When we discussed public relations, the vice president of marketing informed us “we already have someone who writes press releases.”

If a company’s goals are simply disclosure and/or SEO, someone who simply writes press releases will suffice. Effective public relations that gets results requires a seasoned team or professional who understand and can position news, have strong media contacts, and know how to individually tailor pitches through the right channels.

When we took on a national fashion company, their previous public relations company had done little more than send out monthly press releases. While these press releases did get decent pick up on news Web sites, this blanket approach at PR was missing key messages and failed to reach the target audience. In working with this apparel company, we have implemented community relations campaigns, arranged for fashion shows on popular morning talk shows in several markets, and developed strategic relationships with both fashion editors and fashion influencers at local, regional and national publications. While press releases remain a part of the overall public relations plan, it is a minimal tactic that simply adds to our overall strategy.

The one constant in the media and public relations industries is that practices are constantly changing requiring organizations and communications professionals to adapt in order to harness the powerful influence of the media. If your approach to public relations is a press release program, it may be time to rethink your approach.