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What
To Do When It Feels There Is Nothing To Be Done
Bill
Gates has been quoted as saying, "If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on public relations." Unfortunately,
the quote is a PR myth. (After all, his PR person would have used the subjunctive “were”.)
Just as unfortunate, however, is the truth – that in times of a tough
economy, many organizations do cut communications staff, let their agencies go and muddle along doing the bare minimum when
it comes to outreach with important audiences.
Whether
you’re in a large corporation, small business or a not-for-profit, you feel uncertain at best, terrified at worst. That
often results in a communications standstill. Our rational selves know we can’t stop communicating to our publics, but
even the most modest efforts can seem a luxury when we’re in a fight for survival.
Yet there are many worthwhile and inexpensive activities that can be undertaken to help position
the company for the inevitable economic uptick. Even better, you probably have been meaning to take these actions for years,
but have been too busy (and then too depressed). Our advice: Use this down time to do a spring cleaning of your communications.
Here are three initiatives that, done now, will make your communications more effective in the future.
1. Review messages
Review your organization’s core messages:
•
Do they accurately reflect who you are today
•
Do the messages take into account difficult times?
•
What should you say that alerts consumers or other businesses that you understand their pain – and possibly have
some solutions? See http://online-pr.com/Holding/New_messages_for_a_new_era.pdf for some ideas on what updated messages might incorporate.
You
may also consider a more aggressive approach than you have taken in the past: Tell your constituents about the problems that
can occur if they don’t buy your product or service. Help them understand that you can help them manage further risk
and avoid additional loss.
2.
Take a cold, hard look at communications vehicles
Conduct
a survey of all communications – internal and external. How are you communicating? Are there more effective methods?
• Do you really need print newsletters to employees?
Would e-mailing a PDF or sending more frequent, informal news updates or e-newsletters serve you better?
• Review the organization’s Web site. Does it
meet the needs of current and potential business partners, clients/customers, investors? There’s a good chance content
needs to be refreshed. Have someone check all links to make certain they work. Look at all sections of the site: Are executives’
titles correct, bios consistent in length and content, lists of services, products and advice up to date?
Remember that now, more than ever, people crave information that is
accurate, helpful and accessible. This is not the time to back off on communications initiatives: Media outreach, newsletters,
targeted e-mails will help define your organization, allow you to stay in front of important audiences and garner goodwill
that will likely offer payback in the future.
What do your constituents really think about your organization?
It often helps to understand what your clients/customers think about
you. Here are other initiatives that will help you take the pulse of your major audiences and then allow you to revamp messages,
marketing outreach and other initiatives to better match their needs. Think about an audit of clients – current, past
and those you’ve coveted but haven’t reeled in yet.
• Develop a list of questions you’ve always wanted to ask your clients,
about service, about marketing, about perceived strengths and weaknesses • Use a third-party, whether your PR agency or an independent
consultant, to ask the questions, analyze results, present responses and recommendations
•
If you are
a not-for-profit, make your donors and funders the subject of this communications audit.
Alternatives: Create a channel for communication to help you discover how your organization might
improve its product or service. A small company might consider
convening an informal advisory board of customers. Find out what they think directly through ongoing discussions. In return,
offer them something useful to them in their business such as experts in accounting, taxes, social networking or PR who might
speak to them about current issues and opportunities.
Finally,
in "times of darkness", use communications to reassure your customer or donor base that you’re in business
to stay: Clarify how you are adapting to the changed economy and your own possibly changed circumstances.
This is a time of communications opportunity – whether
you revise messages to reflect the economic climate, reposition your products and services or create discussions with customers
that strengthen your relationship with them.
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