The Brian Williams saga has elicited many reactions, of course, but for PR pros fol-lowing the story perhaps the thought that arose most often was: ‘How would I have han-dled the situation had I been a communicator at NBC News?’Williams’ six-month suspen-sion from NBC Nightly News, announced last week, could be
a precursor to the anchor being sacked. It seems unlikely that Williams—his credibility shot—can return as anchor and man-aging editor of the nightly news after admitting earlier this month he falsely claimed to be aboard a helicopter that was “hit and crippled” by enemy fire during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
From a communications viewpoint, NBC News’ initial reaction to the situation failed to inspire.
Page 4 ▶
The Williams Affair: A Teachable Moment for PR
Storytelling: Key to Engaging InvestorsTell Wall Street the ‘why’ of your company
A senior leader of a $60 billion-company in New York recently told me her organization boasted a deep and seasoned in-house IR team, one that deftly managed shareholder relationships and answered financial questions. But, she had concerns: This team was unable to craft a compelling story for investors. As a result, she felt the company was not maximizing its value-creation potential. This trouble spot is not unique. We are engaged regularly by companies that think the investment community doesn’t understand them and, as a result, undervalues them.
Storytelling offers this additional value. And, by con-sistently telling an authentic story, you will make it difficult for activists to mischaracterize you later.
As Gregory P. Taxin, former president of the hedge fund Clinton Group, told The New York Times last year, “The brute force of ownership is not required anymore because the big institutional players listen to both sides and are willing to back the activist fund if they believe in them … [y]ou can win with persuasion and ideas.”
Notice he says, “if they believe in them” and not “if they have proof ” or “if they can produce indisputable facts.” Likewise, note that “persuasion and ideas” pave the road to
victory, not “con-crete evidence” or “reliable third-party and/or proprietary data.”
No wonder then that funds like Barington, Starboard, Third Point and Trian increasingly incorporate
February 16, 2015 prnewsonline.com Issue 7 Vol. 71
DID YOU KNOW
1. The Brian Williams story becomes a saga. What it means for PR pros. (p. 1)
2. The importance of telling a good story to investors. (p. 1)
3. Gaining traction with your audiences by asking a few questions. (p. 2)
4. Major organizations vie for PR News’ nonprofit awards. (p. 3)
5. No silver bullet for mea-suring social media. (p. 5)
6. People are ‘talking’ less but relationships are more crucial than ever. (p. 6)
7. Tips for getting rid of jargon in your PR writing. Hint: Read a lot more. (p. 8)
▶ IR/PR By Rob Berick
PR Advice from the Pros
Read more great advice in PR News’ Best PR Advice Compendium
prnewsonline.com/prpress
“Say what you mean, but don’t
say it mean.”
BY THE NUMBERS
FOLLOW THE MONEY: Social media is not enough. Top digital marketers are spreading around their dollars this year, per a new Kentico Software and Millward Brown survey of 300 companies.
Where do top-performing marketers plan to invest?
Source: Kentico Software and Millward Brown
KENTICO MARKETERS’ SURVEY | 2
Let’s get up close and personal… with data!Social is not enough. Marketers plan to get closer to customers – both meta-phorically and literally speaking. The fastest growing areas in 2015 relative to their size are planned to be personalization of online content, marketing and mobile-specific activities (apps and ads). Social marketing and analytics are already widespread but marketers plan to invest in them even more.
Top performers plan for email’s “comeback”What do successful marketers think about differently? Their plans for 2015 are not only more investment into social and mobile, but compared to the aver-age company they also plan to put more money back into Email marketing.
Digital marketers in 2015In digital marketing, new trends are born and die every minute. It’s hard to see the lasting changes through all the noise. That’s why we asked digital marketers from medium-size to large US companies about their real plans for 2015 and beyond.
Top 15% performersAll marketers
Social Marketing
Video ads
Mobile-specific
Email
Remarketing
Web Analytics
Personalization
77%
53%
67%
62%
48%
67%
67%
51%
30%
44%
40%
27%
46%
46%
Where do top performing marketers plan to invest?
Note: Top performers group consists of 15% of the surveyed marketers who claimed their marketing performed much better than at their average competitors.
Plan to invest more
Alre
ady
do
20%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Big and biggerFast growers
Gamification
Remarketing
Loyalty (online)
Video adsSearch ads
Online displayBranded content
Online customer data
Web Analytics
Social Marketing
Email
SEOCustomer reviews and community
PersonalizationMobile-specific
KENTICO MARKETERS’ SURVEY | 2
Let’s get up close and personal… with data!Social is not enough. Marketers plan to get closer to customers – both meta-phorically and literally speaking. The fastest growing areas in 2015 relative to their size are planned to be personalization of online content, marketing and mobile-specific activities (apps and ads). Social marketing and analytics are already widespread but marketers plan to invest in them even more.
Top performers plan for email’s “comeback”What do successful marketers think about differently? Their plans for 2015 are not only more investment into social and mobile, but compared to the aver-age company they also plan to put more money back into Email marketing.
Digital marketers in 2015In digital marketing, new trends are born and die every minute. It’s hard to see the lasting changes through all the noise. That’s why we asked digital marketers from medium-size to large US companies about their real plans for 2015 and beyond.
Top 15% performersAll marketers
Social Marketing
Video ads
Mobile-specific
Email
Remarketing
Web Analytics
Personalization
77%
53%
67%
62%
48%
67%
67%
51%
30%
44%
40%
27%
46%
46%
Where do top performing marketers plan to invest?
Note: Top performers group consists of 15% of the surveyed marketers who claimed their marketing performed much better than at their average competitors.
Plan to invest more
Alre
ady
do
20%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Big and biggerFast growers
Gamification
Remarketing
Loyalty (online)
Video adsSearch ads
Online displayBranded content
Online customer data
Web Analytics
Social Marketing
Email
SEOCustomer reviews and community
PersonalizationMobile-specific
KENTICO MARKETERS’ SURVEY | 2
Let’s get up close and personal… with data!Social is not enough. Marketers plan to get closer to customers – both meta-phorically and literally speaking. The fastest growing areas in 2015 relative to their size are planned to be personalization of online content, marketing and mobile-specific activities (apps and ads). Social marketing and analytics are already widespread but marketers plan to invest in them even more.
Top performers plan for email’s “comeback”What do successful marketers think about differently? Their plans for 2015 are not only more investment into social and mobile, but compared to the aver-age company they also plan to put more money back into Email marketing.
Digital marketers in 2015In digital marketing, new trends are born and die every minute. It’s hard to see the lasting changes through all the noise. That’s why we asked digital marketers from medium-size to large US companies about their real plans for 2015 and beyond.
Top 15% performersAll marketers
Social Marketing
Video ads
Mobile-specific
Email
Remarketing
Web Analytics
Personalization
77%
53%
67%
62%
48%
67%
67%
51%
30%
44%
40%
27%
46%
46%
Where do top performing marketers plan to invest?
Note: Top performers group consists of 15% of the surveyed marketers who claimed their marketing performed much better than at their average competitors.
Plan to invest more
Alre
ady
do
20%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Big and biggerFast growers
Gamification
Remarketing
Loyalty (online)
Video adsSearch ads
Online displayBranded content
Online customer data
Web Analytics
Social Marketing
Email
SEOCustomer reviews and community
PersonalizationMobile-specific
KENTICO MARKETERS’ SURVEY | 2
Let’s get up close and personal… with data!Social is not enough. Marketers plan to get closer to customers – both meta-phorically and literally speaking. The fastest growing areas in 2015 relative to their size are planned to be personalization of online content, marketing and mobile-specific activities (apps and ads). Social marketing and analytics are already widespread but marketers plan to invest in them even more.
Top performers plan for email’s “comeback”What do successful marketers think about differently? Their plans for 2015 are not only more investment into social and mobile, but compared to the aver-age company they also plan to put more money back into Email marketing.
Digital marketers in 2015In digital marketing, new trends are born and die every minute. It’s hard to see the lasting changes through all the noise. That’s why we asked digital marketers from medium-size to large US companies about their real plans for 2015 and beyond.
Top 15% performersAll marketers
Social Marketing
Video ads
Mobile-specific
Email
Remarketing
Web Analytics
Personalization
77%
53%
67%
62%
48%
67%
67%
51%
30%
44%
40%
27%
46%
46%
Where do top performing marketers plan to invest?
Note: Top performers group consists of 15% of the surveyed marketers who claimed their marketing performed much better than at their average competitors.
Plan to invest more
Alre
ady
do
20%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Big and biggerFast growers
Gamification
Remarketing
Loyalty (online)
Video adsSearch ads
Online displayBranded content
Online customer data
Web Analytics
Social Marketing
Email
SEOCustomer reviews and community
PersonalizationMobile-specific
KENTICO MARKETERS’ SURVEY | 2
Let’s get up close and personal… with data!Social is not enough. Marketers plan to get closer to customers – both meta-phorically and literally speaking. The fastest growing areas in 2015 relative to their size are planned to be personalization of online content, marketing and mobile-specific activities (apps and ads). Social marketing and analytics are already widespread but marketers plan to invest in them even more.
Top performers plan for email’s “comeback”What do successful marketers think about differently? Their plans for 2015 are not only more investment into social and mobile, but compared to the aver-age company they also plan to put more money back into Email marketing.
Digital marketers in 2015In digital marketing, new trends are born and die every minute. It’s hard to see the lasting changes through all the noise. That’s why we asked digital marketers from medium-size to large US companies about their real plans for 2015 and beyond.
Top 15% performersAll marketers
Social Marketing
Video ads
Mobile-specific
Email
Remarketing
Web Analytics
Personalization
77%
53%
67%
62%
48%
67%
67%
51%
30%
44%
40%
27%
46%
46%
Where do top performing marketers plan to invest?
Note: Top performers group consists of 15% of the surveyed marketers who claimed their marketing performed much better than at their average competitors.
Plan to invest more
Alre
ady
do
20%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Big and biggerFast growers
Gamification
Remarketing
Loyalty (online)
Video adsSearch ads
Online displayBranded content
Online customer data
Web Analytics
Social Marketing
Email
SEOCustomer reviews and community
PersonalizationMobile-specific
2 prnewsonline.com | 2.16.15
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PR News ADVISORY BOARD Paul A. Argenti - Tuck School of BusinessMary Buhay - Gibbs & SoellNed Barnett - Barnett Marketing CommunicationsSteve Cody - PeppercommNeal Cohen - APCO Carol Cone - Edelman Peter Debreceny - Gagen MacDonaldChristopher L. Hammond - Wells FargoMike Herman - Communication SciencesLaura Kane - MarshKen Makovsky - MakovskyMichael McDougall - McDougall CommunicationsLarry Parnell - George Washington University Mike Paul - Reputation Doctor LLCDeborah Radman - Senior PR ConsultantBrenda C. Siler - Communications Director AARP D.C.Stephanie Smirnov - EdelmanHelene Solomon - Solomon McCown & Co.Mark Weiner - PRIME ResearchPR News BOARD OF CONTRIBUTORSDave Armon - 3BL MediaAndy Gilman - CommCore Consulting Bruce Jeffries-Fox - Jeffries-Fox Associates Angela Jeffrey - Salience InsightRichard Laermer - RLM Public RelationsRichard Levick - Levick Strategic Comms Ian Lipner - Lewis PR/YoungPRpros Maureen O’Connell – Cone Communications Katie Paine - Paine Publishing LLC John Roderick – J. Roderick Inc. Rodger Roeser - The Eisen Agency Lou Thompson - Kalorama Partners Reid Walker - Dir. of Communications, United States Senate Tom Martin - College of Charleston
▶ Data Dive
Inquiring Minds Financial services firms are quick to combine a paid media strategy with social media messaging to spur interaction with consumers.
Ad budgets devoted to prime-time TV still pack a punch for brands and organizations that can afford that kind of inven-tory. But in an increasingly social media age, relying too heavily on a paid media strategy may start to resemble the sound of one hand clapping. Not every campaign needs a paid/earned/owned media strategy, of course, but most every mar-keting effort needs an immer-sive component that will make the respective audience feel vested in the brand. A familiar refrain from PR managers: It’s all about the experience.
Take the financial services sector, which saw social media engagement grow 6 percent
in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared with third quarter of 2014, according to an exclusive study conducted by social media analytics com-pany Shareablee.
“Social media in finan-cial services poses a new communications challenge,” said Tania Yuki, CEO of Shareablee. “While many brands seem to want to focus on the benefits of using their services and subscribing with them, this may not be the goose that lays the golden egg of social media strategies.”
Western Union, for example, decreased the number of postings on its social channels, but overall
engagement soared 121 per-cent. A significant part of its Facebook content stemmed from a paid media strategy.
More important, Western Union also focused on posting content that spurred audience interaction. It asked questions about its audience’s family tra-ditions and encouraged fans to share stories of how the brand has helped them stay in touch with their loved ones.
Aflac employs a similar strategy. It asks questions centered around the brand’s duck character, while MasterCard poses questions to inspire audiences to partic-ipate in its #PricelessSurprises campaign. PRN
Metrics that are helping to define the communications field
Financial Services Industry Rankings (October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015)
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY FOLLOWERS
Brand Total Fans/ Followersi
Total Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
1 Flo, the Progressive Girl 5,485,210 326,435 235 3,770
2 Western Union 4,301,432 2,013,839 769 3,826
3 Visa 4,280,318 249,493 85 6,918
4 Capital One 3,500,049 406,501 525 1,764
5 American Express 3,304,079 137,412 855 714
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY ENGAGEMENT
Brand Total
Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
Total Fans/ Followersi
1 Western Union 2,013,839 769 3,826 4,301,432
2 Liberty Mutual Insurance 1,197,329 544 9,439 2,093,427
3 Aflac Duck 698,040 400 7,001 641,832
4 Bank of America 667,324 645 3,067 2,487,801
5 MasterCard 570,056 590 4,842 2,753,565
i Total fans/followers includes fans/followers for all properties under each brand as of December 31, 2014. ii Total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments for all properties under each brand. iii Total posts includes all posts, tweets and media posted by all properties under each brand across platforms. iv Actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered by each brand. iv The actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered per post by a property or network’s page in the report period.
All social platforms, per followers:
All social platforms, per engagement:
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY FOLLOWERS
Brand Total Fans/ Followersi
Total Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
1 Flo, the Progressive Girl 5,485,210 326,435 235 3,770
2 Western Union 4,301,432 2,013,839 769 3,826
3 Visa 4,280,318 249,493 85 6,918
4 Capital One 3,500,049 406,501 525 1,764
5 American Express 3,304,079 137,412 855 714
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY ENGAGEMENT
Brand Total
Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
Total Fans/ Followersi
1 Western Union 2,013,839 769 3,826 4,301,432
2 Liberty Mutual Insurance 1,197,329 544 9,439 2,093,427
3 Aflac Duck 698,040 400 7,001 641,832
4 Bank of America 667,324 645 3,067 2,487,801
5 MasterCard 570,056 590 4,842 2,753,565
i Total fans/followers includes fans/followers for all properties under each brand as of December 31, 2014. ii Total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments for all properties under each brand. iii Total posts includes all posts, tweets and media posted by all properties under each brand across platforms. iv Actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered by each brand. iv The actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered per post by a property or network’s page in the report period.
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY FOLLOWERS
Brand Total Fans/ Followersi
Total Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
1 Flo, the Progressive Girl 5,485,210 326,435 235 3,770
2 Western Union 4,301,432 2,013,839 769 3,826
3 Visa 4,280,318 249,493 85 6,918
4 Capital One 3,500,049 406,501 525 1,764
5 American Express 3,304,079 137,412 855 714
Shareablee Financial Industry Rankings October 21, 2014 – February 8, 2015 ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS BY ENGAGEMENT
Brand Total
Actionsii
Total Postsiii
Actions per Postiv
Total Fans/ Followersi
1 Western Union 2,013,839 769 3,826 4,301,432
2 Liberty Mutual Insurance 1,197,329 544 9,439 2,093,427
3 Aflac Duck 698,040 400 7,001 641,832
4 Bank of America 667,324 645 3,067 2,487,801
5 MasterCard 570,056 590 4,842 2,753,565
i Total fans/followers includes fans/followers for all properties under each brand as of December 31, 2014. ii Total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments for all properties under each brand. iii Total posts includes all posts, tweets and media posted by all properties under each brand across platforms. iv Actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered by each brand. iv The actions per post metric notes the average number of actions garnered per post by a property or network’s page in the report period.
Association/Nonprofit Team of the Year • ASCD • Shriners Hospitals for Children• Small Business Majority • United Nations Foundation
Nonprofit Communicator of the Year• Angela Peluso
Advocacy Campaign and Lobbying Efforts • Boys & Girls Clubs of America• Havas Worldwide Paris • Illinois Policy Action• The National Alliance on Mental Illness • NSF International • Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) • United Nations Foundation, Girl Up Campaign• Weber Shandwick on behalf of Siemens
Blogs• Illinois Policy Institute • Sierra Club
Branding/Rebranding• Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility • ICSC• Imprenta Communications Group LLC • King Media and the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition • Orbis International • US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Corporate/Nonprofit Partnerships • ASPIRE Communications • Discovery Education • DoSomething.org • UN Foundation• Weber Shandwick • Weber Shandwick on behalf of Siemens
Event PR • American Society of Clinical Oncology• Child Care Resource Center • Copacino+Fujikado • Henson Consulting • The TASC Group • United Nations Foundation
Marketing • EngenderHealth• Golin on behalf of PetSmart Charities • High10 Media• King Media and the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition • The Zeno Group
Media Relations • American Institute of CPAs • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Tartaglia Communications• The Hauser Group • Henson Consulting• International Justice Mission• The National Audubon Society• National Education Association • Partnership for Drug-Free Kids • Porter Novelli • The Zeno Group
Natural Disaster/Crisis Communications • The Allstate Foundation and Points of Light • GroundFloor Media • Singer Associates Inc.
PR on a Shoestring Budget • allen & gerritsen • ASPIRE Communications • Brevard Public Schools • Denha Media Group • FleishmanHillard • Harden Communications Partners • Meet Minneapolis • United Nations Foundation, Girl Up Campaign • Weber Shandwick with Reboot
Public Affairs/Issues Management• Finn Partners on behalf of the D.C. Justice Grant Administration• Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications • Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District• Singer Associates Inc.
Public Service• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association• Home Front Communications - Buckle
Up for Life: It’s time we all get it right • Home Front Communications - See Tracks? Think Train! “It’s No Contest” • Imprenta Communications Group Inc. • The TASC Group
Publications • American Society of Clinical Oncology • Compassion International • Cultural Vistas • Nexus • Pioneer Human Services• Reputation Architects
Social Media• American Heart Association• EngenderHealth • JPA Health Communications• The New York Public Library • Pets Add Life • Shriners Hospitals for Children • United Nations Foundation • United Nations Foundation, Shot@Life • Weill Cornell Medical College
Social Responsibility• Dosomething.org • Imprenta Communications Group LLC • Mediators Private Limited • Shriners Hospitals for Children • The TASC Group • Weber Shandwick and Yum! Brands• The Zeno Group - Allstate Foundation: #Get There Safe• The Zeno Group - Allstate Foundation: Purple Purse
Video and/or Podcast • AXON: National Hemophilia Foundation • EngenderHealth • Reputation Architects Inc.• Singer Associates Inc.• Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Website • Alcoa Foundation / Discovery Education • American Association for Cancer Research • American Society of Clinical Oncology • National Association for Music Education • Orbis International
PR News Nonprofit Awards Nominees 2015
4 prnewsonline.com | 2.16.15
Williams Scandal▶ Page 1
On February 7, days fol-lowing the disclosure and his on-camera apology February 5, Williams announced that he had decided to take a tempo-rary leave of absence.
The public reaction to the announcement was that NBC was treating Williams with kid gloves and/or was stalling.
“Who’s in charge?” a major TV network communications chief said, referring to the tem-porary leave.
Indeed, from a PR perspec-tive, NBC seemed to flub things from the get-go, allowing Williams to tell the public that he was punishing himself.
The move smacked of the tail wagging the dog. On February 10, NBC pulled an about-face and suspended Williams without pay for six months.
“The corporation should have made the decision [to suspend Williams],” the TV network com-munications exec added. “[NBC] may have allowed [Williams] to [announce a leave of absence], to help him save face a little, but it would have been better if his bosses made the decision and announced they were removing him temporarily...This is a serious situation, the issues are much larger than what Brian Williams did or didn’t do in the last 10 years. It’s a question of brand and financial implications.”
NBC redeemed itself, to a degree, with its handling of the suspension. Prior to that it made a momentous move, PR sources said, ordering its investigative journalists to pre-pare a report on other possible Williams’ mistruths. In a state-ment, NBC News President Deborah Turness said Williams’ Iraq tale was “wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position.”
NBC Universal chief Steve Burke added: “...Brian has jeop-ardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News.
His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate.” Burke added: “He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him.” The statement left wiggle room for Williams’ return.
NBC’s initial handling of the affair is a stark reminder that when facing a crisis the first 48 hours are crucial and may well determine the conclusion the public reaches about the totality of a certain situation, regardless of how the company or orga-nization tries to make amends subsequently. Clearly, speed is of the essence.
CLEAN BREAK?In the wake of Williams’ disclo-sure the reputation of NBC News has taken an enormous hit. It’s a bad day when the face of your brand, entrusted with telling the truth, is shown to have lied, and repeats the lie several times.
To regain the public’s trust, PR execs said, NBC News brass must over-communicate the findings of the investigation into Williams and disclose fully whether it has found other skel-etons in the closet. [Williams’ reports from New Orleans in 2005 about Hurricane Katrina are being called into question.]
Steven Fink, president of Lexicon Communications Corp. and author of “Crisis Communications: The Definitive Guide to Managing the Message” (McGraw-Hill, 2013), said how NBC commu-nicates the findings of its inves-tigation is pivotal.
“It needs to do so in public, present the relevant findings and issue strong guidelines on what its news executives can and can’t do” when representing the brand, Fink said. “It needs to delineate the rules of engagement.”
NBC’s headache, including for its communications pros, could linger until NBC News names a successor. “Replacing
the anchor sends a big signal that [NBC] is removing itself from the affair, which could come back in six months” should Williams be allowed to return to the anchor desk, Fink said.
He added that if NBC “is smart” it should divide its com-munications pros in two: one group should devise a strategy for letting Williams go perma-nently without NBC Nightly News taking a nosedive in the ratings; the other group should craft a plan to keep Williams with minimal fallout. “Each group then makes a marketing ‘pitch’ for its strategy to upper management,” Fink said.
What else should NBC PR pros do? “The focal point must be internal communications,” the TV network PR chief said. “Get your house in order and communicate it internally. You have a bunch of people at NBC News who are unsettled, morale is low. Internal com-munications has to take over now.” This person added, “Whatever you say internally expect to see it repeated exter-nally, so you must have a clear message,” which NBC did with the suspension announcement. “You might even think about sharing messages with other parts of NBC, maybe sponsors. You don’t have to have every answer, but you need a vision and a plan to restore order.”
The Williams episode raises other questions for communi-
cators, foremost among them is how best to control serious damage to brand reputation and financial health when a brand chief is caught in a lie.
“If this cascades and causes parent company Comcast’s stock to take a significant hit, then it’s a whole other ball game,” said Juda Engelmayer, senior
VP and group director at 5W Public Relations. “Then the story moves from an anchor who violated the public trust to a company that may have known, hidden it and inten-tionally left it unchecked to protect a friend or its image. Disappointed shareholders are not as forgiving as enter-tainment and celebrity fans.” [Comcast shares dipped slightly below 56 on Feb 11, but rebounded and were at 59.2 Fri at 2pm ET.]
Other issues for commu-nicators stemming from the Williams affair include the effect on PR when a company seems to value its revenue more than its reputation and standing with the public.
As with most corporate crises, perception rules, and the initial view was that NBC was more concerned with protecting its perch atop the network news ratings than getting to the bottom of what happened and why Williams seemed to go off the rails.
NBC generated $200 million in advertising sales for its eve-ning news broadcast in 2013, compared with $170.6 million for ABC and $149.9 million for CBS, according to WPP’s Kantar Media. PRN
on the most-trusted person in the country list, down from 23 following his apology for exaggerating an account of a forced helicopter landing
during the Iraq war
Source: Marketing Arm
prnewsonline.com | 2.16.15 5
whitepapers and other story-telling vehicles in their fight strategies. These funds under-stand that, in many ways, it’s a war of words when competing for an investor’s capital or vote and the advantage goes to the best storyteller.
Research shows that stories enable us to make and justify our decisions, an important factor in IR. As Pamela B. Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A., wrote in a 2011 piece for Psychology Today, “[W]hen facts and information are framed by a compelling story, you’ll not only hold the attention of your audience, but you’ll also make the information presented more memorable.”
She said that, like any stake-holder group, the investment community is not “… moved to action by ‘data dumps,’ dense PowerPoint slides or spread-sheets packed with figures … [n]o matter how compelling your facts are, if your audience isn’t invested in what you’re saying, all the information will be lost on them.”
Nike, for example, under-stands this. Investors visiting its site don’t encounter typical website boilerplate copy and obligatory financial highlights.
Instead, Nike immediately declares itself “a growth com-pany” and uses content and data to bring that story to life for investors.
TELL ME A STORYInvestors have neither the time nor the patience to unpack a company’s value proposition in today’s data-driven, technology-acceler-ated global markets. They want to know quickly what author Simon Sinek calls the why of the company’s story.
As Sinek explains in his book, “Start With Why,” the all-important why speaks
directly to the sections of the brain controlling decision-making. “[We] trust our gut even if the decision flies in the face of all the facts and figures,” Sinek writes.
Numbers cannot speak for themselves, nor should they. Just as you bring your prod-ucts’ and services’ value to life for customers through story-telling, so too should you use storytelling to illuminate the value you offer investors.
There is an art to corpo-rate storytelling; much of it hinges on what Malcolm Gladwell referred to in his book, “The Tipping Point,” as “the stickiness factor.” Chip and Dan Heath explored this idea further in their book, “Made to Stick,” and deter-mined this requires among other things: simplicity, unexpectedness, concrete-ness, and credibility.
Corporate storytelling also has a complementary science. First and foremost, you must have a clear-eyed view of your business from the outside in:
1. How do investors view the industry and end markets?
2. What is the current investor base composition?
3. What is the current investor sentiment?
4. What does the gap anal-ysis of the company’s investor engagement vs. peers look like?
5. What does the company’s media coverage look like?
6. What primary external factors influence valuation?
7. How well does the com-pany’s story resonate with investors?
Similarly, you will need to have an unvarnished view of the company from the inside out, such as:
1. How competitive is the company in the marketplace?
2. What is the level of man-agement credibility within the investment community?
3. What is the company’s performance-to-expectations ratio?
4. Can the company clearly articulate its strategic vision?
5. What is the company’s current story and how does it deliver it to investors?
6. What unknown, unrec-ognized or misunderstood aspects of the company could be assets to value creation if told in a compelling and meaningful way?
7. What does investment audience segmentation look like?
This data—which should be audited and reconciled as regularly as your financial and enterprise risk-management reporting—will ensure that your corporate narrative prop-erly aligns the business and
investment brands. This align-ment is critical to long-term value creation.
On a daily basis, corporate storytelling can mean the dif-ference between an investment in your company rather than a peer. And, in times of organiza-tional distress, including share-holder activism, effective story-telling can mean the difference between a vote of support and a vote of no confidence.
Simply put, effective sto-rytelling is the key to investor engagement. PRN
CONTACT:Rob Berick is a senior VP and managing director at Falls Communications. He can be reached at rberick@fallscommunications.
Engaging Investors ▶ Page 1
The Story Investors Want Versus The Story Investors Usually Get Investors want to understand quickly why now is the right time to take a position in a particular company. This chart delineates what is highly important to investors versus what companies generally do well in communicating. Too many companies merely report data when investors want the dots connected for them. They want a story from you.
▶ Q&A: 80 percent vs. 41 percent
▶ Review of business strategy: 78 percent vs. 44 percent
▶ Progress achieving key goals: 66 percent vs. 33 percent
▶ Forward-looking financial guidance: 60 percent vs. 30 percent
▶ Capital allocation plans: 60 percent vs. 23 percent
▶ Previously undisclosed insight: 60 percent vs. 18 percent
▶ Forward-looking operational guidance: 56 percent vs. 28 percent
▶ Review of financial results: 55 percent vs. 38 percent
▶ Business segment performance: 51 percent vs. 31 percent
▶ Review of products and services: 41 percent vs. 34 percent
▶ CSR/sustainability initiatives: 16 percent vs. 14 percent
Source: Rivel Research, “A Global IR Best Practices Report, Investor Days 2013” (March 2013)
6 prnewsonline.com | 2.16.15
At this interactive boot camp, you’ll learn how to write catchy, search-optimized headlines, manage internal and client edits, incorporate multimedia elements into your press releases and more.
Register online: www.prmeasurementconf.com/writing-boot-campQuestions? Contact Rachel Scharmann at [email protected].
A One-Day Immersion in the Craft of Effective Writing
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April 21 • 8:30 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. • The National Press Club • Washington, D.C.
▶ On Topic
How to Avoid Social Media Measurement PitfallsReport what matters, ditch the rest
The focus for many social media programs over the last few years has been about “Reach” (e.g. followers, likes and subscribers) and “Engagement” (e.g. shares, retweets, comments). What hasn’t been as easy is proving that a social media program is working. This leads to social listening, program tracking and analysis. For those PR execs at this beginning stage, here are a few pitfalls to watch for and suggestions to work your way around them.
▶ Social analytics tools aren’t complete. Despite what some analytics sales reps may tell you, there isn’t a tool on the market that is a complete, plug-and-play solution.
Some tools offer commu-nity management but their analytics is limited. Other tools provide excellent lis-tening or industry research insights.
To properly manage a mature social media cam-paign, you will find the need to invest in several tools, not just one.
Software tools are evolving rapidly and some are begin-ning to include guidance in
the form of predictive intel-ligence. They can help narrow your focus to find the most critical insights about your market, audience, etc.
But their capabilities are limited and they can’t customize recommendations according to your unique business goals or campaign plans.
For the foreseeable future, being familiar with the goals of the business, campaign plans and schedule—and finding insight in the data—is the only way to achieve reports that management will find useful.
Recommendation: Plan according to analytics guru Avinash Kaushik’s sugges-tion of investing 10% of your budget in tools and 90% in “intelligent resources/ana-lysts (people).”
▶ Goals must align. You can’t report on progress if you don’t know where the business is going. Senior management must clarify the goals of the business so you can adapt your reporting to indicate if you are moving forward or backward.
Recommendation: Schedule time with senior-level managers to gain per-spective on the goals and priorities of the organization in 2015. Even if they aren’t
specifically defined objectives, you’ll at least know where to focus and how to communi-cate progress.
▶ Reach out beyond the communications depart-ment. Chances are, senior management’s goals will include sales, customer service or other departments inside your organization.
Recommendation: Invite the sales and customer service department leaders for a cup of coffee to explore how social media might help them reach their 2015 goals.
Include the IT department leader to discuss how the data flow from social media activi-ties can be connected to your back-end reporting systems.
Keep the dialog going to create a feedback loop, allowing you to focus on what works and discontinue activi-ties that fail to contribute to those teams’ goals.
▶ Report what matters. Google Analytics has more than 500 metrics and dozens of standard reports. Sharing every graph and chart is the fastest way to ensure that nobody pays attention to future reports
Recommendation: Only report on things that matter to the people who need to
know. If you’ve had those meetings with senior management and the depart-ment leaders and understand their goals, you should be able to narrow the focus of your reporting.
Produce separate reports for each business unit focused on the key perfor-mance indicators (KPIs) that matter to it.
As your 2015 social media program gets going, think about what you need to share, with whom and how you will communicate.
Avoiding these pitfalls will help you mature your campaign into a sophisticated business contributor that management will recognize for its value. PRN
CONTACT:Mike Samec is director of digital strategy at Gibbs & Soell Business Communications. He can be reached at [email protected]; follow Mike on Twitter, @msamec
By Mike Samec
prnewsonline.com | 2.16.15 7
▶ I have had many mentors in business and I’ve tried to take something from each one. It was my parents, how-ever, who were most influen-tial in shaping my business style. Watching them early on gave me what I call “lessons by living.” My father taught me about partnering, collabora-tion and transparency before these terms were in vogue. He also helped me under-stand that selling must be just as good a deal for the other person as it is for you, thus my constant reference to win-win.
My mother, Gloria Kaplow, is a talented artist who combines creativity and common sense. She taught me to approach life in “living color” with enthu-siasm and passion.
She also helped me to approach each problem as I might a blank canvas: to see it as a chance to create some-thing new, to use abstract thinking, to go beyond the obvious solution.
▶ The pivotal moment in my career came in 1991. It was unplanned. I had been working for the same PR firm for many years in New York. Much as I loved my job at the agency, I had two young daughters and longed for more flexibility.
Had today’s technology been available then, I might have stayed. Instead, I became an accidental entrepreneur [and Kaplow was born]. That moment taught me an impor-tant lesson about being flexible and staying open to opportuni-ties. It also helped shape my ideas about creating a more nimble work environment.
I believe women should not be afraid to pursue their goals and that businesses have to work harder to create environ-ments that cultivate long-term career development. ▶ The principle that has guided me over my career is a belief in developing meaningful relationships
that should be sustained and nurtured. People are not a com-modity. To me, people always have been the glue that holds our industry together; from clients to journalists to thought leaders inside and outside of our industry.
In today’s digital world, where we can have literally thousands of connections, those deep, meaningful relationships are as important as ever. PRN
CONTACT:Liz Kaplow, lkaplow@kaplowpr
My ‘Pivotal Moment’ ▶ How I Got Here
Liz KaplowPresident-CEOKaplow PR
Job One: A Solid Foundation ▶ Silobusters
When PR legitimately inte-grates with other marketing disciplines—not to mention the rest of the organization, such as HR and finance—the com-pany’s message becomes more cohesive and the odds increase that the C-suite will recognize the value of communications.
Jamie DePeau, CMO of Lincoln Financial Group, in partnership with colleagues, has played a significant role in helping to dismantle the com-pany’s silos. Before the silos are broken down, however, a company needs to build a strong foundation.
“For us, integration is rooted first and foremost in philosophy:
a philosophy that aligns PR and marketing activities to busi-ness goals,” she said. “That phi-losophy, as well as our belief that most effective brands are built from the inside out, has resulted in a notable and successful rela-tionship forged with HR.”
Since 2011, when Lincoln Financial rolled out a new brand platform, PR and mar-keting have worked closely with HR to align communica-tions with the brand, most notably in its messages, pro-grams and training.
The effort features three phases:
• When launching programs, inform employees about it and get them excited. Examples include: a CEO message to all employees; events at all loca-tions to unveil new advertise-ments, videos and contests.
• Alignment. Review all HR materials and ensure alignment of messages and images with the tone of the new platform.
• Experience. Work with HR and colleagues throughout the company to ensure the expe-rience a customer has with Lincoln is consistent across the brand.
Examples of items to consider include employee training, employee job aids, new transactional commu-nications and forms and title changes for some front-line employees.
Asked about the challenges in implementing these programs, DePeau said: “We are a highly decentralized organization so, from time to time, that structure can challenge the successful implementation of
integrated programs. But we never lose sight of the value and benefits that collabora-tion provides us and, as a result, we convert that chal-lenge into opportunity.”
She added that a flatter organization has fostered deeper partnerships across the enterprise, and has resulted in effective programs related to social media, media relations and advertising. PRN
The conversation around elimi-nating jargon from public rela-tions writing has been going on for decades. Many reporters have railed against the stilted, suffocating language in news releases. And much has been written (including by yours truly) about the importance of eliminating jargon and buzz-words. Yet we continue to have a difficult time weaning ourselves from jargon and corporatespeak.
There are several reasons behind the hesitance. Everyone resists change; buzzwords, superlatives and hype make your company sound better than it is and it is easier to write fake, robotic quotes than bother an executive or subject-matter expert to provide one of value and substance.
If your headlines and releases are filled with words such as solutions, leading, synergy, cutting edge, out-of-the-box, state-of-the-art, world class, revolutionary and seam-less, chances are your releases will be deleted quickly. Break yourself of the habit of writing bad releases by taking a page from The Big Book.
With apologies to Bill W., here are my 12 Steps to Jargon-Free Writing:
1. Admit you are not powerless over jargon, even though your life may be unmanageable. Admitting that you have been writing robotic news releases is the first step to becoming a better writer.
2. A power greater than yours can restore sanity. That power is good writing.
3. Make the decision to turn your will over to stronger writing. Work to improve your headlines and lead sentence to improve the chances that a reporter actually will read your news release and want to write a story based on it.
4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of past jargon used. Review old news releases, pitches and other writing and highlight jargon, superlatives and boring robotic executive quotes.
5. Admit to your wrongdo-ings. Sit down with your execu-tives and educate them on the importance of crafting releases that will be read and result in better placement because they are interesting.
Let them know that reporters hate words such as solutions, synergy, world class and revolutionary. Everyone uses them and they have lost all meaning.
Coach executives on pro-viding substantive quotes that add to the value of the release.
6. Remove defects from your writing. Removing jargon and bad executive quotes is a great place to start. But take it a step further and edit your copy. Eliminate the fluff, trim the fat. Remember the rule of threes and limit yourself to no more than three key messages in the release. Repeating a few key messages underscore their importance.
7. Realize the shortcom-ings in your writing. This is similar to numbers 4 and 5 above. It, however, means that you may need to admit that others on your team should be writing releases rather than you.
8. Make a list of reporters who have had to suffer your boring releases. Work extra hard on every piece of writing going forward to ensure you are providing time-strapped reporters with solid writing and real news to share.
9. Don’t go back to using jargon, even when tempted. If you successfully remove jargon from your writing, it is important that you eliminate it from your everyday vocabu-lary as well. Stop speaking in jargon and it will not creep back into your writing. Push back when executives try to reinsert jargon and buzzwords into your writing just because those words are comfortable for them.
10. Keep an inventory of words to avoid and don’t use them. Many of those words have been mentioned above. Add to the list and refer to it often when writing.
11. Seek knowledge of good writing. Tight, succinct jargon-free writing conveys a much stronger message. Learn to tell a good story by reading articles penned by the best writers.
12. Carry the ‘No Jargon’ message to other writers. Be an advocate within your organization and with clients for better writing, from news releases and media pitches to speeches and op-ed pieces.
The original 12-step pro-
gram deals with a serious problem. I am not equating it with PR writing. But breaking the habit of bad writing takes a concerted effort. Using the 12 steps will help you improve your PR writing one day at a time. PRN
CONTACT:Reg Rowe is founder of GrayHairPR, an international virtual PR agency based in Dallas, TX. He can be reached at [email protected]
Join PR News on March 12 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC for this intensive half-day workshop in which our crisis management experts will share their experiences
and insights in how to develop and execute a strategy that will help your organization or clients weather inevitable crises.
FOR QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACTRachel Scharmann § 301.354.1713 § [email protected]/agency-elite2015
One of the most important—if not the most important—signifi ers of the success of a PR agency is a client saying, “Thanks for the great work, let’s do it again next year and here’s an increase in your budget.” That’s great news for you and your team members, but what you really need to spread the news is amplifi cation and peer validation. That’s where PR News’ newly launched PR Agency Elite Awards come in. We are going to showcase the top PR agencies by practice area at an awards luncheon event in Fall 2015, and now is the time to secure a place for your agency on the A-List.
EnterToday!
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Entry Deadline: February 20 | Final Deadline: February 27Enter Today at: www.prnewsonline.com/agency-elite2015
CATEGORIESBy Practice Area:• Advocacy
• Branding
• Business to Business
• Cause/CSR
• Community Relations
• Consumer Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Crisis Management
• Digital/Social Media
• Financial Communications
• Integrated Communications
• Issues Management
• Labor Relations
• Marketing Communications
• Marketing to Youth
• Marketing to Women
• Marketing to Latinos
• Measurement/Evaluation
• Media Relations
• Media Training
• Multicultural Marketing
• Nonprofi t/Association
• Public Affairs
• Product Launch
• Publicity
• Reputation Management
• Search Engine Optimization/Marketing
• Word of Mouth/Viral
• Writing/Editing
PR Agency Internal and Promotional Categories: • Best Training/Education
Program• Diversity Initiatives
• Proprietary Software/Client Solutions
• Promotion of Firm (marketing, advertising, PR)
• Internal Communications• Web site• Community Relations/
Volunteer Programs
Agency People “Awe” Awards:Please write a one- to two-page synopsis explaining how this per-son has raised the bar on creativ-ity, strategy and execution for his or her agency, or how this person has gone above and beyond for their agency or for clients. Agency professionals of all titles can apply. Multiple winners will be selected.
**Self-nominations are accepted.
PR AGENCY ELITE 2015
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You’ll become an expert in:• Identifying metrics that tell the story of
how your PR campaigns connect with organizational goals
• Using online social media analytics tools to measure the information that you need and avoid capturing metrics that are of no use to you
• Writing measurement reports that can serve as a guide to the type of content you should be generating
• Putting measures in place to track PR performance throughout a sales program
• Case Study I: PR Measurement at Work in the Real World
• Turn Social Media Listening Data & Analytics Into Business Opportunities
• Case Study II: PR Measurement at Work in the Real World
• PR Measurement Hall of Fame Celebration
• How to Tie Social Media Engagement to Business Objectives (Sales, Leads, Volunteers)
• Integrated Measurement: How to Sell PESOs to Senior Leaders & Clients
• Case Study III: PR Measurement at Work in the Real World
Join PR News for the PR Measurement Conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. where you’ll get the latest best practices in PR measurement, real-world case studies of successful measurement strategies and interactive learning.
Sponsored by:
Register at: www.prmeasurementconf.comQuestions? Contact Allie DeNicuolo at 301-354-1810 or [email protected]
25460
Special Subscriber Discount: $300 off the regular rate with the code SUBSCRIBER
April 20 Washington D.C.
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