Working with the media involves opportunities and risks. Many organizations hope to harness the media's reach and influence. Indeed, positive editorial coverage can enhance credibility in a way advertising can never accomplish. Having representatives quoted in an article or interviewed for a newscast can position your organization as an industry leader, responsible corporate citizen, product innovator or consumer advocates.
Yet bad publicity can quickly taint reputations. In business crisis management, media relations efforts often focus on minimizing coverage. Sensationalism, inaccuracies and out-of-context quotes frustrate executives, especially given the speed with which news organizations act.
Media relations is a critical aspect of crisis management to ensure stories being reported are accurate and to keep important publics informed about your organization's efforts to control and correct the situation.
Ultimately, even in a crisis, expertly managed media relations can help strengthen an organization's reputation, which can produce qualified leads, generate sales and develop new business for your company.
Media relations capabilities must include:
Editorial audits to examine past media coverage;
Message development to define what will be communicated;
Media strategy to determine what to send, to whom to send it and when to send it;
Media database development and management;
Media materials preparation, including written materials and electronic presentations;
Editorial board outreach to ensure the message is delivered to the most important gatekeepers;
Development of media-focused Web sites to ensure immediate dissemination of accurate information and to correct inaccuracies;
Personal outreach to and negotiation with journalists;
Development of op-ed pieces through which corporate leadership can express a strong point-of-view to an influential audience; and
Media monitoring to evaluate progress and change course, as appropriate.
In the Business Journal: Messages must grab audience with meaning for brand loyalty, the author Dan Keeney staes that “Too many companies confuse dissemination with communication. They crank out a steady stream of words and images, but are deaf and blind to the impact. And, their brands suffer as a result of the directionless, emotionless dreck that comes from the keyboard”. This means that a number of specific steps must be taken to help establish or strengthen a brand through communication. The steps being
Decide where the brand should be
Narrow the targets
Narrow the messages
Communicate consistently
Make “listening” a central element.
Adjust course to capitalize on what is “heard”
Link: http://www.keeneypr.com/downloads/business_journal_sept_2000.pdf
The Coors case provides an example of the importance of having the most authoritative figure respond to the media. When 60 Minutes approached Coors, the Coors Company decided to have the Coors brothers be the people on the show. Coors was facing a nationwide boycott of its products due to allegations of unfair labor practices. The Coors Company knew that this story on 60 Minutes was either going to make or break the company. The story showed Coors very positively by responding to the unfair labor practice allegations and illustrated that the nationwide boycott did not have a solid foundation. In this case, Coors used the media to its advantages and helped to repair the company’s image.
Now, watch this interview between Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates and a BBC reporter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ou-ZBGV-TQ .The reporter faces Bill Gates with the allegation that Microsoft is not so innovative like younger competitors, e. g. Google. Bill Gates is not only able to bring up arguments that his company is completely up-to-date and competitive, but also uses a supportive body language and style of argumentation. The same thing happens when the reporter confronts Bill Gates with the standpoint that Microsoft is too influential and dominant. The chairman answers that Microsoft is very successful and offers many quality products. Thus, he points out positive things, when he is questioned about negative aspects.
In the Internet Age, companies' media strategies have to go beyond TV and newspapers. They have to face a new dimension of coverage. Think of consumer forums like "Makemytrip" (http://www.makemytrip.com/), blogs, and websites that help consumers to find the cheapest price of a service for travel to many destinations http://www.makemytrip.com/. Information can be transmitted and retrieved within seconds, and a company's popularity can drop or explode within a very short time. Hence, companies need to extend their media relations to the internet, which offers great chances, but also risks.
No comments:
Post a Comment