“All PR firms are the same. I can just give them direction and get what I need out of them.” A client who has never worked with an agency might think that. Guess what? It’s not true. Budgets are tight and expectations are high especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-house communications pros and other clients … Read More
“COVID-19 has screwed the economy, so we have to take the clients we can get.” Wrong. That’s not only short-sighted, it could be very damaging to PR firms. A shaky economy is not an excuse to compromise our standards in the PR business. PR firms should seek out the best possible client base (similarly, in-house … Read More
“Oh, I don’t call to follow up with the journalists I send my email pitch to. They are too busy, and I don’t want to disturb them.” …um I’m sorry, what? That’s what a former colleague of mine told me she was told by a public relations practitioner. I couldn’t believe what I heard. As … Read More
(Photo by Rachael Spiegel) Pop quiz. It’s the COVID-19 pandemic. You’re a councilperson or a mayor of a small U.S. city or town. Federal, state and local agencies are issuing a storm of new policies and information. Your constituents want answers about safety and their livelihoods. What do you do? Ryan Spiegel has been there. … Read More
Every day, we’ve seen more Fortune 500 companies announce telework plans for COVID-19 and many PR firms are following suit. Working at a distance is quite the challenge for public relations professionals who are in the business of generating visibility and enhancing relationships. In such a people-driven field, what have we lost in this extended … Read More
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies were searching for appropriate ways to be wisely sensitive about what to say and how to say it. Yes, time has passed, but guess what? We are still in the middle of a pandemic. As of this writing, the U.S. is at a 14.7 percent unemployment … Read More
Your business is about to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown. You have a lot of process and details to handle to reopen. However, your customers, staff and other stakeholders have to trust your plans if they are going to show up. So, what can you say? Here are five principles to get you started: ONE: … Read More
It’s only May, but fall conference season is in full swing….at least it usually is this time of year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a conundrum for businesses that hold in-person events. While it was clear that spring conferences needed to be rescheduled, canceled or go virtual, it’s too soon to tell what fall may … Read More
Regulators and health professionals worldwide are asking all of us to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, businesses are at risk. But, more importantly, lives are at risk. Business communications and associated operations must reflect that now more than ever. The top three things to remember when you communicate inside and outside your organization are: … Read More
I recently celebrated Succession Communications’ four-year anniversary while on a business trip to New Orleans, and I took some downtime to reflect. It has been a whirlwind four years of growth and change, and the original Succession is almost unrecognizable now. Wonderful clients and partners were crucial to our success, and we are very fortunate … Read More