Headlines
Public relations tips, tactics and trends
Volume
Three, Number OneWelcome to Headlines, a free newsletter published by Polaris Public Relations with practical information about the PR industry. Getting the best mileage from your PR planning A new business year is always a great time to get off to a fresh start on your PR journey. Editorial and trade show schedules are confirmed, budgets are finalized and everyone has transitioned from the "wrapping up the year end" mentality to looking at longer-term objectives for 2005. This issue of Headlines offers advice on how to get your PR plan on the road. Check your rear view mirror In business – as in life – there are always things you could have done better. So before charging headlong into your 2005 plans, take the time to review your previous year’s performance. Look at what you did and ask yourself: What worked and what didn’t? What lessons did we learn? Where were our dollars spent wisely? This learning will provide a solid foundation from which you can plan your upcoming PR efforts. Pick your destination With a full year of PR potential ahead of you, it’s important to gain a clear understanding of your business and communications objectives. In other words, if you don’t know where you’re going, it’s hard to get there. For example, your overall business objective may be to increase business revenues. Consider how your communications efforts can support this objective. Do you require support for a major new product launch? Do you need help in building your company’s profile with existing clients or with new ones? The answers to these questions will play an important role in shaping your PR plans. Evaluating the effectiveness of your PR efforts is critical so make sure your objectives are measurable. Establish quantifiable targets ahead of time. If media coverage is part of your game plan, look at your program based on number of articles, audience impressions, key message delivery, number of feature articles and more. If you want a better profile, consider setting a quota for public appearances or speaking engagements. Where possible, find a way to track responses to your PR activities. If you want media coverage to help attract new customers, you’ll need to ensure you know where your customers are hearing about you. Plan your route Once you’ve done your review and set your goals, then you can sit down and figure out where your budget can be put to best use. Depending on your overall approach, you will need to gather as much advance information as you can on editorial schedules for targeted publications, and calendars for trade show or industry events, among others. Also, take a look at your public relations resources. You may need to re-examine your supplier network and make some adjustments. If editorial coverage is a number one priority, you may want to place more focus on your media relations resources. If you want to capitalize on trade shows and speaking engagements, you may need to add some fuel to your speakers’ bureau. Put the right people in the driver’s seat Identifying your company spokespeople is an important step that is often overlooked by many organizations. While many have a core group of people that are called upon for interviews, it doesn’t hurt to review their areas of expertise and appropriateness for the job. Are they still viable spokespeople for their subject areas? Do you need to add anyone to address new topics of interest? Does anyone need a refresher course in media training? Keep in mind any major political, social or other types of initiatives and trends that may impact your business. For example, there has been a growing interest in corporate governance issues throughout 2004 that’s expected to continue in 2005. The tsunami disaster has also brought corporate giving to the forefront. In 2003 SARS and economic recovery were the hot topics. Make sure your spokespeople are properly briefed and can address these types of issues when they arise. The road to success A solid, carefully considered public relations plan is critical to getting the best mileage over the course of the coming business year. By following these basic steps, you’ll be well on your way to a successful journey. © 2005 Polaris Public Relations. All rights reserved. Shelley Pringle is principal at Polaris Public Relations, an associates-based PR agency that offers a full suite of communications services. She can be reached at 416.597.1518 or shelley@polarisprinc.com. 
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 Want to kick-start your business? A powerful public relations program can help attract customers while stretching your marketing dollars and building credible exposure for your company. If you’re looking for new ideas to build your business, or need help in executing an existing plan, just give us a call at 416.597.1518. We’d be pleased to discuss your needs and develop an affordable program for your organization. If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future newsletter, or have a comment on this one, email us at info@polarisprinc.com. Some cookies for your thoughts Thank-you to everyone who participated in our quiz prior to Christmas. The lucky winner was M. Robson of the National Post. Here are the correct answers:
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