Have you heard the one about the Cobbler's children? Of course you have, because you work in PR. It goes something like this: The Cobbler works so hard every day to make shoes for customers that he (or probably she) doesn't have time to make shoes for his own children. [...]
It’s a common experience among many communications professionals: after helping an organization build its brand reputation during good times, we often see our efforts unravel the moment an economic downturn hits and senior management decides to cut spending on brand communications. It’s understandable. But it’s also a mistake, since difficult times are exactly when an organization should remain visible and emphasize its brand.
It’s no longer enough for businesses to simply buy and sell their products and services without considering the world in which they operate. Companies must voluntarily do business in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner to be sustainable over the long term.
I had the privilege of travelling to Spain in September to accept a prestigious PR industry award. I didn’t expect to return from this journey feeling relaxed, refreshed and full of new ideas for both my business and my life.
For many successful women, their careers are journeys that don’t always turn out the way they planned —often in a good way. If success and learning are your goals, it's your job to leverage what you learn at each stage of your journey. Here's my best advice on how to do that:
A few years ago, PR Week sat down for an interview with Hans Bender, then manager of external relations for global household care at Procter & Gamble. Bender had just completed a large study on the return on investment (ROI) of public relations.The study looked at the marketing mix for six different brands and found something interesting. The ROI for public relations averaged 275%—much higher than advertising. And PR drives the same level of sales as advertising—but at a lower cost.
Building a strong reputation can take years, but it can fall apart in just minutes. An environmental crisis, executive scandal, unreliable product, employee tweeting a damaging picture, improper behaviour by a celebrity spokesperson—those are just a few very real examples.
