Jun 18th, 2013 | Decision Making, Leadership, Management, NonProfits | No Comments
Is Your Non Profit Organization Suffering from Analysis Paralysis?
By Joseph John
It’s not a perfect world, and it’s definitely not a perfect world in the non profit sector when it comes to decision making.
Decisions have to be made, and projects need to be implemented — on a timely basis. And yet, there are too many non profit boards that suffer from Analysis Paralysis.
Wikipedia defines Analysis Paralysis as “…the state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation, or citing sources, so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome. A decision can be treated as over-complicated, with too many detailed options, so that a choice is never made, rather than try something and change if a major problem arises.”
We talk about a non profit board’s “fiduciary responsibility,” and yet, we tend to ignore, or mention another major board responsibility — the need to ACT. I believe that a board’s inactivity and fear of initiating projects on a timely basis ranks extremely high on the list of costly board errors.
“Let’s discuss this at the next meeting,” or “I think we need more time,” or “ I think we need more information.” Sound familiar?
Are there any ground rules a board can establish in order to avert that insidious organizational illness called Analysis Paralysis? The answer simply is “yes.”
Here are some basic steps to get your non profit organization moving towards a healthy and vibrant organization.
- Eliminate the fear of failure. Failure only occurs when you don’t do anything.
- Accept the unknown. There is not enough data to eliminate the unknown — it’s a fact of life.
- Eliminate the search for more data by establishing a “no read” zone and a “no more data” zone — and stick to those rules.
- Establish a timeline by putting a stake in the ground — and stick to it (no pun intended).
- Establish ground rules for implementing your specific project — and stick to those ground rules.
- Establish board consensus that the entire board is unified and committed to action; and willing to take the kudos and the lumps, if they occur.
- Embrace the fear of inactivity.
What’s the worst thing that can happen to a non profit board by moving forward? Nothing negative. And why? Because you have just given the “data seekers and crunchers” even more data to analyze once the project has been implemented.
So, eliminate Analysis Paralysis and make your organization Nike-like — “Just Do It!”
Jun 11th, 2013 | Communication, Marketing, Public Relations | No Comments
By Tiffany Engleman
Professionals in the field of public relations have been creating positive buzz about organizations for years. The music festival South by Southwest (SXSW) has been held in Austin, Texas since 1986, but until recently, was relatively unknown to the rest of the United States. Through news releases and first-rate press materials, SXSW’s public relations team along with Porter Novelli (an Austin-based public relations firm) began to expand the festival into something much greater than just music. SXSW was then able to create brand recognition as well as brand recall across the country.
- To begin spreading the word about SXSW, these public relations professionals constructed a campaign to widely advertise an exciting and new aspect of the event. In August 2008, a news release was published revealing the introduction of the “Panel Picker” to help create a preliminary buzz for the March 2009 event. The “Panel Picker” was an interactive online voting application that attendees would be able to access and vote prior to the festival.
- Porter Novelli also constructed an assortment of first-rate press materials. The press kit included a concise schedule, “hot” picks for panel and evening activities, industry contact information, and personalized event information. Toolkits were also provided that included press release templates, wire distribution options, and PR advice for the conference.
Through the tactics of news releases and press kits, South by Southwest has been able to join the SXSW Film Conference and SXSW Interactive Festival and expand their identity across the country to attract a significant number of new people to the conference. public relations professionals knew they had reached new heights when the Guardian of London reported, “SXSW Interactive spans gaming, web content, web design, development, academia, social media, mobile…but what it does more than any other event is a special mix of the arts and digital culture with technology. There are no suits, no boring product pitches, — SXSW is about ideas and trends in new digital tools and technologies.
Sourcing: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
May 30th, 2013 | Communication, Public Relations, Public Speaking | 2 Comments
Three Methods of Persuasive Communication
By: Tiffany Engleman
According to Robert Heath from the University of Houston, “Public relations professionals are influential rhetors. They design, place, and repeat messages on behalf of sponsors on an array of topics that shape views of government, charitable organizations, institutions of public education, products and consumerism, capitalism, labor, health, and leisure. These professionals speak, write, and use visual images to discuss topics and take stances on public policies at the local, state and federal levels.”
Because public relations professionals have mastered the art of persuasion, they can use persuasion to their advantage. But, how do PR professionals become so exceptional at persuading public opinion? There are three methods of persuasive communication that PR professionals turn to when communicating with the general public.
- Audience analysis is a major component of persuasive communication. Possessing the knowledge of the audience’s beliefs, attitudes, values, concerns, and lifestyles is a critical part of not only basic communication, but also in persuasive communication. Audience analysis can help public relations professionals adapt the messages that they send to unique audiences and increase the effectiveness of these messages significantly.
- Self-Interest is the central motivation of every individual and appealing to one’s self-interest will gain more attention to any message. People tend to pay attention to messages that appeal to their needs, whether it is economic, psychological, or situational.
- Source Credibility is the third method of persuasive communication utilized by PR professionals. A message is more convincing when the source has established credibility with its audience. There are three factors when creating source credibility: Expertise, Sincerity, and Charisma. These three aspects are crucial in making a message credible with its target audience.
As you can see, persuasion is a detailed process that communicators, especially public relations professionals, need to understand in order to effectively send messages that will reach their target audiences. By utilizing audience analysis, appealing to the consumer’s self-interest, and establishing source credibility within a message, communicators can efficiently master the art of persuasion.
Source: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
May 21st, 2013 | Communication, Public Relations | Comments Off
The Top Five Advantages of Utilizing Public Relations Firms
By: Tiffany Engleman
As is the case with all organizations, there are advantages and disadvantages to the services provided. There are countless advantages of utilizing the services of a Public Relations firm. Among all those advantages illustrated by the chief PR firms in the country, five advantages stand out among the rest.
- Objectivity: Choosing a firm can offer a company with different insights and innovative ideas and perspectives toward enhancing that particular organization’s image.
- Resources: A public relations firm is going to have a vast amount of resources that they can utilize when offering their services to an organization. Some of these resources include: ample media contacts, consistent contact with a number of products and services suppliers, as well as research materials such as data information banks.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Each staff member of a PR firm can offer a unique skill set when it comes to solving problems creatively. With many different perspectives available, companies will find themselves with a broad spectrum of assets if a problem arises.
- Varied Skill Sets: Aside from problem-solving skills, each staff member of a PR firm will also be skilled in speech writing, trade magazine placement, and assisting with investor relations.
- Credibility: A renowned PR firm will have a solid reputation for professional and ethical work. Aligning an organization with a successful Public Relations firm will provide a client with positive public attention among opinion leaders of various backgrounds.
Choosing a public relations firm can offer an organization a vast array of advantages. Public relations is an industry where people are its greatest strength, and managing the way that people view one’s organization is key to the success of all organizations.
Source: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pe
May 20th, 2013 | Branding, Communication, Marketing, Public Relations | Comments Off
Representing U.S. Organizations Abroad: Four Chief Public Relations Obstacles of Globalization
By Tiffany Engleman
Globalization is a prominent force in today’s world. There is a large number of United States-based global giants participating in this prosperous market worldwide at this very moment. Having a prominent company presence abroad can be extremely lucrative for businesses from the United States. Some major U.S. companies that are currently reaping the benefits of a global market are as follows: ExxonMobil, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Ford Motor Company, and General Electric.
Though there are immense benefits to globalizing a company, there are also four chief public relations obstacles that an organization will face when introducing a brand to the rest of the world.
- Competition: There will always be competing organizations, regardless of the market. Maintaining the competitive advantage is a withstanding obstacle amongst the global market as well. Always stressing the benefits of a brand and ensuring that these benefits are relevant to consumers will remain key in jumping this hurdle.
- Sustainable Development: Sustainable development is a crucial initiative of any large corporation as they enter the global realm. Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the resources of the future is imperative of large corporations. Public image overseas will rest greatly on how businesses can hone their skills/products to preserve resources.
- Boycotts: It comes as no surprise that many countries do not agree with U.S. foreign policy. As a result, a number of overseas organizations and citizens will not wish to conduct business with U.S.-based companies. Creating a strategy to alter these negative perceptions and become an accepted company abroad is one of the largest barriers to break when taking a company overseas.
- Moral Corporate Citizenship (Local/National Levels): David Drobis, a former senior partner and chair of public relations firm Ketchum, stated, “Companies must take into consideration a broad group of stakeholders as they pursue their business goals globally. And by doing so, there are tangible and intangible business benefits. In this way, good corporate citizenship is not a cost of doing business, but rather a driver of business success. What’s good for the soul is also good for business.”
Handling any of these four obstacles would be very difficult without a sound public relations team representing an organization. These global obstacles are no small task for companies to face, and the manner in which they are addressed can either positively or negatively affect a corporation within the global market. Yet, if a company is positively accepted into the global market, the opportunities for increases in revenue and further expansion will be just two of the major benefits for an organization.
Source: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
May 8th, 2013 | Communication, Crisis Communication, Internet, Public Relations, Social Media Marketing | Comments Off
The Web in Action: National Pizza Chain Reacts
By: Tiffany Engleman
In my previous article, Power of the Web, we saw there are many different ways that the World Wide Web can become useful for public relations professionals across the board. In the case of Domino’s Pizza and the infamous YouTube video from Conover, North Carolina, we can see just how powerful the Web can be in dispelling false information.
In 2009, Domino’s faced a major setback to it’s brand reputation when two employees decided to create a “prank” YouTube video, while at work, showing them making sandwiches completely violating all health standards. The video attracted 500,000 viewers in just 24 hours. Within 48 hours, the video had reached over a million views and the mainstream media had began to pick up the story. With such a blow to the Domino’s brand reputation, their public relations team had to create an impeccable strategy to set the record straight and the Web played a major role in their comeback.
Domino’s used the following tactics on the Web to inform their consumers about what was happening with the company and what they were doing to fix the problem. The first thing Domino’s decided to do was create a Twitter account solely to communicate with their customers about the issue. They then placed a “customer care” link about the incident on their corporate webpage to effectively respond to consumer concerns.
Another public relations tactic used was communicating via email to all employees and franchises to keep them informed about what was happening. Conducting interviews and distributing news releases via electronic news services, blogs, and social media sites were also used extensively to reach their consumers. Finally, using the company’s Facebook page, Domino’s was able to attract and gather “friends” and keep them informed about what they were doing to resolve this issue.
As you can see, the Web was the perfect forum for dismissing the false information that the YouTube video conveyed to the public. It is also simple to notice how advantageous the Web can be for public relations professionals when trying to communicate with mass audiences as quickly as possible. Domino’s was able to get back on its feet and once again establish the trust that they held prior with their customers through proper utilization of the Web.
Source: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
May 7th, 2013 | Communication, Internet, Public Relations, SEO, Web Design | Comments Off
Using the World Wide Web in Public Relations
By Tiffany Engleman
Some might say the growth of the World Wide Web can be attributed to browsers such as Internet Explorer and Google. Both browsers have made information rapidly accessible to billions of people across the globe. Not only do people have a vast array of information to discover on the web, the web is also extremely attractive to public relations professionals because of the ease of distributing messages to a wide variety of audiences. Public relations professionals can easily exploit the power of the web to their advantage, especially when communicating with target audiences. There are several appealing features the web possesses to public relations personnel.
- Interactivity: One of the best features of the web is the interactivity that it provides for viewers. Viewers have the ability to question products and services, download useful information, and provide feedback to organizations.
- Updates: Information can be updated swiftly, without the hassle of reprinting materials such as brochures. This feature could come in handy, especially in a crisis situation.
- Space: Space for information is infinite on the web. An organization can post as much material as necessary to communicate effectively with an audience.
- 24/7: Anyone can access the materials posted by public relations professionals virtually anytime they need, which is an incredible advantage of this resource.
Although these are just four of the advantages that the Web offers for everyone, especially people working in the field of public relations. The growth of the World Wide Web offers astounding resources for public relations professionals. The Web makes communicating with target audiences an extremely easy task and the PR industry can easily benefit from this resource to extend their organizations reach to a variety of people on a much broader scale.
Source: Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. (2011). Think Public Relations. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
