Post on 14-May-2015
description
ONCE UPON A TIME….
a company’s PR was like a teapot
OLD ORDER
PR was a bridge between a company still in departmental silos, and the outside world:
Company
Guardian angel
Guard dog
OR
OLD ORDER
Generalisation alert! PR was the funnel to the outside world in terms of official communication Things coming out of businesses were polished and professional Unprofessional = unacceptable
MINOR INFLUENCERS: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
OF COMPANY CONVERSATIONS IN PUBSFew places to amplify their
thoughts and opinions
MAJOR INFLUENCERS: TRADITIONAL
(PRINT/BROADCAST MEDIA) ANALYSTS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSWere able to amplify their
thoughts and opinions
GOOD JOURNALISM KEPT WORST OFFENDERS ON THEIR TOES
Bernie Madoff Virgin v. BA Enron MG Rover Price fixing palm oil & Amazon food production
standards
BUT MOSTLY, IF THE PR DEPARTMENT DID IT’S JOB, THINGS WERE HAPPY ENOUGH
journalists and others might have to wait for information
staff knew where to direct them
and everyone plodded along in their silos
sales & marketing
human resources
customer service
financial
purchasing & production
BUT THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE
So the IT department and HR department developed email and internet policies
and some even trained their staff
BUT THE WEB GOT BIGGER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE
and people started having fun and publishing their own versions of events
and the communications teapot started to be just one way of getting (official,
sanctioned) information
THE COMPANY HAS TURNED INTO A COLANDER
the information’s spilling out through every hole
CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, STAFF CAN TELL THE WHOLE WORLD,,, GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT
And if you keep people waiting for an official (formal) response to questions, expect them to find the information elsewhere (informally)
NEW ORDER
Impossible to define company boundaries;
Multiple media; personal and professional merge
Company
People
Technology/tools
PR
HUMAN RESOURCES
FINANCIAL
PURCHASING & PRODUCTION
CUSTOMER SERVICE
SALES & MARKETING
NOT BOTTOM UP
OR TOP DOWN
BUT WOVEN INTO DNA
THE TEAPOT IS STILL VALUABLE
MARKETING
CAMPAIGNS
OFFICIAL VOICE OF
COMPANY
BRIEFING,
RESPONDING
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
ADVISING BOARD
SO LINE THE COLANDER
TRAINING: ALL EMPLOYEES AWARE OF CONSEQUENCES
LIVING POLICIES
ALIGN ACTIVITIES AND VALUES
LISTEN
TRUE CSR (NOT DRESSED UP CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY)
(Colour the water -blocking the holes is never more than temporary!)
PERVASIVE PRWELCOME TO THE WORLD OF
CLAIRE THOMPSON T: +44 (0) 207 795 8147M: +44 (0) 7771 817015E: claire at wavespr dotcomSocially: claireatwaveshttp://www.wavespr.com