Contemporary Public Relations

Developing a Strategic Communications Plan in a

Dynamic Marketplace

Agenda

• Brief Ruder Finn background• What does PR mean to you?• Developing a strategic plan• An offer• Q&A

Ruder Finn Background

• Global full service agency with 15 offices world wide• 60+ years of promoting emerging companies and some of the

world’s premier brands• Privately held, family owned company known as “The World’s

Largest Boutique PR Firm”• Global Practice Areas

• Health & Wellness• Corporate & Public Trust• Life+Style • Global Connectivity

• Chicago office deep in Technology and Consumer Marketing

Relevant Client Experience

What does public relations mean to you?

• Brand Positioning/Re-positioning

• New Product/Brand Launches• Product/Service Repositioning• Media and Industry Analyst

Relations• Editor Desksides/Media Tours• Writing – Bylines, White Papers,

Press Releases• Online Press Kit Development• Executive Positioning and

Thought Leadership• Issues/Crisis Management

• Community Relations• Ethnic/Urban Marketing• Government Relations• Internal Communications• Contest and Sweepstakes• Publicity Driven Promotions

and Events• Sponsorships, Partnerships

and Cross-Promotions• Viral and Guerilla Marketing• Web 2.0/Social Media

Typical Public Relations Program Elements

Developing a Strategic Plan

Targeting

• Define the audience• Establish program targets

• Media • Bloggers• Industry influencers as appropriate

• Industry analysts• Academia• Association heads• Key consumers, etc.

Benchmarking

• Past program results • Research, if necessary

• Pre-program awareness/attitude audit for target media/bloggers and the user audience• Typically takes the form of an emailed

survey• Purchase a key publication subscriber

list for a near apples-to-apples comparison each year

Arming the Program

• Define the issues and pain points relevant to your audience

• Engage relevant internal groups for varied perspectives

• Market & competitive research• Consider third party market research• Identify supporting points that will make

the message timely• In context of the downturn

Audit and Align

• Audit sales and marketing materials and develop a situation analysis

• Work with key sales and marketing contacts to align PR with each and connect the two• Messaging• Priorities• Measurement

• Awareness?• Feature articles that can serve as

marketing and sales tools?• Articles where company is positioned

favorably against competition?• Sales lead tracking?

Developing the Plan

• Objectives and strategies – the importance of having consensus

• Messaging and Positioning• Host half-day messaging session with

key execs • Develop messaging presentation with

goals, rationale, competitor information and examples of good messaging to ground conversation

• Interactive activity• Deliverables

• Positioning statement• Messaging matrix

Basic Infrastructure

• Prioritized media and influencer target database • Editorial calendar database• Thought leadership database (awards, speaking

opportunities)• ProfNet and PRSourceCode • Corporate backgrounder for media purposes• Foundational media pitch

• Customize per specific outlet/opportunity • Audit existing content for potential repurposing

into bylined articles, case studies, blog posts, etc.

News Releases

• Develop a pipeline…new offerings, customer and award wins, contract extensions, upcoming speaking platforms, inclusion in strategic analyst reports, company milestones, thought leadership issues, etc.

• Elements of a news release• What’s the news?• What’s the trend?• Headline, sub head• Lead• Background in descending order of importance• Relevant research and quotes• Page, page and a half when possible • SEO

• A word on distribution

Media Relations

• Daily media monitoring infrastructure• Proactive pitching around issues• Media tours around significant news• Case studies – organizing the effort

• Top down commitment• Heads up to sales, arm them with case

study primer kit• Assign one point person for program• Create grid that tracks customer

interaction and level of referenceability• Tie in with CRM system if possible

Case Study

Blogger Relations

• Same relationship development but a slightly different pitch• “Listen” before you pitch • Engage bloggers creatively…product

testing, special launches or events• Create some excitement by breaking

significant news early to this group • Private companies only, of course

• Datamation’s List of Top 200 Tech Blogs• Segmented into Most Popular, Tech

Publications, Security, Enterprise Tech, etc.

Tapping the Blogosphere

BIG: • Identify and monitor relevant blogs to understand

opportunities• Review competition’s blogs to understand how they

are positioning themselves in the marketplace

BIGGER: • Pitch strategic bloggers to secure coverage and build

awareness• Respond to relevant blog postings (and industry

articles)• Track results

BIGGEST: • Create your own blog

• Goal: thought leadership, less direct promotion• Internal editorial calendar• Guest blogger series (customers, partners, influencers)• Keys are fresh content, regular and relevant updates,

pursuit of back links

Map key influencers according to:

Level of authority,Receptivity

and

Audience reach

Influencer Relations

• IT Analysts• Targeting• Bi-annual meetings• Maximizing contracts• Knowledge Capital Group

• Academia• Industry association heads/other experts

Thought LeadershipThought Leadership

• Executive positioning• Source Sheets

• White papers and bylined articles (leveraging existing material)

• Publicizing third party market research

• Speaking and award opportunities

Web 2.0/Social Media

• Website optimization• SEO• Content syndication• Audio and video podcasts

• Don’t do social media for social media’s sake

• Social media audit• Goal: identify relevant social networks• Where is your audience spending time?• Look back six months – where are

relevant conversations happening?• Engage industry analyst?

Social Media

• Create clear objectives and strategies• Get closer to your audience

by building platforms that invite them to get relevant information and share ideas• Corporate blog• LinkedIn Groups (customer forum)• Twitter• Facebook Fan page

• Bring content and tools to where conversations are already taking place

Social Media

• Establish YouTube Channel• Social leadership

• Build a profile by identifying and tagging relevant articles, videos, images, etc., using social media tools such as Digg, del.icio.us, Twitter, etc.

• Measure results via campaign dashboard, refine strategy

Social Media Dashboard/Tracking Site Traffic

Crisis CommunicationsCrisis Communications

• More important than ever to be prepared, particularly if there is any trouble on the horizon

• Long term goal: Put a comprehensive plan in place

• Plan for the most likely scenarios first• Layoffs• Missed earnings• Executive bonus scrutiny

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• What’s your company’s cause?• Organize and promote it (as appropriate) if

you haven’t already• Do you have a take on green?

Our offer to you

• One-on-one consultations for interested members

• Casy Jones, 312-329-3976, jonesc@ruderfinn.com

Questions?