Public Relations: Is it all noise?

I received a call recently from a company representative requesting a price quotation for a publicity campaign after winning an award. The company wanted to make some “noise.” In subsequent, I replied by email declining the assignment. My reasons were twofold: The story was not newsworthy and the caller had more ego than clothes on him.

At best, the company could have enjoyed little media coverage in the form of a news-filler or a small side story in a few niche publications (if available) or on the online media platform but nothing that would make plenty of “noise.”

The company’s best bet would have been to advertise an announcement in a newspaper or a magazine about winning the award. It wasn’t an Oscar or an Emmy so the value of the story would not have carried much weight.

But the caller from the company would not have been satisfied with just putting an ad in a publication. This would mean additional cost above the PR Consultant’s bill. The client was specific – he wanted to create “noise” through PR. That would be like asking nature to reverse the day in this instance.

You don’t get what you want in public relations. You get the PR Consultant to help you manage, handle and skew your messages by utilising the tools available at your disposal. The person who spoke to me on the phone failed to understand the concept of what is valuable publicity. The content of your news may not be valuable as you might like it to be.

Publicity doesn’t equal Public Relations. If that’s the case, why do famous people and high-profiled companies invest in PR if they are already known? To that matter, not all publicity is designed to keep you in the news; sometimes it’s designed to keep you out.

To understand this craft, you have to put your feet in the shoes of a journalist. Imagine time sifting and sorting through ridiculous press releases, e-mails, and calls from annoying PR Consultants while working under continually tight deadlines to deliver your own stories. So there you are…

You have to start not with your needs, but what the journalist wants. You have to understand what that magazine or newspaper audience is feeling, thinking, hoping and wanting. And you have to tell your story in a manner that will resonate with the readers.

Before a journalist agrees to tell your story, ask yourself this question: How would it benefit the readers, listeners, or viewers in telling your story? What’s in it for the reader? As with a lot of things in life, the best way to get what you want is to focus on what others want.

The best PR practitioner will tell you how it is (the truth) about your story. If it’s not newsworthy, accept it. You may not always like the answer, but if the truth protects your company's credibility with the press, it’s better than forcing the journalist to wear noise cancelling headphones.

Khaled Talib, Managing Director, Newsline Communications