By Carol Merry, Vice President

Truth, luck and understanding.

Deloitte Consulting published an interesting study that was reported on in the April issue of the Harvard Business Review in an article titled “Are ‘Great’ Companies Just Lucky?” The report and more widely available coverage must have had business success book authors everywhere feeling momentary panic to think that their lists and insights may have no measurable bearing on improving performance. 

The study found that only one in four of the companies identified as major success stories actually qualified as having achieved remarkable performance and that the rest were just lucky due to being able to take advantage of circumstances.

The moral of the story, so to speak, is that success stories can be valuable when used as a source for what the HBR calls “inspiration and fuel for introspection.” Put another way, it’s what you take from them that matters. That sounds obvious - but maybe it’s not. 

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By Lara Kretler, Associate Vice President

The importance of walking the talk.

Business acceptance of social web applications - more commonly known as social media and social networking - turned a corner in 2008. Demand for expertise, counsel and programming related to the social Web continues to grow rapidly.

As a result, there are untold legions of social media consultancies, agencies and solo practitioners now positioning themselves as experts in the science and art of using the social web to market products and services or create online buzz.

This can be seen as scary, exciting or frustrating depending upon one’s perspective. As Fahlgren’s social media champion, I find it exciting - but I am also quick to counsel clients that whether or not you choose to work with us for your social media planning and implementation, it’s essential to work with someone who truly gets it and can back that up with proven results.

What kind of results? Social media programs that win awards. Client case studies that demonstrate the strategic, successful, measurable use of social web applications to achieve business objectives. And an online presence that shows the agency or consultant doesn’t just talk the talk but actually lives, breathes, works and plays in the social space.

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By Melissa Dykstra, Vice President

The fine art of guiding without controlling 

The other morning at breakfast, my daughter was leaning back in her chair on two legs. When I told her to put “four on the floor” (quoting my third grade teacher), she replied, “But you’ve never told me not to do that.” I’m not sure I agree with her, but it brings up a good point.

We’ve talked before on this blog about the many ways to use social media internally and externally to connect with customers, media, employees and other stakeholders. But there’s one thing we haven’t talked about yet. And according to Deloitte, we’re not alone: 55 % of company executives say they do not have a social media policy. Do you?

There are countless resources available to help you craft a social media policy. While many examples are available online, they can’t possibly take into account the many nuances of individual companies and situations. When we counsel clients and help write social media policies for them, we ensure the right people are at the table, including representatives from communications, marketing, legal counsel, human resources, and information technology at a minimum.

Once the right people are at the table, it’s time to consider the tone and type of policy that works for your organization.  Employee/employer trust is key to better engagement, productivity and working toward a common goal. So, when it comes to a social media policy, how do you maintain that mutual trust, while setting guidelines, ensuring the ground rules are in place and avoiding the comment “but you didn’t tell me not to.”

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By Hartley Mikus, Account Executive

Adapting life lessons from the business world.

I have been fortunate to have worked on a variety of different public relations initiatives since I began my career at Fahlgren Mortine in 2007. Learning more about crisis communications, media relations, social media and several other areas have been great experiences. And as I near my two-year anniversary with the firm, I was recently given a project in a completely different realm, internal communications.

A client with whom we are currently working has charged us with managing all aspects of their new company unveiling. As the launch date quickly approaches, my team and I have been arranging video programs, coordinating on-site activities and corresponding with contacts across several continents and numerous time zones. (Creating a work plan is difficult when you can’t figure out if it is today or tomorrow for the responsible party.)

Start talking!

This project has taught me several important key strategies that must be employed when unveiling a new brand to internal and external audiences alike. Coincidentally, they all involve communication. Shocking, I know.

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By Dave Chlastosz, Account Executive

Social media monitoring is only half of the battle.

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of social media monitoring and some of the tools companies can use to gauge the public’s attitudes toward their brands in real time. However, all things considered, monitoring is really only half of the battle. Though you may know what is being said about your brand, you are still undoubtedly left asking yourself: “What do I do next?”

Unfortunately, it is not always as easy as recognizing that someone has taken interest in (or issue with) your brand and responding to them directly, though that can be a great start. Oftentimes, responses can walk a fine line between transparent business-to-consumer engagement and self-promotional messaging or spin; with the latter likely resulting in more problems than you started with.

In order to maximize the potential of your monitoring and response efforts, it is important to consider a few best practices that well help you to maintain your credibility while also adhering to many of the values the online community holds sacred.

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By Paul Vetter, Vice President

How well do you deliver in high stress situations?

As PR pros, we’re familiar with pressure-packed situations. The headline’s not working, but the deadline looms. The reporter who sounded interested in the big story stops responding. Out of nowhere, a couple of people are Tweeting nasty things about your client. Probably better get on that…

It’s just part of the day-to-day routine. If we had a theme song for our profession, it would probably go something like this.

The interesting thing is that some people and teams seem to perform better under pressure. Under attack, with the account on the line, the solutions sometimes seem to come out of nowhere. We find the right words to get the meeting back on track, fix the flow of the white paper, and persuade the client to see our point of view.

Because performance under pressure is so important in our profession, I typically invest a great deal of time every Spring watching the NBA playoffs. While I’ve never been able to convince my wife and kids that this is an important career-development activity, that’s how I see it. The playoffs are a crucible for understanding how people are motivated and deliver results when it’s win-or-go-home time.

Since I’ve had no luck in convincing my family, I’ll try my argument on you.

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By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

For those who like lists.

In case you missed it, you might want to check out the April 13 issue of ADWEEK and April 27 issue of PRWeek, both include their annual agency rankings. Fahlgren Advertising moved up the ranks from 99 to 91, while Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations jumped 10 spots from 80 to 70. Both lists are based on revenue.

By Ray Hancart, Account Director

An offer you can’t refuse.

I recently watched The Godfather Trilogy and came away with not only an insane hunger for cannoli but also a reminder of the intangible value of public relations. In Part II, a younger Vito Corleone reassures his brothers with the infamous line of “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

The more I reflected on the line, it reminded me of the important role public relations plays in marketing consumer products. Essentially, it’s our job to make it so the consumer feels compelled to purchase the “widget” - a lot of the time for intangible reasons they aren’t even aware of or can’t put into words. This is more important than ever given consumers are more resistant to marketing than in the past.

This of course lands PR in the gray area which makes it part art and part science, yet100% tough to explain.  The ability to make the consumer an offer they can’t refuse comes from a variety of activities often associated with PR practitioners:

• Research - What’s the target consumer’s HH income? Where do they shop? What do they look for when purchasing this type of product?
• Messaging and Brand Positioning - What type of message do our competitors carry? What segment of the market do we want? What are the differentiators that make us unique?
• Media Relations - How can we leverage the third-party credibility of traditional (and, increasingly, nontraditional) media outlets to reassure cautious consumers?
• Social Media - Is there a way to provide our customers with a platform to become brand ambassadors?

It’s how these items are carefully thought through and eventually meshed together with a solid distribution network that helps a product succeed or fail. It’s the same whether your particular widget is glue, automotive parts or shampoo - a brand needs the intangibles PR brings to the table to be successful.

With many organizations on the verge of starting the planning process for 2010 (yes, already), challenge your PR team to revisit its role in marketing your widget. It’s a great time to elevate successful programs and improve struggling ones - no horse heads required.

What do you think? Have I missed any other PR lessons offered by Vito and family?

By Rachel Esterline, 2009 Founder's Award Intern

Last week I packed up my things and drove eight hours from Central Michigan University to work as an intern at Fahlgren Mortine.

It’s been exciting and nerve-wracking to move to a strange city where I don’t know anyone. I moved into an apartment I had never seen with a roommate I had found on Craigslist. There have been a few bumps along the way, but the experience so far has been entirely worth the stress.

Several months ago I applied for the Fahlgren Mortine Founder’s Award, which provides a public relations sophomore or junior with a paid internship and a $1,500 scholarship.  

The application was challenging, requiring more work than some classes I’ve taken. After submitting a cover letter, resume, application form, two letters of recommendation, writing samples and several completed assignments, I was offered the internship.

But, it wasn’t easy. Here are six things I did to ensure I’d be sitting here today in the Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations office in Columbus, Ohio.

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