Written by Cameron Cowan, Creative Director
I’m Cameron Lee Cowan; I’m originally from Denver via Northwest Arkansas. I started writing in 2005, writing essays and short stories. I have a vintage flair in much of my work. All the twists and turns on my journey through music, fashion, theater and writing have provided the background for my writing.
In The Cameron Journal, I do a series called "Best Advice," in which I give my best advice on various topics. In that style, I’m going to share my best advice on communications and PR. This is an area where almost every company struggles. The burden of communications strategy often falls on marketing. While marketers are valuable members of the discussion, they are often poorly equipped to handle the full breadth and depth of communications. Whether in a crisis situation or simply launching a new product, getting the “comms” right is vital to the success of the product, new initiative, or crisis management.
Public relations is a game of perception. There are distinct ways to shape a brand’s public image. If you think about certain companies, you’ll see how they have carefully crafted their public personas using storytelling techniques, highlighting trendy decisions, and curating how they present themselves to the public and the media. Perception is reality. For both people and brands, creating the right perception is the foundation of good public relations.
Here is my best advice on communications and public relations
Be consistent
Having a consistent message is vital to a good communications strategy. This is something that most companies, even large companies, miss out on. It might seem odd or weird to keep repeating the same message repeatedly, but it is vitally important to make the right impression with buyers and the media. Message discipline is vital to a strategy that directs the conversation in the right direction for your company or brand. Not only should your communication be clear, but important parts like quotes (called pull quotes) and important points should be highlighted for easy reference so people and stakeholders can decide on how to move forward with the information.
If you are using an outside advertising or marketing agency, it is vital to set the tone early in the discussions. If you are using multiple vendors, it is important to ensure that every agency working on a campaign is on the same page with visuals and language.
Consistency is also important when you're building relationships with media professionals (like me!). Stay in touch with journalists who have covered your company or brand. Even those who are critical can be an important part of media strategy. Quality PR starts with comms and is finished with positive relationships with the media. To get the best results, any PR strategist should understand the focus of publications, the focus of certain reporters/writers, and how best to approach them. It is far easier to approach people with whom you have a relationship than new people who might not be familiar with your company or brand. However, building a relationship isn't just reaching out when you have a new press release either; it's also inviting trusted (or desirable) journalists to events and highlighting coverage in other company communications.
Be authentic
Buyers, media, and critics can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, so make sure your mission is clear and your communications reflect that. If you try to say things that aren't true or only to please the media, your comms will fall flat. Also, in the age of social media, any authenticity gaps will be pointed out on social media in no time.
This is where things like mission and vision statements are important. It is vital to explain what is going on and how it involves that greater mission or purpose. Even as a solopreneur, knowing your purpose and reflecting that through communications is one of the most important aspects of a solid PR strategy because you become a thought leader in your area of expertise, and reporters/writers know just who to call. For corporations, it is vital because it provides an easy guide to how to talk about a new product or initiative and can provide a pathway out of a crisis (we failed in our mission X, and here's how we are going to fix that).
Most importantly, authenticity can't be bought in stores. What is being said should reflect policy decisions. It should reflect your values, and if it doesn't, customers and others will see it coming from a mile away, and you'll have even more PR issues.
Be well-crafted
Communication is as much about messaging as it is about using the right words and quality words. Hiring quality writers for your communications and public relations is underestimated, especially with AI on the rise. It is also important to avoid a lot of industry jargon, even when writing to industry. Everyone appreciates clear communication. Save the Jargon for internal documents and training materials. When talking to the public, make it as clear and concise as possible.
On top of that, present your message well. This does not mean you must load everything down with tons of production value. Rather, it's about returning to that idea of an authentic message. If you are making some content about a bank, it should look like it came from a bank. The same thing goes with a natural foods company. Use the presentation to reinforce the story. You can use irony in this case to do the opposite of what people expect, but it must be creative and well done.
That is my overall point. The key to creating the correct perception is ensuring that whatever you are doing works, looks professional, and uses the best resources you can muster for the effort. Cheapened, low-effort, or poorly done pieces rarely contribute to the message you want to convey. Again, do the best you can with what you have. I've done most of my work in PR with small and medium-sized budgets. For myself, I'm often working with a pretty limited budget. That is no excuse not to do the best that you can.
Putting your best face forward
Public relations can be hard whether you're dealing with a crisis or something else; the reality is that public perception is no accident. It takes thought, authenticity, and hard work. But don't be intimidated! It is also a lot of fun and has tremendous benefits for your brand and, ultimately, sales. Any kind of brand (personal or corporate) can leverage PR to do great work for them. So, get out there and put your best face forward. That's my Best Advice on Communications and Public Relations.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube, or visit my website for more info!
Read more from Cameron Cowan
Cameron Cowan, Creative Director
I’m Cameron Lee Cowan; I’m originally from Denver via Northwest Arkansas. I started writing in 2005 writing essays and short stories. I have a vintage flair in much of my work. All the twists and turns on my journey through music, fashion, theater and writing have provided the background for my writing. I’ve seen exciting people and interesting things, and I do my best to find ways to tell those everyday stories and try to leave my readers with something profound. Whether I’m writing about the world around us at The Cameron Journal or creating a novel, I try to make an observation and leave the reader to decide for themselves how they think or feel about it.
