2 min read August 2023 — As former journalists, Leslie Komet Ausburn, president and CEO of Komet Marketing Communications, and Jeff Goldblatt, managing member of Jeff’s Journeys, know how to anticipate questions and meet the needs of a reporter to tell a compelling story. With Invest:, they discussed how they are helping clients navigate an increasingly fast-paced, digital world that is hungry for news content.
How does public relations help define an organization’s identity?
Really good PR is strategic. You have to be strategic about what you communicate, how you communicate and how often. Yes, reporters will reach out to you, but it is better to be the person pushing out a story instead of waiting for someone to ask. A lot of people do not understand that PR is not selling something. It is telling something. There is an art to showing people what they want, or need, to know by telling your story in a way reporters want to cover. Reporters need to perceive it as newsworthy, impactful and influential. It needs to be something their audience wants to consume.
How is brand identity critical in an economic landscape that is challenging for more and more people?
When dollars get tight and businesses scale back on spending, the first thing to go is often public relations. That is a big mistake because the only way to stay relevant, and drive sales, is to stay out in front and keep talking about yourself. If you go into a turtle shell and disappear, people will forget about you and your competitors will be out there speaking louder and getting all the attention. PR is scalable — you can shrink it down, scale it up and you can pulse it. You can be an effective communicator without breaking the bank.
How do you establish credibility, and ensure your story gets told the way you want it to, when you’re not controlling the message?
In this day and age, what other people say has a lot of influence on decision making. The digital world can be a double-edged sword. While other people may be defining you on social media, there are still many channels and opportunities for you to craft your story. As former journalists, we understand what the public wants and needs to hear because we have been telling stories for decades. Share stories that highlight expertise, position you as a thought leader and make people sit up and take notice. Let colleagues, clients, or customers tell their stories to get your messages across. Elicit an emotional reaction.
In an age of cancel culture, how have you helped clients navigate an increasingly delicate environment? Have you noticed an uptick in crisis communication services?
Crisis management, or crisis communications, picked up during the pandemic, because you had so many brands communicating in ways they never did before. The first step is to determine if something is a crisis or a situation. Instead of, “Don’t just stand there; do something,” try “Don’t just do something; stand there.” People in a crisis get frenetic. That is why it is important to be crisis ready, with a crisis communications plan that covers potential scenarios. Being reactive will sink you. PR professionals, who understand the business and are not emotionally attached, can cover all the ifs, ask tough questions and push back to protect reputation. In a litigious culture, it is also important to work in tandem with your legal team, to make sure no one says, or does, anything that could inadvertently be damaging.
How do you train clients to be careful about what they say to avoid negative exposure on social media?
Overall media training is important. Situational media training can be even more important. You have to agree on how to talk about an issue. What are we saying? What are we not saying? It is often better to issue a statement, which offers more control. If there is an interview, someone on your PR team should be there during the interview for guidance. Remember, anyone with a cell phone can be a reporter these days. It is not only about traditional media anymore, with a big camera and a microphone in your face. Anything anyone records can become available for public consumption. Be careful. The mic is always on.
Why is it important to engage with a client’s staff, and not just their marketing team, to make sure a brand, or company, is front and center for consumers?
Marketing teams provide a great service, but they are only looking through one lens. If you go deeper, and meet more people, you are bound to find some great nuggets. Journalists look for personal stories that are new, different and outside the norm. A winning story might be something simple and sweet that captures a consumer’s interest. When we worked in a newsroom, we had to pitch two or three stories at each morning meeting. When a reporter is looking for something different, you will be glad you have been mining for gold and have a deeper knowledge base to draw from.
How important is it to foster meaningful relationships to drive a successful PR campaign in an increasingly digital world?
Old school tactics still hold true in a digital world. We do not know anyone who has ever inked a large contract by sharing emojis, Snaps or Reels. You have to go out and meet people, entertain, make phone calls and establish human relationships. Although connecting with people through LinkedIn, social channels, emails and Zoom is helpful, there is still nothing better than sitting down and having a coffee and a conversation. If you cannot meet in person, the next best things are a phone call or a virtual meeting where you can see someone’s face and get to know them better. Whether we are working to secure a newspaper article or a TV news spot, cultivating relationships leads to the curation of stories.
What does community outreach and engagement look like when you’re in the PR space?
Community education is important for just about any PR strategy. The community needs to feel heard, valued and perhaps validated. They need to have an outlet to share their thoughts, opinions and issues. The public does not want to be told what to do. They want to be part of the process. This could take the form of a community forum, or a social media page. How you engage the community, and how often, depends on what is right for that audience.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing public relations as an industry, and how does that show up in your day to day?
The media landscape is changing. PR today is very different than it was even five or six years ago. Media outlets are segmented. Many are no longer in existence. There is a tremendous amount of content out there and the competition is stiffer than ever. Trying to get someone’s attention is difficult. Today, while working with the media is still an important part of a PR strategy, many people seldom watch traditional newscasts, especially the younger generations. They get their news from social media or from national sources, not local. If you are still operating the way you were five years ago to circulate your story, you are missing the boat.
So, how do you remain agile today?
It is such a fast-paced world, with news outlets operating 24/7. You have to utilize your own channels more with even greater strategic thinking. That includes your website, social media channels, and even your business card. Are you using a QR code to drive people where you want them to go? Think about who you are trying to reach. How are they consuming their news? Are they influencers? A big company, with a big impact on their community, might have an event to share information and invite the media. If the audience is an industry, then it is important to engage trade media, secure a keynote speaking address or lead a session at a conference. Today, we can shoot a story ourselves, do interviews, include a news release (or bullet points), bundle it up and put it on YouTube. We can become our own news advocates to drive brand awareness.
To contact Leslie and Jeff: Email leslie@kometcommunications.com or Jeff@jeffsjourneys.com.
