Category Archives: non-profits

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon Out

If there ever was a cable news rivalry, it was FOX’s Tucker Carlson vs. CNN’s Don Lemon. At least on air, they had nothing but disdain for one another. Carlson would ofter play clips of Lemon saying something he thought to be ridiculous and then giggling.

Lemon had the same opinion of Carlson, labeling him a “conspiracy theorist” as did so many others.

In short, the two didn’t like each other, and didn’t hide that fact. However, today within an hour of each other, both are out of a job.

Broadcasters and news commentators come and go but they usually don’t make news. However in our personality-driven world where news persons are the news, who is on air is often the story; because of the narrative they espouse.

On the other hand, maybe these events are a foreshadowing of news, even cable news, getting back to their original mission — reporting news. In the last decade the lines between news and commentary have become blurred to the point where we can’t tell them apart. And that’s not good.

We can only hope for the days when newscasters report the news and commentators give their views and the two are open and honest about who they are and what their roles are.

How Crisis PR Supports the Litigation Strategy

Crisis management public relations (PR) is a critical aspect of any organization’s overall risk management strategy. When a crisis occurs, such as a product defect, a cyber-attack, or a workplace accident, it can quickly escalate into a legal matter. In such a scenario, the organization needs to work closely with their legal team to navigate the legal landscape effectively. Crisis management public relations can play a significant role in supporting litigation by providing vital information, mitigating reputational damage, and developing a strong legal strategy.

Crisis PR can support litigation by providing critical information that can be used as evidence in court. For example, if a company faces a product recall, the crisis management team can collect data on the defect, its cause, and its impact on customers. This information can be used by the legal team to build a strong case against the organization’s liability. Moreover, the crisis management team can help identify potential witnesses and provide them with legal representation if needed.

It also can support litigation is by mitigating reputational damage. When a crisis occurs, the organization’s reputation can be severely impacted. Negative media coverage can result in public outrage and consumer backlash, which can hurt the organization’s bottom line. The crisis management team can work proactively to manage the organization’s reputation, through crisis communication strategies such as issuing press releases, conducting media interviews, and engaging with stakeholders on social media. Effective reputation management can help mitigate negative perceptions of the organization, which in turn can reduce the impact of litigation.

Crisis PR management public relations can also support litigation by developing a strong legal strategy. Crisis management professionals are skilled in understanding the complex legal landscape of a crisis, and can work with the organization’s legal team to develop a legal strategy that is aligned with the organization’s overall crisis management plan. By collaborating closely with the legal team, the crisis management team can help ensure that the organization’s response to the crisis is effective, efficient, and legally defensible.

In conclusion, crisis management marketing is a critical aspect of an organization’s overall risk management strategy. When a crisis escalates into a legal matter, crisis management professionals can play a significant role in supporting litigation. By providing critical information, mitigating reputational damage, and developing a strong legal strategy, crisis management public relations can help organizations navigate the legal landscape effectively, and minimize the impact of a crisis on the organization’s reputation and bottom line.

Working With a PR Firm. Is it Worth it?

Nonprofit organizations face unique challenges in terms of public relations. They need to build and maintain a positive reputation among their stakeholders, which can be a daunting task. Working with a public relations firm can help nonprofits to effectively communicate their message, increase their visibility, and build stronger relationships with their stakeholders.

Firstly, public relations firms have the expertise to develop effective communication strategies that can help nonprofits reach their target audience. They can help organizations to identify the most appropriate communication channels and craft messages that resonate with their stakeholders. This can be especially important for nonprofits that are trying to reach a wider audience or communicate complex issues to the public.

Secondly, a public relations firm can help nonprofits to build and maintain a positive reputation. Nonprofits need to be seen as trustworthy and reliable by their stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and the general public. A public relations firm can help to develop and implement strategies that build trust and credibility, such as highlighting the organization’s impact and success stories.

Thirdly, public relations firms can help nonprofits to increase their visibility in the media. Media coverage can be a powerful way to raise awareness of an organization’s mission and increase its support base. Public relations firms can help to identify newsworthy stories, pitch them to relevant media outlets, and provide support for media interviews and appearances.

Finally, working with a public relations firm can help nonprofits to build stronger relationships with their stakeholders. A public relations firm can provide valuable insights into the perspectives and concerns of stakeholders, and help nonprofits to develop strategies that address these concerns. This can help to build trust and loyalty among stakeholders, and ultimately lead to increased support for the organization’s mission.

Nonprofit public relations and marketing

Is it possible to attract media coverage for a nonprofit fundraiser event? I ask the question because every nonprofit holds fundraisers, whether in-person or online, and everybody wants media coverage.

The harsh reality is that media turnout in a large market like Los Angeles for an evening fundraising event is difficult unless it has one or more critical elements. Foremost, nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles need to understand that the city is showbiz oriented. For the media to send a crew, or a reporter and photographer, they want to show pictures that will catch their readers’ attention — and in L.A. that usually means A-list actors.

As a PR firm that has managed dozens of events for nonprofits, we speak from experience. We also believe that every nonprofit does great work. So while promoting the work of a nonprofit is admirable and what we do, that alone is not what will make the media come out.

There simply are too many nonprofits holding too many events for them all to be covered. And this is especially true in the post-pandemic era.

So if your event can’t turn out Brad Pitt, there are other ways to get media attention by creating a strategy that ties your work to current events in the news. Also, don’t forget post-event coverage. While media may not spend the money to send out a crew (yes it costs a station money to cover events) sending them video and photos after the event, which costs them nothing to run is something to consider.

And there are other techniques. Working with a firm that has put on numerous events, that comes with a fresh perspective and creative ideas, can be invaluable.

Nonprofit events: in-person or virtual?

Now that the world is coming out of the pandemic, so are nonprofit events. After two years when all events by charity organizations were moved online due to COVID, does it make sense to make them in person again?

While most organizations bemoaned having to cancel their events and doing them on Zoom, many are noticing the advantages they enjoyed as well. Let’s face it. Serving dinner at a fancy hotel is expensive. A good percentage of ticket prices and sponsorship money always went to the venue and the caterer. Then there were the many other costs — decorations, video, programs, flowers, music, staffing, parking. Too many well-meaning nonprofits did annual gala after annual gala only to find that after six months of planning, they were left with much less than they need or want.

This is not to say there isn’t a time and place for real life galas. There is something warm and special about an organization’s supporters, friends and staff getting together, meeting, talking and sharing an evening together. No Zoom event can replace that. But what virtual fundraisers taught us is nonprofits can do a great job putting on a fundraising gala while raising more money. If you knock out all the costs, and extend the reach by going virtual there is a place for an online gala as well.

What is important to remember is supporters don’t attend a gala for the chicken dinner. In fact, many hate it and avoid galas. There are just too many. Instead, focus on your organization’s mission and message. That’s what will being in the money.

And your supporters may surprise you by giving more because they can do it from the comfort of their living room and don’t have to put on a necktie or gown.

Raising your nonprofit’s voice

We hear quite a bit about making your voice heard. But that’s on a personal level. Your nonprofit also has a voice and it can be heard through your public relations (PR) and marketing strategy.

What does this mean? It means not only telling the world what it is your nonprofit does, but how your nonprofit is making life better for the people it serves.

This is especially true if one of your main objectives is fundraising. Donors support nonprofits for many different reasons. One is the mission resonates with them. The other is they see their dollars at work; not in nice office space or lots of staff, but in the community.

Decide what it is you want your nonprofit’s voice to say, and then create a PR plan that says it effectively and loudly.

Nonprofit PR checklist

If your nonprofit wants to win the public relations/marketing game as you compete with other nonprofits that essentially serve the same audiences, there are some must-haves.

Here they are:

  1. Spokesperson — The ideal spokesperson is the CEO of executive director. Assure he/she is trained in media relations and can think quickly.
  2. Visionary — Every nonprofit needs a visionary. They often are those who start the nonprofit. If your nonprofit wants to grow, it needs someone to articulate where it is going.
  3. Engagement — Nonprofits flourish when they engage those whom they serve as well as donors.
  4. Success — Studies have shown that people donate to organizations that are succesful. Craft your image as a nonprofit that is making a change for the better. Donors want their dollars going to make a difference, not getting an organization out of debt.
  5. Relevance — Be relevant. Operating a nonprofit as it did 10 years ago does not attract donors or media attention. Keep up with technology and the rapidly changing world.

Circling Back

The PR business is built on words. And the words we use matter.

Over the past several years, we hear the same cliche words used over and over again in the media and in our personal and business communications. Here are some:

Circle Back: This means “I’ll get back to you,” which is a common way of really saying “Don’t know, let’s forget about it.”

Narrative: People describe what they say as a narrative. “The industry narrative is such and such.” How about, “Here’s the story, or here’s the reality.”

Reach Out: I hear or read someone use this term a million times a day. Aren’t they really saying “I’ll contact you?”

I could go on and on and you could as well.

In the marketing / public relations business words matter, so our advice is to speak in plain English and avoid over-used cliches.

The Labor-Management Cooperation Committee: A recipe for success

For more than three decades, Farr Marketing has represented Labor-Management Cooperation Committees (LMCC) in several industries. Our longest relationship is with the IBEW Local 11 and NECA Los Angeles Chapter LMCC.

For those not familiar with the LMCC structure, it is a Committee composed of precisely what it says: Labor and Management. Why have so many industries adopted the LMCC? The LMCC structure provides the optimum vehicle to promote their industry. After all, after the collective bargaining agreement has been negotiated, there needs to be a means to promote their industry so work flows to contractors who in turn employ skilled labor.

For the IBEW/NECA LMCC, we promote the union electrical industry to a range of audiences which include:

Business — Corporations who design and build the largest, most high-tech projects in Los Angeles. Union electrical contractors and electricians have worked on many of the most high-profile projects in Southern California.

Political leaders — Political leaders are an important target audience for several reasons including the approval process needed for large-scale projects. They are an equally important audience for Project Labor Agreements (PLA) when large public projects are created.

General public — Visibility among the public is always important. The public elects politicians and local neighborhoods and homeowners associations are very vocal about projects that are planned in their backyard. In addition, recruiting new workers is always an important objective, although currently the business environment is strong and there are as many jobs as there are trained apprentices and journeymen electricians to fill those jobs.

Media — Media have different views on unions and projects. Nurturing and maintaining good media relations is critical. Unions have many great stories to tell about how they are providing great jobs to a trained workforce (that they train). Those stories need to be told as it sets the tone for development growth.

Our marketing and public relations campaigns are geared to these three audiences. The strategy is to convey how our LMCC clients benefit the economy, workers and the public at large.

We do this in a number of ways. We produce materials that show the finished product that our client, in this case union electrical contractors and electricians, have produced. We do this photographically. Being the electrical industry, we are afforded the opportunity to show dramatic lighting in large, complex venues.

We also promote the training that is afforded young men and women who are seeking a skilled career. Publicity on projects is also a vehicle when a high-profile project is being built and especially when it is completed.

The same can be done for all construction industries. Each trade makes a significant contribution to a high-rise office building, stadium, housing complex and more. Whatever the construction trade, promoting the skills and knowledge of union workers benefits everybody.

PR in the digital age

In this digital age in which we live, organizations, corporations and public figures have to be extra, extra careful what they say.  The wrong statement or the right statement said the wrong way, will undoubtedly result in immediate Twitter backlash and instant apologies.

Actor Mario Lopez learned this the hard way when he appeared on the Candace Owens podcast.  She is a right wing commentator and their interview led to a discussion of genders and how some in Hollywood said they will allow their children to choose their sex.  Lopez disagreed, much to Owens’ delight.

Before the microphones could be turned off, Twitter erupted. He was skewered for his comments and many called for E Networks to fire him.  His publicist came out with a statement that Lopez’s remarks were ignorant and insensitive.  Within hours Lopez apologized and promised to educate himself about gender issues.  He didn’t want to lose his career over some ill-thought out comments.

What’s the lesson we can learn from this episode, and countless others that are similar?  Is it that nobody can give their true feelings in the media?  Are opinions other than what media agree with career-changing?  Kathy Griffin is still feeling the effects of her Trump stunt, two years later.  And she is on the left.

From a communications perspective, or a crisis communications perspective, the lesson is not what you say, but how you say it.  Can anyone in Hollywood have a right of center opinion?  Perhaps.  But beware how it comes out.

Instead of Lopez’s publicist throwing his client under the bus, perhaps someone should remind the publicist that it’s his job to properly prepare clients for interviews. 

First, if you’re going on a very right of center show, know that.  Same if you’re being interviewed by a left wing reporter.  Know what areas the interviewer will want to get into and be prepared with appropriate responses.  Do some prep work, publicist.  There is no reason a public figure or a representative of an organization can have an opinion.  But when discussing sensitive, political views, be prepared in how you express your views.  If you are going to remove all filters and just let it go, then be prepared for the public to react.

I don’t know the Lopez story about this interview and why he did it.  Perhaps Owens knew she would have an ally.  She was right.  So she did her job to get her views across.

Lopez didn’t do his job in speaking his mind without thinking it through.  Yes, sometimes whatever you say will be the wrong thing or said the wrong way.  So maybe do a pass on the show.  If you can live with the consequences, then go for it.  If you want to keep working in your chosen industry, give the media some thought before the mic is turned on.