Tag Archives: marketing

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.

How political can a nonprofit get?

We are not lawyers, so this is not to be construed as legal advice, but many nonprofits find themselves tempted to side with a political candidate or cause. They do this for obvious reasons. First, nonprofits have missions and often those missions cross over into the political arena. Sometimes laws will either allow or disallow a nonprofit from carrying on their work.

But any 501 c 3 organization knows, or should know, that it is prohibited from being a political vehicle. Because it takes advantage of tax-exempt status, it is mandated to function for the “public good.” And they are not permitted to determine what the public good is or what it means.

Hence the quandry. We have had many nonprofit clients hold galas and all of a sudden a political candidate will pop in to meet the crowd and some even want to say a few words. Even gala attendees are voters, and if a candidate can align him or herself with a cause, they will go for it.

On the line is not the candidate, but the organization. If an organization invites a candidate to express their political positions, they are smart to also give their opponent the same opportunity.

It is also important to remember that there is a difference between a tax-exempt organization from giving a candidate a platform, and endorsing a candidate. Once there is an endorsement, then it becomes an entirely different situation.

Most nonprofits are aware of this IRS rule and play it smart and legal. Some, on the other hand, believe nobody will know and they are so small nobody will care, even the government.

We say, why take a chance. Regardless of how close an executive director or CEO of a not for profit organization is, when election season comes, run it by your lawyers and play it safe.

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.

A PR crisis requires waiting and knowing the facts

The Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX in which 19 fourth-grade students were massacred, is a textbook example of how not to properly handle a PR crisis.

Two days after the tragedy, law enforcement were in front of cameras fielding questions and attempting to explain what happened. The only problem is their story kept changing.

This event can hardly be called a PR crisis. It is beyond imagination that 11-year-old kids would be brutally killed. But the intense media attention pressured law enforcement to feed their desires for information. They were pressured by the media for an explanation and answers as to what happened.

The parents deserve nothing less.

Instead of law enforcement — which has the hardest and most dangerous jobs in the world — were pressured if not bullied into meeting with media to explain the details and timeline of what they did. They first said the gunman was met outside the school by a School Resource Officer who was shot. Then, officials said that never happened. Then, they said they could not find the key to the classroom. That explanation went away. At this writing the story now is police locked the gunman in the classroom with the children and waited an hour for SWAT.

There is no doubt other explanations will emerge.

It takes a special kind of person to run toward gunfire to save lives. Not many people can do it, and nobody should unless they are trained and have extraordinary bravery.

But if law enforcement is making up the series of events day by day without knowing what really happened, they are doing a disservice not only to themselves, but the millions of other parents who rely on schools to keep their children safe.

It is easy to second guess law enforcement. We weren’t there. We were not navigating the chaos. But law enforcement only makes matters worse by trying to satisfy the media without knowing all the facts.

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 Marketing and PR Plan for Nonprofits

When we launch a marketing and PR campaign for a nonprofit, clients often ask us, “where do we start?” Unless the client is brand new, they already have done marketing. They usually have social media, issued some news releases, maybe put on a special event or two. and more. Usually with minimal success.

What we virtually always recommend is basic. Create a marketing and PR plan. Anybody in business finds this obvious. How can you build a building without blueprints? How can you get from point A to point B without a map or GPS?

So the first thing we do is the plan. And the plan starts with us getting to know the client. If we are to be an nonprofit’s PR strategist, we need to know everything about them. We need to know their strengths and weaknesses. What they have done and what they plan to do.

After we become oriented, we conduct interviews with key personnel to get internal perspectives on their vision for the organization. One would be surprised to learn how people who work at the same entity can have different views of how they are perceived by customers and those they serve.

We put all our research together, give it some thought, conduct additional outside research and create a plan. Often this plan contains an Action Item list of activities and in many instances it also included a crisis communication plan.

Why don’t organizations, nonprofits, create their own plan? Many do. But it often takes an outsider, someone with fresh eyes, to come in and see what they take for granted or assume everybody already knows.

If your nonprofit organization doesn’t have a current marketing and PR plan, or if your plan needs updating, consider creating one or at least a fresh approach. The world changes rapidly, donors come and go, opportunities arise unannounced. Remember, if you are not keeping ahead, or at least keeping up, you are falling behind.

Marketing yourself by being yourself

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s attempt to market herself for the 2020 presidential race has started with an Instagram Live session.  In it, Warren first pops open a been, hugs her husband and talks to people while casually leaning over her kitchen counter.

She no doubt is channeling some of the younger members of Congress who were raised on social media and use it naturally.  But Warren is of a different generation and trying to act natural in a medium they really don’t understand only leads to disaster – and lots of social media ridicule.

That’s what happened with Warren’s attempt to look “cool.”  Instead of appearing relatable to the average person by drinking beer instead of champagne, she looked like she didn’t know who she was, who she wanted to appeal to, and very awkward.

The first rule of marketing and PR positioning is to know your product.  It can be a car, soap, cereal or a person.  You’re not going to sell a Chevy by pretending that it’s a Bentley.  And a 69 year old politician is not going to fool anybody by doing Instagram Live, even if she learns what iPhone buttons to push.

Sen. Warren wants to be Native-American.  Now she wants to be young and hip.  She obviously is successful having been elected to the U.S. Senate, but she is not a 20-something millennial and nobody is buying it.

Whatever messaging she did to get elected is what will carry her further, if that is her destiny.  Trying to redefine a personality is a tough task, especially in the eyes of your marketing audience.

And that’s all that matters.