2. Today’s Agenda 1 The communications profession 2 Importance of communications 3 The information environment 4 Developing a strategy 5 Interacting with the media 6 Q&A
3. What are the skill sets? What are the defining characteristics? The Communications Profession
5. Today’s Agenda 1 The communications profession 2 Importance of communications 3 The information environment 4 Developing a strategy 5 Interacting with the media 6 Q&A
6. Trust and integrity are at the heart of reputation, which is a key driver of your success… Importance of Communications “A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was." - Joseph Hall “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett “Trust is the foundation of total quality, and trust is made up of both character (what a person is) and competence (what a person does).”- Stephen Covey
7. Because we are now in the age: Communications: The Most Critical Element Influencing Reputation
9. Reputation Matrix OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCING REPUTATION STRENGTHS TO PROTECT REPUTATION Product Quality [5.7%, 6.53] Community Engagement [5.5%, 5.40] Value [5.5%, 6.53] Customer Service [5.6%, 5.74] MORE IMPORTANT STRENGTH MORE IMPORTANT WEAKNESS Land Use [5.1%, 5.15] Philanthropy [5.1%, 5.56] Fair Wages [5.0%, 5.04] TOP PRIORITIES Energy Efficiency [4.5%, 5.12] Cleanliness [4.3%, 6.53] Relative Impact Green Products [4.2%, 5.35] Product Safety [4.0%, 6.36] Fair Competition [3.8%, 4.96] Waste & Recycling [3.9%, 5.96] Convenience [3.9%, 6.77] Job Opportunities [3.9%, 5.31] Employee Benefits [3.8%, 4.91] Loss Prevention [3.7%, 6.19] Financial Strength [3.7%, 6.03] Local Investment [3.6%, 4.60] Governance & Management [3.6%, 5.91] LESS IMPORTANT WEAKNESS LESS IMPORTANT STRENGTH Supplier Responsibility [3.3%, 4.79] Data Privacy [3.1%, 6.25] Labor Relations [2.9%, 4.92] Executive Compensation [2.2%, 5.20] Relative Performance
10. Today’s Agenda 1 The communications profession 2 Importance of communications 3 The information environment 4 Developing a strategy 5 Interacting with the media 6 Q&A
12. The Old Monologue Static Website Static Website Newsletters/ Emails Audience Advertising Company Trade Publications Consumer Media
13. The New Conversation Media Liberals Scholars Conservatives Customers Target Audience Candidates Activists Parents Investors Company
14. Technology is Changing Our Media Consumption Habits Dot Com Boom Web 1.0 Web 3.0 Web 2.0 3G 2000Broadband 1995Dial Up 1990Internet opens up to public 20104G
18. Policy is Made by “Influencers” as Much as Policy Makers Watchdogs Advocacy Groups Constituents Business Policy Information Policy Policy Policy Information Policy Policy Information Other Regulators Policy Policy Policymakers Media
19. “Influencers” Are In Turn Influenced By Mass Media Policy Makers Comments on media ACTION Community Write Blogs Reputation Media Information Demonstrations Information Letters to the Editor Tweets Information Grassroots Word of Mouth Lobbying Influencers Social Networks Protests ACTION
20. 1 The communications profession 2 Importance of communications 3 The information environment 4 Developing a strategy 5 Interacting with the media 6 Q&A Today’s Agenda
52. Reach out to experts and advocates with a vested interest in the issue in the “idea” phase Where appropriate, convene experts and advocacy groups within a field to meet regularly and keep updated on priorities and developments Engage in non-transactional relationships when possible Expert/Advocate Education & Mobilization
54. Are you looking for one solid hit or something that could be syndicated across multiple channels and platforms? Are you looking to generate a story or ensure accuracy and balance in coverage? Do you want your message to be unfiltered by the media/reporter/blogger? Do you want straight coverage or are you better served by generating editorial commentary? Does the story offer something for TV coverage? How important are the online channels for the issue? Targeted Media Outreach
55. Social media is about conversations Blogs, forums & message boards Influential in shaping online opinions of an issue Social networks (e.g., Facebook) Individuals form communities around issues they care about Microblogging services (e.g., Twitter) Effective for influencers to express opinions quickly Video-sharing services (e.g., YouTube) Videos are powerful and ubiquitous in today’s exchange of ideas Social Networking & Online Engagement
56. Today’s Agenda 1 The communications profession 2 Importance of communications 3 The information environment 4 Developing a strategy 5 Interacting with the media 6 Q&A
57. Why the Media is Important Determines public perception of your organization, its performance and you Affects organization’s value Affects citizen support Affects employee morale Reputation, reputation, reputation
58. “They always misquote me.” “They don’t understand business.” “They’re interested only in sensationalism.” “They’re always negative.” “I can’t win.” Five Reasons People Don’t Trust the Media
59. Reporters are looking for what’s new, different or controversial News media bias is often pegged as liberal or conservative. But it’s actually pervasively negative AND sensational Wants mostly to inform – though most reporters are not experts on your subject About the Media
60. The media is a key messenger Coverage shapes reputation Like It or Not…
62. Who is the reporter? What’s the news organization? What’s the story? What’s the deadline? Who else is being interviewed? When is it mutually convenient to talk? You Have A Right to Know…
63. Answer questions immediately in an “ambush” interview Say you’ll answer questions in a few moments (collect your thoughts, review you messages and then conduct the interview) Agree to be interviewed But you should view it as an opportunity to deliver your messages Answer hypothetical or personal questions You Do Not Have To…
64.
65. Know your vulnerabilities Anticipate tough questions Know the ground rules-off the record/on background/not for attribution They can only print or broadcast what you say Rehearse out loud Be Prepared (cont.)
66. What are you trying to achieve? What is the opposition to what you want to achieve? What do you want to say? Can you realistically say it? Do you need to admit a point? Do you have to get through a negative to allow audiences to receive positive messages? Keep it simple, keep it short. The Art of Message Development
67. The Gunner: Questions in rapid succession The Interrupter: Tries to get you off balance The Joker: Best of friends – then “boom!” The Shrink: “You mean to say that…” The Stealth Bomber: Throws grenades The Hypothetical: “What if..?” The Pregnant Pause: Lets you fill the silence Reporter “Styles”
68. You maintain the best control of your “story” when you know exactly what you want to say and stick to it. Have something positive to say and say it positively -- these are your key messages. Maintaining Control
69. It’s not a conversation; it’s an interview. Don’t wait for the right question – it may not come. Give the answer you want to give. Inject your message wherever possible. Conclude first. Flip-flop all you’ve been taught about making your case. State your main point first, then offer supporting points. Winding gradually to a conclusion invites suspicion. Maintaining Control (cont.)
70. In responding to a question, acknowledge the question then bridge to get back on track and make your positive points The magic formula is: A+B=M Acknowledgethe question, Bridge to your answer, deliver your Message Bridging To Stay On Track
71. “That’s a good point, but the main consideration is…” “That’s not my area of expertise, but I can tell you…” “That may be the case, but…” “We all agree with that, but what’s at issue is…” “As I said…” “What’s important to remember, however…” “Before we get off the subject, let me add…” Examples of Bridging
72. “The important point here is…” “The best part about…” “But the real story here is…” “There are three reasons why…” “Let me put it in perspective…” “That speaks to a bigger point…” “The bottom line is…” Flagging to Emphasize Your Messages
73. Be concise 1 thing in 10 seconds = Control 10 things in 30 seconds = No control Credential your point by citing others “as attested by…” Appeal to emotion whenever possible Use colorful examples, words & comparisons Avoid jargon, statistics & difficult-to-understand concepts 90% of your effectiveness is determined by how you deliver your message Use your body mannerisms to your advantage Show some emotion, but don’t get emotional Enhancing Your Message
74. Know what you want to say Have your messages sharpened and tested Understand what the media story line is Expect the toughest questions you could face Prepare Stay on message Tell the truth Do:
75. Repeat a reporter’s negative statement Guess Use jargon, statistics and hard-to-understand concepts Say “no comment” Answer hypothetical or personal questions Speak off the record Criticize the media Do Not:
Hinweis der Redaktion
“Blogs are frequently the first to report breaking news. If I’m looking for the latest, I can find it online.” – Senate Chief of Staff“Blogs associated with news sites give early insight into developing stories and the angles reporters are taking as they cover an issue.”– House Chief of Staff“I tend not to rely on blogs for information, but I do use them to gauge what the far left and far rights flanks in my district are talking about. Blogs help us learn what constituents think, even those who don’t contact us.” – Senate New Media Director
Facebook and other social networking sites represent the 3rd most frequently used tool on Capitol Hill for sharing news items, links and other contentAlmost 80% of Capitol Hill communications staff visit social networking sites daily for work
These are all easy to overcome if you know how to do one thing….