When a Law Firm Fires The Governor's Wife

Tonight Lockhart/Gardner fired the Governor's wife. It was actually tonight's episode of The Good Wife, on CBS and in tonight's show, the partners found out that Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) was planning on leaving the law firm to start her own and take with her some of Lockhard/Gardner's largest clients, not to mention a number of associates and lead investigator. There is a lot to learn from watching a TV show. I get that every now and then from watching the Kardashians.  However, this one hits closer to home in terms of how I like to help clients, faced with high profile issues affecting their reputation -- as a lawyer, for a law firm and even for the Governor.

From an employer perspective....

  • Once information is learned about an employee that would warrant firing them. before acting based on emotion an employer should have all the facts, or at least enough to make a decision on high profile employment issues.
  • However, once the decision is made it must be communicated quickly and efficiently.  Today, Twitter is the best and quickest medium.
  • Before a tweet is sent, a firm or company should already have influential people following them - Work hard at pro-actively building upon your social network.
  • Invest in client relations. Today, law firms are too big, lawyers are too isolated and legal bills are too high. Business today is based on personal relationships, not on big law firm names. It is important to ensure your clients know that you are laser focused on their work -- So represent them as if they are your only client.
  • Work hard to communicate with your employees so these situations can be avoided in the future.

Good thing they had a public relations counselor waiting in the lobby to begin work on defending a major law firm against The Governor-elect's wife.

From the employee perspective...

  • Make sure you are also following the law as you prepare to leave your employer.
  • Be proactive in regards to getting everything in order, including notifying those that you can legally notify and what messages you are communicating in leaving.
  • Have a website ready to go, in addition to social media -- most likely Twitter and Facebook but also LinkedIn.
  • Know who the reporters are covering your industry and those of your clients, and make sure they know and trust you as a resource.

From the Governor's standpoint...

  • Be prepared with a statement but don't communicate it directly.
  • If confronted and asked in person stay on message.
  • Answer the questions directly and bridge to another issue.
  • Address the issue, don't avoid it.
  • Distance yourself from the business of others, particularly those that you are close to.
  • Ensure the public that this issue remains a separate issue outside of your work in the state and that you remain focused on the issues before you.

Regardless of which side you are on, make sure you have the necessary relationships with people to help you should you need it.  This includes lawyers, accountants, doctors and strategic public relations counsel. Trust is vital to the success in any business and we work hard to establish it. It is even harder to rebuild in the wake of crisis.  As we learned tonight, "politics leads, the law follows." Whatever comes your way, it is important to be prepared and know those that can help you should you need. it.

Your company is the message with branded content

Today's New York Times reports that Harper's Magazine is "joining the growing list of media properties whose publishers are supplementing more traditional forms of advertising with sponsored content".  With the help of public relations professionals or advertising agencies, companies will be able to write the news stories, features and product reviews that appear in magazines and on-line that look like it is part of the magazine (which it is), but is actually an advertisement. It is a new era in how we purchase goods and services. With advances in technology at our fingertips and on our desktops, we do our own research into what we purchase and what solutions it solves, we seek advice from our friends, read the reviews and compare prices before we ever step into a store or office, if we ever do step inside.

As a result, a company's marketing strategy should have, at its core, a content marketing strategy, to create content that is engaging and informative, humorous if appropriate and timely given the news cycle. How that content is distributed will depend on a company's budget and a company should do its own due diligence to determine the best media or channel to distribute that content on.  For example, do your customers read Harper's, The Atlantic, New Yorker, Forbes or even the plethora of trade publications that only include native advertising opportunities for its content.

This is all part of a strategic planning process that your public relations counsel or marketing agency should take you through during your initial kick off meeting.

With the right content you can sell a product by selling solutions and in crafting the right messages, advertorial or branded content, you can take your message directly to those who you want to see it. However, depending who you want to read it and how you want them to see it will just depend on how much you want to spend.

Build a Strategy not a Strategic Plan

Business Goals - Know what impact you want to have on the business and how you will measure it.  Develop a strategy around your business objectives…but not a tactical plan that could become irrelevant. Embrace technology and project Management tools to keep everyone aligned during implementation.

Create a 'channel strategy' and determine how and what media, web, blog, social networks and email can all work together and reinforce each other.

Develop a 'content strategy' and figure out what type of content do you want your brand to be associated with? Who are your experts? What topics do you and your customers care about? And then create content that is new and easily digestible, perhaps even fun to read with some infotainment factor.

Build a system or editorial calendar that provides timely relevant content that is interesting and sharable.

Recognize your assets - a spokesperson, a product a customer a community and ensure they have the resources. Create brand ambassadors.

Create a process - So everyone knows what they are resonsibe for and when, what requires approval, collaboration and insight

Focus on quality not a high idea that will go viral - that way you will build a reputation as a thought leader rather than a one hit wonder.

Evaluate your work, re-adjust and continue to align your business goals with your marketing plan.

A Marketing Recipe

  1. CONTENT - Identify stories, produce content (entertaining, insightful, newsworthy), capture images
  2. FORMAT - Image, Text
  3. VEHICLE - News Release, Slideshow, Tweet
  4. MEDIUM - SOcial, MObile, LOcal, Traditional, Video
  5. CONVERSION - Generate emotion and share

Lessons San Diego can learn from Detroit

While Detroit may have its' list of issues, the one thing San Diego can learn from Detroit is what to do when a mayor mirrored in controversy refuses to step down and allow the city they are supposed to serve wallow in his controversy. To help the city move forward the Mayor needs to resign and leaders in the community, including business leaders, the faith-based community and others must increase their calls for action.  Government leaders must do the same. This is not politics and should not be a partisan issue.  More specifically, members of the San Diego City Council should take collective action to remove the Mayor.

The President of the San Diego City Council, or whoever is next in-line to become Mayor, must also begin immediate steps in creating a transition plan, ensuring the public that they are on the job and taking back control.  Over the next 90 days the new Mayor needs to create a strategy where they remain very visible in the community and in the media.  Every day the new Mayor should be talking to people in the community, showing up at places throughout the city, in local restaurants at lunch and away from the city center and in the neighborhoods.  This includes meeting with key leaders, including business, faith-based, labor and regional leaders to talk about solutions for moving the city forward.  At that time, the new Mayor can start communicating their vision for the city and help shift the focus back to the important issues the city faces.

The new mayor should also meet with the media on a regular basis. Host briefings in their office and otherwise make their schedule public.  This also includes the national media as the rest of the country is watching. With each interview, the new mayor must reinforce that they are on the job, have taken control and putting this controversy behind to reinforce what makes San Diego a great city, focus on the vital issues that need attention and offer their vision for moving forward.

But before you have a new mayor, current Mayor Bob Filner has to step aside for the sake of the city's future. It is time to let go of an ego that got the former Mayor of Detroit in jail, not once, not twice but several times.  The mayor needs to stop avoiding the media and start talking.  Either set the record straight or face up to the mistakes you made. We all have issues, some worse than others and some more public than others. There will be some people that will be forgiving and others will not. However, elected officials have a responsibility to be accountable to the people who elected them and seeking therapy is not the answer.

Rather than seek shelter in therapy, get in front of the issue. The more you let it linger the more you let others talk about you and your city and the more difficult it will be to rebuild your reputation or the city's.  Finally, apologize and work hard on finding positive solutions that will help everyone heal and move on to more important issues.

Former South Carolina Governor tried to do it and now he is serving in Congress.  Former New York Governor Elliott Spitzer is trying to do it as is former Congressman Anthony Weiner. My mayor, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick did not do it and now sits in prison. However, former Portland Mayor Sam Adams served out his term despite admitting to inappropriate relationships. You can look to other countries as well, including Toronto, Montreal, Italy, Mexico and the Czech Republic for other examples or Mayors and other elected officials go wild.

Unfortunately, in politics and in government, scandals happen. People love power and sometimes the perks of elected offices gets to them. It is no excuse and  unfortunately, it is not uncommon, but as Mayor, Bob can take the steps to help everyone move forward and Detroit offers the perfect guide to stepping in that direction.

Daniel Cherrin is the founder of North Coast Strategies and served as the Communications Director for the City of Detroit and Press Secretary to former Detroit Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr., following one of the most tumultuous times in Detroit's history, following the resignation of Kwame Kilpatrick.

“Know WHAT to say, WHEN to say it and WHO to say it to!”

To often an organization creates a marketing plan that fits in a binder and gets shelved. Hours are spent defining your audience, studying the data and creating plans that do not have anyone following through. It is time to end the planning and begin with creating a strategic road map to reaching your core audience, centered-around your organization's values and focused on empowering the consumer to make a purchase, advocate or change their lifestyle.  

To learn more about re-setting your marketing strategy to focus on your organizations core, while creating a road map instead of plan, see this presentation delivered today at the Michigan Society of Association Executive's (MSAE) OrgPro 2013.

“Know WHAT to say, WHEN to say it and WHO to say it to!” looks at the brand of an association and assists association leaders in re-defining their audience and setting objectives in creating an integrated communications plan. It will hit the high notes in terms of helping association leaders, from large and small associations, with marketing goals and strategies for defining the audience, crafting the message and identifying the appropriate media channels from traditional media, digital and social mobile. Association leaders will walk out as marketing professionals complete with a one page strategic communications plan to start working on when they return to work.

More tips in protecting your reputation during a crisis

don’t say anything you couldn’t or wouldn’t say in court, and  just sick to the facts

For example:

  • The claim, offense or defense involved
  • Information contained in a public record
  • That an investigation of a matter is in progress
  • Undisputable facts

A litigation communications plan blends both legal expertise and media savvy, by helping to frame messages during the litigation to help preserve, protect and enhance the reputation of the parties. It also helps to monitor what others are saying about the case and the company and works to control the message, address concerns and build relationships to help the company emerge from the litigation with its reputation intact. An effective litigations communications strategy, works to enhance legal efforts by providing clarity on complex legal issues, before and after litigation. The goal of litigation communications is to guarantee that the client's public image is completely aligned with the legal team's efforts and strategy, while ensuring the company's message is understood outside the courtroom.

Detroit, Sex Scandals and How to Save Your Reputation

Former New York Governor Elliott Spitzer did it, Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner is trying to do it, Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford almost did it and former Portland Mayor Sam Adams served out his term despite admitting to a relationship with a teenage boy. So what should Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh do to save a reputation he has worked so hard to build, first as a journalist, then as a rising leader in Detroit?  He should:

  1. Stop avoiding the media and start talking.  Either set the record straight or face up to the mistakes made.  We all have issues, some worse than others and some more public. Some people will be forgiving. Others will not. However, elected officials have a responsibility to be accountable to the people who elected them. So seek us out, rather than hide.
  2. Get in front of the issue. The more you let it linger and the more you let others talk for you, the harder it will be to recover your reputation.
  3. Apologize. Admit what you did or did not do and set the record straight.
  4. Create political goodwill.  After you apologize work hard on finding positive solutions that will help you move forward and the rest of the city to move on to other more important issues.
  5. Stay visible and take positive steps to gaining your reputation back. Admit what you did (if you did it) and take positive steps to rehabilitate yourself and move on.

Unfortunately, in politics and in government, scandals happen.  People love power and sometimes the perks of elected office gets the most of us. It is no excuse, and unfortuantely it is not uncommon. In fact, earlier this month, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic was forced to resign over a spying issue. The Mayor of Toronto was recently pegged for a drug addiction he did or did not have and the Mayor of Montreal resigned over a bribery scandal, the Mayor of a Montreal suburb resigned over issues with a prostitute. A government minister in Italy resigned over tax issues, while a Governor of a Mexican state was just arrested for embezzlement  -- And all of this in just one month.

So what is another scandal involving the President of the Detroit City Council. There is no doubt, this city has seen its fair share of drama, that we have been the front and center of national talk shows for it, but we are not alone. And those involved, should take steps to face the music, stand before the public, admit what did or did not happen and help us all move on.

Hiring PR Counsel

VFW Interview

  1. Have the lawyer retain the PR firm as opposed to your client directly, to try to preserve attorney-client privilege, if permissible.
  2. The public relations counsel should consult with both the client and attorney at every step of the process.
  3. Once a public relations firm is engaged, they will, depending on the strategy: help with messaging and identify the appropriate media to communicate those messages or even act as your client’s spokesperson. They also should monitor the media and find ways to enhance, protect and further your client’s reputation.
  4. The best PR counsel comes from a lawyer who practices PR

Media Tips for Lawyers, Representing Clients In The Public Eye

article IMG_0344 Screenshot 11:27:12 12:03 AM 484359_10151114446092757_1756183311_n IMG_0839 Today’s legal market demands a broad range of business solutions lawyers can provide their clients. A strategic communications plan can prove to be an extremely helpful tool lawyers can provide their clients, in anticipation of or during litigation, or just an overall part of their legal strategy.

Every Company Is A Media Company

Today, every company with a website, blog or social media presence is a media company and anyone with access to a computer, smart phone or tablet, has the potential to damage a company’s reputation. However, at the same time with digital and mobile technology, companies have more opportunities to take their message directly to the consumer, to protect, enhance and elevate their reputation.

For companies such as Domino’s and The BBC, to celebrities and politicians such as Lance Armstrong and Elliott Spitzer, lawsuits today are no longer fought in the courtroom.  Cases are being tried in the media, with the potential to damage brands and reputations alike.

Clients Turn To Lawyers As Spokesperson

In general, a lawyer’s job is to represent their clients in a court of law, not in the media, and many are uncomfortable in talking to reporters.  However, client’s today are turning to their lawyers not just for legal support, but to help protect their reputation and often speak on their behalf.

“An attorney’s duties do not begin inside the courtroom door.  He or she cannot ignore the practical implications of a legal proceeding for the client. Just as an attorney may recommend a plea bargain or civil settlement to avoid the adversarial consequences of a possible loss after trial, so too an attorney may take reasonable steps to defend a client’s reputation and reduce the adverse consequences of an indictment, especially in the face of a prosecution deemed unjust or commenced with improper notices. A defense attorney may pursue lawful strategies to obtain dismissal of an indictment or reduction of charge, including an attempt to demonstrate in the court of public opinion that the client does not deserve to be tried.”

In today’s media saturated environment, where we can share pictures or Tweets from our phone instantaneously with the world, that may even end up on CNN or FOX News, many clients will turn to their lawyer for advice, counsel and a response.  So lawyers should have a basic understanding of interacting with the media, on line and off.

Balancing advocacy for clients and legal ethics

The Bar is concerned that attorneys often speak with authority and that whatever they say can help shape public opinion.  As a result, a good rule of thumb in talking to the press or in any public arena is to stick to discussing the facts or explaining the process. In making statements to the media during or in anticipation of trial, a lawyer, or their client’s spokesperson, should avoid making any statement that would "have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding."

In other words, “don’t say anything you couldn’t or wouldn’t say in court.” This includes speculations on a criminal defendant’s guilt or innocence, opinions on any participant’s credibility and character, conjecture on why a participant would not submit to examination, and, generally, any information that is not likely to be admissible – Just stick to the facts.  For example:

  • The claim, offense or defense involved
  • Information contained in a public record
  • That an investigation of a matter is in progress
  • The scheduling or result of any steps in litigation
  • Undisputable facts
  • A request for assistance in obtaining evidence and information necessary of the investigation
  • A warning of danger concerning the behavior of a person involved.

A lawyer, however, may make statements that may be required to protect a client from substantial undue prejudicial effect of recent publicity not initiated by the lawyer or the lawyer’s client.  A statement should be limited to such information that is necessary to mitigate the recent adverse publicity.

Crisis + Litigation Communications

The sands have shifted in the practice of law.  Gone are the days when clients were only concerned about the legal ramifications of a lawsuit or legal quagmire.  Today, clients are often also concerned with how they are judged in the public eye and perceived by their customers, vendors and by their own families.

A litigation communications plan, blends both legal expertise and media savvy, by helping to frame messages during the litigation to help preserve, protect and enhance the reputation of the parties. It also helps to monitor what others are saying about the case and the company and works to control the message, address concerns and build relationships to help the company emerge from the litigation with its reputation intact. An effective litigations communications strategy, works to enhance legal efforts by providing clarity on complex legal issues, before and after litigation. However, the process should start long before a matter goes to trial and even before the firs documents are filed. The goal of litigation communications is to guarantee that the client's public image is completely aligned with the legal team's efforts and strategy, while ensuring the company's message is understood outside the courtroom. As a result, communications experts should be retained early on in the process, to monitor the media, craft the messages for key audiences, respond where and when appropriate and otherwise be involved.

In retaining a public relations professional, it is important that you find someone who understands the interplay between the law and legal process on one side, and the media and public opinion on the other. Managing these complex communications in a timely and efficient manner can play a vital role in the cost-effective mitigation of a crisis or legal matter.

Tips for dealing with the Media

Despite certain rules imposed on lawyers, reporters, journalists and bloggers may contact you based on a case that you are working on or a client that you represent, or perhaps even the issue areas you work in everyday.  Alternatively, you may contact them, to help position your client in the public eye or to promote yourself as an expert on an issue that is receiving a lot of attention in the news.  Regardless of how a reporter comes to you, in dealing with the media it is important to understand what they want and how you can best work with them.

The media is interested in a story that others want to read, watch or listen to.  News is something that is:

  • Timely,
  • Relevant, and
  • Sometimes entertaining.

Reporters will most likely report on stories that are:

  • First
  • Trends
  • Unusual or unique
  • Involve celebrities, kids or dogs and
  • General human-interest stories.

When the reporter asks you if he or she can ask you a few questions, try to get a little more information from them. Find out what the reporter wants to know.  Depending on when they call, they are most likely on deadline and looking for a quick sound-bite.  If you need to, ask if you can call them back and think about what you want to say.  Then call them back in a timely manner.

Here are a few more tips in terms of working with the media:

Know why you want to talk to the media -- What do you hope to achieve in talking to the media?  Before you talk with a reporter, know what you want to accomplish, even if they catch you by surprise.

Know your audience -- Then understand who your audience is. This will help you craft the appropriate messages that resonate with the right audience.

Know what you want to say – Once you know why you want to approach the media, and who the audience is, know what you want to say.  Have a few key messages written out that you want to convey to the reporter and think of a few questions they may ask -- and be ready to respond.

Do your homework – Know what the reporter writes about and covers. Be familiar with their latest story and angle.  Go on their website, perhaps they have a blog or check them out on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

What not to do with the Media:

Never say “No Comment” or “Because a lawsuit was filed we cannot comment on active litigation.” Instead say something more general and stick to your messages, or “I can’t tell you that now, but what I can tell you is..."

  • Don’t repeat a negative question or phrase
  • Stop using jargon or technical lingo
  • Try not to go “off the record”
  • Never lie
  • Don’t attack competitors or sell yourself

During the interview – Think of it as a debate not a conversation, unless you are talking to Stephen Colbert:

  • A reporter is using it to gather information or to find a story
  • Know your objectives and stick to your key message
  • If the reporter gets off message, bridge back to your key message
  • Answer only the question asked
  • Stick to your messages

Don’t hide anything you don’t want them to find later. When speaking to the media be concise and thorough and tell them everything that you can with in reason. You do not want them finding out information on their own and then confronting you when you are not prepared to answer their questions.

If you don’t know, don’t tell and don’t worry – Don’t panic if you are asked a question during an interview that you do not know the answer to. Be honest and tell them that you do not know the answer but that you would be happy to look into it and get back to them. Never attempt to make something up.

Silence. When being interviewed, once you have made your point do not be intimidated by silence. Silence is not a bad thing during an interview, it’s a tactic used by reporters to get you to talk, in the hopes of getting you to say something that you shouldn’t have.

“Off the record” or “For background only” – As a general rule, if you don’t want it in print then don’t say it.  However, an ethical reporter will respect what you are trying to say and will work with to make sure what your saying is accurate. It helps to know the reporters covering the issues you are working on and have a good working relationship with them. It also helps to not be confrontational and to respect them for having a job to do and that you want to work with them in preparing their story.

Timing – Just as a lawyer sticks to deadlines prescribed by the court, reporters have deadlines to keep and times they need to either file stories or air them. You will develop better relationships with a reporter if you are sensitive to their deadlines.

Preparing for an ambush – If a reporter catches you by surprise, stop in your tracks, address the reporters questions (you can be vague if you want), then let them know that you have another commitment and that you will get back to them by their deadline.  If a reporter calls by phone  take their message, find out what they want and when their deadline is,  and get back to them in a timely manner.

Working with the media – It is about relationships.

Corrections -- Don’t be afraid to correct the reporter or ask them to revise their story to be accurate.

Monitor the media – Know what is being said about you, your clients, your firm and your industry.

Anything else? – This is always the last question in any interview, so be prepared to summarize your key messages; say anything that you forgot to say before; or clarify any statement that needs further explanation. s not deserve to be tried.”2

Social Media Tips

Social media is becoming more than a tool for us to stay in touch with our friends or family, it is becoming a new area to look out for our client’s interests and/or a new medium to promote our practice. It also is our opportunity to control the message and to clarify misinformation. However, interacting with those using social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or YouTube, is a little different than working with the traditional media.

Know the influentials –  There are millions of people using a variety of social media sites that it is important to know who the influential people are.  There are a number of social media sites that you can use to track the influentials.

Monitor the chatter – Once you know who to follow you should monitor the chatter. Listen to the tone of the comments and questions and participate where appropriate. A good way to monitor the media is to create Google Alerts, Twitter feeds or Facebook updates. Even if you don’t join the conversation, be aware of what people are saying about your company on different social media platforms.

Engage the community – Once you are able to gain an understanding of social media and how it works, go ahead and begin to engage the community. However, in using social media one’s credibility is gained through transparency, honesty, relevance and value.

Crisis Management

If a crisis ensues, you may not have the time to monitor social media sites and find the right time to engage people on line. Should that be the case, you should be more proactive, reserve the various domain names with your name, your companies name and variations thereof  so should something happen, you can go on line and communicate directly to the masses.

FOIA

The documents you file in court are public documents and subject to FOIA. Don’t be surprised if you see the language from your depositions, motions or others in an article or even on a graphic on television. So, if a reporter asks for a document, it will go along way if you just give it to them but feel free to redact sensitive or privileged information.

Hiring PR Counsel

Lawyers need to understand what is news and how to best communicate that news to the public.  If attorneys will not provide such services, then they should build strategic partnerships with public relations firms to help them. To meet the needs of today’s businesses, lawyers will need skilled advice regarding how to position their clients before the media, while legally protecting their clients.  Seeking PR counsel is an important aspect of any legal strategy. Even if the issue is a small matter, there is no way we can tell how public opinion can or will shape the outcome of a case. Therefore, in engaging public relations counsel:

  • Have the lawyer retain the PR firm as opposed to your client directly, to try to preserve attorney-client privilege.
  • The public relations counsel should consult with both the client and attorney at every step of the process.

Once a public relations firm is engaged, they will, depending on the strategy: help with messaging and identify the appropriate media to communicate those messages or even act as your client’s spokesperson. They also should monitor the media and find ways to enhance, protect and further your client’s reputation.

Re-Thinking a Party and Re-Building an Association

I am not going to join an association if I don’t find value in it. As both the Democratic and Republican parties look to re-build they need to re-engage their members. Like any organization, its leaders need to communicate the value membership brings while constantly giving people reasons to join in its mission. This can be accomplished through the benefits they provide or the stories they tell to help people connect emotionally to the organization.

To be effective at that the organizations need the infrastructure and refine their business operations to reflect the reality of their industry, their membership and the world around them.  In addition the organizational leadership needs to build a sustainable organization to help attract a new generation of members.

Once the infrastructure is in place the messages need to be crafted to communicate organizational value. The agenda needs to resonate with the right audience and be communicated in a way that they will listen to it. The messages should be action-oriented. People join an organization because they share common values but also because they want to belong to something. So, give people a reason to get engaged.

Today, associations must also Re-Evaluate how it uses emerging technologies and the various media platforms around them to their advantage. We should only look forward in how we do things.

Once the messages are developed, now you can go out and raise money or increase membership. However, this too takes a new way to think about the how and why you approach others. As an organization, you should rethink your members or donors as “investors,” and work to create a donor relations program to keep them engaged in organizational activity – year-round.

While the organization raises money or seeks new members it should work diligently to find new candidates or younger members. The MS Society has created a Young Leaders Group, there are programs like Leadership Detroit and also the Michigan Political Leadership Program (of which I am a fellow and board member). But other organizations, including political parties can work harder at nurturing the next generation of leadership.

In restructuring a political party or an association, it will taking rethinking how the organization is structured, what the messages are that needs to be communicated, rethinking how you embrace membership and donors and finding ways to raise a new class of leadership. However, todays realities demand we re-think how we manage our lives and our associations.

Challenging the Status Quo by Creating a Vision

Gone are the days when you found a job and stayed in that job until you retired. Today, the workforce is more mobile, in part due to the economy and the need to go where the jobs are and in party due to technology. As times change, so too must our political system and our political leaders should work harder at communicating their vision for improving their world. But that vision should not be theirs alone. It should be consensus-driven so that others can stand with the Mayor, Governor and others in supporting that vision. Once they have that vision, they can now create their agenda.  What issues will become their priority and how will they go about implementing that agenda.

So communicating that vision and agenda will be vital to seeing it through. Why is this the right thing to do now? Does it reflect reality so that I can get others to rally behind it?

To lead the conversion, our leaders need to lead the conversation, but also listen to what others have to say and adjust their plans to reflect the political and economic realities. People are looking for solutions. Solutions that are immediate but also pro-active with long-term benefits

Change is never easy, but in order to change we have to know where you are going. To help you in the process we need to understand the why, the what and the how. We need to become emotionally-connected through common values. We will help you only if we can trust you and for that we need to start developing a relationship.

Once we begin the discussion and build the trust we will come to realize that we are all in this together and we each have a role to play -- So let’s support each other.

Sustain a move-ment

As Republicans and Democrats convene their conventions this month to affirm or select new leadership, one thing is certain, both parties need to work harder at building a brand and sustaining a movement. A ‘move-ment’ is a series of organized activities towards a common objective.

How do you create a movement – With just one big idea.

That idea should be simple.  It should be something that you and others can be passionate about.

Now that you the idea, you now need to get people to care about it. And it also will need its own identity to give people something to talk about.

Now its time to “Ignite the Movement,” and provide even more reasons to talk about it.

From a political party perspective, to sustain a movement, everyone should be on the same page. The House and Senate Caucuses should work in sync with the established party so that everyone is working to compliment the other, reinforce the messages, engage the public and build a movement by getting people who are interested engaged.

The American Electorate is frustrated with politics as usual, the name-calling and the lack of progress in state capitols and in Congress. Instead of being against what the other party is for, each party should create a platform to engage the other side in a solution-based discussion about where to agree and where to move on.

I recently read that “a credible idea makes people believe. An emotional idea gets people to care.’  Given the right agenda, Democrats and Republicans can create the right stories to bring outsiders inside their movement and in the end they will get the right people to act to help us all move forward.

Measuring Progress in Social Media and Public Relations

In any marketing campaign, it is important that your team sets goals before you measure success. In creating goals, look first to your business goals. This should be done from the first meeting with your public relations or marketing agency. Your agency should provide you with results on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, depending on the structure of your agency/client relationship.

  • Measure media with quality not quantity or AVE
  • Understand how others change as a result of PR gained

Success, should not be based on the number of:

  • Press Releases
  • Byline Articles
  • Meetings/Interviews
  • Even Opportunties missed
  • Mentions
  • Likes/Follows
  • Speaking engagements
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Article tone
  • SEO Ranking
  • Blog responses
  • Competitor Comparisons

Success should instead be based if your business objectives are being met.

5 Reasons You Know It's Time To Buy A New Car

Car RepairOver the past three years, I have spent a lot of time going back and forth to the service department at my local dealership, trying to get various problems fixed with my car. Today, we finally purchased a new vehicle and here are 5 reasons why I was ready to sell my car:

  1. I became the Mayor of the service department via FourSquare.
  2. I am the only person to "like" my service department on Facebook.
  3. I know all the service managers by first name.
  4. The service department replaced Starbuck's as my first place to stop for a cup of coffee in the morning.
  5. The Service Managers now call me to trouble-shoot vehicles coming in.

Hopefully, with this new vehicle, someone else will become Mayor and others will like them on Facebook. However, I did learn some valuable lessons from the Service Department for my public relations firm:

  1. Service still matters and for some agencies, it helps them stand out from the competition.
  2. Communications is important. You want to know what's is gong with your car as clients want to know what is going on with their file - so make sure you touch-base with them on a regular basis.
  3. Follow up is vital. Just because your car made it out of the service department does end the relationship. It is important to follow through to see how the car is doing or how the project is moving along.

Just a few lessons on agency-client relations from the service department at the car dealership.

Tools to Craft Your Message to Lawmakers

Primary Message:The Challenge (Background/Summary of the problem)

Secondary Message: What needs to change, barriers, issues? What is the desired change or outcome? What do we hope to achieve? (this could be a policy change, funding, etc.)

Your Message/Experience/Story:

Why do you have  the solution or are a leader in finding solutions? What do you do? Why do you do it?  This should include personal stories tied to emotions to create a story and an image in the legislators mind, complete with research or statistics/numbers to show positive results.

The Ask: What is the call to action or solution?

KEY TAKE AWAYS These will become are key messages so what do you want them to remember about your visit.

LEAVE BEHIND

Don't forget to always leave something with them -- a folder, brochure, fact sheet etc. and then don't forget to follow up with them after your meeting.

Elections are about change, Public Affairs helps manage the risk during that change

Elections are about change. In fact, Change is what President Barack Obama campaigned on four-years ago and won. And change is at the core an effective public affairs strategy. Public affairs professionals help companies and individuals navigate the changing landscape in capitals across the world, and help them better understand the politics, the personalities and the policies that affect their industry, company, employees and other key stakeholders. For example, what will a new administration mean for your business?  Will the leadership in a new Congress provide a Third Way, or does that new committee chair have priorities counter to my industry?

Public affairs professionals help CEOs understand the dynamics of governments in transition and help them build relationships with key decisions-makers who will have an impact on their business goals.

Public affairs professionals, also help companies manage risk -- Political risk and risks to their reputation in a constantly changing legislative and regulatory environment. You just never know who will get elected and who will sit in leadership positions. So you should know who these folks are and proactively work to develop meaningful relationships with them, should you ever need their help in the future.

PR Lessons from Obama, Romney and other political candidates

With the political conventions upon us, to nominate candidates for President of the United States, and the slew of campaign commercials set to convince voters who to support, we should remember these lessons in marketing, that the candidates teach us, each year:

  • Stay on message.
  • Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, but remember who you are talking to and who is listening.
  • Empower your stakeholders to do something each time you engage them.
  • Guard your reputation, in the end, it is all you have.
  • Build a brand in way that resonates across generations and parties. Voters are like shoppers, many vote/buy on impulse once they are in the voting booth.
  • Create trust before you need it.
  • Budget accordingly – issues, media relations, messaging and research staffing can be expensive in politics and in the business arena.
  • To build trust – Convey credibility through a vision, mission and values, early and often.

Optimize This! And other Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools

We are spending most of our time on-line today, searching for something. In business, how do we compete and how can we keep up? Knowing what I now know about websites and SEO, based on the key words I use in my search, I first click on the top advertisement, since they are using they same key word variation that I am using. And if I am not advertising on Google or Facebook, for example, I try to find the key words that a client or customer would type in the search engines to find me.

There are a number of tips and tricks to use to bolster your page placement on sites such Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines.Other than hiring a SEO Agency or PR Agency that provides SEO services, it helps to have:

  • Fresh content – that is why blogs are so useful;
  • Inbound and outbound links to your site; and
  • Regular updates.

To help you find out what the key words are that others use to find you, try some of these tools:

  • GoogleAdword
  • Google Insight
  • Google Trends Key Word Digest
  • Wordtracker Free
  • Basic key word searches
  • Google.com/trends

And there are of course, many more, free and paid tools to plan and monitor, such as SEOmoz.

Our check list and SEO To Do List:

  • Easy to use navigation;
  • Provide direct actionable information that remains relevant;
  • Professional and accessible; and,
  • Deliver high quality, credible content that is understandable.
Most importantly, have a plan -- a plan to tell you why you are o-nline and who they need to reach out to.

We spend more time txting than talking

According to a recent survey by Nielsen Data, only 5.4% of our mobile phone time is taken up by the phones dialer function, meaning traditional talking. In fact, the survey found we are spending

  • 2.3% of the time with music;
  • 13.4% txting;
  • 11% with the browse; and,
  • More than half our time with other with mobile apps.

According to the study, our smart phones have already replaced clocks, flash lights, calculators, cameras and video cameras.As a result, any marketing strategy should include a mobile strategy. While many of us or still catching on to social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, we need to expand our scope and bring our tablets and smart phones into the discussion.