Page 68 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Image as a Part of Corporate Strategy 49
don’t just send things out to different targets: you build relationships.
You provide ongoing proof of principle. And you have a personality.
In working with everything from start-ups in biotech and internet
payment systems to a Fortune 100 company, we have found that posi-
tive personalities can help further differentiate a company and its
products or services.
This isn’t an ego trip for the CEO, generating media clips to show
the grandchildren. It’s about being human, telling stories, and
bringing an organization to life in new and creative ways. Culture can
be another differentiator. Is it collegial, innovative and quirky in a pos-
itive way? The heart and soul of an organization can become a pow-
erful differentiator. The people bringing these attributes to life among
multiple constituencies become ambassadors to further build the orga-
nization’s reputation and long-term relationships.

Tell real stories

In his book, Body of Truth, Dan Hill provides evidence that telling real
stories with passion and personality can help to differentiate an organ-
ization. Stories – real stories – add depth to reputations and connect
with audiences. Think about mining your organization for stories that
illustrate the desired reputation. Gather the information and then
share it. Celebrate behaviours. Nordstrom, the department store
chain in the United States, prides itself on customer service, empowers
its employees to go to extraordinary lengths to provide the service and
then celebrates the best examples of the culture at work. These stories
provide ongoing evidence to support its reputation and become part
of the corporate fabric.
PR drives it. As Al and Laura Ries discussed in their book, The Fall of
Advertising and the Rise of PR, PR leads in brand development and repu-
tation management. It lights the fire. Advertising and other disciplines
fan the flames. With media and research databases that retain informa-
tion to perpetuity, the ease and power of searching for information on
the internet and newly ingrained habits of searching for information
first before acting, positive PR can take on a life of its own. With the
databases of the world filled with positive information about your
organization, its people and deeds, a crisis may be viewed as just a slight
blemish on an otherwise perfect subject. Your organization has proven
itself over time. Evidence abounds. What is the source of the aberra-
tion? Is it a one-off occurrence? Happenstance? An attack by a gadfly
with questionable motives?