Page 70 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Image as a Part of Corporate Strategy 51
names, put in each organization’s tag line, descriptive clauses (usually
found in the first paragraph of a news release), news release boiler-
plate language (the ‘about’ paragraph in a release) and key words or
positioning statements. Does everyone sound alike? Do they claim
leadership? Do they provide proof? Can any of the claims be substanti-
ated? What’s there? More important, what’s not there?
Use this to start brainstorming on your points of differentiation. For
added entertainment, hide the names at the top, pass out the matrix to
your colleagues and see how many of the organizations can be identi-
fied. (We created an 11-column matrix for a technology client and the
CEO could only identify his own company, which sounded particularly
daft versus some of the others. A residential real estate developer
given a similar challenge identified two out of eight – his development
and an evil competitor’s in the same geographic area.)

2. Establish core values, positioning

Core values are what an organization stands for – its differentiating
elements. Focus on three to four essential core elements (culture of the
highest integrity, quality construction or production, technological
innovation, shareholder return, giving back to the community, etc)
based on your true beliefs, first, and their importance to your different
constituencies. These become the pillars of your image and reputa-
tion. Then, candidly assess whether you can provide supporting evi-
dence for these core values and be able to walk the talk over time. If
the answer is yes, press on. If not, re-evaluate.

3. Target external audiences

Make a list of your multiple target audiences and think about how each
receives its information and the most influential channels of communi-
cation. This will be important in building a strategic plan to reach each
constituency, not just with compelling messages but with actions that
support your position.

4. Create a compelling vision, evocative messages

How do you communicate with each constituency and build image
and relationships in the process?
From the core values and targeting, determine how you want to be
known with each and then begin creating the foundation for an inte-
grated messaging strategy. Most organizations waste a lot of time