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The Case Against Shakespeare
Special to Law Firm Governance
By David M. Grant
President, LVM Group Inc.
If Shakespeare were alive today, would he include journalists among those (like lawyers) to be eliminated for the good of the commonweal? And if so, would he have a legitimate complaint?
Before I proceed with my case, I must state my bias. As a former New York Times writer and long-time public relations practitioner, this "brief" represents my case against Shakespeare. My argument isn't so much that journalists should not be killed (some should, just as some lawyers should) -- rather, that they should be understood and used. To that end, this article seeks to de-mystify media relations, as well as to suggest some effective ways of obtaining publicity in the media of your choice.
Public Relations - What Is It, and What Can It Accomplish?
What is public relations?
One of the best definitions I've ever heard -- and I can't recall where I read it -- is as follows: "Public relations is doing good. And letting people know about it."
Permit me to be a bit more precise. While public relations people do many things, such as arranging speaking engagements and writing brochures, the talent with which we are most associated is arranging publicity. Hence, that's what I'll emphasize.
Before going further, it might be worthwhile to speak briefly of the distinction between public relations and advertising, a distinction which is often misunderstood. Advertising agencies work with the ad departments of radio, television, magazines and newspapers. The finished product -- the ad -- runs exactly the way the ad agency prepares it and, of course, precisely as the client approved it.
In contrast, public relations people work with the editorial departments of magazines and newspapers. The reporters and/or editors may take an idea from a public relations person -- but the journalist will tell it the way he or she wants to. Accordingly, advertising provides complete control; public relations does not. (This has much to do with the assassination issue.)
That's the bad news. The good news about public relations -- or publicity -- is that, in general, it's much less expensive than advertising, and it has much greater credibility with the audiences you wish to reach.
Given these advantages, what specifically can publicity do for your firm? Many things (this also has much to do with the assassination issue); let me mention just six that apply to law firms:
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Get the firm better known
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Get a particular practice area better known
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Build partner/employee morale (and attract more partners/employees)
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Eliminate misconceptions, rumors or bad publicity
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Augment client loyalty
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Last -- but certainly not least -- help make you look good
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How do public relations people work? In general, we interview the people at your firm to get information, employ that information so that it has maximum appeal to the press, and match it to the right journalists. This will help to explain why so many people in my line of work -- such as I -- are former journalists.
Before we discuss what can make a good story for your firm, one question remains: does the firm actually want publicity? At times, the answer is decidedly no. You must weigh the options before you decide "No publicity." In some cases, avoiding the press is necessary (see sidebar, "And Now, the Bad News."). Keep in mind, however, that if you install a ban on public relations, you may not be cutting off publicity -- just your participation in it.
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