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Ten Myths about Publicity and Public Relations
by
David M. Grant and Jeannette Boccini
Principals
LVM Group Inc.
In spite of the fact that real estate people have hired public relations firms to help them get publicity for a very long time - and produced valuable benefits - some exasperating misconceptions and misunderstandings persist about the people and the processes. Whatever we can do here to put them to rest might improve both relations among the parties involved and the results.
1. Public relations people place stories in the press the way ad agencies place ads. There is no contract or any kind of business arrangement between public relations people and the media. We are merely sources of information, which they may or may not use - or even be interested in. If we give them a press release or a story idea, they can run it or not as they choose; furthermore, if they do run it, they don't have to run it as presented or at any particular time. This is the opposite of placing an ad, where the advertiser pays the medium an agreed-upon rate and the ad runs exactly the way it was submitted, and at the designated time.
2. You should be able to see what the media are going to write or say about you before they print or broadcast it. As described, the media have no obligation to get your approval of what they write or say about you, or indeed to discuss it with you at all. They may want to check with you to ensure accuracy, but, even then, they don't have to tell you in advance what they're going to publish or broadcast - or even if or when they will do anything at all.
3. When you give a reporter a story or an interview, he/she has an obligation to use it. In the same way, a reporter who receives a press release or does an interview is not required in any way to make use of it or to put it in any context that you had in mind. All decisions on the disposition of your information by the media are theirs alone.
4. When you hire a public relations firm to get you publicity, it should be able to go right out and get it. Your public relations people cannot operate in a vacuum. You must give them the background, information, materials and data they need - and that only you have - to present your story effectively. In the words of a notable British wartime prime minister, "Give us the tools and we'll finish the job."
5. Everything you do or say is publicity material. What's exciting and important to you is not necessarily news. Unfortunately, the opinion of the reporter or editor about newsworthiness is the only thing that counts. However, your public relations people can help you determine what is most likely to interest the press and then present it in the way that is most likely to be accepted. And, of course, they can recommend that you do or say things you haven't thought of that might do the job.
6. It's too dangerous to talk to the press. Reporters are people, too, and they have a job to do. Most of them are straightforward and direct, without any intention of tricking you. They want to get a good story and may push hard to get it. It's your responsibility to be well prepared and to avoid saying anything you're not willing to see in print or hear on the air. There is, of course, a risk in talking to the press - but where isn't there a risk?
7. You should say whatever it takes to get a reporter to run your story. Don't get carried away by your desire to make news. It is absolutely essential that what you say is true and accurate - for many reasons. If you lose your credibility, it's hard to get it back, and you will probably never get another chance with that reporter. These same issues apply with equal (if not greater) force to what you want your public relations people to disseminate about you. For us, it's how we make our living.
8. You shouldn't give away the secrets of your success. Some clients tend to be afraid of letting their competitors know too much about how they do things. Relax. You can't tell them how to be you. Your special knowledge and experience are uniquely yours. If they read a Derek Jeter article on how he bats, throws and fields, it won't make them big league baseball players. Your expertise is not just the cornerstone of your business. It's also a key contributor to your public relations success.
9. If your public relations firm is any good, it should be able to control the press. They can't. They're not magicians and they have minimal leverage, if any. What they can do is develop the best possible relations with the press, understand and address their needs, create opportunities for you, and present your story in the way that's most likely to produce what you want.
10. Your public relations firm should guarantee results. If they do, beware! A good public relations firm will give you a general idea of what they can achieve, but not specifics. They will give you a strategy, a method and a program of what they will try. If it makes sense to you and they can show you what they've done for other clients, you're in good shape. If their claims are outrageous, tell them you'll pay them with the Brooklyn Bridge.
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W:/Marketing/Mann Report-Ten Myths
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