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The Do's and Don't's of Public Relations
By David M. Grant
President, LVM Group Inc.
Media relations can be a highly effective component of a marketing program. But media relations entails reaching out proactively to the press -- an activity that usually involves some degree of risk, however small, and which, for reasons other than riskiness, may not be suitable for all law firms. Each firm must carefully evaluate the pros and cons and decide whether a publicity program is in the best interests of the firm and its individual members. The following points are designed to help you make that determination.
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Can you give public relations sufficient attention?
A public relations program requires time and effort from members of the firm, as well as from a public relations representative. You and your colleagues are the source of the expertise that is of value to journalists. Someone must help come up with newsworthy ideas and information, write articles, make speeches, and respect the deadlines of journalists who are interested in you. Unless you realize that, a publicity program is likely to fail.
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Do you fear the press?
Some lawyers have the following view of the press: "It doesn't matter what they write, as long as they spell the name right." They believe exposure alone is enough, and that no one will recall what was said anyway. At the other extreme are those reluctant to say anything at all, for fear the press wants to ruin them.
Generally, neither opinion is accurate. What is true, however, is that dealing with the press means relinquishing some degree of control. You may on occasion be quoted out of context. And such major media as Business Week or the Wall Street Journal will not allow you to read the article in which your firm appears before it's published. If you can accommodate such "restrictions," you're ready for the next question.
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Will your clients resent exposure?
In some circumstances, if your clients are very sensitive to publicity, they may become nervous if their legal counsel is highly publicized. I once represented a firm whose clients included America's wealthiest (and most private) families. We obtained a media placement for our client that, from a public relations standpoint, was a home run with the bases loaded -- a very positive profile and photo in the annual Forbes "400" edition. But my client, with regrets, felt compelled to terminate our relationship because of the uneasy reaction he detected from his clients.
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Do you mind sharing your ideas?
The insights you can provide help make you a good source for journalists to turn to for information and to quote. That's why public relations professionals spend a lot of time uncovering ideas from their clients to pitch to the media. In this context, I'm reminded of an occasion when a New York Times reporter called me to request that a client of mine provide an opinion on a late-breaking event. When I called the client about this, his irritated response was: "Why should I do his homework for him? Let him pay for our services."
If you concur with that reaction, or (as in the case of some experts) fear that what you give to the media will be used by your competition, don't spend money reaching out to the press.
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Do you fear a kidnapping? . . . and other bad news
Some professionals may decide that significant public exposure poses a potential threat to themselves or their family members. That's why many public relations firms now advise executive clients not to reveal family or residence information in news releases. However, you may decide that media exposure is simply inadvisable.
There are other cogent reasons why a publicity program may not be for you. For example, you may feel publicity will hurt the firm's image by exposing something previously left undisturbed. You may not want people to know you are pursuing media exposure. Or you may fear that publicity will bring in more business then you can handle.
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