Category Archives: b2b

Exploring Threads: What Does It Mean for Public Relations?

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Beyond a potential UFC cage fight, competition is fast and furious for Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg as Meta Platforms launched Threads this summer to compete with Twitter, recently rebranded “X”, the popular social media platform Musk purchased last October. So, beyond throwing punches in the ring, the two can now exchange barbs via tweet or thread. But what does all this mean for your public relations strategy?

Threads vs. Twitter/X

First, it’s critical to understand what the two platforms do, how users can find your brand and the audiences the platforms can reach.

Most of us are familiar with Twitter/X and its sometimes frustrating 280 character limit. Now, Threads has burst onto the scene with a 500 character limit and largely the same image and video-sharing capabilities. While there are many similarities between the two platforms, character count is not where the differences end.

Threads was developed through the Instagram app to profile a new space for “real-time updates and public conversations,” according to Meta. The social media giant hopes to expand Threads as it has Instagram so users can follow and connect with other users. Users can access Threads via their Instagram account and handle, giving brand users a foundational audience from the get-go. The Threads feed will provide content from those the user follows as well as content recommended by Meta based on the user’s profile and history.

Again, while not many, key differences do exist between the two platforms that could influence your company’s decision on whether or not to engage it. Variety compiled this list:

  • Threads feeds users post from accounts they follow as well as others, similar to how Meta manages Instagram feeds.
  • Users cannot interact via Threads’ web interface, only read content via the web.
  • Threads does not allow users to only view posts from those the user follows.
  • European Union countries cannot access Threads for the time being.
  • Users cannot search by key word, only by user account. So, users cannot follow topics or trends. This user limitation could prove problematic for brands looking to boost awareness via the platform.

As of July 17, both Twitter/X and Threads have rate limits, which restrict the number of posts a user can view, among other things. Reported spam bot attacks led Threads to follow Twitter’s lead here, according to TechCruch. One controversial aspect of Threads that is drawing attention is that the platform does not allow users to delete their Threads account, unless they delete Instagram as well.

As to which social media platform will get the most traffic long-term, that is still to be determined. While traffic surged for Threads in the days after its launch and Twitter reportedly took a hit, the tides could be changing. On July 18, PC Magazine reported that daily active users (Android only, not iOS) dropped to 23.6 million from 49 million on July 7. At its peak, Threads had 49 million users, compared to Twitter’s 109.4 million.

What’s right for your company?

Only time will tell what the right platform is for your company. While business owners may want to bury their heads in the sand and stick to what they know rather than diving into a new social media platform, no one can deny the value in understanding your options.  

At minimum, business owners should talk to their marketing and PR teams about Threads and understand the pros and cons a presence on the platform could bring to the brand. Marketing and PR teams could see tremendous advantage in a brand communicating via Threads because they would have a longer character limit to more vividly tell stories and share longer-form content. Or they may see considerable value in leveraging the brand’s already existing Instagram and Facebook audience through Threads. Your marketing team could also be drawn to Threads in the early days as advertising is not yet offered and as a result, is unable to interrupt or distract viewers from the brand’s posts. On the flip side, it’s unknown how the platform will change once advertisers join the mix.

And then, of course, it’s no secret that Elon Musk is viewed by some as somewhat controversial. When he lifted previously imposed Twitter bans on high-profile figures earlier this year, some advertisers became uneasy about their participation on the social media platform worried their advertisement could be posted beside objectionable material.

Despite the new competition and some controversy, Twitter, now X, is still a leading social media platform and demonstrated means for many brands to reach their target audiences. So, unless your brand leadership is vehemently opposed to the platform, it might be wise to continue to have a presence. At the same time, explore Threads. While we can’t say whether or not it will be around for the long-term, why not give it a try? If you want to learn more about boosting your presence on social media as part of an integrated publication relations campaign, contact us.

Weighing your Options: Pay-to-Play Media Coverage

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While not a novel concept, the idea of pay-to-play media coverage has recently made a resurgence. Organizations, many off-shore, are engaging in an aggressive strategy of cold email outreach to businesses and non-profits offering to secure guaranteed placement of news coverage or thought leadership. What’s more, these organizations assure their prospects there is “absolutely no payment” until the placement is secured.

You don’t pay a penny unless you get your message published or broadcast. Sounds great, right?

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

They Think You’re Great

The email reads well. It is gracious and solicitous, although there is sometimes the occasional typo or grammatical error. These emails seeking to engage you even include a little detail about your company, non-profit or you personally. A nice touch. They seem legit. You can even find their website, although the only button that links to anything is a “Contact Us” selection.

Typically, when a company you never heard of comes calling offering you a remarkable opportunity, it’s a sales pitch, not a legit offer.

Also, often there’s no human behind these emails. These emails are artificial intelligence (AI) generated. They’ve scraped your website for a few details about you or your organization. And they will keep emailing, seeming to wonder why you haven’t replied.

The Fine Print

Despite claims to the contrary, there are a few details absent from these sales tactics.

The first is the outlets in question. Many of these solicitors highlight amazing media outlets: Forbes, CNN, FOX, The Financial Times, Yahoo Business News, etc. What they fail to mention is they are targeting the advertising or sponsored sections or segments of these outlets. What does that mean?

In the case of Forbes, they will sign you up for a paid opportunity you could have secured on your own. What’s more, if you worked directly with Forbes, you would likely be paying to become a regular contributor, writing and publishing up to 11 or 12 articles per year (all labeled as paid or contributed content). But with the model offered by these pay-to-play organizations, you will pay significantly more than the annual Forbes Contributor fees for just one opportunity. They are counting on you not knowing how Forbes, and other outlets, work regarding paid placement and costs.

Where broadcast outlets are concerned, it’s a near guarantee you won’t be appearing on Fox & Friends or Anderson Cooper 360. More likely your brief, paid segment, will run on the backwaters of these outlets’ websites in special “Sponsored Content” sections or on a 3 a.m. Sunday morning broadcast segment with a D-list celebrity host.

Also, for many B2B organizations, the outlets targeted are not strategic to fit their unique target audiences. If your target audience are the readers of Horse & Hound magazine, then a 2 a.m. Saturday segment on TBS is not exactly on point. Sure, you may be reaching a potentially large audience (insomniacs everywhere will be delighted), but is that audience the one you need? In short, these placements are tactical, not strategic.

The Cost

They promise you won’t pay anything until a placement is secured. But when you do, brace yourself. A single placement in Forbes, as an example, could run you two to three times what Forbes charges to be an annual contributor. Not exactly money well spent. And the broadcast placements can be simply astronomical (so they will push you to secure a CNN.com article instead because it’s much cheaper … or so it seems).

Competency

Finally, it comes down to turning over your brand or your personal reputation to individuals and organizations that have no track record in public relations outside of paid placements. They are basically placing paid-advertisements for you (and typically the outlets are doing the writing, not the so-called agency you hired).


And what happens if there’s a problem? What if there’s a mistake or worse? What if the paid opportunity mutates into a crisis situation? Well, these organizations have been paid. Not only do they have no reputation management or crisis communications experience, they don’t offer those services or care to help you. It’s pay-to-play, and you will certainly get what you pay for but likely, not one little thing more.

To cultivate and advance your reputation, a journalist must see a legitimate story and make an independent decision as to whether to cover it or not. There is not a public relations agency on earth that can make The New York Times or CBS News run a story that isn’t deemed newsworthy.

Where paid content is available with major media outlets, the value is limited. Make sure you understand both the benefits and limitations of any paid content opportunity as well as who and when actual humans will have access to that content.

Beware the public relations person who guarantees success. The success you achieved in business, as a non-profit leader or other professional endeavors was never guaranteed from the start. Neither is public relations.

Protect Your Investment: Know What to Ask When You are Hiring a Public Relations Agency

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Throughout my 20 years in public relations, I – and my colleagues – have found ourselves frequently playing clean-up after another public relations agency has failed to deliver what was promised to a client.

When I talk with organizations that have worked with PR agencies in the past, typically six out of 10 tell me the relationship ended badly. The reasons tend to fall into a few familiar categories:

  • Poor communication between the agency and the client
  • Frequent agency staff turnover
  • Meeting senior agency leaders at the pitch meeting, but only interacting with less-experienced agency personnel after the contracts are signed
  • Lack of alignment either on strategy, content, writing quality, values and personalities

Like any professional or personal relationship, there is likely a bit of blame to be had on both sides when an investment by both parties in achieving a successful public relations partnership fails.

However, in my experience, often these agency hiring misfires could have been avoided if the right questions had been asked in the agency screening process. Understanding who you are hiring and establishing shared expectations from the start can help ensure the relationship starts off as strongly as possible. To do so, there are five key questions I recommend asking your potential public relations agency during the screening process, including:

  1. What distinguishes your agency from your competition?
  2. Will you include former clients in your list of references that we can contact?
  3. Who will serve as the account manager, and can we meet him or her before signing the agreement?
  4. If the plan you create for us isn’t working out, what is your pivot strategy to ensure success?
  5. Please describe your ideal working relationship with clients so we can level-set expectations both from our perspective and among the agency team.

Additional questions you should consider asking any public relations agency you might be looking to hire should include:

  • What kind of response time can I expect from your team to my emails, texts or phone calls?
  • If the account manager isn’t a member of senior leadership, what role will leadership play in the development and execution of our public relations plan?
  • What is your process for learning about our organization, and how long should we expect that process to take?
  • How will you help us prepare for any media interviews you might secure on our behalf?
  • Can we see samples of your writing relevant to our industry or organization type?
  • What kind of time commitment should we expect to make to ensure our work with the agency is a success?
  • Please describe the frequency and type of ongoing communication you expect to have with our organization throughout the engagement.

Asking the right questions will help you get a better sense of the agency you are potentially hiring as well as how they intend to engage with you.

Too many business and nonprofit leaders ask questions of public relations agencies that either cannot be answered in the initial pitch meeting or demonstrate a lack of understanding of how public relations works. In our next blog, we’ll cover questions you shouldn’t ask in these initial meetings if you want to be taken seriously while also making the most of the time you do have to evaluate if the agency at the table or on a video call is a good fit.

Remember, public relations is more than an investment of money. It’s one of time, effort and trust. Knowing what to ask will help ensure those you ultimately hire are worthy of that investment.

5 Steps to Navigating a Crisis Situation

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Planning your escape while your house is engulfed in flames is, arguably, the worst time to try to develop an escape plan. Surprisingly, countless business leaders take this approach to crisis communications management; trying to make a plan to save the business as metaphorical flames lick at their hands and feet.

The smart move is to have a comprehensive crisis communications plan in place long before you need to use it. However, given the relative lack of thoughtful crisis communications planning among many organizations, the next best strategy is to try to navigate the crisis as best as possible without getting too badly burned.

If your business or non-profit lacks a crisis communications plan, but you find yourself trying to manage a crisis situation, here are five steps you can take to try to minimize the damage:

Gather the Facts

The worst thing an organization can do early in a crisis is make assumptions or speculate. The outcome of your crisis will be shaped largely by your initial response. What can you verify? Start with what happened, when, who was involved and how you expect this event to impact your organization’s stakeholders and the public. Keep emotion out of it, recognizing emotions will run high in a crisis. Remember, we all have different perspectives and opinions when we’re asked to recount a situation. This is where you must insist on only dealing with verifiable facts.

Assemble Your Team

Typically, this includes one or more people in leadership, your organization’s attorney and one or more crisis communications professionals; either your in-house communications person or an experienced public relations agency specializing in crisis work. Empower the team to examine the situation and guide the course of how you will message to internal and external audiences.

Take Control of All Communications

From answering phones and the receptionist greeting guests to the intern handling your social media and the company daily email newsletter, your crisis communications team has to have complete control over all your communication channels. It’s best to deactivate comments on your Facebook page, pause your company newsletter and instruct everyone answering phones or greeting the public to direct all questions to a member of the crisis communications team. Everyone must be in sync in managing how your organization communicates in the middle of a crisis situation.

Be Consistent in Your Messaging

While it is important to adapt your messaging as facts present themselves, the messaging strategy and tone you and your crisis communications team agree to should remain consistent. Shifting the premise of your messaging will only create chaos, creating further confusion and eroding trust in your organization’s ability to manage the situation. There is also a tendency by some to question the strategy if an immediate resolution does not manifest. Recognize that once in a crisis, there are no quick fixes but often rather only a series of unpleasant realities. Managing a crisis in progress is about being patient and, frequently, picking the least damaging option available among several less-than-ideal options.

Do Not Lie

A final point on messaging: don’t lie. Don’t guess and don’t try to obfuscate. As noted in step one, your messaging must be fact-based. You should never try to spin your way out of a crisis as doing so almost always leads to making matters worse. Be honest, even when painful. And while legally you may be advised to not admit guilt, there are ways your legal and communications team can work together to provide fact-based and forthright messaging that will ultimately move you toward a more positive outcome in crisis situations.

Applying the above steps can help your team better manage a crisis and help ensure you aren’t completely overwhelmed by circumstances, some of which may not be of your organization’s making or in its control. But when in doubt, contact a professional crisis communications team. Your reputation and bottom line are worth the investment.

The Untold Story of InsurTech Insights USA 2023

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When I first made the transition from being a journalist to working in the world of public relations, a mentor gave me the following tip: When you get a reporter on the phone, you only have about 10 seconds to prove you have a story worth their interest. If you can’t wow them in the first 10 seconds, you’ve lost them.

I was reminded of this lesson at the 2023 InsurTech Insights USA conference in New York City in June. There I participated in the conference’s speed-dating-style networking structure. It afforded me the chance to meet with nearly 30 different companies in less than two days.

What became apparent in those rapid-fire meet-and-greet meetings – and was noted by several of those with whom I met – was that many of them struggled with their elevator pitch.

These were brilliant minds: data scientists, computer programmers, academics, serial entrepreneurs and financial geniuses. Their struggle was in capturing the attention of their listeners in the first moments of meeting. This wasn’t just my observation; several told me this was the biggest challenge they faced as they took their start-up or early-stage companies to market. Given the highly technical nature of many of their insurtech models, clearly and succinctly connecting what they did with a business case for their prospect proved challenging. In fact, it was one of the major reasons some wanted to talk to me. They wanted assistance in getting their message out to stakeholders.

What I shared was another lesson I learned long ago as a young reporter: people care about stories they can relate to or in which they see something that reminds them of themselves. Yes, business professionals want to know how a particular product or service improves their bottom line. But before you can get to the features and benefits, you must be able to tell a story that will capture their attention. That’s the secret to a great elevator pitch, winning over the prospect in a sales meeting or capturing the imagination and interest of a reporter.

If you can develop a great story that has a dynamic and recognizable opening, based on use or case studies or even your business’s origin story, and give it a strong opening that will grab the listener, you’ve won their attention. And with that attention, you can present your product or service to a more receptive and engaged audience. That is how you effectively communicate value.

Many businesses, well established or otherwise, share this same struggle. Engineers, financiers, technologists and entrepreneurs rarely study communications in school or launch their professional careers focused on telling great stories. They focused on their expertise and problems to be solved. Having a talented communications team behind them can improve an organization’s ability to better connect the problem to be solved with a helpful product or service. That is the X-factor in countless success stories waiting to be told.

When Conferences Go Wrong: Have a Plan

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Some conferences go smoothly. Others end in the wake of an active shooter event. There is a lot of grey between those two extremes, and organizations sending personnel to conferences ought to have a communications plan in place for the unexpected.

Last month, my colleague Eileen Coyne and I were attending RISKWorld in Atlanta (April 30 to May 3). On the final day of the conference, ahead of the closing keynote, an active shooter event took place a few miles from the conference location.

Our first notification of trouble came in the form of an ABC News alert. Text alerts from our hotel and the convention followed. Digital signage at the conference turned green with white text, alerting everyone to shelter in place and that the conference center was not part of the active shooter scene.

We immediately reached out to our families as well as colleagues to advise them that we were fine, that the conference was shutting down and the event in question was not nearby. As it turned out, the shooting took place two blocks from our hotel. It would be hours before the hotel would come out of lockdown and allow guests to come and go.

In speaking with other attendees, it became clear that if their companies had formal crisis communications plans at all (and about half of most US organizations do not), they did not have protocols for staff attending off-site events during an emergency.

Given the current social climate, all organizations need to develop crisis protocols for off-site events. Contacting the staff attending the event, confirming they are safe and cascading that message across the organization – and potentially to the family of those staffers involved — should be part of any crisis communications strategy. This applies whether it’s your CEO speaking at the conference as well as employee attendees or sales team members staffing the company’s vendor booth.

Whether the crisis originates from the actions of a person or persons, Mother Nature or something else, having a plan for out-of-town staffers in case of emergency is key. And, importantly, those traveling should be trained in the details of the plan — including phone contacts and protocols if cell or other communication services are disrupted.

According to the FBI, active shooter deaths and injuries are at a 5-year high this year. Companies with traveling personnel who spend any significant time on the road should receive active shooter training. This includes the basic principles of run, hide and fight, as well as what to do when and if authorities arrive on scene if you are present during an active shooter event.

This may all appear extreme. And it may be, until your organization is receiving urgent calls from worried families, coworkers or clients in the middle of a crisis event. Being able to respond quickly, with a protocol to follow and facts in hand can help keep your team safe during a chaotic and worrying situation and allow you to communicate factually with all parties concerned.

Earth Month: Communicating on Your Brand’s Social and Environmental Positions

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To mark the 53rd annual Earth Day, we are looking at and sharing trends and best practices in communications related to corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives or stances. As we all know, ESG has become a buzzword with investors, customers and employees all taking a new interest in the environmental and social impacts of the brands with which they invest, shop or work.

Although leadership may recognize the environmental, social and business value of such initiatives, they might not understand the value of sharing relevant and timely messaging related to their progress. However, how a company communicates or doesn’t share its ESG initiatives or strategies plays a key role in the success of those initiatives, as well as in enhancing or diminishing the reputation of the company.

Starting with the basics, ESG initiatives are those that address corporate responsibility goals including those that impact:

  • The Environment: Initiatives aim to improve climate, reduce waste and carbon footprint.
  • Social issues: Initiatives strive to secure or improve human rights, enhance health and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Governance: Initiatives aim to ensure ethical action, transparent reporting and board diversity, as well as fair compensation.

The Value in Communicating

Today, investors, customers, employees, regulators and others want to know how company leadership are managing the company’s resources, how they are working to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, how the company contributes to keeping the global supply chain intact, as well as how company initiatives support employee culture, mental health, wellness and professional growth. They want to know that leadership has examined the company’s environmental and social impacts and are moving forward with initiatives to lessen the company’s negative impact and enhance its positive impact.

Research demonstrates that if leadership can commit to ESG efforts, their teams will be happier, more productive and well-positioned to fuel innovation and the company’s future success. In fact, in a recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, 75% of respondents said ESG initiatives have a positive impact on employee engagement. Further, for companies with ESG strategies in place, 60% of respondents said the initiatives had a positive impact on retention and 64% saw a positive impact on recruitment. Finally, 86% of those working for companies with ESG strategies said those goals give them a sense of pride in working for their employer and translate to a more meaningful work experience.  

We know ESG has value and that many in leadership view it as a business imperative. However, ensuring the success of ESG initiatives requires a communications plan to accompany any ESG endeavor. A well-considered communication plan to help raise awareness around a company’s ESG goals, initiatives and progress will help the company convey its values.

Tips for Communicating ESG Initiatives and Progress

A public relations campaign will raise awareness around actions of your company toward social responsibility. But what is the best way to communicate ESG initiatives, particularly when society is taking a critical eye to ESG messaging, looking for evidence of greenwashing or corporate claims that can’t be substantiated?

Consider these best practices:

  • Establish a Quantifiable ESG Strategy: Understand what your company can do to make a positive impact on society or the environment in a quantifiable way. Set quantifiable goals, track results, demonstrate commitment from the top and report progress. Provide data to verify your results and avoid the appearance of greenwashing.
  • Find the Human Side: Where possible, pair this information with human impact stories. Demonstrate how the actions of your company made a difference.
  • Include Many Voices: Management cannot dictate ESG. Incorporating the voices and perspectives of a broad cross-section of the business who are committed to and aligned with the organization’s ESG goals and progress is key. This not only maintains accountability but also provides a range of voices and platforms to tell the organization’s ESG stories.
  • Shout it from the Rooftops – Artfully and Strategically: Explore and use a variety of public relations tactics from press releases to thought leadership and social media to find the best way to connect what your company is doing with your audience. Connect with PR experts who know the space and can demonstrate a record of proven results.
  • Be Consistent: Once you commit to an ESG strategy, it must remain as sacrosanct as the organization’s mission. This includes how you communicate around ESG. That consistency reassures a sometimes-skeptical audience that your organization is serious, committed and transparent in all its ESG undertakings.

Leaders who want to get ahead are employing or exploring ESG initiatives. That’s smart, but investors, customers, employees and more will lose confidence in their abilities to hold true to their commitments absent news on their progress. A good communication plan must be part of the process to ensure momentum that will allow the company to make a real impact, inspire others and change the future for the better.

Crisis of Confidence

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In the span of just three months – one at the end of 2022 and two at the beginning of 2023 – the insurance industry has been at the center of significant crises situations that have played out in the media. While the scenarios cover a broad spectrum of what could go wrong, from each situation emanates one key theme – the value in planning ahead for a potential crisis.

In December, State Farm was the focus of an investigative feature story detailing allegations that the insurer discriminates against black homeowners in claims scenarios. With a human, empathetic approach to its response, State Farm struck exactly the right tone in a situation where the story would have proceeded with or without the company’s input. The response, shrouded in what appears to be sincere embarrassment, may ultimately serve State Farm well if the company continues to resolve the matter while owning any mistakes made.

The Norfolk Southern train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023 and the resulting chemical spill dominated most headlines and broadcast news coverage for most of February. As investigations proceed and claims likely exceed Norfolk Southern’s liability coverage, increased scrutiny will fall on railroad insurance generally and risk management practices in the transportation industry more specifically. In time, insurers will face questions about how the U.S. transports sensitive cargo and the safety measures it mandates of its insureds.

And finally, in late February, North Carolina investment firm founder Greg E. Lindberg again generated headlines when he was charged by a federal grand jury in a $2 billion fraud scheme. According to the indictment, Lindberg and others are accused of improperly taking money for personal use from insurance companies controlled by Lindberg. This news follows a 2020 bribery conviction of Lindberg that was overturned on appeal in 2022. Lindberg has since made several combative statements, issued a press release announcing planned actions by his defense team, and otherwise taken actions to ensure his name remains in the headlines, come what may.

And these are just a few of the more recent, audacious headline makers.

As has been said many times before, the insurance industry has a communications problem. And like so many other industries, the crisis communications capabilities of the insurance industry are lacking.

Countless businesses of all sizes are ill-prepared for crisis situations where they must communicate with multiple stakeholders: investors, board members, employees, vendors, the public at large, industry leaders, etc. Most lack a Crisis Communications Plan. And for those who might have a crisis plan of a sort, those plans are often out of date by many years and/or have never been stress tested. In fact, if you quizzed most senior executives at any number of organizations, they would be hard pressed to verify a Crisis Communications Plan exists for their company, and who is assigned to what roles on the designated crisis team.

Crisis Communications Plans give companies and non-profits a road map to follow, designate team members with clearly defined roles, and provide approved language for a range of scenarios that allow for the type of rapid response required in the current media environment. These plans also empower crisis team members with both formal training that helps them to avoid missteps and with the authority to act in the best interests of the organization within certain parameters. Lacking such a plan, most companies find themselves making it up as they go, which is akin to trying to close the barn doors while the horses are mid-stampede from that same barn. The best you can hope for in that scenario is not to be crushed in the experience.

Like insurance itself, a good Crisis Communications Plan is a hedge against disaster. While it will require an initial investment, the savings such plans provide can be incalculable in a true emergency situation. Some crises result in bet-the-business risks that often can only be resolved if the actions taken are deftly communicated. One need only look at recent bank failures – driven by crises of confidence primarily – to understand how vital quick, thoughtful and fact-driven communication can be in the life of any organization.

Is it mine? How to share your PR win

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You’re famous! Well, somewhat famous. You were included in a great article in a highly regarded, well-read industry publication, and your thought leadership or interview made the front page. The next steps usually involve raising awareness of the story and sharing it among your colleagues, clients and peers. But can you do more? What if your quote would fit perfectly in an upcoming presentation or marketing material? They’re your words, aren’t they?

The short answer is – it’s complicated.

While they may be your thoughts on the page, an article is usually owned by the publication that published the article. This applies to thought leadership as well. Even if you are the bylined author, most publications own the rights to the submitted content they publish. So, what are the dos and don’ts of sharing content?

The Dos

First, most publications encourage authors and sources to share content they contribute through social media, as long as the post links back to either the original story or the publisher’s social media post about the content. Tagging the article and the publication are considered good practice and drawing attention to a story is a great way to deepen relationships with the media.

When it comes to your website, include a link to the article in your press page. This usually involves posting the title of the piece, the author, and the date it was published along with a hyperlink to the original piece. Generally, as long as you are linking to the content on the publication’s website and not copying content, you are not violating any rules related to intellectual property or copyright.

For marketing purposes, it is also acceptable to include mention of the article and is preferable to the publishers if your mention provides details on where to find the original article. For example, if a brochure discusses how a subject matter expert discussed a topic in a recent Forbes article, that is fair game and preferable to all parties if that mention includes the date that article was published.

The Don’ts

The general rule is once content is submitted to a publication, they own it – even if they are your own words. While linking to the original article is not different than any other social media post, taking written content and posting it without a link or credit is generally a violation of the publication’s intellectual property. At the very least, it is a great way to burn a bridge with a valued media contact and their publication.

This applies to more than just website content. Marketing materials and other communications should not include unattributed quotes, segments or articles. A bylined article should also be considered the property of the publication once it has been submitted for publishing. Many publications will have language to this effect in the legal notices on their website or even request that you sign an author’s agreement before publication.

A Rule of Thumb

Many publications may be interested in giving special permission to use their content as long as they are given the proper credit. There can be a grey area here, but as a rule of thumb, when it comes to who owns the content, regardless of who wrote it, assume it belongs to the publication.  

Why Lack of a Crisis Communications Plan Should Terrify You

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Crises come in many forms.

They could present as one (or more) negative online reviews of your business. Others manifest through the court system in the guise of lawsuits or other law enforcement actions involving executives, employees or clients/customers. Customer complaints, employee disputes or soured relations with the local community or other stakeholders can constitute critical crises situations. Still others might involve negative press coverage or complaints on social media. The worst crises involve issues of life and death.

In Crisis, You’re Surrounded. Sometimes Literally.

Try to imagine having your workplace or for senior leadership, your home, surrounded by numerous news vans for hours or even days; harassing your workers, customers, and neighbors relentlessly to secure comments about whatever negative issue has befallen your organization. Now try to imagine keeping to a business-as-usual schedule as the world puts you under an intense microscope.

You don’t have to be a crisis expert to recognize when your organization is mired in one. In 1964, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described how he determined if something was obscene by famously saying, “I know it when I see it.” The same standard applies for leaders in determining if a crisis exists and how seriously it threatens the organization.

In more than 15 years of crisis communications management, I’ve seen all the above scenarios and quite a few more. Most of the organizations involved were wholly unprepared and found themselves, at best, struggling to manage.

Yes, they had lawyers. In nearly every case, the lawyers were excellent. But lawyers concern themselves with minimizing liability; their concern is rarely public opinion. And public opinion, frankly, will make or break a business’s bottom line or crush a non-profit’s fundraising capabilities, not to mention create reputational damage that can linger for years.

The Scariest Role Playing Ever

I like to pose the following to senior leaders, and while some may find these scenarios alarmist or extreme, they happened. My colleagues and I have managed them. Nearly every case was a bet-the-business situation and in each, the client lacked a crisis plan. This meant the best that could be done was to try to get their version of events out in front.

Imagine getting a text message or email that briefly outlines one of the following scenarios:

  • Your CFO has been arrested, is in custody and there will be a mug shot and perp walk in front of waiting press outside the police or district attorney’s office within the hour.
  • One of your workers has been killed on the job, either in a work-related accident or active shooter incident, and numerous local and national media are asking for a statement immediately.
  • Your CEO has been unexpectedly terminated or has died. The press are seeking an interview with whomever will take over, and the board of directors has called an emergency meeting expecting you to lay out how you will manage this situation.
  • Protesters have surrounded your business with signs and megaphones that are paralyzing your operations and drawing the attention of media regarding alleged poor worker conditions, or health code violations or claims that non-union labor was employed in a recent or ongoing renovation.
  • One of your leading donors has been arrested on charges of financial fraud and the media are reaching out asking if you will return the substantial funds provided to help compensate the donor’s alleged victims.
  • You have been accused of sexual harassment, law enforcement are at your door or on their way to interview you and the press have learned of this and are surrounding your workplace or home right now.

If you were involved in any of the above scenarios and you looked out your window, you would likely see a parade of news vans pulling up while your cell phone and email exploded with all manner of stakeholders asking questions. What would you do in the first 5 minutes? The first 10 minutes? The first hour? Most importantly, what would your plan be to manage the situation?

Calling the lawyers is a given, but they won’t manage the press.

Dozens of Questions at Once

What’s the process one follows to draft a statement the lawyers can live with that will also help the organization to try to stop the bleeding? Who will write that statement? How will they vet it? Does someone from the organization read the statement to the press? Is it emailed? What if the press keep asking questions? Do you do an interview, and if so, with which outlet? What are the pros and cons of doing an interview? Is the person to be interviewed media trained? Who is in charge of ongoing messaging? Who has to sign off on the messaging?

So many questions will emerge. Unfortunately, answers will be needed for most of those questions within the first hour or two. Otherwise, the situation can easily devolve to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to manage all the moving pieces.

Now, is every situation so extreme? No. A few bad reviews of your restaurant won’t prompt a media blitz. But, you’d better have a timely plan to message to your existing and prospective customers before reservations start canceling. However, every crisis scenario — from minor to major — requires timely communications, and that’s a challenge at best when there’s no plan and each passing hour might be damaging the organization.

If what I’ve shared raised an eyebrow or you actually tried to answer some of the above and struggled to clearly answer my questions even a little, then you are not prepared for a crisis. And you absolutely need to be.

Start By Asking for Help

Crisis communications planning, like life insurance, is something no one really wants to use. But to protect the people and things you care about you need both.

If you’re curious about what you might need in a crisis communications plan or what the process might look like for your organization to create one, get in touch with me.

Our agency offers free crisis communications planning consultation — which, of course, is different from crisis communications management. We do that too.  But if you’re planning for 2023 and beyond for your organization, consider putting the development of a crisis communications plan at the top of your priority list. Because when a crisis comes, and one will, not only will you know it when you see it, you’ll wish you had a robust and tested plan to address it.