Your 2008 PR Plan

(Cont'd)

...crisis communications. This can save you plenty of embarrassment, and aggravation. It can also save your reputation. Often times, when a crisis hits and there is no plan in place, heads can roll. A crisis communication plan can save your job and the job of your boss. It’s like driving without insurance. Don’t take the risk!

If you need help putting together a strategy or updating your current plan, contact me. I have a special discounted package for subscribers to Life’s A Pitch (only through February 5 so don’t wait!) Consider this: if a crisis hits at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday or 6 p.m. on a Sunday, you must be able to gather your key people, write and distribute a press release in 15 minutes or less, and know the 3 R’s- Readiness, Response and Recovery.

On to the media plan for 2008. Here are some tips to help build your strategy:

1 -		Mark the calendar. Take a large wipe-off calendar or desk blotter calendar and go through each month. Pencil in any dates that are already confirmed, like your annual golf outing, board meeting, a groundbreaking or a blood drive.
2 -		Look at other people’s news. If you have the dates of the Governor’s budget address, a town hall meeting, or the release of an industry study or quarterly stats, plug these into your calendar as well. These are events that you may be able to “piggyback” off of and get quoted as a source or reaction to someone else’s news.
3 -		Create new events. Review the calendar and drum up some new events and press ideas, like a food drive in April (there are hungry people year-round, not just in November and December), or team up with a local company or nonprofit to create an event together. Consider the seasonal timeliness of your ideas, especially when there are slow news cycles like long holiday weekends in the summer.
Be open to planning for the unexpected that can’t be marked on your calendar. The news is fluid and changes minute-to-minute and hour-to-hour. In this industry, it’s virtually impossible to plan things in advance. Opportunities will present themselves during the year that will allow you to get “free press.” Keep your news antennae up and be ready to think and act fast. When news breaks, if you are a fast-working and fast-thinking pro, the reporters will appreciate your ideas and will come to depend on you as a credible source. That’s the thrill of the news and PR business. If you don’t like spontaneity, you may be in the wrong field. Review and update your media strategy every 30 days. Consider it a work in progress.