A common theme runs through most calls for new business.  “Our company [or organization] wants to get more attention for ourselves and our work. We want to create buzz, get noticed,” they say.

My first thought as a public relations expert is why do they want attention and why now? Usually when companies and organizations decide they need to hire a PR or communications firm, it’s because they are facing a bigger issue that they may or may not be aware of. For example, they:

  • are trying to rebuild their image after a crisis or a black eye.
  • find another company or organization has come up with a better way of meeting customer needs and is eating into their market share.; or
  • have never bothered to listen to their customers, users, partners and are out of touch.

Whatever the issue is, for communications and PR strategies to be effective, it is vital to understand the real problem to be solved. That involves some soul searching and questioning on the part of the company or organization.

Most are reluctant at first to do this, much like a person in crisis can be resistant to therapy.   It’s much easier to say, “we need more compelling boilerplate language and more press engagement  than to say,”we need to improve our product or programs.”

Architect Louis Sullivan once said that “Form Follows Function.“  Well in my book, good communication follows good business strategy.

Rather than parading out a bunch of tactics–press coverage, click-throughs, blog mentions, etc., PR folks need to act more like therapists and get to the root of the real issue. Sometimes this means pushing back on our clients who demand that we get them coverage or that we help them launch a Facebook page.

Strategy first. Tactics–traditional media; social media, one-on-one meetings, conferences, speeches, etc.–second.

The best public relations has always been about strong relationships between businesses/nonprofits and their stakeholders and audiences.  The glue in these relationships is communication, which is two-way.  With the social media tools available today, we can now have these conversations more directly with the people who matter to us and to whom we want our work, our product, our services, our cause and our ideas to matter as well.  Like a good therapist, PR folks should view their work as helping clients use communications to nurture and strengthen relationships.