Honesty is the Best Policy
Today, I spoke to a business acquaintance whose client is seeking some PR support.
The individual in question, let’s call him Mr X, has a great business story to tell, packed with as-yet-untold, newsworthy nuggets I’d love to get stuck into.
However, Mr X is cautious. He’s nervous about the return of a story from his past. A story that, despite being factually correct, he would prefer to have kept quiet. But it’s already out there, online.
By bringing him back into the public arena and promoting his new business, might this association return and be reported on again? The answer is yes.
Any journalist worth their salt will Google the individual they’re writing about, from checking previous news stories to scrawling through their social media, Companies House, etc. And, if they spot something that adds to the story, even if there’s no direct link to it, they will very likely weave it into the narrative. It’s called research, and it’s not my job, or that of any other PR Consultant, to stop this from happening.
So what can we do?
First off, trust works both ways. Just as I won’t promise you a front page of The Times, I’d ask for your honesty and transparency in return. Without honesty, our relationship won’t work and you won’t achieve your goals.
So, once you’ve engaged the services of a PR consultant and built up some trust and rapport, be honest about that back story that might trip you up down the line, whether it’s already ‘out there’ or not. That way, we can at least prepare to manage the situation as best we can. Manage, not control.
While forewarned is most certainly forearmed, please be realistic with your expectations. By presenting your (new) story, we can encourage a reporter to focus on our preferred narrative, your new line of work, recently launched business or campaign.
But please remember, editorial coverage is not an advert. Journalists are well within their rights – and should – analyse the press release, scrutinise your claims and incorporate other elements, including snippets from the last time you were in the press – or, ahem, that matter you failed to tell me about.
Sticking with the honesty theme, I will challenge your brief if I don’t believe it will get the desired results. If I don’t, I’m failing to do my job properly, wasting your money and most likely stalling before I even get started.
I speak to many people who’ve had bad experiences with PR agencies that haven’t delivered. Perhaps if the PR had been honest and upfront from the get-go, setting expectations from the outset, things might have gone better.
If you’d like support in promoting your story or business, please get in touch. We can’t control the press, nor would we want to, but we can support you and maximise your chances of some engaging, positive and HONEST press and media coverage.
Get in touch via claire@graingerpr.co.uk / 07912 324 264.
ENDS