This is probably still my favorite part of the PR-work. And also, very much where I once started, and from where I have built many of the platforms including strategies, target audiences, plans and models.
If you have the right story to tell, there is really no limit for the use and the spreading of it.
The right story has a way of attracting the audience, regardless of channel or timing of the launch. And by this, I don’t mean that the other steps are unnecessary. Just that, if you find yourself somewhat dazed and maybe a little frozen of all the “hows” and “dos” and “dont’s” – start here. If you have this part right, the rest can (and probably will) follow.
But – how do you do it, then? When the stories don’t come flying at your desk…? Well, first of all – get to know your business. A good way of doing that is to participate in your core business, as far as the business will let you for safety reasons and such). I took a valuable lesson with me from my employment at Ikea, where all new employees had to start the employment with a “Front week”, no matter your position in the organization. I did my week among mattresses, bathroom furniture, warehouse and Returns. And what a week that was! It really helped me understand the partial aspects of the everyday life of our coworkers and customers. And it helped me during times to come, in matters of choosing the right stories, the right tone of voice, and where I could turn for reality based input. This concept, “front week” is something I’ve brought along in all my positions to come, only called slightly different things.
If you have done your ground work, which shouldn’t take too long, it’s time to talk to people and ask the questions that lead you on. Rely on a journalistic approach, and remember, curiosity does not kill this cat. News value is central. Good PR is new, understandable and affects its recipient. An event, a discovery, a new statistics report are all great foundations for PR. Also – numbers rocks!
In a lot of organizations, PR-stories remain untold – because nobody sees them for what they are.
A good rule-of-thumb is to look in your core business by actively asking questions. And not only at management level. Of course, this work can be institutionalized, by for example monthly or weekly reports, yearly surveys, but it’s not necessary to get the job done.
It’s possible to find a lot more stories than that. And don’t forget the singular individual – the person that can personify a societal phenomenon is an amazing element in a PR-activity. The customer, the citizen, the user. Somebody who can, and wants to, lend their own voice in a credible way to your story.
I would like to add a little epiphany I had some years ago; at a Social media convention in Berlin, by 2016, I was reassured by this very notion. I went there with no high expectations, and I told the co-worker whom I was joining to the event, and who was very much a digital expert and social media strategist, that “You’ll have to explain all the terms and techs that I won’t understand at this event”. He was a kind guy and of course, agreed to do so. Turned out, he didn’t have to. The great take away from the whole conference was still “Content rules!” And in this segment, I felt both at home, and inspired by all the great stories still untold. Stories that I knew we could tell, from the company I worked for back then.
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