Recent Projects
We have had the opportunity to practice public relations in many different situations. Here are some:
Bankruptcy. Most would consider summing up public relations and bankruptcy with two words, No Comment. We disagree, especially if a company is using bankruptcy as a management tool to gain the ability to progress into the future as a going concern. In that case (we have been engaged in six such instances), effective public relations is vital.
Candidly telling your employees, customers, suppliers, trade partners and the cities where you have a presence precisely what is taking place throughout the period of protection very often means the difference between success and failure. This also means providing ways for these important publics to ask questions, raise concerns and generally allay their fears in a timely fashion. There’s no substitute for clear and frequent communications at time such as this.
Building Materials. We provided product marketing communications assistance for more than two decades, reaching commercial, industrial and residential markets. Our services included ongoing press relations with user and trade media, the introduction of new products and enhancements to existing products. Application articles and by-line features were also part of our services. There were several instances of product performance issues that we helped our clients manage and there were a number of allegations regarding environmental issues related to product manufacturing.
We helped introduce new manufacturing facilities and the conversion of other plants from one type of product to another.
Trade shows, regional—national—and international, were also part of our engagement. Our task was to help our clients gain attention for their products and services before the show so booth traffic was strong.
There were several major regulatory situations that arose and we helped unveil a new trade association representing a new type of insulation product.
We also evaluated product placement proposals for a range of D-I-Y opportunities on various cable television outlets.
Education. Colleges, universities, high schools and elementary schools have retained our services for a variety of reasons. We have conducted comprehensive communications audits to help educational institutions understand how they were perceived on and off campus and how that related to their desired perception. Our findings also suggested changes that should be made to bring those perceptions in line.
We introduced new schools to communities, prospective parents, civic and social leaders so they could quickly become accepted, appreciated and successful.
Our positioning initiatives have helped educational endeavors enhance their awareness and become recognize for their unique attributes. Press relations, special events, spokesperson and outreach all helped with those engagements.
Environmental Matters. We understand the need to keep the lines of communication open, particularly when it has to do with the environment. Some of our clients have been engaged in business activities with potential detrimental impacts on the environment, some of sought permission to construct facilities that involved temporary environmental impacts and some of our clients have been cited for non-compliance with regulatory matters.
Through these types of engagements we have worked with regulatory agencies at the local, state and national levels. We have facilitated meetings with community and environmental groups and we have helped stage major outreach activities.
Press Relations. Most, if not all, public relations engagements involve press relations. We define that practice as working with the press so they understand our clients and what they are doing. We work hard to help the media get their questions answered and be made aware of our client’s points of view within the deadline atmosphere of most inquiries.
Special Events. The right kind of “parties” can be especially helpful in achieving public relations goals. Clients seeking to market goods and services have often been aided by special events that bring high volumes of the right kind of traffic, prospective buyers or those in a position to specify.
Events can also help explain and educate issues, plans and concepts. Dialogue can also be fostered via events. Our travel clients have benefited from familiarization visits by staff and freelance writers either individually or as part of small groups. These visits are often coordinated with local travel and tourism development entities for added value.