Canon & Shea Associates, Inc.

Here’s how it works. All media – whether print, broadcast, cable, or Internet – have “space,” “broadcast time,” or “Internet capacity” to fill. With the number of media outlets multiplying geometrically in recent years, there are more channels than ever through which to distribute your message. Indeed, the 24-hour news cycle, combined with the multitude of communications channels and the large number of diverse media, have generated many paths to deliver an effective message for your business.

Any business can benefit from the proper use of creative public relations. Here are some examples:

Engineering/Design

When an engineering firm that designs and renovates building interiors signs a new contract with a well-known client firm, significant PR value can be achieved by distributing a well-written press release to appropriate media about the engineering firm’s role in the client’s project. The release can include pertinent information about the engineering firm, such as its experience, the names of other clients, its record of success in bringing projects in on time and under budget, the qualifications of its staff, etc. With a high-profile client and an important project, media important to the firm’s future business should be interested in running the material.

Technology Services

A similar path can be taken by a technology consulting firm that, for example, integrates and installs computer or telecommunications systems. For such a firm, valuable publicity can be achieved by distributing to the media information about a high-profile new client or project.

Professional Services

For lawyers, accountants, public relations or advertising practitioners, or other professional service providers, a similar principle applies: The simple announcement of an association with a high-profile client will typically get the firm in the news, and the image and credibility of the client tends to “rub off” on the service provider

Health and Wellness Movement

If you are in the burgeoning field of health and wellness – e.g., yoga, tai chi, massage, or acupuncture – you could suggest that an editor or reporter with whom you have developed a relationship write an article about some developing aspects of the wellness trend, and mention or quote you as a practitioner and an expert.

To smooth their way, you could, for instance, provide the editor or reporter with information and valuable insights that could help expedite the story. By providing such added information, you will increase your chances of being mentioned or quoted in the article.

Life Coaching

If you are a life coach, you might want to help an editor develop a story that discusses the reasons for, and the benefits of coaching, and become a source who is cited in the article. There are an unlimited number of media that might be interested in such a story, from local and general newspapers, to business publications, to broadcast news programs, to cable TV business channels, and many more.

Financial Services

Suppose you are in the financial service arena, e.g., a financial planner, stock broker, mutual fund salesman, etc., and you want to distinguish yourself from the pack. Your public relations consultant can help you to develop an angle concerning diversification of your portfolio in turbulent markets, the importance of insurance, or of fixed income products, etc. that would put you and your firm in a positive light, and raise your visibility in your particular marketplace.

Construction/Contracting

If you are a general construction contractor, you may be able to demonstrate your firm’s unique capabilities by suggesting an article on how to find a good contractor and the best ways to deal with a contractor. This could be of great interest to readers, while receiving a mention would raise your visibility within your marketplace.

As these examples suggest, whatever business you are engaged in, there will be appropriate public relations strategies that you can implement to enhance your firm’s image and raise its visibility.

How to Achieve Higher Visibility

More creative strategies can be used to achieve even higher visibility for your firm. For example, you and your public relations consultant can develop story ideas that would motivate reporters or editors to cite your firm in a positive and beneficial light in a feature story. Here are some examples.

A caveat: News organizations are always in the market for unique – rather than run-of-the-mill stories. You will need to be creative to achieve mention in a feature or trends piece. In that case, you and your public relations consultant can develop an angle that focuses on a unique approach to the product or service that you deliver.

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Flexibility is the Key in Coping with Recession

A recent article in The McKinsey Quarterly, “Preparing for the Next Downturn,” reported on a study of the performance of 1,300 U.S. companies across many industries during and after the recession of 2000-2001. The study, conducted by three McKinsey & Co. staff members, found that companies that emerged having maintained or gained leadership status in their industries were those that maintained flexibility in both their financing and their operational activities.

In particular, as the recession set in, these best-performers typically maintained lower leverage on their balance sheets, controlled operating costs well, and diversified their product offerings and business geographies. “Such fundamentals gave them a greater degree of strategic flexibility, which became even more valuable during the recession,” the McKinsey study reported. “And although previous recessions aren’t necessarily a guide to future ones, we believe that flexibility can make a notable difference by allowing managers to take advantage of the opportunities that the next recession might provide.”

To read the complete article from the McKinsey Quarterly, please use the following link: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Corporate_Finance/ Performance/Preparing_for_the_next_downturn_1982