Crisis communications is something that every public relations professional will come up against in his or her career. On Wednesday, February 4, Executive Director of Media Relations at Kent State University Eric Mansfield shared his insight on a few of the crisis situations at KSU in the past year. Mansfield, who has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, said journalists are used to be near crisis situations while PR professionals are not. He stressed the importance of a good crisis plan. The first event Mansfield discussed was April 2, 2014, when a gun was fired on campus near Bowman Hall around 8:30 p.m. He said his personal cell phone voicemail box was flooded in minutes. He had to rush to campus to organize a press conference with the President Lester Lefton. The next day was also a busy one because he was still talking with the media as well as monitoring responses on social media. Mansfield listed his lessons learned from this crisis situation:
The next crisis situation Mansfield discussed was September 15, 2014, when the news broke that Urban Outfitters sold a Kent State sweatshirt with what appeared to be a blood spatter pattern. Mansfield heard the news while getting ready for work. He immediately had to draft a response to the situation from Kent State. He talked about the importance of a nine-second sound byte in the release for the media to use. He also said it is important to turn the situation into a positive. He did this by inviting the leaders of Urban Outfitters and those who had bought the product to visit the May 4 Visitor Center. This brought a lot of coverage to the center over the next few days. The final situation Mansfield talked about was October 15, 2014, when the second healthcare worker, a Kent State University alumna who had recently visited Cleveland, was diagnosed with Ebola. Mansfield said he was able to use all the lessons he learned from the previous situations to handle this one. He set up a phone line for the media to call so he would not be receiving calls on his personal cell. He also set up a media briefing area. He turned to Twitter to dispute false claims and calm down the public. He also wrote talking points for university employees. Mansfield’s final takeaways for crisis communications were that in a crisis, a public relations professional must be timely, accurate, helpful, clear and prepared.
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Entertainment public relations remains a fascinating and popular topic among college students studying strategic communications. On Wednesday, January 21, Rock and Hall of Fame and Museum Communications Coordinator Carl Harp and Kent State University Professor Gene Shelton, former publicist to musicians such as Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, addressed some of PRSSA Kent's questions regarding their careers and the entertainment PR industry. Q: Why the entertainment industry? Harp: I got addicted to the access. I started traveling with bands when I was 17 and had a lot of fun talking to artists like they’re people. I like to travel, too. I started my own business for a while streaming live concerts. Then, a part time job opened up at CBS Radio. I slowly worked my way up. I was covering a lot of stuff at the Rock Hall. They ended up knowing me there. Shelton: It wasn’t planned. I came to Kent State to major in journalism. I wanted to be a reporter. It was not my goal to work in the record business; it was to get a job at a newspaper as a pop music critic... The publisher of the magazine I worked for recommended me to Motown records. The key to my success was that I was a writer. I wrote my way into the record industry doing press releases, bios… It was something that the more I got into [it], one job led to another. Q: What are some pros and cons of the industry? Harp: You’re trying to make people happy all the time, and it’s a delicate balance to juggle. Sometimes, you have to let people down easy, and I don’t like that. I like to make people happy. Shelton: I don’t want to talk about the cons. The biggest lesson that I learned was the first day on the job at Motown Records. Bob Jones who hired me said, “Your job is to work for these artists. You are here to represent them to the public. You are not here to be their best friends. They will want you to be. They live a lavish lifestyle, but you cannot. Understand that you work for Motown Records. How they behave... You have to correct their behavior and, if you can’t, cover it up.” It was never work. I never looked at it as work. Q: Do you have any advice for people interested in the industry? Harp: Adaptability. Be able to troubleshoot a lot. You have to be able to adapt. You have to be able to think on your feet. You have to have fun, energy, passion. You have to know your band inside and out. I often have to prepare spokespeople for an interview. So, I have to know that information inside and out. Just when you think you’re 100% done, add another 1%. Add that something extra. Shelton: Know how to tell a story. It’s all about storytelling and all about communicating. You need to understand the story you're telling. Know what you are talking about. Know your artists or your client. There is nothing worse than when someone asks you a question about your client you don’t know the answer to or if you give the wrong answer. Know your facts. Know the story. Know how to pitch a story for a client in a way [so] that an editor or reporter can see your story. It’s not just about the music. It’s not just about the film. What is it about this person that the reader or viewer can relate to? Q: How has the evolution of the music industry impacted your careers? Harp: You've got to evolve with it. Evolve with how people consume information because even that changes weekly, monthly, yearly. This year there’s a fan vote for who gets inducted [into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]. We've seen a lot of our traffic is on mobile and tablets. So, why not make the ballot that way? [It's about] understanding the websites that [people are] viewing before they even come to your website and understanding your demographic. [It's understanding] people who are consuming your stuff, and how you can present it to them. Shelton: You have to stay on top of the changes. You have a great advantage. You are doing something as PR practitioners I did not do. You have social media. It is the most important tool to reach your audience because that’s where your generation is. There’s instant connection with what you’re doing today. Maintain your credibility with your media sources. Don’t call with obnoxious requests. Once you've lost that credibility, once they stop taking your phone calls, you’re done. You don’t want that to happen. That’s why you have to stay on top of everything. Respect social media. Q: Do you have any tips for how people who want to move into the music or entertainment industry can get a "foot in the door?" Harp: It all starts with who you know. My career started with someone I knew from [Kent State]. It’s making those connections and leaving a good taste in people’s mouths. You never want to burn bridges. Because you never know who could help you out in the future. Shelton: The key word is "respecting." You have to know what you want to do. You have to find a way to get in the door. But once you are in the door, once you are in the house, it is up to you to show a gold standard of excellence in everything you do. Whether it is writing, speaking or presenting yourself in public. Because you are constantly around people who are on the A-list. Q: Was what you learned inside or outside of the classroom more valuable? Harp: Going to class and having structure definitely helps. I took a lot of design classes and that helped. I learned a lot on the street, and I learn a lot of every day. I learn a lot from the people around me. I take a lot of webinars still--anytime I’m offered something through one of our monitoring services. Shelton: If not for Kent State University and this school, I would not have had the career I had. I was taught in a classroom how to tell a story and how to be more assertive in the questions I want answered. I almost adapted a new personality. Because I’m a nerd and shy. And being a nerd and shyness won’t get you anywhere. The professors here will prepare you so that when you leave this school, whatever agency or corporation you walk into, whether you’re writing press releases or social media, you will be prepared. Now, nothing can compare to on-the-job, day-to-day experience. You have an advantage. The fact that your concentration and focus was in PR puts you ahead. Start preparing now for your success after you leave here. You can do it. Q: What do you do to keep in contact with your networks? Harp: I use social media a lot and email. And, sometimes, picking up the phone, too. It’s nice to hear people’s voices, sometimes. Shelton: If [people I know] are in town I go see them, or they’ll call and tell me they’re here. I was in LA recently, and I saw artists that I have worked with and it was just like old times. It comes back to building solid relationships. If you build solid relationships, you will always be a part of their lives. Q: What is the most challenging thing about working with talent? Shelton: Their egos. They are surrounded by people who say "yes" to them all the time. You have to be the voice of reason that says "no." “No, you are twelve years old. You cannot have vodka and cranberry juice. Or smoke that.” Whether they’re children or adults, they’re given this entitlement to have whatever they want whenever they want. So, you have to deal with that and be strong enough not to be one of those "yes" people. I have a job to do. It is my job to make sure you get to that interview on time and speak with clarity and stay on track with those bullet points I talked to you about. People get lost in becoming fans instead of practitioners or managers. Always excel. Always take it as high as you can, regardless of how challenging being in the company of artists [can be]. They’re not bad people. You don’t spend 30 years working with people you don’t like. Melt Bar and Grilled Founder and Owner Matt Fish spoke to PRSSA Kent on Oct. 15 about how he uses public relations in his multi-site restaurant business. There are four Melt locations in Greater Cleveland and one in Columbus, soon to be followed by a second Columbus-area location. Fish’s business has been featured in the national media, including on cable network shows “Man v. Food” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Fish spoke at length about how he graduated high school and had no idea what he wanted to do. While he was taking classes at Cuyahoga Community College, he learned from a first-generation Italian pizza shop owner by way of a happenstance connection that he enjoyed cooking and the restaurant industry. He had always wanted to open his own business and saw an opportunity in 2006. “When I decided to open my own place with my rules…The gourmet grilled cheese and craft beer scene in the United States was not where it is 10 years ago. Small, micro, craft breweries were enormously popular, but you couldn’t find it in Cleveland,” Fish said. “If I don’t fill this hole, someone else will.” And fill the hole he did. Fish has opened a new Melt location every year since 2010. He lauded public relations as a key factor in his success. “Melt restaurant and retail are all part of the service industry. We are in the business of pleasing guests. We try to keep our brand in publications and out there so people can keep seeing it. It’s all feel-good stuff. I want people to flip by and not necessarily see my ad and read it, but to see the logo and move on and see the logo and move on,” Fish said. Some of his most successful strategies in maintaining his company's reputation include:
“Whatever somebody else is doing, I do the complete opposite. I don’t look at what other people are doing to copy what they’re doing but to try and do something completely different,” Fish said. An example of Fish’s ingenuity was his philosophy in targeting an audience when he opened his business. “[I] didn’t really determine a target audience. I was asked up front, ‘Who are your trying to appeal to?’ ‘What’s your customer base?’ It’s a cop out, but I wanted to get every single walk of life. I really wanted to create Melt to be all encompassing, welcoming, non-pretentious. If [someone] could enjoy food, enjoy service, enjoy a good atmosphere, enjoy beer, I wanted them in my restaurant. And, honestly, we have achieved that goal. We’ve created a perfect restaurant utopia where we get people from all walks of life. Gourmet grilled cheese kind of transcends,” Fish said. Fish, having had music as his original career ambition, offered one piece of simple advice to aspiring professionals that seems to have served him well: “Go off and do whatever you want to do but always have a ‘plan B.’” The next PRSSA Kent general meeting is Oct. 29 and will feature PRSSA National Conference attendees presenting what they learned at a variety of sessions. Two seasoned professionals spoke with PRSSA students on Oct. 1 relaying their part in The Cleveland Comeback Story. Positively Cleveland Communications Manager Jennifer Kramer has more than 10 years of experience in the communications field. President of Regional Marketing Alliance for Cleveland Plus Rick Batyko has more than 20 years of experience working with Fortune 100 and non-profits clients. Positively Cleveland Kramer offered detailed insights into the deep research and strategic thinking that goes into developing a campaign to rebrand an entire city. "We want people to come here. So, we have to go about it strategically," Kramer said. Positively Cleveland conducted extensive, exhaustive research and planning efforts for about three years before launching the campaign in 2014. After conducting focus groups and interviewing a myriad of people, Kramer said the organization learned four things.
Kramer and her team set out to tackle these four research insights by established goals, such as treating Cleveland as a branded product, enhancing visitor experiences and changing the narrative about Cleveland as a visitor destination. The result was three different brand campaigns targeting specific publics: "And for That You're Welcome" for the leisure visitor, "World-Class Experiences Without the World-Class Ego" for meeting visitors and "#ThisisCLE" for locals. "We have passion beyond anything else. We needed to create a platform for that passion," Kramer said. The campaigns have only been live since March and have already garnered significant attention. Cleveland Plus Batyko discussed how he markets all of Northeast Ohio to attract businesses from different regions to relocate to the area. He focuses much of his time on national and international business media to get positive stories placed about Northeast Ohio. "We try to attract companies to move here and create jobs so they can hire you," Batyko said, addressing the group. Batyko emphasized, much like Kramer, that research was key to Cleveland Plus' formation and initial branding. He and his team conducted a year's worth of research before launching the brand circling Northeast Ohio in a 737 jet. "You don't just do these things. It takes time," Batyko said. "We knew it had to be Cleveland because Cleveland has a lot of equity." Social media has been useful for Batyko's efforts. Cleveland Plus posts a lot of quality of life material to its nearly 40-thousand followers. Breaking into the industry Kramer and Batyko concluded their talk with advice for up-and-coming public relations and communications professionals. "Public relations is really important work, and we need more of it in this world," Batyko said. "This region is blessed with some amazing marketing, public relations and communications talent. It amazes me how there seems to be a wall between us, sometimes. You guys can’t imagine how many professionals would be thrilled to get an email from you. I would be stunned if almost anybody in this region wouldn’t say yes [to helping you]." The group asked both professionals for their best tips for landing an internship. "Always be prepared with questions to ask at the end [of an interview]. Make them good questions. Don’t be afraid to ask a different question. 'How can I grow in this organization?' 'What’s the trajectory for someone like me?' I want to see that you’re invested in the organization," Kramer said. "We all have big egos in this area. Ask that person all about their career, and be amazed at every answer. Study the organization. It’s okay to do a non-paid internship if you like the company. Really work the ego angle really hard. If you show an interest in that person, odds are they’ll show an interest in you," Batyko said. PRSSA Kent's next general meeting will feature Melt Bar and Grilled owner Matt Fish discussing the value of PR. The meeting begins Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. PRSSA Kent officers hosted a meeting on Sept. 17 to explain best practices for surviving the PR Kent sequence. Key takeaways from the meeting included asking professors for help when its needed, always attending study sessions when offered and staying ahead on assignments for each class. Officers rotated to different table during the meeting to provide course-specific advice. PRSSA members may contact the officers for additional advice on the following courses:
During the Wednesday meeting, members elected three new officers: Co-VP of PR Lauren Biertempfel, Treasurer Erin Zaranec and Co-PRSSA/PRSA Liaison Taylor Meade. On Sept. 15, nearly two-dozen PRSSA members and potential members gathered at Buffalo Wild Wings in Downtown Kent for the first social of the year. Pictures from the social appear below. PRSSA will host its next general meeting, "The Cleveland Comeback Story," on Oct. 1. Jennifer Kramer of Positively Cleveland and Rick Batyko of Cleveland Plus will discuss the rebranding effort for The City of Cleveland. |
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