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Challenges in Setting PR Strategy

Martina Kemrová, Senior Head of Corporate Communication 11 January 2011

PR Strategy Setting – Inevitable Nightmare

Internal factors (80%)Business and brand strategy (everything driven by brand?, facts/products/“HW“ or feelings/ emotions/people? Customer centricity?…)Corporate cultureManagement and their willingness/ability to take active part in PRResourcesCoop with Marcom, Sponsoring, CSR, CS and others, their responsibilities

External factors (20%)Image of the Co., competitors, the branchCurrent position in the media – keep, improve, change completely?Competitors’ activitiesOverall mood in the societyMedia environment

Challenges – Internal

InternalFar too great expectationsNo or vague briefsLow understanding of PR basics (long-term activity, consistency necessary, PR is not advertising, etc.)Lack of resources (money, time, ideas….)Internal disputes (Marcom vs. PR, Sales vs. Marketing, CEO against others)….

Challenges – External

Media marketFrequent changes – media, journalists (as soon as you establish relations, the journalist leaves…)Journalists too busy to go into the depth of the topic or check the dataInternet media – lack of rules; low numbers? Let’s use a negative headline!; on-line discussiongroupsNegativity wins

Social mediaThey don’t like us?!? Low level of controlPrevailing corporate strategy – “We’ll see“Who’s responsible?Desirable response time much shorter

22:48 Polish hooligans attack the LetnaFootball Stadium, fighting one another. Thirteen detained.22:43 I know how Haider spent his last night, claims a gay, a year after the Austrian politiciandeceased 22:12 Young driver dies in skid off road, into tree21:33 Broken roller-coaster injures seven at a fair

Future PR

Higher proportion of WOM and social media = less control, more emotions

We have to:“Learn“ social media – closer cooperation of all dpts involved in communication (Marcom, Customer Care…) inevitable

Keep the “old-fashioned“ standards (fair, timely, open communication, etc.) + be faster

Get used to direct, continuous, emotional interaction with customers

…ready?

Any questions?