Building a Community to Support Your Expertise Positioning

There are a variety of ways to build a brand around the expertise you and your organization bring to the party. Which path to take depends on your priorities in terms of the markets you need to reach and, of course, how much you're willing to spend to achieve your goals.

One approach that we've seen carried out effectively is that of creating a 'community' around what you do. Here's what we mean by that:

We know a young business that specializes in innovation-consulting with larger businesses to develop creative and useful new products that anticipate the needs of consumers, and executing their development in prototype form.

The business has been quite successful, but its partners recognize that they need to build visibility and credibility on various fronts, from prospective new clients to prospective employees. It hasn't been around long enough to build its credibility for the kind of leading edge thinking that would set it apart from competitors and attract the best and the brightest creative minds it needed to help fuel continued growth.

Our thinking was that the business needed to go beyond just press releases and feature articles to establish its market positioning. In fact, we recommended that partners look more strategically and holistically at their communications needs and go about addressing them from a different platform: their fostering and leadership of a cohesive community of innovators.

This approach would create an entirely different cachet and credibility. It could be facilitated via a website independent of the main business (which would, however, be promoted via a prominent link on the homepage), positioned, promoted and managed as both a resource and an exchange for those with a vested interest in innovation.

It would solicit and feature contributed articles and white papers related to innovation (including pieces written by the sponsor's leaders). It might include book reviews. Over time, this content-rich site might grow to include a directory of expert resources in the field, or perhaps a list-serve to foster timely 'discussions' on related topics or issues. And it would also be a vehicle for discreet promotion of events or results of studies conducted by the company sponsoring the community.

We can't claim this is a new idea. Many have tried it with varying degrees of success. One of the best that we've seen-employed as a key component of an integrated communications strategy-is Interbrand's BrandChannel. And it doesn't work for everyone. To be employed successfully requires a long-term commitment of both time and resources. And that's really the underlying formula for creating a strong brand, in general.

Crisis Communications 202: Now We Got Trouble

By heeding the preventative measures set in the first part of our crisis communications series, your company by now has at least acknowledged or even named the white elephant grazing in the lobby.

But dealing with the fear and indecision that arises as part of any crisis situation requires avoiding assigning blame and illogical denial. (Witness the PR nightmare after Hurricane Katrina with finger-pointing and missteps by political leaders right and left.) The following steps could help save your company's image and defend its overall stature monumentally more than 'a heckuva job.'

• What's This Button Do' The first temptation of crisis is Panic. The barrage of questions following an unfortunate event can shake the most steeled communications pro. And panic always begets speculation. Do not brace yourself for an impact after the fact. Instead, spend your time gathering the facts. And do it quickly. The more your message is based on the irrefutable, the less it can falter through speculation.
• Show Your Info. Sharing information is a practical step in crisis management, yet many businesses seek solace in irrational containment policies. As stated before, the iron curtain created by 'no comment' is as good as 'guilty' in the public eye. After gathering the facts, it is crucial to disseminate the information in a responsible and controlled manner: inform the people directly affected by the crisis first, then share your knowledge with the organizations complicit in the crisis, and end with a mutually endorsed public message. PR problem child,
• No Fighting in the War Room. If a company doesn't swim with the sharks, the blood's already in the water. In a time of crisis, the journalist must be your best friend. Contrary to urban legend, journalists cannot siphon your soul through a tape recorder. But they can significantly alter public opinion based on the relationships you form. Build strong media relations through a trusted exchange of information. Stonewalling the press only creates more enemies. Be efficient and forthright with your data and respond to inquiries as soon as reliable information is ready.
• Everyone Loves a Happy Ending. You may not have started the trouble, but you can definitely end it. By passively waiting for squalls to pass, more harm is done than good. A company performs the necessary triage by signaling the end of the crisis, staying connected to those most affected, and performing an act of goodwill. (Think Oprah Winfrey's apology to her audience, who made a fraudulent memoir by James Frey a bestseller. Winfrey ended the fiasco by reprimanding Frey on her TV show, which had helped make him a literary star.)

When misfortune arrives at your door (and it will), the above essentials will pilot you through the inevitable difficulties. The rules are easy to remember: don't lie, share the wealth of information, make friends and stay in control. Unfortunately, it is much more difficult to implement these skills than it is to revert to the instinctual (i.e. 'The Run Away!' strategy). But it's precisely these rules that ensure any firm successfully working through a time of crisis.

Newsletter Tidbits

It's already been an incredibly busy 2006 with projects and programs for a variety of new clients and a continuation of services for veteran clients.

We spent the holidays and the first part of the year helping the DuPage County Election Commission prepare to educate registered regional voters to take advantage of its Early Voting initiative. The program offered 'no excuses' voting at 10 sites within the County; all voters needed to do was show up with a government-issued photo ID between Feb. 27 and March 16 and use an ATM-like device to vote in the March 21st primary. We developed and designed a logo, tagline, pamphlet, postcard, a newspaper ad, a website presence, a script for a hotline and a button as part of a multi-tiered program. More than 8,400 voters took advantage of the program, which will expand to even more locations in DuPage County for the Fall 2006 General Election.

We also launched a major member survey for the American Association of Endodontists that will help the organization get a better sense of what their members value and what types of programs they feel the AAE should offer.

Hodge Communications also picked up our relationship with EP Henry Corp. from last fall, serving as editorial manager for the company's Hardscaping Contractor Connection magazine. This quarterly publication outlines the latest advances in outdoor hardscaping projects (paved walkways, raised patios, steps, decks, etc.) and is aimed at contractors. We are reporting and writing the articles based on information presented by hardscaping experts at a recent national convention and working again with Artistic Director Aaron Marx of Level-Design, who helps us produce this newsletter.

Finally, we welcomed a new account manager, Don Malkemes, whose skill at writing, project management and all-things-Internet have been a boon in expanding our capabilities with clients and prospects alike.