As a public relations firm based in San Francisco for more than 30 years, we have seen more startups than you can count enter and “disrupt” markets. The ones that stick around find the right blend of product/service needs, understand how to talk to their audience and have a sense for the time to make a big splash.

No matter the industry, startups need to establish their brand, understand their market and build connections with potential customers and investors. More often than not, developing meaningful relationships with customers and investors can be more challenging than expected.

It can also be difficult for founders to set aside the necessary time to market and message with all the demands of getting a new company off the ground. We’ve seen businesses struggle to gain traction with investors and consumers because they did not seek counsel early enough; we’ve also seen companies wait too long to make a public statement and scramble to gain traction with key media outlets. Pinpointing the right time to seek outside communications counsel is difficult for any company but especially for fast-paced startups.

Outside of auspicious timing, there are many considerations when looking for a communications partner. Whether you’re part of a well-funded startup with the budget to hire a communications agency or a team of one, here are some things to consider in finding a public relations team that is the right fit:

1. Do you have time to work with a firm? It might sound like common sense, but you would be surprised how many companies hire communications agencies before they have a dedicated team to nurture and maintain the relationship. Outside agencies don’t know the critical internal updates you don’t share. If the idea of managing a relationship with a firm stresses you out, it is probably a good idea to wait until you feel confident that you will be able to dedicate time and thought to get the best value out of your communications partner.
   
   
2. Do you need a wide set of skills? If so, agencies can be a great option. Not only do they have a staff of experts but experts in multiple verticals. Digital, public relations, content creation, social media management, advertising – the list goes on. It is unlikely you will find one in-house person with all these skill sets. On the other hand, if you need someone on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a focused set of skills, an in-house team member might be an unrealistic approach.
   
   
3. Do you know your audience well?  If you think you know your audience but want to be confident, research can provide incredible value when introducing a new product to an unknown or niche market. Agencies have access to tools and data that would otherwise cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can also check on any competitor in the market to get a better idea of what you’re up against. Knowledge is power.
   
   
4. Do you have a well-defined goal?  This might sound obvious, but, when it comes to marketing and PR, it can be more nuanced than “sell more things.” It is important to understand what you want your agency to help you accomplish when you’re vetting potential partners. You’re spending your hard-earned money. Make sure it is earmarked for something that will help you move the needle with your bottom line or with investors. With marketing and advertising, you should always start with a goal or a purpose to drive the bigger picture. Here are some goals to consider:
   
   • Establish differentiation for a new brand in a crowded market
   • Establish internal and external communications standards (should my CEO be encouraged or discouraged to use Twitter?)
   • Generate sales leads
   • Promote trial
   • Gain notoriety or personality with key target audiences

By narrowing down your objectives, your marketing and PR team can make a measurable difference in key areas. They can also help you figure out what you need to fulfill those objectives.

Things to consider as a startup before hiring a PR or marketing firm:

• Are you ready to tell your story?
• Is your platform/product/service fully developed?
• Do you have a well-defined brand?
• Do you need help navigating the media landscape? 
• Are there any potential issues or challenges you might face that could turn into a crisis or all-hands-on-deck situation?

If you think your startup is ready to share some of its news to create anticipation, reach out for the expertise to get the ball rolling.

https://www.instagram.com/finemanpr/

The post How to know when your startup needs a public relations agency appeared first on Fineman PR.

Most crises involve smaller entities with more limited visibility, i.e., healthcare facilities, schools, law firms, food producers, construction companies, senior care facilities, industry associations, tourist attractions and wineries, to name a few. Though lesser than Boeing-sized crises in generating public interest, these organizations often have more at stake in surviving their crises.

Crisis planning and best practices in communications for these small, mid-size, and even most big businesses are critically important. People who successfully manage these businesses prepare for the predictable: rogue acts by bad actors, accidents, food safety mishaps, worksite injuries, etc. But a good crisis plan is not a template product marketed to the masses. An effective crisis program prepares an organization for likely scenarios with the resources and flows that work for each specific client, based on their business and unique priorities. An evolved, current crisis plan includes real-time social analytics, content promotion, and metrics that are custom developed for an organization’s nuanced approach and shareholder needs. There is nothing “template” about effective crisis planning.

During a crisis, the CEO and executive team depend on the preparation, forethought, insights and analyses of their key team members across disciplines: technical specialists, quality control, sales, operations, regulatory affairs, and communications. The CEO’s priority is to ensure the crisis is managed effectively and resolved with as little damage to the company’s reputation as possible. Much of that happens behind the scenes. During the intensity of a crisis, the company’s core team must be in action mode, focused on handling their individual roles confidently and efficiently. A solid crisis preparedness program allows companies to plan for the worst when they are not in the headlines.

After more than 30 years of helping consumer food and beverage brands, construction and real estate firms, nonprofits, associations, schools, communities and care facilities, I can tell you that organizations must plan for predictable scenarios given the nature of their specific businesses. That preparation will most certainly help them, too, in the event of unpredictable occurrences.

When entities find themselves in trouble, the challenges of social media notwithstanding, it is still important to demonstrate humanity, express words of genuine concern and practice sound public relations principles. Most crises are not handled best as conflicts by political types used to dealing in adversarial posture. Even on the larger stage of world conflict, diplomacy is the first art of practice to which the world turns. Organizations might not be best served by selecting a wartime-style advisor to weather a crisis. Experience proves time and again that turning down the heat works best with calm rhetoric and reasoned, good faith decision-making. It is counter-productive for a brand that has invested years of building equity as a “good (corporate) citizen” with strong values to suddenly show hostility, denial, defensiveness and self-righteousness to its publics. Yes, a brand needs to tell its side of the story, but we all know there is more than one way to articulate a point of view.

There are different solutions to different crises or challenges. It’s true that “crises aren’t orderly affairs in which everyone speaks when it’s their turn and plays by preset rules.” Crisis mode is often chaotic and frustrating. And, as is stated in the story linked above, it is important to identify the adversaries and the allies, but our clients marshal their friends in advance of these occasions.

That process is called planning. In crisis planning, we do not attempt to control but to provide a measure of vaccination against shock and awe and to deter appearances of defensiveness, all of which could only compound the damage.

The public wants to know who they can trust. In matters of crucial human health issues and public safety, people should be confident the issue is fully resolved with the highest degree of care and concern for their communities and families. During a period of extreme volatility and anxiety, it may not be natural for leaders under siege to realize this responsibility. Long term recovery requires a company to do the critical work of evaluating its processes during a period of relative calm and rational thinking.

As a longtime crisis counselor, I proudly uphold the merits of crisis planning for any organization or leader that values integrity and their hard-earned reputation.

For more insights on Fineman PR’s approach to crisis management and crisis planning, visit: https://finemanpr.com/crisis-communications/

The post Crisis PR: Can a Strong CEO Trump Crisis Planning? appeared first on Fineman PR.

The New Year brings typical resolutions to eat healthy, get in shape, refresh and reboot – on both the personal and professional fronts. In true form, this year I have embarked upon the Whole30 Challenge.

The gist of this program involves eliminating virtually every pleasurable culinary element from your daily life for 30 days straight – sugar (later Specialties cookies, ketchup and pretty much every condiment), alcohol (so long Margarita Monday and Wine Wednesday), legumes (bye bye burritos and peanut butter), grains and dairy (ack, no aged gouda!).

When I announced this to my team, they had a look of panic on their faces. You see, I had gone down this unpleasurable path last summer and my officemates, well, they (kind of) suffered. Granted, I was just a weee bit cranky; that and I wanted to chew off my own arm I was so hungry.

Today is day 24 of 30 and I have to say that this same group is doing a happy dance because (thankfully) I learned from my experience and I applied those learnings to everyone’s benefit. As I was thinking about this new effort it became clear that takeaways from my first Whole30 challenge very much apply to preparing for and communicating in a crisis:

PLANNING AND PREPARATION ARE KEY

Better to be ready for a crisis and in a proactive position where you feel prepared, confident and armed with the tools to be successful than in a fire drill where it makes it more difficult to make informed/thoughtful choices. What are your organization’s vulnerabilities? What issues are hot buttons in your industry/within your company? Identifying potential scenarios – and creating a plan for these scenarios – puts you in a better position with a greater chance for a successful outcome. So, pack your bag with approved messaging (and compliant snacks), and you’ll be ready to face nearly any challenge.

GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

Assemble the facts. Gather as much information as possible to inform your approach. What is known and what happened (or when will this happen if issue brewing)? Who is involved (or who will be affected)? Damages or severity of issue/crisis so far? Imminent risk for further exposure or backlash against your organization/the individual? Cause(s)? Or, in the case of Whole30, clearing your house of tempting foods and being clear on the do’s and don’ts of the program.

RIP OFF THE BAND-AID

It may be painful, but getting all bad news out at once is more apt to get it over with in one fell swoop and, in most cases, eliminates a prolonged news cycle. In the case of Whole30 if you tried to eliminate foods one at a time it would be more like the Whole150, and who wants that? My team would run for the hills!

HATERS WILL BE HATERS — ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

There are true believers out there on any given subject who will never be satisfied no matter what you do or say. And they will be loud about it. Recognizing detractors for who they are, not trying to win a losing battle and moving on is often the best course.

STAY THE COURSE- BUT PLAN FOR CONTINGENCIES

Sticking with consistent messaging and approach will help avoid distractions and the temptation to get “into the weeds.” That doesn’t mean that if a situation seriously changes, and there are major new developments, that you cannot change the game plan. This happens often in crises. Preparing for multiple potential scenarios helps in addressing contingencies that arise – before they do. Another reason why I carry approved foods in my purse is that I never know when my son’s game will go into overtime, and that is most likely the time that the liquid cheese nachos from the snack bar start to look pretty darn good.

PROGRESS CAN REQUIRE PUSHING OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE

While tempting to hide or think a crisis or issue will go away, facing it head on often helps get ahead of the curve. It may not always be comfortable, but better to be ahead of the issue versus taking a reactive or defensive position. Getting to where I am today required leaving my comforting food/drink rituals (a.k.a. unhealthy habits) at the door.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

When the dust has settled, it’s time to take stock of what worked and what didn’t and to apply learnings and protocols to ensure the issue/crisis/situation will never happen again.  This is all part of the reputation recovery. I know I certainly used learnings from my last Whole30 go-around to ensure that my husband and I would be far more prepared and far less cranky. And, as of day 24, I can report we are feeling great with our eye toward the finish line.

Are you prepared for your next crisis? Take a look at the crisis check list to see how prepared you or your organization might be.

The post Crisis Communications Lessons from the Whole30 Challenge appeared first on Fineman PR.

The start of a New Year is typically a time of introspection. It’s time to look back at the past year’s challenges and achievements and then set resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. Hopefully, that includes an update of your crisis communications plan.

Instead of a system overhaul, I recommend pinpointing areas of your plan for updates throughout the year. In my experience, most crisis communications plans can be improved with more realistic scenario plans, robust measurement systems and training.

REALISTIC SCENARIO PLANS

Effective crisis communications plans are dynamic. The media landscape is ever-changing, technologies come and go, public attitudes shift, organizations adapt. A crisis communications plan should reflect the zeitgeist.

Are you ready for hot-button issues? Conduct a thorough and honest threat assessment. When you hear about the latest corporate scandal, ask yourself if your organization can find itself in that same situation. If the answer is yes, keep a close eye on the situation as it unfolds and integrate your learnings into a scenario plan.

In 2018, many organizations faced challenges related to sexual harassment and assault, diversity and inclusion and security breaches. These issues can arise in any organization. Do you know your organization’s record on these issues? Are your policies current, and can they withstand the glare of the media spotlight?

How quickly can your team mobilize? Most organizations understand, in theory, that they need to respond quickly to crises. But in practice, convening a team, fact-gathering and decision-making can be agonizingly slow. While I advise against knee-jerk responses, I also caution against leaving a void that can be filled by voices not your own. Have a good understanding of how quickly your team can make decisions and plan accordingly. Every minute counts in a crisis.

ROBUST MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Does your crisis communications team have a system in place to monitor news and social media in real-time? Monitoring news and social media is an active role. It’s not enough just to follow coverage. The monitoring team is responsible for flagging inaccuracies in coverage and ensuring corrections are made before misinformation spreads. The monitoring team should work together with the measurement team to analyze if the messaging strategy is working and determine if adjustments are necessary.

If you’re facing a deluge of media coverage and social media posts, an automated measurement system is important. But it’s even more crucial to have a team to interpret and dimensionalize the data gathered.

Do you know what to measure? Tracking communications outputs such as volume of news articles, social shares and website hits is helpful. But in order to truly gauge impact, a measurement program needs to go deeper and measure outtakes and outcomes.

Output measures what’s been produced. It answers basic questions such as how many news outlets are reporting on the issue, how many times your video has been viewed, how many people visited your microsite.

Outtake measures who was reached and how. It answers questions such as did your communications reach your target audiences? Which communications vehicles are effective? Which messages are resonating with your audiences?

Outcome measures change in behavior and perception. Did your response to the crisis satisfy your stakeholders? Did you retain or recover customers and partners?

Does your measurement system provide perspective? Having perspective helps set realistic expectations. The best-case scenario is for a crisis to be quickly addressed then forgiven and forgotten by an organization’s audiences. But depending on an organization’s history and the severity of the situation, that may not be achievable in the short-term.

Some questions I ask to help clients gain perspective:

• How did other organizations weather similar situations? Use your measurement system to analyze crises outside of your organization. If you’re faced with a similar situation, you can set performance benchmarks for your crisis response.

• How much goodwill have you built among your audiences? Frequent offenses have a compounding effect, and it will be harder to bounce back after each subsequent crisis.

TRAINING

Crisis plans need to be updated, but so do the skills of the people in charge of executing the plan.

Are your spokespeople comfortable speaking with reporters? Speaking with media, especially during a crisis, can test anyone’s mettle. Media training teaches important skills such as staying on-message, steering conversations, avoiding missteps and effective interview techniques. Conduct mock interviews where your spokespeople practice handling tough questions. Study interviews to learn some Do’s and Don’ts.

Most importantly, study your team’s performance during the mock interviews. Do your spokespeople sound confident? Do they stay calm under pressure? Are they able to deliver messaging effectively?

Put your plan to the test. Don’t wait until a real crisis to test your crisis communications plan. Conduct a tabletop drill with your team to identify weaknesses in your plan. Are roles and responsibilities clearly delineated? Are your protocols efficient? Does your team know what information needs to be collected and shared in order to facilitate good decision-making?

Most importantly, a tabletop drill will test your team dynamics. Can your team work together effectively under duress? Can they stay organized and focused during intense situations? Are adjustments needed to your team structure so it’s more efficient and functional?

Crisis communications plans often languish in unopened folders on people’s hard drives. They’re onerous and intimidating. But facing a crisis with an outdated plan can be downright scary and costly.

Michael Fineman is President of Fineman PR.

The post Getting Your Crisis Communications Plan into Shape appeared first on Fineman PR.

The most crucial communications rule is to show compassion and concern for human life and those personally affected, genuinely, in both content and tone (often, delivery can be more important than content). It is critical to stick to the facts or what is known, avoid speculation and correct misinformation. Over the years, our agency developed a tongue-in-cheek acronym (PANTCHEK) designed to be instantly memorable for its users in handling business and operational crises. However, those rules (as well as any) seem blithe against the magnitude of the Las Vegas tragedy or Puerto Rico’s post-Hurricane devastation. I suspect any “lesson learned” following such an event would feel similarly flat. Inhuman events require a human response, disciplined approach, and evidence of collaboration for the greater good.

Communicators must not be distracted by peripheral chatter:  Naysayers and talking heads rarely have full access to the privileged details, nor are they in the position of delicately and deftly resolving the matter in the public eye. Unfortunately, though, it is human nature to speculate and fill the void when the facts are still unknown. A rush to judgment is inevitable. Crises give the self-righteous, the all-knowing and conspiracy theorists their time in the sun.

From our experience, we know that communications dynamics change when law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and large investors are involved. The pressure from the public for answers can be crushing, and there certainly is an obligation to keep affected audiences informed. But keep in mind, you are under no obligation to respond to every media inquiry that comes your way, nor are you under any obligation to respond in the manner that is demanded. We know all too well that some news coverage will be agenda-driven regardless of the content of the information or availability of multiple credible sources. Remember: the part of the communicator is to educate, inform and keep the conversation as objective and elevated as possible.

The core approach to our practice is this: leaders and authorities who act in good faith for public safety and public interest, who communicate proactively and consistently and responsibly, stand to be remembered (and appreciated) for their strength and resilience over time.

The post When There are No Rules: PR Considerations for Mass Tragedies appeared first on Fineman PR.

What an organization says and does in the first hours of a crisis can make all the difference. Southwest defused the situation while United fumbled and added fuel to the fire.[Click on image for the full size infographic]

The post A Tale of Two Apologies appeared first on Fineman PR.

Today, I am looking back at 2016 to pause and reflect. Many of us understand that the rapid pace and flow of business often hinders consideration of where we’ve been and lessons we’ve learned. For our current and potential clients, I believe it serves to review the comprehensive communications services we offer via representations of what we achieved in 2016.

Dale Scott & Company

It was a banner year in 2016 for voter-approved ballot measures providing crucial funding for California school districts. Dale Scott & Company, an independent financial advisor to California K-12 and community college districts, takes a win-win approach to improving schools while protecting taxpayers. We provided communications support to help inform residents of more than 15 districts about the bonds through extensive media coverage and public communications. The bonds were all overwhelmingly supported by voters.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts is world famous for its freshly brewed coffee and wide selection of food offerings, but, surprisingly, it had no presence in the Bay Area until last year. Brought on to introduce this blue-chip brand to Northern California, Fineman PR successfully hosted three grand openings to throngs of crowds and media, some of the latter just as excited as the guests. The ribbon-cutting ceremonies featured mayors, city council members and other local dignitaries to welcome the brand to each community. In ongoing work, we support holiday promotions, including National Coffee Day and National Donut Day with a strong social media presence.

eHarmony Español

Over the last 16 years, eHarmony has become the go-to site for singles looking for lasting and fulfilling relationships, but its general market strength did not extend to Latinos. Mosaico, Fineman PR’s multicultural division, developed a survey of Latinos’ dating behaviors and considerations to promote eHarmony Español, its Spanish-language site. The survey gained favorable broadcast and print coverage in top Latino markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Chicago. We also leveraged a key finding of the survey to develop a satirical “psychic” character, Juanito Talismán, for social media, which resonated with the belief of one-in-five Latinos that superstitions can help them find true love, a playful contrast with eHarmony’s science-based approach.

Foster Farms

The agency launched a highly-targeted lifestyle and food influencer marketing program, on behalf of Foster Farms, dedicated to redefining comfort food for West Coast consumers. The New Comfort Food campaign inspired fresh recipe and visual content from culinary and lifestyle insiders and earned more than 148 million impressions. The program included a Pinterest data partnership, a consumer survey discussed in Parade Magazine and analytical measurement for targeted, focused marketing outreach.

• The brand’s organic and antibiotic-free fresh chicken products were highlighted as staple ingredients for family meals.
• The brand was reinforced as fresh, relevant and in-tune with today’s consumers and trends.
• The New Comfort Food theme resonated with West Coast food and lifestyle influencers in authentic blog and social media posts.
• Compelling imagery and fresh content continue to generate engagement with customized recipes championing Foster Farms values and product quality.
• We broke through to food news influencers who hadn’t previously engaged with Foster Farms.

Fineman PR also expanded Foster Farms’ CSR program and the company’s dedication to feeding local families through expanded partnerships with West Coast food banks.

Foster Farms, 2016 Processor of the Year

Fineman PR successfully advocated for a cover story recognizing Foster Farms as the U.S. meat and poultry industry’s 2016 Processor of the Year for its advances and leadership in water conservancy during California’s epic drought; for becoming the largest producer of organic and antibiotic-free poultry on the West Coast; for rapidly expanding distribution of its frozen and pre-cooked poultry into national markets; and for the consistent excellence of the company’s comprehensive food safety program.

Foster Farms Bowl

As an extension of our work for Foster Farms, our team highlighted the West Coast brand’s offerings to a national audience in the NCAA-official Post Season Foster Farms Bowl game. This year, the Indiana Hoosiers faced the Utes of University of Utah at Levi’s Stadium. To highlight the Northern-California roots of the brand, our team devised a national anthem competition in the weeks leading up to the big play. The 2016 Bowl game kicked off to the tune of a talented Northern California student and singer who won the second annual “Oh Say Can You Sing” contest. As part of the contest prize, Foster Farms donated holiday meals to a Bay Area hunger-relief organization in the winning singer’s name.

Girl Scouts of Northern California

The local council serves a diverse membership of 49,000 girls and more than 32,000 adult volunteers in a 19-county area from Gilroy to the Oregon border. In addition to promoting digital cookie 2.0 with news development and media sampling for cookie season, Fineman PR identified opportunities council-wide to advance the positive community and individual impact of the organization’s programs.  Regional broadcast, print and online feature coverage included stories and interviews for National Young Women of Distinction and Gold Award recipients, the 100-year proclamation in Sacramento with the state’s female legislatures, and the annual Golden Gate Bridging event.

SACRAMENTO, CA – JUNE 23: California Girl Scout Gold Award recipients look onto the Assembly floor during a proclamation recognizing the award’s 100th anniversary on June 23, 2016 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Girl Scouts)

HNTB

Peyton Manning’s career-capping championship at Super Bowl 50 drew significant media attention last February, but HNTB’s innovative design of Levi’s Stadium earned its share of the spotlight. Amid the ubiquitous Super Bowl buzz, Fineman PR tapped into the conversation from an architectural design perspective to secure widespread national media coverage for HNTB. Highlights included features in the Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Post, ESPN, and more, making it one of the most successful PR campaigns in HNTB’s 100+ year history.

Photo courtesy of Jim Simmons

Habitat Horticulture at the SFMOMA

The S.F.-based living wall design firm was commissioned as part of the SFMOMA’s grand redesign. In collaboration with the museum, Fineman PR worked to raise Habitat’s profile and distinguish designer David Brenner’s singular approach. The wall, with breathtaking artistic features, is the largest living wall in the United States. Feature coverage included The San Francisco Business Times, Fast Company, Curbed, Inhabitat, Architect Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and Silicon Valley Magazine, with additional branded exposure in the New York Times, Vogue, Forbes, Bloomberg and Wired.

HealthRIGHT 360

Fineman PR continued to support the marketing and development team for one of California’s largest community healthcare providers, originating from the merger of the historic Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic and Walden House.  Executing on media strategy, expert positioning/thought leadership, event promotion, and collateral development, we secured regional and national features on critical programs and mergers underscoring the organization’s expanding influence. We also continued to promote its breakthrough Capital Campaign project.

IPREX Annual World Meeting Host

Last May, Fineman PR hosted our industry partners at the annual IPREX conference in San Francisco. IPREX is an international network of independent Public Relations firms with 1,800 staff and 115 offices worldwide working across the spectrum of industry sectors and practice disciplines. The conference had a record turnout of members from all over the world – Australia, Finland, Ireland, Prague, Berlin, Mexico City, Belgium, Dubai, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Paris, and, of course, from leading agencies throughout the U.S.

Materra Ɩ Cunat Family Vineyards

Materra Ɩ Cunat Family Vineyards has one of the newest winemaking and hospitality facilities in Napa Valley and engaged Fineman PR to build brand awareness and drive guest traffic. The agency brought a steady stream of wine media to the property and is developing the brand’s 10^th anniversary event.

Quintessa in Napa Valley

In our fourth year with Quintessa, we continued to generate top-tier wine coverage, highlighting the outstanding estate wine and unforgettable guest experience. Coverage included Conde Nast Traveler, Travel Channel, the San Francisco Chronicle’s best-of-wine country guide and an Associated Press exclusive harvest story that ran in dozens of major metropolitan newspapers and electronic news sites.

Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey

Though Feld Entertainment recently discontinued its universally known circus franchise after a 100-year run due to high operating costs and a changing entertainment model, the company turned to Fineman PR in 2016 for breakout publicity in the Bay Area, a traditionally difficult market for the national touring brand. The Bay Area venue reimagined the circus experience for the 21^st century with its “Out of This World” show. In turn, Fineman PR exceeded expectations for feature coverage and brand-positive tone. It was exciting, and they will be missed.

Ritter Center

Fineman PR was called upon to help address a threat to the continuing operation of a Marin County mainstay and nonprofit organization, one that provided critical resources for homeless and low-income residents. We moved quickly to garner support through a grassroots digital campaign and editorial message development to advocate for what resulted in a successful outcome for the organization.

San Francisco Marathon

The 2016 race hosted the largest number of participants in the Marathon’s history, attracting runners from 67 countries and all 50 states. In our third year of working with the Marathon, we continued to generate momentum for its development via international media attention. Our Spanish-speaking staff worked closely with the ESPN Latin America crew to develop a feature on a local Latina runner. Our analytics team also worked closely with the S.F. Chronicle’s interactive division to develop a special report with data visualization.

The San Francisco Chronicle analyzed data from the San Francisco Marathon’s official results from July 31 for more than 8,000 registered racers, plus the individual runs of nearly 900 people who uploaded the details of their GPS-tracked races to Strava, the San Francisco-based running and cycling social network.

Sonoma County Vintners

The agency assisted the Sonoma County Vintners with a community outreach program, called Community Connection, to address the challenges of increasing numbers of visitors to the region. Member wineries pledged cooperation to controls set by use and event permits, a compliance officer position was created to monitor events at the winery venues, and the SCV expanded its best practices member education.

Wine Institute

Wine Institute, an advocate for California wine and more than 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses, engaged Fineman PR for a crisis preparedness and issues management initiative. As the project continues, we are equipping the organization to prepare for crisis risks to the California wine industry and expanding the Institute’s expert resource pool to address challenging and highly technical industry issues.

The post State of the Agency 2016 appeared first on Fineman PR.

First, it was the leggings. Now, United Airlines faces the far more troubling charge of passenger abuse after the horrific video of a paying customer unwillingly dragged down an airplane runway by two security officers went viral. (The passenger refused his fate as one of four unlucky passengers randomly selected to give up their seats on an oversold flight.) Yesterday’s news is a glaring example of why companies cannot lean on corporate policy to defend actions seen as insensitive and even inhumane to the general public. Not only because the whole world is watching. Good PR (and corporate reputation) requires a company-wide system that upholds critical values –  for public safety, for consumer trust, for product quality – guided by company policy.

@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here’s how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW

— Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017&0″ /a>

In both cases, United’s actions (dress code enforcement for non-revenue travelers and random selection of passengers to deplane on an oversold flight) were supported by corporate policy. But to the viewing public and the media, the justification for disturbing behavior is irrelevant. No corporate policy can explain away the visceral footage of a grown man on the floor, disheveled, visibly injured and tugged down the aisle to the screams and distress of other passengers. Public safety is a non-negotiable. That includes avoiding potential physical harm of an individual and preventing the escalation of customer service issues into public safety risks.

Let’s not forget that the U.S. airline industry was founded and branded as a luxury travel service, not an automated people mover or public transit in the sky. When a company’s offering to the marketplace is customer service or hospitality, highly visible customer service failures should be seen as potentially damaging as a major product recall, equipment failure or facilities disaster. Crisis planning, such as tabletop scenarios or risk management operations drills should include customer service interactions across company operations.

So what should United and other businesses facing viral scrutiny over company policy do next?

In the case of United’s immediate strategy, Fineman PR President Michael Fineman emphasizes: “A doctor wouldn’t prescribe a cure without seeing a patient and knowing that patient’s history. Similarly, there are many factors that are only known to the client, which must be considered to determine the appropriate response. However, in this case, based on what has been made public, the following would be recommended if this were my agency’s client:

Prepare a full report of the incident, identify where the situation escalated beyond reason (where it got away from them), and take full responsibility.

The report should demonstrate how the airline will make good on this with the affected passenger and, perhaps, all passengers who witnessed this brutal “act of commerce.”

Include new guidelines and policies, and new employee training programs to ensure something like this will never happen again.

Publicize the full report and plan on the United Airlines website and distribute it to the media.

Aim for genuine progress and track that progress through independent audits of the airline’s customer service, with special attention paid to on-the-ground passenger experiences.”

For airlines and other companies facing potentially high profile customer interaction:

• Evaluate public-facing policies and enforcement guidelines with an eye toward risk management, customer service and of course, public safety. Review customer service response data and employee conflict reports for a better understanding of what is working and what is increasingly raising controversy.
• Identify policy administrators for on-the-ground transactions: ensure that they are specially trained and periodically re-trained in conflict resolution and hospitality. If outside authorities must be brought in to physically manage a situation, understand that their actions will be associated with your company’s response.
• Have tough conversations internally with management and with on-the-ground policy administrators to navigate the gray area of policy enforcement. Does company policy allow specially-trained on-the-ground policy enforcers to exercise their best judgment in the case of high conflict events? If a situation escalates, who has the final say on the visible action?  How can policy enforcers minimize controversial attention to a potentially-flammable situation?
• Take a look at policy enforcement visually, just as the public or media might: Does a policy that sounds reasonable on paper look reasonable in action?

The post Good PR: Know When You Can’t Lean on Corporate Policy appeared first on Fineman PR.

Because of our high profile crisis communications work, reporters looking for insight into complex organizational or reputation issues sometimes call on us as resource for commentary.

When I receive an inquiry from a reporter, I typically open the conversation with an important disclaimer: I do not propose counsel on situations that I know only from what I gather in media reports. A doctor wouldn’t prescribe a cure without seeing a patient and knowing that patient’s history. Similarly, for any difficult business or dicey public exposure situation and negative media attention, there are many factors that are only known to the client, and those factors often determine their responses. I know too well that there’s a rush to judgment without enough substantive understanding behind it.

I explained that to Paul Farhi at the Washington Post who was doing a story on how Fox News is handling or mishandling the O’Reilly news. Farhi wondered why Fox was keeping so silent about it and wanted my views on what I would counsel Fox if it were a client. Was silence the right thing?

Perhaps it was my comment that organizations should, “not get caught with their pants down” in a crisis that seemed so apropos to O’Reilly. Read Paul Farhi’s  full story here: Washington Post: At Fox News, a wall of silence surrounds Bill O’Reilly

To elaborate more on my counsel, below is PANTCHEK, our handy-dandy acronym of general principles to keep in mind when managing communications in a crisis – and not get caught with your pants down. The caveat here is that this somewhat generic (yet critically important) checklist does not necessarily apply to all crisis ills.

• Public welfare is the first priority
• Assemble the facts. Once they are verified, Announce All bad news at once
• No blame, No speculation, No repetition of negative charges or questions
• Tell your side of the story or Take responsibility
• Care and Concern for those affected – express it sincerely and right at the outset
• High-level organization spokesperson – let the public see the crisis has top-level attention
• Ensure that it will not happen again with a solid plan that will generate confidence
• Keep a separate plan for moving daily business ahead

Then there is reputation recovery. Merely managing your way through is not aiming high enough. You need to rebuild or reinforce your reputation and respect for your brand, and keep your relationships intact. Diligent reputation-building is essential. Depending on the nature and duration of the crisis, success may require a long-term effort.

• Maintain open communications with media, community members, customers, consumers, investors, employees, governing bodies and affiliates via all communications channels, including social media.
• Employ awareness-raising tactics
• Differentiate your organization from the pack – did the crisis make you better and/or stronger?
• Become a category expert among your peers
• Conduct “post mortem” analysis and incorporate what you learn into future scenario planning

The post Fineman Opines on Crises in the Washington Post appeared first on Fineman PR.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, yet many CPR-trained bystanders forget what to do and panic when they could be providing life-saving support. Having a plan in place is the first step in preparing for a crisis, but it’s worthless if you don’t use it.

See 10 issues you need to address to help ensure your crisis response safeguards your organization’s reputation on O’Dwyer’s.

The post Unseen risk: troubleshooting a crisis plan appeared first on Fineman PR.