‘Going Rogue’ Again? Keeping Client Communications In Check

With a title like the above, you might think we’ve returned to the days of Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life. 

But this time I’m not talking about a “mavericky” Alaskan -- who, along with a very talented PR machine, masterminded a brilliant and profitable 15 minutes of fame. I’m talking about the client-PR agency relationship and how, despite living in an age of instant communication, some maverick-prone clients fail to keep their PR agencies abreast of what they are planning to say, how they plan to say it, which media outlets they’re talking to and who’s writing what. It’s as if we’re being undervalued -- a topic I discussed in a recent blog, Proving PR’s Business Value Easier Said than Done, But Not Impossible.

A recent AdAge article also addresses this growing advertising agency concern, citing data from The Bedford Group that finds the average client-agency relationship length has fallen to under 3 years versus 7.2 years in 1984 -- a drop of almost 60% over three decades.

What has changed and why is this happening?

Even my agency has not been immune to so-called rogue clients. A press release gets drafted without our knowledge. A media interview is conducted without our review and the client is caught off guard. Each scenario is a potential PR minefield.

Notice in the preceding paragraph that I was very selective in my language, as all PR execs should be. At no point did I say “without our consent” or “without our green light” -- and I think that’s the problem right there. Turf wars between agency management/oversight and client control. Considering that client-agency relationship lengths are so short, we must do everything in our power not to step on clients’ toes, or we may be perceived as know-it-alls.

Trust me, we’re not. And in the power struggle that communications can become, clients have the final say.

That said, there is a reason why we call the client-agency arrangement a relationship and not a doctor-patient review. Clients come to us for creative ways to improve their brand, not reinvent it. They’re not sick. They’re not dying. Agencies are integral to this team effort. And that collaboration, as I addressed in another blog, begins with thinking about clients less as machine-like conglomerates, and more like individuals with communication needs that must be met, not serviced.

So what we have here are two partners failing to communicate -- one that is perceived to be micromanaging (the agency) and one that’s looking to preserve its own voice. As AdAge rightly points out, technology ironically hampers our communication efforts as excessive emails and meetings trump genuine correspondence and conversations, watering down the quality of our time together.

And since this article began with a political reference, I’ll begin my wrap-up like this: agencies and the clients they represent need to press the “reset button,” remembering to be transparent about what each side plans to do and when they plan to do it, within reason. It’s a building block of trust and mutual respect. PR agencies are there to help, not hurt. And we can only do that when clients are honest with us and we are aware of their intentions. Likewise, agencies must involve their clients actively in the communications and PR outreach process.

Of course, this advice won’t stop all instances of going rogue, nor will it consign the occurrence solely to our industry. Sometimes, for very deliberate reasons, clients employ elements of surprise to their communications advantage, keeping everyone but their innermost circle in the dark. The recent shocking resignation of Pope Benedict XVI demonstrates that even inner, inner circles aren’t always privy to the thoughts of one individual.

In most cases, as seems to be the case with Alaska’s former governor, going rogue helps no one, not even the so-called “maverick.” Fittingly, like the drop in client-agency relationship length, Palin’s Amazon book price has fallen 60% too.

Does your agency have a going rogue problem? Inspired by the data gathered from The Bedford Group, I’d like to begin collating my own research on the client-agency “going rogue” phenomenon and report our findings in a follow-up article. Beyond the suggestions I have offered, how does your agency address the problem? Are there examples of a contentious client-agency relationship being healed by an attitude adjustment? Any particularly jarring “rogue moment” that caused your agency to put its foot down and change communications course? Lastly, like a heart attack, are there any warning signs that rogue has arrived? I would love to hear about your experiences with clients “going rogue.” 

This article originally appeared on Marketing Daily on 03/06/13. 

Why 'Good' Press Releases = 'Bad' Journalism

The following article by Vanessa Horwell, Chief Visibility Officer of ThinkInk, originally appeared on Marketing Daily on 3/15/12.

When writing news stories, editors advise young reporters to do the following: stick to facts, don’t opine, place important/newest information high, answer the five Ws, have a solid lead and conclusion, spell names correctly, use conversational language, meet deadlines and hit the word count.

It’s a formula for success that reporters of all ages rely on. More than that, however, the tips speak to the professional evolution of storytelling found to be most effective at getting points across, with a 150+year history.

Seems like a simple formula, right?

Then why do so many press releases I read -- and some I am required to write -- fail to meet these standards? What’s changed in the communications industry that allows for the writing and distribution of such abysmal drivel? And why don’t the rules governing quality storytelling apply to many of today’s releases?

PR is NOT the Dark Side of Journalism - But Some Clients Might Work for the Death Star

Whoa. Three questions in one paragraph -- and a possible clichéd Star Wars reference subhead. That, too, may violate a writing essential -- that a story can be about one thing and should avoid clichés like the plague (cliché intended). Coming from a public relations angle, I can tell you that it’s not as simple as pitting agenda-pushing poor-writing PR professionals against reporters.

Too often the challenge lies with our clients and their expectations. Yes, as their communications team, it’s our job to direct conversation, to craft proper messages and distribute that message through the media in a concise, accurate and compelling manner. But like journalists, we too can’t always claim the moral high road. Clients pay our salaries, just as advertisers pay (or used to pay) journalists. Sometimes we just have to do what we’re told. Most times, we just have to “make it work.”

Press Release Dos and Don’ts

Of course, “making copy work” is not like making copy sing -- a nod to the lyrical and rhythmic flow of quality writing. An off pitch release (Not the PR pitch) “creates” news rather than telling something newsworthy. Ask yourself -- if you didn’t work for company X, would you read it? If the answer is ‘no,’ then you’re already in trouble. The solution: clients need to be honest about their announcements. Writing a release about something that may happen in six months is not newsworthy. That’s about as useful as someone planning to be rich by summer.

At most, that’s the kind of company “news” that meets Twitter post standards or a short email blast to client investors. It does not require an 800-word release that causes journalists’ eyeballs to glaze over or public relations professionals to struggle through 17 drafts of a document that has failed to capture the “essence of the company story.” Sometimes what clients say just isn’t that important. Clients need to have the humility and presence of mind to know when to shut up -- or at least respect when their PR staff tells them to.

Press releases also fail because of their language. If you’re writing a release in English, then write in English -- not gibberish. Is some jargon necessary? Yes. But too much and a press release can bury its own newsworthiness.

Print This: PR Professionals and Journalists Play the Same Game on Different Teams

How’s that for a newsworthy press release? But even if we play on different teams -- journalists dig for the news while PR professionals push what they’d like to be considered news -- the rules of the writing game should not change.

Modern journalistic writing evolved from the rigors of changing technology – the telegraph. At a penny a character, brevity was far more important than expressive prose. Combined with the fear of technology failure, reporters were taught to write and report news as if readers only read the headlines and first paragraph. (Sound familiar?)

Today’s hyperactive news cycle and extreme mobile connectivity is the outgrowth of these technological realities. PR professionals, emerging some 50 years after Samuel Morse’s invention, really do know what good writing and storytelling is about.

If only we can teach clients that same lesson, perhaps the PR vs. journalism professional stalemate will be broken –- and great press releases will equal great journalism.

The following article by Vanessa Horwell, Chief Visibility Officer of ThinkInk, originally appeared on Marketing Daily on 3/15/12.

'It's Not Me, It's You. You're Fired' from MediaPost

When you're a small agency just starting out, you need every client you can get. Scratch that -- almost every client you can get.

There are those clients that you can eliminate right from the start: they need everything yesterday, on spec for now, but the payoff is guaranteed once their [insert whatever next-best thing here] takes off. If you get those demands before you start, run for the hills, folks.

But back to my point. There comes a time when you can afford -- monetarily and mentally -- to break up with your client. Your agency has grown and your client roster is no longer dictated by cash flow, or the lack thereof. There are many reasons to call it quits, but I have never given marching orders to a client for one single reason. It's always been a multitude of factors that have built up over time until the point of no return.

Breaking up is never easy to do, in any type of relationship. This column was spurred by a recent experience within my agency, and I wanted to share a few reasons why you should consider breaking up with a client if the relationship isn't what you had hoped for.

Reason #4: "Mind your copy for a shilling, sir?"

In this business, it pays to be frugal, but you also get what you pay for. Some clients refuse to give in to the fact that we don't live within the pages of a Dickens novel. If you've proven your worth over the years to your client, and they still complain about rates, insist on markdowns, and belabor your honest billing, send them packing. It's time for them to find out if there really is an agency out there that can service all of their needs for what they expect to pay, which is very little.

Reason #3: "I'm just not that into you."

Face up to it: it's a bad strategic fit. Years ago, they loved your pitch, your vision, your ideas. None of it has come to fruition. Time and time again, you have attempted to steer them toward that vision, only to find that the client is simply looking for a Band-Aid for their current problem(s). Symptoms of bad strategic fit include: a client who exhibits indecisiveness, anxiety, little strategic insight; an agency that repeatedly finds itself fighting for consistency, flailing through endless days of fire-drill work.

Reason #2: "I'll Huff and I'll Puff"

Your client is a bully. Granted, both of you can have a disagreement over strategic direction and tactics, but a constant reminder that it's "my way or the highway" always results in a poor working relationship. Such an attitude by the client stifles creativity and limits your agency's effectiveness: you're relegated to being an order-taker. In such a case, there is usually no collaboration and the agency ends up hurting its reputation (after all, it's not your work anymore -- just the client's order). Precedence is key here: if you start out simply following direct orders and never assert your direction, you'll have a hard time turning the tide forever after.

Reason #1: "I Need it This Way ...

Regardless of how many times you've discussed the direction, and never mind the plans, if a client constantly disregards what you have to offer, cut them loose. "I need it this way" is yet another way of cutting you out of the picture. It does the brand no good, and you've placed your talent, marketing skills, and your reputation in the hands of your client.

You're Fired. Really.

Think about how many fires you put out daily. Do you constantly have to turn out hasty projects on a moment's notice, without proper planning or thought? Does your output have any consistency, or is your body of work for this client a panic-based mishmash?

So why prolong the pain any longer? Tell them to get lost (nicely, of course).

There are, of course, traits from every one of these reasons in almost every client, but if you have one client (hopefully, just one) that fits all of these reasons -- or even three out of four -- it's probably time to give them their walking papers.

As with matters of the heart, breaking up with a client can be painful. It hurts to cut loose a routine that's become second-nature -- even when it's not good for you. But if you can't tell a client "You're fired," and don't want to hurt their feelings, you can simply tell them: "You're just not ready for a relationship right now."

Have you had a nightmare client that you've had to fire? What did it take to get to that point?

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