If you are even remotely interested in PR, you should know
that the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the largest community
network of public relations and communications practitioners in the country.
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the annual PRSA Dallas Communications
Summit, featuring local, national and international PR pros (including the
likes of Mary Kay Inc., Travelocity and a UK-based rep from NASDAQ OMX).
Over the next week or so, I will be sharing some of the key
take-aways I learned from “PR’s best” at Comm Summit, so stay tuned! Here is
tip number one:
Take-Away #1: Engage
and give back because it’s the right thing to do…not because you want a pat on
the back.
In Comm Summit’s breakfast keynote, Crayton Webb, director
of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility for Mary Kay
Inc., walked through the story behind Mary Kay and how she started her portfolio
with lobbyists years ago as she was working to increase women’s rights. As Mary
Kay Inc. continued to grow and expand internationally, the founder did not let
the causes near and dear to her heart slip away. In fact, Mary Kay’s many
divisions around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, and Mary Kay
lobbyists still campaign for important issues on Capitol Hill.
A huge take-away that jumped out at me during Crayton’s
presentation was “good will and the bank of public trust.” Companies large and small
are publicizing their involvement in the community, but are they doing it for
the right reasons? To emphasize that point, Crayton shared a powerful example
comparing Southwest Airlines and American Airlines.
Several years ago, Southwest got into some trouble with the
FAA, and they were reprimanded, however business continued as usual. Shortly
thereafter, American recognized they had made the same mistake as Southwest,
and they proactively admitted their negligence. The response to American was
fiercely negative. People wanted to know why American had done nothing about
this problem for the past 10 years. When people heard about Southwest getting
in trouble, they did not think nearly as negatively about the company, because
the airline had already built up significant reserves in the bank of public
trust due to its outstanding customer service and support over the years.
American? Not so much.
The bank of public trust is a powerful thing that can make
or break your organization, and it is something PR professionals cannot ignore.
In fact, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming so commonplace that
PR pros must get creative with how they promote the goodwill of their clients.
But, the requirements remain the same: pure motives and true engagement with
your stakeholders.
This blog was
contributed by Britney Schaeffer, @baschaef
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