ONCE UPON A TIME….

a company’s PR was like a teapot

OLD ORDER

PR was a bridge between a company still in departmental silos, and the outside world:

Company

Guardian angel

Guard dog

OR

OLD ORDER

Generalisation alert! PR was the funnel to the outside world in terms of official communication Things coming out of businesses were polished and professional Unprofessional = unacceptable

MINOR INFLUENCERS: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

OF COMPANY CONVERSATIONS IN PUBSFew places to amplify their

thoughts and opinions

MAJOR INFLUENCERS: TRADITIONAL

(PRINT/BROADCAST MEDIA) ANALYSTS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSWere able to amplify their

thoughts and opinions

GOOD JOURNALISM KEPT WORST OFFENDERS ON THEIR TOES

Bernie Madoff Virgin v. BA Enron MG Rover Price fixing palm oil & Amazon food production

standards

BUT MOSTLY, IF THE PR DEPARTMENT DID IT’S JOB, THINGS WERE HAPPY ENOUGH

journalists and others might have to wait for information

staff knew where to direct them

and everyone plodded along in their silos

sales & marketing

human resources

customer service

financial

purchasing & production

BUT THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE

So the IT department and HR department developed email and internet policies

and some even trained their staff

BUT THE WEB GOT BIGGER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE

and people started having fun and publishing their own versions of events

and the communications teapot started to be just one way of getting (official,

sanctioned) information

THE COMPANY HAS TURNED INTO A COLANDER

the information’s spilling out through every hole

CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, STAFF CAN TELL THE WHOLE WORLD,,, GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT

And if you keep people waiting for an official (formal) response to questions, expect them to find the information elsewhere (informally)

NEW ORDER

Impossible to define company boundaries;

Multiple media; personal and professional merge

Company

People

Technology/tools

PR

HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCIAL

PURCHASING & PRODUCTION

CUSTOMER SERVICE

SALES & MARKETING

NOT BOTTOM UP

OR TOP DOWN

BUT WOVEN INTO DNA

THE TEAPOT IS STILL VALUABLE

MARKETING

CAMPAIGNS

OFFICIAL VOICE OF

COMPANY

BRIEFING,

RESPONDING

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

ADVISING BOARD

SO LINE THE COLANDER

TRAINING: ALL EMPLOYEES AWARE OF CONSEQUENCES

LIVING POLICIES

ALIGN ACTIVITIES AND VALUES

LISTEN

TRUE CSR (NOT DRESSED UP CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY)

(Colour the water -blocking the holes is never more than temporary!)

PERVASIVE PRWELCOME TO THE WORLD OF

CLAIRE THOMPSON T: +44 (0) 207 795 8147M: +44 (0) 7771 817015E: claire at wavespr dotcomSocially: claireatwaveshttp://www.wavespr.com