Training – the acquisition of new skills and knowledge relevant to the job – is a vital aspect of any employment arrangement.  Makes sense, right?  You want your people to have the technical skill and knowledge necessary to efficiently and effectively do their job.

Employees need, and want training.  But what they really crave goes deeper than that.  Today’s employees look to their employer for personal and career development, going much deeper than mere training, reaching areas that leverage and improve the individual’s wider education and capabilities, enabling them to better identify and seize opportunities that will yield long-term rewards for them in their careers and in their daily lives.

At R&J, we believe in providing both training and development for our employees.  We provide a number of opportunities to our employees, and we encourage them to seek out outside opportunities that will deliver sound, actionable development strategies and tactics.  As the leader of my firm, I view this as an essential aspect of my job.

But what kind of a leader would I be if I didn’t personally practice what I preach?  Training and development should be a lifelong endeavor, and it is especially important not to neglect professional development as we progress in years and in our careers.

Robert Kaplan, Associate Dean at the Harvard Business School points out that “The greatest danger leaders can face is isolation and an inability to keep learning.”  Having managed my firm for the past 27 years, I’ve become acutely aware of how difficult it can be to continually move forward and to achieve the kind of personal and professional development that is needed to stay ahead in business today.

That’s why I am such a big fan of PRSA’s Counselor Academy.  Counselors Academy is a peer network of highly experienced leaders in the public relations industry from all over North America, from executives of multinational corporations to independent practitioners.  Its purpose is “to enable collaborative peer relationships in which meaningful business counsel, operational best practices and industry trends can be shared and gained.”

My business partner, Scott Marioni, and I will be attending the PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference in Austin, Texas in June.  Topics for sessions and workshops will range from social media and mobile applications to crisis communication to agency management and transformation, to name but a few.

But the most important and valuable thing that Counselors Academy delivers is the opportunity to interact with a good number of very smart people who face many of the same challenges that we encounter in our business.  And the relationships that are formed through Counselors Academy can be accessed long after the conference ends.  It’s great to know that solid advice borne of similar experiences is just a phone call or email away.

Most leaders say they want to continue learning, yet they isolate themselves from the learning process and opportunities for personal and professional growth and development.  As a business owner, it can be tough to carve out the time to attend any multi-day conference or event.  Nonetheless, it is important to work hard to identify and access those opportunities when they present themselves.  For all of those reasons, I look forward to the personal and professional dividends and rewards that will result from my participation in Counselors Academy Spring Conference.

Johari and Jimmy Rollins Center for Animal Rehabilitation

R&J coordinated an exclusive on Philadelphia’s ABC-6 TV for the grand opening of the Johari and Jimmy Rollins Center for Animal Rehabilitation. The exclusive featured Jimmy Rollins, all-star shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies and his wife Johari, as well as the Director of the Rollins center Caroline Garzotto, who coordinated live demonstrations of both the underwater and animal lameness detecting treadmills at the center. R&J was proud to provide the support that the Saint Francis Veterinary Center needed to get the word out about this unique service that will improve the lives of many South Jersey animals and their families.

Dan Capawana

R&J Public Relations, LLC, a leading brand-building public relations agency based in Bridgewater, N.J., announces the addition ofDan Capawanaas Media Relation Specialist.  In this position, Capawana will focus on the tactical execution of media relations for R&J’s clients, while moderating communications between the agency and various media outlets. Capawana originally joined the agency as an Intern in 2012.

“Dan has proven to be an important member of the R&J Media Relations team over the course of his internship,” saidScott Marioni, Executive Vice President of R&J. “He continues to make significant contributions to the media relations success of the agency and our clients. We are very pleased to more formally add Dan to our professional staff as Media Relations Specialist.”

Capawana, a Neshanic Station, N.J. resident, graduated from University of Vermont in May 2011, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Marketing.  He is a volunteer for the Special Olympics New Jersey and helps to organize an annual golf tournament, “Just for Joey,” which raises awareness of Autism in addition to funds for the Eden Institute in Princeton.

L-R: Integrity House CEO, Robert Budsock; Director of the Women's Program, Helena Muhammad; New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie; and Former New Jersey Governor, Jim McGreevey.

R&J organized top-tier media coverage for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s tour of the Integrity House Program at the Hudson County Correctional Center. At the invitation of Hudson County Director of Corrections, Oscar Aviles, and Former New Jersey Governor, Jim McGreevey, Governor Christie experienced the program first-hand, witnessing how it is changing the lives of participating inmates. The program focuses on substance abuse treatment of female inmates in a therapeutic community environment prior to their release. The program has significantly reduced recidivism rates, and as a result of its success, is one of only two jail programs in the country to have been reauthorized for funding by the United States Department of Justice through 2015. R&J is proud to provide public relations support for Integrity House.

Bruce Lee was so much more than the greatest martial artist of the twentieth century. He was an artist who could paint with his words as well as his fists; a philosopher, whose lessons resonate just as true today as they did before his death, 40 years ago. While this great teacher imparted so much wisdom to us, there is one lesson in particular that has helped to guide me in both my personal life and as a public relations professional. Be like water.

• “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.”

As public relations professionals, we are faced with no shortage of obstacles as we work to secure opportunities for our clients. The art of creating relevant and effective media pitching and communications resources requires us to be ever aware and adaptable. The challenges of coordinating between overworked media professionals, and rarely available clients requires us to be fluid. The task of guiding our overburdened ships through the locks and channels of our strategies require us to be unwavering. We must be able to find the path of least resistance.

• “Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash.”

There is little room for ego in our line of business. In order for us to best serve our clients, we must approach each and every plan with a clean slate, and empty canvas. Our experiences can be our palette, but we must approach each campaign as a new opportunity to paint a masterpiece, and no masterpiece will ever be created within the confines of a pre-existing piece. No two clients are the same, and neither can our efforts be. The one constant needs to be our ability to always find the level, to always find the balance and to chisel through the red rock until we reach the ocean.

• “Be water, my friend.”

~Bruce Lee, 1940-1973.

Jersey Artisan Distilling is the first distillery to open in New Jersey since before the Prohibition era.  Located in Fairfield, New Jersey, the distillery is focusing its primary efforts on making premium spirits in the classic style, utilizing modernized versions of techniques that have made spirits desirable for thousands of years.  The initial focus of Jersey Artisan Distillery is on producing its Busted Barrel® rum, a premium rum made from the finest molasses from Louisiana.  The initial run of Busted Barrel is currently being aged in traditional oak barrels, and will be available to the public beginning in May 2013.  Plans are also underway to begin producing premium lines of vodka, gin, bourbon and whiskey.

“Jersey Artisan Distilling recognizes the importance of establishing and nurturing a unique and reputable brand identity when entering an already-established market,” said John Lonsdorf, President of R&J Public Relations.  “R&J’s vast knowledge and experience in creating and raising brand awareness, brand recognition and overall brand elevation makes us ideally suited to help support the introduction and growth of Jersey Artisan Distilling.  We are delighted to help establish a quality brand position for a company that’s essentially making history in the state of New Jersey.”

About Jersey Artisan Distilling

Jersey Artisan Distilling is the first distillery to open in the state of New Jersey since before Prohibition.  Located in Fairfield, New Jersey the distillery focuses on making premium liquors including vodka, gin, bourbon and whiskey, with rum being the initial and primary concentration.  Jersey Artisan Distillery uses traditional distilling techniques going back to the early days of alcohol production during the colonial period in New Jersey.  Look for their Busted Barrel rum to hit shelves in May 2013 with additional offerings to come.

For more on Jersey Artisan Distilling visit www.jerseyartisandistilling.com or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JerseyArtisanDistilling.

Your client has exciting news that they want to get out, and it’s your job to get them the coverage that they’re looking for.  Whether it’s a new consumer product they are launching, a grand opening or just a big announcement, you need to find the correct reporters who will be eager to share the information.  This can be an intimidating task for public relations professionals, as members of the media can be notoriously difficult to get a hold of.  But if you do your research and follow these guidelines, you can build a solid list of media contacts that you can work with for a long time.

1.  Make sure you do your homework.  For starters, you’re going to need to build your media list, adding the appropriate media that would be the best fit for your client.  Once you have built this list, it is equally as important to find the correct contact that you should be speaking with at each publication.  If you are pitching a health story, then you need to contact their health editor, not their fashion editor or wine columnist.  Read some of their previous articles, look at the trends in the industry and adjust your outreach accordingly.

2. Be familiar with who you are pitching.  You want to be very knowledgeable about the outlet that you are pitching.  Be able to explain to them why your client will be a good fit for them, and why their readers/ viewers would want to learn more. It is also advantageous to know what that journalist has covered recently, and what they may be covering down the road through editorial calendars.  If you’ve never seen their magazine or newspaper before, go pick it up and give it a read.

3. Try to get them on the phone.  Reporters get hundreds upon hundreds of emails a day, many of which surely go unnoticed.  If you try to get them on the phone you may catch them at just the right time, but make sure you’re not catching them at the wrong time. Be mindful of editors who are on deadlines, if you’re calling a different time zone or if a TV station is on set.

4. Always follow up.  Stories can fall through the cracks.  You may have sent out a pitch that a reporter really took interest in, and then just took a back seat to other things they were working on.  Members of the media have so much going on, it is your job to follow up with them and make sure they have everything they need, will cover your story and craft it in a way the works for your client.

5. Maintain relationships with the media.  The most important item to take away from all of this is building relationships.  A journalist is much more likely to answer a call or email from someone they have spoken to- especially someone who has given him or her the respect he or she deserves by only pitching good, relevant content, than a complete stranger.  Friendly conversation can also go a long way.  Ask people how they are doing, find out their interests, take them out to lunch; all the little things that can build trust and make you someone that they will want to work with now and in the future.

So the next time your client needs the media on your side, follow these guidelines and your pitching will be more effective.  Media coverage is a valuable method of gaining a great amount of credible exposure in a short amount of time, so if you can get their attention, and keep their attention, you’ll be well on your way.

There is a common misconception about our industry that absolutely drives me crazy, and it can be summed up in two words: press release. While I won’t argue that press releases are one of the many tools that we use to elevate brands and build awareness, they aren’t what we base communication programs on, or how we develop long-term relationships with clients, or secure new business. We do that by adding value, and we do it in a variety of ways.

Understanding that no two clients are alike, the way in which we add value differs for each account; however, for the purpose of this post, I’ll focus on some general ways we move past the dreaded press release misconception and become a valued partner for our clients.

1. Plan strategically – Just like no two clients are alike, no two PR plans should be alike. A strong strategic plan should have insight from key stakeholders and should address top opportunities and challenges. While the plan will form the foundation for ongoing activities, it shouldn’t be set in stone and should be reviewed with the client regularly to ensure that their goals are being met.
2. Offer fresh ideas – Chances are you’ll get into a groove with your client as you continue to grow your relationship and their business, but bringing new and fresh ideas to the table regularly enhances your value position with them. Even if the client doesn’t choose to implement your idea, most will appreciate your forward-thinking and it further indicates your commitment to their success and at times makes them aware of additional capabilities you bring to the table that they maybe weren’t aware of previously.
3. Talk the talk – Be up to speed on your client’s industry. Read about their competitors, read their industry outlets, and follow the news that’s relevant to them. Clients may hire you for your communication expertise, but they’ll continue their relationship with you if they feel you truly understand the challenges and opportunities occurring in their world and are able to speak on their level and offer solutions.
4. Be accountable – Do what you said you were going to do. It sounds simple, but it’s where so many client relationships fail. One of the easiest ways to show value to your client is to properly execute agreed upon plans, offer new ideas, and provide progress updates.
5. Say something! – Work to build your relationships with your clients by making a point to see them regularly. Face time with clients is invaluable and gives you an opportunity to connect with them professionally and personally. Speak up in meetings and share new ideas or something that you saw happening in their industry. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be all business all the time. Try to get to know your client on a personal level by asking them questions and tapping into their interests. It goes without saying that people like to do business with people they like.

There is no one size fits all approach to adding value for your clients but these are some key places to start so your client doesn’t see you as the press release writer but sees you for what you really are: a valued partner.

http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/telepictures/extra/041213_ref.mov

Around 3pm ET on Monday, April 14, 2013, millions of people around the world were saying to themselves, “Oh no, not again.”  Horrific memories of September 11, 2001 suddenly rushed back into our heads, and as a nation we found ourselves in an all too familiar position again, bound together by another national tragedy that had all of a sudden taken more innocent lives away from us.

One important difference between now and then, however,  is the predominance of social media and online media, and how that affects the speed and delivery of news to the public.

Whether we turned on our computers, our radios or our televisions, it was everywhere; sights and updates (whether confirmed or rumored) from the Boston Marathon bombings that took the lives of 3 innocent people (to date) and left more than 100 injured.   However, how are we to know what is really true and what is not?  With social media running at a million miles per second nowadays, hundreds of thousands of rumors can be started and go viral within minutes.  Moments after the blasts, tweets began flying, and while television news was trying to make sense of what happened showing scenes of the rescue effort, Twitter accounts were streaming photos and eyewitness accounts.

As “news” gets spread over social media,  and millions of people around the world spend hours watching it relentlessly for the latest updates, it’s most important for PR people, especially those who manage social media for their agencies or their clients, to take a step back from our usual “guerilla marketing” tactics and follow specific guidelines.

1. Show Compassion: Our first and foremost responsibility is to the victims, their families and those deeply affected by whatever horrific tragedy took place, whether it be a natural disaster, school shooting or etc.
2. Halt marketing/promotions:  Disable any social media messages that are unrelated to the situation at hand. Turn off automated tweets, and disable email marketing and promos if you can.
3. Be a resource:  If you do choose to tweet or post to social media, it should be only to offer condolences and share helpful resources.
4. Social Media is Not Always Accurate:  Acknowledge social media as an instantaneous source of news and not a reliable foundation for facts.  Do not retweet or post anything that you are not sure is  100% accurate.
5. Respond to criticism: If you were behind on the news and sent a tweet that some found offensive or insensitive given the situation, simply acknowledge that to your online community. Let them know that you’re suspending any unrelated messaging. 

Most of all, during times of tragedies and crises like the one we just experienced, it’s important to let people mourn and grieve the way they choose to and understand that emotions are running high.  Even if you or your clients had no connection to the events, show respect and offer condolences in any way possible.

And understand that things will return to normal.  But in the meantime it’s our job as public relations professionals to keep the public aware, informed and overall, keep them updated.   And even during times like these, that is, perhaps the best we can do.