Human Rights Trade Tips: Good Campaigns Make Us Move

Human Rights Trade Tips:

Good Campaigns Make Us Move

By Nicole Hayes

 

Photos that grip us with compassion, disbelief and horror.  Powerful words and statistics that punch our guts if we weren’t already awake and cognizant of the realities. Victims’ stories too real to fake—digesting the truth would be easier if their stories were fake. Each of these elements among others is commonly folded into successful media campaigns to garner public participation or support for a particular cause. Whether the support requested is monetary, spreading the word and creating awareness or a call to action, an effective and strategic media campaign can convict consciences, stir emotions and open wallets. Media, if done right, can make us move from apathy and indifference to compassion and, “I need to do something.”

 

For more than 20 years, McKinney & Associates has been bound by the value conveying meaningful communications to advance human rights and social justice. McKinney’s early projects included work with the anti-apartheid movement and promotion of the new South African government under Nelson Mandela. The firm also managed the communications campaign for the promotion of the first conference by the people of color on environmental justice and a campaign supporting a coalition of civil rights organizations’ push for renewal of the federal Civil Rights Act.

                    

In addition to McKinney & Associates, I’ll present you with a few more human rights campaigns whose messages and missions I support:

1-   Be a STAR (Show Tolerance and Respect).  An anti-bullying initiative I’m currently associated with, created by concerned celebrities and organization leaders.

2-   It Gets Better.  The campaign uses creative videos, social media outreach and other tools to inform those being bullied that people care and “yes, it does get better.” 

3-   Girl Effect. Through a very creative use of imagery and messaging, Girl Effect works to encourage education and health opportunities for girls worldwide to escape poverty to raise the standard of living for her and her family. Human trafficking and early pregnancies of young girls and living in war-ravaged countries are challenges to this dream.

Girl Effect's creative use of images and words can be seen in “The Clock is Ticking” video:

With today’s advances in media and technology we are no longer worlds apart, but connected by the click of the mouse. Media has forced us to acknowledge that your issue is my issue. My issue is yours.

Barcelona Principles: A New Yard Stick for Measuring PR or Same O’, Same O’? You be the judge.

Barcelona Principles

A New Yard Stick for Measuring PR

or Same O’, Same O’?

You be the judge.

Clients want and deserve to know if the public relations strategy they paid for is effective. Did your campaign drive desired change, raise critical awareness, or reframe the conversation on a particular issue? Measuring public relations was the focus of the 2010 international PR summit in Barcelona, Spain. This gathering of PR practioners from around the world produced a new declaration of standards and practices to guide the evaluation PR. Check out the “Barcelona Principles” and let us know if you see any innovations in how to measure PR:

1. Goal setting and measurement are fundamental aspects of any PR program.
2. Media measurement requires quantity and quality – cuttings in themselves are not enough.
3. Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) do not measure the value of PR and do not inform future activity.
4. Social media can and should be measured.
5. Measuring outcomes is preferred to measuring media results.
6. Business results can and should be measured where possible.
7. Transparency and Replicability are paramount to sound measurement.

Love to get your feedback. Please leave your comments below!

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns: Tip #7: Assure your campaign is successful

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

After all the hard work of designing a PR campaign and the communications strategy to support it, don’t blow it by making avoidable mistakes!

Tip Number Seven:  Last, But Not Least . . .

Assure that your PR campaign is successful.  Avoid the common pitfalls and check out these tips. . .

·         Design a multi-layered, multi-channeled campaign

·         Produce campaign messages that compliment your image and brand

·         Plan ahead—prep your team, identify contingencies, check-off all  pre-launch tasks before going live

·         Make sure your campaign is relevant and newsworthy; pitch before launch

·         Provide customer-specific solutions in your campaign

·         Keep campaign going—offer strategies that both build on one another and can be phased in over time

·         Do your homework—make sure you and client are on same page; listen, research and satisfy!

We hope you enjoyed this week's series on PR Campaigns, be sure to check back for more valuable Tips of the Trade!

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns: Tip #6: Is Your Campaign Sustainable?

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

After all the hard work of designing a PR campaign and the communications strategy to support it, don’t blow it by making avoidable mistakes!

Tip Number Six:  Is Your Campaign Sustainable?

Here today . . . gone tomorrow?  Will your campaign and its impact fizzle after only a few weeks or months? To sustain your momentum after the campaign’s initial buzz, make sure your message(s) target multiple audiences.  And definitely, create content with applicability beyond the day it is written.

Number Seven? This tip sums up the common PR campaign pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns: Tip #5

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

After all the hard work of designing a PR campaign and the communications strategy to support it, don’t blow it by making avoidable mistakes!

Tip Number Five:  Is Your Campaign Customer Focused?

Can your campaign make a difference?  Can it improve service delivery?  Increase market share? Help to right a wrong?  Eliminate disparities?
Make sure that you solve your customer(s) problem(s) with your PR campaign.  Be authentic, audiences are smart and can see right through disingenuous solutions.  Avoid the “heartstrings” but, at the same time, your PR campaign should demonstrate that you care.

Can’t wait for Tip Number Six? Click McKPR’s Comm in the Storm tomorrow!

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns: Tips 3 & 4

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

After all the hard work of designing a PR campaign and the communications strategy to support it, don’t blow it by making avoidable mistakes!

Tip Number Three:  Are You Ready to Launch?      

Have you reviewed your plan?  Are you prepared with contingencies?  Are all members of the team prepped?  Have you checked off all pre-launch tasks?Of course, you know to start with a plan, and it’s a good one if all members of the team are on board and on point.  And definitely make sure all spokespersons are prepared for both traditional and social media inquiries.                                                                     

Tip Number Four:  Will Anyone Care?            

Put on your journalist hat and think like the media.  Make sure the outlets and targets for your campaign are the right ones. Read, listen and/or watch the media outlets you are pitching for your PR campaign.  A little intel goes a long way!

Check back tomorrow for Tip Number 5!

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

 

Common Pitfalls of PR Campaigns

After all the hard work of designing a PR campaign and the communications strategy to support it, don’t blow it by making avoidable mistakes!

Tip Number One:  Make sure your campaign is integrated. 

More than a news release, a PR campaign is both multi-channeled and multi-layered. Use both online and offline strategies including developing a media kit, writing a blog post, producing a video and/or podcast, and organizing an event for key stakeholders.  And make sure all components of the campaign are integrated with each activity building on another . . . . An integrated strategy assures success.

Tip Number Two:  Campaign and brand (image) must be complimentary. 

Remember, “if it doesn’t fit,” then don’t’ commit. There is nothing worse than not understanding how a PR campaign fits into your overall marketing strategy. Will your target audience identify your company with the new campaign? What is your company’s identity and how will this campaign reinforce an image that has been branded for your audience(s) and stakeholders? Will this campaign heighten your company’s visibility?

Tips three and four coming soon!