Are your public relations efforts contributing to the bottom line?

• Author: Poston, Dave

More and more, public relations professionals, whether they serve in an in-house position or as an outside agency, are asked one question: "Can you please tie our public relations efforts to specific business development goals?" And while the ongoing public relations campaign clearly warms up cold leads, many are shocked when they hear the simple response: "Of course!"

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With a slight shift of perspective, here are a few of the methods that creative thought leaders are using in marketing departments today.

1. It's a lawyer's responsibility to understand media relations.

   The number-one rule of business development is to do good work. In this day and age, the best advocacy clearly includes an understanding of, and confidence in dealing with, the media.

   A recent survey of European in-house counsel by Lovells law firm identified potential damage to reputation as the top consideration when deciding whether to contest or settle a dispute. Are your attorneys equipped to help their clients measure this?

   Damage to a company's reputation can affect share price and the ability to trade. It can lead to significant civil and criminal penalties for a company and its executives. Think about the impact of every decision a bank regulatory attorney must make today!

   At the same time, corporate counsel in many leading companies are now responsible for overseeing marketing, communications and public relations efforts. UPS is a well-known example of this. The message for your attorneys? If you leave the law firm world for an in-house job, understanding the media could become even more relevant.

2. The media landscape is changing.

   We all hear about "social media" and online publications. But what are the other media outlets that present options for tying public relations and business development together?

   Do your attorneys want to represent Oracle? Write a legal article for their magazine. Are you interested in other tech companies? Speak at their user's conference or contribute to a user's newsletter. Is your firm more interested in working with franchisers? Contribute a column to their franchisee newsletter. (In fact, in many instances you'll find your article must go through legal counsel for final approval. Not a bad way to reach those targets!) Is your firm focused on manufacturers? Go after the communications sent to distributors.

3. Using public relations with your target list.

   Begin by learning as much as you can about your target...