Organizations sometimes behave like sharks when it comes to getting their message out: They do a great job of looking ahead to the next big project, but never back at their existing materials.
Do you have shark vision?
This problem has been on my mind recently because I keep seeing otherwise well-run organizations relying on inaccurate websites, brochures and collateral material to tell their stories. Facts change, but these once-perfect marketing vehicles do not. No longer does the company have 47 stores, or achieve a 15 percent recycling rate, or sell XYZ product.
These unintentional inaccuracies can have real consequences. Journalists turn to websites for basic information that they repurpose when producing stories about organizations. Advocacy groups make decisions about a company based on information it has published. Potential customers – the ones being targeted by the now-incorrect marketing materials – make decisions about the company that may not reflect reality.
Besides, an organization that distributes bad information about itself makes it look like it doesn’t know its own business. Can’t even get its own story right. That’s not the image you want to convey to any of your stakeholders.
So, here are three ways to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of having shark-vision with your public relations efforts:
- Set and follow a schedule for reviewing marketing materials that are still being distributed by your organization. The frequency of such checks will depend on how dynamic your company might be, but once every four to six months is a good benchmark for most organizations.
- Make updating past marketing materials part of the process. When an exciting change takes place at your business, don’t just write a news release. Go back and update past documents and web pages to trumpet your success.
- Consider how significant the inaccuracy is before deciding whether to redo print materials. If you have hundreds of brochures printed already, you don’t have to incur the expense of redoing them. But if the change is major, such as changes to lines of business or corporate operations, you should bite the bullet and redo the materials. Or at least remove them from circulation.
If you have taken the time and trouble to produce great publicity materials, don’t let them work against you as time goes by. Instead, keep them fresh and alive, even as you are pursuing that next great opportunity.
– Eric Blom
Tags: Branding, image, marketing, public relations, reputation
