Branding Politix, Messaging, public relations • November 7th, 2008

Robert Gibbs and the importance of PR

by Chris Lato

Is it any wonder that one of President-elect Obama’s first decisions is to appoint a press secretary? That is how important PR is to a president, and it should be just as important to you, the business leader or association executive director. This is the day-to-day face of the administration we’re talking about.

Robert Gibbs has a prior relationship with Obama, so it’s no surprise that he picked someone he is comfortable with. A right-hand man with in-the-trenches experience knows how to articulate the boss’s positions and feelings as good as anyone.

I bring this up because it is a good lesson for all businesses and organizations: PR matters. Communication matters. In a time when many businesses are looking at PR, marketing and communications as the first places to cut in the current economic climate, the opposite stance should be considered.

Proper message dissemination, by trusted agencies or staff members, always plays a key role. Now is the time to continue trumpeting your message and seeking out new business, not shrinking from it. Maintaining an aggressive marketing communications program is what helps keep the money coming in during the rough patches and prepares you for that inevitable time when the economy bounces back.

Also, if you have any sort of PR momentum, the idea that you would scale back or suspend such efforts is ill-informed. It is crucial to maintain contacts, relationships, and a steady stream of information flowing. Otherwise, it appears as though you’ve dropped off the map, and that is not a good thing.

PR is a great way to build your rep – again, helping you weather the tough times and keeping you on the radar screen as the good times approach.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am and is filed under Branding Politix, Messaging, public relations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.