These stories are little different from the others, as they are not about the positive results my work brought about, rather the negative results I helped avoid. I share them to point out how important it is to cover all bases, do the extra research and always remember the end goal of publicity. In what context will your news be received? How will it impact your reputation?
A Bug's Life
The Plan: In the Spring of 2016, I worked on a project to publicize the opening of an incredible new public space in NYC. A feat of forward-thinking engineering and design, the space has incomparable vistas, play areas and public art, all of which was carefully designed to remain usable and relevant for years to come. Combined with the fascinating history of its locale, we had a great story to tell.
The construction was a large collaborative effort and the press release included information from a number of sources, including a tidbit provided by the landscape architects about the new flora and fauna that were brought in to transform a concrete wasteland into a beautiful new ecosystem. At first glance, this was just another interesting factoid among many.
The Red Flag: At second glance, however, I realized the "fauna" referred to a plethora of insects expected to make their home in this wonderful new habitat. Was the insect population any larger or more harmful than those on any other grassy field? Not at all. Were the insects important for the environment? Absolutely. Was this information exciting for budding entomologists? Sure. Do the words "thousands of insects" make your skin crawl? YES!!!
In ordinary times, thousands of bugs on new park land seems like an unpleasant nuisance. But these were not ordinary times. About two months before our campaign began in earnest, the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus was taking over the American news. The first death from Zika in the United States had just been reported and fear about fetal encephalopathy and other side effects were reaching a fevered pitch. The last thing we needed to draw attention to was a proliferation of insects in the grass, no matter what their true value. That information might have been a powerful deterrent to visitors and it was removed from the press materials.
The Result: The project ultimately received nationwide, bug-free coverage in national (AP, USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal), and top design, art, travel and regional NYC media. The PR program was a huge success and visitor numbers grew exponentially.
Landslide
The Plan: A large landscape architecture firm with international business was eager to see American press coverage of its award-winning work in China, where cities are growing at a furious clip and buildings are rising quickly to meet the demand. It wasn’t enough to simply pitch the client’s beautiful new pathways and gardens. I needed to know more about the dramatic changes in the look and feel of these places and how people were using the spaces our client was creating.
The Red Flag: While researching, I discovered that a few months previous there had been a horrible, deadly landslide only a mile or two from the construction site. My sources implied that it may have been caused by the piles of debris left after construction. There were multiple construction projects in the area and our client had nothing to do with the debris or the accident. But the proximity was a perceptual problem.
The Result: We were able to: 1) steer the PR project in a different direction and avoid negative association, and 2) alert the client to an issue that could require further preparation and management.
At the end of the day, we can't catch everything. But attention to detail and consistent strategic thinking can propel a good pitch and, in some cases, prevent an avoidable problem.
CASE STUDIES
Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.