Effective Communications Post-Launch

Last month, our Public Relations Global Network partner L.C. Williams & Associates out of Chicago published a great blog post. The post was on how to effectively launch a product into the market. Their five tips, detailed here, focus on planning ahead; getting “hands on” product experience; knowing the competition; building online buzz; and keeping momentum going.
But, how does one effectively keep the momentum going? This is a question our prospective and current clients bring to us almost daily. So, I wanted to springboard off of L.C. Williams & Associates’ post with five tips on how to engage a public relations agency – like us – over the long term, beyond an initial launch project.

What are the five tips on engaging a public relations agency?

• Meet face to face regularly: At HMA, we request one face-to-face meeting both with our client contact and decision makers for the organization each month to discuss successes, new strategies, brand news and brainstorm next steps. We make it a team effort.
• Assign us homework – and let us assign you some: After each face-to-face meeting, our team develops a contact report for the client. Beyond traditional meeting minutes, this document is the blueprint for the next several weeks’ work. In it, we often add “homework” for both the client and our team to take on to ensure an effective partnership and an open flow of ideas and goals.
• Let us story mine you – and your team: Certainly, we spend time with key executives for any business or brand we represent. But, often we also ask to meet with managers, rainmakers, new hires and other members of the team to get a full view of the organization as well as to uncover hidden gem story ideas. We do it with no cell phone out, and sometimes out of the office setting, to make it more conversational and to encourage real communication versus just networking.
• Let us help you engage strategically with the community: One area where we truly shine – working with our clients to effectively build bridges between them and the communities they serve. This can be researching and recommending local boards to join, providing feedback on sponsorship opportunities, or simply setting up networking experiences beyond golf foursomes and happy hour chit chat.
• Let us help make you a thought leader: We work with clients on an on-going basis to position them as thought leaders in their industries, helping develop op-eds, bylined articles and even proactive story ideas wherein our clients can showcase their expertise to the media – and their target audience – on a regular basis.

As always, if you want to learn more, please give us a holler anytime.