Public Relations covers all media relations,

Transcription

1 Dossier : Rélations Publiques et évenements Special: Public Relations and events Mars 2003 Septembre 2003 Le rôle des relations publiques est de diffuser l information à travers les médias pour contribuer à construire l image solide d une entreprise ou d un produit. Les relations publiques couvrent tous les types de médias, que cela soit par la mise à jour d un site web et son design, d un programme de publicité destiné à une cible spécifique telle que l événementiel ou encore dans un secteur bien identifié comme celui de la santé. Les spécialistes du Marketing et de la Communication s en servent pour obtenir la confiance du groupe ciblé par exemple : les consommateurs, les actionnaires ou le grand public. Des agences de relations publiques établissent et maintiennent des relations coopératives avec le consommateur et le groupe ciblé à travers les représentants de la presse papier, de la radio et de la télévision. La plupart des professionnels de ce secteur ont très souvent été précédemment eux même journalistes ou spécialistes de la communication ; ils ont pu travailler pendant dans des années dans les médias précédemment cités. En tant qu outil marketing, les relations publiques se travaillent en parallèle avec la publicité pour choisir la communication le plus pertinente, celle qui promettra aux agences de relations publiques et à leurs clients d avoir un avenir plein d espoir. Public Relations disseminate information through the news media and publications in order to help the image building of certain companies or products. Public Relations covers all media relations, web site maintenance and designing. It directs publicity programs to a targeted public, in a specific area such as even management or in a specific industry such as healthcare. It makes use of every available communication media to obtain the support of the group upon which the success depends, such as consumers, stockholders and the general public. Public Relations agencies establish and maintain cooperative relationships with consumer and public interest groups as well as with representatives from print and broadcast journalism. Most of the public relations specialists are former journalists and communication specialists. They have worked in the media for years. As a marketing tool, Public Relations is cooperating with advertising and the most effective way to develop communication which promises public relation agencies a bright future. Wanwan Qin M2C English Sommaire Zoom Entreprise Text 100, PR Agency of the year.page 2 Clin dil The new PR Challenges of Business Help Management..page 4 Dossier Rôle dune agence dans la mise en uvre dun salonpage 6 PR and event management Agencies...page 8 Recherche Journalist vs. PR People..page 10 New Markets Attracting Tourists to a New Lebanonpage 13 Revue de Presse Sélection darticles..page 14 Zoom Étudiants Grégoire Bautier Wanwan Qin.page 15 Sites Internet et Livres Public Relations.page 16 Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 1

2 Z O O M E N T R E P R I S E TEXT 100, Public Relations Agency of the Year 2003 A global philosophy, combined with local strategies for clients such as IBM, Xerox and lomega, ensure Text 100's ascendancy in the top public relations firms. Last year was a crummy one for most tech companies, and naturally their agencies shared in the suffering. Cutbacks, layoffs, and a do-or-die emphasis on ROI have threatened to squash the creativity of PR agencies, turning their cowed employees into mere fillers-in of templates and spreadsheet cells. In 2002, Text 100 rolled out IBM's ThinkPad 10th Anniversary Celebration and its 50 Years of Storage event. The agency also did major work for longtime clients such as American Power Conversion and Iomega. For Xerox-a key client for more than seven years-it helped roll out the DocuColor igen 3 Digital Production Press, cited as Xerox's largest product launch ever. New clients in 2002 included Internap, a provider of advanced Internet routing; Sagem Morpho, a provider of biometric solutions and services; and MeridianTelesis, an Internet carrier and co-location provider. By the beginning of this year, Text 100 had added new offices in Beijing and Copenhagen, bringing its total office count to 24 globally. During 2002, Text 100 also restructured its service offerings around three key practice areas: media and analyst relations, corporate communications and international consulting. Finally, the agency unveiled its new Web site as part of a rebranding effort that also included a new logo, colors and fonts. But it's Text 100's global philosophy that really sets it apart, especially in difficult times. And there's no more eloquent advocate for that philosophy than Irish-born CEO Aedhmar Hynes. She moved to the U.S. in 1997 to set up the company's San Francisco office, and was appointed CEO of Text 100 International in But when we look at recent winners of Technology Marketing's PR Agency of the Year accolade, we find something different. While strong metrics and proof of ROI are essential to growth, it is still an agency's core values that set it apart. This year's Agency of the Year, Text 100, dares to espouse a strong philosophy. In fact, you probably first encountered it via a faded bumper sticker on the back of an old Volvo wagon. Yep, it's "Think Globally, Act Locally." While you're pondering how a sentiment so "nice" could have been an advantage in 2002, let's do the numbers. Text 100 didn't post significant revenue growth in 2002 (only 1.5 percent over 2001) but that's not so bad compared with the 20 percent or more losses reported by more than 20 of the top PR firms during the same period. More exciting, the 22- year-old company entered the ranks of the top 20 PR agencies worldwide for the first time ever, sneaking in at number 20. One major reason for this was the agency's work for IBM. Text 100 scored big in August 2001, winning the opportunity to present IBM's product division as one of just three agencies worldwide. "It's par for the course that clients are going global," Hynes says. "When we talk to our clients about that, we talk about the fact that communication needs to be influenced at the very earliest stage by all cultures. Our belief is that Text 100's internal structure has to reflect that vision. It would have been easy, coming into the North American market, to say our headquarters is in the U.S. because our CEO is here-everyone expects me to say that. "Instead, my team is virtual, my folks are all around the world," she says. "HR is driven out of Australia, products and methodology out of Europe. We want to ensure that we are not becoming European-centric, Asian-centric, or Americancentric." Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 2

3 Z O O M E N T R E P R I S E Like other global agencies, Text 100 relies on technologies such as and intranets. Instant messaging is also becoming increasingly important. But Hynes adds that "a big part of how we structure our business is movement of people. If you look at the five account directors here in San Francisco, one relocated from Europe, one relocated from Asia and the other three happen to be American. That's typical." Hynes says that doesn't mean folks are parachuted in just for the sake of universality. "The premise that we're building a global expertise on is that local comes first," she says. "You've got to compete like for like with the very best agencies locally. And if you can do that and replicate it market after market, then you hope the sum of the parts will be greater." Text 100's global orientation was the initial hook for Xerox, which started to do business with the agency in London. "We took a risk on Text 100 that they could expand their capabilities here in the U.S., and they took a risk on us in terms of investing and setting up a local infrastructure," recalls Ed Gala, the company's director of strategic PR. "It has paid off both for us and for them." "No matter what the brand name on an agency's door," Gala says, "it boils down to the individuals you have working in partnership with you. Text 100 had the best talent on that right from the beginning. Every agency aspires to that, but few achieve it." big agencies and bolt them onto the side of Text 100. Acquisitions will be small-potentially in different practice areas such as government relations-and we will work hard at acclimatizing the people into our culture. "It all sounds terribly strategic," she says, "but it's important not to take yourself too seriously. Are we saving lives? No. We're running a PR agency. Going back to the origins of the company, our vision was merely to attract bright people who have an energy about the technology industry and wanted new experiences. If we can continue to do that, we'll continue to grow." By Jonathan Angel Source: Adweek Magazines' Technology Marketing, May2003, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p26, 2p Copyrighted 2003 VNU Business Media, Inc This is echoed by Duane Brozek, director of PR for ViewSonic. "Whenever I deal with them, I feel like my account is the most important one they're dealing with," he says. "I didn't feel that way with a couple of larger agencies that I've dealt with in the past." Text 100 helped Xerox move into new product areas such as inkjet printers and other digitally connected devices. Similarly, it has helped ViewSonic morph from the world of commodity monitors to that of innovative wireless devices, created in partnership with Microsoft. "The ability of Text 100 to work seamlessly with companies like Microsoft and Intel-where their name is known-is a real asset to us," says Brozek. As part of this year's expansion into China, Text 100 acquired a small agency in Beijing. "That's a little different from the organic growth we've done before," says Hynes. "But it's headed by a Chinese local who'd worked with us for two years in our Sydney office. Growth is a key vision for the company, but we're not going to go out and buy Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 3

4 C L I N D O E I L The New PR Challenges for Business Help Management Soften the Edges; Open the Lines of Communications Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision. --Peter F. Drucker W hether it was the financial maneuverings of Enron, Anderson, and Tyco; the tortured merger battle of HP/Compaq or airline managements tin cup of poverty -- being the head of a publicly held company has lost its glamour. The press has taken a new and more aggressive look at the value and credibility of senior management. Star power is no longer popular as stakeholders increasingly demand responsible and responsive management. Answering this call is a new breed of senior managers who will be challenged by all of the organizations publics government, employees, shareholders, communities, customers and partners. They will challenge the total spectrum of public relations efforts and activities internally and externally. The new breed include people like Harry Kraemer of Baxter Int., Henry McKinnel of Pfizer, Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric, IBMs Samuel Palmisano and Joseph Tucci of EMC. Firms like Intel and Microsoft have shifted to the softer style of management with Craig Barrett and Steve Balmer (respectively) rather than the tough love approach which served the companies for many years. GEs Jack Welch was a hard line; in-your-face manager who worked well with his people but aggressively challenged employees, business partners and even governments. Lou Gerstner came into IBM at a critical period, slashed staffing, reshuffled business units and demanded performance and limited his contacts with the press and financial community. Hard to Soft Relying less on the personal approach than positions of power, Andy Grove at Intel and Bill Gates at Microsoft moved aggressively with customers and business partners and were even confrontational with governments around the globe. HP, which had an almost mythical history of soft-touch management, was shaken to its foundation when Carly Fiorina became president forcing changes by dictate and the will of her convictions. During the HP/Compaq campaign, Ms Fiorina mirrored the hardball approach that had worked so well for IBMs Gerstner and GEs Welch. In what some have referred to as a good cop/bad cop routine, Compaqs Michael Capellas balanced Ms. Fiorinas tough statements and black/white decisions. He quietly and confidently worked to reassure customers, partners, employees and shareholders that the two organizations were getting inputs from all parties to develop an integration program that encouraged and respected their inputs and recommendations. Capellas never shied away from focusing on people and shareholder value during the merger process. His approach softened and humanized the management team that emerged. Now that he has moved to Worldcom well see if he can work his magic there. With his departure, Ms. Fiorina is trying to do something that is awkward at best straddle the chasm. Unlike their predecessors the new CEOs must focus on being more personable, more accessible, more open and more in touch with employees, business partners, the press and the financial community. Rather than use their authority to force change and progress; they must work at suggesting, influencing and guiding by example. The new climate is demanding that they focus on interpersonal skills, encouraging constructive disagreement and placing a premium on openness in all of their relationships. Hidden programs and hidden agendas even if they are innocent or in the best interest of stakeholders will only hurt them. Its a tough time to be a CEO. The shift also has a profound effect on how PR supports companies and management teams. Public relations professionals will have to take on more of an ombudsman role insisting on and executing programs that emphasize open communications internally and externally. Management is beginning to realize that they dont own employees and partners. That means public relations will have to help craft and communicate new positions and new messages throughout the organization. Your Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 4

5 C L I N D O E I L guidance and recommendations will also be tested. If your organization has progressed beyond my way or the highway management to one where senior management wants and expects inputs and recommendations on goals, strategy and specific communications efforts your workload has dramatically increased. Suddenly you have to think rather than simply react. If you establish the communications strategy and tactics it also means you are responsible for carrying out the programs and for their success. If notbuy Kevlar suits! Inside Out The new management style -- which is more art than science -- requires that public relations develop activities that show that management wants to reach out internally and externally for information and inputs positive and negative. If the company has emerged from -- or management wants to shift from -- the just do it style to one that says, how should we do it, change wont happen overnight. As American Airlines management teams bankruptcy brinksmanship fiasco proved in its labor negotiations, it takes only one misstep to destroy years of work. Donald Cartys career was built in part on his success in improving management/employee relations. But the combination of hidden agendas by the board of directors, compensation committee and management team destroyed his years of work in just a few days. Suddenly the board of directors and compensation committee distanced themselves from Carty leaving him with one option resign. Even public relations was swept along with yesterdays hide the facts, damage control approach. Americans PR position was that union management was aware of the management teams financial windfall. Everyone lost! Unlike most new CEOs, Cartys replacement Gerald Arpey had to quickly establish, demonstrate and manage his reputation in the worst possible environment. Facing severe fiscal challenges he didnt have the luxury of an easing in period. New Wave of Counsel All of the medias attention on business management scandals and the resulting destruction of the star power image of the CEO is forcing all of us in the field to rethink and rework the way we counsel, support and guide management in their communications efforts. Because CEO cult worship has fallen out of favor, public relations professionals are rethinking and reworking their efforts focusing on the organizations fundamental stakeholders the financial community and employees. Honesty, integrity, vision and value the fundamentals of good leaders have become more important to these primary audiences and the marketplace at large. Public relations will have to earn a new status and new role with management. Counseling the CEO and senior management on stakeholders perception and needs will take higher priority over the practitioners ability to craft and place managements messages. The ability to open lines of communications with the stakeholders and quietly building the reputation of the CEO and the corporation. Sub programs and targeted activities will have to be put in place with which are mindful of each stakeholder employee, shareholder, business partner, government official and consumer. Keeping the lines of communications open between the audience participant and CEO/management team will be intensely difficult. The public relations professional will have to navigate carefully as he or she helps promote the management and company to stakeholders and the stakeholders to management. Remember the old adagebe careful what you wish for, you may get it. Public relations has finally reached the position where counsel is becoming more valuable than execution. It will be interesting to see if we are equal to the challenge. G.A. Andy Marken President, Marken Communications Inc. andy@markencom.com Article reprinted with permission The unusual circumstances forced new strategies on management that every public relations practitioner should study and understand to ensure they carry out activities that are in the best interest of the company, management and the firms stakeholders. His background in finance and operations did little to equip Arpey for his Herculean task. Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 5

6 D O S S I E R Rôle dune agence dans la mise en uvre dun salon Exemple, Les Naturalies N ous voulons montrer à travers cet article le rôle de lagence Sports Europe Communication dans lorganisation du salon «Les Naturalies» et plus particulièrement la valeur ajoutée que peut apporter une agence de communication événementielle. Cet article est réalisé grâce à deux interviews dun des fondateurs de lassociation «Les Naturalies» et du directeur des achats de lagence Sports Europe Communication, nous permettant ainsi de véritablement appuyer notre argumentaire. Lorigine du concept : Lassociation «Les Naturalies» a été crée en février 2002 par des passionnés de la nature. Leur idée : monter de toute pièce un projet de grande envergure : le 1er salon en plein air qui montre la nature telle quelle est. La Première édition du salon «Les Naturalies» sest déroulée du 30 mai au 2 juin 2002 sur le site Truffaut, aux Jardins de Balma : 220 exposants et intervenants se sont réunis, ils représentaient : les Institutions, les couleurs et saveurs de la terre, La beauté de la terre et le jardinage, Le bien être, Le plein air, Les animaux, Les sports nature,... Une quarantaine danimations variées et conférences sur ces thèmes étaient proposés aux visiteurs : défilé de l'équipage de Chasse à Courre, présentation de chiens de races, exposition santé sur l'eau et les rivières, initiation à la pêche, jeux pédagogiques sur les fruits et les légumes, aviron, Jet Ski,... Les Naturalies - du 13 au 15 juin 2003 Le premier salon grand public dédié à la nature dans lequel le visiteur s'initie en plein air et de manière active à respecter et préserver son environnement, selon le concept : «La nature fait son salon». Une visite grandeur nature sur plus de 3 hectares de verdure et 1 plan d'eau de 800 m² à travers 4 univers d'expositions et d'animations : Les animaux : de la ferme à la vie sauvage Lenvironnement et le plein air : la culture bio, naturelle, les beautés de la terre, les métiers de la nature Le bien être et la forme : la dynamique et lénergie des produits, des services, des activités pour la remise en forme et léquilibre du corps Les goûts et les saveurs : les plaisirs de la table à travers une recherche permanente de qualité et dauthenticité Ainsi, lassociation souhaite donner «une bouffée dair» à tous les amoureux de la nature lors dun week-end. Gérer lorganisation, la commercialisation et la communication de ce salon nest pas une mince affaire. Cest pourquoi, «Les Naturalies» a décidé pour la deuxième édition du salon de faire appel au service dune agence de conseils en marketing et communication : lagence Sports Europe Communication. Lagence de conseil en communication : Créée en 1993 à Colomiers et ayant véritablement pris son essor en 1997, lagence Sports Europe Communication est une agence hors media indépendante spécialisée dans le marketing sportif. Deux départements marketing et opérations structurent cette agence. Une double compétence est donc mise en avant : conseil en marketing et organisation dévènements dentreprises. Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 6

7 D O S S I E R Lagence peut ainsi être amenée à saisir des opportunités dans des secteurs plus larges que le sport. Cest ainsi que lorganisation du salon «Les Naturalies» dédié à la nature entre désormais dans le portefeuille dactivités de lagence. Cest en grande part une question de relations entre lagence et lassociation. Malgré des affinités relationnelles fortes, lassociation «Les Naturalies» a contacté une première agence pour mener à bien lorganisation du salon pensant que le sujet nintéresserait pas Sports Europe Communication. Erreur de jugement puisque son savoir faire reconnu dans le sport peut très bien être exploité dans un tout autre secteur comme celui de lorganisation dun salon. Et elle le montre très bien aujourdhui. Rôle et enjeux incontournables Lagence Sports Europe Communication intervient pour la seconde édition de ce salon dans le but de professionnaliser ce dernier. Mise en place dune stratégie autour de quatre univers (lenvironnement et le plein air, les goûts et les saveurs, la forme et le bien-être, les animaux), recherche de partenaires, danimations représentent les axes de réflexion de lagence. Professionnalisme, savoir faire, relations avec des prestataires, ressources humaines : voici les atouts que revendique lagence pour mener à bien cette mission. A travers lorganisation de ce salon, Sports Europe Communication gagne en notoriété et un avantage économique certain. Son portefeuille dactivités sélargit : lagence passe en effet dévénements sportifs à un événementiel salon. Et de ce fait «toute lagence participe au projet que ce soit le service marketing, le commercial, les opérations, le studio, les achats». Cette totale implication de lagence peut sexpliquer par le fort potentiel de ce dernier. Un concept dans lair du temps, une ville pilote comme Toulouse, une enseigne très forte derrière le projet, bref des éléments clés pour imaginer à terme une duplication de cet événement sur un plan national. Et pour cela un seul objectif, celui dinstitutionnaliser le salon afin quil devienne un rendez vous incontournable du grand sud ouest. Nous navons plus quà souhaiter bonne vie au salon «Les Naturalies»... Renseignements divers : Lieu : Les Jardins de Balma, Rond point jardinerie Truffaut, route de Lavaur (rocade Est, sortie N 15) Contact : Sports Europe Communication - Tel : info@sports-europe.fr Tarifs : 5 pour les adultes 2 pour les enfants Caroline Peyre et Laurie Puisset-M2C Français «Ils [les membres de lassociation] ont réalisé leur rêve en organisant la première édition avec le conseil amical de Sports Europe Communication et fort de leur vécu ils ont tout de suite réalisé quil valait mieux que des professionnels prennent en main lorganisation de lévénement». Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 7

8 D O S S I E R PR and event management agencies PR or public relations represents a specific element of a companys communications activities. It is designed to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics (). T he scope of PR PR embraces matters such as: Promoting products and services through media publicity, enhancing public awareness of the company and its reputation, creating a climate of co-operation and interest with the media in order to obtain positive news coverage of company achievements and to receive sympathetic reporting on company problems, protecting the companys reputation, promoting the company within its trade or industry, etc to handle PR, to hire professional PR staff and to use an external agency PR agencies It is difficult to draw up a simple profile of the PR agencies. Many are working with different clients from a variety of fields and sectors. However, because the PR arena is becoming more and more specialized, many PR firms now focus on clients within a single industry, such as in environmental issues, health care or transportation. Corporate advertising External publications - Annual reports - Leaflets - Web sites Etc. Media relations - New releases - Press conferences - Press reception Managed events - Lectures, symposia - Exhibitions - Displays/demos - Open days In-house media - House publications - Staff events - Video conferencing Public Relations The tools of public relations Depending on the objective that the company has defined, and the audience(s) it targets, there will be a number of tools or approaches that can be used to effect (see Figure below). Often those tools will be used together in order to increase the impact. In-house or agency? The decision on whether to handle PR internally, or to choose an agency, can depend on the way PR is perceived. In a small organisation it is often the Managing Director who takes control, but there are three other possibilities: to train an existing manager Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 8

9 D O S S I E R It is not rare that the Agency reduces all overheadcosts to a minimum through a long term cooperation with freelancers and suppliers in all fields of public relations and event planning. The Agency works together with responsible and independent experts who operate success-oriented and who consider the strategic alignment of company communication. Lets focus on PR agencies that deal with event management. Then, Event profile: To change information into knowledge combining with an emotional link thats our goal. The idea is implemented in the communication-concept, which describes the goals and the realisation of the event. The basic: controlling the budget, developing time-charts, organising multiple tasks, documentation and success control. After having visited all suitable locations for an event, the firm organises all suppliers services. The performance of those suppliers is controlled and adjusted to the level of the event. The whole impression of the presentation will be assigned to the target of the event. Last step, Customer profile: The firm cooperates with agencies having a similar agency profile, in order to use their experience. Conclusion: In-house or PR Agency? PR Agencies: Advantages: A team of professionals, Contacts with media and vendors, The outsiders perspective. Disadvantages: Managed events There are lots of ways of reaching the chosen audience. Conferences, displays, lectures, shopping centre events, demonstrations, open days, public visits, a contemporary artists participation for a foundation, a prestigious prize awarded to specially selected winners are examples of what can be done to facilitate contact. Most agencies mark up services that their provide through their vendors, Account executives are often assigned multiple accounts and the assignment may fall to the bottom of the 'to do' list. Internet site: Find all this list with more details: The role of PR, as well as direct mail, in attracting visitors must not be ignored. The cost of such an exercise is only a small proportion of the cost the event as a whole, and usually is money well spent. But how does the Agency works? Event management agencies To answer this question, lets take a concrete example and study how proceeds Profile Events and PR GmbH, a German agency specialised in public relation and event communication. 1 st step Communication profile: We establish confidence through communication. The Agency establishes confidence into a company and its products on a medium and long-term base. Anne-Claire Janier-Malnoury, M2C English Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 9

10 R E C H E R C H E Journalists vs PR PeopleWere Making the Bullets They Shoot Theres a renewed outbreak of journalists dont like us, we dont like them going around. Media people have problems. Public relations people as a group has problems. We cant cure theirs but we have to cure ours. M ost of the journalists ills are beyond their individual control but if PR people are to be more effective they have to understand their media audience. Journalists Problems The entire media industry is in upheaval. Publications are disappearing because of reduced ad revenues. Those that are surviving have fewer news holes. News web sites have fallen on hard times and are either being shut down or are restructuring. Radio and TV management recognize that internetbased audio/video news and entertainment are coming. The problem is that they cant figure out how to make money in the new environment. Timeshifting the recording and playback at any time is gaining momentum which means networks and stations soon wont be able to charge more for prime time because prime time programs may be viewed/heard at any time. Its hard to justify premium charges for this new arrangement. Editors and writers just like everyone else are experiencing layoffs so there are fewer filling the same or reduced number of print or web site pages and radio/tv news slots. In one way this can be viewed as good because the print, web, radio, TV news groups will try to keep the best people (writers) and shed the rest. That also means they know their job better and know what is good news and garbage. It also means these individuals have less available time so PR people have to be sharp and to the point because they often have seconds to hook the reporter on the message he or she is presenting. That means the PR person has to be on target immediately because the reporter cant waste his or her meager time trying to help the PR person do his or her job. They never chose their career to be teachers. While many of the best journalists want to and often do stay with the media there is always a certain number of jump ship and move to public relations which is often more financially rewarding. When weak writers/reporters stays they tend to hide their weaknesses by focusing on what is hot and/or trendy rather than digging into areas and developing meaningful pieces. One senior technology editor complained that is more difficult for him to find qualified people to do product reviews because a growing number of reviewers seemed to simply take the box they received, the data sheet and the reviewers guide and write their review. They would write negatively about the products documentation and the companys customer support group because they almost universally fall short. He wanted people who actually took the product out of the box and used it just like a real customer. That takes time and effort and for people getting paid by the word or per project, the package copy and data sheet offered a fast, easy solution. In the business and trade media arena web, broadcast and print reporters, assuming they have a technical background, out of necessity are generalists. They may have favorite area such as mobile systems, Macs, video production or network infrastructure but they know little about video-ondemand, storage, MDU (multi-dwelling unit) applications, SONET, SAN/NAS or SS7/SS8 networks. That means the PR person has to have that expertise or be able to provide it quickly to assist the editor/reporter, assuming you can even get them interested in the subject. Public Relations Problems Its great to get all of medias problems out in the open because then public relations people can say, Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 10

11 R E C H E R C H E See its not my fault. Im doing my best its just that they dont understand how good your company, your product or I am. Attention peopleas Walt Kelly wrote in his famous Pogo cartoon strip, We have met the enemy and he is us. Or to put it differently, the relationship between public relations and the media has always been an uneasy alliance. But as a profession we are increasingly making the bullets they shoot at us. We seem to ignore the bullets as they whiz by and seem to feel they are really meant for the other guy. If you really are a professional, you know a number of people on your side of the Maginot Line that are making your life miserable. Unfortunately those people probably stopped at the end of the journalist problem section, assuming they even read at all. If youre already good this will either serve as a reminder or as something you can pass along to others. If you arent quite so goodtake notes. We read an alarming note in Jack ODwyers Newsletter that PR people are frightened out of their wits about contacts with the press. They fear the wrong thing might get into print. You have got to be kidding! What do you think your job is? What was all your education and training for? Granted if a 60 Minutes or 20/20 crew rolls up you had better think twice about what youre going to say and how youre going to say it but isnt that why you make the big bucks? But the vast majority of journalists are not out to do a hatchet job on your clientor you. They are going to do their job which is to develop a good news item and move on to the next story. They may make mistakes in their coverage of your company, your management or your products but thats your fault, not theirs. That simply means you didnt or couldnt provide the information they wanted and needed. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the media. If you dont provide the informationgood journalists will find it. If you lie to them, theyll find out and trust usjournalists have long memories. If you dont explain the subject thoroughly especially if its technical in nature and they dont correct your mistakes, is that their problem? Yet another event MonsterBuzz was recently held for technology-focused company management and PR people to learn how to improve their coverage. One of the questions weve heard at every such event over the past 20 years was, How do we get your attention to cover us? Most PR people will only talk with editors, reporters when they need to pitch an idea. Surprise folks, its not that difficult do your job. What does that mean? Read the publications Get to know who covers what beat Be an informed and response resource even if the specific query isnt in support of your company or product dig deep and find the story hook or fresh idea that will interest and maybe even excite the reporter do something daring. Invite an editor to lunch at the companys offices to talk with management and learn more about what the company is doing, where its going and its product plans/directions dont be a gatekeeper for your management instead help them be prepared to talk with the press. Encourage direct contacts and relationship building Granted weve been in the profession for a long time some might say too long but we actually know a large number of editors, reporters and analysts as individuals. It doesnt give us any special edge in pitching a story but it does mean we know what they want and dont want as well as how they want to receive the information. It also means they well deliver what they need, when they need it and in a form they can use. Recently weve been conducting monthly technology briefings with one of our clients meeting with members of target publications to provide them with general and specific information on technology areas. Weve been calling it the doughnut series even though weve been holding the meetings throughout the day starting at breakfast and going through the evening and dinner. The meetings cover a specific product category tape storage, CD, DVD, monitors/color management, interfaces, etc. They are subject areas in which the company has products but we discuss all products in the category, not just our products. The first set of meetings was rocky because: a) the reporters were skeptical and really expected a veiled product pitch and b) we had to hone our discussions to each mediums requirements on the fly. But now we can fill a conference room at each medium because they know were giving them a meaty and honest overview of the technology area. For the past five years at various trade shows around the globe weve been coordinating dinners with members of the press (20-30) and members of Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 11

12 R E C H E R C H E client teams. The one ground rule was that it would be a quiet, enjoyable evening of dining with no product pitches. Theres no formal presentation. We pick the reporters, editors and analysts up at their hotels and/or the convention center; go to a quality restaurant; have a relaxed dinner and informal conversation and return them to their hotels. Do they talk about the company and products? Sure. But more importantly they talk to each other about their personal and professional lives, areas of interest and other subjects that interest both sides. Thats how relationships are developed. time that tell you how neat their company is, how wonderful their management team is and want to know when you want to meet with them. Notice in the above sentence there is no discussion of what is new or different that the company will be unveiling or why its going to be important for the reporter to take his or her meager time at the show to meet with the company. The press come to conventions to get news for their audience, not to help publicists fill a meeting schedule. If its an agency, they send a laundry list of companies they are representing along with a boilerplate explanation of the company and tell the editor/reporter to circle a day, indicate a time and fax or the meeting request back to the agency. If they got any lazier they could also send the company and product information to the reporters so they could write the announcements for the publicist. Most PR people dont have a grasp of good journalistic writing. It seems as though fewer and fewer practitioners come into the business with any journalism experience. A great percentage has never been in a newsroom environment. The very foundation of good communications is not liking people, having good people skills or being able to speak well. The foundation is good writing. PR people want to be management counselors, crisis management specialists or any of the other growing number of specialties we are developing as our society and lives become increasingly complex. At the end of the day something has to be written and it has to be written well. PR people are using the internet to abuse the press: They mass press invitations or story ideas to 10s; sometimes 100s of people instead of sending each a message one at a time. Thats plain lazy and an insult to every recipient. There is no reason anyone should wade through pages of addressees just to get to the messageand most editors/reporters wont. They simply dump the . They send volumes of releases, entire press kits and animated invitation attachments. If an editor or reporter requests the material and are expecting it, they will open and use the information. In our virus-ridden world, most unsolicited attachments are dumped unopened. It simply isnt worth the risk. They send inquiries for meetings usually around convention Companies and agencies have unleashed a horde of PR bunnies. We wish we had come up with that descriptive phrase but unfortunately the credit belongs to someone else. As PR professionals become pressed to get more coverage they give a product pitch or show meeting outline to the newest kids in the office. This individual hops from subject to subject or reporter/editor to reporter/editor making his or her pitch. Can you possibly believe reporters, editors and analysts are that stupid? The list could go on but you get the idea. One by one weve got to do a better job of doing our job so we can take the anti-pr ammunition away from journalists. When we do well quit being practitioners and become professionals. It doesnt mean well become close partners. But at least there will be an improved working relationship. Until then weve met the enemy and he is us. G.A. Andy Marken President, Marken Communications Inc. andy@markencom.com Article reprinted with permission Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 12

13 N E W M A R K E T S Attracting Tourists to a New Lebanon T his is a real successful story about the role of public relations in rebuilding tourism in Lebanon after a 17 year civil war ( ). For years, tourism was a major component of the Lebanese national economy but the war destroyed the image of peaceful Lebanon and left the economy destitute. How the government put their efforts to revive tourism in the country, whats the role of public relations in the strategies definition to convince tourists to visit Lebanon and how to eliminate tourists negative impressions and establishes long term relationships between the Lebanese government and potential tourists. The problem Lebanon, which often was described as the Switzerland of the Middle East, dropped from the list of highly visited countries after The 17- year civil war, along with military invasions, claimed about 150,000 lives, brought the countrys economy to the edge of collapse and robbed Lebanon of its prized reputation as the regions quintessential vacation spot. A tourism movement shifted from Lebanon to Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. Strategic tactics and techniques Lebanons recovery requires drastic and rapid actions. But one must recognize that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to revitalize the tourism industry in Lebanon in a short period of time. Thus, a set of consecutive procedures needs to be executed. A two-phase plan that considers both immediate and long-term actions was recommended! Immediate Actions: Inviting 50 international travel reporters to visit Lebanon. These journalists should be selected from the countries from which Lebanon attracted tourists most before the war. Like United states, Canada, Europe union countries, Australia and some east- Asia countries. The main objective of these invitations is to show travel and tourism reporters that: the situation is peaceful and everyone can move freely again in the country; the tourist and historic sites are still intact and the free enterprise system is Lebanon is working normally. Advertising in Lebanese newspapers that have large circulations in the Arab world and in international magazines that reach potential tourists in the U.S and Europe. Producing and distributing guidebooks, brochures and calendars of festivals and cultural events. Participating in regional and international fairs and exhibitions to display Lebanese artifacts. Holding Lebanon Week in Paris, London and Brussels. Distributing gifts and souvenirs to tourists visiting historical sites. Long-term actions: More carefully planned actions are needed to generate long lasting effects. A five-year public relations plan is proposed which guided by the theoretical framework of the two-way symmetric model. The goal is to create and maintain mutual understanding between organizations and their publics. Communication flows both to and from publics. The mainly involved relationships are: Government vs Media, Government vs Private sector; Government vs Tourists; Government vs Emigrants. The media are supposed to help the government in: Positively shaping public opinion about tourism in Lebanon. Reflecting public opinion. The relationship between government and private companies is symbiotic what affects one affects the other. To make the tourists feel, see and believe that tourism in Lebanon is pleasant, safe, rewarding and relaxing, the government should provide tourists with: facilities, guarantee of freedom, assurance of safety and centers for complaints and inquiries. Conclusion The Lebanese government has taken important steps toward reconstruction of tourism. The involvement of public relationships has played the key role in the campaign of stimulating the tourism in Lebanon, the effects were significant. The proposal of two-phase plan was a very successful concept for this case. Even there is a long way to go, but the tourism industry in Lebanon is growing with the effort of government and the help of the strategies. Anita HEM2C English Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 13

14 L A R E V U E D E P R E S S E Une sélection darticles essentiels PR Takes Measure Of Its Effectiveness Agencies explore new ways to analyze campaign results Lisa Van Der Pool and Kristen Rountree Public relations measurement has always been an imprecise science. But new tools such as Edelman Public Relations' Relationship Index, launched last month, are emerging as alternatives to outdated methods such as advertising equivalency and press-clipping tallies. Increasingly, the focus is on outcomes (sales results or increased awareness spurred by PR) over outputs (the sheer number of articles or media placements). Independent Edelman's Relationship Index, developed with sister research firm StrategyOne, supports the Relationship Imperative philosophy Edelman developed last year to help clients build trust and understanding among a cross-section of constituencies. Adweek, 5/12/2003, Vol. 44 Issue 19, p10, 1p Strategic Planning in Public Relations: A Matrix That Ensures Tactical Soundness Emma Daugherty The public relations practice is filled with technicians and practitioners who are experts at implementing programs. They are adept at writing newsworthy press releases, producing attention-getting collateral materials, and organizing impressive special events. To make the transition into the ranks of management, however, public relations practitioners must be able to do much more than that. They must be skilled strategic planners. To be effective managers, they must be able to write clear and concise goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics. Furthermore, they must understand the role of the organization's mission, analyze the situation, and assess program effectiveness through evaluation techniques. Whether practitioners work in a nonprofit organization or for a Fortune 500 company, they must be armed with the knowledge and skills to be capable strategic planners. Strategic planning is structured and hierarchical. One step leads to another, providing the foundation for direction. Following a strategicplanning matrix, public relations practitioners are able to formulate an effective plan that focuses on the most important elements and solves the identified problem. Not unlike a business plan or marketing plan, public relations practitioners develop their own plan, focusing on public relations problems they can solve, which relate directly to the organization's mission and goals. Public Relations Quarterly, Spring- 2003, Vol. 48 Issue 1, p21, 6p Bush must work on PR A RECENT newspaper article said US President George W. Bush has turned the outpouring of international sympathy after Sept 11, 2001, into a public relations disaster. I happen to agree fully. Instead of harnessing this sympathy to have the rest of the world on his side, he has succeeded in making enemies of even the French and the Germans. In his haste to be seen as a tough leader, he has surrounded himself with hawks. A war will serve them just fine. Bush has forgotten that the rest of the world is also important. The world needs order so that dictators and despots can be dealt with. But for that to happen with the support of the world, Bush needs to work on his public relations. Otherwise, the harvest will be a bitter one in the end. New Straits Times-Management Times, Feb 26, 2003 Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 14

15 Z O O M E T U D I A N T Grégoire BAUTIER Pourquoi choisir un métier dans une agence de communication qui, par définition nobéit pas à un emploi du temps déterminé et régulier, est souvent mal payé (exception faite de quelques créatifs surdoué) et est sujet aux pires fluctuations conjoncturelles, me diriez-vous? Cest très simple, je vous répondrais dabord par les trois éléments cidessus. Selon moi, le temps devient tout simplement ce que lon en fait. Jai toujours souhaité avoir la possibilité de morganiser comme je lentendais dans mes activités professionnelles, sans pour autant me soustraire à certaines obligations, bien évidemment. Ensuite, largent nest pas ma première motivation face au travail (elle en est quand même une, mais nintervient que plus tard dans la hiérarchie!). Cette vision me permet de privilégier et dapprécier dautant plus Wanwan QIN My name is Wanwan Qin, I am from Pekin, China. I graduated from Hunan University of China and have been in Toulouse for half a year. During my studies at the University of China, I took a break to do an internship with the Hunan Economic TV Station, where I had the chance to edit the international news broadcast. After obtaining a bachelors degree of Arts majoring in Linguistics, I did an internship at McDermott Co. - The Beijing representative office of this American Boiler Company. There I learned to deal with international trade and marketing; at the same time, I was responsible for communication with the press. After education from the University and through internships, I decided to go abroad to further my education in marketing and communication. This is why I chose to have the professional training of M2C at ESC Toulouse. The courses are interesting and creative, I had the chance to la richesse des missions qui me sont proposées. Quant aux fluctuations du marché de lemploi, il me semble que le Mastère Marketing & Communication nous met relativement à labri daléas pouvant se révéler douloureux tant sur le plan économique que psychologique. Enfin, cest là le plus important à mes yeux, travailler dans une agence permet, même à un individu doté dun profil commercial, dêtre inventif (voire créatif) dans ses réalisations. Bien sûr, même les métiers en agence ont leur «pain noir». Une fois la réflexion stratégique menée et aboutie et avec cela tous les autres aspects plus sympatique, reste alors le suivi des projets, les devis et tous les aspects administratifsmais la dynamique est bel et bien là. En bref pour moi, travailler en agence me permet de mettre en application mon côté «artiste» sans en être véritablement un. meet people from different origins and cultures and to be informed of the latest situation of todays market thanks to the professionals and professors presentations. I chose the Agency credit, Because it is where my interest lies and also from my experience in communication, I found that Public Relations is quite challenging and wanted to know more about it. The future of Public Relations is promising, as the relationship between P.R. and Advertising grows deeper. P. R. plays a more and more important role. Public Relations Agencies are emerging in large numbers and according to the credibility of work by Public relations, it turns to be an essential marketing tool for a companys image and products branding. I am now trying to find an internship in a communication company and hope I can become a specialist in the P.R. industry. Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 15

16 S I T E S I N T E R N E T E T L I V R E S Une sélection de sites internet et de livres The Public Relations Review The Public Relations Review is the oldest journal devoted to articles that examine public relations in depth. Most of the articles are based on empirical research undertaken by professionals and academics in the field. Each issue contains half-a-dozen major articles, notes on research in brief, book reviews, and precis of new books in the fields of public relations, mass communications, organizational communications, public opinion formations, social science research and evaluation, marketing, management and public policy formation. Online-pr.com On-line Public Relations is dedicated to helping you deliver better, faster and less-expensive online PR. Online Public Relations. Description: Free online resource for public relation professionals Globaleventmanagement.com Global Event Management provides high quality service. From promotional sampling programs, to full event execution. Description: Specialized in development and implementation of integrated event management programs. Public relations-online.net Public Relations Online provides PR professionals and companies infomative resources such as news, reference material and a directory of PR agencies. Pour recevoir le dossier de candidature au Mastère Spécialisé en Marketing et Communication Commerciale Retourner ce document ou sa copie complétée : Mr Mme Mlle Nom : Prénom : Adresse : Code Postal : Localité : Bureau distributeur : Pays : Envoyer à : ESC Toulouse, 20, bd Lascrosses, Toulouse Market-in-mind.com Magazine Directeur de la publication : Jacques Digout Responsable de la communication du groupe ESC : Alexandre Lévy Rédacteurs en chef : Stéphane Bernard, Catherine Jougla Rédacteurs et concepteurs : Lamia Benadada, Jan Chevrier-English, Wanwan Qin Avec laimable coopération des partenaires chercheurs, des étudiants, des anciens étudiants et des professeurs du Mastère Marketing et Communication Commerciale. Groupe ESC Toulouse 20, bd Lascrosses Toulouse, Tél : Fax : j.digout@esc-toulouse.fr Marketin-Mind.com est une publication du groupe ESC Toulouse Market-in-Mind.com, Réfléchir et comprendre le marketing professionnel 16