Public Relations teams need access to your organizational experts. Full stop.
I was on a prospect call recently involving some fairly complicated topics. After about 45 minutes, I was asked this question:
Our experts are busy, so if you don’t have access to them, how quickly can you get up to speed?
The immediate thought of, “how can I get up to speed without the appropriate information to get up to speed?” came to mind. I didn’t respond that way, but it got me thinking about how many times public relations practitioners are asked to do a job and then not given the resources or information to succeed.
We spend a lot of time talking about how a well-crafted public relations strategy can make the difference between a brand’s success or downfall. For PR practitioners, the foundation of such a strategy lies in an authentic understanding of the company they represent.
This understanding cannot be superficial. It requires comprehensive access to the company’s internal experts and information. That’s why there is a critical need for PR teams to have access to experts within your organizations.
I’d be surprised if PR pros aren’t nodding their heads right now. But for those leaders who may be wondering exactly why this is important, let’s dig a bit deeper.
At the foundation of public relations is the requirement to distribute accurate and authentic information. PR teams need to present facts, figures, and narratives that resonate with the target audience and stakeholders. This authenticity is impossible to achieve without direct access to the company’s internal experts.
Whether it’s a product engineer explaining the nuances of a new technology, a financial officer providing insights into quarterly earnings, or a scientist discussing research breakthroughs, these experts provide the depth of knowledge that PR pros need to create credible and compelling communications.
Experts within the company play a pivotal role in guiding strategic PR recommendations. They possess the nuanced understanding of the company’s vision, goals, and challenges. That makes them a perfect resource for your PR team to garner insights.
For instance, in a crisis, your PR teams can craft more effective responses and mitigation strategies if they have a clear understanding of the technical aspects of the issue at hand. This expert guidance ensures that the public relations strategy aligns with the company’s broader objectives and operational realities. And even when it’s not a crisis, we need to align these elements to better serve the brands we represent.
We’ve talked about creating trust as a brand on this channel many times before. Add to that the relationship between brands and the people they rely on is getting more and more complicated, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer.
Stakeholders demand openness and honesty from the companies they support. PR teams that have direct access to company experts are better equipped to foster this transparency. They can provide detailed, accurate answers to questions, address concerns with authority, and convey the company’s commitment to ethical practices.
I don’t like to talk about the negative when writing these, but sometimes it’s important. So, let’s talk about what happens if PR teams don’t have access to company experts and information.
Without access to internal experts, PR teams risk sending out misinformation at best or flat out (accidentally) lying at worst, which can lead to significant reputational damage. Inaccurate or incomplete information can mislead audiences, resulting in lost credibility and trust. Additionally, without expert input, PR strategies may not align with the company’s actual capabilities or objectives, leading to initiatives that are ineffective or even counterproductive for organizational objectives and goals.
Please, please, please make sure your PR team has access to experts during a crisis or reputation campaign, if no other time. When a company faces a crisis, timely and accurate communication is crucial to mitigate damage. PR teams without access to relevant experts will struggle to understand the full scope of the issue, leading to delayed or inappropriate responses. This can make the crisis worse, prolonging its impact and causing further damage to the company’s reputation.
This may be one of the most frustrating parts for me personally. PR is not only about managing perceptions during challenging times but also about seizing opportunities to highlight positive developments and achievements. Without access to internal experts, PR teams might miss out on significant stories or fail to highlight important innovations and milestones effectively. This can result in lost opportunities to enhance the company’s reputation or drive organizational results.
For public relations pros, access to organizational experts is not just beneficial, it is essential. The collaboration between PR teams and internal experts fosters accurate information distribution, strategic alignment, and trust-building, all of which are critical for effective public relations. A lack of access can lead to misinformation, misalignment, and missed opportunities, ultimately harming the company’s reputation and success.
Public relations is built on establishing relationships and crafting compelling narratives. As the PR industry, and expectations PR pros, evolves, the need for this access will grow.
For organizational leaders, we have to recognize the value of this access to facilitate open channels of communication between your experts and PR teams. This is going to not only empower that PR team deliver results, but also set your organization up for success through leveraging the PR campaigns in which you’ve invested.
