Aligning the Organization with PR
Posted by dna 13 on Fri, Jun 05, 2009
I spent this past Wednesday at the PR News Measurement Conference in Washington DC. The event was held at the National Press Club, an historical building where many US Presidents have frequented and discussed politics with journalists and stakeholders over the years.
What was discussed in great deal was both social media (surprise, surprise) and to my great pleasure alignment. Finally - a common theme is starting to emerge. One that touches on aligning PR with other organizational stakeholders. Today, new media is forcing today's corporations to re-think the way they manage PR and Corporate Affairs.
So how do we align the organization to be more effective and accountable? We do this by integrating PR and Corporate affairs with the extended organization. Give those outside PR the ability to monitor traditional and social media - in particular what they care about! For example, provide HR with the ability to monitor employee blogs and general HR related media. In addition to media, provide HR with the ability to view and collaborate (with PR) on the issues and projects that affect them. Give the extended organization the ability to listen and engage with media on issues that they are PASSIONATE about.
So who else in the organizations should "get aligned"? IR and Finance, Legal and Lines of Business (Think Brand Managers) to name a few. The botton line here is that PR can't monitor and manage the corporate brand anymore -- at least not alone. PR needs to share the load across departments, disciplines and geographies. Also, the old days of managing a brand from within corporate walls are over. Your brand and reputation now "lives" in the hands of millions of bloggers, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube users - and of course whatever new media application comes out next.
How do you align the organization? Do your research - the world has changed; invest in the time to find out how you can be a catalyst for change in your organization. Your brand is out their being talked about right now - think long (but not too long) and hard about how you're going to address this challenge.