Some people are naturally creative. That doesn't make them good at PR. That requires a combination of (a) something you're born with and, (b) something you learn along the way.
Among the keys to great PR and Marketing: (1) Know your target audience; (2) Create the message or brand; (3) Get the target audience's attention; (4) Tell the story; (5) Make the sale.
My earliest memories of writing and Public Relations? Dorchester -- across from Franklin Park Zoo. From our dining room we watched animals graze. I thought the song ".where the deer and the antelope play" was about Franklin Park. Seriously.
What does that have to do with PR? A few years ago, Little Joe, a 300-pound gorilla, escaped from Franklin Park and terrorized residents. The story brought fond memories of my old neighborhood. At age seven or eight, my twin brother and I stood near the same T stop where authorities tranquilized and recaptured Little Joe - and we sold original stories and poems to harried commuters disembarking from streetcars. Did they buy our writing because it was good, because we were so adorable, or out of pity? Maybe it was a combination.
We didn't realize that early lesson about PR and Marketing: (1) We knew our target market; (2) Created our message; (3) Got the audience's attention;
(4) Made our pitch; and (5) Made the sale. I don't' recall anyone trying to shoot us with a tranquilizer gun.
Some business owners want to do their own PR. They may (or may not) have the talent, but they should focus on running the business. Successful owners and managers know they need a pro to develop the message, identify target audiences, develop a budget and game plan, create materials, implement the plan, and keep it on track.
Although I no longer accost T commuters with my writing, I still use guerrilla tactics to help clients boost their brand and sell more stuff.
You need to be out there constantly, using different vehicles to tell your story. The successful business has someone devoted to -- and capable of -- this task - either on staff or on retainer. Not a 300-pound gorilla - but a 156-pound guerrilla. Let's talk.
Stanley Hurwitz, based in Stoughton, Mass., has 25 years of experience in Public Relations and Strategic Marketing.