In a busy media panorama the place destructive information can go viral immediately, one PR professional reinforces sharing optimistic tales, whether or not by built-in comms methods or discovering pitch-worthy materials internally.
Dan Landson, Southwest Airways’ public relations counselor, likes to soar above the negativity and fight it with messaging that garners curiosity from inner stakeholders, the general public and, after all, the media.
Landson will communicate in regards to the ins and outs of built-in communication methods on the PR Each day Media Relations Convention, June 5-6 in Washington, D.C. Learn on for a sneak peek at what he’ll focus on and find out about his preliminary curiosity with Southwest.
You don’t must look far to search out your tales
Southwest Airways is among the bigger airways within the nation. When transporting over 130 million passengers within the sky yearly and using over 66,000 folks, there’s sure to be some media protection alongside the best way.
Landson talked about his preliminary curiosity with Southwest after assembly a flight attendant at his first job at a grocery retailer. He mentioned that discovering these employee-centric moments are culture-building tales that needs to be informed.
“It’s these tales that deliver us collectively however when you don’t hear about these tales, you’re not going to know that Southwest exists as an employer of alternative,” Landson mentioned. “However as a PR skilled, we get to inform superb tales of our 66,000 staff. There are unbelievable those who work for us.”
The mechanics of built-in comms
Landson mentioned that a number of positivity can come from telling these tales, amongst others, and sharing excellent news externally and internally.
“In public relations, it’s so essential to concentrate on all communication actions which might be occurring,” Landson mentioned of being in sync from starting to finish. “Whether or not that’s a advertising and marketing electronic mail or an inner electronic mail or inner story after which how does that have an effect on your exterior story and exterior messaging? All of them must be intertwined. All of them must be scheduled appropriately and in addition all must be written in a way that’s simple to know by the viewers’s that you simply’re making an attempt to achieve.”
Honing in on built-in media methods additionally requires PR execs to construct belief, Landson mentioned.
“You’ve obtained to have the ability to actually lead the dialog to develop into a trusted counselor amongst your friends and counterparts at your enterprise and your company,” Landson mentioned. “You wish to develop into the trusted voice, the trusted seat, and the extra belief you construct, the extra and the extra visibility you’ve, the higher likelihood you’ve of constructing and creating stronger and extra impactful communication methods.”
Constructing media relationships
Landson mentioned that media protection may not at all times be favorable however navigating by turbulent skies can go a great distance.
“As we are saying, we will’t guarantee something however what we can do is de facto get to know our journalists that cowl the trade,” Landson mentioned. “Get to construct relationships with those that in the end develop into a trusted particular person which you could go to bounce story concepts off of, assist pitch proactive and unique tales with. In the end, bringing them to your entrance door to point out them your organization’s methods in order that they’ve a significantly better understanding of what you’re making an attempt to do and what you’re making an attempt to perform.”
Landson talked about grappling with Southwest’s points in December the place main flight delays stranded hundreds of passengers.
“This was an unprecedented state of affairs for our firm and our communication staff,” Landson mentioned, including that the staff got here collectively rapidly to determine the most effective communication ways.
“Each day we regrouped to debate what labored, what didn’t work, what we will change.”
Landson mentioned the corporate listened to journalists and what they wanted for protection, took that data again to the staff and regrouped their methods.
“One of the crucial essential items of being in public relations is listening to your audiences,” he mentioned.
