Group:
7 Articles Found

Essential Tips for On-Camera Appearances

Whether or not you believe that Andy Warhol predicted, "in the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes" (The Smithsonian says it's probably not true), you'll want to seize the moment when TV news comes calling. These nine PR tips will ensure you make everyone proud. 1. Maintain Eye Contact When in a face-to-face interview, focus on the person asking questions, not the camera. In remote interviews, keep unwavering eye contact with the camera lens.When pausing to collect your thoughts, look down rather than up to avoid misinterpretation. 2. Present Your Best Self Even in virtual meetings through platforms like Zoom or Teams, your appearance and surroundings are pivotal. Position your camera at eye level for a flattering perspective. Dress appropriately and run a comb or brush through your hair. The world doesn't need another Sam Bankman-Fried! Opt for …


How to Measure Public Relations Success

Don't let myths cloud your understanding of PR measurement. Instead, leverage PR as a powerful tool to drive your organization's success. Public relations is often shrouded in the myth that measuring outcomes is elusive if not impossible. This misconception stems from the belief that the primary result of PR activities is the mere generation of publicity. While publicity indeed provides value, its true significance is unlocked when it aligns seamlessly with your organization's overarching strategies and business objectives. It's imperative for organizations to hold their public relations initiatives accountable for achieving well-defined and quantifiable goals that truly matter. In many instances, the same metrics used to gauge the effectiveness of advertising can be applied to evaluate the impact of PR. Public relations outcomes typically fall into three distinct categories. We can educate. We can persuade. And we can mobilize. Put …


Response to Wuhan Coronavirus: Another PR Fail or Chance to Shine?

While a lot of attention has understandably been focused on the Senate Impeachment Trial of President Trump, we learned that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first case of the novel Wuhan coronavirus. The patient involved was described as having a history of traveling to China and started to show symptoms four days after arriving from China in the U.S. Images of health workers in full protective gear and the announcement that travelers from Wuhan – a city of 11 million people – to the U.S. will be required to undergo health screenings immediately brought back memories of the Ebola outbreak in Dallas in the fall of 2014. As The Dallas Morning News reported, in the story, ‘Looking back, Dallas Ebola crisis showed cost of fear, value of leadership,’ “We learned that the buffering protection of the two …


Media Interview Fundamentals

Lessons from Our First Decade Training America's Spokespersons During our first 10 years, DPK Public Relations has been honored to train more than 1,000 spokespersons for organizations throughout Texas and across the United States. We have conducted training in top secret military installations and highly volatile chemical facilities. We have conducted one-on-one training for individuals shortly before major media opportunities and for large groups that were unlikely to ever be interviewed -- but who rightly embraced the training 'just in case.' Through it all, one thing has remained true: how you deliver information is just as important as what you say -- and research suggests how information is delivered can easily amplify the power of the information, or it can suck all the power out of it. The goal is to project confidence and positivity to reinforce that you are …


Holidays Offer Great PR Opportunities

Holidays offer great opportunities for your organization to work with the media to get your messages out. First, the news business doesn't rest on a holiday. It might be a sleepy, peaceful day, but that news hole still needs to be filled. That's why there are certain holiday stories that were being done the day I was born and I suspect will be done until the day I die, such as the New Year's resolution story, the Memorial Day boating safety story, the July 4th fireworks safety story and (as illustrated in the video below) the Labor Day story about the American workplace. If you can find a good angle related to the holiday, you have a good shot of attracting attention. Second, nobody else is pitching stories. Your competitors are all enjoying the holiday! Every major holiday we have …


Fundamentals of Public Speaking: Using Nonverbal Cues

I just completed two days of presentation skills training with a large government agency and wanted to briefly share some thoughts about body language and nonverbal communications that came up repeatedly. First, it is essential that presenters think about and prepare for what they want to do with their body during a presentation. We tend to spend most of our time planning for WHAT we are going to say, but completely neglect HOW we are going to say it. The way you stand, your facial expression, your ability to make eye contact and what you do with your hands can each amplify or distract from the potential impact of your presentation. The way you stand. The most powerful way to stand is feet about should width apart, shoulders square and hands at your sides. Try standing that way. Do you …


The News Release: Not Dead Yet

The current environment, in which people search for and discover information that is valuable to them without the interference of traditional "gatekeepers" such as editors and journalists, makes the news release more powerful and important than ever. Read how to pack your release with more punch.