I launched my firm on August 12, 1996, and this August, Nina Dietrich LLC celebrated its 30th anniversary. But I use the word “celebrated” loosely because I was so steeped in client matters, pitches, calls, and slide decks that I completely forgot that it was a “special day”.
On the following day, when I realized the 12th had passed, I felt badly that I had not taken a moment to blow out a candle or raise a glass. But, being so engaged with interesting work and wonderful clients is really something to appreciate, as well as celebrate. I truly appreciate all the clients, colleagues, members of the media (and my family for their understanding and support) for all that we have accomplished together over the course of the last three decades. I am grateful beyond words.
So, I started to think more about what appreciation in the practice of PR and communications really looks like.
PR practitioners work hard to make sure their clients have an opportunity to share their story and show up in the right light to the public. Part of that light comes from experiencing and showing appreciation.
In public relations, appreciation can look like this:
You can never thank reporters enough for their consideration of your story, publishing your release, or writing a feature story around a topic you pitched or that highlights a quote from one of your clients…or, in some cases, for taking the time to simply redirect you to a colleague who may be better suited to cover your industry or news. If they mention your brand or include a quote from your CEO in a broader story, or reserve a small slot for your news, thank them for publishing it or mentioning you. They will remember you expressed gratitude and didn’t take this valuable earned media coverage you received for granted.
Be grateful for a good story idea and a compelling story pitch (regardless of whether it leads to coverage). Maybe an employee did something exceptional that is worth sharing with the public (and that person definitely deserves direct, personal appreciation for their efforts, too). Or perhaps your PR professional sees a story about your brand that resonates with current events or trending news (whereas you, as the client/brand, only see “business as usual” because you are busy running a company and not thinking in terms of a good story pitch). I tell clients that I am hard pressed not to come up with an idea for a pitch, and I appreciate their working with me to that end.
Appreciate the boundaries and limitations of what the media can do and accomplish. Remember, reporters and editors are doing more with less these days. Media outlets have fewer people covering what seems like an ever-growing pipeline of news and features. Beats are changing rapidly. They are bombarded with pitches daily or might have limited space to give you ink. PR professionals know well that coverage is never a given.
Appreciate the process. Not every client really understands how PR works. It is not just about relationships and whom you know. At a minimum, it takes a good story idea, accessible spokespersons, compelling insight/quotes, and timely responses to meet challenging deadlines. But as PR professionals, it is our job to help our clients better understand, and ultimately appreciate, how we navigate the current media environment to tell their story.
Over the course of the last three decades, I can honestly say I have come to appreciate the meaningful rewards of public relations work, the client perspective and stories, and the demands upon reporters and their editors more with each pitch.
Thank you!