I recently had the privilege to attend the 2019 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. Along with beautiful weather and coastal views, the conference was packed with amazing speakers, high-level breakout sessions and guests from exotic locations, like the San Diego Zoo!

Here are my key takeaways to improve our ongoing work, be better partners and get results:

  1. Misinformation is everywhere. It is more essential than ever before to communicate the truth proactively and clearly. Once misinformation is out there, it’s nearly impossible to debunk. Have a policy to be upfront and truthful and then stick to it. This will be the best defense against the spread of misinformation. As Frank X. Shaw, corporate VP of communications at Microsoft, said, “Be relentlessly authentic, do not mislead and stick to the lighted path.”‍
  2. Don’t limit creativity. Today’s public relations firms need greater creativity and more effective brainstorming techniques. Like Adam Ritchie said in his Invention in PR session, “Don’t ask ‘How can we make news?’ Ask, ‘How can we make history?’” As the landscape continues to change and media relations evolves, PR firms can’t follow the status quo in how they approach projects and make recommendations. We need to be better brainstormers, ask more questions, and get a little inventive.‍
  3. Use all the tools. It seems like every other day, there are a hundred new apps…and that’s a good thing! If you’re not using all the tools at hand, you might be losing time and more opportunities for getting results. Between email add-ons, workflow tools like IFTTT, and apps to help you concentrate and chill out like Ommwriter, tools are your best friend for optimizing time and performance.‍
  4. Make it easy. We all know reporters are swamped, but that continues to be more and more true as newsrooms shrink and fewer people produce larger amounts of content. Make it easy for reporters in your pitches by providing everything they need: video, images and fun titles to illustrate how they could market it themselves. They need to report results just like you. How can you help them do that?‍
  5. Research. Then research some more. PR professionals have more access to information and research on behavioral science and demographics than ever before. Before you create a campaign, you need to know not only where to reach the target audience, but also what motivates them. What makes them act or make certain choices over others? If the research doesn’t exist, do it yourself.