In a busy media panorama the place unfavourable information can go viral immediately, one PR professional reinforces sharing optimistic tales, whether or not by way of built-in comms methods or discovering pitch-worthy materials internally.
Dan Landson, Southwest Airways’ public relations advisor, 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 concerning the ins and outs of built-in communication methods on the PR Every 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 without doubt one of the bigger airways within the nation. When transporting over 130 million passengers within the sky yearly and using over 66,000 individuals, there’s certain to be some media protection alongside the way in which.
Landson talked about his preliminary curiosity with Southwest after assembly a flight attendant at his first job at a grocery retailer. He stated that discovering these employee-centric moments are culture-building tales that ought to be informed.
“It’s these tales that convey 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 stated. “However as a PR skilled, we get to inform wonderful tales of our 66,000 workers. There are unimaginable those that work for us.”
The mechanics of built-in comms
Landson stated that loads of positivity can come from telling these tales, amongst others, and sharing excellent news externally and internally.
“In public relations, it’s so necessary to pay attention to all communication actions which might be occurring,” Landson stated of being in sync from starting to finish. “Whether or not that’s a advertising and marketing e mail or an inner e 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 fashion that’s straightforward to know by the viewers’s that you just’re attempting to succeed in.”
Honing in on built-in media methods additionally requires PR professionals to construct belief, Landson stated.
“You’ve bought to have the ability to actually lead the dialog to grow to be a trusted counselor amongst your friends and counterparts at what you are promoting and your company,” Landson stated. “You need to grow to be the trusted voice, the trusted seat, and the extra belief you construct, the extra and the extra visibility you’ve got, the higher probability you’ve got of constructing and creating stronger and extra impactful communication methods.”
Constructing media relationships
Landson stated that media protection won’t all the time be favorable however navigating by way of turbulent skies can go a great distance.
“As we are saying, we are able to’t guarantee something however what we can do is absolutely get to know our journalists that cowl the trade,” Landson stated. “Get to construct relationships with those that in the end grow to be a trusted particular person you can go to bounce story concepts off of, assist pitch proactive and unique tales with. Finally, bringing them to your entrance door to indicate them your organization’s methods in order that they’ve a a lot better understanding of what you’re attempting to do and what you’re attempting to perform.”
Landson talked about grappling with Southwest’s points in December the place main flight delays stranded 1000’s of passengers.
“This was an unprecedented scenario for our firm and our communication staff,” Landson stated, including that the staff got here collectively rapidly to determine the very best communication ways.
“Day by day we regrouped to debate what labored, what didn’t work, what we are able to change.”
Landson stated the corporate listened to journalists and what they wanted for protection, took that info again to the staff and regrouped their methods.
“One of the crucial necessary items of being in public relations is listening to your audiences,” he stated.
Sherri Kolade is a author at Ragan Communications. When she isn’t together with her household, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style movies, studying and constructing an authentically curated life that features greater than often discovering one thing deliciously fried. Comply with her on LinkedIn. Have an excellent PR story thought? E mail her at sherrik@ragan.com.
COMMENT
One Response to “Southwest’s Dan Landson talks gaining media traction by way of optimistic storytelling”
How a lot and the way quickly—that’s what the general public appears at in deciding which airline to make use of. This succesful PR exec is correct concerning the significance of tales and tales that convey within the cash are these about having seats, as Southwest does, with low value and immediate arrivals.
“Someone has been sleeping in my mattress” stated child Child Bear however the mattress passengers crave most could also be their very own. That is necessary to acknowledge in order that administration will get from PR what the general public needs from firms, persuasive solutions to how a lot and the way quickly.
In the event you convey a placements e book to job interviews, convey what is going to make interviewers yearn for placements like that. Your “what we completed” tales might do extra for you than one, even if it mentions your organization’s identify, concerning the massive dangerous wolf who devoured Little Crimson Using Hood all up.
PR Every day’s college teaches PR strategies that empower college students to succeed BIG with out cowering just like the Three Little Pigs.