PR Pros: Celebrate the Non-Events

Over the last few months, I’ve had the unique opportunity of helping lead a municipality through the COVID pandemic and then an organization through a separate crisis that has dramatically impacted an industry. During this tumultuous time, my team and I have closely measured and proudly shared some of our output and the results of those efforts. At times, small wins were surfaced and celebrated. But, recently, it dawned on me that many PR professionals don’t focus enough attention on one important area. As former Milwaukee and Chelsea Police Chief Ed Flynn said,

"Sometimes success is measured by what doesn't happen."

When a potential story about my organization did not get broadcast, it went under the radar. Yet, if this story were to have run, the damage could have been long felt.

How did the story become a non-story? For starters, relationships were firmly established and a detailed conversation (on background) was facilitated with an assignment desk editor. Once they heard what the story actually was versus how it was portrayed, they recognized it wasn’t a story at all. Secondly, this situation once again underscored the importance of being proactive with outreach. To maintain our voice, I had to fill in the gaps that others potentially would try to fill in themselves. I didn’t speak to one assignment editor; I spoke to several. Lastly, I closely monitored what was said about the incident to clarify any potential misconceptions. At the end of the day, there was minimal traction and, during a time when it can be challenging to celebrate accomplishments, what ultimately didn’t happen became a moment of success.