PRCA Practice Guides – serie

This is a media writing guide for PR people.The media use one per cent of the material PR people send them. What can we do to increase the hit-rate of the stories we write on behalf of our clients or employers?We need to know exactly what the media want and what they don't want.We should be able to write material according to the rules and conventions which the media themselves observe.We ought to know how to compose, present and lay out stories in a manner which saves the media time and earns their approval.We can enhance our pick-up if we know how to produce good media photography, video and infographics.We must know how to pitch a story professionally.This Guide is an A to Z of media writing for anyone working in PR who wants to get better results.

Can you control a crisis? No – but with adequate preparation you can control the reputational consequences. Reputational damage is rarely caused by the crisis itself but, instead, by what the organisation does and says under the media spotlight. This PRCA Practice Guide describes how to invest in readiness and what to do when a crisis strikes. Coverage includes contingency planning, stakeholder identification, crisis communications policy, spokesperson training, the ‘Red Book’, dark sites, rehearsals and simulations, locations and resources, taking the initiative, and managing the aftermath. The book also covers in detail the role of the mainstream and online media, recommending steps to neutralise hostility and shut down ill-informed comment. Including numerous real-life examples, discussion topics and advice from PR experts, journalists and editors, Crisis Communications Management is intended as an essential guide for public relations professionals, and the people who work with them during a crisis, on how to navigate the turmoil and emerge from a crisis with reputation and credibility intact.

Agency leaders spend the majority of their time on three areas – their people, clients and new business. These are all important levers for consultancy growth. But too often, agency owners forget two more essential tools for growth: attention to the numbers, and investment in their leaders. The consultancy leadership role can seem like an endless stream of fires to put out. It can leave leaders feeling as if their team, or their clients, are running their business rather than themselves. That's where this book comes in. Grow, Build, Sell, Live features practical and implementable advice and tools to address the day-to-day reality of running a successful agency. In addition to giving guidance on people, clients and new business, the book covers leadership and the numbers in detail to ensure leaders have the tools and knowledge to be in control. The content draws on proven approaches, helpful science and real-life examples to give practical recommendations to improve readers’ ability to achieve the controlled growth which is essential to agency success.  If you are thinking about starting your own agency; have started one and hit your first round of growing pains, or are a veteran looking for an exit, this book is for you. It will appeal to current and aspiring agency owners who want to understand and be conscious of their choices and take control of their agency.