Communicating with Texas Legislators: Inside the Edelman 2010 Capital Staffers Index

By Danielle Allen, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Texas topped CNBC’s Top States for Business 2010 with 64 Fortune 500 companies claiming the Lone Star State as its headquarters. As these companies set about taking their products and services to the global marketplace, they face regulatory and legislative challenges. This begs the question: What are the most effective ways to communicate with policymakers to create the most conducive environment for doing business in Texas, the U.S. and abroad?

Over the years, some of Texas’ most influential policymakers have turned to strategic counselors for advice and direction related to policy matters—as one example, former President Lyndon Johnson looked to trusted advisor Bill Moyers. Similarly, Edelman tapped into this brain trust with our 2010 Capital Staffers Index to gain insight into the most impactful communications techniques for reaching legislators and their constituents.

Despite cultural differences, top aides—whether sitting in Washington, London, Brussels, Paris or Berlin—signaled that digital communications, like Twitter, blogs and Facebook, have made noteworthy gains as effective tools for reaching them and their bosses. In spite of these gains however, traditional outreach—face-to-face meetings, calls and letters—remain the most effective communications methods for reaching elected officials. Today, there are now more channels through which your messages must compete and resonate.

On the front line of policy battles, whether trying to capture the attention of media or legislators, one thing is certain: the effectiveness of your messages will pave the way for success or failure. With so many media channels available, it’s more important than ever for your messages to be simple, concise and compelling. Across the board, staff members say businesses should lead with succinct messages, backed by independent research. Messages resonate best when they align with your audiences’ priorities, particularly job creation (both direct and indirect) and benefits to local communities. In the recent mid-term elections in Texas and across the U.S., we saw just how important the jobs message is to voters. We anticipate that it will also be a key issue in upcoming the presidential election.

We also saw an explosion in the use of social media by legislators and constituents alike and the projections are this trend will only expand over the next three years. While we cannot directly extrapolate these numbers to our own state policy debates, the trends found in Edelman’s trans-Atlantic research certainly reflect what we’ve witnessed in Austin. Since the 81st legislative session in 2009, there has been a sharp rise in Members’ presence on Twitter and Facebook and an uptick in political and public affairs campaigns’ use of these tools to demonstrate grassroots muscle, as we’ve seen in the Speaker’s race. Additionally, policy-focused blogs, such as the Texas Tribune, have become key sources for inside information and smart analysis about political affairs.

As the 82nd legislature session begins, with initiatives vying to stay alive amid the threat of the state’s $20 billion-plus budget shortfall, we’ll undoubtedly see a continued emergence of these trends but with our unique Texas mark on them.

For more insights about our findings and unique perspectives from my colleagues in key world capitals, you can find them here.

Three Learnings From the "Barcelona Principles"

  By Ward White, Chief Strategy Officer

Just about the hottest topic in the PR trade press lately has been the Barcelona Principles.

• What’s this all about?
• Why should I care?

What’s this all about?

Last summer, 230 leading measurement experts from 33 countries gathered to address a worldwide problem -- the lack of standards in measuring what we do as PR people. They debated and voted to take a stand on seven issues. These seven points have becomes known --and widely praised -- as the “Barcelona Principles.”

These are:

• The importance of goal setting and measurement.
• Measuring the effect on outcomes is preferred to measuring outputs.
• The effect on business results can and should be measured where possible.
• Media measurement requires quantity and quality.
• AVEs are not the value of public relations.
• Social media can and should be measured.
• Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement.

The full Barcelona document is on the website of the Institute for Public Relations, which is the industry’s bridge between PR academics and PR practitioners. IPR co-led the effort to assemble this worldwide summit and played an active role in the drafting. PRSA also participated. The link is http://www.instituteforpr.org/research_single/the_barcelona_declaration_of_measurement_principles

Why should I care?

As I see things, there are three main take-aways for the everyday PR or marketing professional.

1. The most important thing about the Barcelona Principles is that they exist. The PR world came together and agreed – MEASUREMENT MATTERS
   
   A common mantra in Business School is “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” To manage a PR program, you need measurement. Your boss, or your client, needs measurement.
   
   TAKE-AWAY: Measurement is essential to every PR program and project. Without measurement, the program is incomplete and inadequate. Period.
2. The second most important thing is – RESULTS MATTER.
   
   Hence, “Measuring the effect on outcomes is preferred to measuring outputs.” Your clients don’t care how much effort or information you put out. They care about what your program achieved. What difference did it make? What was the outcome?
   
   TAKE-AWAY : The significant measure is not your activity, your output. Producing a brochure or a press release is output. Rather, measure outcomes, -- what happened as a result, what difference did it make to your client, her boss or to the business itself?
3. Third, BUSINESS RESULTS MATTER.
   
   PR is not primarily a communications discipline. It is a business discipline that uses communications to achieve business results. (If you’re not in a business, substitute “organization” for “business” wherever it appears and everything here will apply).
   
   Where possible and accounting for other variables, measure business results – sales, market share, change in purchase preference or attitude. This principle applies especially to marketing-related programs.
   
   Media coverage is not a business result. At most, publicity is one tool in the toolkit we use to help a client build its business. The best programs start with business objectives. They then engage every relevant stakeholder group, they use every tool (social media, purposeful philanthropy, personal relationships, coalitions, marketing partners, events and, yes, media coverage,) to achieve the business objective.
   
   TAKE-AWAY: Your PR program cannot achieve quantitative business results without quantitative business objectives upfront. The focus of PR professionals today is on defining objectives that build the client’s business (or brand) in measurable ways.
   
   We are urged to think more like a business executives and less like communicators. Our challenge is to think like a CEO, to think – not like our client – but like our client’s boss. When PR people can be both businesspeople and communicators at the same time, we bring something unique to the table, something of great value to clients.

CONCLUSION.

The heart of the Barcelona declaration is in the first three principles – measurement matters, results matter and, most of all, business results matter. The rest is detail. (A few of those details have stirred controversy, especially the validity of using advertising equivalency), but the first three principles highlighted here are the ones of lasting significance.

I predict that the Barcelona Principles will be with us for a good while. Accordingly, we would do well to get used to them. At one level, they simply re-state the basics. No surprises there. But they also represent an ideal. We will have to keep stretching to reach the goals they lay out. Stretching, striving to be better – that’s good for all of us -- and good for the PR profession. Viva Barcelona!

Disclaimer: this blog post represents the author’s personal views and is not an official statement from Edelman as a firm.

Healthy, Happy and Productive: Learning the art of time management

By Kathryn Tesar, Senior Vice President, Healthcare

Let me start by saying this is an incredibly ironic blog post. Not ironic in tone, but in its very nature: a post on time management that barely made the deadline because of the author’s difficulty in managing her time.

My lifelong struggles with time management are the reason I volunteered to write this post. I know I’m not the only experienced procrastinator out there and thought it might help me, as well as others, to research and share time management tips. Ultimately, practicing better time management isn’t just about increased productivity. Getting a handle on your days can decrease stress, improve health and lead to better quality of life. As much as I tell myself I do some of my best work under pressure, I know deep down that I’m happier when I don’t wait until the last minute – and honestly, my work is just as good (probably better).

Following are some universally agreed upon methods for better time management. If you’ve tried to become a better time manager in the past, much of this probably won’t be new to you – but the new year is a good time to remind ourselves that we are capable of spending our days more productively.

• Invest time in planning – 15-30 minutes a day to review your schedule and prioritize activities might be the most important time you spend that day. As you’re planning, be sure to …
  
• Allow for interruptions and distractions – Even the most organized of us can’t avoid occasional emergencies: a last-minute request from a client, an exceptional number of phone calls or emails, a sick child to be picked up at school. If possible, leave at least a couple of hours open each workday to deal with the inevitable disruptions.
  
• Learn to say no, delegate and negotiate – I’ve become a master of recognizing what I need to do myself (or what’s going to be beneficial to me in the long run) and what I can either say no to or find someone else to manage. If I can’t say no and there’s no one to do it, I haggle. Deadline, scope of assignment (e.g., three items on the list vs. all seven), deliverable (e.g., draft vs. final) – you’ll often find that these, like most things, are negotiable.
  
• Use technology –I’m almost totally dependent on my Outlook calendar and tasks functions, which I use prodigiously (compulsively?) on my work and personal computers and Blackberry. Beyond that, there are now countless apps to help people manage their schedules and to-do lists, gauge how they’re spending their time, and even block programs and applications that enable procrastination.
  
• Strive for quality, but not necessarily perfection – Doing it right the first time obviously will save time in the long run, but unnecessary attention to inconsequential details is often just another form of procrastination. (Depending on the assignment, near-perfection might be necessary, but use your judgment to determine when something must be flawless – and what flawless really means – to avoid wasting time and effort.)
  
• Set aside “work” time – Between meetings, calls, email and office drop-ins, it seems that very little of the workday is actually devoted to work. Set aside some time every day (or at least every other day) to shut down email and the Internet, close the door, ignore the phone and power through assignments.
  
• Right size assignments – Big, ongoing projects can be intimidating and, therefore, perfect for procrastination. Break a big job into smaller parts, each with its own deliverable and deadline. (In breaking down a project, I often find I can delegate some aspects of it to others.)
  
• Take breaks – Allow time for relaxation, both during each workday and for vacation. We all need time to clear our heads and focus on ourselves. Without it, productivity eventually suffers.
  
• Bargain with, and reward, yourself – Remind yourself what you’ll be able to do if you finish your assignments in a timely way: If I get that report and these calls done by 5:30, I can get a manicure/have a beer with friends/ workout for 30 extra minutes. Create bigger incentives for bigger assignments that you complete satisfactorily and on time.

Of course, it’s not always easy to follow these guidelines, but reminding ourselves of them is the first step toward incorporating them into our days and, maybe, eventually, living by them.

Now, I can go get that manicure.

Navigating Through Foreign Lands and Languages

  By Sandy Diaz, Account Supervisor, Digital

While working as a marketing manager for a packaging company, I spent quite a bit of time coordinating trade shows throughout Latin America. One of the many shows I attended was held in Mexico City.

Being a native of Peru and bilingual, the last problem I suspected to have was a communication issue.

Prior to my arrival in Mexico City, I received a call from Jorge Luis, the Sales Manager for Mexico. He strongly urged that the booth be equipped with “edecanes” during the show. I had never heard of such a word.

I assured him I would take care of his request, and then quickly reached for a dictionary where the English translation for the word read “aid to camp.”

Ah ha, a first aid kit, of course! With all of the heavy equipment at the booth, it made perfect sense.

The day the trade show opened, everything was perfectly in place, thanks to my stellar planning…so I thought.

Immediately Jorge Luis came running towards me, looking around as if something was missing. That is where I learned the hard way that edecan is NOT a first aid kit, but rather a model.

Being the resourceful person that I am, I managed to find an agency and bring Jorge Luis the “booth babes” he eagerly requested, but I learned a very valuable lesson that day.

When working or traveling internationally, one must never make assumptions regarding language and culture. You must do your research.

Growing up I was surrounded by people from countries throughout Latin America. I can spot an Argentinean or a Puerto Rican accent from miles away. I was aware of the fact that certain words could mean one thing in one country and something awful in another, yet I had not done my homework before my trip to Mexico.

That incident is one I often refer to now working on a digital account for Latin America. The region is larger than many may think. It is the fourth largest continent and contains 12 different countries, each with very distinct dialects, food, traditions and governments. Representing a brand throughout Latin America requires an understanding of just that.

In my case, building a social presence in such a unique region has meant research, getting to know multiple audiences and paying very close attention to detail. Each country requires its own platform or community, just as we would expect in the US. For example, in the States, consumers gravitate to brands that appeal to Americans rather than Australians, even though the language is the same. Each country in Latin America should be seen in that same light.

There are several online resources that can be helpful when preparing for a trip aboard or international work. Kwintessential is a site which features cultural customs, including business etiquette, protocol as well as international training and translation and interpreter services.

You can find information regarding appearance, behavior and communication in certain regions of the world. The site is even broken down my country which makes it even easier to search.

Travel sites such as Frommers.com also offer useful information. The Tips and Tools section of the site provides insight on customs and traditions throughout several travel destinations.

Although English is considered the international language of business, it is important to remember cultures and traditions matter as well. A simple greeting can often be misinterpreted, and could result in much more than just a rush to find booth babes.

More Boots on the Ground(s of the U.S. Capitol)

By Danielle Allen, Senior Vice President, Austin and Sarah Hogeboom, Vice President, Austin

Though there is no longer a Texan in the White House, thanks to the 2010 Census, there will be four more at the U.S. Capitol. Over the last ten years, Texas’ population increased more than 20 percent, largely fueled by growth in our state’s Hispanic community. Living up to our reputation of growing everything bigger, Texas’ population surge means we’ll officially have added clout in Washington, gaining more congressional seats than any other state.

So what does this mean for business and politics in Texas? How will this impact how our clients communicate with their stakeholders?

As more people flock to our great state, we’re feeling some big growing pains. This legislative session we’re facing historic budget gaps—more than $25 billion by some estimates. In a state constitutionally required to a balance its budget and whose leadership has pledged no new taxes, legislators are facing some tough decisions.

Among the list of considerations are removing limits on classroom size, halting the diversion of gas tax funds to non-transportation uses to improve and build new roads, and potential cuts to Medicaid. Simultaneously, lawmakers will be figuring out how to draw the lines for our newly added congressional seats.

Oh yeah, and we’ll do it in 140 days. A Texas-sized feat to be sure.

Beyond the legislative session, Texans will have a bigger say in Washington on issues from energy to immigration, healthcare to taxes. As our clients consider the impact of these debates on their business, outreach to policymakers and their influencers will continue to play a major role. Stay tuned for our next blog post about the Capital Staffer’s Index, Edelman’s research about how best to reach Members and staff on Capitol Hill…especially now that there are more boots there.