For over a decade, I have worked hard to achieve professional success in different but similar professional paths. I began my professional career in the media, then ventured into politics, and later moved to the private communications sector. I have spent five years (and counting) in the media and public relations field. And previously, I spent six years in the political field, running campaigns and serving as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Democratic Party and the Communications Director for Congressman Jim Clyburn – a Congressman that President Barack Obama once described by saying, “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.” Congressman Clyburn’s orator skills may be inherent but even if you aren’t Jim Clyburn, you can still learn how to be an effective communicator.

Politics and private public relations are very different sectors but offer similarities from time to time. And throughout the ping-pong effect within my career path, I have learned how best to be a compelling communicator.

There are many places where political communications and public relations intersect but two specific examples stand out and each sector can learn from one another.

First, is the component of stakeholder engagement. Ask any politician who the most important person in their campaign is, and they’ll say (if they want to win) the constituents. This works similarly for businesses. Rather than constituents, they are community stakeholders. Both groups need to be communicated with effectively and with the right messaging and timeline. You need to make sure they feel included in the process and understand your goals and efforts.

A crucial step in this component, one that’s proven to be immensely helpful in the work we do at NP Strategy, is mapping out stakeholder engagement. Developing a stakeholder map, ranking the individuals and then tracking the communication and progress provides for an organized and effective effort to communicate with the most important people in your community or network.

Second, is to speak concisely or in political terms, speak in soundbites. There is nothing more frustrating for a reporter than to receive a press release that is pages long. In turn, there is nothing more frustrating for a voter than a politician who can’t get to the point. Understanding your message and being able to deliver it in a concise and developed way is critical for anyone in politics or business; especially if you’re trying to earn media coverage.

The ability to successfully communicate is a necessary aspect of politics and PR. Each area of stakeholder engagement and concise messaging requires creativity and control. Political strategies always require a strong public relations component and conversely, a public relations strategy must include a campaign-like approach. In today’s environment of mass communication and instant gratification, being able to develop the best message to the right people may be a difficult equation but if you can solve it, you’ll win every time.

Authored by: Amanda Loveday. Amanda’s passion for meeting new people and building relationships is what has made her a powerhouse in politics and communications. A decade of experience taught her the importance of getting to know the community and how to interact with people, especially those with different personalities and backgrounds. Get in touch with Amanda at (803) 540-2190 or amanda@npstrat.com

Originally published by MidlandsBiz on July 24, 2018.

See also: Stakeholder Management, Message Development

Any organization confronting a controversial issue, and especially a crisis, will need legal advice and public relations advice. That, however, is where the problem arises.

Lawyers and public relations professionals have different, and at times, conflicting goals. Legal wants to win the case or obtain the permit, but also to limit potential liability for a client. Limiting the liability of a client is a sound legal objective. The public relations professional wants to maintain the reputation of the organization and help shape the organization’s message regarding the issue or a crisis so that opponents of that organization cannot shape the message in a negative way. In other words, the public relations professional wants to communicate. The PR teams want the organization to be able to continue to do what it does or sell what it sells.

The problem arises due to the fact that the sound legal goal of limiting liability often means shutting down an organization’s statements about the very issue that threatens the organization. “No comment” is always a safe legal strategy.

The problem is that “no comment” is often a really bad public relations strategy. A strategy that could hurt an organization’s ability to continue to do what it does or sell whatever product or service it sells  – and ultimately its ability to survive.

While this conflict will never be avoided, it can and should be managed. The best way to do so is to get the legal and PR teams at the same table, establish on-going dialog with chains of communication and finally, be sure that both legal and PR ultimately answer to one point of contact.

The final piece – having legal and PR answer to one point of contact – is important because compromises between full and open communication and limiting liability will have to be made. While it’s the hope that the legal and public relations professionals can get to a middle ground themselves, they are often separate, independent firms that will likely stick to their goals and their engagement. Therefore, a member of the organization will need to weigh in and may have to tip the scales to decide which direction is best.

Throughout my career as a lawyer, I have bumped into this conflict between legal and public relations on numerous occasions. We formed NP Strategy as a subsidiary of Nexsen Pruet with the desire to better address this conflict and better provide the legal and public relations advice that is truly in the best interest of a client’s long-term success.

Authored by: Leighton Lord. Leighton is ranked at the highest levels for ethics and competence making him among the best attorneys in South Carolina according to the state’s lawyers. As a businessman, Leighton has critical first‐hand experience in running a large business, managing people, and building consensus. At the age of 42, he was elected Managing Partner of Nexsen Pruet, making him one of the youngest managing partners of a major law firm. Currently, Leighton is founder and Managing Director of Nexsen’s communications affiliate, NP Strategy, LLC.

Originally published by MidlandsBiz on July 10, 2018.

See also: Message Development

“Free PR advice from a top, local strategic communications agency!” Sound too good to be true? We’ve partnered with longtime friend and publisher Alan Cooper to share our insider’s view and provide you with free advice. Why? We are a start-up, founded in 2014, that has enjoyed success and we want to keep growing and when you give, you grow.

Among the topics we will cover:

• Inside the Newsroom: Managing the media with insight from former journalists
• The biggest mistakes people make in a crisis
• The (NEW!) power of video
• Executing successful events: More than just a pretty party
• Effective Stakeholder engagement strategies- that help you succeed
• Navigating today’s social media scene
• Top ten tips to avoid common “Website Woes”
• And more!

One of the secrets to our success, which you can implement now, is serve your teammates. Regardless of title or years on the job, we will roll up our sleeves and do what needs to be done in order to ensure success for our clients.  That includes 14-hour days, chasing down a journalist or even – this truly happened – cleaning a porta-potty at an event because it is necessary. (We would prefer not to repeat that last one.)  If your team isn’t to the point where you are serving one another, spend some time together to get to know each other. In the office, watch for ways to support your colleagues, and ask daily, “How may I help you?” Nothing solidifies a team more than reaching a mountain-sized goal – together.

WARNING: NP Strategy is not your typical PR agency. While we are an experienced group of professionals from media, business, public policy and communications agencies, we personalize what we do in a way others don’t. We work alongside non-profits, international corporations, governments and local businesses. And what truly sets us apart is we are a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nexsen Pruet Law Firm. This gives us a unique perspective of how legal and communications can complement each other. We also work with other law firms, just never in direct opposition to our parent company. And while we serve mostly NC and SC clients, you’ll see us hopping airplanes to visit clients farther away now and again.

If you have a question or topic you would like us to discuss in the future, shoot me an email at Heather@npstrat.com. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this video we helped produce earlier this year for Samsung. (click here to see the grand opening video)

By Heather Matthews