Office of University Relations

The day after....  

In public relations and marketing, many times we are representing an event,
service or product that has not yet been released, tested, or used.

As such, we move forward with great levels of anticipation and excitement in
the hope that others will catch the vision, and create a level of buzz or
word-of-mouth to promote this activity.

The day arrives and people have actually signed up. It's a great day
because it represents a transition from promoting the event, to actually
watching people engage with it.

It's also a day of transition because perception will change, as
expectations become reality as those who have the ability to shape the
success or failure (perceived or real) are now in charge and will vote with
their feet (or pocketbook).

As a public relations or marketing expert, this is an interesting day that
is met with both excitement and critical review. Our excitement comes in
regard to the activity finally coming to fruition. Our critical review comes
in regard to this activity that we've been promoting is now being handed off
to others, as they begin to shape reality and perception as to what this
activity or thing really is.

Expectations and reality now come clashing together. I remember watching the
opening scene at my first premiere for the film, Beauty and the Beast. I was
a marketing coordinator, responsible for working with 17 and 18 year old
kids in movie theatres to promote this film in their local communities. The
excitement, and hard work had built up an expectation that perhaps could
never be met, but none-the-less was real to me.

I was a ball of nerves, with my stomach in knots as the lights went down,
and the beautiful glass-beaded curtains at the El Capitan Theatre
(Hollywood, California) began to open.  The flickering of the film started,
and a picture of a stained glass window appeared on the screen. A melody
began to play, and then a narrator began to provide context to the story...
And I was a mess of nerves, unable to evaluate whether this film was any
good, would be successful, or met the perception of what I had built it up
to be. And so began my career in public relations and marketing, with
similar feelings accompanying every major event or promotion that I’ve been
a part of, since that first film in 1991. So, why do I share this with you?

Public Relations, marketing and the science of meeting needs focuses on some
very basic principles that tend to get lost in the excitement (positive or
negative) of any event or activity. The first principle is that we are doing
this work to meet a goal or objective that hopefully has been clearly
defined, and is measureable. This is critical because it allows us to go
back to the goals and measure, amidst the noise of positive and negative
comments, critiques, analysis, and opinions (everyone has them) and
determine the levels of success that we were able to achieve.

Once those have been established (whether met or not), we are then free to
begin constructing our learning (the good, bad, and ugly) so that we grow as
an organization, and as an individual engaged in the profession of PR and
Marketing.  

So, on the day after the launch of that major event, service or product,
stay close to your goals, listen with a critical ear to the positive and
negative comments, and give yourself some latitude to enjoy the completion
and transition for growth.