I am in red.

For many of us in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland, yesterday was an important day. It was the annual Sun Run, a 10K run through the beautiful streets of Vancouver. It was my first Sun Run and it was a very good personal experience. Interestingly enough, as I sat down with a cup of tea (and two extra-strength Advil) last night and reflected on it, I realized that there were some solid communications lessons in it as well.

Preparation is key
I was fortunate enough to join a Sun Run Training Group in my hometown of Gibsons, B.C. We started in January and met initially for two hours each Sunday morning. We built up our strength and stamina over time. Along with runs on Sundays, in February we went out twice during the week, building speed and stamina. We prepared so that we were ready on the day of the run.

This is true for any communications initiative. Preparation is key. Taking the time to do the research, to understand the audience/community, and to make sure you have covered all your bases has a direct impact on results. Without preparation, you are flying by the seat of your pants and you need luck to succeed. Preparation is the foundation of success.

Check your blind spot
For a short period during the Sun Run, it felt a bit like people bumper cars. People kept banging into each other because as they tried to pass someone; they didn’t check over their shoulder into their blind spot to see if someone else might be there. And with close to 50,000 people in the Sun Run, there was bound to be someone there!

This is easily translated to any communications initiative. It’s important to take a solid, clear look at what the situation is – not what you wish it was or hope it will be – but what it is. Think about what the challenges could be, what could create issues, what could provoke a negative reaction. You need to make sure there’s not something sitting there waiting for you to bang into it.

Trust the community to sort things out
One of the challenges of the Sun Run is that you put yourself in the starting category. The serious runners go first and then it goes through the levels of ability until you get to those who are going to walk the course. And it always happens that people over or underestimate their ability. I am a new runner, but I can’t tell you how many people I passed who were in faster start groups. Rather than create a more complicated sign-up process, the organizers of the Sun Run let us sort it out during the run. For the most part, walkers keep to the right and faster runners to the left. (Not always, but for the most part.) They let the on-the-ground process unfold organically; they trust us to work it out.

When you think about any kind of campaign or outreach, it is important to realize that you can’t control everything and that you need to empower your community to work out some of the issues that you know might come up. People are smart. Most of the time, they will find a reasonable way to work out process challenges of how they connect and participate together. (This doesn’t mean you don’t pay attention to what is going on; it means you give those participating the opportunity to sort it out for themselves before you step in.)

It’s not the big boulders that trip you up, it’s the pebbles
No one in the Sun Run seemed to be tripping over big things like boulders or benches; it was small things – pebbles, an untied shoelace, a small piece of garbage or even a little (slippery) leaf that sent people tumbling to the pavement.

It is easier to recognize what might be a big issue than it is to see something small that could turn into a big problem. If there are little things that catch your attention or someone comes to you with something and your first reaction is to dismiss it, think about it again. You shouldn’t be like “Chicken Little” (the sky is falling!); but watch for the small stuff – it could derail your initiative if it isn’t taken care of.

Measurement is crucial
When I crossed the finish line, it was a pretty sweet moment. I had trained for three and a half months and was proud of myself. I was also interested to see what my time was (1 hour, 6 minutes, 7 seconds by the Sun Run time*) because that will allow me to improve. I can see what was challenging, what I did well, and I can plan for my next 10K. If this run wasn’t timed, it would lose its key point.

Measurement is crucial to communications initiatives. Understanding what works, what doesn’t and why is important to effective communication. There is always the challenge of measuring communications efforts because some things aren’t quantifiable, but you can identify a baseline and work out the key objectives of the campaign or initiative, so you can see where you were, where you wanted to go and where you actually moved to.

*Context is important too – the Sun Run time is based on crossing a marker to start and a marker to finish. I have a running app on my iPhone, which I also used. Interestingly enough, my run app had me up almost a minute in time (I started it before I hit the start line), but it also showed that I ran 11K because it counted my steps and included all of the people-dodging I did. Context matters.

If you have committed to a channel of communication, it is important not to let it slide too far out of the schedule. There’s no point in writing a quick blog post just to have something to upload. No matter how busy you are, the information you share needs to provide your readers/viewers with something they can use – an effective tip, an interesting article, a new way of looking at something, etc.

Here are some ways to work around a particularly busy timeframe that keeps your readers/viewers engaged and provides value.

• When you are in a slower period, write a few blog posts that you can save and upload when you are too busy to write.

• While your audience will read your blog post or view your video because they are interested in what you have to say, there is nothing wrong with sharing a blog post or article that you have read and find of value. It is always good to include your opinion in the post before you link to it.

• Guest bloggers are another way to share relevant information. Having guest bloggers, that are of interest to your readers, lined up can help you get through the busy times.

One of the key points to remember is that the length of the blog post or video doesn’t necessarily reflect how good it is. Sometimes a short post – two to four sentences or a 30 second video clip – can provide an important point or “how to.” Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Do you have any tips or hints on creating great content during busy periods? We’d love to hear what you do.

Every great writer I have worked with has realized the value of a great editor. Creating interesting, informative, relevant and engaging content takes both a writer and an editor. It’s a little bit like peanut butter cups… On their own, chocolate and peanut butter are really good; together – it’s a whole different level of delicious. The same goes for those making their living with words. Behind every great writer, there usually is a great editor.

This blog post is of incredible value for anyone who writes or edits. It’s so good that I will leave you to it. Nothing I could say would improve this piece.

We’re doing some (early) spring cleaning at the AHA office. As we go through files, media coverage binders and jump drives, we have the opportunity to reflect a little on campaigns and projects from the past. This week, we came across the files for one of our favourite creative campaigns. In the early days of AHA, we were fortunate enough to be asked to work on a documentary series called Healing with Animals, produced by Mystique Films. This was a fabulous series that focused on how animals help humans heal.

We wanted traditional media coverage for the launch of the series. (This was back before social media was as widely accepted as it is today… Seems like a million years ago, but in reality we’re only talking about seven years.) We also wanted ongoing coverage as well. We were fortunate that the filmmakers (Mary Bissell and Chris Bruyere) were out-of-the-box thinkers and “got” what we wanted to do, because we used a creative approach that took a bit of a leap of faith on their part. (Which is why we loved working with them!)

One of the segments focused on Wallace, a llama that would visit homes for the elderly. It turns out that Wallace loved people and that seeing a llama in their lobby created a positive reaction in some of the elderly, especially those suffering with dementia. Quite often, the surprise of seeing Wallace would pull the person into a period of reality. They were able to interact, converse and connect in a way that they normally struggled with due to their condition. Wallace loved the attention and the people he visited loved him.

We ended up generating a huge amount of national coverage for the series and Wallace was one of our “stars.” Our client was thrilled with the results.

The lessons we learned working with Wallace were many—below are the top three.

If you are pitching media, do your research.

We knew that (at that time) national talk show host Vicki Gabereau had a soft spot for animals. She ran a weekly spot showcasing pets that were up for adoption. She owned two labs. We saw an opportunity here to appeal to her personal interest in animals, as well as to pitch why it was good for the show as a whole.

We customized our pitch to reflect the key points we knew about Vicki and the show. It wasn’t a generic pitch; it reflected the show’s mandate and touched some personal interest points for the host. The producer loved the idea and Wallace and our client were invited to come on the show.

Get the most value for your efforts.

Wallace lived on Vancouver Island and The Vicki Gabereau Show taped in downtown Vancouver. There was a body of water between us. Wallace’s wranglers brought him over via ferry. (He loves the ride and had his own customized van for travel.) It took a lot of time and effort from everyone involved to bring Wallace to Vancouver to appear on the national talk show. In order to make the most of this opportunity we added an autograph session to Wallace’s visit. (I mean, really, how many times in a communicator’s career do you have a llama in the downtown core of Vancouver?) Prior to the taping of the talk show, we had Wallace at the corner of Burrard and Robson (one of Vancouver’s busiest corners) “signing” hoof autographs for fans. Wallace loves people, so he was in his glory with the tourists, the children and everyone coming to meet him and pet him. We sent out a photo opportunity notice to media across the country—explaining that Wallace was in town to be on The Vicki Gabereau Show to promote his segment in Healing with Animals.

There was huge national coverage on this. The coverage not only showed images of Wallace in downtown Vancouver, but also mentioned his upcoming appearance on The Vicki Gabereau Show (the show was live to tape so aired a day later) and mentioned Healing With Animals and when it aired. Everyone benefited.

We also had a shot taken of Wallace on the corner signing autographs and sent this out to community papers and other media that couldn’t make the photo opportunity. This also generated coverage and it was used in promotional materials for the show, providing additional value to the filmmakers and the broadcaster.

Do whatever it takes to get the job done.

People have an idea that the life of a communicator is filled with nice lunch meetings and business class trips to posh client organizations. Not my life, not that I would trade it for anything.

I learned a lot about llamas while working with Wallace. 1) They spit when they are mad. (I am grateful I never made Wallace mad at me.) 2) If Wallace really liked you, he would lean in for what seemed to be a kiss, and then he would expel air in your face. No spit, just stinky llama breath of affection. (He seemed to really love me!) 3) They won’t go to the bathroom unless there is already llama poop at the spot. Well, Wallace needed to do his business before we took him into the studio. His wranglers had thoughtfully brought a bag of llama poop with them. It was my job to put out the poop so Wallace would then do what he needed to… which he cheerfully did. Then it was my job to pick up all the poop.

There I was, in a small parking lot just off Burrard Street, picking up llama poop in my business clothes. Such a glam life I lead.

Now, I am not sure I would put Della up against Jeopardy genius Ken Jennings—that’s just a different kind of smart (and one that I believe has more to do with memory than anything else). But I have seen Della in a wide range of scenarios—from dealing with an organization facing a huge crisis to sipping a cold beverage at an outdoor patio on a hot summer day—and along with her strategic, steel trap of a mind… There is something else, something special and rare and well, simple, that is the foundation of her style of genius (and her success). She is a relationship builder.

Della recently launched a blog – Della’s Deck. It’s about effective, powerful and authentic communication. And it provides straightforward advice that can be put into action immediately. It is valuable to me from a professional communications perspective, and I get value from it in my personal life. This week, Della wrote about the power of authentic relationships. She also shared a list of questions that you should/could know about the people in your life… I was amazed at how many of them I couldn’t answer about people—clients and friends—who I would say I have particularly close or positive relationships with. I am going to change that.

Authentic relationships are at the heart of communication. And that doesn’t mean that, as a communicator, you need to meet every single person on your media distribution list—although you should know who they are, what they cover for their media outlet or blog, and understand why what you are sending them is of interest to them. That is a relationship. It might be a few steps removed from the kind of relationship where you can call a journalist and ask them to meet you for a coffee, but it is still a respectful relationship.

At AHA, we often have people call us out of the blue and tell us why we should hire them. No relationship building by commenting on this blog or chatting with us on Facebook or Twitter. Their calls are based on what we should know about them. I often wonder how much they know about us—if anything.

We recently had someone become quite persistent about calling to tell us why we should hire the company she works for to produce video for our clients. We asked her if she realized that we have a video crew here at AHA. She hesitated and then said: “But we’re better.”

Really?

Firstly, I don’t think she even checked our site. Secondly, our crew produces brand journalism videos. Had she looked at our site and paid attention to who we really are, she might have said: “Yes, I see you do brand journalism videos. I really liked the one that you did for Vancouver Community College’s Year of Science event. We actually produce a more corporate (or documentary or VH1-like) style. Perhaps we could chat and see if we can be of value to you, for those times when you need a different video style.” That might have gotten my attention. Opportunity lost because she didn’t even try to start an authentic, mutually beneficial relationship with us.

Relationships matter.

Jimmy Buffett has an incredible business mind and a true entrepreneurial spirit. (There are unsubstantiated rumours that he is related to Warren Buffett, so the business part of his brain kind of makes sense.) He was one of the first in the music business to embrace digital technology; he recognized the coming shift in the music industry and left his big name label to start his own. He has ownership in two successful restaurant chains (Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise), interests in hotels and he just opened the Margaritaville Casino in Las Vegas. He still performs worldwide, has made over 30 albums, written several books (four made it to the New York Times Bestseller list), and he pilots his own plane… the list of his accomplishments goes on and on. And, of course, above all else, Jimmy is a storyteller. We talked about storytelling a lot in our interview.

I recently pulled out my interview notes and took a look at what Jimmy told me back then. His key points about storytelling are relevant, even for those of us who tell stories in a more corporate environment than Jimmy does.

Spend More Time Listening

One of the first things Jimmy told me was that he has stories to tell because he spends most of his time listening. It was obvious that he is interested in what others have to say. This man has done tens of thousands of interviews, knows how to give good sound bites and he is a consummate professional when it comes to the interview process. Yet, less than two minutes into our interview, he started asking me questions too. (The first one was why I knew so much about him!) Jimmy Buffett is an interesting person, but what I think a lot of people don’t realize is that he is really interested in everything. He engages people, asks questions, finds out what they think; he learns their story.

This is a valuable lesson for a communicator. We can be so focused on what we want the story to be—driven by deadlines and focused on key messages and positioning—that we forget to really listen. Sometimes really interesting stories are told to us and we don’t hear them because we have an agenda in our head. Other times, we are so busy multi-tasking, that we don’t even realize what is really being shared with us. Take your attention out of your own head and put it on the person in front you. It may sound simple, but it will bring big results.

Develop Compelling Characters

This doesn’t mean that you have to write about pirates, sailors and island eccentrics like Jimmy does, but—relevant to your brand—you should showcase what is interesting, unique, and even a little quirky about the people you are profiling.

Have a CEO who is a jazz musician by night or a customer service rep who does the Ironman? Share that. It is more compelling than knowing where they got their MBA or being told what business awards they have won.

A good story takes us into the lead character’s world—we get to know the real person, who they are when they aren’t at work, what drives them, what inspires them, and what scares them. We want to know what makes them leap out of bed in the morning and what drives them to keep going when times are tough. Bring the whole person to life, not just their professional résumé.

Use Words to Paint a Picture

No matter what the medium, Jimmy paints a compelling picture using words. From his songs to his books to what he talks about in concert—when he tells you a story, he describes the location, the people and the events in a way that makes you feel as if you are there. (Even the menu items in his restaurants tell their own story!)

We live in a world that is often shaped by statistics and facts. As communicators we are diligent about making sure the information we provide is accurate. We curse misinformation and errors. A good (corporate) storyteller uses stats and facts as the foundation, but then focuses on bringing the people, the place and the event to life. No one ever climbed Mt. Everest, changed a corporate culture or invented life-altering technology because they were inspired by stats and facts. If all you have are facts and stats, then you have a report, not a story. A good story is based in fact, but what connects us is the heart and soul of it.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Corporate storytelling can be challenging, but if you follow Jimmy’s advice, it gets much easier. And it’s so much more fun! Which was the last piece of advice that Jimmy gave me. He said, “No matter what you do, just don’t forget to have fun with it. If you aren’t having fun, it makes for really long, boring days. And no one needs that.”

…And if you’re reading this Jimmy, I’d love to buy you a cold one and talk “storytelling” with you again. (I will be at Margaritaville Las Vegas on February 22 from 6 – 8 p.m. sitting at the bar, listening.)

Click here for a link to the story.

What we do as communicators can be compared to football. In the sport, there is an offence and defence; we have proactive and reactive. Each person on the football team plays a key role in their success. Some show their abilities on the field (the players), others in the background (the coaches, trainers, front office staff).

In the world of communications and PR, we’re no different. We have a team (communicators, videographers, writers, media trainers, creative directors, graphic and online designers, etc.). The list goes on and on and we each have a role to play. In our AHA office, I tend to be the person people see most often. I participate in panels, give speeches, sit on committees, and attend conferences and workshops. However, we have a team – with people in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax – that bring it all together for our clients. Depending on the day, sometimes I feel like the quarterback. Other days I am the coach. And others still, I am a defensive linebacker and nothing is going to get past me, if I can help it. And, in our AHA office, these roles are interchangeable. It all depends on what is going on during that play.

With the opportunities that social media brings, we often encourage clients to become more proactive, to participate online, to build community, and to translate online connections into real world relationships through events and other opportunities. In using the football analogy, this is the offence; they are out there to move the fall forward and to score.

From a PR perspective, we also believe that organizations have a responsibility to contribute to their communities. We strongly believe in participating and providing value on a local and global level as a part of a smart communications and marketing strategy – and the right thing to do as people. In the world of football, there is a strong philanthropic and community connection. Players, teams and the NFL as a whole show strong leadership in this area.

In our world we often have to react quickly. In football, much of the reaction to the other team falls on the defence. However, having said that, sometimes the offensive play breaks down, the quarterback is in trouble and the entire offensive unit has to react quickly and adapt to the changing play. There are no guarantees that it is all going to happen like we planned.

In our world, we’ve all seen it – a positive, proactive campaign takes a turn that no one could see coming and you switch into damage control and reputation management. Sometimes it might be a call in error by the referee; other times it’s because someone in the stands starts throwing stuff onto the field. Or, of course, there is always that magical moment when we intercept the pass or recover a fumble and we get the ball back into our possession. It’s our job to respond.

Whether we are planning proactive campaigns and initiatives with clients or working with them to respond to opportunities or challenges, I think it’s important to work as a team – internally at AHA and with our clients.

On this day of American Thanksgiving, I am really thankful. I am thankful for the AHA crew, a team that, in my opinion, is unparalleled in the field of communications and for our clients, who make coming to work each day interesting, exciting, challenging and rewarding.

Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving!

It was clear to me that this organization either didn’t think about the audience for this request or didn’t care. Trying to better understand the “what’s in it for me,” I went through their request. (There always has to be something in it for the person you are asking to take action.) They wanted to know about social media and how it has impacted what I do, but nowhere did it say that it would share the results. An oversight perhaps… But then I realized I have received emails from this organization before – emails trying to sell me reports. I didn’t take the survey and I asked to be removed from their mailing list.

I receive many emails asking for input on surveys. And I respond to most of them. Especially the ones that offer to share the results. Few of them offer a prize. They do provide an opportunity to actively participate in the community and to learn about what others in the field are thinking and doing. As a communicator, there is value in this for me.

In my opinion, these people didn’t target their audience. They didn’t take the time to research or think about what would drive communicators to take their survey. I am pretty sure an iPod Shuffle didn’t make many people sit up and take notice. And by not offering to share the results, I think they really missed their mark. We share by nature, we’re communicators. It’s in our DNA. They didn’t speak to who we are.

It is crucial to know your audience – to realize what motivates them, inspires them, and engages them. And to do that, sometimes you have to remove yourself from the equation and identify what matters to them.

I realize that this sounds very basic. However, it is a step that gets missed far too often. And by missing this step, you head down the wrong path.