The customer is not always right
Law Society Gazette journalist, John Hyde, recently highlighted on LinkedIn a situation which saw a PR demand that a link to the law firm’s website must be used as a pre-requisite of using their story.
A bold move in a competitive marketplace where legal journalists have a plethora of potential stories available to them, with the power to pick and choose. Suffice to say, the firm did not find its way onto the pages of the Gazette.
Legal PRs will all recall a time when they’ve worked on a big story – perhaps a landmark case or an important merger – where the phones are ringing, media interest is high and the job becomes more about controlling the story, getting out the right messages and fielding spokespeople to the publications that matter most to your audiences.
Sometimes the balance of power does shift from journalist to PR but in the day to day that’s just not how it works. Your job is more often about crafting a story or pitching a comment that works for that publication and will appeal to their readership – you certainly don’t want to put barriers in the way.
No doubt the insistence on the link won’t have come from the PR, instead they will be fulfilling their client’s demands. It’s up there with requests to check quotes and amend copy and is a reminder of why it’s important to push back when a client or partner at your firm has unrealistic expectations about how the media work.
Being a valuable legal PR adviser is about educating your firm or client so that you can do the best possible job for them. That means explaining what makes for a good story, a punchy comment that will stand out or saying no to a release that you know will not fly.
It’s not always easy – perhaps for that individual, they want to publicise a deal they have worked long and hard on and don’t want to hear it just isn’t significant enough. The firm’s new initiative might be innovative for them but is actually not that groundbreaking in the wider market.
Sometimes it will be a straight no but there may be other options – perhaps there are some themes or common issues that arise from the deal that might make for an informative article, for example. Perhaps it would make a good case study showcasing the team’s work on your website and the news can be shared on socials and recognised through internal communications channels.
Getting this right is also important for your own reputation – as you build relationships with journalists, you want them to trust that when you send them a press release, an idea for a story or comment piece, that your email is worth opening.
Managing expectations properly means that you cultivate a productive working relationship with the lawyers you work with – they know what you are looking for, what will cut through with media and what you need from them, whether that’s timely comment or a heads up on an important judgment. In turn, you secure the media coverage they want for the business and build your credibility as a trusted adviser.
Good PR isn’t about saying yes to every client demand – it’s about setting clear expectations, offering honest counsel, and guiding clients towards what will actually deliver results.
