"Public relations and medicine are similar professions – just a new logo or a pill won't solve your problem – you have to have an ongoing campaign or change your lifestyle to get your business or your body well."
Linda P. Walton
Too often businesses apply the “easy fix” or “fast remedy” instead of getting to the heart of an issue. Such application could be compared to visiting a doctor and receiving headache medicine, when the real issue is that you need a new glasses prescription. No matter the problem, the pills or tactics applied will never have the effect you desire unless the correct issue is solved.
Agencies that focus on only one function of a business’s needs are like doctors prescribing medicine for the wrong problem. At The Walton Group we understand that combined efforts of public relations, advertising and marketing prescribe the needed result, not the easy answer or solution.
In the public relations process, standard tactics such as special events, advertising, collateral material, graphics, news coverage, internal communication efforts, social media etc. are combined to strengthen any weakness identified by the client or research.
Organizations that are seeking to change or promote their image, increase customer loyalty, obtain news coverage, communicate information in a more timely fashion, increase customer and employee satisfaction or generate new clientele, should consider incorporating public relations into their strategic planning efforts.
Case Studies
"Crystallizing a Response to a Crisis"
Imperial Sugar, Edelman
When the Imperial Sugar plant exploded in Port Wentworth, Georgia, they teamed with Edelman (PR Agency) to help navigate the immediate crisis. Imperial Sugar had no internal communications department, which left Edelman to assume the communication management of a multi-million dollar corporation. Imperial Sugar and Edelman launched a program for public engagement to help in disclosing information in a timely manner, reassure several different audiences, and engage the public in helping support the Imperial Sugar employee family. Edelman’s crisis communications plan and public engagement efforts helped Imperial Sugar exceed their communication objectives and set a path for the company to regain its market status.
[View Case Study]
“PR Plan Creates “Winning Opinions”
Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center had been feeling the effects of negative publicity regarding VA Medical Centers in the national news and wanted to improve the image problem that they had been experiencing. They put together a PR plan including five objectives they wanted to achieve using direct communication, media relations and special events to help improve the perception of the medical center to key publics including employees, opinion leaders and the community. Their strategy included creating a cable access TV program, implementing campaigns to increase employee pride and morale, getting more positive media involvement, and hosting special events like a Veterans Day Parade. By implementing a defined and researched PR plan, they were able to achieve all of their targeted objectives and improve the perception and image of the medical center to their key publics.
[View Case Study]
“Building Credibility and Restoring Value”
4Kids Entertainment, KCSA Public Relations Worldwide
4Kids Entertainment (now 4Licensing Corporation) is a worldwide licensing agent that licenses a wide variety of media products. In the late 90’s and early 2000, “opportunistic short-sellers” drove the stock down, creating a negative reputation for the company. They used KCSA Public Relations to put together a plan to help stabilize the company’s share price, communicate strengths and growth strategy of the company, and help re-establish the credibility of management. KCSA created a strategic crisis communications plan targeting investors, media relations, and focused on eliminating “short-sellers” while encouraging investors that would bring value. As a result of a strong PR strategy, share price doubled and 4Kids Entertainment was ranked as the #1 and #2 fastest growing companies respectively in 2000 and 2001 by Fortune.