The world has woken up to ethical issues in corporate governance & accounting practices. Corporate heads that were not guillotined were forced hang their heads in retrospective shame. The heads that fell were the victimizers, and the axe that fell, fell too late, and the punishment received, was way too little compared to the suffering, pain and financial losses that the organizations' stakeholders suffered. Trust of millions of investors was lost overnight.

Public relations and news releases are synonymous in the minds of some. Because the media relations aspect of PR is so "public", the PR discipline often is narrowly defined by this tactic. PR is much more than cranking out positive client fodder for the media. My definition: PR is developing, managing and maintaining relationships with any audience that can affect your organization.

Just happens to be public relations activity that alters individual perceptions leading directly to changed behaviors. PR pulls that off by persuading a manager's key outside audiences with the greatest behavior impacts on the organization, to its way of thinking. Then it moves those external stakeholders to take actions that help the organization succeed. I don't believe public relations can deliver much more than that.

Tis' the season for business and corporate gift-giving! Ifyou believe in the law of reciprocity, and if your businessis the least bit successful you must; you know that givingback is not only the right thing to do, but it's very smartbusiness as well. Let's look at some of the benefits andmechanics of Christmas and holiday gift-giving. * WHY DO IT AT ALL?

An effort built around a string of print and broadcast exposures? Or, a public relations initiative that delivers results far beyond simple publicity tactics. Namely, real behavior change among your most important outside audiences leading directly to reaching your objectives. Achieved, incidentally, by persuading key outside people with the greatest impacts on your organization to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that help your unit succeed.

You're trying to recruit a downline into your program, you've tried every trick in the book, and no one is signing up. Is there a sign on your back that says you've got the plague? Maybe you're lacking in internet etiquette.

Lights...camera...ACTION. That's what often happens when people think of using media for advertising or other promotional purposes. It's the focus on 'action' that often means the results are somewhat less than expected. A bit of planning can greatly improve your chances of success. Before you contact any media outlet there are a few things you should think about: 1) Choose the right media. 2) Make sure you have an interesting story (or advertisement).

For business, non-profit and association managers, is itpublicity that delivers newspaper and talk show mentions backed up by colorful brochures and videos, combined with special events that attract a lot of people?

How do you make a friend of the media? A press package can go a long way in helping you deal with the media. It allows you to have everything you need handy. Many individuals in the media will ask you to send yourpress package to them, so it is very important to be sure to make one up and to keep it up to date. What does a press package contain?