Media Relations – The media, traditional and nontraditional, is inundated with PR people pushing for attention for their clients. WHC has cultivated media and blogger relationships in B2B and B2C spaces that allow our targeted and carefully crafted press releases, pitches and story ideas to be seen and heard before many others.
Message Development – An organization’s key message needs to be communicated every day, across all channels. It is a unified message that is repeated, and serves as the foundation of a client’s marketing initiatives. WHC studies each client, their business, and their organizational goals, and then crafts a key message that engages the target audience.
Interview Preparation – WHC crafts preparation guides that walk clients through each interview. It includes a list of anticipated media questions, suggestions on what subjects to touch on, and recommendations on areas to steer clear of, and how to do so.
Writing (copy, features) and Editing – All PR professionals should be good writers and editors. For clients, every piece of copy needs to complement the company’s key message and differentiators, while supporting the overall brand. WHC often serves as the editorial department for clients, writing and editing copy for websites, blogs, e-blasts, bylines, Op-Ed pieces, and marketing materials.
Communication Audit – WHC performs in-depth audits, where the firm studies communications between all departments of a single organization, and develops company-wide strategies to improve the communications process and staffing positions in order to better serve the overall brand.
Strategic Communication – During a pitch meeting, a potential client was focused mainly on the number of press releases WHC would generate. Wayne Henninger stated, “Press releases don’t work.” The client, and, in truth, other WHC staffers sat back. Wayne further explained what he meant . . . press releases that announce nothing newsworthy are a waste of time and resources. Of course, WHC believes in press releases, but there is a strategy to proper communications that goes far beyond press releases. All communications vehicles, including press releases, need to be in concert . . . social, blog posts, website, copy, speaking, bylines, etc. Strategic communication is a process, a long term plan geared to meet the goals of the entire organization.
Media Training – There is an art to doing successful media interviews. It takes time, it takes practice, and it takes a commitment. One bad interview can sink an entire media relations initiative. WHC has developed a series of exercises where clients go through mock interviews. WHC studies each exercise interview, and then recommends ways to improve performance in order to quickly, succinctly, and correctly deliver what needs to be communicated.