Well, our Featured Foto's a little late this week due to travels.
Everybody who's paying attention has seen that the Internet, in general, and blogs, in particular, have changed the public relations profession. Their world's gotten a lot more complicated. The traditional "press release"? Released at your company's peril. Hyperbolic claims? De-bunked instantaneously. PR pros know the key to communicating with key influencers today is the relationship (Doc Searl's new "killer app"). They also know that PR is no longer a "job" to be performed by a defined group of people; it's a distributed function in which everybody plays a role.
Nobody knows those lessons better than the New York City Police Department. Now, Commissioner Ray Kelly may not have a blog (yet), like his Los Angeles Police William Bratton does, but "New York's Finest" knows how to use its assets. Take these patrolmen, for instance.
I snapped this shot the other evening on my way to dinner in the theatre district, after asking for, and receiving, permission to do so. Appropos their Broadway beat, these cops are putting on a show. In this case, having their well-behaved colt eat carrots out of the hands of wide-eyed tourists. This little act of public relation(ship) accomplishes a couple of important things. First, it provides this tourist with a great memory of her trip to NYC. Second, it humanizes a police force that must constantly develop cooperation with the communities which it's responsible for protecting. Remember, citizens solve more crimes than any police force. Often, when the police arrest bad guys, all they're doing is going where people tell them to go.
There's a great lesson here for all businesses: letting customers experience the commitment and passion your people have for their work (they are committed and passionate, right?) will do more to publicize your company than a three-paragraph Business Wire piece ever could.
Nice explanation. I saw this a year ago
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveportigal/28779317/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveportigal/31781569/
and frankly I wondered about it...the second example was stranger since there was actually something police-related going on...
Posted by: Steve Portigal | June 10, 2006 at 10:49 AM
Those are great, Steve. Thanks.
Posted by: Tom Guarriello | June 10, 2006 at 02:39 PM
Great photo.
Here in Toledo, the mounted police patrol the Mud Hens baseball games. They all have baseball cards that they distribute to the kids. The cards have information about the horse and the cop, their history together, etc. I've always been impressed, and surprised, quite frankly, by the PR savvy that this showcases. Toledo government agencies are not typically so "on the ball."
Posted by: foodmomiac | June 11, 2006 at 09:48 AM