Insights
The Coronavirus Shock: A Time for Leaders to Lead
by Frank L. Williams A month ago we were starting to hear about Coronavirus, but I doubt if any of us could have imagined the impact the spread of COVID-19 has had on our communities, our nation, our world and, yes, our businesses. While all citizens are now navigating a different world than the one…
Read MoreBuild Your Reputation Before You Need It
by Frank L. Williams At its heart, public relations is about building and maintaining relationships with key publics. Relationships that stand the test of time are rooted in trust. Trustworthiness and credibility are joined at the hip. Credibility can be defined as the quality of being trusted and believed in or the quality of being convincing or believable. If you lack credibility,…
Read MorePR: It’s About Relationships, Not “Spin” or “Free Publicity”
by Frank L. Williams Over the years, I’ve run across more than a few people who think public relations is about nothing more than “spin” or “free publicity.” They are wrong. Stereotypes such as those dramatically oversimplify the public relations process. In 2011 and 2012, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) conducted a member-engagement process to…
Read MoreCredibility and Your Business’ Reputation
by Frank L. Williams In my last post, I touched on the importance of credibility. Credibility can be defined as the quality of being trusted and believed in or the quality of being convincing or believable. This column focuses on how a business’ reputation and credibility are interdependent and how they impact a business’ brand. If you are in business, there are (hopefully) a…
Read MoreWhat is Credibility and Why Does it Matter?
by Frank Williams Public relations and communication professionals will tell you that establishing, building and maintaining credibility is one of the most frequently mentioned purposes of a public relations program. I’ve heard about the importance of credibility ever since my first public relations classes at N.C. State (longer ago than I want to admit). But…
Read MoreCornerstone or Afterthought?
by Frank L. Williams A cornerstone can be defined as an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based. For a public relations program to be truly effective, it must be a strategic cornerstone that helps leaders guide an organization’s decision-making, not an afterthought that only receives sporadic attention when the…
Read MoreGet Out of The Weeds and Resist the Tyranny of the Urgent
by Frank L. Williams Anyone who has ever managed a business or other organization has likely fallen victim to what has been described as the “tyranny of the urgent.” This term is used to describe situations in which leaders become so consumed putting out fires or responding to the next phone call, meeting, email or…
Read MoreThings to Consider As You Evaluate Your Marketing Communication Program
by Frank L. Williams Click here to view this as a printer-friendly PDF. This Tuesday I was the featured 10-minute speaker at the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce’s afternoon business connections event. My topic was things to consider as you evaluate your marketing communication program. Below is a brief outline of the topics I touched…
Read MoreA Sign of the Times: How People Find and Interact With Businesses in the Digital Age
by Frank L. Williams A couple of weekends ago, my significant other and I were en route from Charlotte to Wilmington on U.S. 74. As we arrived in Monroe, we were contemplating where to eat a late breakfast. Our preference was a decent sit-down breakfast at a restaurant that was not part of a national…
Read MoreRemember Your Focus: All That Glitters is Not Gold
by Frank L. Williams It has been said that “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” This is a lesson I’ve learned during my more than 15 years in business, although it can be difficult to apply. Sometimes it seems like I keep learning it over and over. This lesson is about knowing where to…
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