Planning
Don’t Move the Target Without Telling Those Trying to Hit It
by Frank L. Williams Over the years, I’ve served on a number of boards. Several years ago, another member of one of those boards chastised a contractor in a meeting because they thought the contractor’s efforts were misdirected. Here’s the problem: the things the board member thought the contractor should be doing were not part…
Read MoreThere is No PR Silver Bullet
by Frank L. Williams We live in a society that demands instant gratification, often seeking it where it simply does not exist. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey tells the story of a farmer whose goose laid a golden egg each day. The farmer got impatient and decided to speed up…
Read MoreEffectively Managing Your Ad Budget
Managing an advertising budget effectively is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small startup or a multinational corporation, allocating your resources wisely can make or break your marketing efforts. The key to success lies in strategic planning, careful analysis, and a willingness to adapt. First ask, “what’s your why?” Before diving into…
Read MoreWant Truly Strategic Communication? Seat Your Communicator at the Strategy Table!
by Frank L. Williams “Strategic” can be defined as relating to the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them. Another definition is carefully designed or planned to serve a particular purpose or advantage. In layman’s terms, being strategic means that your actions and decisions are focused on achieving…
Read MoreA Plan on a Shelf
by Frank L. Williams Does your business, association or non-profit organization have a well-thought-out strategic plan, communication strategy, or crisis communication plan sitting on a shelf collecting dust? Over the years I’ve been involved with organizations and worked with clients who fell into this trap. In some cases, they invested countless hours developing a well-thought-out…
Read MoreBeware a Design with No Plan
by Frank L. Williams In the early- to mid-2000s, I was approached by a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wanted a marketing communication plan for his new business. When we came to terms, he had already engaged a designer to create his website, but they had not yet started work. I advised this aspiring entrepreneur to hit…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Communication “Why”?
by Frank Williams Over the years, I’ve heard clients make resolute statements like “We need to do more press releases,” “We need to get more media coverage,” “We need to attend this event,” or, more in recent years, “We need to do more on social media.” When I hear such a statement, my first question…
Read MoreWhat Comes First: the Pie, or the Slice?
by Frank Williams The idea that your communication activities should be driven by a well-thought-out strategy designed to help achieve your overall business goals is a core underpinning of our philosophy at Pioneer Strategies. Every communication activity should move you closer to your vision and goals. With this philosophy as a guiding principle, we work…
Read MorePaint Your Own Barn
by Frank L. Williams Over the course of my career, I’ve seen far too many organizations allow a reactive mindset and slow response time to hamper their public relations efforts. One organization (we’ll call it Company One) was subjected to a barrage of criticism from other organizations that were affected by one of Company One’s…
Read MoreThe “R” in RPIE
by Frank Williams During the course of my public relations training, I’ve studied a four-step process dubbed “RPIE.” The four steps are: R = Research P = Planning I = Implementation E = Evaluation. The research phase is intended to ensure that a client or organization builds its campaign based upon valid assumptions and informed…
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