Top PR Mistakes Nonprofits and (for-profit for-good companies) Make
Top PR mistakes nonprofits and (for-profit for-good companies) make – from an interview with Jackie Herskovitz Russell with Teak Media + Communication:
• Not knowing which stories to tell – Not recognizing you are sitting on a goldmine of great stories or thinking that everything you do is so special.
• Making things too dire. If you only give the downside, people glaze over and don’t want to get involved.
• Assuming everyone understands the implications of their work. Use visual language to help them see the problem / solution in context. Take a look at her top 10 list available on her website: https://teakmedia.com/
Podcast Transcript
Jacob: Welcome to Impact Stories. I’m here with Jackie, and please introduce yourself.
Jackie: Hi, I’m Jackie Russell. I own Teak Media and Communication. We’re a PR firm here based in Boston, but we represent companies around the country and actually the world and we are a certified B Corp like Ben and Jerry’s, Patagonia, Seventh Generation. We’re a company with a triple bottom line and we’re part of the conscious capitalist movement. So we represent mostly nonprofits and responsible companies.
One of the reasons also that we do PR for these organizations or companies that do the right thing is because we want other companies to know they can be successful, even if they’re doing good for the world. It’s not mutually exclusive. It’s not either, or you do good or do well, you can do both.
And the more that these companies that are doing well promote themselves to show, look, we’re growing and our eyes on the mission and helping the community or the environment or [00:01:00] people, other companies will do it too. And so that’s really part of our whole mission as well, is to just grow the movement of companies that do the right thing.
So we lead, wanna lead by example in that way too.
Jacob: What was that moment when you decided I’m going to take my career in this direction towards more purpose-driven organizations? Was there a specific experience or story that, Hey, I’m not just going to do PR? I’m going to do PR for those that are doing good. What was that moment for you and your career?
Jackie: I was a book copy editor at a small book publishing company and the publisher wanted me to do PR for the authors and I didn’t really want to do it, but then I did it. I got great results and then I thought, Oh, I’ll just start my own company because I didn’t really know what that meant.
And he said, great, still keep promoting my books and I’m going to introduce you to a friend. And the friend was a VP of Communications with the Jimmy Fund, which is a fundraising arm for Dana Farber Cancer Institute here in Boston. And it’s also a child’s pediatric clinic for [00:02:00] children with cancer. And so we did one event for them, it was an all-you-can-eat ice cream festival in the middle of Boston, where people paid like five dollars and then could just eat for three hours all the ice cream they wanted and all the money went to fund research for pediatric cancers. And in this event, they had posters of children who were being treated at the Jimmy Fund, so they were sick children, but you know, I’ll have smiles on their faces and it just felt so good.
And I just felt like at that moment, I knew that I was supposed to be doing PR for nonprofits and there was like no turning back. I was so excited. I was like, this is what I’m going to do and it was literally like two weeks into starting my company. So it was very early, I was very lucky and I had great experiences and then everything just built from there.
Jacob: Tell me what you do for them.
Jackie: We get them traditional media earned media as we call it. It’s not paid, it’s earned. So print TV, [00:03:00] radio, online media, attention, podcasts, interviews for our clients, where they show what they’re doing, talk about the impact that they’re making and, you know, written or visual audio, obviously. And then we do social media as well, helping them get out their message through their own channels.
And we write content for websites, for annual reports, for marketing materials or newsletters, things like that. The ultimate goal is they reach more audiences, they get more people to participate, they get more grants, they get corporate funding and they build their brand and they’re known as a solution within their communities for whatever it is, the problem that they’re attacking.
Jacob: Give me some examples of success stories that you’ve had in that space.
Jackie: Our clients are really the issues that we represent. They are in food insecurity, climate change, ocean health, the environment, health, human services, education for [00:04:00] kids, kids who are falling through the cracks, poverty and food insecurity, also clothing insecurity, and then social justice. So these are all the issues that our clients are working for or towards. So when we have success, it’s about helping them further their missions. For example, we use public relations, we represent Project Bread, which is a Massachusetts-based organization, helping make better the food distribution systems within our state.
We use public relations. media attention to help generate public and legislative awareness around the need for breakfast, and free food within the schools all the time for all kids. So that there isn’t the stigma that you don’t have to have a card to show, Oh, my parents can’t afford it.
You know, you just school free meals for all. And we worked with them for almost a year in getting legislators involved, but also media attention around [00:05:00] this effort to help Massachusetts pass the bill, the School Meals for All Bill. So that today in Massachusetts schools, all food is free for kids every meal. Regardless of the parent’s income, no questions asked, and this is obviously critical because you can’t learn if you’re starving. Some of the schools actually give backpacks to their children to take home for the weekend for meals as well.
So it’s really great work we’re really honored to be involved in that organization. That’s an example of how getting the public on board with a mission and getting legislators on board with the mission really makes a change within our state.
Jacob: What were some of the techniques that you used to get that in front of the legislature or get the attention of the public? How do you even go about that?
Jackie: We get a lot of articles for the executive director of the organization to be talking about what is actually going on in our state. What is the need? You know, how much does it cost? What are the reasons for [00:06:00] doing this, for passing school meals for all?
Also reverse trick or treating, which is, there’s a day where you can go to the statehouse and basically knock on the doors of legislators and say, hey, this is what we’re working on. Here’s some information we want to leave with you. Basically telling them this is going on and we want your support.
Also, when legislators do get involved, we get media attention in their areas so that their constituents see the good work that they’re doing and it’s like the halo effect for the legislator. We get the media attention in their areas so that their constituents will vote for them, will feel good about what they’re doing.
We were working with an organization that represented 85 public schools for special needs kids. There are private schools within the state that are not paid for by the parent but by the state. So in short, we would connect legislators to these schools and have feel-good events [00:07:00] for like legislators to go to school to meet the children. We’d get media attention for it, and when it came time to pass the budget these legislators were now on board with what was going on at these public-private schools for the special needs students, because they were there, they visited them. They got the vibe of the kids and they understood the importance. So the budget was passing much more quickly based on this work that we were doing.
Jacob: What argument would you make for the benefit of a PR agency that has more of a focus on change makers or nonprofits versus just a generalist, like why is that even relevant to have that specialty?
Jackie: It’s actually super relevant because there are a lot of PR firms out there that help companies sell widgets or beauty products, or restaurants, hospitality, these are things that are extremely different than selling a mission, which is what Teak does. So it’s much easier, I think, to get media attention [00:08:00] for a new product for a new trend, for something that’s sexy or, you know, more commercial. Whereas we are selling issues and we’re selling solutions to issues and sometimes it’s really heavy stuff. I mean, it’s, you know, the biggest issues of our day, poverty, climate change. These sorts of issues are what we’re trying to get attention for, and not only the issues but also the solutions to them.
Jacob: How many years have you done Teak?
Jackie: 27.
Jacob: In that time, what are the top three, like common mistakes they tend to make?
Jackie: Sometimes nonprofits they’re so used to doing what they do. That they don’t understand which stories are better to get out there to the public than others. Because to them it’s either all unbelievably fabulous or they’re so used to it that they don’t think anything is fabulous. So we go in and we help the organization see, Oh my God, you are sitting on a gold mine of great stories. Let’s tease out the ones that are the best.
Or sometimes they [00:09:00] make the mistake of making things too dire because the issues are critical, but if you only give the downside, if you only make it seem like everything is doom and gloom, like climate change, people can glaze over and not want to get involved.
So there’s a way of positioning these issues that they’re working on and the solutions for the issues that engage people and feel like they can be part of the solution and therefore they want to donate, they want to get involved, they want to volunteer. Rather than just saying, Oh, I’m just going to go back to bed because this is too depressing. It’s just the way that you message it out to the public.
Jacob: Is PR going away as a dying art? because of social media, because of influencers. How would you respond to naysayers?
Jackie: I think it’s even more critical as news holes are shrinking, as media is getting smaller and there are fewer places to get your story out there.
There are still so many nonprofits. I mean, there are 2 million nonprofits [00:10:00] in Massachusetts alone. It’s even more competitive to get your news story out there, but once you do It, you have all the eyeballs on it. So it’s really important to get traditional media as well, especially as AI becomes a thing.
And, you know, AI is just scraping the Internet and you’ve got to get that information out there if it’s going to be repurposed. And the more good information, true information you put out about your organization, the better your opportunities are for having that recycled and retold in the way that you want it done.
There’s a lot of room for error, not only now, but I think even more in the future, moving forward. So I think nonprofits or anybody really has to own that message even more strongly so that misinformation or the wrong information doesn’t get out there. It’s going to take a concerted effort.
Jacob: For Teak Media. What does an [00:11:00] ideal client look like for you?
Jackie: Great clients are the ones who are working in the missions, as I mentioned, you know, healthcare, education, poverty, food insecurity, social justice, kids, diseases. We worked a lot to raise money for cancer research, for example, or other ailments that, you know, PR helps people raise money for sure.
Jacob: There’s always that tension of if I give you a dollar it’s not going towards saving the child or the rainforest or the whales, that dollar is sacred and needs to go to help the cause, but also if no one knows about it, right, is it doing any good?
So how, how do you tend to respond to that?
Jackie: Well, we are super lucky in that we keep our clients for years and years. We have a really long track record with our clients and that’s because the work we’re doing is helping them make money. And if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t continue to hire us. 80 percent are nonprofits and they’re all looking at their bottom lines really closely.
[00:12:00] So if the work isn’t generating revenue, they’re not doing it again. And so I think that the longevity of our clients speaks for itself and it helps people, helps new clients, potential new clients take the leap, you know, and say, this will be worth it for me because it’s been worth it for all of those other organizations.
Jacob: If someone wanted to get started in doing PR, what are the first things that you’d say? This is a low-hanging fruit, these are the best things to get started to see an ROI in PR.
Jackie: Earned social media is the least expensive way to get your message out to large audiences. However, the algorithms are a thing, you know, and you’ve got to really need to spend some money to target things. But in general, and if you’re on TikTok, if you’re in retail in any way, and you’re on TikTok, you can really direct it to the consumer. They’re just killing it.
Jacob: What are you most looking for right now?
Jackie: More clients to help us do our [00:13:00] great work and get it out there. Get their missions out there so we can have an impact. I would say for sure number one. International and national clients, which we have some, but more I would like. And it would be wonderful to partner with organizations that are using top digital aspects of what we can do so that we can do more of that with them.
Jacob: If someone wanted to learn more about PR, particularly for nonprofits or those in purpose-driven organizations. What are resources you could point them to?
Jackie: We have a blog on our website. We have some downloadable materials on our website too, like top 10 tips for nonprofit PR, for crisis communications, and for sustainable companies.
Jacob: If someone wanted to find you online, what’s the best way for them?
Jackie: Oh, I’m at jackie@teakmedia.com. T-E-A-K-M-E-D-I-A.com.
Jacob: Keep up the good work and appreciate you sharing your insights and good luck using your skills to help more of those [00:14:00] organizations succeed.
Jackie: Thank you, Jacob. Thank you. Back at you, I love what you’re doing and your great work.
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