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Who
Stepped In It
Internal
Policy Can Make Headlines: If you let it.
A story in Thursday's Virginian-Pilot profiled company
policies concerning employee shopping online on company
time. Some allow it; some don't. It's no surprise
that the opening paragraph spotlighted the company
that liberally allows it. "We don't have a problem
with it during the workday," said the marketing
director for Rodriguez Ripley Maddux Motley Architects.
Wow! What a wonderful life! That policy may attract
employees, but clients won't be banging down the door.
From a PR perspective, this internal policy is fine,
but it should stay internal. You do not have to spill
the beans on every internal policy because a reporter
calls and asks. There are some policies you may not
want in the opening paragraph of the lead story in
the business section of a large daily newspaper. Simply
say "as a general matter we do not discuss internal
policies." Reporters will respect that and move
on to a hundred other businesses and resources they
have at their finger tips in order to make deadline.
If you're going to talk to the media, look at your
answers through the eyes of your clients and potential
clients. Sometimes it's better to stay out of the
story. |
