“Our local paper made an attempt to add some accuracy to their story as a result of our outreach.”—John Littler, Littler Diecast


Not only can these steps help journalists to report accurately


on your operations and happenings, but it also can create some goodwill that will keep them from digging quite as deep when (if) something negative happens at your plant.


Don’t:


Try to Hide Negative Events Littler Diecast, Albany, Ind., recently was reported by the


local press to have magnesium and chemicals in its finishing room that led to a fire when the facility was stuck by lightning. The problem was the building contained no such chemicals. But according to company President John Littler, the local


media never thought to substantiate the claim that the building did contain those materials. So when Littler awoke the morn- ing after the fire to find his company on the front page of the local daily, he contacted the paper and told them about the discrepancy. The paper responded by printing a clarification in a subsequent issue and returning to the scene of the fire to do a video follow-up that delivered the corrected story. “They did follow up with a small piece that didn’t have the


impact that being above the fold had, but there was an attempt to add some accuracy as a result of the outreach,” Littler said. Today, Littler and his colleagues are working to be more


proactive with their image in the media. The company has turned the potentially damaging fire into a positive way to bring its company into the public consciousness. “The time to start worrying about an accident is not


when it occurs,” Libby said. “Accidents happen in the best of companies. The way to deal with that is to have a strong EHS program in place. Somebody needs to care about this stuff and communicate that to someone.” According to Kelly, being proactive also can involve cre-


ating a crisis-communication plan. Once you have laid the groundwork, the only way to deal with an accident is by being straightforward, he said. “When bad things happen (e.g. accidents, business down-


viable company in the digital age. Think about where you are out there on the internet. Are there a lot of negative things out there? Working within the industry establishes your street cred, but then reaching out to make sure you become visible in appropriate places is the next step.” — Bill Libby, Libby Communications, Muskegon, Mich.


“A few recommended tactics are: • product, technology and issues messaging; • blogs; • white papers; • frequently updating your press kit/issue news releases; • building an image library; • setting up one-on-one media tours;


MODERN CASTING / October 2010


turns, layoffs), keep in front of rumors with as much informa- tion as frequently as possible, given the circumstances,” he said. “Be honest, present all the facts known at any given time, and absolutely do not jump into a bomb shelter and wait for it to ‘blow over.’” Millerschin said metalcasters should try to make potential PR pitfalls work for them. “In the past few years, some of the [casting] business mov-


ing offshore and the bankruptcies have hurt [the industry],” she said. “From the customer’s standpoint, those things can be a little bit unnerving, so the challenge is how to turn those things into opportunities.” Finally, Merens suggested you remember to respond


quickly to reporters. The internet news cycle has put everyone on a tighter deadline, and you do not want to allow them an excuse to print something that has not been verified.


Do:


Find the Right Person to Address Issues When your company is dealing with a news outlet—be


it forced due to an event or something you have initiated— you must ensure the message is clear and consistent. The best way to do this is to designate one employee to be the point person on all communication surrounding the event, according to Merens. “Someone’s secretary, for example, might not have the full perspective and shouldn’t be providing all the information,” he said. “There ought to be one source with one message because if it gets too tangled up on the inside, you’ll find more problems stemming from the event and contradictory statements.” However, Millerschin says all issues won’t be best handled


by the same person. Each member of your staff has different areas of expertise, and delivering the right person on the right issue can be the difference between accuracy and inaccuracy.


“When bad things happen, keep in front of rumors with as much information as frequently as possible. Absolutely do not jump into a bomb shelter and wait for it to ‘blow over.’”— Mike Kelly, Group eX


• hosting a group briefing for media as part of industry conferences and conventions;


• conducting editorial board meetings; • using the internet and social media; • setting up print and broadcast interviews for your CEO and senior staff.” —Mike Kelly, Group eX, Royal Oak, Mich.


“Media relations is a key PR element because of the


third party credibility and the high readership. We go to the casting industry trade press, but we also get into the trades and the e-media in our clients’ end-use industries. We also go to the business media.”—Erin Millerschin, the Millerschin Group


MC 25


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