Relationships matter, on campus and off
Living on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing for the past two years has taught me two things:
1. If you see a crowd of rioters, get away. Fast.
2. Don’t count on a new, locally owned business to last more than a year.
On Grand River, the dividing street between Michigan State University’s campus and downtown East Lansing, the business turnover rate is incredibly high, especially for the mom and pop shops.
Who’s lasting? The ones who know how to reach the students.
I work with some of these businesses to help create advertising plans with The (MSU) State News , and many of them have no idea where to begin when it comes to creating a communications plan. They look to me to help them not only with their newspaper advertising, but also as counsel on how to reach college students like me.
Another factor is the powerhouse chain businesses that have local and national funding to support communication activities. Students hear their messages in newspapers, on television and, lately, on the Web.
But what about the local businesses? Right now they are surviving because people like me support local more often than the chain. I don’t know how much longer our kind will last, unfortunately.
PR is all about partnerships and when you’re not connected to anyone, especially in today’s Web 2.0 world, you’re toast.
The point is simple: public relations doesn’t need to be just the standard media pitching and company promotion, but it does need to effectively reach and connect with the audience.
Every company is different, but good PR is a necessity. We’ll see who catches on.