A personal note from Sydney Ayers, APR, Fellow PRSA

Today, tactical integration is critical.

Each activity builds on the heart of your communications strategy and combines to underscore a unified, easy-to-understand message. It’s rarely one news release, one event or one presentation that makes a difference. It’s all these activities, together, that successfully elevate your company, your brand and your people.

Take for instance a corporate philanthropy initiative I worked on for a large food producer a few years back. Food insecurity is a problem that’s sometimes invisible in the US. This company knew it needed to help raise awareness about hunger and, in the process, aid those suffering from food insecurity.

The company began with a series of videos showcasing celebrities who had grown up in a food insecure environment. These powerful videos, prominently featured on the company website, set the stage for what was to come and raised awareness around the issue almost immediately. I was taken by the celebrities who were brave enough to share their stories, yet there were plenty I approached who declined to participate.

The next phase of the program involved a community event akin to a health fair. We partnered with the local food bank, government officials, community leaders and a well-known human rights organization to deliver a pair of highly successful fairs in two communities struggling with poverty, homelessness and food insecurity.

Notably, the sponsoring food producer wasn’t positioned at the center of the events. Instead, the supporting organizations and their leaders were at the forefront. Even so, the company enjoyed a great reception by the community and received tremendous media coverage – locally and nationally. The company also incorporated information about the initiative in presentations, blogs and especially on their own social assets to give the program life beyond just the events themselves.

Your company can make a difference too!

Most corporate giving programs are a mile wide and an inch deep. This is compounded by the fact that, frequently, company leaders mandate corporate giving programs that are not aligned with company values. Or worse yet, these programs are aligned but are so under the radar no one knows what’s happening. Modesty is great, but these leaders are humble to the point of hurting themselves. They are missing the opportunity to focus their giving, engage vital stakeholders and elevate awareness of their good works.

Some personal background can shine a bit more light … 

I’m a third-generation public relations professional. My grandfather was a Mad Men type of PR guy who specialized in chatting up the media and putting on almost guerilla-type events to promote consumer products. My father, who came to PR after a storied career in print journalism, chose to focus primarily on issues and crisis management including work for large national and regional clients in a variety of industries. He also enjoyed working on political campaigns. His no-nonsense approach was just the thing these clients sought.

I’m a combination of these PR pros. The media today is fragmented. Allegiance to a brand – any brand – is fleeting. Even employee loyalty isn’t a given. To get eyeballs on your company, retain talent, attract clients and earn goodwill, you often need to do something with a bit of an edge. And it must be absolutely authentic or no one will “buy” what you’re “selling.”

What drives me to help you?

I always try to bring out the best in others to benefit the community as a whole. This shows up in everything I do: from providing PR counsel to parenting my children, conducting spokesperson training to coaching high school athletes, organizing a community event to leveraging a company’s giving into a strategic Corporate Philanthropy Program. I’m passionate about helping organizations show up for their employees, customers, supporters and the community as a whole in a strategic, focused and impactful way.