Lessons Learnt

While working with Six Degrees recently I was surprised to see a new business proposal make reference to a couple of PR strategies that didn’t work as planned. Giving two examples the proposal went on to explain what had been learnt from the chain of events that unfolded in each case as an advisory to the prospect. Was I in the wrong document? Surely proposals are all about putting forward examples of our best work?

Not any longer. Proposals that show how we deal with tough situations and what we learn from them can give potential clients real insight into how we assess and improve processes and strategies and keep in tune an ever-changing media and business landscape. While not all errors are of our own doing ( it is not unknown for sound advice to fall upon deaf ears), learning from ill-timed or implemented strategies that don’t deliver upon the desired objectives is simply good honest business practice. CEOs regularly take risks that don’t pan out. Far from damaging their careers it boosts their value and credibility. It is wholly surprising that we don’t see more of this practice in the PR world.

All too often busy PR professionals end one project and just move straight onto the next without any debrief or discussion about what worked well, what didn’t and ideas for what to improve the next time.

As I finalise my own debrief report from the fifth annual launch of Millward Brown’s Most Valuable Global Brands research, I am encouraged to see an open and sharing culture emerging from the spin that many in our industry thrive in.
Ends.