The Versatile Op-Ed Piece

by Dick Jones
Dick Jones Communications

The op-ed market is not as easy to crack as it used to be. There are many more people writing op-eds, for one thing, so competition is strong. And some papers largely (and wrongly, in my view) have turned the op-ed page into a forum for their own staffers. Plus, it's always easier for an editor to use a syndicated column for which the paper has already paid, rather than opting for one that comes over-the-transom.

Nonetheless, there are still good reasons for college and university media relations shops to consider the 600-word opinion piece a significant tool.

One of the most important is that the op-ed allows for the formation of a complete argument. The president can explain, in a logical argument, why a controversial policy was adopted, or why the federal financial aid formula needs to be changed. Published op-eds are an effective way to preclude the mediating filter of a reporter's interpreting the president's thoughts, and to make a case directly to the reader.

The same is true for op-eds by faculty, of course. Instead of having only one quote in a story, a professor can present a complete argument in front of the public.

In addition, the op-ed can serve as a "backgrounder" that can be sent to journalists who cover the topic addressed in the piece. It can stimulate journalists to call your administrator or professor when stories are planned on the topic. Thus, the op-ed usually can serve double duty.

As you know, media relations is an art, not a science. There are many paths to success. With that in mind, here are a few things we can do to maximize op-ed success.

• Keep it short. In general, there is an inverse relationship between increasing a story's length and its chance at placement.
• Say something that no one else is saying. If your institution's political science professor is expressing the same thing that David Broder is, the paper will run David Broder's piece.
• Get to the point. Writers often spend too much time "clearing their throat" before coming to the point, sometimes not until the fourth paragraph. That is too late and is "DFD" (destined for deletion).
• Find a safety valve. If the New York Times won't bite, will your local paper? If the local paper won't bite, can the piece be used in the alumni magazine? If not, can it be posted on your website? Op-eds represent a commitment of time by administrators and faculty, and there must be some sort of payoff for their efforts, or else they won't write again.

We invite your discussion of this topic on PIOnet.

Book Review: Value-Added Public Relations: The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing

by William Johnson
Halstead Communications

Thomas L. Harris believes that integrated marketing communications is key to success in twenty-first century competition. He also believes that public relations (PR) plays a critical role in integrated marketing communications. In case you're not convinced, Harris has written Value-Added Public Relations: The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing (McGraw-Hill Trade, 1998), in which he offers case study after case study and quite a bit of practical advice to support his views.

Harris makes the point that information delivered by a third party, such as the media, is effective in persuading consumers to buy products or services. He shows by example how successful marketers have used PR techniques to position brands, create excitement in the market, introduce products, and generate product news.

Part I of the book consists of 26 chapters, each offering at least two case studies in which PR is used to support well-known brands. While Yale and the University of Southern California are not among the examples, Harris does offer generic lessons learned after each case study that can be applied in higher education.

Higher education PR professionals might consider Ringling Brothers-like tactics for consumer products -like delivering Wonderbras to Macy's in armored cars - a bit extreme, but we all know some of the best ideas originate with free, off-the-wall thinking.

The chapters related to customer relationship management help us understand Harris's "social gatekeepers" - consumer watchdogs, environmental activists, government regulators, religious interest groups, and others. There is some worthwhile strategic counsel here.

In Part II, Harris outlines the steps involved in creating an integrated marketing public relations (MPR) plan. In the chapter on situation analysis, he advises "outside in" research (learning as much as possible about the customer) and covers media research, environmental scanning, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, and the difference between PR objectives and advertising and publicity objectives.

Harris does a good job in Part II of explaining the difference between strategy and tactics, and how many fall into the trap of skipping the critically important strategy step when implementing MPR plans. He discusses the Internet a bit too briefly, provides an exhaustive list of MPR tactics, and concludes with a chapter on measurement that is a good overview of the differences between outputs (clips), outgrowths (message retention), and outcomes (changed attitudes and behaviors).

The appendices include an actual MPR plan, more tactics, and some other useful information.

Because some of the case studies and concepts presented in Harris's book have been around a while, seasoned professionals will find parts of this publication of less value, but there's something for everyone in this highly illustrative work.

We invite your discussion of this topic on PIOnet.