When I started Sidney Maxwell Public Relations back in 2003, I had no idea that it would become what it is today. I didn’t know what to expect being a business owner, let alone making my mark as a stand-alone practitioner in a crowded field of professionals. Fortunately, I have exceeded expectations on both sides of the table, and I can say without any hesitation that I have been successful in my endeavors.

Yet, I have always longed for more. I have always wanted to expand the scope of the businesses, executives and brands I represent. And I have strived to gain more insight into practice areas and industries outside of my current portfolio.

Starting today, I have joined DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs (DKC) to formalize its presence here in Chicago. You may be familiar with DKC—its client roster reads like a who’s who of brands and companies from a diverse range of industries and business sectors. It takes a lot of chutzpah for an agency to call itself inventive and eclectic, but that is one of the very reasons why I know this organization is a great place. As one of the nation’s top independently owned agencies, its blend of creativity, strategy and media knowledge is rivaled by few—and I am honored to now be among its ranks.

After nearly nine years of business, I owe a lot of people “thank yous” for my success.  Among them:

• Clients past and present.  I want to thank Orla Castanien, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, Darrell Jursa, Julie Colbrese and Michael Kahn for believing in a system of public relations that defied convention, and formed the foundation for a successful public relations practice. Your companies got SMPR off the ground, and I never looked back; SMPR worked with more than 70 companies on projects and campaigns over the years.

• Thanks to Amy Francis, Megan Meier Lane, Chuck Casto, Molly Lynch, Mindy Weinstein, Whitney Oppenhuizen, Laura Muma, Michelle Hellyar and Michelle Damico—a wonderful group of consultants who chose to work at SMPR as part of their professional careers. It has been an honor to call all of you colleagues throughout this incredible journey.

• I want to thank the DKC team for giving me this opportunity, with a special thank you aimed at Dave Donovan, who (if you know me from my days in Detroit) used to work with me at Marx Layne & Company. If it weren’t for Dave, I would not have been introduced to my new colleagues at DKC.

Last, but certainly not least, a special thank you is needed for Amy, Ella, Max & Lexi Shmarak. My wife has been the epitome of supportive while still flourishing in her job and managing our household. She and the kids have put up with the ebbs and flows of SMPR better than I could have imagined. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

If I didn’t mention you, it’s only because I don’t want to put you to sleep like one of those long Oscar speeches.  Know that I have enjoyed every person with whom I have met, and I have taken something away from each of you.

Let’s stay in touch, shall we?

Many thanks–

Michael Shmarak

michael_shmarak@dkcnews.com

312.340.6990

I thought y’all might be interested in the following article/blog I wrote for PR NEWSWIRE’s “Investor Uprising” community.

Is it possible for Groupon to issue a deal-of-the-day for its own stock when its IPO comes around? 

Here’s my thought; what do you think?

Recently, I posted an article on SMPR’s Facebook page about how the DETROIT NEWS (my hometown newspaper) seemingly threw its ethical codes out the window (not to mention selling its soul) and changed an article to soothe an advertiser’s wallet and ego.  Combined with the latest Groupon fiasco and its ad blunder (I wrote about this issue on A Sorry State), maybe it’s time to skin the cat differently.

So I thought it would be cool to share something that is cool about ethics, specifically talking about how our friends in the advertising industry are making efforts to bring more of an ethical position into their operations.

Check out the following article from ADVERTISING AGE on the industry’s attempt to get more ethical.  These are really good ideas; what do y’all think?

One of the great passions I have about this business is teaching junior people about the rigors of public relations, and (in turn) what people in my field have taught me.  I was talking with a friend who operates a great agency in Dallas; we were talking about what each of us has learned about running a business, as well as what we would have done differently if given the opportunity.

Speaking to the latter point, I would not have changed a single thing and have done anything differently. Running a business, you quickly learn how to take the good with the bad. If you cannot take lumps in this business, then you shouldn’t be in it. To be sure, I have built a much tougher and stronger skin than when I first embarked on my journey now almost eight years ago. I have seen people come and go; clients start with a bang but spend funds miserably and fail. I have seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. I have made incredible friends and have formed several meaningful relationships.

 
Still, I have learned a lot—more than any of my college studies could have prepared me for. Here are some thoughts.

 
Understand the power of “no.” It’s easy for business owners to take on things because the money is appealing or the allure of having a “name client” associated with you would add to your reputation. Saying ‘no’ is empowering, for it allows you to focus on what you truly want to do. “No” keeps your eyes on the prize of ultimate satisfaction.

 
The customer/client should not always be right. Logic tells me when presented with an array of options, I want to make as informed of a decision as possible; life is not one way or the highway. I also rely on my past experiences about what journalists want; I would expect both my peers and fellow colleagues would follow the same path.  As an agency, we are hired to bring an objective voice to our clients’ tables. Maybe it’s because I have more gray hairs than when I first started the business, but I take my role as a counselor more seriously than ever. I have learned to cement my position by proving it with smart research and positioning and not just do what a client thinks is the most ideal course of action. I would never go back to a client and tell him/her “I told you so…” but I would go back to what I know has worked for others–and could work for them if given the opportunity.

 
Hiring a business coach is a wise investment. It’s one thing to preach objectivity to your clients, but it is hard to obtain objectivity running an agency—especially when it is your agency. I have learned how to distinguish things between the SMPR brand and that of Michael Shmarak; I used to take things personally when something went wrong. But as many people have come to tell me, it’s just business. We need to remember that business should stay where it belongs. To that end…

 
…tell your spouse and kids that you love them as often as possible. I set up SMPR to represent beliefs I have that agencies need to be treated like families, that if a family member’s name is on the door, then the belief set should represent the person/people who you are honoring. I have tried to bring “family” into everything I do, inclusive of making sure that my team enjoys their lives outside of work. Understandably, my team means the world to me, and I try to communicate the value they bring as often as possible. But I would be nothing without my wife and three kids. Hugs from children are the best elixir for soothing a bad day at the office. Clients come and go; my wife and kids are always with me. It is up to me to make sure they know that.

 
Client love is the ultimate measurement tool. If a client merely likes its PR counsel, then the agency is not doing enough to foster the relationship. I know about my clients’ kids, their families, what they do outside of the office, et.al., to show that we (as people) are deeper than what a letter of agreement tells us we should be. Striving for client love does as much for what makes good clients awesome clients as any deliverable you can provide.

 
Know the right time to reinvent your business. When I started SMPR in 2003, social media was just beginning to hit the mainstream. There were several agencies that got on the bandwagon early, going as so far as to say they do it—and do it well.  Me?  I would rather wait and let other people make mistakes so I can learn from them.  In turn, I can then take this education and shape it in a way that best fits who I am as a professional, as well as what my team knows it does well. Claiming to be all things to all people deteriorates one’s focus. We should all strive to own something and be really good at it first. Do we do social media work? Of course, but we specialize in helping companies build their infrastructure so they are ready for what social media has to offer.

Above all else, I have been blessed to learn that my team’s work has impacted lives. We take it for granted that PR can help influence other people’s decision making processes. When you’re leading the charge for those decisions, there is an immense source of pride and accomplishment. There are so many examples of how we have enacted change I could go on all day.

Moving forward, I want to learn how to learn better.  I want to get smarter about more tricks of the trade.  I want to build deeper relationships and find work that drives satisfaction for all of us.

It starts today.

Over the last few years, there have been more than a fair share of  “pot shots” thrown at PR people who perform less than what is expected of them.  Recently, there was a case of a firm posting favorable comments on iTunes–and the FTC called them out.  Without question, they deserved to be caught.  And as most cases like this play out, many media outlets take any chance they can get for rolling PR under the proverbial bus.

What happens, though, when the tables are turned?  What happens when media outlets don’t do the necessary fact-checking to make sure THEIR work is ethical, objective and above ground?

I bring this up as I was sent an online video from CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS this week.  In it, an events company account executive touts how good this one restaurant was, how amazing some of the dishes were, how you couldn’t walk out of there without feeling like you were at one of the best restaurants in Chicago.  If I were their PR person, I would be ecstatic with such a piece.

Yet, I have to wonder if the people putting this segment together did their homework about the restaurant, the source and the history between the two.

• The account executive mentioned in the video just happens to be the daughter of one of the restaurant company’s top executives.  I know this because I met them both at a charity function, and I entered the father’s business card into my Rolodex.
• The father was a top executive at one of Chicago’s TV stations, so it is my business to know who works where in the media, as well as who moves on.  His name is recognizable, so it piqued my curiosity to confirm that the daughter was the same person I met at the event.
• The story neglects to mention that this account executive also used to work at this restaurant at one time in her career.

Those who know me how much I respect business media, and I LOVE CRAIN’S here in Chicago.  It is such a good media outlet and enterprise, that it surprised me to see something like this story actually making it to the public.

I am passionate about ethics in both PR and journalism.  This story reads and feels awkward, especially since it’s my job to know the city’s “who’s who.”  This is not the fair, balanced and objective journalism I am used to seeing in CRAIN’S; it looks like Daddy’s little girl is promoting Daddy’s company on CRAIN’S dime.

Doing some digging around, I learned that people at CRAIN’S don’t produce the segments; they come from the group hosting the segment.  Still, there is a level of responsibility that comes into play here, and something SMPR takes very seriously:

• In all of our endeavors, we are supposed to fact-check, do our homework and make sure that nothing that we communicate on behalf of our clients could be called into question.  If we do it, our clients are smart enough to know about it–and they will show us the door.
• We have a responsibility and “code of honor” to respect the journalists, analysts and other groups who we work with.
• As PR counselors, we have a responsibility to help our clients tell the truth to all of their constituents and influencers, even it the truth ruffles feathers.

Maybe the folks at CRAIN’S who were provided the video package didn’t know the truth; hopefully, they know about this and will do something about it.  I trust CRAIN’S will do something; that is what good journalists do.

If we were counseling the restaurant company, we would advise them to come forth and acknowledge the relationship, discuss their knowledge of the story being done and (if needed) who was at the root of the video being done–the daughter or the father.

I’ll continue to pick up my CRAIN’S every week and read the daily news digests in my mailbox.  But when it comes to getting objective restaurant reviews, I’ll go somewhere else.

Could the "what's old is new again" idea work for BP?

Back in September 2008, I published a post about where I thought this big idea called sustainability was headed.  Green had been pushed way too far, and I had suggested that “green” get a makeover.

I didn’t think that the makeover would come at the expense of a PR disaster such as that which faces BP.  But I had to smile when I saw the following post from the June 15 FAST COMPANY electronic newsletter that cited how badly green has been tarnished.  The author, a noted brand strategist, suggested that BP go back to AMOCO and move away from green toward blue.

While I would love to say that smart minds think alike, it does speak to a bigger issue–how does a company evolve from a crisis with its brand or icon leading the way?

When has a company emerged from a crisis with a new identity?  I am interested in your feedback.

How Labor Is Liberated–WSJ ONLINE

Thanks to one of SMPR’s fine colleagues sending me the following article, I am reminded–perhaps even validated–that traditional models of leadership need to be shown the door.

At SMPR, we tell our clients that the best communication programs are built when leadership does all it can to connect with its lower ranks so that key messages are germinated through an entire chain of command.  Top-down leadership has its place; bottom-up leadership is how smart companies are made.

Perhaps labor being “liberated” means that workers are having a voice, and that managers are listening to them.  Radical concept, eh?

Welcome to the newest iteration of my blog; I hope this becomes a fulfilling part of your PR reading.

I don’t know about you, but I always think about it when a client or prospect asks about ROI.   We have heard the same discussions about PR measurement as you have.  Clips.  Blog posts.  Discussion streams.  New business generation–the realm is endless, so much so I think some people talk about it because other people do it.

Why don’t we ever talk about such a “deliverable” as Client Love?

* Do clients not love their agencies?
* Do we need something simpler–Client Like; Client Respect; Client I Like You But I Really Cannot Commit?

For if there is a real test of the value of an agency, and the RELATIONSHIP between a client and agency is so important, why not measure this?

As one of my favorite Van Halen songs asks, “How do I know when it’s love?  I can’t tell you but it lasts forever…” Client love is a hard thing to come by. But shouldn’t it be a deliverable?  Am I off base here? I would welcome your thoughts.

It goes without saying that public relations practitioners wear many hats. Such words and descriptives as advisor, counselor, fireman, relief pitcher are par for the course. I would like to add one more hat to the mix—matador.

The PR field relates well to bullfighting:
• After all, a matador fights bulls like we take on client issues.
• He is often seen on a public stage working his red cape to connect with his four-legged heavy-breathing adversary.
• In some cases, a matador can be heavily wounded if he doesn’t take the right precautions.
• At the end of the day, a matador’s end deliverable is to end the bull’s fight and fury.

Illusionary English aside, corporate communications is all about making sure the bull—in the form of a crisis or adversity—is properly addressed and is promptly handled before the bull goes on a rampage. Success is often judged on how well we get to know the adversary and how he thinks before the rampage begins.

Said differently, many crises can be averted had the crisis been planned out and its ramifications were addressed before the actual situation took place. Too often, companies take a “wait-and-see” approach to their reputation planning efforts, vis-à-vis if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But because reputations and businesses can be hindered by rogue employees, market downturns or other unforeseen conditions, it is imperative to think ahead of a potential crisis such that it is planned before it happens.

I was talking to a couple of PR friends about their difficulties attracting business within their agencies. Another one was telling me about potential layoffs taking place if they don’t get some business through their doors. With each of these conversations, I asked why they think these situations are taking place. Their answers were the same–”It’s the economy. People don’t want to spend now.”

That might be true–provided that the agencies where these people work don’t change how they operate. In trying economic conditions, successful firms will change how they do business–provide more virtual teams, adapt work processes to accept lower retainer fees, bill for performance as opposed to billing senior people over junior people. We are talking with companies who have PR counsel, but don’t like that they are not changing the way they do business. What’s more, they like that we can adapt to THEIR needs.

SMPR wants to get to a point where the only excuse we make is that we are already working at our capacity, and that we need to hire more people to meet it.