Everything I need to know about PR, I learned from my Grandfather

Part III - Corporate Social Responsibility

Nowadays there seems to be an increasing focus on a company's ethical behaviour - it's definitely a trendy thing to be seen to be doing in the business world, and companies are taking full advantage of it. While people argue that some companies have questionable motives (environmental campaigns by oil companies, health campaigns by fast food giants), corporate social responsibility (CSR) is generally regarded as a good thing, and something that companies should be encouraged to participate in.

I suppose, from my "old school" perspective, it seems a bit strange that a company would need to be talked into taking on CSR programmes, and even stranger that some then go out of their way to show off their good deeds. Whatever happened to quietly making a difference? Is there really a need for such dramatic fanfare?

My grandfather was always a soft spoken man, although he would chat your ear off given the opportunity. For as long as I can remember, the only thing I can ever recall him bragging about were his grandchildren. He especially loved to tell complete strangers about his travelling granddaughter living over in Ireland, and everything I was getting up to.

When I was in college I was working on a paper for my BC History class. I'd decided to look at the development and economic successes of the local native population where my grandparents live, as their leaders have always been extremely admired and well-respected, and I was curious what made their band different from others in the country. During the course of my research I discovered that one particular chief had refused to let the children on the reservation be taken away to residential schools, instead setting up a day school so they could learn without having to leave. The teacher in question was a remarkable man who encouraged the children to revive near-forgotten traditions by asking their elders about songs and stories of importance to their culture. The children put on annual school productions and invited the whole town, resulting in a sense of pride and accomplishment that still resonates today.

The point of this slightly long-winded story is that I was able to locate a printed programme for one of the productions, and on the back was a small ad mentioning that the event was sponsored by Collen's Department Store.

When I mentioned it to my family, no one had ever heard anything about it. There was never any fanfare, or mentions of "how we are helping the community". It was just one decision made quietly by one person (my great-grandfather, upon closer research).

Just the way it should be.

Everything I need to know about PR, I learned from my Grandfather

(apologies for the late post - clearly a sunny bank holiday weekend coupled with coursework and job hunting meant that my poor little blog was overlooked)

Part II - Be nice!!

Alright, I admit that this topic is a bit self-evident and kind of common sensical if you really think about it, but I also think that in the quest to increase profits, reach targets or deliver important messages, a lot of companies and organisations often forget the basics. And nothing is more basic than the simple rule - Be Nice.

I cannot remember my grandfather ever disliking anyone, or saying a bad word about anybody. Well, with the exception of a former Canadian Prime Minister, but we all have our politicians that we dislike, I suppose! He treated everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, with respect, courtesy and human decency. No-one's money was better than anyone else's in the store, and the fact that you might not be the richest person in town did not mean that you were treated any differently from the person who WAS the richest person in town. Personally, I can't stand snooty salespeople who stare down their noses at you as if to say "you don't belong here, you can't afford our merchandise".

Learning this lesson early on has meant that I have always done well in the field of customer or client services, especially in the hospitality and tourism industries. I have treated celebrities exactly the same way I treated any other guests (name dropping time! - I gave Tommy Lee very friendly directions to the nearest ATM).

Don't get me wrong - I do not believe in the old adage that "The Customer is Always Right". That's not true... not by a long shot. What I do believe in, and what IS true in my experience, is that "A happy customer tells a friend. An unhappy customer tells EVERYBODY." Which means that unless your front-line staff are interacting with clients/customers in a positive way, it really doesn't matter how much you spend on marketing or advertising. In today's technological age, stories of bad customer service wing their way around the globe in minutes. What does that do to your reputation as a company or organisation?

But I'm not just talking about being nice to ONLY your customers. Out of the customer service awards that I've won or been nominated for over the years, 2/3 of them were for inter-departmental service. Think about it. Does it really take that much time to send out a quick thank-you email to someone who has helped you on a particular project? Or say you're planning an important event - when it's over do you thank the caterers, the venue, etc?

Now some people would argue that suppliers are just doing their job - they had a contract with you, so of course they're going to provide whatever service they've been hired to do. But what's the harm in being nice? You never know... it might result in preferential rates, or the company choosing to work with you rather than another organisation if they are double-booked, because you've been decent to them over the years.

Plus, being nice is good for you!

Everything I need to know about PR, I learned from my Grandfather

Part I - The Introduction

Before I launch into the important lessons in PR, marketing and customer service I picked up from my grandfather over the years, I thought I'd start with a bit of history.

British Columbia (my home province in Canada) has its settler origins in mining and railroads. It was part of the Gold Rush, and experienced similar successes to those in California and the Yukon, with hundreds if not thousands of men coming out West to seek their fortunes.

My great grandfather ran a few general stores during this time, in different towns in the Okanagan/Similkimeen Valley. Since I never got to see them (for the obvious reason of my not being born at the time), I like to imagine them as the kind of stores you see in old western films, or re-runs of Little House on the Prairie. He catered mostly to miners at first, then later to ranchers and orchardists as the mining dried up and people began to settle in the valley.

(Collen's Department Store advertisement - EJ Collen was my great-grandfather's brother)

My grandfather took over the main store, continuing the tradition of the family run business by enlisting the help of my then-teenaged mom and the twins (my aunt and uncle). The store always catered to the locals and was, by way of example, a (much) smaller scale version of Cleary's or Dunne's (or The Bay, for any Canadian readers). They stocked men, women and children's clothing, as well as fabric and sewing supplies, and ranching and orcharding gear.

I grew up hearing about "The Store", and although it was sadly destroyed by fire in the mid-1970s, well before I even had a chance to set foot in the place, I learned a lot about public relations, marketing, and running a successful business simply by listening to my grandfather's stories.

This blog series is dedicated to my grandfather, who passed away early last year. Papa, you taught me more than either of us realised... and I know you wouldn't mind me sharing what I learned from you. This one's for you.

New blog series - unfortunate delay!

Apologies for missing last Friday's "Everything I need to know about PR, I learned from my Grandfather" - I had a chaotic week AND weekend which, coupled with sporadic internet access, meant I couldn't post the first instalment as I'd hoped. That series will definitely start this coming Friday, so stay tuned!

I've also been thinking through some issues to do with marketing messages, so hopefully once I've managed to relax a bit and collect my thoughts in some coherent form, I'll have a few other new posts as well.

Old is the new New

A few weeks ago, my friend Chris at GeekPhilosophy wrote an interesting post that really got me thinking. He (and his readers) noticed that a lot of the "old school" ways of thinking and doing things seem to be coming back into fashion, citing examples such as the urban gardening movement (particularly popular in Vancouver, although I admit I have my own herb garden on the balcony of the apartment!), and the increasing popularity of using midwives and doulas in the birthing process.

I'd like to suggest that the same is also true for the world of Public Relations and Marketing. As a self-professed "old school" customer service and communications professional, I've definitely noticed a move toward the older, previously discarded, ways of doing things. What I find particularly interesting is that these "new old" methods are drawing on "old" knowledge, but using this knowledge within "new" technologies and frameworks.

Confused? Don't worry, I have a plan.

I've decided to begin a weekly column called "Everything I Need To Know About Marketing, I Learned From My Grandfather". Every Friday I'll look in-depth at a particular aspect of marketing and public relations as it was "back in the day", and explain how similar techniques are being (or can be) used today.

Stay tuned!