Time 21;27

As more of the practice of PR becomes exposed to all of the public, and not just the segmented silos of the past, it is important for corporate PR and marketing practitioners to change their perspective as well. A company that views how it makes news, not just by what it does, but by the contributions it can make to their industry and community, will have ample opportunities to get attention. In this perspective, the main challenge is to identify the experts in their company matching the right expertise, personality, and talent with the medium and venue.

This perspective led me to writing about the concept of the embedded corporate journalist where the company considers public commentary it can make about external events. Not just the standard new product or customer release, but commentary about issues affecting the larger world in which that company lives.

While developing this concept I came across the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. In it, he outlines ways to become an expert and the qualities you will find in people who are at the top of their field. I turned his concept clockwise about 90 degrees and applied it to corporate PR as a helpful aide in finding experts in their companies. Using the characteristics in Schempp’s book, it may stimulate thinking in finding venues to showcase experts to contribute to issues in the news. It is also quite valuable in developing a dynamic to personal and professional growth.

I found it to be an exceptional read with plenty of interactive worksheets that make the book a one-on-one experience.

Schempp is an interesting expert himself. He coaches golfers on the PGA and European tours, is a scientific consultant to Golf Digest, a professor at the University of Georgia, and president of Performance Matters, Inc. He speaks and counsels companies frequently which made him a wonderful guest for the Marketing Edge podcast. This is the first of two parts, the second part will run next week

The Marketing Edge comment line is 206-600-6887 and Provident Partners will donate a food item for every comment we get on the blog below or to the comment line.

Look, I like Scholastic just as much as any parent. We get some of their wonderful magazines and books. So please don’t get this post wrong. I just dislike getting something that says, Send this back in X days and write cancel and you won’t be billed. No, no — keep the book it’s free as our gift.

Agh!

Folks, I must look extremely well-organized, and I think after helping raise five children, two dogs and being married for 21 years (happy anniversary, honey), that I can keep the trains running pretty well. You’d think I can send back a reply card within 7 days. Unfortunately, I was on vacation for 10 days, then work, and oh yeah, Ellen’s Girl Scout camp and, well, you know.

Here’s the story:

Moving on to the “love”

Also we’d like to thank the Bootstrapper blog for listing the Marketing Edge among its Top 100 Entrepreneur podcasts. Please share with us your comments about the blog and podcast. Also, we’re interested in answering your questions, so share one with us in the comment section and we’ll do are best to get it answered.