When it comes down to it, happy PR is all about personal relationships. I’ve yet to come across a successful in-house PR department or client/agency relationship that could be fully automated and the ‘relationship’ taken out.
Public relations or media relations is exactly that – relations. At our agency we have a Golden R Triangle. On each corner you’ll find results, reporting and relationships. Two cannot survive without the third and for long-term client happiness, all three need to be strong at all times.
What about beyond PR? Does the Golden R Triangle work for all businesses? Sitting on a plane, it seems to me that I need a good result (safety and on time arrival), I want to be kept up to date aka reporting (are we going to arrive on time?) and relationships (the service level from ticketing, to check-in, to on-board).
Shoe selling. Think Zappos.com, which you really should visit in Las Vegas if you get the chance. The shoes have to be high quality (results). I need to know when I will receive my shoes (they’re pretty good at keeping me updated of dispatch and delivery date), aka reporting and relationship… their service level is outstanding, with their customer service team empowered to push an order to overnight delivery at no cost, or even deliver a thank you cake to a customer. Seriously, when was the last time you received a thank you cake?
So, if you run PR for a department or agency, or for that reason, are involved in any other business, take into consideration the Golden R Triangle if you want happy customers that keep on buying from you.
What's your take?