What’s On Your Mind?

When should a company hire a communications consultant?
There’s no better time than the present. A dynamic public relations company, such as GK Communications, eats, drinks and sleeps your public image – constantly working to establish and / or reinforce your expertise among peers, the media as well as potential customers. We work hard to maintain your positive corporate image while effectively eradicating any perceptions about your company or executives that doesn’t have your business’s best interest in mind.

Having a firm like GK Communications on your team keeps you ready to handle any and every media situation. We are communications specialists that have the contacts to get your message heard and your business noticed – for all the right reasons.

How does a company select an agency? And does the size of the agency matter?
As when purchasing a car or locating a doctor, choosing a PR agency is often based on referral. When deciding on an agency, the person who will manage the agency must feel comfortable with the consultant or agency team that will work on the account. Selecting a large agency, a small agency or an independent consultant also depends on your particular budget. As when considering a new employee or partner, the agency should be interviewed – and by agency, we mean the specific people or team who will be handling your account. Determine their experience and be sure to ask for references.

Typically, the smaller the agency, the better the price – plus the more likely a senior level public relations counselor will manage and implement the account. Larger agencies more often cost more and while senior executives manage the accounts, freshman practitioners complete the actual work.

At GK Communications, clients always work with a senior level counselor who will handle all aspects of an account at a cost-effective price. A GK Communications practitioner becomes an extended member of the client's team, providing quality service and top-of-the line consulting.

What are the costs?
Public Relations fees are usually based on time. Depending on a company's budget and goals, a business can pay an agency a monthly retainer or pay on a per project basis. Thus, costs will vary. Retainers are often more cost-effective when there's ongoing consulting and projects. In addition, a monthly retainer will prevent the agency from working with a competing company. It’s highly recommended that a company establish a realistic budget before hiring an agency.

Why can't my internal marketing communications manager handle the public relations activities?
In-house public relations or marketing managers usually deal with larger corporate issues and subsequently have less time to oversee the traditional public relations duties. Using an agency like GK Communications will provide your company with a broader scope while offering creative ideas that are sometimes outside the box of your business’s normal operating procedures. In-house managers also usually work too closely with the company's executives and therefore may not be comfortable providing constructive criticism due to concerns in regard to job security.

A company such as GK Communications not only can offer outside and fresh opinions, nearly guaranteeing that your message will be heard in the places that it hasn’t been heard in before. No matter if you’re looking to communicate to the media, shareholders, employees or any other entity, GK Communications gets the word out in ways that no in-house department can.

What's the difference between public relations, publicity and propaganda?
Plain and simple? Propaganda is usually political in nature and international in scope. Publicity is a term used more in the entertainment industry – although it remains a component of most PR campaigns.

Public Relations is, at its core, about publicity. However it’s strategic. And unlike the popular saying, we at GK Communications believe it is better to get good press rather than bad press.

At GK Communications, we combine proven publicity strategies with and innovative marketing techniques. This is all part of our Strategic Public Relations formula. A formula that will work hard for your business. We’re on hand to assist companies in creating and communicating branding and messaging that sets you apart from your competitors. Because we’re former journalists, we know the media inside and out. We’re able to reach out to the community, sales representatives, analysts, colleagues and even the general media to create sustained interest in your company, its products and even its key personnel.

In addition to generating positive awareness, GK Communications will also proactively protect your corporate brand and image as well as help a company when in the midst of crisis. We’re here to improve communication between corporate executives and employees, the community and any other entity you want your message to reach.

Why does a company need employee relations?
Current statistics show only 3 in 10 employees feel obligated to stay with their current employers. In order to retain and motivate employees, personnel need to feel like an integral, appreciated and informed member of a company's team. In addition, for a company's brand to succeed, it must be embodied in the workplace. These are all areas GK Communications can assist with – given our expertise in Strategic Public Relations.

We’ve won several industry awards for our internal communications campaigns. Although hiring an agency for internal communications may appear excessive or an assignment more appropriate for a human resources department, here are a few statistics:

Today, the Top 200 Fortune Most Admired Companies spend more than half of their communications budgets on employees – three times more than the bottom 200 firms (Fortune February, 2000).

In a recent survey, only 38% of workers said the information needed to accomplish their duties is widely shared and just 36% felt their companies actively sought workers opinions.

A study by Stephen Erbschloe at the University of Denver found that poor communication and political infighting were the top two factors that slowed change at 46 companies setting up Internet businesses.

Creating and implementing a strategic internal communications campaign increases productivity while decreasing costs associated with attrition and training of new employees. Satisfied employees are also your company's greatest champions, as they voluntarily serve as vocal soldiers amongst colleagues, friends, vendors, potential employees and new business prospects.

Let GK Communications help bridge the gab between your company and its working force. The benefits are endless.

What is media training?
GK Communications specializes in Media Training, which prepares notable executives, corporate spokespersons or other people about to face the media how to handle and succeed in print and broadcast interviews. Media Training is key to knowing what to say and when to say it. It actually helps people guide and control the interviews – even when they’re not the ones asking the questions. Media Training is often paramount to the success and sometimes survival of a business.

What’s more, Media Training techniques help prepare executives for meeting with analysts and can even help your company’s sales teams deliver their sales campaigns more effectively – which improves the bottom line in regard to sales and success. Media Training is as effective with public sectors as it is with non-media outlets and audiences.

At GK Communications, we specialize in comprehensive Media Training as well as sales and public speaking seminars for individuals as well as groups.