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Four decades of telling stories that connect people, business and organizations…
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Articles by Patricia
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A Pre-COVID Observation ... re: Why "Family Friendly" is Good for Business
A Pre-COVID Observation ... re: Why "Family Friendly" is Good for Business
This was written about 2.5 weeks prior to the first COVID-19 case being diagnosed in Marion County.
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TGIF. No, Seriously.
TGIF. No, Seriously.
Someone suggested chronicling these long, weird days in self-quarantined home offices, so thought I might chime in. For…
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Is an Accredited PR Pro for Everyone?
Is an Accredited PR Pro for Everyone?
by Patricia Pickett, APR You may note that my name is usually followed by some “alphabet soup” that supposedly…
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What Public Relations Cannot Do for Your Business: Debunking Three Myths of PR
What Public Relations Cannot Do for Your Business: Debunking Three Myths of PR
By Patricia Pickett, APR I am often surprised at the perceived, somewhat-magical powers of public relations…
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Patricia Pickett posted thisHow are you handling this trend: You’re called by a prospective client. You listen intently and take solid notes on their needs. You make what feels like a personal connection. You provide a proposed scope of work and associated costs. They say it’s very fair and spot on. And then it tanks in a number of scenarios … - It goes into the abyss of board/additional approval, never to be seen again … - They opt for a small chunk of work, and you invest “good faith hours” only to be sorely disappointed when a competitor swoops in - The engagement blows up amidst some internal turmoil after a few weeks. While I know “you can only control you,” in a business that relies on mutual respect and relationships it makes it tough. If you initiate a conversation about services, you really owe it to the folks who put time into a meeting and proposal to send a simple, “Thanks for meeting, we’re moving in a different direction/not doing anything at this time .” That’s all. And perhaps get your house in order before bringing in an external team. How are YOU handling the proposal to contract process? What am I missing?
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Patricia Pickett shared thisAnd they’re brilliant at it!Patricia Pickett shared thisEach brand's strategy looks different and each company's goals vary. ✅ Whether you're looking for a comprehensive marketing strategy or to outsource a single campaign, we're equipped to meet you exactly where you need us. Connect with us: https://bit.ly/3QnxZ93
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Patricia Pickett shared thisAnd then it’s posted on social as a graphic … amplifying the unbranded mess that no one can actually READ on a mobile device where they consume that information. 🙄Patricia Pickett shared thisCan we talk about AI flyers for a second? 🫠 They are everywhere, and I'll be honest -- a little part of me dies on the inside everytime I see them. Different businesses. Exact same busy layout. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against AI. It's an incredible tool for brainstorming and working more efficiently. But when everyone has access to the same tool, differentiation becomes even more valuable. It's about authenticity and creating something people will remember. It's about shaping how people see your business. It's about communicating what sets you apart from the competition. AI can generate content. It can't build a brand. We still need humans for that.
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Patricia Pickett reposted thisPatricia Pickett reposted thisMagazines are in a new era, they just don't know it yet. We're no longer in a world where magazines have to fight for attention on crowded newsagent shelves. Today, most brand-owned titles live in a completely different context: they’re free, niche, and placed directly in front of an audience that has already opted in. Almost all the barriers have been removed, and in most cases, so has the competition. That should change the way they look and feel, even the way they read. But too often, custom magazines still borrow from an legacy framework that was built for competition, not connection. I've shared a few thoughts based on my experience in the industry, which started during the last great transformation, the subscription model, which saw a generational shift in how things could be done. Now I see a publishing frontier of even greater potential that could benefit everyone, from stakeholders to publishers to audiences, if only we'd allow ourselves the freedom to explore it.Magazines Are in a New Era. They Just Don’t Know It Yet.Magazines Are in a New Era. They Just Don’t Know It Yet.
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Patricia Pickett reposted thisA timely and actionable blog post - worth a read! #internalcommunication #crisiscommunicationPatricia Pickett reposted thisRecently had the privilege of being published about a critical topic on Inside INdiana Business.When organizational ground shifts, ignore strategic internal communications at your perilWhen organizational ground shifts, ignore strategic internal communications at your peril
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Patricia Pickett posted this15 years ago today, I woke up to the realization of unemployment. Gripping fear, sweating palms, squinching my eyes open and shut just to ensure this wasn't some sort of bad dream. But it was not. I had been pulled into an office the day before a long holiday and unceremoniously canned. The agency that I had joined the previous fall had failed to sign any new PR clients in 2010, making my employment unsustainable; in their view, that's all I had to offer. The owner told me I'd be great in nonprofit PR (intimating not the B2B businesses they repped), and I'd get a job with no problem ... and then I could hire them. Mmm, no thanks. But for the holiday, I took solace on my couch, binge watched Treme, and invented a cocktail of Abita Purple Haze, pink lemonade and vodka. (DISCLAIMER: This is not an endorsement of this behavior or cocktail, but a true depiction of the terror of unemployment) And, when Monday rolled around, I launched Pickett and Associates. They were right ... I was great with nonprofit clients, as has been the P&A and now Trio Marketing, LLC. team. Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Lupus Foundation of Indiana, CICOA, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, One Zone and Roberts Settlement are just a few of the organizations we have supported. But we've also served clients in manufacturing, construction, municipalities, professional services, parks and recreation and health care. And guess what? That agency didn't last five more years in this market. Meanwhile, here I am, reflecting on 15 successful years of achieving potential they couldn't see. There are a lot of you out there facing the daunting "pink slip" today. I won't say something like "it's a blessing" or "best thing that ever happened," because it was horribly stressful in a number of ways. But I will offer this: Don't let a former employer define you, your skills, your capabilities or your drive. Whether you enter into entrepreneurship or a relationship with another employer, put the things you learned to use and flush the rest. Happy "independence day," everyone. May you be free from small thinkers and doubting voices. pat
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Patricia Pickett reposted thisPatricia Pickett reposted this✨Uncomplicated✨ ... there's a straightforward, clear path to get from where you are to where you want to be. That's what it's like when you work with us. 👉 https://bit.ly/3QnxZ93
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Patricia Pickett shared thisThis past week was pretty delightful. I was able to get the hummingbird feeders filled, the patio fountain's leak sealed, and the bird feeder camera synced to our new wifi. (Well it was new in January, so that was LONG overdue.) We cleared out documents that needed shredding so we could take them to Storen Financial's annual community shred it day. I downloaded a new book onto the Kindle from Libby. I worked on Ancestry from the hammock chair on the patio. I know this sounds like "retirement," and it was the first week when I didn't have a looming list of work tasks facing me. But let me assure you, I'm definitely not "retired." While Pickett and Associates has transitioned to Trio Marketing, LLC., I am now serving as a vendor (and had to have my hours into them on Monday to get paid!). I wrote about it on our PostScript Living site (Link below). This is a project that I've been longing to get to for literally years. What is PostScript Living? - It's a smart dinner conversation, not a workshop - It's observed life, not advice - It's humor with gravity, not snark - It's authority from experience, not credentials What it's NOT: - A Parkinson’s advocacy account - A “successful aging” brand - A senior influencer chasing trends PostScript Living strives to be a trusted, literate voice for people who still expect more from life — and from media. Obvs. we're on social, going to work on a Substack next ... and hope to cover relevant content for all my fellow 60+ers in search of something between a TikTok trend and and irrevocable trust. Cheers to the upcoming week. http://bit.ly/not-retiring
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Patricia Pickett reposted thisPatricia Pickett reposted thisI'm #hiring for a women & girls reporter! This is a chance to own a beat that I don't think exists anywhere else in Indiana and help grow and establish a new team. More details and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/gdWXFx3u #journalismjobs #reportingjobs
Patricia Pickett commented on a post
6d
Congrats, Konah! Proof hard work and integrity pay off :)
Patricia Pickett replied to a comment
1w
Joe Misiewicz that means a lot coming from you. Thank you!!!
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Patricia Pickett liked thisPatricia Pickett liked thisWomen come to me when they can't get to the next rung, even though they've been doing the work of that level for years. Someone asked me a sharp question this week: what does "positioning" actually mean? Because "position yourself better" can sound as vague as "be a leader." Fair. So let me make it concrete. Positioning is three things: 1️⃣ Where you are in your career 2️⃣ What you've done, the real scope and scale of your impact 3️⃣ What you can do next, pointed toward the role you want, without ever claiming something you haven't done Here is where the gap shows up for women. They are not sharing the true scope of their impact, or the actual level they've been operating at. They shrink the numbers, soften the verbs, and describe a smaller job than the one they've been doing. When I write a client's positioning back to them, they are often taken aback. It reads bigger than they have ever let themselves be seen. Nothing invented, nothing inflated, just accurate for the first time. Then they settle into it, and they can suddenly see how weak the old version was. That is the whole shift. Positioning is not spin. It is telling the truth about your impact at the scale it actually happened, so the people deciding can finally see what you've been carrying all along. If you had to describe the real scope of your last big win in one sentence, bigger than you'd normally allow, what would it say? P.S. Photo from recent New Orleans trip!
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Patricia Pickett reacted on this15 years ago today, I woke up to the realization of unemployment. Gripping fear, sweating palms, squinching my eyes open and shut just to ensure this wasn't some sort of bad dream. But it was not. I had been pulled into an office the day before a long holiday and unceremoniously canned. The agency that I had joined the previous fall had failed to sign any new PR clients in 2010, making my employment unsustainable; in their view, that's all I had to offer. The owner told me I'd be great in nonprofit PR (intimating not the B2B businesses they repped), and I'd get a job with no problem ... and then I could hire them. Mmm, no thanks. But for the holiday, I took solace on my couch, binge watched Treme, and invented a cocktail of Abita Purple Haze, pink lemonade and vodka. (DISCLAIMER: This is not an endorsement of this behavior or cocktail, but a true depiction of the terror of unemployment) And, when Monday rolled around, I launched Pickett and Associates. They were right ... I was great with nonprofit clients, as has been the P&A and now Trio Marketing, LLC. team. Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Lupus Foundation of Indiana, CICOA, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, One Zone and Roberts Settlement are just a few of the organizations we have supported. But we've also served clients in manufacturing, construction, municipalities, professional services, parks and recreation and health care. And guess what? That agency didn't last five more years in this market. Meanwhile, here I am, reflecting on 15 successful years of achieving potential they couldn't see. There are a lot of you out there facing the daunting "pink slip" today. I won't say something like "it's a blessing" or "best thing that ever happened," because it was horribly stressful in a number of ways. But I will offer this: Don't let a former employer define you, your skills, your capabilities or your drive. Whether you enter into entrepreneurship or a relationship with another employer, put the things you learned to use and flush the rest. Happy "independence day," everyone. May you be free from small thinkers and doubting voices. pat
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Patricia Pickett liked thisPatricia Pickett liked thisEnjoyed the opportunity to present today at the Indiana LTAP Stormwater Drainage Conference on crisis communications. While stormwater and infrastructure projects may not always make headlines for the right reasons, how we communicate before, during, and after an emergency can make all the difference. We talked about practical strategies for building trust, working with the media, using social media effectively, and helping communities stay informed when it matters most. It’s always great to connect with public servants who are committed to serving their communities well!
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