A Wall Street Journal front-page headline recently grabbed my attention. It read, "Is All Publicity Good Publicity?"

The answer to that in my mind is emphatically "No." This is especially the case for All Points Public Relations' clients. Our clients are businesses and entrepreneurs that are putting an incredible amount of energy, resources, time and emotions into their businesses. An erroneous or damaging story could have a significantly negative impact on their business.

How do companies that want good press ensure positive publicity locally and nationally? And, what happens when the unexpected occurs? How does a company mitigate or avoid damaging coverage?

Let's start with the first point made. When working with a PR firm such as All Points PR, a Chicago PR Agency] working primarily in the franchise industry, it is important that you make the team working on your account a full-fledged member of your inner circle, entrusting them with information and insights about your company. The good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly, all the information that the team needs to accurately develop media strategies that drive positive results. Good **PR firms** can weave your good news into compelling media pitches, and can develop messaging needed to overcome any damaging information that may come to light through the press. Likewise, PR representatives worth their weight in gold can control the direction of coverage, managing the conversation about your brand so that only the news you want in the press gets to the press, whether through direct media pitches, press releases, social media, etc.

This leads us nicely into the second point discussed above unexpected occurrences that could lead to negative press. Here, your PR team moves into crisis communications mode. But, prior to that, a seasoned PR team will have already set down a foundation to make this work of managing a crisis as easy as possible. They should be able to call on media contacts to dispel any rumors, to squelch negativity brewing and to issue a media statement if needed. Secondly, a plan will be in place to overcome negative online fodder and to re-direct the overall discussion about the brand towards something more positive.

So, is any publicity good publicity? NO. Can you avoid damaging press by making sure your PR agency is "in the know" and is equipped to share accurate information? YES.

This is a 50,000 foot overview of a much more in-depth topic that we can discuss for hours, or for just a few minutes if you prefer. Give us a buzz and we can talk about designing a public relations strategy that fits your goals and gets you the good publicity you want for your business.

When it comes to getting the buzz going for a new business, there is nothing better than securing publicity in the local press.

Depending on the business and the grand opening plans that an owner wants to put into motion in terms of events and activities, the publicity can take several forms. This may include publicity in local newspapers, magazines, online, television programs and radio stations.

Regardless, securing the kind of publicity that makes a difference is why you hire professional PR firms such as All Points Public Relations. Fact is, new businesses open every day. Sharing with members of the local media that you are opening a new business may get you a few mentions and brief articles, if anything. But, a publicist who understands what compels reporters and editors to write feature stories will find the right hook.

For instance, when we work with the press on behalf of our clients for new openings, we always share a noteworthy human-interest angle/hook that elicits triumph, motivation and emotion. We share story lines that demonstrate overcoming the odds, beating personal and professional challenges, and living out ones dreams to bring a new business to life, whether that relates to management or ownership.

We know that starting a new business comes from the heart and takes endless devotion, commitment and time to get off the ground. That emotional element is what moves the press to write stories that can connect with customers and create an opening sales swell. It takes skilled publicists at a talented PR firm to properly pitch the press, write impactful press releases and secure the coverage that generates responses and heightens awareness. The short-term benefits can have long-term impacts. And, the advantages of great press coverage largely outweigh what paid advertising will get you.

If you are in the process of planning to open a new business and are seeking grand opening publicity, All Points PR can help.

I tuned in to CNN the other night to find myself once again captivated by the storm Penn State University officials have created for themselves.

What caught my attention this time though was the reporter in the field relaying her perspective back to the anchor in the studio. The journalist in the segment was on Penn State's campus. It was Sara Ganim, the local newspaper crime beat reporter who broke the story.

She's now become a contributing reporter for CNN. A small market newspaper reporter in central Pennsylvania is on CNN in just her mid-20s, leading the coverage of one of the year's biggest stories. It honestly elicits a rage of goose bumps.

As a former media reporter myself, and one who loved nothing more than breaking big stories, I am tickled by what Ganim has accomplished. She's talked about what it took to break the story. Good, hard core local reporting…knocking on doors, getting escorted off of private property, scouring through piles of police reports and keeping her nose close to the story's trail…all the things die-hard reporters love to do, but rarely have the opportunity to take on given the focus on news of the day stories.

These are the types of stories newshounds crave, and the best and brightest of them get done right. Sara Ganim dug deep, developed credible sources, connected the dots that led to extremely prominent figures, and by all measures was very responsible in her work.

I point this out because I am genuinely impressed with her work. I communicate with reporters everyday and it takes a special journalist to make me pause and appreciate their hard work and commitment to journalism.

Newsbreakers like Ganim are just the kind of contacts we like to make at All Points Public Relations. Our media relations programs focus on building trusting relationships with high quality reporters, which we cultivate by bringing them storylines we develop for our clients.