Say It or Spray It
At The Black Sheep Agency, we aren’t just writing press releases and Twitter stalking journalists. We’re creating innovative ways to surprise people and get them thinking. And sometimes, we take our public relations efforts to the streets. Our intern, Kelsie, went on a mission: use spray chalk to spread the word about our agency and one of our nonprofit clients who is working to improve the community. On the way, she learned a little something about PR. In Kelsie’s own words, here’s what she learned:
It’s better to partner up.
My first attempt at chalking was awkward. I would stop the car, turn the hazard lights on, jump out, run around to the passenger side, open the door, take out the stencil and start spraying. I was alone and felt very alone in my mission. The second time around, Iris, a fellow intern, joined me and drove. Having a photographer to document the experience and a getaway driver made the task more effective and enjoyable.
The same goes for PR. No man, or business, is an island. By partnering up with people in and out of our industry, we’re able to get an additional perspective. At Black Sheep, we see no one as competition — only comrades — there’s enough business to go around. Whether you want to utilize specialties and talents you don’t have or just have an extra set of eyes, it’s always a good thing to have a partner.
Someone will always say, “You can’t do that!”
There was (OF COURSE) someone who saw me and was angry. He shouted, “You can’t do that!” and began to pull out his phone to take a picture of Iris’ license plate. I told him that it was just chalked and he stopped, but he still seemed offended and continued to glare at us.
Little did that guy know, the rebelliousness at The Black Sheep Agency began with being told, “You can’t do that!” Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it won’t work or that it won’t make a huge impact. You have to take chances to stand out.
Never underestimate the power of the unexpected.
I was really worried about someone seeing me at first. How foolish would I feel if I got arrested? Would Black Sheep pay for the ticket? Is that company expense tax deductible? It’s chalk, so it’s not that bad, but it can look REALLY bad from afar. After I got the hang of it, I was more comfortable. The first time someone saw me, it was memorable. He started laughing at the sight of a business-casual dressed girl doing street art in the middle of the day on a busy street and showed his friend. After I was back in the car, I saw them looking at what I left behind with intrigue. Lucky for us, the message I left behind was a positive one. Don’t be a rebel without a cause — make sure your message is worth the backlash you may receive. Not everyone will like what you’re doing, but some will. That goes for every risk you take. When you do something different and worthwhile, some people may not like it. Not everyone can embrace the bold, but if you know what you’re doing is right, nothing should stop you.
To do something, leave and hope for an impact is one thing. Trying new things is scary, and people won’t always like what they see. But the payoff of seeing someone respond to your efforts is priceless. Spray chalking a short message isn’t about leaving a mark on the ground, after all. It’s about the mark we will leave on those who will see it.