Abbe Buck and HighViz Consulting Group

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By Carrie Smoot, Washington Woman Magazine

Ask publicist Abbe Buck why she went into public relations, and, laughing, she gives a surprising answer. “All my life I’ve wanted to go into show business. I grew up in Chicago watching ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ and singing in front of the TV.” She inherited her parents’ love for the music of Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and others. Buck also admires Rosemary Clooney, Nelson Riddle and Johnny Mercer. “We need to keep this music alive,” she says. Fifteen years ago she recorded “Big Band Swing and Saloon Style: Songs from a Bygone Era,” available from Amazon.com.

Although arts advocacy, the entertainment industry and singing remain passions, Buck launched the Northern Virginia-based HighViz Consulting Group six years ago, a project company and full-service boutique public relations firm. The name reflects her belief that clients deserve high visibility. A news junkie, she embraces technology—including streaming media, webcasting, podcasting and wireless. Clients can use it, she says, to reach more people than print media alone, such as press releases and direct mail. HighViz uses case studies to coach organizations about communications strategy. She writes two PR blogs that instruct clients. She uses two cell phones but draws the line at a BlackBerry. “If I had one, I’d never stop. Finally, I have it right—it’s important to have daily family time and ‘Abbe time.’ I had a bad case of burnout—I was such a perfectionist that I ended up redoing things. You want to be available and accessible, [but] 24/7 is impossible.”

Family includes her husband, 16-year-old son and two dogs—a gray shepherd and a mixed breed. “My husband is a Republican and I’m a Democrat, she jokes. “Our gift to our son is differing viewpoints. Then he can decide his beliefs for himself.” Her son accompanied her to client meetings and conferences during summer break, continuing a family tradition. Buck’s father insisted she work in his car dealership in high school. “Do it, or I won’t help you through college,” he said. Buck recalls how he treated others with professionalism and respect, and how he got the same in return. “It was a great lesson in learning to deal with people.”

Buck specializes in nonprofits, small businesses and high tech and federal sectors. Her professional background includes McGraw-Hill publishing, Lotus-IBM and the federal government. She strongly believes in increasing employment for Native Americans on reservations. “I always felt drawn to Native American issues and culture,” she says. She recommends www.Indianz.com to learn more. “Customer service is one area where they can make a difference, and jobs can remain in the United States this way.

HighViz works with Native American HUBZones—“Historically Underutilized Business Zones” to help them position themselves, partner and compete in the federal marketplace.” Buck is also reaching out to disabled veterans interested in entrepreneurship. “I fell into federal employment by accident,” she says. “[It] is often seen as stodgy and buttoned-down. Once you get used to the system, it’s interesting. They think out of the box.”

Candee Wilson, new media director for EEI Communications in Alexandria, VA, agrees. “The federal government is easy to deal with in many respects,” she says. “Workers are knowledgeable and eager to expand their services.” Wilson worked with HighViz Consulting to increase their federal government outreach. “We were interested in improving overall business and sales, refining and targeting customers and discovering new business. The ways you can make a Web site work for you are amazing.” Wilson admires Buck’s creativity and talent for getting people to talk. “Abbe introduced herself and tossed out ideas. Everyone warmed to that and began contributing. Soon, the meeting was very lively, and we achieved good results.”

“PR is not just something companies should engage in when they’re in trouble,” Buck says. “Communication is an art and an ongoing process. Company leaders and staff have great ideas, but they often won’t do anything with them.”

HighViz has a ‘24-hour PR challenge’ for them: “Put your thoughts, plans and resources on paper in detail. In 24 hours, we’ll come up with a workable strategy.” Clients are captivated by Buck’s energy, warmth, humor and enthusiasm. “You’ve got to be fast to keep up with me,” she admits, describing herself with a chuckle as part Tasmanian Devil, like the cartoon character, and part whirling dervish. She drives a green Jaguar X-type and is fond of wearing black outfits from Land’s End or Nordstrom accented by colorful scarves, wraps and jewelry. Motivational speaker and customer service consultant David K. Aaker, president of Aaker & Associates http://www.davidkaaker.com/, is one of HighViz Consulting Group’s West Coast clients. He relies heavily on Buck’s firm to promote him widely in the eastern United States.

“What impresses me most about Abbe is that she’s very focused, driven, detail-oriented and thorough,” Aaker says, noting that she has five or six broad-based projects on her plate at once. “She listens, asking the right questions about what should be promoted and how to go about it, setting goals and demonstrating good follow-through. Sometimes, a strategy that wouldn’t work several months ago will work fine today. Flexibility is key, and she’s very open and receptive to change.”

Like so many others, Aaker responds to Buck’s outgoing personality. “She shares so much of herself with other people, and that makes people feel welcome, which makes communication a lot easier.” The Palm Springs, CA entrepreneur shares Buck’s passion for increasing talents and skills of Native American workers and business owners—many are his clients. “Yes, some are involved with the casino industry, but there’s so much more,” Aaker says. “On the reservation, many people work in hospitals, schools, offices, stores, service businesses and so on. It’s the same economic infrastructure you would see anywhere. We have barely scratched the surface of their potential.”

Through HighViz Consulting, companies and entrepreneurs will reach their potential.

HighVizPR on the web:

http://www.highvizpr.com
http://www.highvizconsulting.com
http://www.abbebuckpr.com
http://www.highvizpr.blogspot.com/
http://www.goodpublicitybadpublicity.blogspot.com/
http://www.abbebuck.com/

Carrie Smoot is a Northern Virginia freelance writer.

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Reputation Management & Damage Control: a primer that remains relevent

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Reputation Management & Damage Control
by Abbe Buck, HighVizpr.com

Most people use the internet and the broadcast media in our daily lives. Whether we get our morning news on Yahoo! or not, millions of people watch news, entertainment and other programming 24/7. Many of these same people among us are participating in online public discussion groups and starting their own web logs. This has made the Internet the people's forum - everyone contributes and every opinion counts. It has lead to more of a poltical “vox populi” (Latin for “voice of the people”) than we have seen in decades. This is what the daily newspaper used to do. But now, the news - good or bad, rumor or fact - travels faster on the Internet than any other medium.

Here is a leading example of this trend, which seems here to stay: As you may have noted in politics, the internet has quelled Dan Rather’s career as CBS News anchor (with the Bush National Guard ‘letter’ that was certainly mis-reported. This was not brought to the forefront by national “network” news, or on cable news networks, or on talk radio, but by “bloggers” (web-loggers, who have developed their own private “VOICE OF THE PEOPLE” websites. If you can read e-mail you can receive their opinion in your in-box, and it can topple an entire news organization when many band together as a United Front. One of the best examples is on americablog.com - anything you read is posted there!

It could happen to you!

Now think of this: a single unhappy customer, misinformed consumer, or disgruntled employee can spark an online and offline reputation disaster for your company. Having a Public Relations firm planning ahead to avert a potential PR disaster for your company before they become "breaking news" is a market savvy approach.

Putting an organizational PR “Battle Plan” in place:

When damaging news, derogatory rumors, or misinformation “catch fire” on the Internet. We advise that you have a communications person on your management team who is well-versed in a range of verticals. It will be this person’s job #1 to find out where the negative mention started, and to be able to counter as a spokesperson any negative statement or written word that has been picked up by media or on the internet. This person must quickly and effectively find every negative mention of your company online and offline, and immediately strike back with a (counter) strategy to safeguard your company or organization.

Damage Control – What should we do?

When a PR crisis erupts, it is important to execute a timely response to derogatory or misleading information about your company. Working closely with top management and communication staff to disseminate the corporate messages, personnel should quickly present your side of the story and direct audiences to favorable sources of information - dampening the flames and exposing the biases of your detractors.

In addition, to an assembled rapid-response team a PR crisis management website that explained a company’s position to the public and presents all favorable evidence, argument, and media coverage is a must have. The address of this website should be distributed to concerned audiences online through news, search engines, and other channels. Your selected PR firm’s job is to make sure that the public also had the opportunity to hear your company's side of the story before negative sentiments can take hold. This can also done with broadcast reporters and talk-show hosts, who “glom” onto any negotiable sentiment because it becomes top news. To respond is a must!

Media contacts and online Monitoring

While marketers and communicators specialists are in contact with the top media outlets, broadcast and print, your PR firm should also has an Online Monitoring team sweeping the Internet constantly, looking for any and all mentions of your company or organization. Concerned management must stay informed about the perceptions of their brand and the opinions of their customers, employees, and professional analysts online and in print.


» Abbe Buck, Publicist, abbe@highviz.net


HighViz Consulting Group


T 1-800-380-2825
Description: A PR specialist in the fields of promotion


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