Eric Koefoot, President & CEO, PublicRelayIf you’ve ever done Communication or PR work for a company going through an Initial Public Offering, you know news attention can increase over tenfold. This volume increase can make it difficult to understand the big picture, respond, pivot, and strategize in the moment.Here are three tools we’ve found most helpful to companies dealing with an IPO or similar news incident:

• A well-prepared team: In a situation when decisions must be made in-real-time, it’s important for everyone to know their roles and to understand what they are looking for as news coverage rolls in. Is your team anxious to hear the perspective of an influential journalist? Are you concerned with certain competitor coverage watering down your Share of Voice? Having everyone on the same page will enable actionable reporting that could make the difference with your C-suite.
• The ability to capture everything: Missing a game-changing article or social media post can flip you from well-armed and proactive to defenselessly reactive in a matter of minutes. A solution that doesn’t pepper you with noise – but also doesn’t weed out a story that could gain traction in social media – will mean the difference to everyone.
• Scheduled check-ins: Set a manageable cadence to receive media updates (even if it’s hourly) and analysis. Starting with a solid plan will go a long way in reassuring your Executive team that you’ve got this. It also provides much-needed peace of mind for your own team when anticipating a heavy news event.

This case study outlines how one of our clients handled their IPO event. How confident are you in your communications data? 72% of PR leaders say they have good data only 'sometimes.' Download the PR News Report, The State of Data-Driven Communications Strategies to learn more.