"Outcomes. Not Outputs." That's Transformation!

I’m sure this blog entry is going to get some blood boiling by my industry colleagues – who are good friends and smart people. But I can’t help but notice that many PR and lobbying firms out there are still promoting the same old line tactics and outputs for their clients while the world as we know it is transforming.

That’s why The Milenthal Group is so successfully pursuing new business with the mantra “Outcomes. Not Outputs.” So what does this mean?

For PR and lobbying firms, “outputs” are measured by the number of mentions in the paper or the number of legislators visited. It’s an important tactic, but it is just that…a tactic. And it hinges on winning desperate short term battles year to year rather than building solid, long-term success. Granted, many of the businesses or organizations we meet with are consumed with these tangible, short term results – “Get me in Business First.”; “Make sure you get me a meeting...” “Stop this." “Protect me from that.”

It’s so short-sighted for clients to wait until it’s too late to start with these desperate tactics, rather than first honing in on the power and centrality of what they are trying to sell or advocate. Why in earth’s name do most entities wait until the train is leaving the station before they set the context of how the stakeholder should think of us? Always too late----and way too often a dollar short.

Aiming at permanent outcomes, however, is quite a bit different. Permanent outcomes are achieved through strategic planning, brand development, message platforms, forming and amplifying your points-of-view around a topic or issue that makes the ultimate goal an affirmation of your capability---- not a Hail Mary pass to stop something or avoid it.

Outcomes are measured by achieving permanent goals – like becoming the voice for Ohio health and wellness…or positioning your company for a new era of health care…or teaching the state that alternatives to oil can be produced right here in Ohio…or that Ohio agriculture offers multi-faceted opportunities to feed the world and sustain energy independence. We see that clients that are open to the idea of achieving long term outcomes are typically in a transformational stage…they are rebranding themselves, positioning themselves for the birth of a new industry or a new attitude or a new arena to play in.

A press release in the newspaper or a sit down with a legislator or a DVR-deleted TV ad may be part of what we do, but they are now only a small component of what works in today’s world. To achieve ultimate outcomes, we turn our efforts to transformational marketing approaches – provocative blogging, coalition building, social network marketing, experiential marketing, custom television shows, etc. We understand that in these transformation times, clients need transformational packaging and transformational communications systems. Success to our clients means being positioned as a “new” organization driving a point of view as the dust swirls…and then standing atop the heap once the dust of change has settled.

The world has reset itself, friends. Are you going to reset with it or pretend you can recover the past?

Jon Milenthal is vice president of The Milenthal Group – a strategic marketing firm focused on helping "game changers" transition from ideation to commercialization, or from public unawareness to mass movement by helping develop their missions, create brands, establish persuasive selling propositions and find a powerful voice in today's new ideology and new economy.