I’m a big fan of the band No Doubt. There’s no better way to blend my interests, profession and personality than to share “5 PR Lessons from No Doubt Lyrics.” Enjoy.

1. Media Relations

Lyric: “I’m like a beggar with no luck / I’m holding signs up on your street corner stops/ Like most you try not to see me” (Excuse Me Mr.)

Lesson: When pitching to media, it’s easy to feel like a beggar with no luck. Put yourself in the journalist’s position; what would you want in a pitch? Proper punctuation and grammar, something interesting, not to receive the same email 10 times, etc. Every story isn’t newsworthy. Practice your writing and make it interesting.

2. Research

Lyric: “… like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes / taking it in…” (Hey Baby)

Lesson: Take it all in! Observe what is going on around you. Read. Read more. Try to find one take-away from every experience or article. You’ll learn a lot.

3. Networking

Lyric: “Trapped in a box, four walls as sky / Got a screen for a window about two feet wide / My mind rides and slides as my circuits are fried…” (Trapped In A Box)

Lesson: Get out of the office. Take a client to lunch, attend an event, go for a walk. First of all, it’s neither healthy to sit all day nor is it good for creativity (i.e. writing). Second, you’re likely not fostering relationships and meeting potential clients and associates while in office.

4. Modern PR

Lyric: “The old blueprint / No longer manifests itself / as the correct way…” (World Go ‘Round)

Lesson: Never stop learning. If you’re practicing PR the same way you were 5 years ago, even 3 years ago, then you’re probably not as successful as you could be. Social media, the growing overlap of advertizing and marketing, methods of measurement . . . as a modern PR practitioner, keep your pulse on changes and innovations in the field (it all goes back to reading).

5. Changing the reputation of PR

Lyric: “…two different people / with two separate lives / Then you put the two together / and get a spectacular surprise” (Different People)

Lesson: Ironically, the field of Public Relations has a bad reputation. This lyric describes two different people working together and great things happening. What is good about being a PR practitioner is that you are able to bring attention, funding or support to good causes and organizations. Sometimes your client is the “good cause” and sometimes you can work with a client to aid a charity or nonprofit. We get to bring people together to accomplish great things.