In this age of lightning-fast media, there is a need to manage both good and bad press. But having the right PR doesn't just pertain to a bad situation, like a bankruptcy or a scandal. Lansing PR guru Bob Kolt remembers two clients who hired him when something completely wonderful happened. Ralph and Mary Stebbins won the lottery, to the tune of $208 million, and they wanted to get their story out as quickly and painlessly as possible. "They wanted to protect their identity," Kolt recalled, "and they were terrified of the press."

This sort of crisis management is something Kolt said his staff specializes in. "You wouldn't go to court without a lawyer," he explained, "so why go to the court of public opinion without the right [PR person]?"

Since starting back in 1991 with mostly political clients, Kolt has helped his company evolve into one that provides a broad range of services like crisis management, media training, advertising, fundraising and grant writing. Kolt Communications is also one of few local PR firms that is a licensed professional fundraiser.

He said his news background has been important, even vital, to his work in the industry. He got his start as an anchor and correspondent for television stations in Grand Rapids and northern Michigan. With that, Kolt said he can “help my clients communicate concisely and identify their key message.” It also helps in his teaching career at Michigan State University, where he’s been instructing students in public relations for a number of years.

Kolt and his team have built a long-standing list of clients that he said are "the best in town." They include Capital City Airport, Independent Bank and Capitol National Bank, as well as various labor unions and associations. Some of this year's projects include managing media relations for the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees during its search for a new president, and work with the K-16 Coalition which aims to get more funding for education in Michigan. Kolt has also recently worked for local communities, including Leslie and Charlotte, to encourage more economic and residential expansion into those areas.

Kolt said there are great things that come out of hiring the right PR professional. "There really is a true cost/benefit analysis for businesses to look at," he said. "We create real, positive economic value. Sophisticated clients understand that."

Barb Lezotte agreed that the value of public relations is important for organizations to realize, especially finding the right fit. "Technology has multiplied the ways we can communicate," she said, "but not every channel is worth the cost or the effort."

That focus has helped Lezotte in her nearly 11-year business, Lezotte Miller Osburn PR. She heads up a team that includes Deb Pozega Osburn, and a staff of four others. (The Miller comes from Lezotte's married name.)

Both Lezotte and Osburn have journalism backgrounds and media experience. Lezotte has been in PR for some two decades, and Osburn was the metro editor at the Lansing State Journal, as well as head of university relations for Michigan State University. That’s helped make higher education one of the company's specialties, according to Lezotte. "[Deb is] one of the best, if not the best, higher ed PR person in Michigan."

She said other company strong suits include healthcare and economic development, which includes a current project that involves a booming and expanding industry: alternative energy. "We're working with Michigan BioDiesel LLC, a new manufacturing plant in Bangor which will [produce] biodiesel fuel from soybeans and other oils," Lezotte said. "The plant is being built by a group of entrepreneurial farmers, many of whom are from the mid-Michigan area." She said the visibility that's been brought to Michigan BioDiesel has brought in additional investors and also potential customers.

One thing Lezotte Miller Osburn does not do is get involved in politics. “We’re one of the few firms locally that does not work with political clients or issues,” she said. “That type of work requires a firm to affiliate with one party or the other and we prefer to remain independent.”

Lezotte agreed that the speed of technology has made the flow of information faster than ever, and that's made her job even more challenging. "Speed does not necessarily make it better," she said. "It's even more critical to effectively craft messages, determine key audiences and select the most effective communication channels."

The consistent growth of agencies like Kolt Communications and Lezotte Miller Osburn still leave room for other players to enter the local market. A quickly growing agency in Lansing is John Bailey & Associates, Inc. Public Relations. Bailey started his firm in 1996, and said he’s grown from a one-person shop to one of the biggest in the state, with 30 employees and offices in Detroit, Troy and Lansing. The Lansing office opened three years ago, and Bailey said it’s grown exponentially since then, now moving into a space almost twice as big as its last. That reflects a lot of opportunity, but also a lot of competition. “I’ve heard other executives in Lansing exclaim how Rossman used to be the only gig in town,” he said. “But now there are nearly a dozen multi-client communication agencies in the area.”

Bailey added that with more competition comes the need to provide the best possible service to clients. “[It] also forces us to think further outside the box for creative and innovative strategies to assist our clients in reaching their goals.”

Part of Bailey’s strategies include traditional PR services like crisis management, strategic planning and media training, but he’s also embracing new media like blogs, e-newsletters and websites. “Every day we are continuing to expand our services to utilize the best possible methods to reach our clients’ goals,” he said.

The Lansing office provides services to a variety of clients, “from real estate to automotive and retail,” but Bailey said their specialty is in public affairs projects. “[That includes] working on … the Partnership for Prescription Assistance [and] many projects with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.” He said another big project is the Campaign for Smokefree Air. “We have been involved in grassroots strategy development,” he said, “including gaining public, private and legislative support for the [campaign].”

Bailey agreed the expansion of technology has changed the way PR works. “We are able to be better informed more easily and develop even more captivating communication tools,” he said. “But we must also keep a keen attention to detail so we are not swept away by the quickness [with] which business is conducted today.”

This quickness certainly can make the job of PR easier, but it also presents its own set of challenges, especially in an industry that has existed basically since human beings could communicate. The modern definition puts it simply: "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other." As the media continues to grow, so too will this important function.