Welcome to 4L Strategies
4L Strategies is a strategic communications firm with deep experience in public affairs, media relations, and issues management, with additional experience in digital and social strategy and content creation.Public relations used to be fairly straightforward. The traditional rungs of media relations, outreach to individuals, and public affairs practices had clear lines and separate channels. As publications moved online and blogs and social media channels began to proliferate, those clear lines blurred considerably. It’s no longer enough to have a solid media relations program—you now need to layer a blogger outreach program, social networking, and marketing communications on top of that—and, you need to make sure that all of these components are working together seamlessly.
Our Skills
The 4 L’s
Listen
Good communications strategy begins with listening. Listening is a skill, and is fundamental to communicating—but it not a skill that is widely touted. It should be. We listen to our clients to see what is important to them, and what they want to achieve. What are their goals for a communications program? How do they see themselves in relation to their peers? Once these fundamentals are established, we turn outward to listen. What is being said about our clients’ issues, and how does that relate to their competitors? You cannot craft and execute effective communications strategy if you don’t listen.
Learn
We learn everything we can about our clients and their objectives. Research prepares us, and this important task should not be skipped—or skimped on. Using a wide range of sources we do a deep-dive into issues, examining mainstream media press accounts, blog content, social media and message boards to develop the most well-informed picture of how our clients’ issues are perceived. You cannot develop a communications plan if you don’t learn the lay of the land.
Leverage
Clients often have untapped potential and hidden assets right within their ranks. We help identify these strengths and leverage them to design a communications proposal that is a custom fit. In the same way that a pair of old blue jeans fits just right, strategy that is based on a client’s best assets will feel just right too. Plans that build on a client’s strengths are more natural to execute, and confidence in the strategy will show.
Lead
Leadership isn’t about being in front, it’s about having vision and the courage to do the right thing. 4L Strategies positions our clients to be leaders in their fields. This means keeping in mind that building a reputation takes time and a great deal of hard work. We don’t take shortcuts—we aim for lasting results of successful communications programs.