Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
When it comes to communicating company news, we routinely turn to the strategy of drafting a press release and planning its distribution. Make no mistake, issuing a press release is a valuable way to help companies spread its key messages, raise awareness around updates and further establish itself as an industry leader.
However, what happens when you can’t or would prefer not to issue a release? Maybe you’re running into external roadblocks, struggling to secure internal approvals, faced with financial restrictions, or perhaps your announcement just doesn’t feel press release-worthy. Where do you turn to then?
For new or small start-ups, issuing press releases can be a big investment and not always the best way to go. Even larger and more established companies face the dilemma of whether or not to issue a press release when they are dealing with multiple shareholders or sensitive information.
If you end up at this fork in the road, it’s important to have a few go-to strategies in your back pocket.
Consider executing one of these four communication tactics next time you’re unsure about issuing a release. You may find that you can still secure the benefits associated with distributing a press release, while also communicating with your target audiences and building SEO.
- Offer the news as an exclusive. Offering the news as an exclusive provides the company and a news outlet with a handful of benefits. For example, the company controls the topic and placement, and the reporter has first right-of-refusal and can cover the news before his or her competitors. Before reaching out to your top target, you’ll need to craft the announcement into a timely and compelling story pitch.
- Design the announcement into a webinar. Webinars are a cost-effective way to promote products, expand professional networks and build thought leadership. Similar to a conference or trade show, a webinar allows your company or an executive to present on a specific topic, without the expense of traveling. Once the webinar is complete, you can post it on social media channels, mail it to your customers and share it with relevant media targets.
- Share the news in a weekly newsletter. Depending on the subject of the news and if your company has a strong e-newsletter, selecting this strategy can be a great tool to announce new hires and recent product announcements to your existing customers and current newsletter subscribers. Keep in mind this strategy would eliminate targeting media as a priority.
- Create a case study. Weaving a new partnership or company milestone into a customer case study is a great way to highlight a successful product offering or solution implementation. Ownership of the development of the case study will allow you control the key messages and overall sentiment. Because case studies traditionally demonstrate a company’s proficiencies, they are also a great tool to attract and engage potential clients. Once the case study is completed, you can either share it with your customers and social media following, or offer it to a publication to cover as an exclusive before publishing it to your website.
Before deciding to draft a press release or selecting one of the strategies above, it’s important to review your news with a critical eye and to determine your objective, target audience and desired results. If you’re still stuck at the fork in the road, check out these other blog posts: Writing the Winning Press Release and How to Drive Meaningful Coverage Without Hard News.
Starting a new PR engagement is exciting. The hours you put into winning the business and developing a strategy you’re confident will meet your client’s needs have paid off and you’re ready to start executing.
But before you start hammering out the press list and crafting messaging, there’s just one tiny detail casting an elephant-shaped shadow you should address – your client’s “ex.” Sorry to break it to you, but unless you’re working with a startup, odds are you’re not your client’s first PR firm. Clearly there were some issues or they wouldn’t be the newest addition to your roster, right? While you don’t need all the salacious details (although you have to admit you’re dying to hear them), you should at least have a high-level overview of previous partnerships. Here are some tips on what to ask and how to exorcise any lingering doubts.
1) Ask what went wrong
This is an obvious first step to understanding what the pain points were in the last partnership and more importantly, how to avoid them. During the initial conversation, it’s completely fair and within reason to ask potential new clients why they’re looking for a new PR firm. The clients’ explanation will also reveal a great deal about them. If their complaints sound unreasonable or petty, you may want to steer clear of working with them. I always appreciate when clients can provide specific instances and admit their own shortcomings. For example, I spoke to a marketing manager who cited a firm’s lack of follow-up on activities as a reason they parted ways. However, he noted that he also could have done a better job of providing information and communicating.
2) Find out their strengths
After you’ve learned about the missteps, ask what the firm did right. What were the big wins? Did they constantly flag newsjacking opportunities or provide stellar crisis support? You’ll quickly discover if your agency can produce similar results and gain insight into what the client values. You can use this feedback as motivation to find ways to improve as well. Maybe it’s building out activity reports by adding a quarter-by-quarter analysis or inserting detailed graphs that allow executives to easily see the ROI of their investment.
3) Follow through
For those who have had less than positive experiences with former PR teams, it’s important to establish a foundation of trust early on with these individuals. Simply put, say what you mean and do what you say. Clients need to know they can depend on you for candid counsel and to complete tasks on time. By consistently delivering high-quality work and following through on activities, you’ll be able to earn the confidence and respect of your contact.
4) Be patient
Remember that strong partnerships don’t happen overnight. It can take months or even years to be viewed as an irreplaceable extension of the communication team, rather than just the hired help. Try not to get frustrated or let your impatience show if a client is slow to come around; instead, focus on what you can do to demonstrate your steadfast commitment to the business.
Exhuming the ghosts of PR firms past can help put to rest any concerns a new client may have and pave the way for a fresh start. Discussing both the highs and lows will ensure mistakes aren’t repeated and successes are defined. As with any bad breakup, be prepared to show how you’re different (and better) and invest the time in the relationship.
It has been a long-standing tradition for major brands and companies to avoid commenting on major social and political issues to avoid alienating their customer base. But times are changing. In today’s volatile political climate, there has been a push for brands to take a stand. From LGBT rights to immigration, social justice issues are front and center, and how a company reacts to new legislation can have a substantial impact on its brand image. As an increasing number of companies begin to openly take a stance on controversial topics, it is becoming apparent that staying silent on issues can be just as dangerous as speaking up.
Over the last year there have been a number of companies that have failed to meet customer expectations on social issues. One that stands out is Uber, whose reaction to Trump’s immigration ban caused a huge number of customers to delete the app and switch to Lyft. However, this loss of customer base didn’t happen because Uber took a definitive stance for or against the executive order, but it happened because they failed to take a stance at all. In the midst of influential brands like Lyft, Ford and Netflix speaking out openly against the order, some even calling it un-American, Uber’s CEO remained relatively quiet simply stating that he would bring up the issue at President Trump’s business advisory group meeting.
For a company that has labeled itself as progressive and bold, its silence turned a lot of customers to its competitor. In an attempt to repair the damage, Uber made a statement calling the order unjust, but it was too little too late. Uber illustrated just how dangerous inaction can be in a world that is striving for social justice.
In many instances, big brands taking a stand on social issues have had a positive impact on social change. Brands are becoming increasingly aware of how much influence they can have, and that they have the power to make a real difference. We witnessed this last year when North Carolina passed a law that would allow discrimination against the LGBT community in public accommodations and housing. Multiple companies rose up in opposition including the NBA, PayPal and Google. The NBA went so far as to move the NBA All-Star game from Charlotte to New Orleans in opposition to the law.
Many see this sort of political activism as a good thing, and while the bill in North Carolina passed, politicians and social activists are already working on a repeal due to the repercussions. This goes to show how companies’ stances can impact state and local government legislation,, which can be just as important as national regulations.
Choosing a side can have consequences. In such a politically charged climate, no matter what stance you choose, there is the potential for opposition. However, recent research has shown that the majority of people feel that not taking a stance is worse. A national survey found that 78 percent of adults across multiple political positions believe that companies should take action on political issues. This is a huge shift from past beliefs that business and politics should remain separate. Stakeholders and consumers are continuously pressuring CEOs to speak out on issues and to communicate where their company stands.
Keeping a company’s political stance in line with its core values is also important. If a company champions ingenuity and inclusion, and then declares that they are not going to support environmental regulation, it will create confusion about what the company truly stands for. It is easier to create a narrative that makes sense if the issue hits close to home for your brand. For example, many tech companies were openly opposed to Trump’s executive travel-ban because they recruit a lot of talent from the countries that were being affected, making the issue extremely personal to the current employees.
It would be difficult to take a stance on every single social issue that will arise, but it is important to speak out on topics that are important to you and your brand. Inaction now is no longer an option, and it shouldn’t be. The power that brands have as a social-change driver should not be downplayed, as it could have a lasting positive impact on society. For the foreseeable future, companies will continue to speak out on controversial issues and – hopefully – change the world for the better.
Due to demand from professors internationally, we recently agreed to have our book “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR” published via Kortext’s digital platform. Kortext serves more than 40 university partners across Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Africa.
Through this agreement professors can now easily access “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR” and utilize our book as a text for courses. This allows students to learn the value of managing corporate and personal reputations, as well as how to use public relations as a strategic component within their marketing mix. Using real-life examples, the book demonstrates that taking a strategic approach to communications does not have to be a difficult or expensive process.
“Strategic Public Relations” is already being used as a text in a number of universities in the U.S. both as a physical text and e-book. We are thrilled to make it easier for professors internationally to discover our book and for more students to learn how to effectively harness the power of PR!
Read the full press release here.
The media industry has undergone dramatic change over the last 10-15 years. We’ve written numerous times about the shifts in the landscape and how to navigate them. However, rarely is there quantifiable information about how the evolution of the media landscape affects the PR industry.
MediaMiser released an infographic outlining the future of PR, stating that the tactics and strategies PR professionals will turn to will be centered on tech-driven media intelligence. For example, according to the infographic, 83 percent of journalists use only 10 percent of the press releases they receive. While this data is not shocking, as numerous journalists have informed me of their dislike for releases, it further supports the need for other creative methods to disseminate messages to key audiences.
The infographic lists thought leadership, content marketing, social media content and working with influencers as some of the new tactics being adopted in place of the traditional news release and media relations. These tactics are effective for a number of reasons: control over the messaging, the demand for original content, and most importantly, the ability to measure engagement and reach, allowing businesses to understand the impact of each initiative.
While we frequently execute on all of these tactics for a variety of clients, not all media relations should be eliminated. For instance, proactive pitching is still an effective way to secure journalists’ interest and can provide them with a story that won’t appear on the wire. To do this, find an interesting trend in your client’s industry, read through what has already been written and find a new, creative angle that your client can provide commentary on, serving as an expert source for the journalist. Not only does it have the potential to lead to coverage, it can also assist in building a relationship with the journalist and demonstrates your clients’ knowledge outside of their own company.
The evolution of the media landscape presents challenges for PR professionals, as it requires creative thinking and the ability to adapt. However, PR generates conversion rates 10-50 times that of advertising, proving that it is still an effective tool to assist businesses in achieving their overall objectives.
This infographic was created by MediaMiser and published on MarketingProfs.
For startups with limited marketing resources, it can be a challenge to prioritize which materials and channels will provide the most ROI and engagement with target audiences. For companies with complex and technical offerings, white papers and data sheets can be effective ways to share detailed product information; for other companies, a robust blog and social media accounts may make more sense.
In today’s age-of-information overload, where we’re bombarded with content, where does this leave the trusted email newsletter? Is there room for this “old school” email-marketing tool, or are newsletters something to be tossed aside as inbox-clogging spam? Entrepreneur contributor Jacquelyn Whitmore writes that some consider email newsletters as “the sad old fuddy-duddies of the online marketing world.”
Email newsletters – like any marketing communications channel – have evolved in recent years, due to the rising number of devices and media competing for mindshare, coupled with the public’s generally shrinking attention span. As a result, after fine-tuning their content and models, newsletters are thriving and many are seeing better subscriber numbers today than they did five years ago. So what are newsletter publishers doing differently? A few examples are provided below:
They speak to their audience authentically: theSkimm has more than 5 million subscribers to its email newsletter The Daily Skimm which “gives you everything you need to know to start your day.” The newsletter features the important news stories of the day and delivers a summary in an entertaining, dry and witty style.
Part of what has contributed to The Daily Skimm’s success is that it offered a new way for its subscribers (largely female millennials) to get their news, using a more digestible, easy-to-understand and conversational tone. Bloomberg notes that many media outlets covered the final presidential debate of the election, “But the tenor of the Skimm’s coverage was, uh, less formal: ‘Trump and Hillz had a night out in Vegas,’ the summary began. In Skimm parlance, ‘Hillz’ is Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump doesn’t get a nickname, though during the 2012 election Mitt Romney was known as Mittens.”
This editorial voice is far different from the formal and conservative style you’ll find on the pages of The Wall Street Journal and that’s because theSkimm’s founders know how their target audiences speak and they tailor their content accordingly.
They’re becoming stand-alone destinations for content: Publishers are learning to evolve their newsletter strategies – and are increasingly treating them “as platform-like publications themselves, designed to be read entirely in email without readers having to click through to the host’s site.”
Quartz is one news source experimenting with this approach with its Quartz Daily Brief. Gideon Lichfield, senior editor in chart of the newsletter, stated to Digiday that the business publisher “recognized that people are no longer coming directly to publishers’ sites through social media side doors, so it takes the approach that everywhere it publishes is a platform in and of itself, rather than just a way to get people to Quartz’s site.”
Ozy is another publication taking this approach. Its Presidential Daily Brief is designed to be entirely read in email and the publication is planning to do the same with its other email newsletter, the Daily Dose, according to the Digiday article.
They’re shaking up the newsroom masthead: Vox is one media company that’s been shaking up the format and model for its newsletters, and more recently, has dedicated an editorial position as “senior email editor” that will focus exclusively on the site’s newsletter program. In 2014, Vox launched its Vox Sentences email newsletter that provides “a handful of top stories with a collection of the best links from around the web … And, as the name implies, it’ll be direct — just a bunch of sentences.”
In an article from the Poynter Institute, Vox’s co-founder Melissa Bell stated, “Newsletters offer a direct relationship to readers in a platform that is necessary to a lot of people’s lives: their email inbox. So we want to have a presence there and make sure that we’re developing a direct relationship with people who like to consume our stories in that manner.”
So for startups (and established companies) looking to build out their content marketing library, the humble email newsletter may deserve a second look. Entrepreneur’s Whitmore stated that “Email marketing is still the most viable, affordable way to get your point across,” and there are several innovative newsletter publishers like those above to inspire your content and design teams.
Have you launched an email newsletter recently? What has worked for your organization? Let us know in the comments here!