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.
In the PR industry, we hear a lot about trends. Editors are looking for “trend pieces.” We check what is “trending” on Twitter. How many pitches have you written to capitalize on a trending news topic?
A good story often combines a newsworthy item with a larger trend, showing readers the big picture and the “so what” of why the story matters. So, when a company has a unique, trendy, “big picture” story to tell, it’s worth taking notice. That’s one reason I’ve been impressed with the story of car2go.
Car2go sits at the confluence of two major trends. Many Americans – particularly the millennial generation so coveted by marketers – are buying fewer cars and driving less. The Atlantic (ever fond of trend pieces!) covered the story last year. Simultaneously, more and more people are catching on to the “sharing economy,” which has allowed entrepreneurs to build businesses around the idea of allowing people to derive value from existing assets. Think couch surfing, or if you’re more high-end, Airbnb.
These two trends add up to an environment ripe for companies to disrupt the automotive marketplace. There are a number of entrepreneurs and larger companies doing this in different ways – I’m talking about services like Uber, Sidecar, Lyft and of course, ZipCar. Car2go, though, has an especially interesting story to tell. It is a car-sharing service that gives users a high degree of flexibility by allowing drivers to park cars anywhere within a city’s “zone” (here in Seattle, this means just about anywhere in the urban neighborhoods most frequented by The Atlantic’s carless 20-somethings).
This flexibility further reduces the commitment of car-sharers. Don’t want to worry about bringing your car back from a restaurant? No worries, just park out front and let someone else take the car when they need it. As anyone would expect in 2013, the cars can be located and reserved via a smartphone app using a map interface.
More and more people, particularly young professionals, are moving into urban areas and this means that mass transit options are becoming more and more stressed; Seattle isn’t alone in having a transit system facing dual challenges of increased ridership and budget shortfalls. Young, professional commuters are looking for alternatives, and it’s because of trends like these that I expect to see car2go keep growing.
By giving users the flexibility to park anywhere, minimizing the time required finding a car and eliminating entirely the time needed to return it, car2go has carved out an interesting niche in the car -sharing market. Based on the number of car2go vehicles I’ve seen in Seattle, its business model is catching on. The company says it has about 120,000 users around the world right now, but interestingly, it has been around since 2008 – long before I’d heard the phrase “sharing economy.”
For my part, I’ve relied on car2go to get me to the office in a pinch and to social gatherings on the weekend. A confession, though – it’s not only the convenience that drew me to car2go. As someone who lives in an urban neighborhood and is challenged by parallel parking, car2go’s fleet of diminutive Smart cars lets me park without fear of embarrassment.
Outside of its interesting and timely story that makes the company newsworthy, car2go’s branded vehicles serve as a great marketing tool. If you live near downtown Seattle, you’ve probably seen them in your neighborhood.
Car2go is an excellent example of how a business’ growing popularity can be part of a larger news trend. I’m excited to see where the sharing economy takes us, and where car2go’s story goes next!
You can check out the work of car2go’s social media team, including local promotions, on Twitter @car2goSeattle. The company is also active in U.S. cities from Austin, Texas, to Denver, Colo., to Washington, D.C.
As a PR professional working in an agency environment, I’m fortunate to work with a variety of clients from different industries. Each new client brings an opportunity to learn something – whether it be a new product or a technology I’ve not used before, or even learning about the culture of the targeted audience – and it’s this constant learning curve that keeps me engaged and inspired as a PR practitioner.
While all new clients offer an opportunity to learn and grow, every once in a while a client comes along that provides inspiration beyond professional growth. That’s why I was thrilled when Seattle startup Lively joined our agency’s roster of clients. Lively is an innovative new mobile app that is poised to radically change the way fans experience live music. The Lively app allows fans to put down their own recording devices and be in the moment by offering high-quality audio and video for download. With a simple click of a button (after downloading the free app) music fans can access their live music memories, share them with friends and in so doing, support the artists that they love.
I should probably explain why this particular client is so exciting to me personally. Music is one of my passions. I grew up in a family that embraced and celebrated music. A modern-day Family Von Trapp of sorts, we sang our way from state to state on long road trips, finding harmony through song and performing as a group for our church congregation. I’m also a former high school band/choir/musical theater geek, an usher at local music venues, and an avid live show attendee (I have a collection of tickets dating back to 1984 to prove it).
As a show goer, I’ll admit to having recorded audio and video during concerts only to be disappointed at playback because my recordings didn’t accurately represent my memory of the experience. The new Lively app promises to replace my amateur-quality recordings with memories that are true to my experience.
While the Lively app feeds my inner music geek, Lively also appeals to me as a client because it offers an opportunity to engage with an audience I relate to and a culture I innately understand. In addition, Lively is a company that is truly ready to engage with a PR partner – here are a few examples:
Solid business goals: Lively knows who they are, who they need to reach and what they want to accomplish. Having these three things firmly in place allows for clarity when planning a strategy for PR.
Proof of concept: Lively has a product that music fans want. They’ve tested the market, proved their concept to investors, and are positioned to make a noticeable impact on the music industry.
Branding: The Lively team has a clear vision about their image and the brand they want to project.
Website: The Lively concept, brand and mission are all clearly defined on the company’s website. It provides high-quality instructional videos and information for each of its target audiences: fans, musicians and the music industry, itself.
Availability: Although Lively is still building its roster of musical artists, the app is available for download on iOS and Android platforms.
Lively has already shown signs of being an excellent client by working with our team in partnership, being willing and able to share pertinent information and relying on our expertise. They understand what a PR campaign can accomplish and they’re aware of the limits. They respect the work that it takes to build relationships and they’re eager to learn more about what we do and how they can help us to be successful on their behalf. All of these things make me excited to delve deeper into the world of Lively and if we’re successful in our efforts, you might just be excited about Lively, too.
For more information about the new Lively mobile app, visit www.getlive.ly or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/LivelyLLC or on Twitter @LivelyLLC.
Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” In today’s world, a reputation could probably be ruined in far less time than that. As the popularity and usage of social media and review websites grow, it is likely that users will post their experiences with a brand, whether positive or negative. Not only does this give the consumer more power than ever before—this phenomenon gives word of mouth a completely new meaning.
Rather than telling a small group of friends about their experience with a product or service, consumers can share their stories with the world. According to a recent infographic released by Reputation Advocate, 83 percent of consumers believe that it is important to read a user-generated review. In addition to this staggering statistic, 79 percent of consumers say that they trust online reviews, proving their potential to influence a brand’s reputation, sales and overall success.
These statistics emphasize the importance of engaging with customers online in a positive way – your brand’s or product’s online reputation might make or break your business.
Reputation Advocate’s infographic, which was recently featured on PRDaily, provides additional statistics that may help inform your online reviews strategy. A few that I found most interesting include:
- Only 11 percent of consumers say they take no notice of reviews. The majority of consumers take the time to find and read reviews to influence their decision.
- 87 percent of consumers say that a positive review has reinforced their decision to purchase a product. Positive reviews carry a lot of weight and could be a useful tool in selling your brand or product.
- 5 percent of negative reviews are written by people who have never used the product, meaning managing your online reputation is crucial because there is a chance that false reviews could influence your consumers.
View the full infographic below, and learn more about how to manage an online reputation in our post, “Best Practices for Managing an Online Reputation.”
Infographic Courtesy of Reputation AdvocateThe annual Seafair festival is synonymous with summer in Seattle. From the end of June through the first weekend in August, the city is abuzz with sporting events, parades and festivals which celebrate the diverse neighborhoods and ethnic communities across greater Seattle.
Seafair is in my blood. I grew up going to the neighborhood parades and events and I still get a rush when I hear the jets fly through the sky during the annual airshow. Later, after a college internship with Seafair, I was hired on as a full-time employee and enjoyed five fun-filled years as part of the small group of year-round staff. Now, after living a number of years away from Seattle, I’m honored to serve on the board of the Seafair Foundation which oversees the festival’s scholarship programs and community events.
As a 64-year-old civic institution, Seafair is steeped in tradition, but it is also a great example of a seemingly “old school” organization that has embraced social media. I recall being one of the first hundred or so people to like Seafair on Facebook and now they’ve grown to a community of 30,000-plus friends. In addition to their main Facebook page, Seafair also maintains a Facebook page for its sports events, as well as individual pages for the Seafair Torchlight Run and the Seafair Triathlon. Seafair also has an active presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tagboard and YouTube.
Seafair did not grow to more than 30,000 Facebook friends overnight; they got there by maintaining their commitment to social media. Here are a few social media best practices that I’ve observed that Seafair does well:
- Share engaging content. A picture is worth a thousand words and almost every Seafair update includes a photo, video or other visual. Who doesn’t love a picture of smiling children?
- Provide timely and relevant information. The dynamic and instantaneous nature of social media often makes it the first place people turn to for the most up-to-date information. Seafair leverages this well to communicate everything from event updates and promotions to information about road and bridge closures.
- Be consistent. In the weeks preceding the festival and at its height, you can count on Seafair to post multiple updates each day. But, even during the off-season, Seafair is good about posting once or twice a week. The cadence at which they share updates is also such that it doesn’t overwhelm your newsfeed.
- Share the love. While the majority of updates are Seafair-related, the organization is also good about sharing relevant content from others.
Social media has also been a great vehicle for recognizing the involvement of the corporate sponsors who support the festival. That’s a great sponsor benefit.
Seafair culminates this weekend with the unlimited hydroplane races and Boeing Air Show on Lake Washington. Will you be there?
In a perfect world, we’d press a button and automatically generate a show-stopping, viral social media post. Unfortunately, that technology doesn’t exist (yet), so PR professionals have to rely on tried and true guidelines and tips for creating awesome, engaging posts for clients.
A recent article on PR Daily titled, “How to create perfect social media posts,” featured a compelling infographic that offered a slew of tactics to make your posts engaging on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. Glancing over the graphic, many of the tips caught my eye as unusual, so I thought I’d share a selection of them here to help set you on your way to crafting those perfect posts. For a complete overview, I highly recommend you visit the full article.
Offer a link. Many of us do this in Twitter posts, but think less to do so on Facebook. Be sure to offer a link to the brand’s website or relevant content in your post. Shorten them as you would on Twitter (using bit.ly, for instance) to increase brevity and maximize effectiveness.
Be mobile friendly. When posting to Facebook, keep in mind that many viewers access the site from a mobile device. With that in mind, go for simple formatting and imagery that will be easily viewable across device types—and, on that note, DO use images in your posts, another tip for increased engagement.
Call to action. Everyone likes a sense of purpose. To boost interaction, let viewers know in your Tweet exactly you’d like them to do next (check out the awesome giveaway you linked to, for instance).
Punctuation. A simple reminder, but don’t overlook it for the sake of being sloppy trendy. Capital letters, apostrophes and commas matter. Remember that you’re a PR professional first, creative-Tweet extraordinaire second.
Avoid human faces. No, really. Interestingly, images without human faces are repinned more frequently than those with them—23 percent more often, no less.
Red alert. Images that are mainly red or orange get twice the repins. Go figure. And, on the color note—images with multiple dominant colors get more than three times the repins. Take it easy on the saturation though—50 percent saturation will get you four times as many repins as opposed to going all out at 100 percent.
Google+
Use full-size photos. To up the appeal, don’t just use the small photo that comes with dropping the link. Opt for a bright, large photo in the post to catch viewers’ attention.
Go for “what’s hot.” Use this feature, located above the post, to pick a funny or fascinating topic that will make the post stand out. You can also use the feature to find other people on Google+ with whom to start up a convo.
Finally, in case you’re wondering about timing, the infographic included a bit about when to post, too. For outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, the afternoon hours are prime posting time—between about 1 and 4 p.m. Google+, in contrast, catches early birds at work between 9 and 11 a.m. Lastly, LinkedIn’s traffic is highest just before and after work hours—from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.—which makes sense, given its professional audience.
We’ve all faced the challenge of generating eye-catching social media content to increase clients’ engagement with consumers. Next time you’re feeling uninspired, consider trying out some of these lesser-known tips to produce a stellar post that will win repins, likes and retweets.
Kymeta, one of our clients at Communiqué PR, recently closed a $50 Million Series C financing round in order to accelerate the growth of its business. This is not a surprising event if you have been following the company’s path. A beneficiary of Bill Gates and other key backers, Kymeta has been around for less than one year, expects to nearly double its number of employees in the next year and is already receiving high accolades from industry influencers. For example, both CNBC and the MIT Tech Review named Kymeta one of the top 50 Disruptive Companies of 2013, while Gartner lists Kymeta as a Cool Vendor for Automotive for 2013.
Kymeta’s list of successes is already long, but when Communiqué PR began working with the company, it was their leadership that initially got our attention. CEO Vern Fotheringham is known in the telecom and satellite/broadband space in the Northwest, and is someone we worked with years ago when he held the CEO position at Adaptix. We have great respect for Vern and appreciated and enjoyed our experience with him back in 2006. So when he approached Communiqué PR about Kymeta, we were thrilled about the opportunity to work with him again.
Kymeta is an exciting company to watch because it’s disruptive to the communications industry on so many levels. Kymeta Founder and CTO Dr. Nathan Kundtz led the development of new technology and applied it to satellite communications – a sector that had long suffered from stagnant innovation – resulting in a revolutionary change in how satellite communications will work in the future. By using “metamaterials” to develop antennae technology small enough to fit in a backpack, users can access a broadband Internet connection anywhere in the world. The technology essentially eliminates the need for a traditional satellite dish, long known for its unwieldy size, significant expense and sensitivity to weather.
Kymeta’s funding announcement received significant media interest resulting in more than 45 original articles, including some key foreign language coverage in China and Russia. Below we have included links to some of the articles highlighting details about the significance of Kymeta securing its Series C funding and, more broadly, the significance of its technology.
- Digital Ship
- Dow Jones VentureWire
- Engadget
- Geekwire
- GigaOM
- International Venture Capital Post
- New Space Watch
- The Next Web
- PEHub
- Puget Sound Business Journal
- Pulse2.0
- RightStartUps
- The Seattle Times – Brier Dudley’s Blog
- The Seattle Times
- Satellite Spotlight
- Satellite Today
- Seattle Business Magazine
- Space News
- SatNews.com
- Venture Beat
- Wall Street Journal
- The Wall Street Journal’s Venture Capital Dispatch
- Xconomy