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.
An editorial board is a group of people, usually at a print publication, who set the tone and direction of the newspaper or magazine. They are chartered with preparing the paper’s editorials and they determine what the publication will say on a range of issues as well as dictate which issues or political candidates the publication will endorse.
At a newspaper, this group usually consists of the editorial page editor, editorial writers, opinion editors and the managing editor. Sometimes, the editorial board also includes the publisher and the owner of the newspaper.
A successful editorial board informs, educates and inspires its readers. Editorial boards meet on a regular basis to discuss current news and trends both locally and nationally. The editorials are often written by individual board members in consultation with their colleagues.
There are great benefits to meeting with an editorial board. It is an excellent way to build or improve your relationship with the editor and publication, as well as tell your side of a story. Consider requesting a meeting with the editorial board when:
- Your company is about to break a sensitive news story and you want to provide background information and present your point of view before the story appears. If done successfully, this can help sway editorial coverage in favor of your company.
- The publication has been printing unfavorable pieces about your company and you want to share your perspective.
- Your company has a new executive team member or an important initiative that you want to introduce to the board.
- There is a pressing issue that you believe deserves broad community support. By providing insight on an issue affecting community members, you can help establish thought leadership and raise awareness of your company.
For instance, we are engaging the editorial boards with the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to educate them about the implications of proposed budget cuts. We believe the new two-year state budget proposed by Governor Christine Gregoire deserves further attention as it will have detrimental implications on several non-profit organizations, including the Washington Poison Center (WAPC). Our goal is to help these editorial boards understand how a reduction in WAPC’s non-profit’s funding will impact our local community and to encourage them to write about this topic.
Other experienced PR practitioners shared their point of view about working with editorial boards.
Andy Bowen, president of Clearview Communications + PR Inc., believes in order to be considered for editorial endorsement or criticism, the issue that is being presented must have been previously covered by the media. He explains, “The issue must be of genuine public importance and in debate for an editorial board to consider endorsement or criticism.”
Sabrina Kidwai, media relations manager for the Association for Career and Technical Education, recommends conducting a watchdog project prior to the meeting to “monitor how they are covering your issue and bring that information into the meeting. It is helpful to do your homework and know how they have covered issues in the past.”
For examples of editorials written by the Seattle Times’ board members, check out the following links:
- Joni Balter, “Gregoire-Rossi: Ridiculously Close“
- Bruce Ramsey, “A Map of Delinquent Mortgages“
- Lynne Varner, “Saving Seattle Schools“
We hope this information is helpful as you consider when to engage with editorial boards. For more tips on how to secure the meeting, or best practices when working with these groups, please call us at (206) 282-4923 ext. 112.
We also would love to hear from you if you have experience working with editorial boards that you’d like to share with us.
Facebook is becoming the first stop for many people when they want to learn about the latest news in their community. Individuals are reporting on the events in their communities with photos and personal commentary, making Facebook an excellent source for local happenings and news.
We witnessed this phenomenon first hand in Seattle when individuals reported on the weather conditions during the December snowstorm and most recently during the storms which caused significant flooding throughout our state. Friends reported on which streets were being plowed, where flooding had occurred, as well as road and school closures. They also shared information about how they were coping with power outages or cabin fever.
Clearly, sharing information on Facebook is not restricted to weather conditions – friends share information about their interests, hobbies and travel schedules. There are some posts that focus on the mundane, daily activity of life, but many posts provide timely insights and perspective into relevant happenings. Recent examples include posts covering industry tradeshows such as CES and Macworld, how to deal with the onslaught of people in D.C. for the inauguration and updates on political events, appointments and scandals. After all, an individual’s Facebook network is more likely to report on items that are more relevant to him or her. Given this, Facebook has become a source for relevant, timely and specific news.
Facebook is not the only site providing this level of personalized news to consumers. There are a number of growing sites where people, intentionally and unintentionally, act as citizen reporters and share information with their networks, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Big Canvas PhotoShare, Sweat365 and many others.
As more and more consumers participate in social media sites, traditional media outlets will need to adapt to address this increased level of competition. In addition, companies looking to raise awareness should be evaluating how to leverage these Web sites in an effective, authentic and productive way.
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to save money. In fact, The Today Show recently asked their readers to share their money resolutions for 2009 and received a flood of responses. Viewers’ resolutions included:
1. Assess what you have and make use of it.
2. Look great for less.
3. Save money on entertainment without forgoing fun.
4. Pay down debt instead of accumulating more stuff.
5. Be a savvy comparison shopper.
6. It’s actually kind of easy being green.
7. Devise a budget – and stick to it!
8. Remember to take advantage of the points and rewards you’ve earned.
9. Discover the magic and wonder of thrift stores.
10. Distinguish needs from wants.
I think this list is good, but it is missing another import concept around learning and saving. We all know that one of the best ways keep your mind sharp and have fun is to learn something new, but with the economy in a downward spiral many people can’t justify discretionary spending on fun classes or the pursuit of a new hobby.
We are excited to share that one of our clients, Learn and Save, is making it easier to try something new and save money. Specifically, the company has created a new consumer networking Web site bringing how-to tutorials, high-quality information and coupons to consumers.
We helped the company with its debut on Jan. 1, 2009 and have received very positive feedback from journalists and consumers alike. Thus far, the following news outlets have developed stories on Learn and Save:
1. TechFlash, “Learn and Save, an eHow Rival that Promises to Save People Money”
2. KOMO 1000 – Aired an interview with Charlie Gillette, chief executive officer of Learn and Save on Jan. 2.
3. Gadgetell, “Learn and Save Aims to Help Both the Consumer and the Company”
4. King 5, “Web Sites That Claim to Save you Time, Money”
5. MyFox Tampa Bay, “Consumer Lawyer: Learn to Save“
Several more local and national stories are currently in the works.
Consumers shared the following insights about how they’re using Learn and Save as well other related Web sites, such as www.ebates.com, www.couponcabin.com, www.istorez.com, www.fatwallet.com and www.Valpak.com, which are all aimed at helping individuals save money.
“As an avid coupon clipper, I’m always on the lookout for ways to spend my dollars more efficiently and appreciate hearing helpful tips about products I’m considering purchasing,” said Kayla Sando, Learn and Save customer. “I love that Learn and Save provides me with a one-stop destination where I can learn about the topics I like while at the same time gain access to relevant coupons.”
Yvonne Maffei, in Chicago, believes “the Learn and Save concept is a good one: tutorial descriptions, useful tips, related links and products all on one page is great. It gives the reader everything he or she needs in one spot. Readers get the video to learn, the links to continue learning and products to buy related to that topic.” She just hopes in the coming months they’ll add more coupons and make them stand out more.
If you are interested in writing about Learn and Save, please feel free to e-mail me at Jennifer@communiquepr.com and I’ll be delighted to put you in touch with a consumer or Charlie Gillette, CEO of Learn and Save.
A recent article in the Boston Globe examined how the economic climate is impacting healthcare. In the article, Reporter Lisa Wangsness cites a recent CNN poll that shows the economy as the most important issue currently facing the country, with healthcare coming in second. Despite the poll, Lisa states, “Many health policy specialists and political strategists say the two issues are inseparable in people’s minds.”
It’s no surprise that many people associate the two together. Changes in the economy directly impact healthcare access for individuals and families alike. With the unemployment rate rising, more families will continue to loose their healthcare insurance and will struggle as they take on the responsibility of paying for pricey healthcare premiums.
Furthermore, the impact for families who have children with chronic conditions – those who have an increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition requiring health and related services – can be devastating. Often these groups are the first to suffer during an economic downturn when ongoing medical attention and supervised care is essential. According to the Department of Health, this population faces medical costs approximately six times higher than those of children without chronic conditions.
From a PR perspective, economic recessions provide an opportune platform for organizations to address social issues such as healthcare and social security that are typically top of mind with many individuals. Organizations have an opportunity to voice how their product or service is helping people to get through these tough times. In some instances, it may be an education that you are providing to the public about how the recession is impacting a particular industry.
One of our clients, Seattle Children’s Hospital, is a great example of an organization that is proactively leveraging the recession to educate the public about children with special needs.
For example, during a recent lecture at the hospital, Dr. John Neff, director for Center for Children with Special Needs, illustrated how families with children who have special needs are significantly impacted during a recession and what the community can do to support this group.
Children’s also recently produced a podcast which examined the healthcare reform plans of former presidential nominee John McCain and President-elect Barack Obama. The podcast provides valuable information for parents looking for more specific information about how McCain and Obama’s policies would affect their healthcare coverage.
These are a few examples of how an organization like Children’s can effectively address social issues during a recession. To learn more about how you or your organization can have an active voice during the economic downturn, please contact us at (206) 282-4923. Alternatively, you can make a donation for Children’s here.
Recent data from Nielson Online reveals MSNBC.com attracts more unique visitors than both Yahoo! News and CNN.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28268304/). With more than 41.8 million unique visitors in November alone, MSNBC.com is a powerful online outlet to target when looking to reach a broad consumer audience.
Given this outlet’s significant reach and credibility with consumers, there is intense competition for coverage among thousands of companies who want to influence behavior or drive demand for a product or service. A positive review, feature story or mention on MSNBC.com can dramatically increase awareness among a vast number of potential customers.
As an example, today’s review by MSNBC’s Citizen Gamer Winda Benedetti, “The games that make seeking so satisfying,” provides an external third-party review of Big Fish Games’ new game Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. The review draws readers in and ultimately raises awareness of the Mystery Case Files games. As a trusted source with a strong readership, this review has the potential to drive downloads and significantly increase sales.
We are excited about our placement of this story for Big Fish Games, and thrilled that Winda included compelling graphics to bring her review to life.
Walt Mossberg is a very influential figure in the technology industry. In August 2004, David Brown, anchor of Marketplace stated, “Mossberg is both feared and respected by makers of computers and other digital gadgetry.” His rock-star status in the tech industry has prompted companies to want to get in front of him and win his stamp of approval on their products. So what makes him so influential? More importantly how can organizations win a coveted briefing with Mossberg and ensure they get a thumbs up?
Since 1970, Mossberg has been a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal. His Personal Technology column has appeared in the publication every Thursday since 1991. Mossberg also writes the Mossberg’s Mailbox column, is a regular technology commentator for the CNBC network and contributor to Dow Jones Video on the Web, and co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference.
Mossberg describes his columns as “railing against” the concept of “techism” which is a term he uses to describe the types of products designed by “techies” that only other techies can figure out. He believes that technology should be more accessible to the everyday consumer who doesn’t have a technology background and says gadgets should be easy to use. He knows what consumers will like and dislike and according to Brad Chase, a former Microsoft chieftain, his reviews are usually “spot-on.”
Mossberg admits he is a very honest reviewer and is not afraid to speak his mind. In 2004, XM Satellite felt the backlash of Mossberg’s mediocre review of the XM Satellite Radio. On the morning his column appeared XM’s stock fell 8.5 percent. It’s no wonder Hugh Panero, who was the CEO of XM Satellite at the time, blamed Mossberg for the company’s falling stock price and decrease in consumer interest.
While working with Mossberg may seem intimidating, the trick is knowing how and when to approach him. Consider the following:
Read what Mossberg is writing about – regularly. This will give you incredible insight into what’s of most interest to him and what technologies/products he’s skeptical about. Doing your homework will also be useful when you do score that coveted briefing with Mossberg as you’ll be better prepared to address the tough questions.
Know that Mossberg typically doesn’t consider briefings or reviews of products until there is a groundswell of adoption from the general public. So if you are a start-up company with a small (but growing) user base, you may want to consider holding off reaching out to Mossberg until you have some solid numbers and data that validate your technology.
Consider offering Mossberg an exclusive opportunity to review your product. While this won’t ensure he will give your product a favorable review, it could pique his interest and get your foot in the door.
In his ethics statement, Mossberg notes, “I don’t review most of these products, and, when I do, I don’t always review them favorably.” Be prepared for the worst. If Mossberg does write a negative review, look for ways to improve your product – don’t try to argue with his judgment as this will inevitably ruin your relationship with him and ensure that you may never receive a positive review in the future.
Come prepared. Mossberg, like any good journalist is not afraid to ask the tough questions and can often make sharp comments. If you’ve done your homework and know what his hot buttons are you will be in a better position to respond appropriately and clearly illustrate your perspectives.
Mossberg thoroughly tests products from a user perspective for all of his reviews. While some reviews aren’t always favorable, you can be sure that his assessments are usually fair and should be taken seriously as it can have a significant impact on your business as illustrated above. On the flip side, a good review from Mossberg can significantly influence consumer interest and trust in a product. Below you will find few examples of the positive reviews Mossberg has given recently:
Wall Street Journal, “Netbooks Come Into Their Own,” November 5, 2008
Wall Street Journal, “BlackBerry’s Storm Presses Into the Touch-Phone Fray,” November 19, 2008
ZDNet, “Walt Mossberg Picks Hot Holiday Gadgets,” November 26, 2008