Message Merchants is looking forward to an exciting 2010 and preparations for our new brochure are well under way. Using our cost effective framework we are moving towards our goal of becoming a premier choice for public relations in the East Midlands.
PR is considered something of a grey art by many and traditionally has been priced out of reach of most SME’s. Message Merchants is here to make pricing, planning and implementation of public relations clear and easily accessible.
This is not Ab Fab but friendly, knowledgeable support that has produced proven results for our clients, we are not here to ‘blind you with science’, it’s common sense PR working to achievable goals (with a touch of madcap creativity thrown in)!
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Monday, 21 December 2009
Message Merchants and the IoD
As you may know, Rachel Hargrave (our MD) has recently completed her term of office as chairman of the Leicestershire Institute of Directors, however our involvement with the IoD does not end there.
Next year will see The Phoenix Partners and Message Merchants joining with the IoD to run a series of seminars focussed on communication. The first two will run in Northampton in February and Nottingham in April.
These will provide attendees with a chance to learn more about marketing and PR and to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving world of digital and new media. Gemma Pittham PR manager is keen to stress the importance of the subject matter, “Communication is key, whatever your industry sector and irrespective of the size of your business this is an area where you need to be at the top of your game.
Social media is providing an unlimited platform for people to talk about you online and it’s increasingly important that you are part of these conversations”.
Please email rachel@thephoenixpartners.com for further details.
Next year will see The Phoenix Partners and Message Merchants joining with the IoD to run a series of seminars focussed on communication. The first two will run in Northampton in February and Nottingham in April.
These will provide attendees with a chance to learn more about marketing and PR and to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving world of digital and new media. Gemma Pittham PR manager is keen to stress the importance of the subject matter, “Communication is key, whatever your industry sector and irrespective of the size of your business this is an area where you need to be at the top of your game.
Social media is providing an unlimited platform for people to talk about you online and it’s increasingly important that you are part of these conversations”.
Please email rachel@thephoenixpartners.com for further details.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Message Merchants Welcomes Students
Message Merchants is once again looking forward to welcoming students from DeMontfort University for work experience. We have always championed the benefits of work experience, for both the students and their future employers, and we often learn as much from the students as they do from us.
This time we are able to give them a working insight into launching and maintaining media partnerships throughout a campaign. The Vantis Corporate Challenge, which involves 100 local businesses raising money for LOROS and Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People and has a 2010 target of £100,000 will definitely present them with some interesting and varied opportunities. The role will involve working closely with local businesses and media and give them a real taste of life in a lively PR agency.
This time we are able to give them a working insight into launching and maintaining media partnerships throughout a campaign. The Vantis Corporate Challenge, which involves 100 local businesses raising money for LOROS and Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People and has a 2010 target of £100,000 will definitely present them with some interesting and varied opportunities. The role will involve working closely with local businesses and media and give them a real taste of life in a lively PR agency.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Good News Please
2009 has been a year of extremes in many ways and a brief inspection of the recent online flurry of annual round-ups seems to indicate a pessimistic obsession. Bad news has been big news this year and even the traditional media ‘silly season’ failed to raise a smile.
It seems a little contradictory that at a time when a little feel good factor would most definitely hit the mark, those sorts of stories are suddenly not newsworthy. From a public relations point of view this has made for a challenging year. The businesses that we represent are as bamboozled as us when a good news story doesn’t make it to print.
There seems to be something uniquely British about this. A truly perilous crisis will bring us out singing but a gloomy situation exploits our innate ability to wallow in our misfortune.
I’m not suggesting that we ignore the issues but hearing a little bit of good news would certainly raise our spirits. What about yours?
It seems a little contradictory that at a time when a little feel good factor would most definitely hit the mark, those sorts of stories are suddenly not newsworthy. From a public relations point of view this has made for a challenging year. The businesses that we represent are as bamboozled as us when a good news story doesn’t make it to print.
There seems to be something uniquely British about this. A truly perilous crisis will bring us out singing but a gloomy situation exploits our innate ability to wallow in our misfortune.
I’m not suggesting that we ignore the issues but hearing a little bit of good news would certainly raise our spirits. What about yours?
Monday, 30 November 2009
Staying Ahead Of The Game
When I say USA what do you think of? Baseball, stars and stripes, patriotism or maybe even John Wayne, the epitome of rugged masculinity?
When I think of the USA, I think about their expertise in staying ahead of the game when it comes to the communications industry and the fact that they are managing to successfully capitalise on social media networking at a rate unheard of here in the UK.
Did you know that one-third of homes in the UK still lack internet access and although this may seem quite astonishing to any Internet savvy person, it is not surprising considering the rate that technology has changed in recent years, and how there is an expectation that to some degree we are all supposed to just ‘go with the change’ without looking back.
Some people have clearly chosen to buck the trend, whether it’s out of choice, or lack of willingness to learn. The fact that some people are living without internet access does suggest some autonomy on their part to not accept the cyber world that many of us have come to know and (sadly?) rely on.
In the world of public relations staying ahead of the game has increasingly come to mean that we need to embrace the world of social and digital media with open arms and move forward at quite a rate of knots.
Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube, we haven’t been able to ignore the impact of social media both on businesses and individuals. Their varied forms have meant that we have been able to take a step back and look at those which really do help enhance usual communication systems.
So with the above in mind are we living in a sink or swim society? If we choose not to follow in the footsteps of the US and buck the technology trend do we sink or does by embracing social and digital media in all its forms mean that we continue swimming?
I believe this really depends on what you want to achieve. As with anything there are pros and cons and what works for one may not for another, but if we are wanting to stay ahead of the game surely we should take a leaf of the USAs book?
As they do say the proof is in the pudding and with claims that the use of social networks helped win Barack Obama the presidency and with many major companies represented across a growing number of social site, why should we not engage?
When I think of the USA, I think about their expertise in staying ahead of the game when it comes to the communications industry and the fact that they are managing to successfully capitalise on social media networking at a rate unheard of here in the UK.
Did you know that one-third of homes in the UK still lack internet access and although this may seem quite astonishing to any Internet savvy person, it is not surprising considering the rate that technology has changed in recent years, and how there is an expectation that to some degree we are all supposed to just ‘go with the change’ without looking back.
Some people have clearly chosen to buck the trend, whether it’s out of choice, or lack of willingness to learn. The fact that some people are living without internet access does suggest some autonomy on their part to not accept the cyber world that many of us have come to know and (sadly?) rely on.
In the world of public relations staying ahead of the game has increasingly come to mean that we need to embrace the world of social and digital media with open arms and move forward at quite a rate of knots.
Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube, we haven’t been able to ignore the impact of social media both on businesses and individuals. Their varied forms have meant that we have been able to take a step back and look at those which really do help enhance usual communication systems.
So with the above in mind are we living in a sink or swim society? If we choose not to follow in the footsteps of the US and buck the technology trend do we sink or does by embracing social and digital media in all its forms mean that we continue swimming?
I believe this really depends on what you want to achieve. As with anything there are pros and cons and what works for one may not for another, but if we are wanting to stay ahead of the game surely we should take a leaf of the USAs book?
As they do say the proof is in the pudding and with claims that the use of social networks helped win Barack Obama the presidency and with many major companies represented across a growing number of social site, why should we not engage?
Monday, 23 November 2009
Extra Extra - Read All About It
Journalism is having a re-birth! At least this is what we are being led to believe if you look at the increase of online journalism and cut backs on local and regional rags.
The new era of online journalism is well underway and what better way to celebrate its arrival than look at its impact nationwide.
Ten years ago you would have expected to see a regional newspaper journalist sitting at their desk, waiting for the phone to ring with a lead from a member of the public – oh how times have changed!
Mainstream media has changed and there has been a cultural shift with traditional journalists having to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate the tools they use to obtain news. Embracing online journalism has not been a choice but a way of life for many, with journalists having to broaden their skills to ensure they remain up-to-date and relevant.
The shift in obtaining news has stripped away at the way it can be re-hashed and turned around in a matter of minutes, with the ‘people’s news’ or citizen journalism becoming a central focus.
Up to the minute breaking news has meant we expect the here and now, current really is current and yesterday’s news is yesterday’s news.
The reliance on the internet and the fact that we can get news up to the minute has meant those working in the public relations industry have had to work that little bit harder to achieve the same results they would have done ten years ago.
The tools of the trade have changed and whilst the traditional press release still has an important part to play; relationships with the media and use of social networking sites have stepped up a gear.
Whilst the birth of online journalism had its roots in the technology scene, it has now become a tool which even the non-techies like me have had to learn and adapt to. If would be fair to say that taking into account all of the above traditional journalism has certainly turned a corner and conversations have turned to the web.
The new era of online journalism is well underway and what better way to celebrate its arrival than look at its impact nationwide.
Ten years ago you would have expected to see a regional newspaper journalist sitting at their desk, waiting for the phone to ring with a lead from a member of the public – oh how times have changed!
Mainstream media has changed and there has been a cultural shift with traditional journalists having to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate the tools they use to obtain news. Embracing online journalism has not been a choice but a way of life for many, with journalists having to broaden their skills to ensure they remain up-to-date and relevant.
The shift in obtaining news has stripped away at the way it can be re-hashed and turned around in a matter of minutes, with the ‘people’s news’ or citizen journalism becoming a central focus.
Up to the minute breaking news has meant we expect the here and now, current really is current and yesterday’s news is yesterday’s news.
The reliance on the internet and the fact that we can get news up to the minute has meant those working in the public relations industry have had to work that little bit harder to achieve the same results they would have done ten years ago.
The tools of the trade have changed and whilst the traditional press release still has an important part to play; relationships with the media and use of social networking sites have stepped up a gear.
Whilst the birth of online journalism had its roots in the technology scene, it has now become a tool which even the non-techies like me have had to learn and adapt to. If would be fair to say that taking into account all of the above traditional journalism has certainly turned a corner and conversations have turned to the web.
Monday, 16 November 2009
Smart PR
How would you describe your ideal customer demographic? Whilst a good starting point will always be ‘people who have the money to buy my product’ it may well be worth thinking a little harder on this one.
As a business grows, a targeted public relations campaign can be a better investment than employing a ‘scatter gun’ approach, so where exactly would you like to target? Each of you will, of course have a slightly different answer. So without being specific, how exactly is my rambling going to help you? Well here’s an example that did not go quite to plan.
Product placement is a grey area somewhere between PR and advertising which is said to give a product the opportunity to become subliminally aspirational to the audience. So how about your product that has previously failed to make the desired impression, let’s say it’s a car, gets offered a starring role, as a time traveller, in a Hollywood blockbuster.
The film spawns not one, but two sequels, both successful and both featuring your car. Surely your previously mothballed factory springs into life and your success is guaranteed? Unfortunately not, a car that every child on the planet wants is not a car that every parent on the planet is going to buy (even if it does have gull wing doors)!
Fantastic PR, totally wrong audience. So I have, in fact, given you the first consideration for deciding on your audience. First rule of targeting ‘people who have the money to buy my product’.
As a business grows, a targeted public relations campaign can be a better investment than employing a ‘scatter gun’ approach, so where exactly would you like to target? Each of you will, of course have a slightly different answer. So without being specific, how exactly is my rambling going to help you? Well here’s an example that did not go quite to plan.
Product placement is a grey area somewhere between PR and advertising which is said to give a product the opportunity to become subliminally aspirational to the audience. So how about your product that has previously failed to make the desired impression, let’s say it’s a car, gets offered a starring role, as a time traveller, in a Hollywood blockbuster.
The film spawns not one, but two sequels, both successful and both featuring your car. Surely your previously mothballed factory springs into life and your success is guaranteed? Unfortunately not, a car that every child on the planet wants is not a car that every parent on the planet is going to buy (even if it does have gull wing doors)!
Fantastic PR, totally wrong audience. So I have, in fact, given you the first consideration for deciding on your audience. First rule of targeting ‘people who have the money to buy my product’.
Monday, 9 November 2009
New Talent at The Phoenix Partners
As you know here at The Phoenix Partners we’re always on the hunt for new talent and my goodness we’ve found just such a person!
Gemma Pittham has joined us as our new PR Manager from a Derby based PR agency. Gemma brings with her a varied background in both PR and film & video and has already expressed interest in getting to know more about our fully integrated agency. Says Gemma, “Although I’m passionate about PR I have wanted to be a part of a fully integrated PR agency for a while now.
I think, especially in today’s economic climate, clients want more for their budget and The Phoenix Partners is able to offer not only a full PR service, but creativity across the board including marketing, advertising, graphic design, photography, writing services, live events, incentive travel, motivation campaigns and digital & social media. It’s a very exciting time for me and I’m really looking forward to getting to know our clients and their campaigns.”
With a big sales and marketing push for PR being planned in 2010, Gemma’s appointment comes at a very exciting time. We’re all looking forward to gaining Gemma’s insight and thoughts into how we do things now and how that should change going forwards; after all there’s no point bringing in someone with experience and talent if we’re just going to sit them in the corner and say, “just keep doing the same thing”.
PR for us has grown fast over the last three years and has become an integral part of what we do here at The Phoenix Partners. We are really looking forward to developing our offer further and to attracting more clients.
Will you be the next one? We certainly hope so!
Gemma Pittham has joined us as our new PR Manager from a Derby based PR agency. Gemma brings with her a varied background in both PR and film & video and has already expressed interest in getting to know more about our fully integrated agency. Says Gemma, “Although I’m passionate about PR I have wanted to be a part of a fully integrated PR agency for a while now.
I think, especially in today’s economic climate, clients want more for their budget and The Phoenix Partners is able to offer not only a full PR service, but creativity across the board including marketing, advertising, graphic design, photography, writing services, live events, incentive travel, motivation campaigns and digital & social media. It’s a very exciting time for me and I’m really looking forward to getting to know our clients and their campaigns.”
With a big sales and marketing push for PR being planned in 2010, Gemma’s appointment comes at a very exciting time. We’re all looking forward to gaining Gemma’s insight and thoughts into how we do things now and how that should change going forwards; after all there’s no point bringing in someone with experience and talent if we’re just going to sit them in the corner and say, “just keep doing the same thing”.
PR for us has grown fast over the last three years and has become an integral part of what we do here at The Phoenix Partners. We are really looking forward to developing our offer further and to attracting more clients.
Will you be the next one? We certainly hope so!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
What's New Pussy Cat?
Everyone has heard the news that digital and social media are the hottest medium to communicate through. Indeed as you might have read in our news section of our having added social media to a recent PR pitch resulted in us winning this fascinating PR tender.
However, what suits one company does not necessarily suit all companies and we urge any company considering a social and / or digital campaign to look carefully at what the objectives are for that campaign, how they will measure the effectiveness of the delivery medium as well as honestly assessing whether social and digital media will really suite them and their company’s culture.
Don’t misunderstand us. We are hugely excited, and have been for quite a while, about what social and digital media can offer our clients and ourselves, but we also recognise that hype on this scale can turn heads and lead to companies making it work rather than choosing it because it adds a new dimension to their marketing and communications strategy. Key word that – strategy. Our experience to date has not always been positive and has seen potential clients coming to us saying, “we must optimise on the opportunities that social and digital media can offer us”. We start by saying, “what is it that you are doing already and what are you looking for this medium to do for you?”
A boring question? Well possibly, but the true value of any campaign (PR or otherwise) is in ensuring that you have an integrated campaign and not just a mass of disconnected parts. My main worry with social and digital media generally is that it is often seen as an add on.
Take the real opportunity that social and digital media offers to every company and review your marketing and communications plan. See what’s working well and what is perhaps not working quite so well. Then have a look at what social and digital media can offer you. Working this way round will ensure that your plan will really fly.
However, what suits one company does not necessarily suit all companies and we urge any company considering a social and / or digital campaign to look carefully at what the objectives are for that campaign, how they will measure the effectiveness of the delivery medium as well as honestly assessing whether social and digital media will really suite them and their company’s culture.
Don’t misunderstand us. We are hugely excited, and have been for quite a while, about what social and digital media can offer our clients and ourselves, but we also recognise that hype on this scale can turn heads and lead to companies making it work rather than choosing it because it adds a new dimension to their marketing and communications strategy. Key word that – strategy. Our experience to date has not always been positive and has seen potential clients coming to us saying, “we must optimise on the opportunities that social and digital media can offer us”. We start by saying, “what is it that you are doing already and what are you looking for this medium to do for you?”
A boring question? Well possibly, but the true value of any campaign (PR or otherwise) is in ensuring that you have an integrated campaign and not just a mass of disconnected parts. My main worry with social and digital media generally is that it is often seen as an add on.
Take the real opportunity that social and digital media offers to every company and review your marketing and communications plan. See what’s working well and what is perhaps not working quite so well. Then have a look at what social and digital media can offer you. Working this way round will ensure that your plan will really fly.
Is It Really Christmas Again?
We are currently working with Creative Leicestershire to promote the work of local artists and artisans via a strategic and creative (if we do say so ourselves) PR campaign, and this has caused me to consider shopping on a professional level.
At a time when every town centre seems to be a facsimile of the next, searching for something different can be quite a challenge. Of course the internet offers limitless opportunity to import odd things from faraway places but how do I know that it was hand crafted by a smiling worker on a living wage?
And even if it was, how do I know that he isn’t a genius physicist who is wasting his life making ornaments out of giraffe poo? And on a more practical level how do I know that it’s going to arrive in time and unbroken?
Buying locally has such a lot going for it and stuff that you can prod before purchase always appeals. There is a fantastic range of talent right on our doorstep, made by people who are doing what they love. So if the thought of a December trip to your local shopping centre fills you with dread why not try something different. www.madeinleicestershire.org.uk.
At a time when every town centre seems to be a facsimile of the next, searching for something different can be quite a challenge. Of course the internet offers limitless opportunity to import odd things from faraway places but how do I know that it was hand crafted by a smiling worker on a living wage?
And even if it was, how do I know that he isn’t a genius physicist who is wasting his life making ornaments out of giraffe poo? And on a more practical level how do I know that it’s going to arrive in time and unbroken?
Buying locally has such a lot going for it and stuff that you can prod before purchase always appeals. There is a fantastic range of talent right on our doorstep, made by people who are doing what they love. So if the thought of a December trip to your local shopping centre fills you with dread why not try something different. www.madeinleicestershire.org.uk.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Making Time
A busy office environment is, in many ways, a fantastic thing and we are definitely not of a mind to complain when things get a little hectic. These are the occasions when the dark art of time management comes into its own. So how do we prioritise our PR work? Well deadlines are obviously relevant - a missed deadline is a missed opportunity - but what about the organisation of the repetitive and the achievement of those ‘one off’ occurrences that require attention? An extra challenge arrived for The Phoenix Partners in the shape of National Chocolate Week (12th-18th October). Of course it was an event close to our hearts and a cause worthy of our attention, so we did what we always do in this kind of situation and worked a little bit harder to fit it all in! Marvellous fun and a great bit of PR for the chocolate industry!
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Free PR
There’s a twee kind of saying that goes something like this ‘If you’re happy with our service tell everyone, if you’re not happy with our service tell us’.
Despite the inherent glibness of this statement, this is how every business wishes their customers behaved. Unfortunately, in the real world this often works the other way round and people who leave your premises without complaint are telling anyone who will listen how rubbish your company is.
To paraphrase PT Barnham ‘You can’t please all of the people, all of the time’ so even when you perform well, not everybody will be happy. So, what we need to do is make sure that the happy clients are the chatty clients.
In a world of ROI five minutes spent chatting with a satisfied customer on the subject of referrals can be priceless. Word of mouth advertising is the pinnacle of marketing achievement – free, sincere and persuasive. You can’t buy it but you can use it and you ignore its power at your peril.
Despite the inherent glibness of this statement, this is how every business wishes their customers behaved. Unfortunately, in the real world this often works the other way round and people who leave your premises without complaint are telling anyone who will listen how rubbish your company is.
To paraphrase PT Barnham ‘You can’t please all of the people, all of the time’ so even when you perform well, not everybody will be happy. So, what we need to do is make sure that the happy clients are the chatty clients.
In a world of ROI five minutes spent chatting with a satisfied customer on the subject of referrals can be priceless. Word of mouth advertising is the pinnacle of marketing achievement – free, sincere and persuasive. You can’t buy it but you can use it and you ignore its power at your peril.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Digital and New Media
This year we have seen more and more businesses switch their advertising spend to Digital and New Media and in particular social media. Twitter and Facebook are used my millions and this is opening diverse business opportunities’ that just weren’t there before.
Social media is allowing businesses to talk to their customers on a one-to-one basis and really get to understand what it is the customer wants. Not only can it improve customer services, it can assist with R & D, product development and most importantly can help increase sales. Now isn’t that something every business needs?
Social media is just one of the areas within Digital and New Media, there are many other tools such as blogs, podcasts, webinars, etc which can work for a range of sectors, including charities, for profit, not for profit and the public sector. There really is something that can be used by everyone and the key is being able to identify which platform is best for the client’s sector, and what their audience is most likely to respond to.
Here at The Phoenix Partners we believe in always trying to find unique ways to communicate your message to your chosen audience. That is why we are consistently developing our service offerings to cater for a range of clients needs. Recently we undertook a survey of clients and prospective clients to see what they thought of Digital and New Media so that we could further shape our offer. What were the results? Well, in brief:
Social media is allowing businesses to talk to their customers on a one-to-one basis and really get to understand what it is the customer wants. Not only can it improve customer services, it can assist with R & D, product development and most importantly can help increase sales. Now isn’t that something every business needs?
Social media is just one of the areas within Digital and New Media, there are many other tools such as blogs, podcasts, webinars, etc which can work for a range of sectors, including charities, for profit, not for profit and the public sector. There really is something that can be used by everyone and the key is being able to identify which platform is best for the client’s sector, and what their audience is most likely to respond to.
Here at The Phoenix Partners we believe in always trying to find unique ways to communicate your message to your chosen audience. That is why we are consistently developing our service offerings to cater for a range of clients needs. Recently we undertook a survey of clients and prospective clients to see what they thought of Digital and New Media so that we could further shape our offer. What were the results? Well, in brief:
- More males responded to our survey than females
- People between the age of 36 - 44 responded the most
- The sectors that displayed most interest in the subject were (in order):
- Marketing / advertising / P
- Not For Profit
- Accountancy
- IT
- Telecommunications
- The most popular social media platforms used by our respondents were (in order)
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- You Tube
- 27% of respondents were still not using any form of Digital and New Media at all
- Of those who are not currently using any form of Digital and New Media most state that they would like to start but just don’t know where to start
- Those who are using Digital and New Media are doing so because they believe that it:
- Increases traffic to their website(s)
- Improves customer relations
- Increases sales
- Helps to promote / improve the success of new product launches
Monday, 13 July 2009
How to "do" PR
PR, regardless of the budget available, needs three things in order to ‘hit’;
1. Strategy
2. Creativity, and
3. Determination
Without them your campaign and your efforts will die a painful, and fast, death. Sorry to be blunt ... but you’d rather we tell you like it is, wouldn’t you? Now armed with these truths you are more than prepared to use and benefit from PR.
Strategy
Without a clear strategy you will potentially find PR time consuming, you’ll get bored of it because it is so time consuming and you’ll stop. That’s a huge shame. With just a little effort each day (as little as just 15 minutes a day) you can start reaping the rewards of press coverage ... for free!
Your strategy should make it clear who you are targeting and why. Do you want to talk directly to customers / potential customers or directly to the competition? What do you want your PR to achieve for you? (Please note that tracing sales back to PR is very hit and miss, and PR is not the same as a marketing or sales campaign but it should support both. There are others who will disagree with this statement, but it makes the most sense to us both as a business that uses PR for itself and a PR agency who promote clients via PR.)
Creativity
You may be thrilled skinny that you have just won a new order for, say, providing 200 pairs of black socks, but will your readers be remotely interested? (That’s if it gets in front of readers – you’ve got to get the journalist on side first don’t forget!)
However smitten you are on your product or service, always bear in mind your audience and what they want to hear / read about. Your sales success is newsworthy but it probably needs an additional spin to make it of interest to your audience. Did you win it by providing a more innovative sock product? Will this latest business success mean more jobs / safeguard jobs? Is there an export element to your latest sales win? Is the sock in question a ‘virtual’ sock for Second Life dwellers? Some daft ideas but the points made.
Always ensure that your story is relevant to your audience and to the journalists you approach.
Over and above that, think creatively. Make sure the story is visible of course but also give it ‘curb appeal’. Journalists get literally hundreds upon hundreds of emails each and every day with press releases attached. You have probably got less than 10 seconds to make sure that your journalist reads your press release and then thinks to themselves, “I’ll publish that”. 10 seconds is not long so think creatively ... oh, and make sure your press release is spelt right, punctuated right and presented well. Nothing infuriates a busy journalist more than a sloppy press release which they think you’re expecting them to run for you, for free. Help them out and get it right.
Determination
Unless you do strike it lucky with the first publication and / or journalist that you approach you will need determination. Send out your press release by all means but follow it up with a ‘phone call and if that release isn’t for them, find out what will interest them. It’s about building relationships. It isn’t the end of the world if one piece fails to hit (you’ve got a fantastic strategy and PR Plan lined up after all) but use the ‘failure’ to learn more about those you’re approaching and what makes them tick.
Anything else?
PR is not confined to newspapers, magazines and broadcast channels (radio, TV, satellite). Online PR is relatively new and is growing massively. It’s a quick and cheap method of positively influencing an ever growing number of people. It includes social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.) but it also includes blogs, forums, pod and vodcasts.
1. Strategy
2. Creativity, and
3. Determination
Without them your campaign and your efforts will die a painful, and fast, death. Sorry to be blunt ... but you’d rather we tell you like it is, wouldn’t you? Now armed with these truths you are more than prepared to use and benefit from PR.
Strategy
Without a clear strategy you will potentially find PR time consuming, you’ll get bored of it because it is so time consuming and you’ll stop. That’s a huge shame. With just a little effort each day (as little as just 15 minutes a day) you can start reaping the rewards of press coverage ... for free!
Your strategy should make it clear who you are targeting and why. Do you want to talk directly to customers / potential customers or directly to the competition? What do you want your PR to achieve for you? (Please note that tracing sales back to PR is very hit and miss, and PR is not the same as a marketing or sales campaign but it should support both. There are others who will disagree with this statement, but it makes the most sense to us both as a business that uses PR for itself and a PR agency who promote clients via PR.)
Creativity
You may be thrilled skinny that you have just won a new order for, say, providing 200 pairs of black socks, but will your readers be remotely interested? (That’s if it gets in front of readers – you’ve got to get the journalist on side first don’t forget!)
However smitten you are on your product or service, always bear in mind your audience and what they want to hear / read about. Your sales success is newsworthy but it probably needs an additional spin to make it of interest to your audience. Did you win it by providing a more innovative sock product? Will this latest business success mean more jobs / safeguard jobs? Is there an export element to your latest sales win? Is the sock in question a ‘virtual’ sock for Second Life dwellers? Some daft ideas but the points made.
Always ensure that your story is relevant to your audience and to the journalists you approach.
Over and above that, think creatively. Make sure the story is visible of course but also give it ‘curb appeal’. Journalists get literally hundreds upon hundreds of emails each and every day with press releases attached. You have probably got less than 10 seconds to make sure that your journalist reads your press release and then thinks to themselves, “I’ll publish that”. 10 seconds is not long so think creatively ... oh, and make sure your press release is spelt right, punctuated right and presented well. Nothing infuriates a busy journalist more than a sloppy press release which they think you’re expecting them to run for you, for free. Help them out and get it right.
Determination
Unless you do strike it lucky with the first publication and / or journalist that you approach you will need determination. Send out your press release by all means but follow it up with a ‘phone call and if that release isn’t for them, find out what will interest them. It’s about building relationships. It isn’t the end of the world if one piece fails to hit (you’ve got a fantastic strategy and PR Plan lined up after all) but use the ‘failure’ to learn more about those you’re approaching and what makes them tick.
Anything else?
PR is not confined to newspapers, magazines and broadcast channels (radio, TV, satellite). Online PR is relatively new and is growing massively. It’s a quick and cheap method of positively influencing an ever growing number of people. It includes social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.) but it also includes blogs, forums, pod and vodcasts.
Monday, 29 June 2009
Circle of Life
Isn’t it interesting that the death of something or someone can be a rebirth of sorts?
PR can be instrumental in our lives in ways which we barely register, how much ‘unspun’ information do we actually receive? ‘Very little’ would be most peoples’ initial response. So, I’m going to stick my neck out here and ask ‘Does it really matter?’
Public Relations is, by definition, all about public perception. Conspiracy theorists may well find the whole thing suspiciously unsavoury but how about an alternative view. If a tree falls in a forest, and there’s nobody there to hear it, does it make a noise? Lets’ not get too existential – of course it does – it just doesn’t get noticed. And therein lies the clincher, if it doesn’t get noticed it might as well not have happened.
Information is powerful, we all appreciate its worth and recognise its importance so what would happen if all PR stopped tomorrow? Essentially, that’s an impossible proposal. Even if the media as we know it became a library of cold facts without perspective or opinion PR would survive. It only takes me telling you how great my new shoes are and PR gets a rebirth.
So here it is and here it stays. Bearing that in mind, there is only one sensible perspective.
PR love it or loathe it you’ve got to live with it.
PR can be instrumental in our lives in ways which we barely register, how much ‘unspun’ information do we actually receive? ‘Very little’ would be most peoples’ initial response. So, I’m going to stick my neck out here and ask ‘Does it really matter?’
Public Relations is, by definition, all about public perception. Conspiracy theorists may well find the whole thing suspiciously unsavoury but how about an alternative view. If a tree falls in a forest, and there’s nobody there to hear it, does it make a noise? Lets’ not get too existential – of course it does – it just doesn’t get noticed. And therein lies the clincher, if it doesn’t get noticed it might as well not have happened.
Information is powerful, we all appreciate its worth and recognise its importance so what would happen if all PR stopped tomorrow? Essentially, that’s an impossible proposal. Even if the media as we know it became a library of cold facts without perspective or opinion PR would survive. It only takes me telling you how great my new shoes are and PR gets a rebirth.
So here it is and here it stays. Bearing that in mind, there is only one sensible perspective.
PR love it or loathe it you’ve got to live with it.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
An Ideal we can Relate to...
This month brought with it the inauguration of Barack Obama. In front of the Lincoln Memorial he stood just hours before becoming president and summarised the challenges facing America, namely the war and the economy. He ended by saying “the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard”. I feel this is an ideal that is applicable not just to a whole nation but to small businesses here in the UK also.
The time is coming when hard decisions have to be made and we do things that we maybe don’t really want to do. It will, more than likely, become an achievement as a business to survive. However if we come out the other side of all of this in one piece it says something not just about the business itself but more importantly how we as people helped it through.
Obama will only be around for a term or two but the impact of the economic crisis may be around for a lot longer. Inspirational speeches and celebrity concerts will only go so far, and every business cannot expect to raise funds in the same way as a presidential candidate. Sometimes it’s just good, simple hard graft that is needed, it’s not glamorous but it’s what we Brits do best I think.
What is interesting though is that those who most would argue don’t really do any ‘real’ work will mostly likely be fine. Pop stars, T.V. presenters, anyone in entertainment really, are still quite safe. People still want to be able to turn on the telly in the morning and watch GMTV or be able to turn their MP3 player on and not have to listen to the same songs again because it’s too expensive to record new ones. However it is somewhat hard to begrudge them when it is they that will bring a certain relief to each day, even if it is just to mindlessly watch a bunch of arguing about who’s going to be evicted next.
It is slightly worrying though to think that possibly the safest place to be in the next few months or years may be the Big Brother house.
The time is coming when hard decisions have to be made and we do things that we maybe don’t really want to do. It will, more than likely, become an achievement as a business to survive. However if we come out the other side of all of this in one piece it says something not just about the business itself but more importantly how we as people helped it through.
Obama will only be around for a term or two but the impact of the economic crisis may be around for a lot longer. Inspirational speeches and celebrity concerts will only go so far, and every business cannot expect to raise funds in the same way as a presidential candidate. Sometimes it’s just good, simple hard graft that is needed, it’s not glamorous but it’s what we Brits do best I think.
What is interesting though is that those who most would argue don’t really do any ‘real’ work will mostly likely be fine. Pop stars, T.V. presenters, anyone in entertainment really, are still quite safe. People still want to be able to turn on the telly in the morning and watch GMTV or be able to turn their MP3 player on and not have to listen to the same songs again because it’s too expensive to record new ones. However it is somewhat hard to begrudge them when it is they that will bring a certain relief to each day, even if it is just to mindlessly watch a bunch of arguing about who’s going to be evicted next.
It is slightly worrying though to think that possibly the safest place to be in the next few months or years may be the Big Brother house.
Monday, 12 January 2009
The Importance of Diplomacy
A new year has begun, usually a time for optimism about all the things we are going to change and achieve through all those resolutions (which will be broken by February!).
However for the people of Gaza the New Year is not bringing hope or optimism, but a continuation of the troubled situation between Palestine and Israel. While both sides clearly believe that they are justified for their actions, many innocent lives are being lost.
Diplomacy within the region is a fragile concept, with ceasefires continually broken and the world divided over who is right and who is wrong. International leaders have been eager to comment on the situation in Gaza, and a cynic could say that it gives these leaders a good opportunity to improve their image as world leaders. The Public Affairs cogs have been rapidly turning, providing interviews and press conferences as a platform to express opinions.
One only has to look to the thousands of demonstrators who turned out across Europe calling for an end to the violence as a measure of public opinion. However, as is often the case, within such a volatile region the merits of diplomacy are often forgotten or, at best, placed firmly on the sidelines.
The situation is Gaza has helped me to gain some new perspective. With people complaining that our economy is weak and the fear that we may not be able to afford the luxuries we have become so accustomed to, it is easy to lose valuable perspective. However, when you so sit back and take a look at the world around us and what is happening in it, suddenly our year ahead does not look as bleak as we are being led to believe.
Although a sombre beginning for many, I hope 2009 proves all the sceptics wrong.
However for the people of Gaza the New Year is not bringing hope or optimism, but a continuation of the troubled situation between Palestine and Israel. While both sides clearly believe that they are justified for their actions, many innocent lives are being lost.
Diplomacy within the region is a fragile concept, with ceasefires continually broken and the world divided over who is right and who is wrong. International leaders have been eager to comment on the situation in Gaza, and a cynic could say that it gives these leaders a good opportunity to improve their image as world leaders. The Public Affairs cogs have been rapidly turning, providing interviews and press conferences as a platform to express opinions.
One only has to look to the thousands of demonstrators who turned out across Europe calling for an end to the violence as a measure of public opinion. However, as is often the case, within such a volatile region the merits of diplomacy are often forgotten or, at best, placed firmly on the sidelines.
The situation is Gaza has helped me to gain some new perspective. With people complaining that our economy is weak and the fear that we may not be able to afford the luxuries we have become so accustomed to, it is easy to lose valuable perspective. However, when you so sit back and take a look at the world around us and what is happening in it, suddenly our year ahead does not look as bleak as we are being led to believe.
Although a sombre beginning for many, I hope 2009 proves all the sceptics wrong.
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