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?
Monday, 30 November 2009
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!
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