Daily PR Brief - October 13th, 2016
Good morning. Here are today's top clips -
When Does Media Coverage Push People to Visit a Company’s Site? (Adweek - October 13, 2016)
The No. 1 Factor Affecting Content Marketing And PR (Forbes - October 11, 2016)
Eight Reasons To Invest In Influencer Marketing (Forbes - October 13, 2016)
The Real Difference Between Marketing, Branding, PR and Advertising (Inc. - October 11, 2016)
'Why your press release quotes are rubbish - and you can quote me on this' (The Drum - October 12, 2016)
McBee Strategic rebrands as Signal Group (PR Week - October 13, 2016)
Major & Trade Media Are Best for Tech PR Says Survey (O'Dwyer's - October 13, 2016)
Hemsworth Launches Atlanta Office (O'Dwyer's - October 12, 2016)
Greenough Grabs Two Senior VPs (O'Dwyer's - October 12, 2016)
7 insights PR pros should glean from editors (PR Daily - October 13, 2016)
10 IT terms for PR pros to know (PR Daily - October 13, 2016)
4 reasons PR pros should consider pay-per-click (PR Daily - October 13, 2016)
Merger or acquisition in the works? Here's a comms guide (Ragan - October 13, 2016)
How inept spokespeople can sink your best PR efforts (Ragan - October 13, 2016)
PokerStars Communications Chief Eric Hollreiser (The Echo Chamber podcast | Holmes Report - October 13, 2016)
Integration in Focus: Marketing and Event Planning Team Collaboration Are Critical for Creating Successful Events (Bulldog Reporter - October 13, 2016)
3 Key Trends Influencing the Future of Communications (PRSay - October 13, 2016)
Opinion: Collaboration and crisis comms (Gorkana - October 13, 2016)
Exploring the Differences between Consumer PR and B2B PR (Shift Communications - October 13, 2016)
PR Girls We Love: Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, TishTash PR (PR Couture - October 12, 2016)
Summary Section:
When Does Media Coverage Push People to Visit a Company’s Site?
By Curtis Sparrer, Principal at Bospar
Adweek - October 13, 2016
The Bospar Consumer PR Effectiveness Study polled 1,010 American adults in September to determine how likely people were to visit a tech company’s website based on media coverage. Here’s what we found: if you’re a tech company, a majority of American men will check out your site after repeatedly seeing media placements, with nearly 1 in 5 guys saying they will check out your site the very first time they see an article. Only 13 percent of women say the first story is enough to merit a visit to a company’s website. When it came to age, the demographic most likely to visit a tech company after seeing the first press story were Americans 35-44 years old. The study also found that, by income, those who make $75K-$99K are most likely to visit a tech company’s site the first time they see a media placement.
The No. 1 Factor Affecting Content Marketing And PR
By John Hall, co-founder and CEO, Influence & Co.,
Forbes - October 11, 2016
Your PR and marketing success depends on the trust you’ve built with your audience. As you work to achieve your business goals with content and PR, remember these four points to keep your audience’s trust intact: Your audience can sense blatant self-interest, and if you try to sneak around it, you’ll lose their trust immediately. Address these situations head-on by disclosing any potential biases or conflicts of interest and by acknowledging other companies and leaders in your area. We must embrace an environment of helping others: When you pitch a contributor about a story, do what you can to include a couple of industry leaders you respect. Don’t let your own laziness break your audience’s trust: When I started writing for publications years ago, I was still somewhat focused on what I call “me” marketing. As my team and I developed content, I sometimes thought more about what was interesting to me and who I liked than what my audience wanted from me. Sponsored exposure can come off as inauthentic. Do it wisely: If the only way a brand is presented to its audience is in advertisement or sponsored form, that brand doesn’t exactly come across as a natural leader or authority.
Eight Reasons To Invest In Influencer Marketing
By Forbes Agency Council
Forbes - October 13, 2016
Look at your own Facebook or Instagram feed and you’re likely to scroll past some examples of influencer marketing. As influencer marketing grows, eight Forbes Agency Council members explain why smart brands are investing in it. "Effective influencer marketing begins by reaching out to those who are already talking about you. Their passion for your brand should be genuine. Invest in influencer marketing when your brand already has organic fandom. It will ensure that those you work with will continually be your brand champions long after a specific campaign concludes." - Rebekah Iliff, AirPR
The Real Difference Between Marketing, Branding, PR and Advertising
By Laurel Mintz
Inc. - October 11, 2016
As someone in the marketing world, I get introduced all the time as a publicist. This drives me crazy, not because I have the alphabet soup after my name that I'm very proud of, but because it means people just don't understand the differences between marketing, branding, PR and advertising. There is a big difference between long and short-lead media, which is exactly what it sounds like. And not all media "hits" are created equal. PR is only one of the marketing tools, and in order to be effective, you have to have a great online presence and consumer standing to back it up.
'Why your press release quotes are rubbish - and you can quote me on this'
By Michael Feeley
The Drum - October 12, 2016
Forget about strong-arming your new client for an explicit endorsement of your agency in their quote. They’ve already appointed you – in the minds of most readers that will be endorsement enough. By using the client to explain why you are needed in the first place, you can then use the agency’s own quote to explain how you plan to meet that challenge. The agency quote should use the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the client’s current marketplace and give clues towards the tools and techniques you’ll be using to deliver results. Not only is that information much more interesting to read than the bog-standard “We’re delighted...” quote, it’s also far more direct in transmitting your key messaging to readers who may be prospective clients - which is sort of the point of the press release in the first place.
McBee Strategic rebrands as Signal Group
By Alison Kanski
PR Week - October 13, 2016
The agency has been working on the rebrand since April. Eric Bovim, MD at Signal, said a team worked internally to come up with the new brand, website, and mission. The agency's new mission is focused on providing integrated services to its more than 70 clients to "shape the future for clients and our world." The agency has undergone quite a bit of change in the past few years, with the acquisition by Wiley Rein and merger with Gibraltar Associates. The agency is also doubling down on its digital work, with the hire of Garth Moore to lead digital earlier this year.
Major & Trade Media Are Best for Tech PR Says Survey
By Jack O'Dwyer
O'Dwyer's - October 13, 2016
An “overwhelming majority” of 500+ marketers (85%) surveyed by Bospar believe a top-tier online feature is the best way to drive web traffic, said Curtis Sparrer, principal of the firm. In second place was an industry trade feature story, cited by 70%. Social media, despite the increased focus by PR people on using SM for marketing, was cited by 56% of those in the survey. Top-tier and non-top tier placements as well as top-tier broadcast features and top-tier print features were cited by more than 40% of those in the sample. Only 26% thought paid advertorial in industry media helped drive traffic and 23% thought paid advertorials in top-tier media generated clicks.
Hemsworth Launches Atlanta Office
By Jon Gingerich
O'Dwyer's - October 12, 2016
Georgia native Kathryn Thompson has been appointed to service current accounts in the Atlanta office, the agency reported, and will also assist with networking and new business development. The agency also told O’Dwyer’s that Hemsworth is “actively pursuing” new candidates at all levels to expand the Atlanta team. Hemsworth currently represents several Georgia-based clients, and last month was named global agency of record for Margaritaville Holdings, which maintains an Atlanta office. The agency is also currently in discussions with several travel and hospitality clients in the area, the agency said.
Greenough Grabs Two Senior VPs
By Jon Gingerich
O'Dwyer's - October 12, 2016
Boston agency Greenough Brand Storytellers has promoted Amy McHugh and Brad Puffer to the role of senior vice president. McHugh and Puffer will now help drive strategy at Greenough, develop client brands and support the agency’s growth. They join executive VP Scott Bauman as key account leaders for the agency.
7 insights PR pros should glean from editors
By Craig Corbett
PR Daily - October 13, 2016
What's important is to consider their perspective. So, for you as a writer, your best plan of action is to offer exclusive articles to a handpicked selection of editors, follow up once if they don’t respond within 24 to 48 hours, then move on to the next contact if this radio silence continues. Here are common gripes editors have with submissions, and the lessons we can learn from their comments: Always be graceful. Make your article accessible. Offer real value. Always offer takeaways. Make sure your content fits the publication. Make sure your content is original. Check the publication's style and register. Remember that timing is key.
10 IT terms for PR pros to know
By Laura Hale Brockway
PR Daily - October 13, 2016
I’ve been in enough meetings with marketing, PR and IT professionals to see the pattern. Those on the marketing or PR side make a request. Those on the IT side respond using terms no one else understands. When asked for clarification, the IT folks continue to use unfamiliar terms. It’s frustrating for everyone. To help ease the aggravation, below are frequently used IT terms, along with their definitions (courtesy of Gartner IT glossary).
4 reasons PR pros should consider pay-per-click
By Geoffrey Colon
PR Daily - October 13, 2016
More and more, creative tactics are needed to land campaigns—and to plan and measure them. Here are a few tips for effectively using search tactics, obtaining meaningful data and increasing your interaction: Test your messaging: Plan to run multiple ads before a big campaign or product launch. Using relevant keywords can help you determine which content your target audience finds most engaging. Get immediate visibility: If your PR activities are gaining traction and your website is gaining relevant links, setting up a pay-per-click campaign will help you capture additional searches. Often, it’ll help you reach consumers who might have heard about you on television or social media. Respond quickly in a crisis: PPC ads tend to rank higher than news items. Invest in your ranking if you often respond to controversy or backlash with a link to a press release or blog post statement. Promote your subject matter experts: Nielsen reports that people tend to trust people more than brand messages. Adding a “people power” element to your PR plan and promoting them through PPC on search engines is an excellent way to reach consumers.
Merger or acquisition in the works? Here's a comms guide
By Wojtek Dabrowski
Ragan - October 13, 2016
Before a deal is announced, make sure your department is on the same page as your corporate development, strategy and investor relations (IR) teams. Set up a meeting yourself, or get the head of your department to do it, if you're in a more junior role. Although you and your IR colleagues are both working on communicating the deal, you are doing so with very different audiences. For example, for a communications team, it may seem natural to point out to media outlets that the deal you're announcing is your company's largest acquisition to date. If you do a good job capturing the deal's narrative, my rough estimate is that 75 to 80 percent of your first-draft announcement is likely to survive to the finish line. There will be lots of specific word-choice edits and legal vetting of all documents, but once senior leaders agree on the bulk of the deal's strategic narrative, its essence tends to stay constant.
How inept spokespeople can sink your best PR efforts
By Wojtek Dabrowski
Ragan - October 13, 2016
Practice really does make perfect when it comes to media interviews. Regular training and refresher sessions using either your in-house team or an external expert can be a big help in addressing and avoiding the above-mentioned pitfalls. Company spokespeople are eager to conduct dry runs of crisis scenarios to ensure they're prepared for a misstep or emergency. However, fewer are willing to invest time to practice media interviews regarding good news or to refine how they present information to journalists more generally. Organizations are leaving significant value on the table by neglecting to train their go-to spokespeople. Having a group of polished, prepared and knowledgeable storytellers at your disposal can differentiate you from your competition and elevate your brand.
PokerStars Communications Chief Eric Hollreiser
The Echo Chamber podcast | Holmes Report - October 13, 2016
Eric Hollreiser, corporate communications head at online gaming giant PokerStars, joins the Echo Chamber to discuss the various twists and turns that have defined the company's recent history, starting with 'Black Friday' in 2011, when the US Department of Justice issued indictments that effectively suspended the three largest online poker websites. Hollreiser details the ups and downs of the various communications issues related to these events.
Integration in Focus: Marketing and Event Planning Team Collaboration Are Critical for Creating Successful Events
Bulldog Reporter - October 13, 2016
When you look at the opportunities for collaboration, currently the highest level of collaboration (59 percent) is around email communication. During the planning stages of the event, marketing teams and event planners frequently work together to determine the event’s theme (49 percent), logo (49 percent) and color scheme (37 percent). A majority continue to work together on-site with signage (54 percent), but collaboration drops off when it comes to post-event communications (41 percent) and the event debrief (33 percent), showing opportunities to continue collaboration to determine event success. “Events are critical to business’ bottom line, so marketing and event planning functions must be in sync to ensure that events deliver on the marketing department’s goals,” said Stacey Fontenot, Cvent vice president of platform marketing, in the release.
3 Key Trends Influencing the Future of Communications
By Ken Wincko, SVP of Marketing, Cision and PR Newswire
PRSay - October 13, 2016
Earned media is rated more effective compared to owned and paid media by 81 percent of senior marketers, according to a recent study conducted by Outsell. Directly conversing with consumers through your owned channels and paid media, while still important, doesn’t result in the same level of engagement and trust as earned media does. Less Fragmentation, More Integration: A cohesive ongoing brand narrative, built in coordination with all marketing and communications teams in your organization, creates a more inviting environment for influencers and consumers, ensuring a more productive and beneficial experience. Better Data and Measurement Tools: Communicators have long struggled to prove the value of their efforts. But to stake their claim on a seat at the executive table, demonstrating true ROI isn’t just a need– it’s a requirement.
Opinion: Collaboration and crisis comms
By Emily Andrews
Gorkana - October 13, 2016
Victoria Cross, managing partner at Instinctif Partners, argues that preparation for a crisis relies on collaborative communications. "One of the key components in dealing with a crisis is preparing for outcomes and aspects preemptively. So how can you be certain, in peacetime, that you have considered all the options, and have the full picture in your sights? We advise a proactive approach – encouraging collaboration and making sure the channels of dialogue are open within an organisation before a crisis hits. All businesses should ensure they have covered off a range of areas, from governance and risk management to operational response. What we often see in diagnostic workshops is that collaboration is a natural by-product of crisis preparedness – it encourages cross-team communication to ensure that all areas are anticipated."
Exploring the Differences between Consumer PR and B2B PR
By Megan Nemeh
Shift Communications - October 13, 2016
While basic client goals may overlap for both consumer PR and B2B PR (how many clients wouldn’t love a USA Today hit or CBS Morning News segment?) the nature of desired coverage can range substantially. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t use the words “inform your media strategy” in the paragraph above. When it comes to consumer PR, outreach strategies have evolved far past pitching just traditional media to encompass blogs, influencers, heavily engaging influencers over social media and paid placements. Ultimately, outreach strategy depends on the audience. If it’s a big, widespread, demographically diverse audience, then there’s a very good chance the big picture outreach strategy is equally diverse. This isn’t to say B2B clients don’t work with influencers. In some cases – particularly leading up to a big event or tradeshow – influencer outreach is useful. Most serious B2B companies also have a social media presence, and engage in activities like giveaways. But, most B2B companies aren’t looking for their PR teams to stop pitching eWeek, Network World, The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal anytime soon.
PR Girls We Love: Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, TishTash PR
By Author: Guest Author
PR Couture - October 12, 2016
In 2010 I began work in the UAE for a government-owned media company, Abu Dhabi Media, marketing some their digital brands. It was a challenging role that created great opportunities in the region in a very short period. At the same time, I was concerned about the standards and quality I saw in PR agencies, and communications as a whole, within the region. The Middle East can be a challenging terrain to operate. It is made up of many different countries, and there are different ways of dealing with each, as well as between the Arabic and English media. It is important to understand each market well and the nuances such as language variations and cultural variations to manage regional PR effectively. When the Us and UK magazines were spending time developing their digital presence through online portals and apps, many of the Middle Eastern media companies were still investing money in traditional channels and barely had a social media presence, yet alone a proper digital one. As such, brands needed to find ways to establish an online presence to get the word out and to drive their own digital channels forward. Bloggers and influencers became the easiest way to do this and very quickly brands were investing their time and budgets in them.
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