Daily PR Brief - October 25th, 2016
Good morning. Here are today's top clips -
Big Brands Are Enlisting Employees to Create an Army of Social Media Mavens (Adweek - October 24, 2016)
The Media Blueprint is Out: Results from the Business Wire 2016 Media Survey [Links to PDF](BusinessWire - October 25, 2016)
United hires Dana Brooks Reinglass as first chief storyteller (PR Week - October 25, 2016)
W2O Embarks on Executive Development Offering (O'Dwyer's - October 25, 2016)
How to help journalists reach you more quickly and easily (PR Daily - October 25, 2016)
7 traits of excellent PR agencies (PR Daily - October 24, 2016)
PRovoke16: "Numbers Matter" For PR Firms Looking To Sell (The Holmes Report - October 25, 2016)
PRovoke16: "Attitude And Passion" Required By Ambitious PR Firms (The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016)
PRovoke16: Industry "Oligarchs" Not Focused On People Or Clients, Chris Lewis Says (The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016)
PRovoke16: New Generation Of Firms Seeks To Avoid Predecessors' Pitfalls (The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016)
Dealing with Difficult Comms Clients: Find a Way to Love Them, Or Learn to Let Them Go (Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016)
Fiona Hutton & Associates Hires Daniel Simons as Senior Vice President, Development and Innovation (Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016)
PRSA Launches Members Only Mobile App (Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016)
Falcon.io Selects Red Lorry Yellow Lorry as U.S. PR Agency of Record (Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016)
W acquires House PR amid expansion plans (Gorkana - October 25, 2016)
The Value of a Post-Mortem in Communications (Shift Communications - October 25, 2016)
Pro Bono PR Clients? 3 Questions to Ask First (PR Couture - October 24, 2016)
#SocialPR Spotlight: Dinean Robinson (Shonali Burke Consulting - October 24, 2016)
Exploring the future impact of the internet on our relationship with organisations (Chartered Institute of Public Relations - October 24, 2016)
The impact of technology on PR practice over the next 5 years (Chartered Institute of Public Relations - October 24, 2016)
Fighting Sexism in PR: A Need for PRSA Leadership (prTini - October 24, 2016)
PR’s new place (Strategy - October 24, 2016)
Conference Recap: Cybersecurity Expert Theresa Payton on Protecting Your Brand (Public Relations Society of America - October 24, 2016)
Summary Section:
Big Brands Are Enlisting Employees to Create an Army of Social Media Mavens
By Christopher Heine
Adweek - October 24, 2016
A study released in March by Altimeter Group found that 90 percent of brands already used or planned to pursue an employee advocacy program. Among the findings: Twenty-one percent of consumers said they "liked" employee posts about companies, representing an engagement rate that easily bests most social advertising campaigns at a much lesser cost. "It is not expensive," noted Bart Casabona, director of social media at Pitney Bowes. "It's one of the biggest reasons I jump out of bed every morning." Humana now has about 2,900 employees involved with its own advocacy program, which only had 500 members at the beginning of the year. Focusing on content style and giving employees "an expert voice" on how to handle Twitter and Facebook posts are keys to success, according to Jason Spencer, the healthcare company's social media community manager.
The Media Blueprint is Out: Results from the Business Wire 2016 Media Survey [Links to PDF]
By Vilan Trub
BusinessWire - October 25, 2016
This survey offers an in depth look at the branded news industry from the very perspective that Comm Pros need. It details everything from how journalists and reporters look for stories to how they prefer to be reached, from the best day of week and time to method (email, phone, etc). In an interesting reversal from last year’s survey, this year 50% of respondents, the majority, perceive The New York Times “traditional” style of media as being the future of news media, while the BuzzFeed “interactive” model came in second. Journalists that use a newswire do so daily (54%) with nearly a quarter using one several times a day (24%). One expectation is that over 50% of media surveyed want between a minimum of 1-5 years of historical press releases available within the online newsroom, while almost 30% want the organization's entire archive.
United hires Dana Brooks Reinglass as first chief storyteller
By Diana Bradley
PR Week - October 25, 2016
Reinglass is reporting to Jim Olson, United’s SVP of corporate communications, with a dotted line to Mark Krolick, MD of marketing and product development. Reinglass is overseeing United’s internal and external social media properties in terms of how the airline engages employees and customers through storytelling. The airline’s external social channels include its Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram accounts. United has an internal site called Flying Together and a Twitter handle, @WeAreUnited, focused on the company’s employees. Reinglass will also focus on storytelling curation, the airline’s news agenda, and identifying and modernizing United’s storytelling platform. For instance, United has a newsroom on United.com comprised of press releases and fact sheets, as well as a website called United Hub that was initially created as a destination-focused marketing site.
W2O Embarks on Executive Development Offering
By Jon Gingerich
O'Dwyer's - October 25, 2016
That new offering, titled Connect, will counsel executives, external thought leaders and key opinion leaders on matters of corporate messaging, organizational positioning and strategy articulation so they can “navigate and engage more effectively in positioning and propelling their organizations, strategies, programs and brands to advance their strategic decision-making capabilities and more creatively and effectively shape their narrative,” the agency said in a statement. W2O’s global practice leader of executive communications Mike Huckman will lead Connect.
How to help journalists reach you more quickly and easily
By Meggan Manson, Principal with Young & Associates
PR Daily - October 25, 2016
Digital marketing and social media have added to the decline of many online newsrooms—where organizations share news, facts and relevant contacts. Choose reliable people to head your online PR program. Tap one of them to be your external PR team lead. Make sure they know media relations protocols and company sensitivities and will respond to reporters in a timely manner. Check your website. Don’t hesitate to list names and contact information. Take all necessary steps to ensure that reporters can reach you.
7 traits of excellent PR agencies
By Brigg Patten
PR Daily - October 24, 2016
Here are seven traits that excellent PR agencies possess: Have good reputations. Get to know their clients. Work well with others. Have active social media presences. Test knowledge of trends. Are well connected. Are affordable.
PRovoke16: "Numbers Matter" For PR Firms Looking To Sell
By Aarti Shah
The Holmes Report - October 25, 2016
Independent PR firms looking towards an eventual sale must do more than produce good work — they must properly structure the company to maximize the firm’s value. The PR industry saw 89 transactions close since June 2015 and 57% of those transactions were made by independent buyers, 39% by public company buyers and 4% by private equity firms. PAN Communications founder/CEO Phil Nardone says as a buyer (the firm recently bought the San Francisco-based Vantage PR) “we had to learn to say no, which is hard for a firm my size because of the amount of time these deals take.” Most of the deals he considered included a multiplier for the seller that increased each year of the earnout.
PRovoke16: "Attitude And Passion" Required By Ambitious PR Firms
By Arun Sudhaman
The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016
"Attitude and culture are more important than the skills and knowledge," said SPRG founder and chairman Richard Tsang. "I prefer people who can all-round see the big picture. Specialist skills are easy to recruit." Many PR firms, of course, are addressing this challenge by bringing in non-traditional skills. Two of the firms on stage — rbb and French/West/Vaughan — used acquisition to bridge this gap. "Clients want everything faster and I didn’t feel there was time to organically build these skills from within," said Barney, regarding rbb's acquisition of an advertising agency and a digital firm.
PRovoke16: Industry "Oligarchs" Not Focused On People Or Clients, Chris Lewis Says
By Paul Holmes
The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016
Challenging the dominance of the industry “oligarchs,” he argued that professional service firms should be more focused on training and development and client service than on “the interests of a few fund managers in Zurich.” While Lewis acknowledges that his firm needs to be larger in the US—where about half of the world’s PR spend originates—challenging the incumbents means more investment in training, among other things. His firm spends £1 million on training, he said. “Training is very important, when you train people you as the trainer learn too.”
PRovoke16: New Generation Of Firms Seeks To Avoid Predecessors' Pitfalls
By Paul Holmes
The Holmes Report - October 24, 2016
Others—most of whom worked in big agencies—felt that they needed to address hierarchical structures and resulting lack of responsiveness, and the narrow traditional definition of what PR firms to do, developing more integrated offers and the ability to deliver them in a nimble, agile way. Aman Gupta of Indian independent SPAG has also been focused on acquiring or hiring new kinds of talent. “We are more focused on the public affairs and advocacy side of the business,” he said. “But we have established a dedicated brand working on the digital side. We have a new acquisition that is focused on content production.” The most common mistake identified by firms seeking to create new models was having the discipline to work only for clients for whom the new models were right.
Dealing with Difficult Comms Clients: Find a Way to Love Them, Or Learn to Let Them Go
By Dave Marinaccio, CCO and Co-Founder, LMO Agency
Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016
The importance of “the human factor” in business makes positive client relationships all the more crucial to the success of an organization. Many profitable accounts are very bad clients. One of the great myths in business is that you can turn a bad client into a good client. Not only is this critical in motivating employees, but clients know when they are not liked. It’s impossible to hate a client and pretend you like him or her. All business is personal, whether you are picking up dry cleaning, signing expense checks or giving the most important new business presentation of your life. It will always come back to people.
Fiona Hutton & Associates Hires Daniel Simons as Senior Vice President, Development and Innovation
Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016
Fiona Hutton & Associates (FHA), one of California’s leading independently-owned communications and public affairs agencies, announced the addition of Daniel Simons as a senior vice president and member of the agency’s senior leadership team. In this new role, Simons will lead the creation of FHA’s digital and creative client offerings.
PRSA Launches Members Only Mobile App
Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced the launch of its new PRSA Member App. The PRSA Member App will utilize theEMPLOYEEapp technology platform developed by APPrise Mobile and is only available to PRSA Members. Through the app, for the first time, PRSA members will have convenient access to the latest edition of Issues and Trends, top-rated webinars, Association web portals, exclusive content and more on their preferred mobile device. In the coming months, discounts and other member perks will also be made available through the app.
Falcon.io Selects Red Lorry Yellow Lorry as U.S. PR Agency of Record
Bulldog Reporter - October 25, 2016
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry will support Falcon’s international expansion strategy by strengthening the Danish company’s brand awareness in the United States. Driven from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s office in Boston, the communications campaign will focus on building brand awareness and thought leadership around Falcon’s innovative approach to customer experience management.
W acquires House PR amid expansion plans
By Kaltrina Bylykbashi
Gorkana - October 25, 2016
The deal will add scale to W in the UK, while it also grows internationally. House PR will keep its name and continue to trade as a standalone business within the wider group. House PR will bring in expertise in entertainment and hospitality brands as well as a strong reputation for delivering culturally relevant creative campaigns, according to W. This will provide W with increased ability to ‘manage conflict effectively’.
The Value of a Post-Mortem in Communications
By Tori Sabourin, Senior Marketing Analyst
Shift Communications - October 25, 2016
Borrowed from project management best practices, a post-mortem is a meeting scheduled soon after a project ends dedicated to discussing best practices and learnings. Especially in a traditional public relations agency structure, roles are designed to be hierarchical, with well-defined to do’s and responsibilities for each role. Post-mortems give teams a chance to knowledge share about the project as a whole from the top-down; account coordinators may have noticed a logistical efficiency that would save managers time in the long run; and vice versa, it gives more junior members of the team the opportunity to see how a project runs start to finish, as well as how their actions impact the rest of the team. The bottom line with post-mortems is simple: inform, educate and improve the team. Clear communication of what worked, what didn’t work and other key learnings and best practices will only set your team up for success in the future.
Pro Bono PR Clients? 3 Questions to Ask First
By Britta Relyea
PR Couture - October 24, 2016
Often, non-profits and small businesses are unable to afford the type of PR that could help them succeed and bring exposure to their cause or product and it is not uncommon for these organizations to reach out to PR agencies for free or discounted services. Here are three things to consider when deciding whether or not to accept a pro-bono client: Can you financially afford the non-billable time? How much time can you dedicate you the pro bono account? How does the pro bono client support agency goals?
#SocialPR Spotlight: Dinean Robinson
By Shonali Burke, President & CEO at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.
Shonali Burke Consulting - October 24, 2016
"My name is Dinean Robinson, and I’m a Jersey girl born and raised. I help organizations, brands, and people identify and tell their best stories. In my opinion, Social PR has become the key to connect with and influence communities and to succeed in business. My power is mastery of tools! I have an uncanny ability to learn how to identify and implement the use of social tools quickly and in a way that’s connected to achieving my client’s goals."
Exploring the future impact of the internet on our relationship with organisations
By Stephen Waddington, Partner and Chief Engagement Officer, Ketchum and Visiting
Chartered Institute of Public Relations - October 24, 2016
Organisations, particularly in the consumer, lifestyle and travel sectors, have embraced the opportunity to work with influencers and benefit from the reach of their network. It’s an approach that is very similar to the traditional publicity model. Savvy brands are creating their own newsroom environments, creating content often in partnership with traditional media publishers, and publishing it via earned, owned and social media channels. The benefit is a direct and sustained relationship with publics. We believe our expertise in storytelling and editorial engagement makes this market a natural play for public relations, rather than advertising.
The impact of technology on PR practice over the next 5 years
By Andrew Smith
Chartered Institute of Public Relations - October 24, 2016
In summary, we are at the very early stages of the information gathering and research phase of the CIPR Foresight Panel’s work. Even so, based on the evidence to date, practitioners generally seem to fall into the ‘techno optimist’ camp in that they believe computers won’t be able to think or write creatively, or be able to formulate viable PR strategies. There is certainly a belief that intrinsically core elements of PR practice that won’t get automated any time soon. It is too early to say whether the techno optimist or techno pessimist camps are right. Whether technology can replace both the predictable and routine elements of PR work as well as apparent ‘untouchables’ such as creativity remains to be seen.
Fighting Sexism in PR: A Need for PRSA Leadership
By Heather Whaling, Founder Geben Communication
prTini - October 24, 2016
As a field, Public relations is approximately 70% female. You’d think such a female-dominated industry would be beyond the sexism so rampant in other industries; however, we witnessed first-hand this morning that that’s just not reality. This sparked a dialogue, as well as a bunch of likes and retweets – all of which got me thinking about the roots of the problem. Only 30% of agency leaders are female. Something is happening that’s preventing women from proportionally rising to the top levels of the industry – and it has nothing to do with the lack of qualified women. Instead, this tweet offers a stark reminder that sexism – implicit and explicit – is alive and well in public relations. I recognize it’s hard to add an additional programming track. If you’re open to the idea, I will personally volunteer to serve as “track captain” – curating, vetting and organizing content to ensure the segment delivers a valuable, meaningful, action-oriented experience for all attendees (men and women alike. After all, this isn’t just a “women’s issue.”)
PR’s new place
By Lisa Kimmel, President and CEO, Edelman Canada.
Strategy - October 24, 2016
Brands aren’t always able to connect with consumers through typical advertising channels anymore, with ad blocking and cord-cutting from cable subscribers contributing to ad invisibility. Different perspectives and approaches can help boost engagement for brands, which is key to driving sales. Consumers are becoming the chief content creators; social media is now where readers get much of their news – recommended by friends – instead of going directly to media brands. Search has also changed the pecking order of influence: the winners are newer brands with provocative headlines and engaging video. Consumers are becoming the chief content creators; social media is now where readers get much of their news – recommended by friends – instead of going directly to media brands. Search has also changed the pecking order of influence: the winners are newer brands with provocative headlines and engaging video. As Edelman’s Catherine Yuile pointed out recently, as the world of communications marketing is changing, so too should our measurement plans. Brand marketers must go deeper than impressions into engagement and impact, and focus on what they’re ultimately trying to achieve – conversion, interest, trust, commitment and so on – in order to advance their business.
Conference Recap: Cybersecurity Expert Theresa Payton on Protecting Your Brand
By Amy Jacques
Public Relations Society of America - October 24, 2016
You must be prepared for a crisis, and practicing for a digital disaster is critical for all businesses, she said at today's General Session at the PRSA 2016 International Conference. She suggests thinking about your company’s top two most critical assets and asking yourself: “What’s in the line of sight?” Also, practicing for digital disaster is key. A few important action items: Review contracts with vendors, choose representatives to speak, brainstorm in groups, discuss permissions, review privacy settings and remember to focus on the customer too. Incidents are often leaked before the victims can investigate, and companies face several waves of unwanted media over the course of the breach that must be managed. “A data breach is the only crime that we blame the victim,” Payton said. “You can win your customers back if you are transparent. Be quick, effective and consistent.”
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