Partners-in-PR

ROI in PR

Laurie Riedman

As an independent PR and marketing consultant I do a lot of project work.  Especially in this sluggish economy -- companies don’t want – or can’t -- commit to a monthly retainer so they call me in to conduct media relations around a specific news announcements or event.

Project work is successful.  Most often we can generate media interest around a specific news event.  The journalist gets a nice story and the client is happy.

Economic indicators such as the increase in new business activity I’ve seen in the last few months are pointing to a positive trend in increasing the ol’ marketing / PR budget for 2011.    As a result, I’m hopeful that some of my clients will consider the benefits of implementing a longer-term more strategic  PR program this year.

Don’t get me wrong -- I’m not saying that there isn’t a place and time for project PR – but in this competitive world I believe conducting your PR on a project basis should be the exeption rather than the norm.

As I often make the case to my current and prospective clients, if you are conducting media relations on a project-by-project basis you are not getting the full ROI.   Let’s face it, if Coca-Cola only engaged in publicity when they had a new formula you would be drinking Pepsi.

Publicity requires reach and repetition. That means lots of placements, lots of times, lots of different places. Conducting media calls and getting a few hits every once in awhile may scratch an immediate itch for a placement or two but it does little to develop business and raise awareness of your brand. 

With the decline in traditional newspapers and the rise of social media and online outlets raising awareness isn’t only sending a press release out every now and again.   It’s about listening.  It’s about engaging in conversation.   And you can’t do that every once in awhile.

 

It’s the Content – Not necessarily the media that counts

I wish I could have attended Ad:Tech this week but alas being sick for what feels like an eternity necessitated that I stay in the office to catch up on work.  However, thanks to great coverage of the keynotes and sessions I’ve been able to keep up with what’s been happening there while nestled in my cozy office in Upstate New York. 

This morning I read a great article Dan Butcher from Mobile Marketer (a must read if you want to know anything about marketing via mobile) wrote about Lauren Zalaznick, president of women and lifestyle entertainment networks at NBC Universal Inc., New York and her  keynote.

I do wish I was in the audience to hear her share compelling data about NBC’s novel recipe for mixing traditional and social media.  It’s clear from her remarks that there is a place for both traditional and social media in marketing and that perhaps folks that are focused too much on the fate of traditional media are missing the point. 

I couldn’t agree more.

Mobile Marketer quoted Laura as saying “Old media versus new media is really an artificial distinction. The medium is not important—what’s important is how people use these new channels, how they consume entertainment and how we all get paid for that experience.

Another point she made that I totally agree with (and I’ve been telling clients this for years) is that the name of the game is CONTENT. 

 As Laura stated -- “Quality content wins—it’s not the medium, it’s the content that creates an enduring connection with the consumer.”

Enough said.

CHILI PALMER MEETS THE PRESS RELEASE

 

SUZETTE NORRIS

 

It’s trade show season again, and this time of year always reminds me of the movie Get Shorty.

 

 

There's a scene when Chili Palmer (John Travolta) gets an expensive coat ripped off in a restaurant. If you listen, you’ll notice he doesn't say "hey, where's my coat - it cost four hundred bucks."

Instead, he takes the owner aside and says, "You see a black leather jacket, fingertip length, has lapels like a suit coat? You don't, you owe me three seventy-nine."

 

 

The line is funny -- but more importantly it works because it's specific.

 

 As you head into the trade show frenzy, don’t make the mistake of pumping out news releases, tweets and other messages that are of the "four hundred bucks" variety. Take a minute to check the delivery.

 

 

Headline writing comes a lot faster -- and your message is more effective -- if you look for an interesting detail to hang it on... Here are two tips (with examples) to keep in mind:

1.  BEWARE of words like “advances”

 

Humana Advances Its Mobile Experience for Members

Members Can Instantly Find In-Network Health Care Providers, Review Claims, Receive Guidance Via Text Messages, and Download Health Entertainment Applications

 

(YAWN!!)

 

 

2. SHARE interesting details

 

Best Buy Mobile Survey Finds One in Two Consumers Don't Know When Their Mobile Phone Contract Expires

 

(NOT EARTHSHAKING BUT ENOUGH TO KEEP READING)

 

 

So good luck this season, and remember another classic from Chili:

 

"I'm not gona say any  more than I have to - if that"

 

GONE FISHIN*!

 

 

Laurie Riedman: Unplugging in Today’s World

I listened to a recent NPR report on  a phenomenon called “Digital Overload”.  The report cited research from the University of California that indicates the average person today consumes almost three times as much information as what the typical person consumed in 1960 . Three times!

And The New York Times reports that the average computer user checks 40 websites a day and can switch programs 36 times an hour.   A New York Times/CBS News poll found that 30 percent of people under 45 said the use of devices like smart phones and personal computers has made it harder to concentrate.

Recently my husband and I were out to dinner and I couldn’t help but notice another couple a few tables away.  They didn’t look like they were even talking and then I noticed that one of them was paying attention to their phone and not their partner.  It was sad.

What is wrong with us? 

I’m just as much a culprit as anyone.  As a PR consultant to technology companies I’m contributing to the problem by touting the benefits of immediate access to information and helping hot new mobile companies get the word about their applications.    I love my mobile phone and how it helps me stay connected while out of the office -- but I’m starting to wonder where this is leading us.

A recent post in the Huffington Post by Mike Robbins has given me hope.  Mike challenges us to unplug from all electronics – phone, texting, email, TV just for one day a week.  

I have to admit –like Mike in his Huffington piece -- I justify being connected 24/7 to the fact that I run my own business and have to stay connected in order to make sure I'm taking care of my clients and  generating new business.   I even recently wrote a blog post for the Information Sanity Blog for Xerox (a client of mine) about my inbox addiction.  (BTW – read it and share your comments please!)

Now that I’ve read about Mike’s Sunday Unplug challenge – I am going to try it.   I know it won’t be easy – but I hope that for at least one day – I can find peace in this very electronic instant world.  Will you join me?  

 

 

Don't Leave the Buzz Out of Your Trade Show Strategy

 
  
  FALL 2010

CTIA BUZZ: PR Projects –

a la carte

Has your marketing and PR budget been hit? If you are like most of companies the economy

has not been kind to marketing communications efforts. Yet it’s important to keep your name

out there – especially in this challenging economic climate.

Just in time for CTIA, we are offering an

a la carte menu of PR services, allowing you to pick

and choose tactics that will bring quick and powerful results without making a long term

financial commitment.

Here is a sampling of what we offer. For a full menu with pricing, contact us.

Press Release writing/distribution

 

Opinion Piece/Bylined Article writing (great for CTIA Daily publication)

 

Case History development (smart booth handout for media/analysts/customers)

 

Message Strategy development (develop ideas that resonate with the media/analysts)

 

Media Relations: manage /arrange media appointments before and during show

 

Analyst Relations: Influence the “influencers” of the industry

 

Virtual Media Tour: Develop/manage a way to take your messages beyond CTIA

2010 Forecast: A Blue Moon Year of Possibilities

I was watching the weather channel on New Year’s Eve (OK – I promise I wasn’t watching the top 10 storm count down or anything) but I did learn that we experienced a rare occurrence of a Blue Moon on New Year’s Eve. 

A blue moon is when there are two full moons in a month and just as the saying goes – once in a blue moon – this doesn’t happen often.   (Note: it happens about every 2.5 years) and even less often on NY’s eve (every 20 years).

 There is something clean and fresh about starting a brand New Year isn’t there?   

I sense that this year will be a “blue moon” of sorts for independent consultants.  Here’s why:

          1. Business Forecast: Partly Sunny Skies Ahead

I’m not an economist – but there are many folks predicting that brighter times are ahead and that the economy – and business – will get stronger in the coming year.  I certainly see this happening in the mobile industry.

With the Google acquisition of AdMob for a mere $750 million –  ccombined with a few industry studies citing encouraging mobile  trends --   Millennial Media's  recent "state of the industry" study  that points to bigger marketing budgets and an increase in   mobile advertising in the year ahead – I’m feeling optimistic that    mobile companies will be looking to increase marketing and PR      programs in 2010. 

2.    Budget Thaw Moving In

Marketing execs will be waking from their 2009 budget freeze   slumber looking for innovative (and cost effective) ways to invest in  new marketing and PR programs in 2010.   

In fact, conversations with prospective and current clients and   fellow marketers at the close of 2009 lead me to believe  marketing and PR budgets will be funded as companies continue  find their new footing in 2010 and begin to look for new ways to promote their products and services via strategic partnerships.

        3. 80 % Chance of Rain – Possible Resource Storms Ahead  

Make no mistake – it won’t be raining marketing dollars as the majority of companies face 2010.  I predict we will need to sit tight and get ready for the continued push to do more with less.

There is a solution for marketing directors facing the smaller in-house teams and limited resources and budgets that are on  the horizon for 2010. 

Companies should look to  independent  consultants to fill in the gaps and provide cost-effective resources to help them weather the resource storm ahead.   In  fact, check out Thomas Friedman’s  thoughts on what he calls  “the do it yourself economy” …   some great resources cited here.

Our clients like Xerox, Corning and Bango know the value of         hiring  independent consultants as extensions of their in-house teams.   

That’s why I am hoping for a ‘blue moon’ for us independents this  year. 

What do you think?

- Laurie Riedman

Our "take" gets play in Mobile Marketer

Mobile Marketer, a leading news publication covering mobile marketing, media and commerce published some of our insights on public relations. The article provides tips on how PR tactics (new and old) can help brands rise above the din of an increasingly "noisy" marketplace.  http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/4944.html

 Ammo needed to win the mobile marketing PR battle

December 23, 2009

By Laurie Riedman and Suzette Norris

The Federal Communications Commission’s “it’s all about mobile” recent comment brought to mind an observation made by a mobile company executive who has been in the industry for more than a decade.
“Figures… now that we’ve got legitimate news to share it’s nearly impossible to be heard,” the marketing VP quipped. “It feels a bit like Who-ville with everyone shouting ‘We are here, we are here.’”
The noise out there is mounting, but there are firms winning the mindshare battle every day.

Take a look at the news coverage recently garnered by Pinch Media, a New York-based mobile analytics firm which launched last year. This fall it offered up some surprising facts about iPhone downloads – and wow, did the media sit up and take notice.

So it is possible to be heard above all the din, but mobile companies need to move beyond conventional public relations tactics. In other words, it is not good enough just to “shout” – you have got to shout smart.

Some ammo needed for winning the mindshare battle:

 Understand the difference between “news” and marketing. Take the time to articulate your messages and back them with good writing.

If you go outside for help, make sure you hire a PR firm or consultant that knows the mobile ecosystem. The folks covering the industry want facts – not hype – about how your company or your clients are using mobile technology to reach their customers and consumers.

 Offer insight. Be willing to make predictions about the direction of the industry based on data or on your expertise.

Convince the media you are trying to add value to what they do – not simply sell a product or service. One way to do this is to suggest other relevant “experts” in the industry. Build an ongoing relationship with editors, bloggers and analysts by becoming a worthwhile resource for them.

 Give your press releases a voice. News releases are an effective tool for organizing and telling a story but they need to be backed with good outreach.

Target an audience for your news and go after it with customized pitches for each target.

 Content is king. Create community by sharing resources, information or opinion on your own Web site or via any number of social media sites.

 Participate in “the conversation” on influential blogs and online publications by commenting on news events and trends in the mobile industry.

The growth of mobile technology is opening up untold opportunity for innovative digital marketers. Smart PR can establish, nurture and promote relationships with the media, analysts and other industry watchers that will help your voice and your message be heard above the rest.

Laurie Riedman and Suzette Norris are independent public relations consultants specializing in mobile PR. Their joint site is at http://partnersinpr.typepad.com. Ms. Riedman is principal of Riedman Communications, Canandaigua, NY. Reach her at laurie@riedmancomm.com. Ms. Norris is principal of Prospero Communications, Canandaigua, NY. Reach her at suzette@prosperocommunications.com

 

Social Media ROI: Use your head!

 

The art of culling (versus clipping)….

The buzz around ROI and social media brings to mind the now extinct practice of “news clips.” Back in the day, entry-level public relations people would spend most of their time scanning newspapers and magazines for mentions of their clients or companies. Then they would clip, copy, staple and serve up the clips to senior execs or clients to show how much the public relations firm or department was “doing.” Often little (if any) thought was given to how and if the news clips actually improved business.

In today’s sophisticated digital realm, it’s inconceivable that companies would be “had” by this simplistic approach to public relations or marketing – but in the middle of the social media frenzy there are signs of this very thing.

During a recent talk about measuring social media, David Berkowitz, an online columnist and director of New York-based digital marketing agency 360i, pointed out the importance of not only “clipping” the results of social media marketing but culling the public perceptions, attitudes and awareness that come from them. He cited the example of a company that gained a huge spike in post volume after a particular marketing effort – but on closer inspection discovered most of the online conversation was coming from fellow marketers -- not customers.  

That’s not to say that measuring the return on a social media is impossible. Every day there are an increasing number of tools to help determine what’s working and what’s not – but like my father used to say…it’s not worth a dime if it’s not coupled with a little common sense.

--  Suzette Norris, Partners-in-PR

Geeks-R-Us

Laurie Riedman

One of the hazards of being a PR consultant in the technology space for so many years is that you, well, sort of become a geek yourself.  At least your inner geek comes out from time to time - especially when a really cool innovation comes along.

Well, that happened to me this week when I helped Xerox get the word out about a new nano silver ink that holds great promise for the commercialization of printable plastic circuits.

Yippie - my inner geek got to come out and play!

I was able to craft the right message working with a scientist at Xerox so that even someone like my grandmother could understand the significance of the news.    And I was able to  connect and share this really cool news with tech writers, editors and bloggers - who also thought it was pretty innovative.

Hundreds of blog posts and tweets later -- we are still finding clips that are still showing up days after the release hit the wires and the social media landscape.  Read a sampling of coverage at CNET, Venture Beat, Popular Science or PC Magazine for example. 

Slashdot even posted it and there are over 166 comments there alone. 

If you want to hear more about this news -- check out the post I penned for Xerox's corporate blog - Real Business At Xerox.  It explains the significance of the innovation and a bit more about the news.....and you can see some of my inner geek come out for yourself!

Geek out :)

What we bring to the table...

 
  
Partners-in-PR is a media relations consultancy with a customer list spanning North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. We’ve worked with and for Fortune 500 companies such as Xerox, IBM and Corning as well as smaller technology-driven businesses in mobile telecom, healthcare, manufacturing and life sciences.

Our approach is built on the idea of teamwork. When working with clients, we prefer to become part of a team, drawing on our skills and expertise in communication to offer up ideas and be proactive on a day-to-day basis. As independent consultants, Laurie Riedman and Suzette Norris deliver best-of-class media/analyst relations, PR and communication strategy more cost effectively than traditional agencies.

To learn more about Partners-in-PR, please scroll down to the bios and customer testimonials below. We can be reached via email: laurie[at]riedmancomm.com or suzette[at]prosperocommunications.com. And please stop by again...we periodically post ideas and updates here about how PR can help your brand rise above the noise!