Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
It’s no question that visual content has seen an uptick in the past year. Between the growing popularity and competition between major social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, as well as the steady hype around VR integrations to enhance the user experience, the opportunity for diversifying marketing campaigns and introducing exciting visuals such a video, is vast.
When you wake up in the morning, you can guarantee that your inbox will be flooded sales emails. As consumers, we are exposed to mass amounts of content up to the minute – so much content, that even reading through one unsolicited email can be a daunting task. In fact, four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
With that overwhelming fact and statistics of similar gravity, standing out from the pack can be difficult. Consumers are so selective with their attention spans that businesses must switch up marketing campaigns in order to keep up with our changing expectations and preferences.
Video marketing is a great way to do just that. Videos are a creative way to share news and connect with your current and potential customers. Integrating visuals, such as video clips, into your company’s social media accounts, blog posts and distribution of marketing content can help raise awareness around your brand and can even inspire new ideas with a fresh platform in the mix.
The infographic (another great visual option) below offers a cheat sheet, illustrating the “why,” “where” and “how-to” for helping businesses use video marketing to better connect with their target audiences. In addition to the infographic’s examples for perfecting video marketing strategies, three additional opportunities to test out video campaigns include:
- Helpful how-tos. How-to videos and checklists allow the viewer to understand how your product works, as well as envision himself/herself using it.
- Visual results. Using videos to showcase survey and research results will save your audience time from having to scroll through pages of data. Videos that quickly and comprehensively communicate results will be best for spiking interest in the data and intrigue in future reports.
- Repurposed content. If your company has previously written content that was particularly popular among your audience, you may want to consider resurfacing it. Posting a short video “teasing” the topic on social media can entice viewers to click on the link, driving traffic to your website and making great use of evergreen content.
Altogether, diversifying your marketing mix with video will not go unnoticed. One in four consumers actually lose interest in a company if it doesn’t have video. If done effectively, your customers will thank you for sparing them from another bland report and may even inspire them to share your fresh content on their social media channels.
Has your company mixed things up with cool video clips or visuals? Let us know in the comments section below!
Last month we met with our client Flowroute to kick off 2017 planning and recap some of the great results that Communiqué PR and the Flowroute team secured in 2016.
We’ve been working with Flowroute for a little over a year now and both the company and its broader industry has grown significantly.
Flowroute provides cloud-based communications services, enabling businesses to integrate calling and messaging into mobile applications. Think about the last time you texted a driver with a car sharing service or booked a vacation rental through a mobile app, for example. Cloud-based service providers like Flowroute aren’t tied to a physical infrastructure – their business is based on delivering open access to telecom resources such as phone numbers, inbound and outbound calling, text messaging and advanced signaling data.
We focused our media relations in 2016 on a combination of news-driven outreach and proactive pitches that capitalized on timely industry trends. This ensured that we were communicating regularly with journalists, analysts and influencers, and keeping Flowroute top of mind. In all, more than 50 percent of Flowroute’s coverage came from corporate and product news, while almost 40 percent originated from proactive pitching.
Communiqué PR also targeted industry analysts and influencers as part of our 2016 efforts for Flowroute. The benefits of this are manifold: (1) analysts serve as advisors for enterprise organizations looking to make a purchase decision; (2) analysts also frequently contribute to industry publication as columnists, so it’s possible to secure editorial coverage from an analyst briefing – a win-win! And (3) analysts often serve as moderators or co-chairs for industry conferences – this can lead to speaker placement if your company and technology are on their radar.
Below are some of the highlights of the results that Communiqué PR was able to secure for Flowroute:
- Developed 18 proactive pitches, targeting enterprise trade press, top-tier business media, developer-focused publications and the channel/partner press
- Secured 50+ briefings with press and analysts
- Secured 103 articles over the course of 2016, including nine contributed articles for Flowroute executives
- Vast majority of coverage came from technology-focused publications (70 percent), followed by local Seattle media (13 percent) and marketing trade press (7 percent)
- Nearly half of the coverage (48 percent) was stand-alone, meaning Flowroute was the only vendor mentioned
- A third of the coverage came from industry wrap-up articles about cloud communications, CPaaS, Unified Communications, etc.
A sample of 2016’s coverage is below:
- App Developer Magazine: Busting a Move: Lessons for entrepreneurs from the world of competitive hip-hop dance
- Chief Marketer: How VOIP Can Help Marketing Attribution
- Communications Applications: Flowroute’s New SDK Program Means New and Better Tools for Developers
- Destination CRM: Flowroute Announces Software Development Kit
- DevsWorld: Survey, ITEXPO Panel Discuss SMS Imperative
- Disruptive Views: What saying yes to telecom APIs can do for your enterprise
- Geekwire: Geek of the Week: Flowroute co-founder Sean Hsieh makes the right moves in dance and business
- Hospitality Technology: PhoneSuite Receives Interoperability Certification from Flowroute
- Internet Telephony: Flowroute Highlights the Gargantuan Opportunity for APIs
- IP PBX: Epygi Technologies Achieves Flowroute Interoperability Certification
- Mad Marketer: SMS Marketing Can Pay Off Big
- No Jitter: Utilizing APIs to Advance Telecom, Business Growth, Customer Experience
- Programmable Web: Flowroute Expands SDK Program With Introduction of .NET SDK
- TechSeen: Flowroute introduces Communication Application Program
- TechTarget/SearchUnifiedCommunications: Predicting enterprise communications innovation in 2017
- TMCNet: API of the Week: Use Flowroute to Access the Multibillion Dollar Telecom API Space
- WebRTC World: Flowroute Co-founder Explains How APIs Are Impacting Telecom
According to Ed Madison, a professor at University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, “Acknowledging and honoring students’ intrinsic interests is often a gateway to deeper and more complex learning.”
This belief, and his subsequent research around it, led Madison to work with Esther Wojcicki, the creator of the esteemed journalism program at Palo Alto High School, and Tara Lynda Guber, the founder of Yoga Ed to establish the donor-funded Journalistic Learning Initiative (JLI), a program for middle and high school students. JLI is a collaboration between the School of Journalism and Communication and the College of Education.
It all started when Madison decided to pursue his Ph.D. in Mass Communications and Society. After a successful 30-year career in journalism, where he served as one of founding producers for CNN and then produced content for a number of major networks, studios, and record companies, Madison was ready for a change and went back to school.
“As part of my doctorate work,” explained Madison, “I had the opportunity to meet Esther Wojcicki and learn about the journalism program she created. Woj, as she is affectionately called, and the other dynamic instructors at Palo Alto High School are having a tremendous impact on kids. Their work inspired my dissertation and then the creation of JLI.”
Each year nearly one-third of Palo Alto High School’s 1800 students participate in its journalism program and they produce seven different publications, many of which consistently win top national honors. In addition, the program helps these students learn key skills around critical thinking, research, and collaboration that will help them throughout their lives.
Guber also has had a long commitment to transforming education. In addition to Yoga Ed., she was a founding member of the board of directors of The Accelerated School, an internationally recognized charter public school in South Central Los Angeles and TIME magazine Elementary School of the Year. When she heard Wojcicki speak about the Palo Alto program, she got involved.
Madison soon began to explore high school language arts instruction methods and journalism’s potential influence on the overall student learning process. His research found that high school journalism students rated social-situated learning, intrinsic motivation, and skill enhancement higher than their non-journalism counterparts did. This became the cornerstone of the JLI curricula.
Instead of learning from lectures and textbooks, journalistic-learning students complete situational-based work, which is aligned with their current course work or individual interests. For instance, one instructor asked her students to select a beat – such as robotics, arts or gaming – and find an expert to interview. Leveraging online databases and articles, students identified and scheduled in-person or Skype meetings with them. They then produced articles summarizing their findings.
From this activity, students gained practical experience citing sources, improved their proficiency in non-fiction reading, and developed better writing and editing skills. Students also benefited by having their work reviewed by peers before they published it online.
Another key element of the program is ensuring that busy middle and high school teachers have the right support. To address this issue, the JLI works with UO’s College of Education to match recent UO Journalism graduates with teachers. The graduates provide teachers with support helping them to identify and design specific projects. They also help each week in the classroom to answer technology questions, and they assist students with research.
The cost of implementing this program varies by location, but it is not as expensive as one might imagine. For $10,000 to $20,000, donors can underwrite a semester and make a huge difference in students’ lives. Moreover, donors have the opportunity to visit classrooms to see firsthand the impact they are making.
“We have quite a unique model and initial results have exceeded our expectations,” explained Madison. “Our intent is to aggressively scale these programs nationally.” The first JLI pilot program took place during spring 2016 in Oregon. Additional pilot projects will take place in Los Angeles in 2017.
For more information on these programs, or to hear about them from the students themselves, please check out these videos.
- Student Engagement: https://vimeo.com/189396523
- Research Skills: https://vimeo.com/189396526
- Collaboration: https://vimeo.com/189396525
- Deep Questions: https://vimeo.com/189396638
By now, we all know that meaningful relationships are the cornerstone to being successful in PR. From a client’s perspective, strong relationships can be the deciding factor when selecting a PR firm or reevaluating whether it’s time to seek out a new PR partner. With so many options available (a Google search for PR firms returned more than 30 results in the Seattle area alone), it can be difficult to determine which PR firm will provide the best client service.
At Communiqué PR, we believe the most rewarding engagements occur when PR isn’t viewed as a separate entity but rather as an extension of a client’s communications team. Achieving this level of trust and familiarity with a client doesn’t happen overnight and requires exceptional client care. To find out if your PR firm is delivering top-notch service, here are five questions to ask yourself:
- How well does your agency know you? If an agency isn’t knowledgeable about your business or industry, it’s impossible for it be a powerful advocate for you. While it isn’t a requirement for your PR team to be a full-fledged expert in your field, you should expect it to be aware of major industry news and the potential impact on your company. A qualified PR agency will take the time to learn who your biggest competitors are, your business and communication objectives, and the current industry landscape in order to tailor its recommendations accordingly.
- Do you feel like a top priority? Regardless if you’re a startup with a limited budget, you should still receive the same class of service as a Fortune 500 company with a six-figure retainer. Although there may be some limitations on the number of activities a firm can perform on a smaller budget, the same care and attention should be present in every interaction. If you’re being quoted dates for projects that seem unreasonably long or the quality of the work is suffering, it may be time to consult a new PR partner.
- Are you receiving prompt responses? When you send an email, your PR representative should promptly respond to either a) provide the answer to the question you posed or b) acknowledge the receipt of your email and inform you he/she is researching the answer to your question. Communicating that your email has been received is a small yet significant way to demonstrate a commitment to transparency and eliminate any unnecessary speculation.
- Is your PR contact more than an email address? Although email is often the most preferred form of communication in business, you should still have regular phone calls and the occasional in-person meeting with your PR team. Unless there are special circumstances that prohibit phone calls or face-to-face meetings, a PR firm with your best interest will suggest scheduling these to ensure you’re aligned on strategy and further strengthen rapport.
- Does your PR firm provide a summary of next steps? No matter how brief or informal a meeting or call may seem, you should always receive a recap of the discussion with next steps and estimated dates for completion. Presenting a summary of the conversation ensures both parties are clear on the resulting action items and can help prevent misunderstandings.
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be able to choose a PR firm that can be a trusted partner by your side. For more on this topic, check out our previous blog posts:
Both safety and affordability are deciding factors when families are looking for a suitable city for senior living. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they have to give up the comfort of a safe neighborhood for senior living, or conversely, pay an exorbitant amount of money for senior care because it is located in a safer area. Because many families are rushed into making senior living decisions, understanding the local market helps ensure people are not sacrificing safety for affordable senior housing.
To help families navigate the senior living decision process and better understand options both locally and nationally, A Place for Mom – the nation’s largest senior-living referral service – conducted a study examining the top and bottom places in the country to find safe and affordable senior housing. This study is part of an ongoing research program designed by APFM to provide information and tools to families that allow them to better plan for the future.
Understanding the Findings
In order to come up with the rankings, APFM analyzed national senior living prices in conjunction with FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data to compute percentile ranks for violent crime, property crime and median senior housing costs for more than 380 cities. By examining the information, APFM’s data scientist Ben Hanowell was able to determine 1) the cities with the best balance of safety and senior housing affordability; 2) the most affordable low-crime cities for senior housing; and 3) the least affordable high-crime cities for senior housing. Based on the findings, APFM was also able to produce an interactive map to help people find the safest cities with the best senior housing costs.
So which cities rank highest and lowest for senior living affordability relative to local crime rates? Below are the top and bottom 10:
| Top 10 | Bottom 10 |
| Bristol, TN | San Jose, CA |
| Kingman, AZ | Worcester, MA |
| Dalton, GA | San Francisco, CA |
| Bristol, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Sebastian, FL | Baltimore, MD |
| West Lafayette, IN | Oakland, CA |
| North Port, FL | Bridgeport, CT |
| East Lansing, MI | San Diego, CA |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | Hayward, CA |
| Fort Walton Beach, FL | Aurora, CO |
The findings show that cities with low crime rates and low senior housing costs tend to be in smaller, less densely populated cities, especially in the South and Midwest. The cities with both high crime rates and high senior housing costs tend to be in densely populated urban areas, especially on the West Coast. That being said, it should be noted that just because crime rates are higher in big cities, it doesn’t necessarily make them undesirable for seniors. Bigger cities tend to have higher crime rates in general due to larger populations, so in comparison crime may be higher, but relatively speaking the city could still be considered safe. Larger cities also offer access to a host of amenities that many smaller cities cannot provide, which is an important factor for many people when searching for senior care.
To help inform families about the research, APFM – with the support of Communiqué PR – embarked on a media outreach campaign targeting local markets in which the top cities for affordable and safe senior living are located. Outlets from across the country reported on the study, with a few highlights including:
- Northwest Florida Daily News: Fort Walton Beach ranked in top 10 of safest cities for seniors
- Kingman Daily Minor: Kingman ranks second in nation in senior living
- Havasu News: Havasu ranks high in senior care
Congratulations to APFM for another successful campaign created to help families better plan for senior living and care. Be sure to also check out the full report hosted on the APFM webpage, where visitors can review the research in more detail and access tools designed to find reasonably priced senior living in a safe city close to home.
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Standing out is tough. As PR professionals, we can empathize with that statement. We battle daily for journalists’ time and attention. We have to consider which story is most likely to catch their eye, what assets we can we provide to entice them to request an interview, and how to package all of it into a succinct, intriguing email.
I recently came across an article called What You Need to Stand Out in a Noisy World, in Harvard Business Review. The author, Dorie Clark, a marketing and strategy consultant and author, explains what you need to separate yourself from the crowd. In the process of researching her book, Stand Out, Clark interviewed 50 top thought leaders in a variety of industries and came to realize there are three elements that are essential to getting ideas understood and accepted. The three elements are:
- Social Proof
- Content Creation
- A Strong Network
While Clark focuses her article on how you can stand out as an individual, these elements are relevant to a variety of situations, including PR. I’ve outlined how we can leverage her findings on behalf of our clients.
Social Proof
Clark defines social proof as an aid to help people make a judgement about something. In the case of an individual, it could be the company they work for or the university they attended. At Communiqué, we work with a number of early stage companies and brands that are working to raise awareness of their offerings. In order to create social proof and build credibility among journalists, one of the most effective ways to elevate our clients’ brands is to align them with other respected brands. For instance, naming major customers, important strategic partnerships, and impressive board member or investors helps build trust with a company that isn’t a household name yet.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, this is sometimes easier said than done. Often, customers and partners require approvals before speaking about a deal publicly. We recommend that whenever companies are working through negotiations, they include permission to name their partner or customer directly into the contract. This will help save time and ensure that brands can display their hard-earned social proof.
Leveraging social proof will get the audiences you are trying reach, often journalists first, then ultimately the journalist’s audience, to take the company and its goals more seriously. They’ll know that these credible companies or individuals will have properly vetted the company before choosing to align with them.
Content Creation
In the context of PR, this might feel like a no-brainer. PR activity ultimately depends on the business objectives of each company, but more often than not, we recommend our clients include byline development in their plans, as they are a great way to build credibility. Developing and placing articles in key publications has several benefits.
First, it establishes the author as a thought leader. It gives the audience insight into the trends they are observing, influencing and predicting.
Second, it allows the author to control the message. If a company has a complicated story, telling it through bylines will help accurately communicate all aspects of their story and vision and educate the audience.
Third, it’s another way to build social proof. If someone is a published author in credited outlets, then the ideas and perspectives they are sharing are more likely to be considered insightful and people will be more inclined to take interest.
A Strong Network
As are many industries, PR is an industry focused on relationships. As mentioned earlier, journalists are flooded with pitch ideas daily. It’s important to reach out to them with thoughtful, relevant pitches in order to gain their trust. As you demonstrate the value of the ideas you are presenting, build a relationship with them that will allow you to leverage the relationship on behalf of your clients. This will take time, but will be a valuable advantage to you and your firm.
It is also critical that we assist clients build their own relationships with the journalist. Before briefings, provide clients with background information on the journalist and the call objective. This will allow them to go into the call prepared and present the journalist with the information they need. If journalists have productive, insightful conversations with the sources you connect them with, they will likely come back to your client as a source for future stories.
Next time you begin working on a campaign or a plan for a client, consider these foundational elements of standing out. Effectively integrating them into your daily work will help you achieve greater success on behalf of your clients.