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.
Congratulations to our recent client, Apical, a London-based company specializing in embedded imaging and vision technology, for its acquisition by ARM!
ARM Holdings, one of Britain’s few large global tech companies, acquired Apical for $350 million to accelerate ARM’s long-term growth strategy into new markets, such as driverless cars, security systems, robotics and other connected devices. The acquisition closed on May 17, 2016 and the news garnered dozens of articles from top-tier news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Guardian, to name a few. With this acquisition, ARM gains access to Apical’s advanced imaging products, which ARM will leverage to make a splash in the exciting world of the Internet of Things (IoT).
According to the press release, Apical’s existing technology will complement ARM’s Mali graphics, display and video processor roadmap. Apical’s current technology includes:
- Spirit: A power-efficient computer vision technology, Spirit gives ARM and its partners the ability to offer advanced image computing. It comprises dedicated silicon IP blocks that deliver an on-chip computer vision capability by converting raw sensor data or video into a machine-readable representation of an image.
- Assertive Display: Based on more than a decade’s research into human vision, Assertive Display enables screens to adapt to changes in light by overcoming brightness limitations, while reducing power consumption.
- Assertive Camera: Configured as a range of image signal processors (ISPs) and software packages, Assertive Camera delivers advances in performance including high dynamic range, noise reduction and color management.
Simon Segars, CEO of ARM, said it best in the press release announcing the acquisition: “Apical is at the forefront of embedded computer vision technology, building on its leadership in imaging products that already enable intelligent devices to deliver amazing new user experiences. The ARM partnership is solving the technical challenges of next-generation products such as driverless cars and sophisticated security systems. These solutions rely on the creation of dedicated image computing solutions and Apical’s technologies will play a crucial role in their delivery.”
Apical’s acquisition illustrates the important role PR can play in increasing awareness for companies. Through a strategic combination of proactive pitching, press announcements, bylines and speaking engagements, Apical garnered meaningful and influential coverage in business, tech and trade publications. Following are coverage highlights we are pleased to share:
- CNBC: How your home will know what you need before you do
- CE Pro: Apical’s Secure, Smart Home Motion Sensors Work Like Video Analytics without Video
- GigaOm: In a data coup, Apical analyzes visual data without the video
- Informationweek: 14 Ways IoT Will Change Big Data And Business Forever
- Information Age: Video in the smart home: The problem or the solution?
- San Jose Mercury News: New tracking technology raises privacy concerns
- VentureBeat: This home “vision-as-a-service” system now knows when there’s a human in view
It’s an exciting time for Apical and we are proud to have played a small role in the company’s acquisition. Apical is a dynamic and successful company that’s helping unlock the potential of IoT and we look forward to seeing how ARM and Apical work to advance the connected world.
Some companies take blogging to new heights. One of them is Alaska Airlines. It launched its blog (https://blog.alaskaair.com) in June 2014 and in two years the blog has published more than 230 stories that people are actually reading. Halley Knigge, who signed on with Alaska Airlines in January 2014, runs the blog.
Knigge, a former newspaper and digital reporter, leverages many of the key principles she learned reporting in her work for the Alaska Airlines blog. Her essential skills include newsgathering, interviewing, writing and creating stories, and production
1. What was it like to be in Cordova, Alaska, to cover the opening of the Copper River salmon season for Alaska Airlines’ blog?
Cordova was amazing. During the past two years, I supported the Copper River salmon season opening from Seattle. But having the opportunity this year to travel to south-central Alaska and meet the fishermen and the larger community there, to see firsthand how Alaska Airlines helps them get their prized salmon to market, was an outstanding experience. People in Alaska really support one another. The relationship between Alaska Airlines and the communities we serve in the state of Alaska is different than in the Lower 48. Only three cities in Alaska are connected by road, so many times [our planes] are bringing the groceries and the mail. People really rely on Alaska Airlines. One other thing that I love about Cordova – and other places in Alaska – is that people live by the principle “leave no man behind.” As an example, en route to Cordova from a trip to the Copper River delta, our car got a flat tire and one of the locals stopped to help us. He would not leave until he helped us fix it and made sure we were safely on our way.
2. Can you talk about the value of developing and maintaining the Alaska Airlines’ blog? How has it helped the airline?
The blog has helped us in some significant ways. It allows us to tell great stories about our company and our amazing employees who go “above and beyond” to make the travel experience better for our customers. We also fly to some fascinating destinations like Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.S., so we love to tell the stories about the unique places we fly to – ones that often no other airlines serve. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we use the blog to share critical information during storms or other times of irregular operations. For instance, in September 2014, when the category 3 Hurricane Odile slammed into Mexico, we were able to use our blog to communicate and share information about the situation in the cities of Los Cabos, Mazatlán, and Loreto, which was a huge help to many people in both Mexico and the U.S. We also wrote about Operation Ayuda (“help” in Spanish), which was Alaska Airlines’ humanitarian campaign to assist our customers and their families during this very difficult time.
3. What does your blog’s editorial calendar look like? How do you plan and secure content for the blog?
We plan our editorial content on a month-by-month basis and make sure the themes for stories align with our marketing priorities and goals. When we plan stories, we work to ensure they will be valuable when we publish them and stand the test of time. Content needs to be evergreen, meaning it is relevant both today and three to five years from now. For instance, we did a story about how to make air travel easier for children with autism. This story was timely for the blog because of an event we held in Boise, Idaho, where we invited parents and children with autism to “practice the airport.” The topic is still relevant today because we included practical travel tips in the article. This ensures it will be valuable for families and caregivers traveling with children with autism for many years to come.
4. What makes a good blog story for Alaska Air?
Day-of travel tips really resonate with our readers. People always want to know how to travel with less hassle and stress. The other popular topics are the in-depth destination stories. People like to know what they should see that is off the beaten path. They often want to discover something new when they travel. Stories where we can offer expertise that is unique or authentic really resonate with our readers.
5. What are two stories that you are most proud of publishing? And what made them special?
I loved the series Robert Reid wrote about his trip to China earlier this year, starting with A Walk Around Suzhou, China’s Historic Heart. Robert’s writing is beautiful and his pieces helped us educate our readers about Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan partners. His stories were part of an ongoing series that pairs some of my favorite writers with our international airline partners. Our international partners are important and allow our customers to fly to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Many people don’t know this. I am also proud of a recent series we launched featuring our new uniform designer Luly Yang. Luly will be providing fashion-related travel tips for our customers, and who better to share them than an internationally known fashion designer? Our first story, “Flying with Luly: How to pack a wedding dress,” featured videos and step-by-step instructions for packing different styles of wedding dresses. I love this because while it is a very specific, niche piece of content it will be vitally interesting to a very specific group of people: brides traveling to a far-away wedding.
6. How do you measure success for the Alaska Airlines blog?
I look at three things when I judge whether a post resonated with our audience: views (were people interested enough to click into it?), time spent on page (did most people actually read it?) and engagement (if people read it, were they engaged enough to share it with their friends or leave a comment?). These three metrics work together to give me key insights that help me plan future stories, and of all three, I place the least weight on views. One post may get 40,000 views, while another gets just 5,000, but depending on the other metrics I may deem them both a success. For example, the post about making travel easier for children on the autism spectrum is at the lower end of that view range, but had an average time spent on page of more than four minutes and an engagement rate of more than 50 percent. That tells me that we created a piece of content that was uniquely valuable to a very specific, highly engaged audience, and at the end of the day were able to help make travel easier for some of our customers. So far in 2016, we’ve averaged more than four minutes per story (weighted for views) each month. To me, that is a success.
7. How do you think the communications landscape will continue to change?
Blogging and content creation will continue to be important for companies. The communications landscape is changing, but there will always be an opportunity to apply the skills from traditional journalism to tell authentic and credible stories that help people. This is one of the things that I love about my job. The skills I learned as a reporter I can apply to telling Alaska Airlines’ story.
Some companies take blogging to new heights. One of them is Alaska Airlines. It launched its blog (https://blog.alaskaair.com) in June 2014 and in two years the blog has published more than 230 stories that people are actually reading. Halley Knigge, who signed on with Alaska Airlines in January 2014, runs the blog.
Knigge, a former newspaper and digital reporter, leverages many of the key principles she learned reporting in her work for the Alaska Airlines blog. Her essential skills include newsgathering, interviewing, writing and creating stories, and production
1. What was it like to be in Cordova, Alaska, to cover the opening of the Copper River salmon season for Alaska Airlines’ blog?
Cordova was amazing. During the past two years, I supported the Copper River salmon season opening from Seattle. But having the opportunity this year to travel to south-central Alaska and meet the fishermen and the larger community there, to see firsthand how Alaska Airlines helps them get their prized salmon to market, was an outstanding experience. People in Alaska really support one another. The relationship between Alaska Airlines and the communities we serve in the state of Alaska is different than in the Lower 48. Only three cities in Alaska are connected by road, so many times [our planes] are bringing the groceries and the mail. People really rely on Alaska Airlines. One other thing that I love about Cordova – and other places in Alaska – is that people live by the principle “leave no man behind.” As an example, en route to Cordova from a trip to the Copper River delta, our car got a flat tire and one of the locals stopped to help us. He would not leave until he helped us fix it and made sure we were safely on our way.
2. Can you talk about the value of developing and maintaining the Alaska Airlines’ blog? How has it helped the airline?
The blog has helped us in some significant ways. It allows us to tell great stories about our company and our amazing employees who go “above and beyond” to make the travel experience better for our customers. We also fly to some fascinating destinations like Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.S., so we love to tell the stories about the unique places we fly to – ones that often no other airlines serve. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we use the blog to share critical information during storms or other times of irregular operations. For instance, in September 2014, when the category 3 Hurricane Odile slammed into Mexico, we were able to use our blog to communicate and share information about the situation in the cities of Los Cabos, Mazatlán, and Loreto, which was a huge help to many people in both Mexico and the U.S. We also wrote about Operation Ayuda (“help” in Spanish), which was Alaska Airlines’ humanitarian campaign to assist our customers and their families during this very difficult time.
3. What does your blog’s editorial calendar look like? How do you plan and secure content for the blog?
We plan our editorial content on a month-by-month basis and make sure the themes for stories align with our marketing priorities and goals. When we plan stories, we work to ensure they will be valuable when we publish them and stand the test of time. Content needs to be evergreen, meaning it is relevant both today and three to five years from now. For instance, we did a story about how to make air travel easier for children with autism. This story was timely for the blog because of an event we held in Boise, Idaho, where we invited parents and children with autism to “practice the airport.” The topic is still relevant today because we included practical travel tips in the article. This ensures it will be valuable for families and caregivers traveling with children with autism for many years to come.
4. What makes a good blog story for Alaska Air?
Day-of travel tips really resonate with our readers. People always want to know how to travel with less hassle and stress. The other popular topics are the in-depth destination stories. People like to know what they should see that is off the beaten path. They often want to discover something new when they travel. Stories where we can offer expertise that is unique or authentic really resonate with our readers.
5. What are two stories that you are most proud of publishing? And what made them special?
I loved the series Robert Reid wrote about his trip to China earlier this year, starting with A Walk Around Suzhou, China’s Historic Heart. Robert’s writing is beautiful and his pieces helped us educate our readers about Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan partners. His stories were part of an ongoing series that pairs some of my favorite writers with our international airline partners. Our international partners are important and allow our customers to fly to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Many people don’t know this. I am also proud of a recent series we launched featuring our new uniform designer Luly Yang. Luly will be providing fashion-related travel tips for our customers, and who better to share them than an internationally known fashion designer? Our first story, “Flying with Luly: How to pack a wedding dress,” featured videos and step-by-step instructions for packing different styles of wedding dresses. I love this because while it is a very specific, niche piece of content it will be vitally interesting to a very specific group of people: brides traveling to a far-away wedding.
6. How do you measure success for the Alaska Airlines blog?
I look at three things when I judge whether a post resonated with our audience: views (were people interested enough to click into it?), time spent on page (did most people actually read it?) and engagement (if people read it, were they engaged enough to share it with their friends or leave a comment?). These three metrics work together to give me key insights that help me plan future stories, and of all three, I place the least weight on views. One post may get 40,000 views, while another gets just 5,000, but depending on the other metrics I may deem them both a success. For example, the post about making travel easier for children on the autism spectrum is at the lower end of that view range, but had an average time spent on page of more than four minutes and an engagement rate of more than 50 percent. That tells me that we created a piece of content that was uniquely valuable to a very specific, highly engaged audience, and at the end of the day were able to help make travel easier for some of our customers. So far in 2016, we’ve averaged more than four minutes per story (weighted for views) each month. To me, that is a success.
7. How do you think the communications landscape will continue to change?
Blogging and content creation will continue to be important for companies. The communications landscape is changing, but there will always be an opportunity to apply the skills from traditional journalism to tell authentic and credible stories that help people. This is one of the things that I love about my job. The skills I learned as a reporter I can apply to telling Alaska Airlines’ story.
Video may have killed the radio star, but it has reincarnated as a podcast host. Podcasts are essentially radio that appeals to listeners’ niche interests and enthusiasms and is free from the constraints of a network programming clock. This type of oral storytelling has quickly gained popularity: The percentage of Americans who have listened to a podcast in the past month has more than doubled since 2008, from 9 percent to 21 percent.
The podcast’s rise in popularity is mainly attributed to advances in technology: The rapid growth of smartphone use and the trend toward connected cars with the ability to play smartphone audio make listening incredibly easy. In addition, podcasts are easy to consume while taking the subway, running on the treadmill, cooking, or doing a myriad of other activities that benefit from background entertainment.
Many think podcasting will continue to grow, which presents an enormous opportunity for brands to reach their target audiences through a new platform. Following below are several ways that PR professionals can leverage podcasting to raise awareness for their clients.
Pitch an Interview to Existing Podcasts
Most podcast hosts need experts to interview for their show just like traditional journalists do. But given that every podcast has a unique format and focuses on its own niche subject, be sure to do your homework before pitching – listen to a few episodes and check out their website to ensure the podcast aligns with your client’s area of expertise. Also, make sure the podcasts regularly features guests, because not all podcasts do.
Before pitching, it’s also important to consider whether your spokesperson performs well on radio. Participating in an interview for a podcast or radio show is much different than doing an interview for a written story. Your spokesperson must be able to articulate messages succinctly and speak with a clear, dynamic voice. If your spokesperson has never done a radio or podcast interview before, you may want to provide media training.
Pitch a Story Idea to Existing Podcasts
In addition to pitching spokespeople as subject matter experts, you can also pitch a story idea that a podcast host may be interested in covering. This Week in Tech and Daily Tech News Show both cover trending tech news, so if your tech client has news to share these podcasts may be interested in covering it. When pitching the story, be sure to offer accompanying sound effects that will bring the story to life. For example, Serial includes the automated recording announcing a call from inmate Adnan Syed in most episodes.
Become a Podcaster
If your client is enthusiastic about podcasting, you may want to suggest helping them produce their own show. Podcasts are relatively simple and cheap to produce, and if you garner a loyal audience it could be a very effective way to build awareness about your client and bring personality to their brand. But before jumping into the world of podcasting, make sure your client can commit to dedicating a few hours weekly, bi-weekly or however often you decide to air an episode. Also, be sure to choose a subject that your client is passionate about so they don’t run out of interesting commentary after the first few episodes.
Whether podcasts are here to stay or simply a passing trend is yet to be determined, but in the meantime hopefully these tips help you take advantage of this popular platform.
In the time I have been at Communiqué PR, I have realized that I can apply many of the lessons I have learned from golf to public relations. Both golf and PR have landscapes that are constantly changing, however, are full of opportunities. Opportunities that through precise execution and careful planning (or practice), can achieve great results.
I am new to PR, but having played golf for 15 years, I am finding that my experience with the sport is helping me navigate the world of PR. Whether you are standing on the tee box or sending out a pitch, there are similarities in the approach. Although the equipment might be different, both benefit from these four approaches:
Break down your goals
The most obvious goal in golf is to lower your score; however, this is easier said than done. Rather than looking at it as 18 holes, it is more effective to break down your goals into achievable specific goals, like getting your approach shots within 15 feet of the flagstick or taking fewer shots on all the greens. In PR, one way that you can break down a goal is to focus on building a relationship with certain reporters or outlets over time. When working in PR, you always want amazing results for your clients and it is helpful to indentify smaller achievable goals that will lead to the overall success and great results that you are working toward.
One hole at a time
When you play a round of golf, remember to play one hole at a time. Do not mourn your previous hole or warily anticipate the next hole; you must simply focus on the hole that you are playing as if it is the only hole on the course. This mindset is helpful in PR. Rather than thinking about previous wins or losses, it is best to focus on the current pitch. Do not be discouraged if a journalist was not interested in the last pitch you sent them. Take a step back, analyze the elements of your new pitch, and focus on the new story or information you are sharing. Keeping a fresh focus and positive outlook will benefit your work and the outcome.
Keep score (in the back of your head)
In golf, focusing on your score can be a bad thing. It is often best just to focus on playing your best golf rather than focusing on the numbers. When you focus too much on your score, suddenly you are miss-hitting your shots and positioning yourself to play worse than you would have if you had not been keeping a constant minute-to-minute tally.
Similarly in PR, you can keep score of how many articles have been published or how many media or analysts briefings your client has had, but overall you need to just focus on the quality of the work you are doing and how it helps them reach their business goals. It may not mean securing 40 articles; it may mean building one really strong media relationship. Keeping tally just for the sake of having good numbers is not nearly as important as having meaningful results.
Know proper etiquette
Whether you are playing golf for a university or playing with your buddies on a Saturday morning, you are not the only player on the course. There is important golf etiquette to follow. It is important to know the rules. Including not talking while others are hitting or not walking through someone’s putting line. Golf is more enjoyable for all the players on the course when everyone knows the common courtesies and golf etiquette. When you practice PR, there are common courtesies, as well, including respecting journalist’s feedback and schedule, and respecting client’s objectives. And PR etiquette is something we learn from being part of a top-notch PR firm like Communiqué PR.
2015 was a record-breaking year for worldwide deal making, with $4.7 trillion in announced mergers and acquisitions (M&A), according to data from Thomson Reuters. This figure is up 42 percent from 2014, and beats the previous record of $4.4 trillion set in 2007.
This explosion of activity and deal value is due in large part to mega-deals—deals that are over $5 billion, such as Pfizer’s $191.6 billion offer for Allergan PLC—which account for 51 percent of the overall M&A value in 2015. However, plenty of mid-size companies in sectors including healthcare, technology, consumer products, and retail made deals to consolidate to become more competitive in 2015.
As a firm providing PR counsel to growing technology companies, the team at Communiqué PR has assisted numerous clients through M&A transitions, with at least one client per year being acquired, on average. Keeping with the 2015 trend, we saw an increase in client acquisitions last year, with former clients Volometrix and Mobidia being acquired by Microsoft and AppAnnie, respectively. And, as each of our clients have entered into M&A deals, we have had the opportunity to witness first-hand the excitement, anticipation and frankly, the anxiety that such a situation can bring to a workforce.
Employee Development Programs are Critical During M&A Transitions
According to America’s Job Exchange, the merging of company cultures can have a negative impact on employees, which can lead to a lack of motivation or the loss of top talent who may feel uncertain about their future role in the company. For instance, employees may be concerned about whether their job is becoming redundant and if they may be facing a layoff. Or perhaps they might wonder if they will have to relocate, or whether they will receive the same benefits package with the new company. Increasingly, employees going through this transition want to know whether the new company is invested in their individual long-term success and professional advancement.
As PR professionals, our team frequently helps clients develop communications plans with messaging developed specifically to help address the concerns of employees during a merger, however, ensuring that companies retain their top talent during a transition requires having a well thought-out employee development plan.
According to Sherry Tiao at Chronus, a provider of talent and career development software for enterprise-scale organizations, employee development programs often give employees goals to work toward and visibility into their potential career path. This increased perspective helps employees feel engaged and invested in their jobs and their company’s mission. In addition, an employee’s motivation is important to a company’s success, as disengaged employees can have a significant impact on productivity. According to a Gallup report cited by Tiao, estimates show that actively disengaged employees cost U.S. businesses between $450-$550 billion each year in productivity.
As M&A deals become more and more common, businesses aiming to retain the best talent and ensure a more seamless transition will need to invest time and resources into communications and development plans that help prepare employees for culture shifts and ensure individual motivation. Fortunately, business leaders seeking advice in this area can access a wealth of valuable resources online and from experts in career development, such as Chronus, which offers award-winning technology solutions and best practices used by organizations including Comcast, Coca-Cola, Kaiser Permanente and others to employer mentoring, coaching, and other training and development initiatives.
For insights and examples on how to establish and successfully manage an effective employee development program for your enterprise or merging company, check out Chronus’ published case studies and blog posts. For insights into developing effective messaging, internal communications plans, or for more about how Communiqué PR has helped clients facing M&A transitions, visit the Communiqué PR blog.