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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.

Take ChatGPT for a spin without compromising confidential data

As a daily user of ChatGPT for the past several months, I’ve come to regard it as an indispensable resource in my digital toolkit. Since it’s still relatively new for many, I thought it might be useful to share a list of my favorite prompts with those curious about ChatGPT, as well as some essential security considerations.

An important caveat before diving into these prompts: Discretion is essential with ChatGPT or any other chatbot or search engine. Don’t share confidential information with these platforms; caution is paramount with such tools.

One must consider the precarious nature of data privacy and security. When you use these services, your data could inadvertently be exposed or used in ways you never intended, compromising your confidentiality.

For instance, Engadget reported that on March 24 “OpenAI was forced to take its wildly-popular ChatGPT bot offline for emergency maintenance” because a user exploited a bug in the system to access the titles from others’ chat histories.

Worse still, in the wrong hands, leaked or exposed information can become a tool for identity theft, financial fraud and other nefarious activities. And let’s not forget the legal ramifications. Sharing sensitive data can flout data protection laws, regulations or contracts, potentially resulting in financial penalties and legal consequences.

In this digital age, where the line between public and private is increasingly blurred, we all must exercise caution with sensitive information. Sharing confidential data with AI systems, search engines or any vulnerable online platform is simply a risk not worth taking.

With digital tools like ChatGPT, one must approach the results discerningly. A critical mindset is essential: Ask yourself, does the generated content align with your expectations and logic? What factors make it convincing or perhaps cast doubt on its validity?

It’s a good idea to seek out and cite corroborating sources that either reinforce or challenge the content presented by the AI tool.

With these vital caveats in mind, I’m eager to reveal my favorite ChatGPT prompts, which I hope will inspire your use of this technology:

  • Take these four points and craft an email.
  • Make this less formal and more conversational?
  • What is wrong with this sentence?
  • How can I improve this?
  • What are the pros and cons of this statement?
  • How would you characterize this statement?

These prompts have served me well because they are narrowly focused on specific tasks, such as making a sentence more concise, double-checking the logic of a statement, or helping me to understand why a statement might be considered flawed. My objectives are clear and well-defined.

In these instances, I’m also using the software for work that is already destined for publication or wouldn’t cause me (or my company) harm.

I hope these tips are helpful as you consider embracing AI.

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Conducting Media Outreach for Multiple Trade Shows at the Same Time

This March, Delta-Q Technologies attended two trade shows, CONEXPO and ProMat. Both were great opportunities to showcase its new 3-in-1 mid-power charging solution, the XV3300.

The hurdle? The two shows had different themes.

CONEXPO focuses on the latest construction trends and equipment, while ProMat centers around manufacturing and supply chain innovations. That meant we had to conduct different media outreach strategies within the same timeframe.  

Trade shows and conferences like CONEXPO and ProMat are excellent ways for companies to spread brand and product awareness, network, and establish themselves as thought leaders. That’s why it’s important that PR professionals create an effective strategy to secure media coverage before, during, and after these events.

In the blog post “Interested in Meeting Next Week?” my colleague highlights best practices for successful media outreach during trade shows. She gives tips for press release timing, content, approvals, onsite briefings, outreach timing, and support during and after the show. We kept those best practices in mind during our work for CONEXPO and ProMat outreach.

We began by collaborating with the Delta-Q team to develop a media relations strategy tailored to each trade show. CPR helped Delta-Q create press releases for each audience. We also developed and delivered pitches to reporters to secure interviews during the show and drive coverage before and after.

When working with Delta-Q on its dual trade show appearances, we kept a few things in mind.

Tailor messaging to relevant themes for each show.

CONEXPO and ProMat have different themes. Approaching reporters with the same general pitch wasn’t going to work. So, we customized our messaging for each show. We knew that we needed to tell reporters what specific topics our client could speak to, and why those topics were relevant to their coverage. The lesson? Don’t send out the same pitch and talking points at different trade shows.

At CONEXPO we focused messaging on electrification trends for construction, while at ProMat we leveraged talking points about the manufacturing and supply chain industries. Materials for ProMat outreach also highlighted Delta-Q’s lift truck on-board charging seminar during the event. While these pitches went out within close timeframes, they offered information customized for each audience.

Begin outreach a month in advance.

For both conferences, we distributed pitches about a month before the show to announce Delta-Q’s participation and notify reporters of future press releases. About two weeks before the show, we followed up with press releases. At trade shows, reporters’ schedules fill up quickly. That’s why we recommend reaching out early to schedule interviews while reporters still have availability, then following up with the press release closer to the event to reignite interest.

Keep everyone in the loop.

Effective communication is critical when scheduling trade show interviews. Clients are on tight and quickly changing schedules. Each team member should be in the loop about the timing of interviews. Make sure that there is more than one person available during the interview time as a backup in case the original interviewee can’t attend. Create calendar invites to hold times on participants’ schedules and provide briefing documents before the show outlining times, talking points and reporter backgrounds.

By following these tips, we were able to successfully execute our media strategy for Delta-Q at both trade shows. Below is a summary of coverage that resulted from CONEXPO and ProMat outreach. We also secured multiple interviews that will result in coverage throughout the next few months.

Delta-Q CONEXPO Recap

Delta-Q ProMat Recap

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Flowroute Announces Upgrades to its HyperNetwork Service + Tips for Product Relaunches

Despite the popularity and convenience of messaging solutions, voice calls are still important for organizations. Specifically, companies must be able to receive inbound calls from customers, stakeholders and employees to continue to grow and run their business. The ongoing increase of cybersecurity breaches and climate disasters pose a threat to network and internet connectivity. These threats have created a need for companies to have better call routing options.

Flowroute, a BCM One Company and a self-service SIP Trunking and SMS platform, offers a patented HyperNetwork service that creates backup, also known as redundant, call options. This service increases inbound call resiliency and redundancy for enterprises. Call redundancy is essential because it helps businesses ensure they can continue to communicate with their customers if one or more communication channels fail.

The HyperNetwork helps mitigate outage time. It detects upstream network problems and quickly reroutes calls. Because the HyperNetwork dynamically changes the routing of telephone numbers, calls arrive over a different path than the one originally assigned. 

Flowroute has offered the HyperNetwork for several years, but the company updated the capabilities of the HyperNetwork after BCM One acquired Flowroute’s assets in March 2022. Over the past year, BCM One and Flowroute have invested in new features to enhance the service.

Communiqué PR had the opportunity to partner with Flowroute and BCM One to announce the upgrades. The team supported messaging reviews, press material development, media training and other activities to help prepare for the announcement. We also secured an interview with a leading telecom analyst to discuss the HyperNetwork service upgrades and other company initiatives.   

Last week, Flowroute officially announced the launch of the new HyperNetwork with upgraded features. We distributed the news to target telecom, cloud, developer and channel communication reporters. Below is a snapshot of some of the articles secured from the media outreach around the announcement.

Below are a few tips for companies planning to announce product launches or upgrades. Taking the time to work through these details will help ensure a successful announcement.

  • Define and Review Messaging – It is important to clearly communicate the resources for the product relaunch or new services. Before you announce changes, it’s a best practice to align on updated messaging and product details to make sure spokespeople have the latest messages and can communicate the messages the customers need to know and understand.
  • Develop an Announcement Plan – After the company finalizes new or updated messaging, review the elements available for the announcement and create a plan. A solid plan first requires clear objectives, messages, proof points and target audiences. These elements and the desired timing of the announcement will inform the media strategy. For example, the company might offer the news to specific reporters or analysts early, develop and distribute a press release via a wire service or opt to forego media outreach. The strategy for sharing the news will depend on the objectives and significance of the announcement for the company, its customers and the industry.
  • Identify Target Reporters – Identifying target audiences is critical to developing an announcement plan, so much so that it warrants its own step. Solid messaging and a compelling story will only go so far if companies are not sharing those messages with the correct targets. Companies must invest time into identifying and building a robust press list. A significant portion of the success of an announcement distribution relies on the press list.

There are other essential elements and steps to take when making announcements; however, the steps above are three important tips that will help strengthen the process and results. Check out other Communiqué PR blogs for guidance on PR plans and tactics.

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How Using Phygital Can Benefit Your Brand

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses are turning to phygital to boost customer engagement. “Phygital,” a combination of “physical” and “digital,” doesn’t just enhance customer experience. It’s a whole new way to tell your brand’s story.  

Chemi Katz, the CEO and co-founder of Namogoo, writes in TotalRetail, “[Phygital] presents an opportunity to create a more immersive, engaging and interactive customer experience. Retailers from Sephora to Amazon.com are utilizing phygital strategies to reap benefits, including increased conversions, personalized customer journeys, and boosted brand loyalty.”

Sephora has led by example. It has improved customer engagement by offering multichannel experiences and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to give customers an interactive in-store experience. Consumers can interact with augmented reality (AR) and facial recognition to get their perfect shade of foundation. The mobile app also uses location-based marketing to share relevant information, such as store maps and deals.

Keeping this in mind, I have outlined some of the benefits phygital offers brands below.

  • Enhanced customer experience. Phygital can help businesses provide seamless and engaging customer experiences with virtual reality, AR, AI and other digital tools. According to Janelle Estes, chief insights officer at UserTesting, “embracing phygital reveals a growing recognition that creating seamless customer experiences across multiple channels is no longer enough — it’s now about fusing channels to engage customers with a more powerful and memorable experience than a single channel alone can provide.”
  • Increased engagement and participation. By incorporating interactive media elements, companies can create more engaging and memorable offerings. For example, the World Tennis League (WTL) partnered with Akshaya.io to create a phygital marketplace for fans to share unique collectibles and entice customers with a “once in a lifetime chance” to meet the sport’s biggest stars. Akshaya.io and the WTL successfully achieved their goal of creating “tangible, emotional, and digital experiences” for fans on a popular platform, the NFT marketplace.
  • Improved data collection. By enhancing the customer experience with phygital, companies can collect more first-party customer data about engagement. They can also identify essential touchpoints on the customer journey. Marketing and communication teams can leverage this data to plan events or campaigns and analyze these proactive effort results.
  • Increased accessibility. Carol Martinez at Inclusive City Maker states, “Phygital experiences actually combine the best of both worlds (physical and digital) to remove accessibility barriers and foster inclusion.” For example, online streaming platforms allow people in remote or underserved areas to access live events, creating opportunities to participate regardless of location.
  • Reduced carbon footprint. Phygital experiences lessen the need for resources like transportation to events, materials to build event venues and more. For instance, instead of exhibiting at CES, Panasonic created a digital booth to showcase its sustainable tech and offered virtual tours. In this case, phygital eliminated the need to use build the booth and repurposed some of the company’s existing factories to showcase these sustainability tours.

Leveraging phygital to create interactive experiences can enhance your brand’s impact. It helps you tell your story in a new and exciting way.

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Four Tools to Build an Effective Press List

PR pros know that behind every piece of media coverage is an effective press list. Your client might have a great story to tell, but getting the right set of eyes on that story can be challenging.

Securing media coverage means having the right information at the right time, and then getting that info in front of the right people. So how do you build a press list that will generate the attention you and your clients deserve?

A good press list includes a wide range of media contacts to pitch, from the more traditional newspapers, magazines, broadcast media and wire services to newer media like podcasts, bloggers and influencers. Whether you’re targeting trade, local, or national publications, a well-refined press list helps ensure your pitches find the right person.   

Here are four tools I use to create more targeted press lists. These tools can help refine your contact lists and increase your chances of getting the coverage your client needs.

Cision

Cision is a comprehensive platform that helps PR pros manage their media relations, monitor and analyze media coverage and measure the effectiveness of their PR campaigns.

Cision helps you find contacts and easily create press lists. The platform boasts a massive database with over 850K+ contacts and outlets—one of the reasons Cision is first on our list. Here’s how you can use Cision effectively:

  • Narrow your focus: Cision offers filters for subject matters, publication types, editors, bloggers and reporters worldwide so that you can search for specific journalists or media outlets. It provides a list of complete contact information, outlet details and social profiles.
  • Create lists: These filters can also help you create lists more efficiently. You can organize your final media list by media type, location, industry, topic or other characteristics. You can also access your created lists and add contacts from existing lists.

Sparktoro 

SparkToro is a market research and audience intelligence tool that helps PR pros find media by analyzing the behavior and interests of your story’s target audiences. After all, you’re trying to get your story in front of your target audience, so what better than going directly to the source?

Sparktoro shows what your audience is already reading, watching, listening to and engaging with online. Since Sparktoro may be new for some, here’s how you can use this tool to identify journalists who might be interested in your story:

  • Conduct a search: Sparktoro has several search options. For example, you can select “My audience frequently talks about” and type in your industry, niche or keywords. You’ll see which publications, journalists and websites your audience already engages with.
  • Review your media options: By clicking on a publication or journalist, you can view their audience insights, which include information on their social media followers, websites they visit and other interests. Use this information to figure out who might be interested in covering your story.
  • Find journalists’ contact information: At the top of the profile, you’ll find public contact information, which could include social media handles and email addresses.

Google News

The phrase “Google it” is in our lexicon for a reason. Google has made it easy for PR pros to search related stories or topics and see which publications and journalists are already covering similar stories.

There are a variety of ways you can use Google News to stay up to date on the latest trends for your company’s or client’s industry. Here are two of the simplest methods:

  • Set up Google News Alerts: News Alerts email you notifications whenever articles related to your specified search query are published. To set up a News Alert, simply enter a search in the Google News search bar and click on the “Create Alert” button. Consider setting up alerts for your company’s or client’s name, industry terms or other phrases. You can even try “[keyword] reporter” to get more results.
  • Use advanced search filters: Filters can narrow your search results by publication, location, date and other factors. They can help you find more specific news articles and journalists covering stories related to your industry or niche.

Advertising Kits

Let’s say you’ve found a publication you’d like to cover your story. Reviewing their advertising kit can provide valuable insights into their target readership and help build a targeted press list.

Advertising kits have detailed information about the media outlet’s audience, including their demographics, interests and purchasing habits. PR pros can use these kits to understand the types of stories likely to resonate with that audience, as well as the types of pitches its editors and reporters are most interested in seeing.

Using these tools can help you regularly refine and update your press list. You’ll likely find that people change jobs, new beats emerge or new publications launch while others fold, creating a whole new list of potential contacts. By keeping your list refreshed, you will always be prepared to pitch your story to the right audience.

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What to look for in Keynote Speakers for your Event

Anyone attending a conference or expo can tell you that a speaker can make or break an industry event. This is especially true for keynote speakers. A great keynote sets the tone, inspires the audience and leaves a lasting impact on all the attendees.

Whether it’s insight or inspiration, a memorable keynote gives an audience something only the speaker can provide. Look for these attributes when lining up your next keynote speaker. 

  • Preparation and professionalism – The best keynote speakers take their role seriously and fully prepare for the event. They should be punctual, well-organized and have a professional demeanor. Quality speakers should be flexible enough to adapt to schedule changes or other unforeseen situations, ensuring their presentation is seamless and impactful.
  • Expertise and knowledge – A good keynote speaker has a deep understanding of their subject matter. They should be an expert in their field and have significant experience in their topic. This expertise will help them deliver an engaging and educational presentation.
  • Authenticity and credibility – Expertise can be lost on a crowd if a speaker’s not able to establish their credibility. Audiences don’t just connect with knowledge but with the person sharing that knowledge, their story and authenticity. Whether the speaker’s credibility is demonstrated through personal anecdotes or stage presence, authenticity helps the audience connect with the speaker’s message on a deeper level and trust what they have to share.
  • Relevant and impactful content – The content of the keynote speech should be relevant to your event and audience. It should be tailored to the event’s theme and the audience’s interests, needs and expectations. Impactful speakers provide new insights and perspectives that leave the audience with actionable takeaways.
  • Engaging presentation style – Expertise and credibility create a critical foundation for a keynote speaker, but those who captivate their audience from start to finish leave a lasting impression. They use storytelling, humor and other engaging techniques to keep the audience interested and attentive. Speakers should be dynamic and charismatic in their delivery.

A great keynote speaker can be a game-changer for any event. By carefully considering the above attributes, you can find a speaker who will engage and inspire the audience, provide valuable insights and leave a lasting impact on your attendees.

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