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.
Our client, Attachmate, delivers advanced software for terminal emulation, legacy modernization, managed file transfer and enterprise fraud management. In October 2012, the company announced Reflection 2011 R3, a component of a family of products that have been trusted for more than 30 years to securely connect desktop and mobile users to mission-critical legacy applications running on a variety of enterprise host platforms, including IBM mainframe, IBM AS/400, UNIX/Linux and HP NonStop (Tandem) systems, as well as many others.
This announcement was significant as we aimed to capitalize on the buzz around Windows 8, because Reflection 2011 R3 offers support for Microsoft’s Windows 8 client operating system for use in scenarios where users bring mobile Windows 8 devices to work. Additionally, it offers support for Windows Server 2012 server operating systems for private-cloud scenarios where enterprises are accessing legacy applications via Remote Desktop Services and/or Citrix XenApp, along with support for running additional types of competitive macros as-is (natively) without having to go through a costly conversion process.
Reflection 2011 R3 also features additional refinements to the patent-pending data-hiding features on IBM host screens that enable organizations to adhere to PCI DSS compliance requirements and pass PCI audits.
With this launch, Communiqué PR aimed to do the following:
- Raise awareness of Reflection 2011 R3 to existing Attachmate customers and potential new users
- Drive customer inquiries pertaining to Reflection
- Increase sales of the Reflection product line
- Educate key audiences on the value and benefits of terminal emulation solutions
- Highlight the product’s flexibility, how it helps protect organizations’ sensitive data and offers customization based on customers’ needs
This launch provided a significant promotional opportunity to highlight that Reflection is Windows 8 Certified ahead of Microsoft’s launch of the operating system, so we targeted Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, as the launch date. We knew the Windows 8 announcement the following week would garner significant coverage and wanted to ensure we avoided getting lost in the noise.
With this approach, we were able to secure three analyst briefings for the launch. We also received five pieces of coverage:
- Network World: “11.12.12 New Products Slideshow”
- Database Trends and Applications: “Attachmate Updates Reflection Terminal Emulation Line”
- BizTech2: “Attachmate Launches Reflection 2011 R3”
- IT Jungle: “Attachmate Excited with Combination of Reflection and Windows 7”
- iProDeveloper: “Attachmate Updates Windows Compatibility for Emulator Tool”
To learn more about Attachmate’s Reflection 2011 R3, visit: http://www.attachmate.com/Products/Terminal+Emulation/Reflection/reflection.htm.
Wednesday night we were pleased to attend the MIT Enterprise Forum Northwest event focused on Big Data in downtown Seattle.
We were particularly excited to be there because we helped secure a slot on the panel of experts for Brian Lent, Chairman, CTO & co-founder at Medio. If you are a regular follower of our blog, or follow the Big Data and predictive analytics landscape, you may know Medio as a company committed to helping businesses optimize their customer Lifetime Values by bettering acquiring, retaining and monetizing their mobile customers.
Len Jordan, one of Madrona Venture Group’s managing partners, moderated the discussion and helped to focus it on how Big Data is evolving and used in a wide-range of applications. He kicked off the discussion by asking each of the panelists to describe a use case.
Stephen Purpura, CEO & co-founder, Context Relevant, spoke about how his company is helping its customers leverage data to learn from the past and make better decisions. Splunk’s Paul Sanford spoke about how the company is at the forefront of helping companies improve their operational intelligence from their IT data. Brian spoke to the ways in which Medio increases the lifetime value of mobile customers and described the work Medio does for several of their customers, include local favorite T-Mobile.
To this end, Brian shared an example of how T-Mobile is able to make better recommendations or route the optimal offer at the right time to people browsing T-Mobile’s portal or shopping on their mobile devices because of Medio’s technology. This activity translates to more purchases and page views, and helps Medio customers increase revenue.
The lively discussion then moved on to a variety of topics, which included:
- The opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to leverage Big Data
- What role computer scientists are playing in connecting Big Data with better decision making
- Privacy and security issues incumbent with the collection and use of data
- How to prevent deep indexing to protect privacy and how to discern meaningful insights from the data one does collect
- The panelists’ opinions on the future uses of Big Data, which ranged from mobility to healthcare to government and science
All and all it was an interesting and valuable discussion. Whether we like it or not, businesses are collecting an unprecedented amount of data around our posts to social media, shopping habits in stores as well as from cell phones and tablets, how we drive our automobiles, how frequently we workout and much more. However, as Brian Lent concluded last night, responsible businesses can use this data to both improve their own organizations and make the world a better and more efficient place.
In a slump? Not able to find any inspiration for whatever project you might be working on? The tough part of working in a creative industry is that creativity and inspiration cannot always be conjured up whenever you would like—sometimes you need a little help.
PRDaily recent compiled a list of 12 online resources that can help get your creative juices flowing. Some of my personal favorites, from PRDaily’s list and from my own experience, include:
Big Think compiles ideas on science, technology, arts, culture, business, economics, beliefs, and almost any other subject you can think of. Big Think’s mission is to connect the “infinite data points” available on the web (i.e. news stories, tweets, status updates, etc.) and illustrate bigger picture ideas coming from the seemingly constant information stream in the media.
Big Think’s post can help you contextualize what you are currently working on in terms of bigger picture trends, and at the very least, prove for a very interesting read.
Behance is an online portfolio platform for creative professionals across multiple industries. The web presence of Behance’s mission, 99U, is to educate creatives on “best practices for moving beyond idea generation into idea execution.” 99U’s Daily Web Magazine interviews creative professionals known for productivity, providing readers with strategies and tactics to remain creative and productive. A great resource for understanding how successful creative professionals have been able to streamline inspiration into success, 99U is an excellent resource for brainstorming how to better apply yourself in the creative field.
- Fast Company’s co.CREATE
Co.CREATE is a “daily exploration of creativity” in branding, entertainment, and tech. The site’s purpose is to generate daily inspiration from individuals, as well as from a variety of mediums including films, shows, ad campaigns, apps, games, music, and products. An excellent way to get inspired is to see what other people in your field are producing. Fast Company’s co.CREATE, as well as co.EXIST and co.DESIGN, can give you this insight.
PSFK’s tagline is “inspiring creative business,” and the website distributes a variety of articles on how businesses are using design, media and technology. Similarly to co.CREATE, this is a great place to see how other professionals continue to make creative use of the resources at their disposal.
And one that remains a standby for me, although it was not included on PRDaily’s list:
TED is broad in subject matter, but continues to be the gold standard for easily accessible inspiration and information, in my opinion. For those interested in a lifelong education, TED is an invaluable resource. The famed site hosts topics from qualified speakers around the globe on their individual areas of expertise. When browsing TED, you might go from a lecture on the behavioral habits of chimpanzees to a talk about fascinating results from a psychologist’s study about vulnerability. The site causes you to truly admire the work that’s taking place around the globe, and it provides perspectives and information that might be the missing piece to a puzzle you’re trying to solve in your own position.
What are some of your favorite resources when you need to find inspiration on the job?
With the growing popularity and use of social media, companies can use an array of channels to connect with audiences.
However, with the increasing number of social media sites and tools, it can be difficult to establish a meaningful social media presence. The New Year is the perfect time to update and polish your social media accounts. PRDaily recently provided insight on how to update your social media presence for the New Year in “How to improve your social media efforts in 10 minutes” with the four following tips.
1) Add social media links to email signatures and on the company page
Convenience is key. If it is easily accessible people will be more likely to post it or view it.
Most professional communication is done through email, and whoever you are emailing is a potential connection for you or your company. Whether you are emailing a client or a reporter, links to your social media accounts in an email signature will allow contacts to easily access your various profiles.
Another way to provide more accessibility and convenience for people is to add links to social media accounts in a prominent part of the company’s website. For example, online retailers will often have a “Pin it” option next to an item; online articles typically have “share this” options including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
2) Take a survey of your audience
In order for a post to gain popularity on any social media site, it must intrigue or appeal to the audience. Reposts and viral content are organic, and must originate from an intriguing subject. Posts that do not attract readers/ viewers are of less value to a brand. Allotting a short period of time to conduct a survey of your social media following and what topics they’re interested in hearing about can be helpful for improving content.
3) Inform journalists of your clients’ social media
Send any relevant media contacts information about your clients’/ company’s social media sites. This can be beneficial in two ways. First, if a reporter is authoring a piece featuring your client, linking to your client’s social media sites can increase traffic via the outlets’ website.
Second, if a reporter is looking for a quick comment or quote from your clients/ company they can conveniently access one from a tweet or status update. However, if you are employing this tactic, do take the time to ensure that your company’s/ clients’ social media presence is on message and representative of the brand (it should be already!).
4) Update social media profiles
Most social media websites including Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube, have updated features this year allowing you to add personality to a social media profile. Take the time to make use of seemingly small details, such as updating a profile picture—it will add to the appeal and functionality of your page.
As the New Year approaches, there is no better time to re-invigorate your company’s or clients’ presence in social media. PRDaily’s useful tips will help you do this efficiently—maybe with enough time remaining to work on your own New Year’s resolutions!
For more on social media from Communiqué PR, visit:
- Tips, Tricks and Lists: How Short And Sweet is Memorable
- Social media and democracy: What can business learn from election campaigns?
- Five Facebook Tips for Social Media Managers
Is your company considering hiring on a public relations agency? In all likelihood, this means you will be doing an agency search. This can entail requesting proposals and quotes from a range of agencies found through word of mouth, previous use, or online research. However, once you find a few agencies you think might work for your company, you still have to make a selection.
For someone who is unfamiliar with PR, or who has not worked within an agency setting, it can be difficult to understand what factors might be relevant when selecting an agency. We were very impressed recently when a potential client approached us with an outlined questionnaire. This inspired us to craft a list of five questions you should ask when deciding on a PR agency.
1. Does the agency specialize in a particular area?
If you have a product that is especially complex, it can be helpful to work with an agency that has expertise in your industry. Even if an agency doesn’t necessary specialize, asking this question can ellicit the industries with which an agency has experience and knowledge. It’s not essential that an firm has a great deal of experience in your company’s industry, but it can be helpful, and should be considered in an agency search.
2. Who will be working on your account?
All agencies use a different method of staffing accounts, and it can be helpful to understand how many people will be delivering information to you, and meet the specific person who will be your main contact. Gaining insight into who will be working your account will help you understand what your day to day relationship with the agency will be like.
3. What information does the agency need from you to begin work?
To make your relationship as efficient as possible, it is helpful to send over any materials that might be relevant to your PR agency. Although your PR firm will likely do its due diligence and research your past coverage and other pertinent information about your company, it can be a time saver to cover these bases before you even begin work.
4. How often will the agency update you on their progress?
It’s something you might not think about, but establishing an official rapport and expectations with your agency is important. It’s never too early to set expectations, and it will help the firm’s account team develop a more accurate read on the hours it will spend servicing your account.
5. Can the agency list recent examples of how its team secured results for other clients?
You should be specific about the type of results you are looking for depending on your business objectives. For example, ask for a list or recent articles the agency has placed for clients, recent awards it has helped clients win, or recent speaking nominations the agency has been able to secure for clients.
Your relationship with your PR agency should be mutually beneficial, and this relationship starts when you select an agency. Asking the questions listed above will help create shared expectations for you and your agency, and give you a better idea of which firm will be the right fit for you.
For more on selecting an agency from Communiqué’s blog, see:
When Should a Start-up Business Hire a PR Firm?
Best Practices: Five Things to Consider When Selecting a PR Partner
Client Service and Boutique Agencies
Internal vs. External PR Roles
For more external resources on selecting an agency, look to:
Being Great, Not Just Good (The Council of PR Firms)
Hiring a Public Relations Firm (The Council of PR Firms)
The Counselors Academy’s Guide to Selecting a Public Relations Firm or Consultant (PRSA)
How to Choose a Public Relations (PR) Agency (WikiHow)
10 things to ask before … Choosing a PR firm (Washington Business Journal)
Choosing a Public Relations Firm (allBusiness)
Heather Campbell
Congrats! We made it another year navigating the ever-changing and fast-evolving PR and news landscape. But, before we dive head first into 2013 with PR-related resolutions such as increasing your social media following, finding new ways to measure results, or building deeper relationships with reporters, it would be good to look back at 2012 to relive the biggest news makers that captivated us all.
Channeling the fond memories captured in a high school yearbook, Version 2.0 Communications developed an infographic featuring the biggest news stories of the year and the faces behind them.
Happy New Year from the Communiqué PR team!