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From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
The CEO and founder of OtterBox, Curt Richards, recently posted a byline article for Inc. Magazine about maintaining workforce passion in a small business. Since many of our clients are start-up companies that are growing, and as a small-but-growing business ourselves, we thought we would share a few of Curt’s key findings to ensure that the start-up mentality of scrappiness and passion becomes a part of the company’s long term culture.
Curt recommends the following four tips for building and maintaining a passionate workforce:
- “From the top down.” First and foremost, passion needs to come from the leadership. If the leadership isn’t reflecting an attitude of enthusiasm and vigor, how can they expect their workers to demonstrate these qualities? Business leaders set the tone for the rest of the company – their attitudes set a precedent for how their employees should act. If you’re in a leadership position, this is an important tip to keep in mind.
- “From the bottom up.” Just as the business leaders set the tone for a workplace’s passion and culture, every employee should take responsibility for that tone as well. Particularly in a small company, each individual truly adds something to the culture and personality of the workforce. Even during stressful or hectic times, employees should take it upon themselves the exude positivity and excitement about their work – it’s infectious to the other workers around them.
- “To the farthest reaches.” Even small companies can have a distributed presence. Many of our clients, while small in size, have people who work remotely from other areas of the nation or have regional sales offices to ensure customers throughout the nation are getting some face time. Passion needs to stem from headquarters and flow through other locations for your company – both near and far – much like your heart pumps blood to your extremities. Your other locations can play a big role in the growth and success of your company, so make sure you’re investing time and resources to build passion with remote or disparate workers.
- “In everything we do.” If you build a sense of passion in your workforce, ask them to prove it. Go full-throttle on all of your projects, and go the extra mile for customers. Demonstrate that passion by letting it play a role in your day-to-day work. Not only will it continue to build internal excitement, it will also build passion in customers and other key players in your industry.
What are some of the other ways you instill a sense of passion in your workforce, and what are your best practices for maintaining that quality?
Here at Communique PR, we know that collaboration is key. In fact, collaboration is one of the Core Values of Communique PR. Collaboration and team work are essential to a successful office environment, and there are a few great technology solutions out there to help make office collaboration seamless and efficient. At Communique, we love Smartsheet (see Smartsheet: a Collaboration Tool for PR Teams). However, there are several effective and popular collaboration tools worth looking into for your office environment.
- Dropbox
Extremely popular for both personal and business use, Dropbox is a simple way to share files in the cloud, offering 2 GB of free storage per user, and 50GB for $9.99/ month. The service is available from their website, or from a downloaded desktop application.
- Google Docs & Drive
Google Docs is a classic, but remains popular. Free for your first 5GB, Google Docs allows the user to create documents, spread sheets, and presentations, sharing with any number of contacts. Creators are allowed to invite viewers, other administrators, or other editors, all with varying capabilities. This famous service will soon convert to Google Drive.
Google Drive is the online giant’s version of Dropbox, offering 5GB of free space. Google Drive functions similarly to Google Docs, a plus if users are already familiar with the service. However, pay close attention to the Terms of Use; you may want to avoid putting your private or important files on this service.
- Yammer
Yammer will look familiar to Facebook users: it mimics the social network, but your ”friends” are now your coworkers. The online service has become quite popular, spurring a recent purchase by Microsoft. Users must use their work email to login, and can post and read others comments on different conversations. Additionally, Yammer allows the user to follow certain conversations. Groups can be distinguished in order to have discussions in different departments. Yammer also allows users to upload documents and edit them together, within the cloud. Yammer desktop and mobile applications that sync with the online service are available.
- 37 Signals
37 Signals offers three products: Basecamp, Highrise, and Campfire. Basecamp is a collaboration tool for projects, and it offers a 45-day free trial of the service. Highrise allows you to not only manage contacts in the cloud, but record email conversations and set notifications for follow ups. Campfire is real time group chatting with visibility of images, conversation archives, conference calling abilities, and access to Basecamp if you so choose. Both Highrise and Campfire are available for 30-day free trials.
- Zoho
Zoho provides a multitude of collaboration applications. Its “Chat” allows for real-time group discussions; its “Docs” application permits documents to be shared, managed, and edited, fully integrated with MS Office. Zoho exists in the cloud, and thus an organization can use its wide range of apps from anywhere. Prices for collaboration tools vary from free to charging per user; check out their Collaboration Applications page for more information.
- Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 offers an online, collaborative version of its popular office tools, including calendar, email, spreadsheets, word processing, presentations, and OneNote. Microsoft provides a free trial, but the full package will range from $4 to $20 per user per month.
For additional information on collaboration tools, check out the following blog posts:
- Collaboration Done Right – Eight Tools to Help
- Four Tools for Improving Office Collaboration
- 9 Great Document Collaboration Tools for Teams
While collaboration tools can be great for involving staff and staying on top of projects, they are only effective when your whole team uses them. At CPR, we love Smartsheet because it is minimal, efficient, and fits our needs perfectly. Think carefully about your team’s needs and uses when selecting a collaborative platform—there are plenty from which to choose!
Executing on a successful launch requires careful planning and integrating a lot of moving parts. By leveraging a variety of platforms and creating a rolling thunder type of buzz, a product launch will likely make more of a splash than simply distributing a press release.
Recently, we partnered with the Omni Group to launch OmniPlan for iPad, the last of the company’s five productivity tools to come to the iPad. First, we coordinated meetings at Macworld in January to give journalists a preview of OmniPlan for iPad and let them know the app would launch in Q2. This created initial interest and enabled the Omni Group to speak broadly about its product roadmap and what those journalists could expect to see from the company in the future.
About a week prior to the launch, the Omni Group posted a teaser video, which heightened interest and generated a number of media inquiries about the launch. Additionally, Ken Case (@kcase), CEO of the Omni Group, tweeted about OmniPlan for iPad prior to the release. This helped to continue the excitement from consumers and build demand. The day the app was available, we distributed a press release to media, fielded inquiries and facilitated interviews, and provided access to a reviewer’s guide and supporting materials.
By building buzz through preview meetings, placing video and social media teasers, as well as reaching out to media with the official announcement and reviewer’s guide, we helped the Omni Group secure more than 22 pieces of unique coverage. This coverage helped to continue to build awareness and drive sales. OmniPlan for iPad reached the number two spot of the top business grossing app in iTunes.
We have included some of the coverage highlights below.
- iLounge, “The Omni Group launches OmniPlan for iPad,” June 7, 2012
- The Mac Observer, “Omni Group Brings OmniPlan to the iPad,” June 7, 2012
- Macstories, “Hands On: OmniPlan for iPad,” June 7, 2012
- iPad CTO, “Omni Group’s OmniPlan for iPad Available Now,” June 7, 2012
- 9 to 5 Mac, “Apps & updates: OmniPlan for iPad, IM+, SoundHound, NFL ’12, more,” June 7, 2012
- Cult of Mac, “OmniPlan For iPad Makes Project Management Simple,” June 7, 2012
- 148Apps, “OmniPlan for iPad Review,” June 7, 2012
- Macworld, “OmniPlan project manager launches as an iPad app,” June 7, 2012
- Computerworld
- IDG
- PC Advisor
- MacNN, “Project management tool OmniPlan arrives on iPad,” June 7, 2012
- iPad Notebook, “OmniPlan for iPad Released,” June 7, 2012
- App Advice, “The OmniPlan For iPad Review,” June 8, 2012
- TUAW, “The Omni Group releases OmniPlan for iPad,” June 8, 2012
- PadGadget, “Project Management Tool OmniPlan Joins the iPad,” June 8, 2012
- Tab Times, “Omni Group releases iPad app for project management,” June 8, 2012
- Macworld, “The Week in iOS Apps: Once upon a time,” June 8, 2012
- Macgasm, “OmniPlan Now Available On The iPad,” June 8, 2012
- The Verge, “OmniPlan for iPad now available for $49.99,” June 9, 2012
- Redmond Pie, “OmniPlan For iPad Is The Best Organizing And Planning App We’ve Ever Seen, But Comes At A Steep Price,” June 9, 2012
- Mobile & Apps, “OmniPlan for iPad Brings On-the-Go Productivity,” June 11, 2012
- Geeky Gadgets, “OmniPlan Arrives On iPad,” June 11, 2012
- IT Web, “OmniPlan for iPad simplifies PM,” June 12, 2012
As a recent addition to the Communiqué PR staff, I thought my first post here would be well-suited to cover the differences in PR agency culture when transitioning from a large agency to a boutique firm. I experienced a minor culture shock when making the switch, but I’m quickly assimilating and loving the change!
I’ve outlined five of the biggest differences below:
- Individualism versus conglomeration. My previous employers operated out of large, corporate buildings full of suits, jargon and nameless faces. I welcomed Communiqué PR’s fresh environment: a converted home on Queen Anne. The building is still filled with big thinking, smart solutions and creative ideas, but it has all the charm you’d expect from a historic piece of Seattle. I open a window and hear birds chirping and children laughing; I don’t hear a steady hum of traffic, bleating horns and sirens from emergency vehicles. Quick aside: The fact that I can even open a window, let alone hear a myriad of pleasant sounds, is quite a draw.
- Deep relationships and speedier integration. Because Communiqué PR is a small business, there’s an ability to make strong personal connections with your boss and coworkers from day one. When you work alongside more than 100 other people, it’s really challenging to even get on a first-name basis with people. Forging relationships early on helps you integrate seamlessly and quickly, allowing you to focus on what matters: doing quality work and delivering results for clients.
- Magnified strengths and weaknesses. In a smaller setting, your work tends to speak for itself. Your talents don’t get buried in a heap with everyone else’s and the people participating in decision-making about your growth have direct insight into your skills. However, this means they also see your weaknesses, so you can’t hide – you have to step up your game.
- Charting a path. In a setting like Communiqué PR, you have an ability to chart your growth, as well as the company’s, in a truly unique way. In partnership with the business owners, you can outline your interests, seek work on projects that speak to you and grow your skillset rapidly. You also have the opportunity to participate in pitching new business, help out on other accounts if you’re feeling a bit stale, or focus on agency culture (ice cream social, anyone?!).
- Wearer of many hats. At a large company, processes and roles tend to get specifically designed to increase efficiency but this also diminishes an employee’s chance to work on diverse activities. It also means that the large agency can’t be as flexible with clients’ needs. In a single workday at Communiqué PR, I may shift from tech support to story crafter to admin to communications plan writer. I love being able to challenge my brain on different projects or solve problems and Communiqué PR absolutely allows me to do that.
There are many things to love about both larger and smaller firms. In the end, you need to decide which aspects are most important to you and go from there. If Communiqué PR sounds like a fit for you, check out our careers page!
When Instagram was first launched in the fall of 2010, nobody could have predicted its enormous success. Despite its simple concept, Instagram gained a total of 14 million users in its very short lifespan, and was sold to Facebook in April 2012 for $1 billion.
The free app allows users to snap, edit and post pictures from their smart phones in just a matter of seconds. As the app continues to attract new users at a meteoric rate, more and more companies are applying the app in an effort to reach consumers on a new and more personal level. According to an article from PR Daily, “If your brand is in the social media space, Instagram should be a part of your daily vocabulary.”
The top four reasons small businesses are using this service are to:
1) Connect with Customers. Instagram allows small businesses to get to know their customers in a new way. Through “following” their customers or clients, they can discover more about them through the pictures they post. This gives companies the opportunity to discover what customers really think of their brand, and also helps define who their best customers are. With this inside knowledge, a business is able to further target specific groups and make their business more attractive to that specific audience. Companies can use Instagram to inform their customers about new services, products or promotions to keep their customers engaged and build a feeling of brand loyalty.
2) Support Event Marketing. With millions of users, posting a photo of an upcoming event on Instagram is an instant way for a company to spread awareness of any occasion. Whether it’s a contest or a special event, posting an attractive image on Instagram is a sure fire way of enhancing the popularity and knowledge of the event. And the best part about this method of advertising? It doesn’t cost a penny for the company! The more people who “like” this photo, the more publicity it will get on Instagram and the more people will learn about the company.
3) Build Brand Awareness. Humans are naturally more attracted to images than they are to words. Small businesses should take advantage of the Instagram opportunity to tell the story behind their business and help consumers build a relationship with the brand. According to the article Instagram for Business by socialmediasun.com, “Instagram is more than just a photo-taking tool: it’s a story-telling opportunity. You should think of ways that you can take pictures of your product, employees, events or even the office. Take your followers behind the scenes by showing them what goes on at your office or how your product is made.” The more insight a person has on a company, the more connected they likely will feel.
4) Facilitates Share of Social Media. Instagram is an advantageous tool for spreading pictures onto other social media sites related to a particular company. With just the click of a single button, a photo on Instagram can be shared on a company’s Facebook page, Twitter account, and can be a positive visual addition to a company’s webpage. Instagram allows users to choose from a variety of filters that add an artistic and creative touch.
Being aware of the latest technology is crucial to the success of any new business. Instagram is proving to be an excellent new resource for companies to help reach out to their clients and facilitate brand building. To learn more visit www.instagram.com.
Google has a position called the “Chief Happiness Officer,” a title that sounds pretty enticing to me. The man behind the title is Chade-Meng Tan, who was an engineer with Google when it was still a nimble start-up company. Over the years, he has learned a lot about working in a stressful, deadline-driven environment, and he shared some of his stress-management tips with Inc.
Although we aren’t Google engineers here at Communiqué PR, we think Tan’s tips are quite applicable for PR and marketing professionals. Managing projects, client demands and internal responsibilities is quite a feat, and stress is inevitable. However, what differentiates the stars from the rest of the pack is how that stress is dealt with.
It’s common knowledge that consistent, high levels of stress aren’t healthy. It can result in all sorts of problems, from decreased productivity, to bad attitudes, to insomnia, to other serious health problems, like high blood pressure. In a hectic, deadline-driven environment, it is important for PR professionals to learn how to properly manage stress to ensure they are doing what is best for clients and what is best for them.
Tan’s three tips for managing stress are:
- “Learn inner calm.” Tan believes that mindfulness is key to keeping calm. When you’re feeling stressed out, projects are piling up, reporters are calling and you are stuck in meetings all day, he recommends focused breathing and meditation when you can manage it. Regarding inner calm, he says, “The analogy is a deep ocean: The surface is choppy but the bottom is very calm. If you’re able to go deep inside, you can access that calmness and exist in a world where you can be calm and in action at the same time.”
- “Increase emotional resilience.” Tan states that emotions, like stress, result in physical reactions, like chest tightening, nausea and sweating. He recommends acknowledging those feelings and just letting them go, without allowing the symptoms themselves to spiral you farther down the path of stress. Rather than letting the feeling of stress break you down, just let it pass and try to tap into that inner calm. A good way to do this is to take a breather. Tap into whatever activity will calm you down, take a walk, a run or put your headphones in a jam out to your favorite song.
- “Develop the habit of wishing success to others.” It is easy to develop a sense of competition with your peers, but this does not correlate to happiness. Competition adds stress and pressure to your work – instead, you should be pleased for your coworkers’ successes and help them achieve success. This focus on the “greater good” helps you inspire those around you and allows you to celebrate achievements without beating yourself up or feeling resentful.
Even though the environment we work in is much different than life at Google, Tan’s tips for workplace calmness are certainly applicable for just about any industry. Another good resource for stress management is the book “Perfect Breathing” by Don Campbell and Al Lee, the book offers simple tips to relieve stress and anxiety. What are some other ways you manage stress while you are at work?