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.
A recent case study in Advertising Age examined Sharpie’s new campaign designed to encourage consumers to associate the Sharpie brand with creativity and expression. The goal of the “Uncap What’s Inside” campaign was to inspire consumers to “uncap” their creativity and express their individuality as a low-cost way to “accessorize their lives.”
Newell Rubbermaid – which owns the Sharpie brand – decided to take a new approach for the campaign that incorporated the company’s traditional print strategy with elements of social media via Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and a community Web site, sharpieuncapped.com, to showcase user-generated Sharpie creations.
“Traditionally we have had a really strong return from our print buys. That is why print continues to be a critical piece of our plan,” said Sally Grimes, vice president of global marketing for Newell Rubbermaid. “But I would say we absolutely acknowledge it’s a new world out there in how brands interact and engage with their consumers. And that’s a reason why social media has become part of our plan with our community site.”
We have help many of our own clients recognize the potential impact that social media can have on their brands. Social media gives organizations a new platform to actively engage with their customers, monitor perceptions about their brand and disseminate news and other information in an unfiltered way. More and more our clients are coming to us asking for counsel on how to develop and integrate a social media strategy into their existing PR and marketing plans.
Here are some things to consider if your organization is looking to dip their toes in the social media waters.
Know your business objectives – It’s important to understand that social media is another tool in the PR toolbox. Any social media initiatives should be tied directly to your organization’s overarching business objectives in order to have a positive impact.
Know the medium – Before establishing a presence, it’s critical to understand what type of audiences each social media platform attracts. For example, the audience for Twitter may be thought of as younger, technology savvy youth. However, because so many businesses and professionals are active on Twitter the age brackets with the highest number of users are 25 to 54 years old.
Anticipate what could go wrong – There are several widely-known examples of companies whose social media campaigns backfired. Because of the viral nature of social media, there is always a possibility a campaign could go sour. Consider possible worst-case scenarios and potential solutions before rolling out a campaign with social media elements.
For more information on developing a social media strategy send us an email at [email protected].
It recently became public knowledge that potential job candidates for the city of Bozeman, Mont., were being asked not only to reveal their online social media affiliations, but also release their username and passwords during the application process.
The request for applicants to submit their social media usernames and passwords has stirred mixed emotions with some individuals praising the city’s thoroughness while others claiming the city of Bozeman is invading the personal privacy of the applicants.
In a recent ReadWriteWeb blog post, writer Frederic Lardinois explores the issue further. He includes a quote from Greg Sullivan, the city’s attorney, to further explain why the city requested username and password information from applicants.
Greg says “So, we have positions ranging from fire and police, which require people of high integrity for those positions, all the way down to the lifeguards and the folks that work in city hall here. So we do those types of investigations to make sure the people that we hire have the highest moral character and are a good fit for the City.”
While the city may have had good intentions, public reaction has been negative and brought on a slew of media attention. The city’s application process caught the attention of several local reporters as well as national outlets including the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report and Human Resource Executive Online.
Whether it was the public outcry or simply a change of heart, on June 19 the city of Bozeman revised its application process. As a result, applicants are no longer required to submit social media usernames and passwords on their application.
This story is a great reminder of two things. The first, is hiring processes and policies can easily reach the eyes and ears of the public. If these policies are perceived negatively, it can quickly create bad publicity, build a negative image of your company and brand, and hinder recruiting efforts. If your organization is faced with bad publicity, remember to first gather facts to ensure you are prepared to answer questions; however, it is important to respond quickly and truthfully
The second reminds jobs seekers that more organizations are looking online at social sites like Facebook and Twitter to gather more information about candidates. As a best practice, professionals should refrain from posting anything online that you would not be comfortable having your employer see.
A radio media tour (RMT) is defined as a series of interviews offered to radio stations throughout the country during a specific time period. RMTs are typically conducted via telephone with radio reporters, news producers or talk show hosts. The interviews are either live or taped and typically last about 10 minutes.
While RMTs are great for companies and organizations that are trying to convey a complex message to a specific audience and demographic, the success of RMTs depend on a variety of factors.
According to a PRWeek article, these factors primarily include relevance and choosing the right spokesperson. The story should be timely and encompass a broad topic or trend that a broad audience can easily grasp. For example, let’s say your client was looking to raise consumer awareness around a new smartphone device, you could consider pitching an RMT around ways to quickly organize your life and include details about how the device helps consumers and professionals stay organized.
Lining up the right spokesperson is also important to ensure a successful RMT. The spokesperson should be credible, have wide audience appeal and be relatable. Let’s take the same example of the getting organized RMT. Rather than having an executive from the device manufacturer serve as the spokesperson, you might consider finding a well-known organizational expert who can offer useful tips (including your product) on how to quickly get your life organized. Recruiting an expert can be a win-win situation because it gives them a chance to promote their expertise and lends credibility to your story.
When executed properly, RMTs provide a “cost-effective means of additional insight to a company’s story.” In order to implement a successful RMT, consider the following:
Craft a Compelling News Hook. Like any pitch or story, an RMT should have a sharp news hook that resonates with a broad audience. In order to capture the audience’s attention, make sure the topic is timely and is tied to a broad trend or breaking news. According to Richard Strauss, president of Strauss Radio Strategies, pitching issues that are tied to breaking news, health stories, the economy and the environment are popular with radio stations right now.
Localize the Story. When pitching a story to regional radio outlets, it is important to localize the story. Keep in mind, regional radio often targets not just a specific media market, but also a segment of the market. For example, a regional radio show might specifically target soccer moms or business entrepreneurs.
Set your Spokesperson Up for Success. To ensure a successful RMT, it’s critical that your spokesperson – whether it’s a company executive or third-party expert – is well-prepared. This means conducting media training to ensure they’re grounded in the key messages and practice delivering those messages with mock interviews. In addition, you may want to consider developing an FAQ to outline some of the tough questions you anticipate the radio reporter will ask. This is especially important when preparing for a live interview. To learn more about preparing for interviews, visit our post entitled, “The Importance of Preparing before an Interview,” by clicking here.
RMTs can be a great vehicle for reaching a broad audience in a cost-effective way. Unlike on-camera interviews, RMTs do not require costly preparation such as travel, makeup, and extensive equipment. And while the time involved for spokespeople may require approximately three to four hours, it’s time well spent to secure a handful of wide-reaching radio interviews.
Many of us know or have experienced the benefits of networking. Actively fostering existing relationships and building new ones can lead to new business leads, job opportunities or help you recruit new talent to your organization. It also provides individuals the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skill set and build their reputation in a particular area or industry. For example, ask yourself if you have ever secured a new business lead from a friend or been offered a job because someone you knew put in a good word. Chances are you have reaped the benefits of networking at least once or twice in your professional life.
With the national unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, many professionals are relying on networking to help them land their next job. People are connecting with old colleagues and buildnew relationships in order to grow their business during these tough economic times.
Author Anne Subervi explored this topic in a recent PR Week article that reminds professionals that networking can help fuel business. Subervi also says, “In PR, it’s all about who you know and managing your reputation.” This advice certainly applies for all industries, not just PR. She continues, “Keeping relationships strong can save you when times like these take a toll on your business.”
So how can you make the most out of your networking activities? Whether you are a networking pro or a networking newbie, here are a few best practices to keep in mind to help you make every encounter a success.
Establish your objectives in advance. Just as you would for any meeting, it is important to prepare in advance of a networking event or encounter. Write down your objectives and be clear about the purpose of your meeting. Think about the questions you want to ask as well as how you will answer questions you receive about yourself and your background.
Be an active participant. When you are attending a networking event or meeting an old colleague for coffee, remember to be an active participant in the discussion. Ask open-ended questions that spur conversation, listen and add value. Similar to a job interview, you should look for ways to demonstrate your skills and abilities in a meaningful way.
Be authentic. Building new relationships requires authenticity. A genuine approach will serve you better in the long term so do not try to be something you are not or overpromise on what you can deliver.
Contribute to the relationship. Successful networking relationships provide both parties with value – an equal give and take. Think about ways you can help the other person. In some instances, this may include making an introduction to another colleague or offering a new business referral.
Follow up and follow through. One of the most critical aspects of networking is the follow up and follow through. For example, if an old colleague has taken time out of his or her day to meet you for coffee, be sure to send a thank you note and follow through with any action items discussed. When you drop the ball, it not only tarnishes your reputation, but it also makes the individual less likely to help you again in the future.
These best practices will help ensure you are making the most out of each networking activity. If you have any additional tips, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and start a discussion.
Peter Shankman, creator of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), recently sat down with PRWeek to offer his perspective regarding the current status of media relations. His point of view is very relevant as his creation of HARO has been described as “redefining the art of networking.”HARO is a free service that distributes up to five e-mails a day to subscribers, highlighting more than 1,200 media queries each week and providing journalists with more than 100,000 sources overall. HARO has quickly become the most popular service for connecting journalists with PR professionals and resources. And did I mention that Shankman also has a knack for adding humorous anecdotes and sharing paid promotions and advice with his subscribers?
He also goes to extreme lengths to make sure none of his subscribers are “spammed” and enforces the rules to using HARO, suggesting that anyone who joins the list asks themselves a few questions before responding. “Is this response really on target? Is this response really going to help the journalist, or is this just a BS way for me to get my client in front of the reporter?” His unique perspective and dedication to networking makes Shankman an extremely knowledgeable source on the future of media relations.
In his interview with PRWeek about the future of media landscape, Shankman advises PR pros on how to pitch to journalists in this fast-paced, ever changing media world. As the number of journalists decrease at many print publications, it is important to utilize tools like HARO to better connect with the right sources. With little time, the probability of getting a reporter to read a long pitch or idea is unlikely, especially if you do not have an existing relationship. Instead, he says the “answer is two-fold – write really well, and be dead-on topic. There’s no middle ground anymore.” PR professionals can learn from this; present the right information in the right way with the right sources and you will be successful.
As a current subscriber to HARO, it is easy to see how beneficial Shankman’s service is. Instead of trying to network through a one-way channel, HARO facilitates connections between journalists who need sources and PR professionals with ideas to pitch on behalf of their clients and companies. Communiqué PR has used HARO many times, enabling us to reach analysts, journalists and third-party resources on behalf of our clients. For example, while working to secure an article in Desktop Engineering, we needed to connect with an industry analyst who could provide quotes and information regarding research and a breakthrough in flow separation. After posting a HARO inquiry we sparked interest with an analyst from Frost & Sullivan and we were able to secure quotes for the article.
We’d like to hear from you. Have you had success using HARO? Share your story and comment!
At the 2009 Games for Change Festival, New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas Kristof delivered a surprising keynote address saying that online games can be a powerful reporting platform for educating people about global issues such as the environment, poverty and human rights.
His epiphany came during a chance encounter with online game, “Darfur is Dying“,which was created through a partnership with MTVu, Reebok Human Rights Foundation and the International Crisis Group to educate people about the genocide in the African nation of Darfur. The game is a simulation in which players negotiate forces that threaten their refugee camp to give players a glimpse of what being in Darfur is really like.
Kristof believes games like this can be an effective way to inform and emotionally connect people with some of the most important issues facing our world and empower change. As a journalist, he admits he would love it if people were empowered by reading his Pulitzer prize-winning columns on global issues. However, he recognizes that today’s consumer is often hard-pressed to read an entire newspaper article and believes viral, online games such as Darfur is Dying can be a viable substitute for raising social awareness.
In fact, he plans to create an online game to accompany his upcoming book, “Half the Sky” which examines the oppression of women in third-world countries. He hopes the social networking game will “help convert this awareness into a global movement to turn oppression into opportunity for women and girls throughout the developing world.”
“Darfur is Dying” may be the most visible online game dedicated to social change, but Games for Change is an organization dedicated leveraging the power of video games to “address the most pressing issues of our day, including poverty, human rights, global conflict and climate change.” The organization’s Web site boasts a variety of different games that educate consumers on issues surrounding public policy, economics, public health, global conflict and politics.
It certainly is an interesting time in both PR and journalism as the media landscape continues to shift. While Nicholas Kristof may be an unlikely advocate for alternative reporting platforms, his acknowledgment that new mediums such as online games are viable vehicles for the next-generation of journalism is further evidence that we’re only just beginning to see what that landscape will potentially look like. It’s still too early to tell, but in the meantime PR professionals, journalists and organizations alike will continue to try and understand how to leverage new mediums in meaningful ways.