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.
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to save money. In fact, The Today Show recently asked their readers to share their money resolutions for 2009 and received a flood of responses. Viewers’ resolutions included:
1. Assess what you have and make use of it.
2. Look great for less.
3. Save money on entertainment without forgoing fun.
4. Pay down debt instead of accumulating more stuff.
5. Be a savvy comparison shopper.
6. It’s actually kind of easy being green.
7. Devise a budget – and stick to it!
8. Remember to take advantage of the points and rewards you’ve earned.
9. Discover the magic and wonder of thrift stores.
10. Distinguish needs from wants.
I think this list is good, but it is missing another import concept around learning and saving. We all know that one of the best ways keep your mind sharp and have fun is to learn something new, but with the economy in a downward spiral many people can’t justify discretionary spending on fun classes or the pursuit of a new hobby.
We are excited to share that one of our clients, Learn and Save, is making it easier to try something new and save money. Specifically, the company has created a new consumer networking Web site bringing how-to tutorials, high-quality information and coupons to consumers.
We helped the company with its debut on Jan. 1, 2009 and have received very positive feedback from journalists and consumers alike. Thus far, the following news outlets have developed stories on Learn and Save:
1. TechFlash, “Learn and Save, an eHow Rival that Promises to Save People Money”
2. KOMO 1000 – Aired an interview with Charlie Gillette, chief executive officer of Learn and Save on Jan. 2.
3. Gadgetell, “Learn and Save Aims to Help Both the Consumer and the Company”
4. King 5, “Web Sites That Claim to Save you Time, Money”
5. MyFox Tampa Bay, “Consumer Lawyer: Learn to Save“
Several more local and national stories are currently in the works.
Consumers shared the following insights about how they’re using Learn and Save as well other related Web sites, such as www.ebates.com, www.couponcabin.com, www.istorez.com, www.fatwallet.com and www.Valpak.com, which are all aimed at helping individuals save money.
“As an avid coupon clipper, I’m always on the lookout for ways to spend my dollars more efficiently and appreciate hearing helpful tips about products I’m considering purchasing,” said Kayla Sando, Learn and Save customer. “I love that Learn and Save provides me with a one-stop destination where I can learn about the topics I like while at the same time gain access to relevant coupons.”
Yvonne Maffei, in Chicago, believes “the Learn and Save concept is a good one: tutorial descriptions, useful tips, related links and products all on one page is great. It gives the reader everything he or she needs in one spot. Readers get the video to learn, the links to continue learning and products to buy related to that topic.” She just hopes in the coming months they’ll add more coupons and make them stand out more.
If you are interested in writing about Learn and Save, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] and I’ll be delighted to put you in touch with a consumer or Charlie Gillette, CEO of Learn and Save.
A recent article in the Boston Globe examined how the economic climate is impacting healthcare. In the article, Reporter Lisa Wangsness cites a recent CNN poll that shows the economy as the most important issue currently facing the country, with healthcare coming in second. Despite the poll, Lisa states, “Many health policy specialists and political strategists say the two issues are inseparable in people’s minds.”
It’s no surprise that many people associate the two together. Changes in the economy directly impact healthcare access for individuals and families alike. With the unemployment rate rising, more families will continue to loose their healthcare insurance and will struggle as they take on the responsibility of paying for pricey healthcare premiums.
Furthermore, the impact for families who have children with chronic conditions – those who have an increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition requiring health and related services – can be devastating. Often these groups are the first to suffer during an economic downturn when ongoing medical attention and supervised care is essential. According to the Department of Health, this population faces medical costs approximately six times higher than those of children without chronic conditions.
From a PR perspective, economic recessions provide an opportune platform for organizations to address social issues such as healthcare and social security that are typically top of mind with many individuals. Organizations have an opportunity to voice how their product or service is helping people to get through these tough times. In some instances, it may be an education that you are providing to the public about how the recession is impacting a particular industry.
One of our clients, Seattle Children’s Hospital, is a great example of an organization that is proactively leveraging the recession to educate the public about children with special needs.
For example, during a recent lecture at the hospital, Dr. John Neff, director for Center for Children with Special Needs, illustrated how families with children who have special needs are significantly impacted during a recession and what the community can do to support this group.
Children’s also recently produced a podcast which examined the healthcare reform plans of former presidential nominee John McCain and President-elect Barack Obama. The podcast provides valuable information for parents looking for more specific information about how McCain and Obama’s policies would affect their healthcare coverage.
These are a few examples of how an organization like Children’s can effectively address social issues during a recession. To learn more about how you or your organization can have an active voice during the economic downturn, please contact us at (206) 282-4923. Alternatively, you can make a donation for Children’s here.
Recent data from Nielson Online reveals MSNBC.com attracts more unique visitors than both Yahoo! News and CNN.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28268304/). With more than 41.8 million unique visitors in November alone, MSNBC.com is a powerful online outlet to target when looking to reach a broad consumer audience.
Given this outlet’s significant reach and credibility with consumers, there is intense competition for coverage among thousands of companies who want to influence behavior or drive demand for a product or service. A positive review, feature story or mention on MSNBC.com can dramatically increase awareness among a vast number of potential customers.
As an example, today’s review by MSNBC’s Citizen Gamer Winda Benedetti, “The games that make seeking so satisfying,” provides an external third-party review of Big Fish Games’ new game Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. The review draws readers in and ultimately raises awareness of the Mystery Case Files games. As a trusted source with a strong readership, this review has the potential to drive downloads and significantly increase sales.
We are excited about our placement of this story for Big Fish Games, and thrilled that Winda included compelling graphics to bring her review to life.
Walt Mossberg is a very influential figure in the technology industry. In August 2004, David Brown, anchor of Marketplace stated, “Mossberg is both feared and respected by makers of computers and other digital gadgetry.” His rock-star status in the tech industry has prompted companies to want to get in front of him and win his stamp of approval on their products. So what makes him so influential? More importantly how can organizations win a coveted briefing with Mossberg and ensure they get a thumbs up?
Since 1970, Mossberg has been a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal. His Personal Technology column has appeared in the publication every Thursday since 1991. Mossberg also writes the Mossberg’s Mailbox column, is a regular technology commentator for the CNBC network and contributor to Dow Jones Video on the Web, and co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference.
Mossberg describes his columns as “railing against” the concept of “techism” which is a term he uses to describe the types of products designed by “techies” that only other techies can figure out. He believes that technology should be more accessible to the everyday consumer who doesn’t have a technology background and says gadgets should be easy to use. He knows what consumers will like and dislike and according to Brad Chase, a former Microsoft chieftain, his reviews are usually “spot-on.”
Mossberg admits he is a very honest reviewer and is not afraid to speak his mind. In 2004, XM Satellite felt the backlash of Mossberg’s mediocre review of the XM Satellite Radio. On the morning his column appeared XM’s stock fell 8.5 percent. It’s no wonder Hugh Panero, who was the CEO of XM Satellite at the time, blamed Mossberg for the company’s falling stock price and decrease in consumer interest.
While working with Mossberg may seem intimidating, the trick is knowing how and when to approach him. Consider the following:
Read what Mossberg is writing about – regularly. This will give you incredible insight into what’s of most interest to him and what technologies/products he’s skeptical about. Doing your homework will also be useful when you do score that coveted briefing with Mossberg as you’ll be better prepared to address the tough questions.
Know that Mossberg typically doesn’t consider briefings or reviews of products until there is a groundswell of adoption from the general public. So if you are a start-up company with a small (but growing) user base, you may want to consider holding off reaching out to Mossberg until you have some solid numbers and data that validate your technology.
Consider offering Mossberg an exclusive opportunity to review your product. While this won’t ensure he will give your product a favorable review, it could pique his interest and get your foot in the door.
In his ethics statement, Mossberg notes, “I don’t review most of these products, and, when I do, I don’t always review them favorably.” Be prepared for the worst. If Mossberg does write a negative review, look for ways to improve your product – don’t try to argue with his judgment as this will inevitably ruin your relationship with him and ensure that you may never receive a positive review in the future.
Come prepared. Mossberg, like any good journalist is not afraid to ask the tough questions and can often make sharp comments. If you’ve done your homework and know what his hot buttons are you will be in a better position to respond appropriately and clearly illustrate your perspectives.
Mossberg thoroughly tests products from a user perspective for all of his reviews. While some reviews aren’t always favorable, you can be sure that his assessments are usually fair and should be taken seriously as it can have a significant impact on your business as illustrated above. On the flip side, a good review from Mossberg can significantly influence consumer interest and trust in a product. Below you will find few examples of the positive reviews Mossberg has given recently:
Wall Street Journal, “Netbooks Come Into Their Own,” November 5, 2008
Wall Street Journal, “BlackBerry’s Storm Presses Into the Touch-Phone Fray,” November 19, 2008
ZDNet, “Walt Mossberg Picks Hot Holiday Gadgets,” November 26, 2008
As 2008 comes to an end, we want to reflect on the highlights for the firm and our clients from this past year. It’s been a fantastic year filled with several client successes as well as personal successes. Despite the recent economic downturn, we have much to be thankful for and celebrate.
Throughout the year, our clients made some exciting announcements including new rounds of funding, product launches and new office openings to name a few. Communiqué PR was proud to develop and implement many successful PR campaigns on our clients’ behalf. Some of this year’s highlights include:
One of Communiqué’s newest clients, Attachmate, announced the availability of Verastream Host Integrator 6.6. This launch was an opportunity to re-engage Attachmate with both media and analysts. As a result of our outreach efforts, we successfully booked 12 press and analyst meetings and secured eight pieces of unique coverage in publications including IT Jungle, Integration Developer News and SOA World Magazine.
Skytap, formerly known as Illumita, announced the availability of Skytap Virtual Lab, which is available as an on-demand service over the Web. Communiqué garnered great coverage about the solution in InfoWorld, ZDnet.com, IDG News Service, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Seattle Times.
In August, SNAPin Software was acquired by Nuance Communications. Communiqué is proud to have been an instrumental partner in helping SNAPin grow its position in the industry. This acquisition was a huge milestone for the company and garnered attention from the WashingtonPost.com, Reuters.com and the Seattle Times. Communiqué also placed two byline articles for SNAPin, in Telecommunications Online and Contact Management.
Big Fish Games, the world’s leading online destination for games and interactive entertainment, also made some big announcements this year. In September, the company closed $83.3 million in common stock financing. We were able to secure coverage with The New York Times, Washington Post, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Puget Sound Business Journal as well as many other key business outlets. The company also announced the release of Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst and secured positive reviews from USA Today, GamePro and Game Informer.
In September, Communiqué began to work with Alaska Airlines to help the company prepare for the launch its in-flight Internet service, which will provide convenience to business travelers and an enhanced in-flight experience for leisure passengers. In preparation for the announcement, Communiqué coordinated several industry analyst briefings to secure third-party support for the service set to launch in 2009.
Most recently, Communiqué worked with Big Canvas, a creative developer of photo applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, to drive downloads of its OilCanvas iPhone application. As a result of our aggressive outreach, we secured interviews with BusinessWeek, mocoNews.net, InformationWeek and the Los Angeles Times. And just today we learned that the OilCanvas application is the #8 free app on the photography category on U.S. Apple store at this moment.
Some of the agency’s internal milestones during the year were as follows:
To kick off 2008, Communiqué PR celebrated its four-year anniversary in February. The celebration was not only a time for reflecting on the stellar business results we’ve helped achieve for our clients, but also a time to look ahead and set new goals as we entered into our fifth year.
In April, Communiqué PR’s founders Jennifer Gehrt and Colleen Moffitt continued to establish themselves as thought leaders in the PR industry through interviews with both PRWeek and Workingpr.com. Jennifer and Colleen provided insight on current industry trends, best practices and how PR has changed over the past 15 to 20 years. Both articles offer a great perspective on how to establish a company’s credibility and illustrate Communiqué PR’s philosophy and commitment to producing great results on behalf of our clients.
On June 12, Jennifer participated in a Business Wire luncheon titled, “The Importance of PR During a Recession.” The presentation focused on the competitive advantage PR provides during a recession, selling PR to key stakeholders, selecting your team wisely and strategically implementing PR tactics to stretch your PR dollars.
One of the biggest accomplishments of the year was the completion of Jennifer and Colleen’s book titled, “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR.” The book makes the case for the importance of leveraging PR for maximum impact and details the crucial role PR plays in helping a company meet both its business and communication objectives the book is set for release in early 2009.
Thank you to everyone that made 2008 such a success for Communiqué Public Relations. As we kick off 2009, we’ll continue to focus on fostering our existing relationships while forging new ones. Most importantly, we look forward to continuing to innovate, evolve and create excellence for our clients.
We wish you all continued success in 2009.
Happy New Year from the Communiqué PR team.
Social networking – there’s no doubt it’s here to stay. According to Wikipedia, social networking is defined as the building of online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. The rise of popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr, MySpace and Twitter have become important ways for people to communicate and share information, begging the question: What’s the next phase for social networking?
Big Canvas Inc., a Bellevue, Wash. – based creative developer of social media applications may have the answer. The company has developed pivotal technology for “always-connected” devices such as the Apple iPhone that will dramatically change the social media landscape.
Big Canvas recently launched PhotoShare, an application designed for the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch that allows users to stay connected with friends and family through “visual conversations.” With a few simple touches users can easily take images captured through daily life and distribute to all PhotoShare users or family and friends. PhotoShare is vastly unlike traditional static photo sharing applications like those on Facebook because people are sharing and commenting on snapshots of their life in real-time.
We have been working with Big Canvas to help promote its add-on applications including SmallCanvas, PhotoArtist, OilCanvas and HolidayFrames. We were truly impressed with the concept of visual conversations and how powerful and portable devices such as iPhone are enabling consumers to take social networking to a new level with a few quick touches of their mobile phone.
The concept has also resonated well with the media. In the month of December alone we’ve secured briefings with Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and InformationWeek , and articles in BusinessWeek and mocoNews.net. In addition, we’ve secured coverage with RCR Wireless, Washington Post, MSNBC.com and TopTechNews.com.
We’ve included some examples of some of the masterpieces we created on our own using Big Canvas’ applications. Click on the following links to see a video demo of PhotoShare or HolidayFrames.
