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.
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.
On Nov. 26, Big Fish Games launched Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, the highly anticipated fifth title in the blockbuster hidden object-adventure Mystery Case Files series. The series, which started in 2005 with Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, is the number one brand in the casual games industry and has sold more than 2.5 million units to date.
With a commitment to increase the production value of each new release, Big Fish Games has added new elements to Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst that surpass industry standards. The new elements include performances from live actors as well as an original music soundtrack that was performed by the Berlin Film Orchestra. The game also empowers players to explore scenes and levels using click-through navigation game play.
As we worked to secure coverage of Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst for Big Fish Games, we recognized that these innovative additions rivaled industry standards.
In addition, we realized offering journalists demos of the game would go a long way towards building their excitement.
When possible, Big Fish Games met with journalists in-person to walk through the game and highlight its features. In addition, the team leveraged WebEx teleconference services to provide online demos to journalists when in-person meetings were not feasible.
Communiqué also worked with Big Fish Games to provide journalists with early access to a demo version of the game via the companies’ FTP site. This allowed journalists the opportunity to try out the game on their own and follow up with any questions.
Media feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Journalists appreciated the opportunity to review the game in advance, see a demo and hear why Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst was significant for the industry. By experiencing the compelling nature of the game firsthand, journalists were able to ascertain consumer demand and convey the experience for their readers. The game earned several positive placements including a review that was picked up by Gannett News Service and appeared in more than 100 newspapers across the U.S. including USA Today.
See below for a few examples of the resulting coverage or click here to read the official announcement.
Key Coverage:
USA Today, “Unravel supernatural mystery in ‘Return to Ravenhearst,'” December 12, 2008
Seattle Weekly, “Big Fish Catches Record Revenues During Recession,” December 3, 2008
USA Today, “Holiday Gift Guide -For the Casual Player,'” December 2, 2008
Link not available
GamePro, “GamePro 2008 Holiday Gift Guide,” November 24, 2008
GameInformer, “Mystery Case Files Evolving Out of the Core Spotlight,” November 26, 2008
GamingShogun, “Big Fish Games Returns to Ravenhearst,” November 26, 2008
What’s Good for PR Can Be Good for the PlanetIn 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a documentary film titled, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” The film examined the creation and demise of General Motors’ EVI electric car in the 1990s, blaming the auto and oil industries. In response, General Motors claimed a lack of demand among consumers led them to discontinue production and destroy their existing inventory of electric cars.
Fast forward to 2008 when the CEOs of Detroit’s “big three” automakers arrived in separate corporate jets to request bailout money from Congress. The media had a field day and a PR nightmare ensued. But instead of pointing fingers and attempting to justify their ironic transportation choice, the automakers took a fresh approach. This week, the CEOs will return to Washington D.C. – in hybrid vehicles.
In an attempt to stem bad publicity, the automakers are adopting a more environmentally sound PR approach that has the potential to influence the public and make a big difference. They are selling their corporate jets and showing America that if a hybrid vehicle is fit for a CEO, it’s fit for anyone.
The electric car is making a major comeback with auto manufacturers heavily investing in production and consumer marketing. Now, executives at the major auto manufacturers are engaging with press more, granting interviews, providing early looks at new models and soliciting feedback from the blogging community. The electric car is receiving national attention from publications including Business Week, Forbes, New York Times and USA Today.
So why are auto manufacturers now refocusing heavily on the electric car? Is it the green movement? Gas prices? A status symbol? The reality is all of the above. Consumer behavior and trends can help shape product direction of an industry and provide the grounds for establishing a good PR campaign. When these trends are ignored, PR disasters such as the corporate jet fiasco occur; but when they are embraced, companies can improve their image and achieve business objectives.
According to Efraim Levy, a senior automobile equity analyst at Standard & Poor’s, in April 2008 consumers purchased more cars than trucks, stating it was “an eye-opening event that led many automakers to shift to producing smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.”
The following consumer behaviors work in favor of the electric car and can provide the foundation for a PR campaign to promote it. Pitches and story angles about the electric car that highlight these trends will be relevant to journalists and the public.
Green consumers. Today, consumers and organizations are more eco-friendly than ever. Green initiatives are formed to help demonstrate how businesses are environmentally friendly, while other organizations focus on making green-friendly products for consumption. The automotive industry has a great opportunity to leverage consumer environmental concern to promote the electric car.
The recession. Given the current state of the economy, consumers are looking for ways to cut costs and avoid high payouts at the gas pump. The electric car not only provides a more fuel-efficient mode of transportation, but it also ties to our need to be green and helps consumers feel good about their purchase.
Consumer adoption of hybrid cars. Hybrid cars provide consumers with a gas-electric option. According to the American International Automobile Dealers Association, hybrid cars are increasingly popular because consumers can now have an affordable car that is fuel efficient and practical enough for everyday use.
Attention for the electric car is likely to increase as new models are unveiled and the debate over the best car battery continues. From a PR perspective, auto manufacturers will want to pay close attention to these trends to drive public interest in new, innovative and profitable electric cars.