PR Pro or Politician? How to Build Trust With Journalists
An unfortunate report from the Oriella PR Network recently revealed that, quantitatively, journalists trust PR professionals slightly less than politicians. Yes, you read that right—even politicians come across as more trustworthy than PR pros. Much of it likely has to do with the changing media industry—as it becomes digital and fast-paced, journalists face incredible pressure […]
Puttin’ on the Blitz
As a PR professional working in an agency environment, I’m fortunate to work with a variety of clients from different industries. Each new client brings an opportunity to learn something – whether it be a new product or a technology I’ve not used before, or even learning about the culture of the targeted audience – […]
Customer Reviews – Friend or Foe? A Useful Infographic
Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” In today’s world, a reputation could probably be ruined in far less time than that. As the popularity and usage of social media and review websites grow, it is likely that users will post their experiences with […]
Why Who is Key in Pitching
As public relations professionals, we are constantly cultivating story ideas from our clients, developing pitches, identifying targets and distributing them where we hope they do the most good. Though having a compelling story is important, it is only half the battle; finding the right audience for your story is also key. Ask yourself: Who will […]
New Trends in Media: Jeff Vance Harnesses Technology, Creates Personal “HARO” Service
We’ve seen a lot of change in the field of media in the last few years. Traditional print publications have reduced circulation, blogs have boomed in popularity, and social media engagement has become a metric by which to measure popularity for publications. Journalists and PR professionals alike have found themselves in uncharted territory. While PR […]
3 Ways to Take Advantage of LinkedIn’s Publishing Model
The New York Times recently profiled professional networking leader LinkedIn in a June 16, 2013, article titled “LinkedIn Builds Its Publishing Presence.” The article points out what you may have noticed if you’re an active LinkedIn user: The network is no longer just a place to post your resume and call it a day. Rather, […]
Making Efficient use of Distribution Services
Even in an age so focused on the rapidly expanding boundaries of social media, the press release remains a staple of the public relations business. Press releases were once simple Word documents distributed by email or, if anyone even remembers, fax distribution groups and bulk snail-mail offerings. In such an environment, there weren’t a lot […]
“Nacho” Best Move: Lessons From Taco Bell’s Taco-Licking Disaster
In case you haven’t heard (sorry to any fast-food lovers for bearing the bad news), Taco Bell recently came under heat for a particularly unappetizing photo posted by one of its employees. The photo featured the employee licking a tall stack of empty taco shells on the job and went viral, creating a backlash of […]
Understanding AP Style and its Importance
If you’ve ever worked in journalism or public relations, odds are you’ve heard of AP Style. But if you haven’t, as is the case with many of our clients, it can be a foreign concept. In today’s post, we want to provide a definition of AP Style and discuss its importance in communications. The “Associated […]
Smartsheet Goes on the Road
To raise awareness for our clients, we often strive to reach their target audiences by building relationships with key journalists and driving relevant editorial coverage. Despite the proliferation of conference calls and online meetings, we believe press tours are still the best way to engage and form relationships with journalists. Additionally, meeting with the journalists […]