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No matter how well you prepare, sometimes things just go out of your control. It is not always possible to prevent a crisis. When it comes to PR campaigns, learning from your mistakes can be too costly. The trick should therefore be learning from other people’s mistakes.
According to the First Research study, the U.S. public relation industry is estimated to be at $10 billion, with above 7,000 U.S. firms in action in 2013. Still a large number of businesses suffer the adverse effects of PR disasters. Why is it so? Let’s take a take look at the factors that lead to PR disasters
The public relations industry has a big PR problem when it comes to communicating how it directly impacts the bottom-line.
Consider this: Companies that are serious about PR typically spend no less than $5,000 per month on media relations programs. This isn’t chump change.
Yet, people -- either on the agency-side or brand-side -- talk about ROI in terms of media impressions, number of placements, and message pull-through. And while quantifiable, these metrics mean absolutely nothing if they don’t meet the goals of the business. Repeat, nothing.
Let’s first break down why each one of these metrics are ineffective:...
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: Are we over-relying on media relations in PR?
I’m talking about the broader scope of PR here–media relations, content marketing, social media marketing, community relations, etc.
For many years, media relations has been one of the core aspects of PR.
But, a number of stats and reports lately (not to mention consumer behavior trends in general) have got me thinking: We may be well past the tipping point....
It is going to be difficult to disentangle corporate reputation challenges from the turbulent political environment in 2016. Whether it’s the Chinese currency crisis, the potential British exit from the EU, or the presidential election in the US, political events create lessons to learn and challenges to face for senior corporate communicators....
A life in public relations is unlike any other career you might imagine. For instance, did you know that PR pros need at least five cups of coffee just to maintain brain function? Or that while 100% of PR pros think that statistics are important, 101% believe that not all statistics are real.
Please take a look below at this light-hearted infographic by Upraise PR that takes a moment to have some fun with the world of public relations. Enjoy!...
As President Xi Jinping continues his crusade against corruption in China, we're learning how high the rot reaches into the ranks of the Communist Party. Yet amid the headlines about avaricious officials and unsavory ties between senior party leaders and moneyed interests, stories about the pervasive workaday ethical challenges are often lost. One example of relevance to marketers is the practice of paying for editorial coverage.
The most common form of this practice is the "transportation fee" paid to reporters in return for conducting an on-site interview, or for participating in a press conference. Fees hover around RMB ¥300 (about $50), and are given to the reporter in a red envelope inserted inside a press kit. However, it's worth noting that sums as high as ¥3,000 (approximately $500) are sometimes paid.
Knowledge of these practices within companies varies. For some, these fees are discreetly buried within other payments they make to outside agencies. For others, it's understood to be a "cost of doing business." Justification includes the argument that everyone does it, including multinational brands and big PR agencies; that getting media coverage without it would be impossible; and that Chinese journalists actually need the money because their salaries are so low....
When you should—or shouldn't—send press releases over the wire is a popular topic.
We found that Monday, Tuesday and 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Eastern were the most popular times to send a press release. Our advice was to publish releases later in the day and week so your news didn't get lost in the commotion. Remember, all this is from 2013.
This year, we took our research a step further. First, we analyzed the distribution of more than 100,000 press releases published via Marketwired, PRWeb and PR Newswire in 2015. Second, we determined how many times each release was shared across nine social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn....
Good quotes are like tiny poems.
They can inspire a feeling or drive you to action, describing more in a sentence or two than paragraphs of text from lesser writers.
There are a plethora of quotes that are applicable to PR pros, including pithy sayings about publicity, simplifying communications and improving skills. Paired with pictures, the best quotes become even more inspiring.
Here are 15 of the best quotes for communicators....
Is hiring a public relations firm even worth it in a world that changes so quickly? Has the whole game of a public relations firm become obsolete because of 800 TV channels, thousands of satellite radio channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium, Meerkat, Periscope, blogging, Blabbing and all of the other social media platforms? Can a firm even grab the attention of television, radio or newspaper producers long enough to pay attention to their pitch?
I’m writing this after giving three different firms a year each to produce results. They promised results, I expected results — neither result was delivered. And each relationship started the same way; we met at my home or out for lunch to get to know one another. I told them my story, they asked who I wanted to reach — they got excited, I signed a contract and then I pumped them with massive amounts of relevant content that they could pitch to producers....
Although public relations wasn’t officially a profession until more recent times, the practice has been around for thousands of years. In 50 B.C., Julius Caesar publicised his military exploits in the first known political campaign biography to convince the Romans that he would make the best head of state – a practice which is still used by political candidates today.
People have been using PR (and PR’s sister occupation, content marketing) to capture the public’s attention and spur them into action since the beginning of time (yes, I am suggesting that cavemen probably had some sort of PR campaigns). The channels have changed a bit here and there with the invention of the printing press, followed by the Internet and of course social media but the basic strategies and principles are the same.
Check out this cool infographic from Max Borges Agency to see how public relations has evolved over time....
What is Hey.Press?
It's a search engine for startup journalists. You search for a keyword, e.g. 'Oculus Rift', then we scour the net to find the most relevant journalists.
You can easily build small, highly targeted press lists. How much does it cost? Search is completely free!...
Cision’s free 2015 Global Social Journalism Study, conducted in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University, surveyed over 3,000 journalists from 11 countries. The in-depth study provides a snapshot of how today’s journalists view and use social media, enabling you to better tailor your communication efforts.ß
Key findings include: - Two-thirds of journalists log in daily to use social media - 83 percent of journalists choose email as their preferred method of contact - English-speaking journalists engage more via social media than non-English-speaking journalists - Experts are important sources of information for 39 percent of journalists...
But making contact with someone is just the first step. You can’t go a year between emails with someone and still expect them to care about your clients. You need to keep in touch.
Unfortunately, we have a double edged sword here. The larger your network of contacts is, the more of an asset you are. But on the other hand, the larger your network is, the harder it is to stay in touch with everyone.
Fortunately, we live in the world where there’s an app for everything. Sign up for these networking tools to build a stronger professional network for your PR agency...
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Business Wire and Edelman Financial Communications & Capital Markets today announce the results of a new study supporting the use of visual storytelling in earnings reporting.
In total, 300 retail investors, more than 20 Wall Street professionals and select financial media professionals were surveyed about how earnings data is consumed, comparing traditional quantitative earnings releases with releases featuring visual, creative assets.
The conclusion was a clear consensus that using visual storytelling as a supplementary tool aids in the ultimate goals of investor relations professionals....
Media relatiions alonr doesn’t drive a PR strategy for a brand or client, but that doesn’t mean outreach to journalists is dead—nor even dying a slow death.
Citing a decline in print media, an increase in brand and news media partnerships and a rise in content marketing, some experts say that PR pros rely too heavily on building rapport with reporters.
I disagree with this conclusion.To the contrary, those points reinforce the necessity for the practice. Here’s why:...
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending my seventh Edelman Trust Barometer launch event in Toronto. This year’s results are some of the most interesting I’ve seen, highlighting a disparity in trust amongst what we call the “informed” public and the mass population, and the ongoing failure of businesses to live up to the expectations that people have of them when it comes to societal good (you can see the full results on SlideShare).
One of the interesting notes in this year’s Canadian Trust Barometer results was that trust in social media has fallen over the last year. In fact, social media was the only one of the five media types we examined to experience a decline in trust....
The fantasy world of merger announcements bears no resemblance to the reality of mergers. Michael Dell’s post about the Dell-EMC merger is a fine example.
Why do companies merge? There’s always language about “complementary skills and assets,” but that’s always bullshit. There is always language about “serving customers better” but that is also bullshit.
Companies merge for growth — period. It’s not about customers. It’s about money.There are two basic merger scripts, none of which you will ever read, and both of which are bad for customers....
On the 10th day of Christmas, Spin Sucks gave to you… 10 communicators to follow, nine PR blogs to read, eight PR up-and-comers, seven must-listen podcasts, six communicator gifts, five communications trends, four free webinars, three strategy games, two Crazies secrets, and the PR win of 2014.Only two days left in this series and it won’t be me who finishes it up (though Lindsay and Jess won’t disappoint!).
My last work day of 2014 is tomorrow so I will be digging into the case of wine that arrived last night. Merry Christmas to me! Today we bring you the 10 communicators you should follow. Though, with the PR blogs to read and the up-and-comers we’ve already covered, you really have a good list of about 30 people who will keep you abreast of industry trends in 2015....
Previously available only in France, Babbler already boasts “300 customers worldwide and 5,000 reporters that use it everyday” in that country.
On Tuesday, the organization announced that it’s available to PR pros and reporters in the United States.
Here’s the selling point for the network, said via press release:
Babbler helps create, manage and engage media communities by providing them the best way to interact with their network of sources, content, and story ideas, all in one place....
When it comes to sales, PR has always been thought of as a "top of funnel"; contributor. While PR's impact on the top of the funnel cannot be denied, this association does not fully encapsulate the impact PR has throughout the buyer's journey in today's digitally-driven landscape.
The most critical ingredient in virtually every sales funnel is content, which is something PR produces and owns in droves. From earned or owned media, to analyst relations and social media, PR has an arsenal of assets at their fingertips that can influence potential customers along every touchpoint in the funnel.
Below are three places where the work of PR can be harnessed to usher potential customers through the funnel to maximize the chance of conversion and ultimately, stimulate a continuous flow back into the top of the funnel....
The vast majority of working journalists, even those covering politics, have not sat down with a president of the United States for an interview. But in January 2015, three YouTube stars got that opportunity. They asked about drones, net neutrality and what super power the president would like to have. And then there was the moment when GloZell Green (3 million followers) handed a tube of her signature green lipstick to the leader of the free world. “For your first wife,” she said. Barack Obama was nonplussed. “You know something I don’t?” he asked.
To Dan Pfeiffer, the outgoing Senior Advisor to the President in charge of White House communications, the awkwardness was part of the lure: a moment of authenticity that helps a sometimes distant chief executive connect with his huge base of supporters. Pfeiffer, who has been with Obama since his first run for the White House, has been a key force in expanding the range of venues in which his boss can communicate with the American people. To the chagrin of a White House press corps accustomed to special access, the president has traded jibes and plugged Obamacare with Zach Galifianakis on Funny or Die, chatted about the climate with local weather anchors, and made faces in the mirror on a Buzzfeed video. The White House has also established a huge presence on Facebook, Twitter and Medium (yes, us), using the latter to break precedent and publish the State of the Union speech before the president delivered it....
For years, PR was the intangible service questioned by so many CFOs. When I think back on the earlier years of my career, we were always happy to have the visionary CEO in the boardroom for a pitch meeting. But, somehow, the climate changed when the CFO walked into the room. Having the CFO join the meeting is a huge opportunity to get closer to the person that controls the purse strings. But, you have to know how to use the opportunity to your advantage....
Even the most experienced of us, can still learn a thing or two about pitching the press more effectively. I myself find that in the art of pitching, there’s definitely a continuous process of learning to refine the pitch and deliver the message in the best way possible.
With that thought in mind, as a side project, my colleagues and I have created a site entitled, “How To Pitch Me” that aims to help those who strive to pitch reporters in today’s tech landscape. Every week, we upload a Q&A submission by a different writer that will help folks understand how to become more skilful in pitching.
While reading these various submissions, I have noticed that there are certain tips that repeatedly come up. These pointers have also been shared with me by many writers in the past nine years that I have been doing public relations work. I decided to compile all these insights into one post that will be truly valuable for The Next Web’s community looking to gain insight on how to pitch right. Here are the top ten pointers:...
With an estimated 2 million people tuning in to his syndicated television show each weekday, there's no doubting the clout Dr. Oz carries in the arena of public opinion. Add to that 3.78 million Twitter followers and more than 5.5 million Facebook page "likes," and the good doctor reaches a sizeable audience with his opinions on everything from beating bad breath to cutting cancer risk.
But when consumers were asked whom they most trust on controversial food issues, the ratings for Dr. Oz fell flat, according to the latest U.S. consumer trust research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI).
In the survey, "Cracking the Code on Food Issues: Insights from Moms, Millennials and Foodies," respondents were asked to rate their level of trust with a number of sources when it comes to the issue of genetically modified foods. University scientist was the top-trusted source, followed by a scientist who is a mom, and then a farmer.Dr. Oz came in second-to-last place on a list of 11 sources, edging out celebrity chefs....
A piece of great content is an asset that has value; the sharing of it should be given appropriate attention and care.
Strong content deserves a strong PR plan.
Never thought about it that way? Not convinced your content is worthy of a PR campaign? Ask yourself the following question: Is your content marketing as worthy as your last strategic partnership or personnel announcement?
Don’t make the mistake of under-estimating your content. Content connects and content converts....
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Lots of valuable crisis management advice from the experts. Good read.