ZB Group

Public Relations

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Six Ways Marketers Can Really S.P.R.I.N.G. Forward

Spring seasonWe love spring don’t you? The weather warms up, the sunshine-filled days are longer and we get inspired to revitalize our work and personal lives. To celebrate the arrival of spring, here are six ways to engage consumers and put some spring in your brand’s step.

S = Store Experience

Physical stores are here to stay for a long time but they are no longer the center of the shopping experience. Consumers now use technology such as the Web and mobile apps along with the in-store visit to compare prices, learn about an item’s features and search for what they want. Even so, the popularity of the store visit hasn’t waned so it needs to be a great experience for everyone who enters.

For a look at the future of retail from Deloitte and STORES Media click here.

P = Personal Involvement

Consumers are human so they take things personally. Whether it’s the foods they eat, the cars they drive, the homes they live in or the clothes they wear, our purchases reflect who we are. Brand marketers must understand what makes their customers tick and demonstrate a personal connection with them so they become loyal customers.

R = Relationship Building

Just like people, every local community has its own personality. Marketers can build strong relationships with consumers by demonstrating an interest in improving the fabric of the local community. Our Fuse4Community program helps marketers achieve this goal by working with and leveraging the resources of nonprofit organizations for mutual benefit.

I = Involve Consumers

We are in the Age of the Consumer. Influence has shifted from manufacturers to consumers. Take a few minutes to watch this video where a Dean from The School of Business and Technology at FIT explains this important change.

N = News Coverage

Getting a brand featured in traditional news media is still a valuable communications goal for any marketer. However, today there are dozens of niche blogs, online outlets and many social media platforms which allow brands and companies opportunities to tell their story and engage with target consumers. It’s now much easier to connect with your target audiences and industry influencers in two-way conversations due to the proliferation of new media opportunities.    

G = Give Back

It’s good for a company to give back. Consumers will notice and will support those companies that do. Donna Karan explained her belief in and practice of conscious consumerism when she spoke in January at the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show. She urges retailers to do their part to make a difference.

Evidently this idea also applies to individuals who work for companies and is discussed in length in a recent story penned by Susan Dominus in The New York Times Magazine. Adam Grant is the youngest-tenured and highest-rated professor at Wharton who has written a new book based on his research called, “Give and Take.” His work in the field of organizational psychology suggests that the more individuals give back of their time and energy to help others, the more they and the companies they work for will reap the benefits. You can read the story here.

Happy Spring!

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10 Tips for Glowing Media Coverage

Halloween Jack-o'-lanternsA favorite Halloween pastime for many families is carving out pumpkins and illuminating them to create beautiful, unusual Jack-o’-lanterns.

We’ve done some carving of a different sort by crafting 10 tips marketers can use to help tell their brand’s story so it glows and engages their audiences.

Just as Jack-o’-lanterns are one aspect of Halloween fun in addition to costume parties and trick-or-treating, garnering media coverage is one effective “tool” in a marketer’s toolbox to reach influencers and consumers. The tips listed below comprise a brief guide.  Each one has to be considered in conjunction with the strategy and objectives of the specific communications program.

 

  • Identify the media spokesperson and make sure they are prepared for the interviews. Options include: the CEO or company founder, a company expert, a celebrity, an author, chef or lifestyle guru.
  • Think like a journalist and answer why should his or her readers/viewers/listeners care? Communicate what’s newsworthy, special or beneficial about your brand’s story.
  • Consider partnering with a nonprofit on a cause-related program that helps those in need.
  • Inquire if satisfied customers who have benefited from your brand or service would agree to discuss their experience during media interviews.
  • If given a choice, pick an optimal location for the interview. Will it be conducted in an office, at a trade show, an event, or in a studio? Perhaps there’s another setting that would provide the best visuals, authenticity and news value.
  • Communicate how the product or service will benefit consumers, the environment, the education system or another important social sector.
  • Find out what trends are happening in your space to which your product or service contributes.
  • Align your brand or service with an upcoming holiday, season or annual community event.  
  • Research and investigate prospective speaking opportunities for the spokespeople at events where the media will be invited.
  • Produce and provide video or images to supplement interviews designed for different platforms such as TV, the internet or mobile devices.

In the case studies section of our website you’ll find several examples of media coverage we’ve arranged on behalf of clients which illustrate the points made above.

Do you have any other tips to add?  We’d love to hear from you!

{Image by Daniel Troutman; iStock photo}

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5 Reasons Media Relations is Effective in Promoting Brands and Services

First off, let’s start with a brief background. Person reading Newsweek on an ipadMainstream news organizations are no longer the gate-keepers of news and information they once were. Consumers interact directly with companies online forming communities and offering both praise and gripes. The popularity of social networking websites, online video, photo sharing sites and blogs now allow people to produce and post news and videos themselves.

News outlets have appeared or taken on many forms to keep relevant. Some were born as internet newspapers and blogs like The Huffington Post , Newsweek merged with The Daily Beast website to stay viable, while others are reinventing themselves and growing their digital capabilities such as Forbes. General interest magazines have created vibrant websites to complement their print editions and this summer, New York magazine is expanding its fashion-focused blog The Cut.

Many large and small news outlets are becoming digital-only platforms ending their print editions entirely such as SmartMoney Magazine and the New York State Hudson Valley Business Journal. One major TV network, FOX Broadcasting Company, has recently launched a new digital lifestyle magazine.

However, even with these transformations, I believe that the practice of media relations which includes designing newsworthy programs and events to pique journalists’ interest in an organization’s products, services, issues or ideas, remains relevant. The skills required to work with professional journalists to help meet their needs are still necessary even as the media outlets and formats change.

What is a placement?

A placement, as used within the context of media relations, is another term for a story or mention about a client arranged by a public relations practitioner but written or produced by professional journalists at print, broadcast or digital media outlets. Unlike an ad, the client does not pay for the space or the airtime given to featuring their product/service/event/issue nor does the client or the PR professional control the final outcome. Two important aspects of a PR practitioner’s job are to understand which journalists and outlets are the right fit for his or her client’s story and then knowing how to craft a pitch accordingly.

Below are 5 ways that placements can help promote brands and services:

  1. Provide credibility. When a brand, service or event is featured within the confines of news outlets inherently trusted by an individual, this is commonly known as third-party editorial endorsement.
  2. Create awareness, understanding and word-of-mouth among consumers both online and offline.
  3. Support and complement other communications campaigns such as advertising, marketing, promotional or social media programs.
  4. Increase SEO for an organization’s website, products and services. Stories that appear in media outlets will also appear in Internet search engines as part of an organic search. This helps provide inbound links to a company’s website.
  5. Provide interesting content. News and feature stories can be linked to on social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others to showcase news about a company. They in turn may be re-tweeted, emailed, viewed and “Liked” by many other friends and followers.

A future post will discuss tips for obtaining effective media placement results. Please stay tuned.

{Image by Yunus Arakon, iStockphoto}