Comments from K2 Global Communications

Once upon a time, I covered trade shows as a market analyst for a major consumer publication.  Shortly thereafter I flipped to the other side of the desk and ended up with a press conference on one side of the Consumer Electronics Show and a photo shoot clear across the exhibition hall.  Let’s just say that roller skates were very much on my mind by the time I finished my Mrs. Doubtfire dash back and forth across the crowded exhibit halls.

I empathize with journalists who have been given the immense task of covering trade shows, scouting for new trends, and trying to maintain relationships with industry leaders. That is why when I have a client exhibiting, I try to be a resource to media covering the show by helping them identify my clients’ product introductions long before the show, setting up interviews or, better still, pre-show interviews to save journalist’s precious time, jet-lagged exhaustion, and, especially, their shoe leather.

Here are some pointers for being a resource to media at your next trade show:

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, News story, News value, Media resources, Press coverage, Press release, Media coverage, Trade show

 

 

Public relations isn’t just media relations anymore

Public relations and advertising used to live in two different realms, with a solid wall separating paid media -- paid placements like advertising -- and earned media -- publicity gained through valuable content contributions, company mentions, or interviews with journalists.

Topics: Journalist, Press coverage, Content marketing, Audience, Award, Corporate communications, Client relations

 

 

Build your brand - By effectively using an orchestrated outreach strategy, such as PESOTM (created by Gini Dietrich), across all channels, marketers will extend the reach and increase the overall effectiveness of their efforts, boosting both brand loyalty and revenue.

Topics: Journalist, Press coverage, Content marketing, Content, Marketing, Metrics, Social media, Brand, Audience, Corporate communications, Client relations, PESO, Earned media, Shared media, Owned media

Recently, I spoke with a marketer who had used ChatGPT to revise some content he created; it initially performed in its "regular" way - writing the idea clearly, but being quite redundant. Of course, he had to tweak the prompt to ask it to vary the word choice. Once it did that, it incorrectly stated that the product did X and Y as a single feature. He had then had to "teach it" that those were two separate activities until it provided decent results.

What if he were in a hurry or didn't know enough about the product to understand that the AI created an error that wasn't there before?

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, News story, News value, Timeliness, Media resources, Press coverage, Press release, Media coverage, Media, Brand

How to hire an A-team that delivers quantifiable results

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, Content marketing, Content, Marketing, Metrics, Social media, Persona, Inbound marketing, Audience, Personas, PR, Corporate communications, SEO

So, you are getting ready to hire your PR team. (We're hoping it's us, of course.) No matter what, here are some tips that will help maximize the relationship.

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, News value, Press coverage, Content marketing

The past decade has seen a clear trend toward attenuated press releases. Gone are the days of public relations people writing long screeds, with endless quotes and reams of data. This is partially an outgrowth of the use of email, social media, and chat as the preferred forms of communication between the public relations community and the press (which, for our purposes, includes bloggers and analysts). The explosion of technologies and information, in general, has, in turn, led to journalists’ exploding email boxes.

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, DIY, Press release, Media coverage, Media

PR experts are attuned to the momentum of the media. We understand that in order to present a compelling package to any journalist - a story that gets them interested, it takes research beyond just what AI gives you and requires having all the tools, especially a messaging document and “quotes on demand” – ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

Even with AI, your company sits on years of proprietary information - product details, customer-focused data, executive expertise - that can be leveraged to generate PR.

Topics: Journalist, News story, News value, Media, Audience, Messaging, PR, Corporate communications

Even in the days of AI, AI can't deliver the most critical asset you possess - your institutional memory - the why, how, and way you do business. 

Retaining a PR firm with the expectation that they’ll hit the ground running without knowing and understanding your business from start to finish isn’t realistic.

Even the savviest public relations professionals who have worked in your industry for many years require mindshare to get started and not just from the CEO. They may need to hear from your executives, sales force, current clients, and even prospective customers. Successful PR requires a highly collaborative approach.

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, Press release, Media coverage, Media, Messaging, USP

Public relations isn't rocket science, as my partner has consistently reminded me over the past decade. However, it does take a significant amount of time, energy, and persistence.

Getting your news out there

Topics: Public relations, Journalist, News story, DIY