Affiliate marketing has become critical in modern PR efforts.
Whether it's leveraging Share-A-Sale, Awin, Impact, Skimlinks, Pepperjam, or whatever the new-and-next one is called (it's not rare for brands to switch affiliate partners), it is incredibly important your affiliate program is dialed with the media first perspective in mind.
A brand that lacks a robust PR-focused affiliate component, with expert oversight, is multiple steps behind the competition for media attention. Some brands have strong in-house teams managing their affiliate programs. Others need help. And sometimes, a strong affiliate program managed by experts in public relations can more than pay for a brand's PR retainer (click here for a video we shared on LinkedIn).
For brands that need help, Remedy PR has its own integrated affiliate marketing capabilities. We can help brands launch their own affiliate programs, or revamp existing ones so they don't hinder the goals of their ongoing PR efforts.
The current media climate dictates that having an affiliate program alone is not enough to compete for media attention. A strong PR campaign requires an affiliate campaign that is competitive in structure, with the daily oversight of a team who understands how to connect with the leading publishers.
Executed correctly, a strong affiliate management program increases the likelihood of repeat media interest, generates important backlinks, and creates longer-term relationships with publishers.
Excerpts from the press release announcing our capabilities below:
“The ‘set it and forget it’ model of affiliate program management is over. For consumer and lifestyle brands, and even those in the B2B and finance spaces, a strong affiliate program is critical for a successful PR campaign,” commented Bill Byrne, managing director of Remedy Public Relations. “Affiliate management is so important to modern PR that I find it incredibly suspect when a potential partner tells us that other PR teams did not ask about their affiliate marketing program in advance.”
We quietly launched our affiliate management capabilities in 2020 after learning some of our partners’ affiliate programs were an afterthought in their marketing initiatives. This coincided with findings from its signature PR audit program, which uncovered that many potential clients’ PR teams were not leveraging affiliate networks and often not insisting that their clients had these resources in place.
With the rise of different models, including ”hybrid performance” compensation, a PR-focused affiliate program must be competitive with rates, and managed by a team that can speak the language of the e-commerce editors at the leading publishers.
“Cookies are going away. Performance-based ads are costing more. PR continues to be an effective resource for awareness and brand building, but it takes more than a simple press release and relationships to make the magic happen,” continued Byrne. “If you don’t have an affiliate marketing program supporting your PR efforts, your product may as well be vaporware.” The full press release on our PR-focused affiliate marketing capabilities can be found on the Associated Press website and Outdoor Sportswire.
We won't blame the pandemic or supply chain issues. We'll blame our partners, who come first above our own marketing!
It's December 2023 and our new site is finally here!
As we refine it, it will include some great articles on the state of the PR industry, answering many questions brands have regarding PR, media relations, and affiliate marketing. Among them, what can a public relations team guarantee a client, what questions to ask before agreeing to a PR program, and the flags you should look for in selecting a PR firm or consultant.
In the meantime, if you want more insight into our PR expertise, check out some of the most recent thought-leadership pieces we've been a part of.
We hear it all the time from potential partners. Their PR firm, advertising guru, clan of digital marketing mavericks, etc., didn't come through.
Why is that?
There are a few reasons, but they can be avoided if you ask two simple questions. The fine folks at Agility PR Solutions (aka Bulldog Reporter to anyone who has been in PR for more than five years, and one of the leading trade / technology outlets in the PR / media relations space) gave one of our directors a venue to share and help you avoid the mistakes so many have made in the past.
Click the image below to go to their site and read the full article.
And if you like it, please share it on LinkedIn!
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CES, KBIS, Surf Expo, the National Association of Mortgage Bankers Annual (aka NAMB), Outdoor Retailer... we've done them all at one time or another.
We've worked with brands launching everything from Internet refrigerators to medical devices to craft beer. While each client has had their own success, last week was a banner moment for the team here at Remedy PR.
In January 2018, the first ever Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show took place in Denver. It was the first time that the SIA Snow Show and Outdoor Retailer Show were combined. With 1,000 brands competing for the attention of nearly 30,000 journalists, retail buyers and industry experts across three levels of the Colorado convention center, we can tell you it was a little hectic.
We knew in advance that two of our clients had true innovations coming out at the show. We also knew that their much-larger competitors would be competing for the same attention. The team recommended unique strategies for each brand that included a mix of old school and skunkworks PR strategies and we're happy to say that both 686 and SPY won big.
Our press release on the win is below, but you can also download it here. If you're interested in the steps our clients took that allowed us to be so successful, well, those secrets are on our blog here.
Remedy Public Relations is the leading lifestyle firm in San Diego for companies in the surf, snowboard, ski, motocross, finance, and consumer electronics industry. We know PR. We know social media. If your PR team is falling short, you may need a remedy!
Technology has really made it easy for many to "do PR" and at the same time, it's made it that much more difficult for brands with good stories to tell to break through the clutter created by brands what simply want to talk about themselves. Some stats to consider below and more advice elsewhere on our blog here.
Name five Super Bowl ads from last year and describe what they were about. If you can’t, do it from any year… and the Apple ‘1984’ spot doesn’t count. Or anything with Clydesdales 😉
Of those five (or less) how many of them led you to buy those products or use that brand’s services?
If the ad didn’t cause you to go out and act, does that mean the ad is worthless?
Definitely not. Here is the reality of advertising (or PR/media relations and marketing in general).
It often takes time and repetition for the message to sink in. I didn’t see the Apple ‘1984’ add live, but I know about it because it’s so regularly highlighted over the years. And its content was very different.
Think about GoDaddy’s ads. The ones with the women having wardrobe malfunctions. Regardless of your personal taste, they also are (were?) different enough to get attention and have people talking about them.
Creatively, both of these ads were different than the norm at the time. That’s an important thing to keep in mind.
Creativity is incredibly important in marketing. It helps cut through the clutter.
Because of advertising, and our love of 'The Walking Dead' a lot of us here have a pretty strong awareness of Mazda as an automotive brand. They seem to consistently have spots airing during ‘The Walking Dead’ that look pretty good and catch our attention when we forget to reach for the DVR's remote. That said, no one in our office has a Mazda. Does that mean the ads weren’t effective?
No. As an example, the last person to buy the car in our office wanted an all-wheel drive sedan. Mazda didn’t make one at the time, so their ads, while they were memorable, were for products that we just didn’t need.
However, Mazda consistently runs ads during a show we watch and because of that, we were am pretty aware of of some of the cars they’re selling. Budweiser usually does something with Clydesdales.
Consistency, or repetition of message, are almost as important as creativity, if you want to boost awareness, and later sales.
‘Consistency’ and ‘creatively’ should be the words you dwell on here.
We hear all the time from friends and colleagues – at both big brands and small – that advertising didn’t work for them. Or PR didn’t work for them. Why? Because they didn’t see sales. When I ask how they measured awareness, I tend to get blank stares. When I ask if they directed their agency partners or let them lead, I get uncomfortable silence.
What is almost always missing when a marketing program falls short is some sort of creativity or consistency in activity. Vanilla tastes good, but it doesn’t stand out. One and done is rarely enough.
Sales come from awareness, as well as availability. Marketers can’t control availability, but they can help build awareness, which will lead to sales if done right.
Despite what case study you read, marketing success comes from creativity and consistency/repetition of message. There are exceptions to the rule, but if you're going to play the odds, are you going to put your money on the 99 percent favored to win or the long shot?
BTW - If you're interested in the creative background of that Apple '1984' ad, check out this piece from Bloomberg.
Questions about the health of your PR or marketing campaign? Drop us a line at PRCheckup@remedypr.com. A consultation is always free!
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Do Super Bowl Ads Work? A Lesson in Public Relations, Advertising, Creativity And Consistency
Marketing Makes Beer Taste Better
We're going to see a bubble burst in the craft beer world. When? We're not sure. But we're sure it's going to happen.
Much like dot-coms, yoga studios, snowboard and surfboard shapers, too many are springing up and there's not enough demand or differentiation for the long term.
What's going to help them succeed? Better branding, public relations and an overall excellent marketing strategy that lives outside the brewery.
In modern brewing, Saint Archer has led the charge with their marketing. Don't believe us? What do you think the apparel sales is at your local brewery? Now look at this article from Shop-Eat-Surf highlighting the sales of Saint Archer's logo sold on t-shirts and hats (btw - it helps that their apparel is quality, not the discount t-shirts many breweries sell). If you're not a subscriber of that newsletter, here's a snippet.
Some people love Saint Archer. Some don't. What they've done right, among other things, is develop a brand identity that lives beyond beer. Ask your favorite small to mid-sized brewery what their apparel sales are, in the brewery, each month.
We've worked with some of the biggest and smallest brands in the industry, including Saint Archer, June Lake Brewing, Pabst, Primo and Guinness. The one thing they all did well when we worked with them was to develop an identity that lived outside the brewery.
As of December 2015, there were nearly 600 craft breweries in California alone and 240 in the planning phases! Some will content to be small batch brew pubs, nano breweries, etc., and there's nothing wrong with that. For those looking to grow and thrive through distribution, it's going to take more than great taste to separate them from the pack.
Our most recent newsletter in The Craft Beer Attorney's B5 Newsletter hits on that. If you don't subscribe, here's a PDF of it. Double click the image if it opens too small on your screen.
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Wait, do they? Of course not! Or so we hope.
But are too many brands / PR types / consultants / etc. sending out releases when they shouldn't be... to people they shouldn't be sending them to? Definitely.
Inspired by Scott Stratten's 'QR Codes Kill Kittens' video and book (video below if you haven't seen it), our own Bill Byrne was asked to pen a short piece on the press release glut that has journalists vocalizing their disdain for PR professionals and brands wondering why its become increasingly harder to secure media coverage.
https://youtu.be/ukzY4v_aOEE
At Remedy, we love writing press releases... when they're appropriate. But sometimes, all it takes is a well written pitch to secure you that great article, TV feature, Instagram post from someone with more than 100k followers, etc. Press releases are a tool... and a tool we should use correctly.
With potential clients constantly asking us 'how much for a press release' and many companies offering press release services that will guarantee millions of impressions, we've come to the unfortunate realization that this trend of over promoting non-news items may get worse before it gets better.
Just because we can send out a press release, doesn't mean we should send out a press release.
And sometimes, the lack of a press release doesn't mean a journalist won't find your story any less newsworthy.
You can see the full article below or via this link.
QR Codes, kittens, QR Codes Kill Kittens, San Diego Public Relations (PR) And Social Media”San Diego PR” https://plus.google.com/+RemedyprSandiego A leading public relations (PR) agency in San Diego, specializing in social media marketing, event marketing, action sports and finance, San Diego Public Relations Agency, Action Sports PR, San Diego Social Media Agency, San Diego Event Marketing Agency, Social Media Marketing Agency, Craft Beer PR, PR, Public Relations, Social Media San Diego, Social Media Marketing Agency San Diego, Public Relations San Diego, PR Firm San Diego, a leading public relations agency in San Diego, specializing in social media marketing, event marketing, and digital publicity. PR for Tech, experts, craft beer, action sports, finance, consumer tech, bluetooth, beer, consumer goods, b2b, green, eco-friendly, craft beer PR, action sports PR, finance PR, consumer tech PR, bluetooth PR, beer PR , consumer PR, b2b PR, green PR, eco-friendly PR, real estate PR, Experts, craft beer marketing, action sports marketing, finance marketing, consumer tech marketing, bluetooth marketing, beer marketing , consumer marketing, b2b marketing, green marketing, eco-friendly marketing, real estate marketing, action sports PR, action sports marketing, best PR san diego, san diego best PR, san diego social media, san diego lifestyle PR, san diego bar PR, san diego restaurant PR, san diego restaurant social media, restaurant social media. https://instagram.com/remedy_pr/ San Diego Public Relations. San Diego’s Best Public Relations Consultants – Honesty results in public relations. bestprsandiego.com jpublicrelations, besocialpr, leaders in PR for action sports beer social media san diego, healthcare marketing, crossfit marketing, sports marketing, crossfit PR, crossfit social media, PR experts, social media experts san diego, san diego PR experts. San Diego Public relations and social media. Experts in public relations based in San Diego. Bar public relations. Beer public relations.
This is the biggest misconception people have when launching a PR or media relations campaign. It's common even among seasoned marketers.
But it's the truth.
Here's a tip: Journalists are not sitting around waiting to regurgitate what they’re sent by PR people. They are not parrots.
We were reminded about this we saw this Tweet linking to The Walking Deadline from Billy Brown, a journalist we work with fairly regularly.
Billy, like many journalists/bloggers/content creators/whatever you want to call them, is not a parrot. Also, Billy is not an idiot and can think for himself. Why is this important to keep in mind?
If we put in the headline of a press release or subject line of an email “This Is A Game Changer!” or "This Is The Best Thing Ever!" then it better be a game-changer, or else Billy will think twice before looking at our pitch next time around. Keep in mind that we can send things to Billy that aren’t game-changers, but before we do, we better be able to explain why it’s worth his time or else we're going to sour the relationship.
Simple enough? You'd think so, but time and again PR people are asked to push things to media that either aren't newsworthy or so overstated that they turn off the intended media targets.
Here’s what you need to keep in mind when trying to forge relationships with journalists and what you need to do to ensure your efforts are deemed newsworthy.
For the most part, media outlets need make money: They accomplish this based on selling advertising in some shape or form, the rates for which are calculated from publication sales, website traffic, Nielsen ratings, headline clicks, etc. It’s the journalist’s job to create compelling stories, relevant to the media outlet’s specific audience, that will help with this.
What may be a good story to you and/or about your brand may not help with the point above. You need to consider that. And while your pitch doesn’t have to be a game-changer to secure coverage, you do need to explain what value it has to offer.
Personally, when looking to hire consultants for our partners, we’ve found that the best PR people are those that can secure coverage for the brands that aren’t the leaders in their space. Our overused phrase in this instance is that anyone can pitch an iPhone to the media. Everyone wants to cover the next iPhone.
Journalists are busy. They’re not waiting around for your news, regardless of their need to drive revenue for the media outlets they're working for. They’re most likely not going to drop what they’re doing unless what you’re offering is incredibly monumental in the total scope of their relevant news world. And the more time you can give them, the better.
Even that Instagram personality with 100k that you so desperately want to feature your brand using a VSCO picture may work days, if not weeks in advance. Local media have their own deadlines, as do journalists who write for magazines and websites.
Everyone is your competition for media coverage. Every brand, regardless of newsworthiness, if they're engaging in PR, they're potentially blocking you from securing media coverage.
Journalists have their own coverage areas and interests. This gets overlooked often. Some will cover a range of topics, others not so much. Some just don't like certain brands. It happens. A finance reporter at one publication may cover everything from credit cards to mortgages, but at another media outlet, those topics could be spread across multiple reporters. This leads us to our next point...
You need to go to the right person at the right publication with the right pitch. At your own company, you don’t drop off a creative brief for a new logo design with the accounting department, do you? Sure, they may pass it onto the right people, but why would you ask them to do that? They’re busy handling accounting related tasks and your request, in addition to being annoying, may cause them to think twice about getting back to you in the future.
Send your news at the right time. We can't stress that enough. This is going to vary by what sort of media you're targeting, but again, Billy and others like him aren't just waiting by their laptops for emails from their favorite PR people every minute of the day.
We'll close with this because potential clients often ask about media lists and networks.
Relationships matter, but the story being pitched is more important.
Remedy has developed some incredible relationships and in our network of colleagues, it's fairly easy to connect to journalists we've never worked with before. The same goes for many other PR consultants and firms and a lot of them will agree that the relationship won’t matter if we don’t follow some simple points outlined above.
If you want to secure editorial coverage for your brand, you need to look at it from the reporter’s perspective and go from there. Give them a relevant story for their coverage area(s), presented in a way they want to see it and with time to consider it.
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Should You Buy Followers On Instagram?
The answer really goes back to your views on advertising and how you measure success. Does being the biggest make you the best? Or is there more to it?
Long before social media and the World Wide Web were so dominant, print media was a major component in many brands’ marketing budgets. And much like Super Bowl ads, an ad in a national publication, such as USA Today, would guarantee you a lot of eyeballs.
Or would it?
We hear from colleagues all the time that “advertising does nothing” for their brand. While we thoroughly disagree with that (usually it’s bad advertising that’s to blame, or the lack of time/energy/ability it takes to measure awareness and results), we understand where they’re coming from. They bought an ad, people supposedly saw it and nothing happened.
How many times have you left your hotel room and even looked at the free paper left there?
We are not criticizing USA Today, but we’re bringing this up to set the stage for our point that metrics such as circulation maybe aren’t always as valuable as things such as engagement or particular demographic information.
Here’s an example we can call upon from our own experience with PR and editorial.
In April we a financial client in the New York Times on some changes that were going to happen that would affect home buyers. Big news and a great piece. Did that correlate to more phone calls for the client? Hard to say, there wasn’t a real call to action there since the changes are months away. But people saw it, we’re sure of that. How many? No idea.
Back in January, the same client was also featured in a regional newspaper for another, a more consumer oriented story, in a newspaper about five times smaller than the New York Times. About two months later, a regional associate in that market received a phone call from a customer regarding a very large deal.
By no means are we saying we should never call the Times again to pitch a story, but it’s interesting to see what measurably moved the needle for the client. Keep“measurably” in mind.
Ok, back to Instagram. Should you buy followers? It really depends on your goals.
On social media, there’s followers and then there’s engaged followers.
Eyeballs are nice, but eyeballs that care about your brand and are incentivized to act nicer.
Many marketing departments judge success based on impressions. Buying an ad in USA Today, while more expensive than a regional newspaper, will probably get you more impressions to show to the higher ups. That doesn’t necessarily correlate to actions, awareness and what most brands really want… sales.
Buying followers on Instagram can make your brand look more popular than it is and as a result cause others to consider it to be somewhat important, which may cause others to follow and hopefully, engage with you.
However, we have to strongly recommend judging the success of a social media campaign strictly on the growth of followers alone. If that’s your criteria for judging success, then you’re driving down the wrong street.
What’s the best way to grow your presence on social media? Advertising can help you get fans (again, advertising works, if it’s the right kind), but above all, you need to have great content that people actually want to engage with and share with their network.
All it takes is strategic thinking and typically, a great deal of effort. This is why companies have social media managers with decades+ years of experience in strategic marketing and, unfortunately, why sometimes our proposals for social media programs are as much or more than in fee than our traditional PR proposals.
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How many times have you left your hotel room and even looked at the free paper left there?