We've been published in AdWeek before on our thoughts that too many brands put out press releases when the news just isn't there to promote. It's all about the channel and audience. Sometimes you can say 1,000 words with an Instagram photo and sometimes, you can have your CEO issue an open letter that clearly states your position and forgo any follow-up interviews, calls, etc.
That's exactly what Apple did with their most recent customer letter involving the FBI and cyber security. Although it's billed as a an 'open letter to its customers', in reality, it's a press release for a global audience of journalists, fans and anyone else who happens to be checking Facebook on February 17, 2016.
Here are the highlights from a PR/marketing perspective:
We added the red... this is a message to everyone, not just Apple's customers. BUT, it was smart of Apple to position it otherwise.
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This is what Apple says the issue is.
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Essentially, the FBI may be saying this is easy to do and fix, but according to Apple, it's far from the case.
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From a public relations / media relations standpoint, this was very well done. Now it's the government's turn to respond.
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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.
Do Super Bowl Ads Work? A Lesson in Public Relations, Advertising, Creativity And Consistency
This has nothing to do with our personal politics, so please send your hate emails elsewhere 😉
Love him or hate him, The Donald is dominating the media. Why?
He’s disruptive. His message is very different and the way he communicates compared to his competitor’s political brands stands out.
It’s that simple.
Trump is harsh compared to what we’re typically seeing from political candidates. He’s loud. He gets aggressive and isn’t afraid to take risks.
Will this help The Donald become the next U.S. president? I have no idea…
BUT, his message is so different, often so outlandish, that it’s resonating with many people across the country. If elected, can he do what he says he’ll do? Again… no idea. In most cases our government is a pretty slow moving machine
That said, even if Donald Trump doesn’t make it any further in the political race, he’s left an impression, raised his awareness and inspired many to await his next move in business, entertainment or in politics.
Sounds like a marketing win to us.
Questions about the health of your PR or marketing campaign? Drop us a line atPRCheckup@remedypr.com. A consultation is always free!
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Want to win in public relations in San Diego? You may need Remedy communications.
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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.
Do Super Bowl Ads Work? A Lesson in Public Relations, Advertising, Creativity And Consistency
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.
The energy at a company when one of their assets goes viral is… well, contagious 😉 and it’s easy to get caught up.
Almost since the phrase was coined and long before Remedy was started here in San Diego, clients and potential clients have asked PR and marketing firms to help take a video or infographic viral. And usually, the firms sigh…
In reality, we do feel you compelling web videos and infographics are worth creating. But before you add one into your marketing plan with the hopes of breaking a million views on YouTube, you need to be realistic with what your content is and if you have the resources for it to be done the right way (Spoiler Alert: There is no right way, but there are guidelines that can help).
With all the buzz around the #XMASJAMMIES video from the Holderness family, we thought it’d be appropriate to use them as an example if you’re looking for your own brand’s video or image to go viral in 2014.
But first, if you haven’t seen the actual video from the Holderness family, you definitely should check it out here.
As of right now (a week after it was uploaded) this video has more than 8 million likes and 25,000 ‘thumbs up’ on YouTube, in addition to incredible editorial and Facebook impressions we don’t care to count.
When creating a video or infographic you want people to watch or share, as yourself “will people outside my company and core user group really care about this?” and if the answer is no, reconsider. This is a good rule to consider for any marketing campaign when going outside of your industry’s endemic media.
The Holderness’ video was fantastic. It was professionally produced, well written, funny by most people’s standards and had great visuals. It drew you in and waited until the end to even mention their new video production firm. They’re selling their brand, but paying attention to what an audience on the web wants first.
What didn’t it have? A true celebrity endorsement. While the family has been in the media before, they’re not Hollywood A-listers. They’re attractive and their kids are cute, but they by no means have the pull or network of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
Again, web videos are great tools and a fantastic way to help spread key messages about your brand and their success should not be judged by views alone. However, if the end goal for your video IS to have a massive amount of views by a broad audience, ask yourselves the following three things:
1. Is our content compelling? Honestly… is it? Or is it just selling? Go back to the tips we posted here for ideas.
2. Will people outside of our core user base find this interesting and worth sharing?
3. Do we have the financial resources to afford a creative agency that can produce a video or the in-house capabilities?
Most agencies will tell you, regardless of if they’re a San Diego PR firm or an ad agency, allocating enough resources to the firms budget is imperative if you want the job done right. This isn’t because these agencies simply want your business (although we all do) and can’t work on shoestring budgets (many of us can). It’s because when you rely on shoe strings for heavy lifting, sometimes the results are disappointing.
The answer is… you’re asking the wrong question. In fact, you don’t need a press release to secure great media coverage.
Depending on who you ask, it could take $1,000 or it could cost you $7,500 (here’s BusinessWire’s take), depending on the time involved. And this doesn't factor in distribution via a wire service or PR firm.
That distribution and intended use of the press release is what you want to focus on, not the release itself.
If you’re sending out a press release via a wire service to add SEO value, that’s one thing. And depending on who you ask, that may not be as relevant as it used to be, at least according to these experts.
Good PR people know press releases are just tools and sometimes, unnecessary ones. We have one client, for reasons we cannot discuss, that does not issue formal press releases. That hasn’t stopped us from securing great media coverage for them in outlets such as CNET and Engadget.
How did we do it? We emailed particular reporters that cover this client's space relevant info (about four paragraphs) and a JPG of their in-store marketing collateral, and then let the story go from there. There wasn't a hard sell on our part because the story didn't warrant it. It was relevant to the reporters and they ran with it. Was it as groundbreaking as the iPhone 6z (Disclosure: We have no idea if there is an iPhone 6z on the horizon or not ;-)? No. But our news was relevant enough to warrant some great coverage on two outstanding news leaders in the tech space.
Getting back to the earlier question, and presumably how you found this post, are press releases worth the cost of producing them? The answer is that it depends on the release and your needs.
We also recently had a client in the New York Times, stemming from a press release we sent to a reporter. The release itself focused on trends and issues in their field and how our client could help. We didn’t use an excessive amount of buzzwords or over-the-top language to intrigue the reporter. Instead, we presented the facts, recent and timely developments and information how our client is working in this new situation. We didn't call our client "the best" or "the most innovative" or "paradigm changing". Instead, in the release, we presented the issue, recent developments and one way our client is contributing in a positive manner. The release was written in about three days (including client edits), sent to a reporter on a Thursday and we received interest the following Tuesday. The story ran about 10 days later.
The secret to securing great news coverage isn’t a killer media list or over the top press release. Simply put, it’s reaching out to the right reporters with a story idea relevant to their coverage topic.
Sound confusing? It really isn’t, but we’re happy to talk if you’d like to discuss more. You can reach us here!
If you're reading the mainstream business and tech news, then you already know GM is going to stop advertising on Facebook. Does this mean Facebook isn't right for your brand's marketing strategy? No more so than saying a Super Bowl ad, radio campaign or regional event series isn't right either. It's too grand a statement to make without looking at all of the details, including what's going on at the brand and how it's been leveraging new and not-so-new media.
The reason we're drawn to this news isn't because we're eagerly awaiting the Facebook IPO. It's because the Remedy team prides itself on looking at why past communications programs didn't work, before taking on new ones for potential clients. That's why we have the PR Checkup (<-- click the link, you'll be glad you did!), so we can take a deep look at why potential clients are unhappy with their previous communications programs and to ensure we're going to be a good resource for them. Sometimes, we may tell a potential client they're getting great results for what they have to offer. Others, it may turn out it's the patient (client) and not the physician's (previous firm's) fault.
GM's social media strategy was not working for them in regards to Facebook. Perhaps it was their execution, the number of agencies involved, the strategy itself, how they engaged or maybe Facebook isn't where they should be. We haven't done a deep dive into it and since GM hasn't filled out the PR Checkup, it's unlikely we're going to spend too much time dwelling on it.
In the end, while some would blame Facebook, it's important to look at the social media and PR programs they have there as well. What was the goal of their social media policy, did it tie back to non-social initiatives and in the end, was the execution appropriate? Let's face it, it's not rare for many in the public relations world (San Diego and on a global scale) to sell themselves as a social media consultant these days. Even one of our directors, Bill Byrne, has an 'advanced certificate' in the craft. That being said, Bill and many others will tell you that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to social media and the same goes for PR in general.
Perhaps the audience GM was trying to reach wasn't on Facebook? Tie it back to something else that's massive in reach, such as the Super Bowl. We've done a lot of work in the action sports world, but we don't necessarilly believe that a Super Bowl ad is right for our clients in that space. But then again, if you're someone like Quiksilver (who Bill has worked with in a former life) then maybe a 30 second spot for your NFL licensed board shorts would be right for your brand.
If you're looking for another article on Facebook and GM, check out the WSJ's story here. And thanks to these guys for the logo we used in the header for this post.
This has nothing to do with our personal politics, so please send your hate emails elsewhere 😉
