When you're launching your PR efforts, (more…)

Not everyone can be the best. Not every brand can be number one. (more…)

Wired.com just did a piece on the Twitter response to the tragedy that just happened during the Boston Marathon. (more…)

For potential clients, we’re always asked about our ‘lists’ and who is on these ‘lists’. While it’s great to have relationships with journalists in a key segment, no one has them with everyone. It’s probably impossible. Similarly, editors and reporters change beats and employment regularly. You simply can’t rely on these lists or the ones you purchase through a third party (which can be helpful though).
What you can rely upon in the PR world is creative and targeted outreach. In the past we’ve scored coverage of robotic innovations on CNN and a professional skateboarder in Field & Stream.
Both times, the contacts we approached were new to us. But that didn’t stop us from approaching them with story ideas that were appropriate for their audiences.
We’re not saying that we don’t have great lists of contacts, because we do. But just because CNN, Field & Stream, Maxim, Women’s Health, CoolHunting or HypeBeast featured one client, that does not guarantee they’ll feature another. Don’t be misguided.
A better way to judge a firm’s media-savvy would be to ask about creative pitches or projects they worked on that had less than tier-A media appeal.
For more of our thoughts on the infamous PR ‘lists’ and ways to conduct media outreach, check out these other blog posts (blatant plug) that we have on the Remedy site:
http://remedycomm.com/2012/04/why-your-press-releases-dont-get-you-coverage/
http://remedycomm.com/2011/04/pr-lessons-from-a-journalist/

Media Bistro's PR Newser has an article on Coke's announcement that social (more…)

If you read the action sports industry trade sites Shop-Eat-Surf or TransWorld Business, you already know that the CEO of Skullcandy is (more…)

It's safe to say most people in the US are familiar with the brand Solo Cup, but if not, they're the leader in the red, disposable party cups used at BBQ's, for beer pong and other activities where you want a decent-sized, disposable cup to aid in the consumption of a beverage.

Not too long ago, Facebook and email inboxes lit up everywhere because it was discovered that the indentations on Solo Cups actually denote units of measurement, presumably for pouring beer, wine, liquor, etc. Solo could have done a few different things in this situation, including deny or simply not respond.

Instead, Solo decided to issue their own fun infographic, explaining that while the measurement lines are accurate, but they have applications for other liquids as well, not just those served at keggers and July 4th beach volleyball games.

Great work Solo, you turned a story with some not-so-great connotations (namely over consumption of alcohol) into a positive piece and extended your media exposure through a little bit of creativity.

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 isn't new, but definitely a great one. We love a little self depreciation at Remedy. San Diego has a major yoga scene, as well as an incredible craft beer scene - which do you think Todd partakes in more?).

Originally we didn't realize lululemon produced this when we first saw it on Facebook, but kudos to them for taking a risk and putting it out there. Does it make fun of some of their customers? Definitely, but it also has made a lot of people laugh out loud, yoga enthusiasts and friends of yoga enthusiasts alike. Does it translate to sales? Not sure, but it definitely brought them significant exposure.

If you haven't seen it, here you go!

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Why do some PR people continue to blast out their releases to everyone in their network?

We recently received another “press release” from a brand today. We’re not sure why. We’re not a media outlet. In fact, the release was from a competitor of one of our clients! Thanks for the heads up on what you’re doing ;-).

We fully realize why brands keep PR in-house. Sometimes it’s budget, often it's because a company doesn’t see the value of a dedicated team (in-house our outside help) and believes it’s ‘easy’, since the hard costs in terms of tools include a word processing program, email and phone, along with the ability to write.

And sometimes, those mass-blast emails do bring results. Great results? Not really, but they do bring results for little investment.

Regardless, PR is not easy. You may be able to get a few hits by leveraging your network or the simple mass-blast. Heck, because of the great work we did for some clients in the past, we know journalists continue to go back to those brands for news on their own, regardless of if we’re working with them any longer. That says a lot.

But to really put together a great, results driven, strategic campaign takes some work. Megan Michelson, someone we’ve worked with more than a few times in the outdoor landscape (in addition to being an all around nice person too), made a Tumblr post a while back offering some tips for PR people. Here are some highlights and our thoughts from Megan's post:

Totally agree. Story pitching in PR is a little like dating. No response often means not interested.

Mental note: mass PR blasts do not = exclusives. Sometimes you don't have the luxury of doing an exclusive, but when you do, it can help really get that top tier coverage.

Keep it personal. It may take longer to do this than the mass-blast BCC email, but a little extra effort can go a long way.

Look at the magazine/website/tv show before that email goes out or you grab the phone. You wouldn't buy a boat trailer to haul your dirt bike... make sure the media you're sending info to is the appropriate media for your pitch!

Some of our favorite portfolio pieces involve the people behind the brands. Those sort of stories take real effort, but they're worth it (and many times, our friends in the media, like Megan alludes to, enjoy working on them as well).

While the team at Remedy Communications (http://www.remedycomm.com) is good (we won't go so far as to drop such over-used terms as "pr gurus," "social media experts" or "media mavens," although... we're not too bad  and we've been called those things before), we'll acknowledge that we make mistakes too (including typos in the Remedy Communications blog) and sometimes don't follow all of the rules Megan has put out there. Sometimes we don't have a choice, sometimes... well, stuff happens. But regardless, this is solid, strong advice for anyone who is taking on a PR role.

So, if you can, take the advice of  a journalist on the other side who has had a few stories published and listen to what she's asking for. Or just send out the mass blasts and be happy with the coverage you get. That works to some degree too.

Like this post? Please share it by clicking the LinkedIn icon below! Wondering if your PR program is working? Drop us a line at PRcheckup@remedypr.com.

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