filter by tag: PR

January 20, 2010 at 10:14 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Almost 80 percent of new media users interact with companies or brands online. So, it's pretty much an imperative that your brand have a social media strategy in place. But that poses a puzzling question: Who should take the lead when it comes to developing your social media strategy? PR or digital?

 

2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study

 

A recent PRNews article lays out the argument for the PR folks, and our own director of new media, Mike Hollywood, couldn't agree more. "Our channel agnosticism affords us the luxury of looking at the entire media landscape before deciding which channels are best for our client's message AND audience."

 

Read his take on the debate and get tips for implementing your own social media strategy.* And be sure to tell us what you think. Who should own the strategy?

 

*Check out our updated new media research, the 2009 Consumer New Media Study.

 

Tags: bestpractices socialmedia research PR cone strategy newmedia

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

December 11, 2009 at 10:22 AM by Cone

During the last few months, we’ve been bombarded by news coverage of purported PR “stunts” conducted by “regular folks” that have resulted in media firestorms. Whether it was the alleged White House party crashers or the Balloon Boy supposedly flying off into the great beyond, news organizations around the globe picked up these stories and ran with them. Although facing potential punishment for their actions, the people involved got what they ultimately wanted – the chance to become famous (or infamous) and a place in the popular culture Hall of Fame.

 

Aside from wondering how these folks actually pulled off their respective forays into the media spotlight, what is truly amazing is how quickly these stories became part of our daily lives. Now that the dust has settled a bit, we have to ask ourselves the burning question, “Why were we and the media so interested?” It seems a big part of the interest has to do with the human drama and eventual back-story tied to each stunt. As these bizarre dramas unfolded, we watched as larger-than-life stories about real people played out in real time, right in front of our eyes.

As a public relations professional, you have to wonder if there is anything to learn from all of this (aside from how far people will go to get their own reality show). It seems the big lesson is that if you surprise the media and media consumers while, at the same time, challenging societal norms (ideally somewhat tastefully and without breaking the law), you have a story that’s going to get an emotional reaction and make a big impact, good or bad. It’s the over-the-top element of surprise and the unexpected that drove these real-life human interest dramas to new heights of sensationalism. In short, they were as entertaining as any reality show or prime-time drama could ever be.

Like any good publicity stunt, it’s the element of surprise that gets the attention. Just don’t try to crash the White House or pretend that one of your family members is floating away in a make-shift balloon. It’s been done.

-- Mark Malinowski, Vice President

Tags: media celebrity PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

December 4, 2009 at 10:52 AM by Cone

As I worked out at my gym the other day, keeping an eye on the bank of 12 TVs set to different channels, I was a bit taken by what I observed. Were the various stations reporting on the massacre of four police officers in Washington? Sure, a little bit. Was there coverage of retail spending leading up to the holidays, including the critical Black Friday and Cyber Monday milestones? Yes, in small doses. How about the military build-up in Afghanistan? There was a mention or two. But none of these stories were the main focus.

You’re thinking it must be something big, really big, right? Well, no, not really. The story dominating those TV sets was this: Tiger Woods won’t talk to the Florida Highway Patrol and he’s skipping his charity golf tournament this week. Really? Is that really important news – so important that stations were rolling out every analyst and expert they could find to talk about legal implications, image implications, relationship implications?

 

Keep in mind, this is a story that involves a single-car accident with minor injuries and no damage to or crime against other parties – unless you count that poor fire hydrant and tree. Granted, Tiger is one of the most famous people in the world. And, if as first reported, he was seriously injured, this is a pretty big story with some legs. Not to mention this story probably would have gone away by now if Tiger had done what most PR professionals would have counseled: get out in front of the story and address what happened. He didn’t, and we’ve become a celebrity and gossip-obsessed culture. The media believe this is what we want to see. So the story dominates the news.

 

The bottom line is that a story with very little news value or impact on our society is stealing the spotlight from big stories – stories that shed light on real issues, stories that impact us and people we know, stories that people need to hear.

What does this mean for PR practitioners and the clients we represent? Well, it just reinforces the importance of going to the media with something of value to them and their audience. We need to make news. A promotional, look-at-me sales pitch will rarely cut it, especially when we’re competing against the likes of Tiger.

Shouldn’t we expect more? Don’t we deserve more? I say we do. I want to see and read about the news that really matters.

-- Marc Berliner, Director

Tags: mediarelations media celebrity PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

November 9, 2009 at 12:23 PM by Knowledge Leadership

What’s one of the best tools in the PR toolkit? The anniversary.

 

It’s not just an opportunity for happy couples to enjoy a nice dinner. It can also be an opportunity for your brand. In PR, we’re continuously challenged with developing new ways to keep brands fresh and front-of-mind for our consumers. Enter the anniversary. A well-planned anniversary campaign can provide a newsworthy chance to make some noise and maybe garner a few new customers.

 

Even if it isn’t the happiest of occasions, celebrating an anniversary can be a good means of introducing a brand to a whole new group of consumers. Just look at The Beatles. On the 40^th anniversary of the band’s breakup, MTV Network released Beatles Rock Band, a new edition of the popular Rock Band video game franchise. And this isn’t targeted toward Boomers who grew up listening to the band’s music – although they probably bought it anyway. It’s targeted at their kids, born long after we lost John Lennon. Sales of Beatles Rock Band could turn into increased sales of The Beatles music.

 

But, what if you don’t have a new product to launch? No worries. Anniversaries can also serve as reminders of how integral your brand is to daily life. Jockey International*, the venerable underwear manufacturer, recently celebrated the 75^th anniversary of its Jockey Brief, which it invented in 1934. The brief dramatically changed the landscape for the men's underwear category and continues to be one of the most dominant styles of underwear today. Whether you’re a boxers or briefs man, you can all thank Jockey for taking underwear from full-body union suits to something comfortable to wear under clothes.

 

 

And sometimes, you just need to celebrate to say "thank you." To demonstrate its ongoing commitment to the breast cancer cause, earlier this year, Yoplait* hosted a free Sheryl Crow concert to commemorate 10 years of its Save Lids to Save Lives program. In 2008, consumer lid collection enabled Yoplaitto donate$1.5 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. To keep the momentum and donations going, it held a concertas a thank-you to breast cancer supporters everywhere, reminding them to continue to fight for a cure.

 

Remember, it’s not enough to just celebrate a milestone. For consumers to pay attention, you need to leverage an anniversary by providing context for a greater story. For The Beatles it was introducing a new way to interact with the band’s music, for Jockey it was reminding people not to take their undergarments for granted and Yoplait took the opportunity to illustrate and further its impact on a worthy cause.

What story will your brand tell?

 

*Cone client


Tags: clients campaigns PR strategy

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

November 2, 2009 at 10:25 AM by Cone

This autumn season is not about beautiful foliage, pumpkins and apple picking, it’s all about which flu vaccines are out there and how to get them. I am among the lucky ones because the general flu shot was brought conveniently to my office. One less thing to worry about!

With the introduction of the H1N1 flu, people are confused not only about where to get vaccinated but if they should even get vaccinated. Doctors’ offices are overwhelmed by calls, parents are worried about their children’s health and most of the general public is becoming scared they may be afflicted by this invisible warrior.

 

Much like the 2005 bird-flu pandemic that never amounted to anything substantial, Americans are weary and don’t know who to trust. The media are screaming different scenarios and urban myths are duplicating faster than sneezes. The speed of social media helps fuel the “worry barometer,” too. In the last two days, I have received several warning notes that have been passed along to endless people about the flu – and much of the information didn’t seem accurate.

 

 

With the cancellation of social events and school closings on the rise, it’s the perfect time for direct communication from a few, credible key spokespeople to deliver the same messages. Different government and health agencies are spinning stories for their own publicity value at the sake of Americans’ stress levels. Instead of worrying about bad PR from the myriad dire warnings, public health officials need to concentrate on sending the right messages, and often. A good communications plan can get everybody on the same page and focused on the important details, not rumor mongering.

Until that happens this flu season, taking time to research the answers to your flu-related questions may help slow the panic and gain control of the situation. Web sites like www.flu.gov offers objective facts, statistics, warnings and guidelines to help you navigate the flu season.

 

-- Jenn DeBarge Goonan, Senior Account Supervisor

Tags: health socialmedia PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

October 20, 2009 at 10:13 AM by Knowledge Leadership

There’s good news for businesses online!

 

New media users are increasingly interacting with companies and brand in this environment. In fact, interactions are up 32 percent from 2008 with almost 80 percent (78%) of new media users engaging with businesses through traditional online or social media channels. This is according to our latest research, the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study.

 

 

The2nd annual new media study, an update of the 2008 Business in Social Media Study, is a three-part survey which explored new media users’ interactions with brands, their support of social and environmental issues and their engagement with corporate responsibility practices. The research also reveals new media users:

• Feel a stronger connection to (72%) and better served by (68%) companies they can interact with via new media
• Believe companies should market to them through traditional online advertising (43%, up from 25% in 2008)
• Believe they can influence corporate responsibility decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels (62%)
• Believe companies and nonprofits should use new media to raise money and awareness for causes (79%)

For additional findings, please visit www.coneinc.com/consumernewmediastudy to download the research fact sheets.

Tags: media mobile blogs CR marketing socialmedia research PR newmedia cause

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

October 15, 2009 at 11:00 AM by Knowledge Leadership

When does a meeting need to be face to face?

 

Fast Company poses this question to our CEO Jens Bang in its online series "30 Second MBA," whichfeatures CEOs andother executive leadership sharing best practices for business management.

 

As he explains, a face-to-face meeting allows the participants to "express the emotionality behind the communication."

 

Tags: PR planning cone bestpractices

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

August 11, 2009 at 4:27 PM by Cone

During the last few months, I have heard clients, co-workers, industry colleagues and just about every marketing professional I know state that there is a lot of jockeying for position within the social media space. Even though the idea of social media has been around for a while, it seems like everyone who works in marketing communications has just awakened from a deep sleep, all at the same time, and decided that social media is going to be the focus of his or her job.

 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s exciting and it’s a fresh approach to what we do. However, it doesn’t, or shouldn’t, really change things that much for marketers who care about their craft. So what if the media landscape has changed drastically within the last year? So what if consumers are getting their information from completely different places than they were just six months ago? Truth be told, when the dust settles, it still boils down to a sound strategic approach and a good idea.

Of course, we need to understand and continually adapt to the new playing field. We need to know that there is a right and wrong way to approach bloggers. We should be open to a constant, steady stream of new technologies, social networks, content creation concepts and digital partnerships from which brands can potentially benefit. But, the key thing that we, as marketers, should understand is, for the first time, we have the opportunity to establish a two-way dialogue with the very consumers we are trying to reach. That’s a great opportunity, but we won’t get the chance again if we blow it with a bad idea or approach.

So before any social and/or traditional media campaign is executed, it’s important to first think about the basics. Understand your objectives, know your target, carefully build your strategies and bring to life a creative platform and idea that truly earn valid consumer and media attention. Even though we are in the world of PR 2.0, it is important not to forget the basics of marketing 101.

 

-- Mark Malinowski, Vice President

Tags: blogs socialmedia newmedia PR marketing strategy

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

July 29, 2009 at 3:25 PM by Knowledge Leadership

1. Fierce competition: Rivals square off
2. All aTwitter: Brands find clever ways to use Twitter
3. Everywhere you want to be: Marketers going mobile
4. "Video killed the radio star": Marketers are turning to Web video
5. I hardly recognized myself: Brand revitalizations

 

Tags: promotion PR marketing branding campaigns advertising newmedia Twitter

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

July 13, 2009 at 3:27 PM by Cone

You’ve seen the recent media hype around healthy eating, reaching as far as the White House lawn. From locavore Michelle Obama’s latest harvest and the sustainable farming craze, to restaurant calorie-count mandates, nutrition navigation in grocery stores and healthy eating in schools, nutrition trends are top-of-mind for everybody. And, there is no lack of media interest in health-related products, expert advice and educational tools to satiate an overweight America hungry for change.

 

Because consumers have been flooded with information and tools to make positive lifestyle changes, products making health and nutrition claims are under increased scrutiny and held to stricter standards by watchdog groups, public officials and the media. Any misstep in messaging could spur questions around authenticity and harm your brand image. So how do PR professionals leverage this healthy trend in an authentic and impactful way?

Here are some keys to success in health- and nutrition-related media outreach:

• Partner with a credible third-party spokesperson in the field of health and/or nutrition. If you’re considering a celebrity, be sure you look closely at products they have endorsed in the past to be sure there is no conflict of interest. For maximum impact and credibility, choose a spokesperson with scientific- and/or nutrition-related credentials who can easily answer tough health questions and bridge back to your product. (Oh, and message train, message train, message train!)
  
• Distinguish your fans from your critics, both in the media and within the industry. Before pitching reporters or influencers, research the articles they’ve recently written and determine if they have a positive or negative slant on either your product or brand, or on similar health claims or products. Unwittingly pitching a critic can result in negative publicity, so choose your battles carefully.
  
• Determine what differentiates your brand from your competitors. Make differentiating factors key highlights in your external messaging so you can shine where others fall short. When pitching reporters, pay close attention to how they position your competition and see where you can offer a better solution. (Be careful of your positioning though, nobody likes a mud-slinger!)
  
• Back your product claims with clear scientific data (published studies are preferred). There are many controversial products and services on the market that tout a health benefit but have been attacked in the media for lack of scientific evidence to support their claims. Avoid this fate by substantiating health claims with credible scientific evidence that proves the efficacy of your product. In addition, leverage new research and studies being published by your organization or by reputable stakeholders when pitching to add weight to your product’s claims.
  
• Remember, it’s all in the delivery. When it comes to nutrition, journalists aren’t focused on pedaling your product, but are looking for viable tips and tools that will truly help their readers live a healthier lifestyle. If your product doesn’t have them sold from the start, offer a less commercial approach through expert interviews or healthy eating tips, which lend support to your product and health message, but packages it in a more palatable way.
  
• Be as transparent as possible, and always be proactive. It is much easier to get in front of an issue relating to your brand and proactively present the facts than to react to harmful media coverage that misrepresents your brand. Perception is reality and this is particularly true in the healthy eating space.

-- Jordan Salvatoriello, Account Supervisor

Tags: clients food bestpractices health PR wellness nutrition

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

June 8, 2009 at 10:10 AM by Cone

This week, The Publicity Club of New England honored more than 150 public relations and communications professionals for their achievements at the 40^th annual Bell Ringer Awards. The Bell Ringer Awards recognize excellence in communications and public relations work in every field and industry, and across all media—print, broadcast and online. More than 400 of New England's top PR professionals gathered at Boston’s Westin Waterfront Hotel to celebrate the accomplishments we have made over the past year.

 

Whether helping immigrants reach a better life through Western Union's efforts OR inviting the world to meet “Cliff” the triceratops residing at the Museum of Science, the night was filled with one impressive campaign after another. As I sat at the event hearing about all of the amazing work from companies throughout New England, I felt inspired at the collective impact that we truly have had.

It’s important to remember that we as PR practitioners truly have the ability to influence the way people and businesses think and act. In fact, at a recent Pub Club panel comprised of eight lifestyle editors from throughout the Greater Boston Area, it was confirmed that 75 percent of their story ideas and content come directly from our community.

Congratulations to all entrants and winners, and thank you for continuing to inspire and push us to continue the amazing work and reach new heights in the communications and public relations field!

-- Hilary Blowers, Account Supervisor

Tags: client cone awards PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

June 3, 2009 at 1:47 PM by Cone

We’ve always set the highest standards for our performance and take pride in delivering exceptional work. The greatest honor we can receive is when our clients are satisfied with a job well done. But, we can’t help but be flattered when our peers recognize our hard work, too. Cone has enjoyed many successful awards seasons, and this year is no different. Whether for inspiring cause branding work or attention-grabbing marketing and PR, our work, and ultimately that of our clients, has brought us much recognition.

 

The season started off on a high note at the PR News CSR Awards, where Western Union was honored for its work in stakeholder engagement with its Our World, Our Family program, which it partnered with Cone to create. Western Union continues to garner a lot of praise for its work with migrants across the world, including an award from the Center Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, who presented it with its Excellence Award in Corporate Philanthropy, a very prestigious honor in international corporate philanthropy.

 

 

Cone had an even bigger showing at the Cause Marketing Forum Awards with Timberland receiving the evening’s highest honor, a Cause Marketing Golden Halo, for its commitment to making a difference in its communities. Cone then swept the Best Health Campaign category with The American Heart Association’s (AHA) Start! program winning the Golden Halo and Jiffy Lube International taking a Silver Halo for its Maintenance Partners for Life.

 

The awards kept coming during the Publicity Club of New England Bell Ringer Awards ceremony as Western Union won the Bell Ringer for best community relations campaign, the AHA won for its Start! Heart Walk special event and Jockey International grabbed a Bell Ringer for best television news placement. Not to be outdone, ALPO, Ben & Jerry’s and T-Mobile USA each earned Merits.

 

A much-deserved congratulations goes out to all!

Tags: clients cause marketing awards PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

June 2, 2009 at 12:05 PM by Bill

I was recently asked my opinion by a reporter as to whether or not we would want to take on General Motors as a client in light of all the financial issues, operational challenges and pending government ownership. While I provided the opinion, I was fairly stunned at the question itself.

As a marketer, I would find it hard to believe that there would be colleagues out there who may not want to work on an iconic brand that has been a cornerstone of our automobile industry for more than 100 years. Sure, it has a rocky road ahead. However, who in our business would not want to help revitalize such a respected and successful brand? The reason I could come up with is that there is trepidation on the approach they should take to right the ship. Assuming I were hypothetically in charge of GM marketing, here is what I may do:

 

First, I would further reduce its nameplates. GM is rumored to drop or spin off Pontiac, SAAB, Hummer and Saturn. I think this is a smart step, but it may not go far enough. I would counsel GM to also drop its Buick line, which now bridges Chevy and Cadillac, and save it exclusively for overseas where sales are strong -- especially in China. Then, focus on the clear core distinctions among its three remaining brands: Chevrolet (functional entry- and mid-level cars and trucks), Cadillac (American luxury) and GMC (professional and commercial). This would help to clear up any confusion with multiple GM nameplates and give each remaining car brand more elasticity within the GM family.

Once we have solved any car brand ambiguity, I would create a two-pronged marketing approach. I would create a story-telling brand campaign for GM that speaks to changes and where the company is heading to inspire confidence in consumers. In addition to this campaign, I would create a brand-by-brand approach to focus on what makes each nameplate special and distinctive. Despite price sensitivity in today’s economic climate, the primary messages of each should be focused on the quality of the products –- rather than a value message –- to build a solid foundation for the future.

Moving beyond short-term solutions, I think the opportunity for an American manufacturer to reclaim innovation is upon us. GM, Ford and Chrysler have all struggled to keep up with ingenuity from foreign competitors. In order to recapture the hearts and minds of today’s consumers, GM will need to leapfrog ahead of the pack to produce clearly superior products. It must push the envelope on quality, design, performance and fuel efficiency. Hopefully, these new products will open doors for campaigns that reflect this revitalization of American ingenuity.

Would this plan work? I would like to think so. But the real question was never what would work, but rather if I would want a chance to try. As marketers, I truly hope we all would want a chance to get into that driver’s seat.

-- Bill Fleishman, Managing Director & EVP

Tags: economy marketing PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

May 15, 2009 at 10:25 AM by Cone

As the newspaper industry struggles on life support—with circulation and ad revenue in flux and the once lively newsroom culture replaced by empty cubicles and whispers of buyouts—I cannot help but wonder what will come of my first career, America’s other pastime: the paper route.

 

 

Popularized and depicted in movies and television as a neighborhood staple, the paperboy is now cycling down a path to becoming obsolete—replaced by online editions and virtual news aggregators. This shift has required a new way of thinking for marketers, as the paperboy symbolically served not only as news messenger, but a reliable, trustworthy and uncluttered bridge from brand to consumer. Dramatic? Perhaps—but before you read your next blog post or tweet about your morning brew, take a second and process what consumer branding and PR will look like without daily—relatively objective—newspapers.

 

TIME magazine recently chronicled the journalism crisis and sourced a Pew Research Center study revealing last year, for the first time, “more people in the U.S. got their news online for free than paid for it by buying newspapers and magazines.” And excluding the Wall Street Journal, most news outlets have shied away from online paid subscription services when information is so easily accessible for free.

 

This all comes as no surprise to PR professionals who continue to evolve to manage an abundance—albeit highly segmented—of on and offline news space, skeleton editorial staffs altering how we “pitch” and increased reliance on often faceless and less accountable bloggers.

 

While the demise of traditional print journalism seems inevitable, there are those fighting for its survival. The Newspaper Project, launched in February by top news executives, is designed to empower people to talk, brainstorm and share ideas on how to save the industry. Likewise, publishing leaders are taking action with calls for anti-trust revisions allowing newspapers to collect revenue from news aggregators.

 

Despite the love/hate relationship between PR practitioners and reporters, we need each other—now more than ever—and it’s in our best interest to get engaged and support initiatives to prolong, if not save, the newspaper industry.

 

If for nothing else, do it for the few remaining paperboys.

 

--Byron Calamese, Director

Tags: mediarelations PR media

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (2)

May 11, 2009 at 2:38 PM by Cone

Cone Chairman and Founder Carol Cone was named to the jury of the inaugural Cannes PR Lions awards at the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in June.

The PR Lions honor the creative use of reputation management by the building and preservation of trust and understanding between individuals, businesses or organizations and their publics. The inaugural jury is comprised of 13 senior practitioners from agencies across the world, and Cone is one of only two American judges named to the panel.

 

“I feel honored to be included among such a prestigious group,” says Cone. “This will be a great opportunity to experience some of the best PR work on an international level.”

Tags: awards PR

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)

May 5, 2009 at 11:22 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Social media rule and now everybody wants to be on Facebook. In fact, our recent 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study reveals that 60 percent of Americans are using social media and of those, 59 percent are already interacting with companies online; 25 percent interact more than once per week. Expect your phone to ring any second with your clients demanding you augment their communications campaign with an innovative digital strategy.
read more...

Tags: PR strategy socialmedia

Did you like this post? Please share it:

Email Post
Comments (0)