Tag Archives: public relations

Thought Leadership 101: How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

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It seems like there are certain influential individuals that we encounter throughout life who tend to stand out. For me, looking back it was like they all had something in common. They weren’t just smart people, they were wise. They not only knew their industry inside and out, but they also had insight and new ideas that left an impression on those they encountered. And in retrospect, they could easily be named thought leaders.

According to Wikipedia, a thought leader is “a person or an entity that is recognized by peers for having progressive and innovative ideas.” Thought leadership isn’t just another name for content marketing. Thought leadership is strategic and brings big ideas and new insights to the table.

So why should you care about thought leadership? Although the term thought leader has gained a certain buzz around it, there are merits to the title that are worth noting that typically result in business success for the individuals described this way. The challenge of becoming a thought leader can seem like a daunting task, but there are some tactical moves you can make to become a thought leader in your industry.

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How to Collaborate for Improved Search Results

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As an integrated marketing communications agency, M/C/C has several different teams – Strategy, Public Relations (PR), Social, Advertising, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Creative – all working to increase our clients’ presences in their industries. While each group may have their own approach, collaboration among these teams is critical to succeeding in today’s marketing landscape. Take for instance PR and SEO.

Back in the day, SEO specialists were considered code monkeys. They spent their time on client websites stuffing keywords and surfing the net looking for anywhere and everywhere to post a client’s content or links. Then came Google’s Penguin and Panda updates. At the highest level, Google implemented these algorithm changes to prevent spammy content from influencing its search results. So with that, gone were the days of thinking about SEO based solely on quantity of keywords or links.

Enter public relations. Receiving media coverage through a third-party plays a significant role in enhancing a company’s image and having links from those credible sources can have quite an impact on your search rankings. Would you rather have 10 links from sites like the New York Times or 2,500 links from a no-purpose website? Google places more importance on a few high-quality editorial links than thousands of low-quality links because they are more difficult to obtain. By having these sites promote your company and share your website’s information, the value of your website will increase, ultimately leading to improved search results.

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A Public Relations Case Study: Chuck E. Cheese’s Goes Gluten-Free

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For some, gluten-free is more than a fad diet. For a brand whose premise revolves around the notion of providing wholesome experiences the whole family can enjoy, going gluten-free is about including millions of families and children around the country in the food and fun experience, like other kids, without the feeling of being different.

It was only fitting that the idea of expanding its food options to accommodate children who have to follow such a strict diet was one that Chuck E. Cheese’s did not approach without serious thought. This would have to be done the right way or not at all.

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Chuck E. Cheese’s Perfects the Product

While the problems and concerns surrounding dining out with gluten allergies aren’t new to those who deal with them on a daily basis, the ability to communicate those needs to Chuck E. Cheese’s Vice President of Research and Development, Joe Elliot, grew exponentially through easy access to Chuck E. Cheese’s corporate offices on the Web through site contact forms and the Chuck E-Club email program.

That’s when the company began considering what its options for a gluten-free pizza might be. It would be three years later, when Elliot was at the International Pizza Expo chatting with Mike Conte, founder of Conte’s Pasta Company and manufacturer of a fully-sauced, gluten-free cheese pizza, that the idea would begin baking. Conte’s Pasta Company’s booth in the expo hall was located next to another booth manned by Policarta, an Italian company best known for making “brown-and-serve” bags used in the restaurant gourmet bread industry.

Conte took some bags from Policarta and began to experiment in the test kitchen at his dedicated gluten-free facility in New Jersey, all the while working with Elliot to test the most promising prototypes at the Chuck E. Cheese’s nearby. The collaborators finally created a viable product and process for introducing certified gluten-free options to Chuck E. Cheese’s stores.

The Bake-in-Bag® pizza available at Chuck E. Cheese’s remains sealed while cooked and delivered, until it is opened and served with a sealed personal pizza cutter at families’ tables by the adult in charge. Under the same gluten-free procedure, chocolate fudge cupcakes from GIG-certified Fabe’s All Natural Bakery remain in pre-sealed, single-serve packaging until opened and served at the table.

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An Inside Look at Ethics: Where the PR, Ad and Marketing Industries Stand

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The marketing, advertising and public relations industries are buzzing…Buzzing about ethical business practices. As companies and organizations continue to fall prey to the public opinion’s, PR professionals and marketers are faced with the task of building the public’s trust in their brand. This task is becoming increasingly difficult, but not impossible, because of a few bad apples who have practiced false advertising, shady PR and gotcha marketing. So, this month, I’m taking a look at the three industries’ ethics standards.

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Mad Girls: Why Women Are Taking Over The PR Business

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Advertising Age published an article this week titled, “What Would Don Draper’s Salary Be If He Worked in an Agency Today?” Naturally, anything “Mad Men” catches my attention, but I was curious about what the writer had to say in regards to Peggy Olsen. Surely, they hadn’t left her out of the article. They didn’t! But this isn’t the first time Olsen’s earned the limelight. After her departure from Sterling. Cooper. Draper. Pryce. Many writers commented on how much Olsen would bring home in modern-day America. On the flip-side, the plot also sparked a lot of conversation about women in the workplace in the 1960s. During Olsen’s time, female “mad men” were few and far between, and for reasons that I don’t want to cover, things have changed. As opposed to the 1970s era when 27 percent of practitioners were women, today women make up 70 percent of the jobs in the PR industry, holding top spots at agencies around the world, working on campaigns for Fortune 500 companies and making branding decisions in all types of industries. So what happens when the Peggy Olsens aren’t such a rarity anymore? Do the Don Drapers move over slowly and peacefully, without major change in the industry? Doubtful, and here’s why.

  1. We know that women hold the buying power in America. In fact, recent reports indicate that women are major influencers in everything from the automobile industry—making as much as 78 percent of the auto choices in the family—to household products.  So who better to cater to a woman than a woman? Seems sort of obvious to me.
  2. Men are feeling the pressure. Since females hold the buying power, male executives are incorporating females into their marketing strategies more often because the market demands it, and so do the clients. Take, for example, mom bloggers: they review a product on their blogs, and if they give it a gold star, all of their readers and blogger friends now have a highly-trusted endorsement for a particular product. A few years ago no one would have considered that mom bloggers would play such a large role in the marketing industry. But I’m sure glad they do—because mom always knows best! No offense, Dad.
  3. In an attempt to tread lightly on this issue, I’m going to dip my toe into this pool lightly. If you disagree be sure to comment or send me an email. In America today, more women are going to college than ever before, and they’re using their degrees in the business world. As women are becoming more educated, they’re encouraged to enter more corporate jobs. PR is a great starting point. It’s a great combination of creative work, people-person skills and multi-tasking.

So, as women continue to dominate the PR industry, the Don Drapers and Pete Campbells may become less prevalent, but let’s not forget that they too bring great ideas to the table. Mad girls may be the future of the PR business, but let’s play nicely girls, the men are still around…

 

Why Don Draper Is Wrong About Public Relations

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Don Draper, the star of the hit television series Mad Men, has a famous line that he often uses to clarify what exactly he does– “I don’t sell advertising. I sell products.” While his debonair and misunderstood character has many flaws, crafting memorable creative concepts certainly isn’t one of them. In fact, Draper has landed numerous accounts because of a killer pitch. But while his killer pitches land clients, they’re also slowly killing the public’s perception of the PR industry.

In fact, Mad Men has a lot of influence on the way public relations and advertising is relayed to the public. Thanks to the media, the public has been led to believe that PR people work to cover up the truth, control spin (think Komen crisis) or create it, design ads and down martinis with clients (think Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce). These assumptions have cast a negative and dark shadow on the industry. So, despite my love obsession for Mad Men, I’m insisting Don Draper move over while I share the truth about what PR folks really do.

If you recall in December I blogged about the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) quest to update the definition of public relations. I’m proud to say that after much debate, PRSA leadership has finally decided on a new one!

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

With the new definition, PRSA was able to capture the essence of the industry and its practices without getting caught addressing each and every task. It’s important to remember that although strategy may shift and outlets may change, PR professionals will always be responsible for a set of core actions, most of which include communicating a message with the public. If Don Draper were a PR man he might even say, “I don’t sell communications, I sell brands.” In order to do this, public relations professionals handle many job tasks.

  1. Trusted Council: PR professionals are often well versed in a variety of topics. In fact, they have to be! As corporate boards and CEOs demand real-time answers and subsequent solutions for dealing with dirty laundry, PR people are often the go-to person for problem solving and crisis communication.
  2. Research and Implementation: PR people research facts, figures and statistics in order to create a positive and successful communication strategy. From the strategy stage, public relations people push plans through to implementation. Finally, as trusted council, public relations professionals study the effectiveness of a PR campaign or communications strategy and report the facts and findings to the proper people. This sometimes means delivering bad news.
  3. Internal Communication: PR professionals engage employees with each other by building bridges between departments, the “higher-ups,” and stockholders. Building trust is a big part of internal communication.
  4. Media Relations: This might seem like an obvious job function, but it is easily misunderstood. Yes, public relations professionals coordinate interviews and bylines (and often write them), but they also work hard to strengthen a company or organization’s relationship as an industry thought leader with the media. In return they gain the public’s trust and support.
  5. Community Relations: Just as important as media relations, community relations is a vital part of a business or organization’s communication efforts. Companies who encounter crisis situations fair much better if they have a strong relationship with the community. This relationship is possible because of PR people.
  6. Crisis Communication and Issue Management: Remember BP’s oil spill in the Gulf? Or most recently the pink slime issue with beef providers? Both of these crises were handled by public relations professionals. The best PR professionals know that complete honesty and a forthcoming nature earn the public’s respect and trust. Some do this better than others.
  7. Publicity and Special Events: Party! Where? Calm down, Don Draper! PR professionals have everything covered. From stockholder meetings to press conferences, PR folks gather the media, community members and important leaders inside and outside of their organization for special events. This also means writing speeches, compiling bullet points and coordinating last minute details.

Of course, public relations is an expansive field. My list of tasks could go on and on and on… but, in true Draper fashion, I have a lunch appointment.

Mad Men aires on AMC on Sunday nights at 10 p.m./ 9 p.m. CST.

Big Bank Debit Card Fee Buzz Caused By PR Campaign?

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Public Relations is often considered the art of subtlety. It’s not as in-your-face as advertising, and the goal is to get people talking about your message and advocating for your agenda - as opposed to making them aware of your existance or product. So upon first glance, it would seem as if some PR campaign somewhere along the line had failed in regards to the new debit card fees being rolled out by big banks like Bank of America. Everyone is wildly upset, and it seems like no one is advocating on the financial giants’ behalf. But I’m not writing about Bank of America’s PR campaign. This is a blog about the not-so-little PR campaign that could – one that slid under everyone’s radar but led to major change. Let me tell you a story. Continue reading →