How many PR firms have NOT promised a bylined article to the CEO of a client company in the name of “thought leadership”? We venture to say none. A CEO-penned article (with tremendous assist from a qualified PR team) in a top business pub or vertical is a powerful tool in the B2B PR arsenal….
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On the premiere episode of the final season of “Mad Men,” the ever-resourceful Joan tries to salvage the Butler Shoe account when she learns a new marketing head is bent on taking the advertising in-house, for reasons having more to do with his own ego than real business needs. Realizing she’s in over her head,…
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PR firms operate in a competitive climate, and it’s always important to maintain an edge. No matter what relationship stage you’re in with a consumer or B2B PR client – honeymoon, well-entrenched or somewhere in the middle – it’s always a good idea to ask, “what more can we be doing?” Often it’s as simple…
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A mainstay of a well-rounded public relations campaign is the special event. Be it a blogger showcase for a new technology device or a reception to mark a milestone anniversary, in capable PR agency hands, an event must be special to attract the right media and score coverage. Here are six smart ways to make…
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Even if your hot ad/tech business isn’t being acquired today for millions of dollars or you aren’t quite ready to launch your latest sure-to-wow consumer product, you may still need to consider professional PR counsel for your company. Here are some good reasons why: You are being left out of a story right now. Without a…
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Do PR agency pros and their clients have something to learn from Pope Francis on his one-year anniversary? According to veteran papal watcher and professor Father John Wauck, perhaps so. “Francis is…a transparently happy person,” Wauck says. “And it sounds really simplistic, but unfeigned happiness on the part of a public figure is not that common.” Unfeigned…
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PR firms are often asked to develop proposals on spec in order to secure business from a potential client. Sometimes it’s as simple as a word document laying out a strategy to solve a communications challenge, or it can be an excruciatingly detailed RFP (sometimes known as Request for Pain!) It also happens that many…
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We have entered the age of sophisticated and strategic content marketing by savvy PR agencies. However, there are still marketers in the SEO “stone age” who rely on tweaking keywords and links in the hopes of landing higher search listings. If you find yourself in the latter (and lacking) category, there are some important takeaways…
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The good news is after some blood, sweat and tears from the agency team, that tech or consumer PR client you’ve been after has awarded you the business. The bad news? It’s a project, wherein the agency must prove its marketing mettle to be considered for PR agency of record status. What can your brilliant…
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A recent Canadian survey found that doubling your number of real-life (as opposed to Facebook) friends has an effect on well-being equivalent to a 50% increase in income. Impressive. And it made us wonder if some of these same friends could also help generate a real-life increase in income at your PR firm. It turns out that this can be…
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Preparation is more than half the battle when arranging a broadcast interview for a PR client or spokesperson. Whoever your client may be – tech guru, CEO of a major consumer company or a celebrity spokesperson, there are always pitfalls to avoid! Check these out to help you prepare your PR client for a TV…
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We’ve all seen examples of uncensored tweets, negative Facebook postings and disastrous Instagrams. From your friends, no problem, but from your client’s company accounts? That’s cause for alarm. One way to prevent such indiscretions is to create, maintain and enforce a strict social media policy as part of your overall PR plan. A smart social…
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In browsing the blogosphere, one runs into quite a few examples of “blogging for blogging’s sake.” In other words, someone read in the PR handbook that a blog is a surefire way to attract eyeballs to a company’s website. Well, it’s not. A blog has to be treated like any other part of a strategic…
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The start of the New Year signifies the beginning of RFP “season” for PR pros, since many consumer and B2B companies are looking for fresh marketing direction. During this time you can expect to hear catch phrases like “out of the box thinking” and “disruptive innovation.” It’s not a good idea to embrace creativity for…
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For an early-stage company or start-up, a strategic PR campaign can help drive visibility, highlight what makes the company or its products different, and propel the business forward. But while early-stage entrepreneurs and their associates typically value what strategic PR can bring, they are usually wearing many hats, and they don’t always understand how to…
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When approaching a client PR proposal or strategic communications plan, it’s easy to get lost in the excitement of insightful strategies and creative tactics. But it’s also important to prepare prospects or current clients for any downside risk. In the era of instant communication and real-time social media response, it’s best to put plans in…
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Smart PR practitioners know that it’s integral to strategic communications to have a client you can confidently and consistently put forward as a subject-matter expert (SME). Whether you’re trying to pitch a fresh story, “newsjack,” or prep a conference speaker proposal, having a go-to SME with the right background is key to many a PR…
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Brand spokesperson. It’s a time-honored PR strategy, and for good reason. The right spokesperson can add depth to your message, help tell a story, and confer appealing attributes that the brand may lack or need to amplify. But borrowing expertise, or sheer glamour, from a third party always carries risks. Just ask Samsung, which suffered…
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An informal poll shows that the average public relations practitioner can spend up to half their day writing. This includes memos, strategic communications plans, creative PR pitch letters, blogs and press releases. It is a challenge to keep the writing fresh, concise, and interesting! The best writers often accomplish that by avoiding words and phrases…
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The holidays are here—and that means it’s gift guide season. Of course, PR pros spend a lot of time pitching gift guides, but what about gifts for us—for those in the PR industry. What do we want? Some might argue for a spa treatment. That’s fine, but I’m in search of something a bit more…
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PR professionals, do you resolve to keep your B2B PR clients relevant and interesting in 2014? Have you gone over your strategy list and checked it twice? It’s important to stay newsworthy, while keeping client business goals top of mind. Here are some tips to improve your B2B PR campaigns in the new year. Secure Strategic…
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The holiday season is here, and Thanksgiving is a perfect time to consider all of the things we appreciate. While family, friends, and good health are always at the top, the team at Crenshaw Communications came up with our very own list of things PR pros are most thankful for. Day-to-day variety. PR is fun,…
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As a PR agency professional, I’ve grappled with a fair share of requests for proposals, better known as RFPs. These documents can create excitement inside an agency, but since they often require an “all hands on deck” approach and usually include several PR firms, they’re regarded as a necessary evil. But the issuance of…
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Earlier this week we explored ways that PR pros can keep their clients in the media even when they have no news. The best PR firms create news rather than wait for it to come from the client. At our agency, we’re fortunate to work with stellar brands, many of whom offer credible news hooks….
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In my work in marketing and ad tech PR, or even other B2B PR categories, I’ve seen too many agency teams rely on clients to supply news. That’s not a great strategy for PR success. While most companies have their share of announcements, partnerships and other milestones, unless the company is Facebook or Google, you…
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In an earlier post we discussed the mechanics of entering a B2B PR or consumer public relations client in an awards competition. Here is a brief case study on how we “scored” meaningful recognition for a hard-to-categorize client. Our agency recently entered a small business specializing in deluxe packaged travel for non-profits,started by two entrepreneurs,…
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In light of Martha Stewart’s recent comments about bloggers, where she dismissed them as “not trained editors and writers,” and lacking in expertise, it may be time to revisit blogger relations for PR professionals. To be fair to Martha, she seemed to be targeting actress and self-appointed lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow during the interview in…
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Every year we like to reflect on some scary tales from the PR agency world. Whether you work in consumer PR, B2B, tech or another category, most PR people have experienced a ” horror story” of some kind. This Halloween we’re focusing on mitigating some potentially scary situations typical of the PR biz, or others….
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As an account person at a New York PR agency focused on tech accounts, I spend most of my day trying to reach some of the world’s most savvy tech bloggers and influencers. Bloggers are important in nearly every sector, but those who cover technology are particularly crucial to launching a new product or service,…
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This year, the Miss America competition returned to Atlantic City (for whom we handle PR), after a six-year hiatus. At a quick glance, its return to the city where it all started had the stuff that PR dreams are made of: pomp and pageantry, history, a dedicated following – and a storied event! But as…
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