The media briefing is an effective tool for educating media and analysts on a vendor’s product or service, but it can be quite painful for both the editor and the company to suffer through a horrible briefing. For example, a bad briefing could be one in which the spokesperson is not providing usable information and the editor has tuned out. Worse yet, if it’s phone briefing someone is most likely doing other work at the same time. There are strategies that can be used by vendors, journalists and industry analysts to achieve productive briefings that are win/win occurrences. Continue reading
For Release: PRBC Book Deal Finalized
In the grand PRBC tradition of just-post-spring PRBC announcements, we’ve got another one for you.
The authors of PRBC have reluctantly signed on to a monumental book deal with Borders Group. And when we say the “authors of PRBC” we don’t just mean the current editorial staff – we mean every single contributor – 100+ of em. Continue reading
Review: Real-time Tracking with Keyhole
Keyhole.co is a real-time hashtag tracker for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It’s a visual dashboard that tracks keywords, hashtags and URLs. Using Keyhole.co you can measure and amplify conversations around your brand and campaigns.
For a reasonable price compared to other tracking services, you can also identify prospective clients and influencers who are talking about (or looking for) your services, products or organization. Continue reading
SXSW Poker – A Different Kind of Networking Event
With South by Southwest (SXSW) right around the corner, the digital and technology world’s attention will soon shift to Austin, Texas.
SXSW veterans know that you go to that festival for two reasons: to learn and to network. Networking parties, receptions and events – both official and unofficial – dot the schedules of tens of thousands of SXSW-goers every year, and this year will be no exception.
But while there are admittedly hundreds of party and reception options at SXSW, Porter Novelli is hosting one we think is unique and can help do some good in the world. Continue reading
2014: The Year Private-Labels Become a Brand to Reckon With
National brands compete against traditional branded competitors, and increasingly are having to share shelf space with retailers’ private-label items in the same product category. Store brands are no longer “generics”; they are now a powerful brand in their own right. Continue reading
5 Ways for PR Pros to Relax, Slow Down and Reclaim Their Creativity
Augh! So much to do! So many clients! No time for fun or thinking outside the box, there’s just too much! Oh geez, another email! What do I do!
Whoa, slow down there, killer. There’s plenty of ways for you to get all your work done and still have time for creativity and, yes, even a little fun. Besides, what use is all that crazy money you’re making with your business if you can’t enjoy it? Here are five ways you can reclaim your life and you creative mind. Continue reading
Sounding Off on Social Care
Social Care. Customer Service. Guest Relations. No matter what the experts are calling it these days, social media and the consumer are intertwined. People demand answers, immediately. They expect companies to care about their complaints and issues, ASAP.
From Facebook to Twitter, social is a hotbed for customer service. I get it. I’ve used it. Lost your luggage? Tweet the airline. Had a cold burger? Let’s post about it on the brand’s Facebook page. Continue reading
Pitching Broadcast: The Optical Story
Flip on the TV – it’s a visual and auditory experience. A worthy story can reach through the screen and grab viewers, often moving them to action. When pitching stories to local broadcast we need to think like the producer -focus on a local angle and remember what makes good TV. Components to a solid TV story include Continue reading
PRBC Gift Guide – Last Minute Virtual Gifts
It happens to all of us – you’ve forgotten to get someone a gift and you’ve just realized it. You could brave the stores, but you’d like to survive and the thought of dealing the street traffic, much less the stores just makes you wish you could curl up and do anything else … even billing. Continue reading
Why Evergreen Stories Die
Evergreen stories mean the content is permanently fresh and always newsworthy – sounds like a media pitching slam dunk, right? Unfortunately, in today’s constantly moving news cycle evergreen stories don’t make it to air because they can be pushed for another day, and another day, and so often fall off a producer’s radar.
I’ve heard from practitioners who brainstorm evergreen topics internally and then get their clients, who are experts in a specific field, to layer on a juicy details germane to the moment – yet on the flip side I know folks who confirm evergreen topics with their clients and then pitch out when they can piggyback on a hot topic in the news. No matter the process, the fact remains that our end goal is to secure a story and an evergreen story alone won’t open up doors much less land a spot on the nightly news. Continue reading