Creating Your Brand Through Effective PR

brandingAccording to Wikipedia, a brand is the “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers

In essence a brand is a concept.  It’s an idea or an image that the public, over time, connects with a product or service.  The identifying factor could be the name, the colors, the look, the slogan, the logo, or the design, but the overriding power of a brand lies in the concept.  The brand is a shortcut that tells a company’s story.  The power lies in the narrative that a logo, name or slogan both denotes and connotes.  A brand is effective when it is readily recognizable, when it is identified with a company or product. But a brand not only has to be recognizable, it needs to provoke a certain type of feeling or reaction.  The role of each brand is somewhat unique, some focus on trust and reliability, others focus on a hip or cool factor, still others focus on elegance and luxury.

what-s-the-value-in-a-brand-name--86ec9f7591You need to understand your product or company and your market before you can create a successful brand.  Once that’s defined, you want to focus on their needs and wants, and on offering them solutions to their particular problems and issues.  A successful brand will connect with your prospects, motivate your clients, and develop a loyal base.  A brand connects emotionally.  If there is not an emotional component, your brand won’t effectively connect with your market.

Because developing and creating the right brand is so important for a company’s success, we’ll often work with clients on the development of the brand, concept, style and narrative before moving forward on the PR outreach.

There are myriad ways to market your brand and establish it in the market.  But, the most effective is to utilize PR and media relations to establish your brand through the media.  By being featured on TV or in print you and your company attain the legitimacy and validation that comes from being featured as a news story.  In essence you become the news.  You can then use that media coverage in all of your other marketing strategies.  When it comes to creating a powerful brand always keep in mind the power and importance of an effective public relations outreach.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

Swallow, Erica. “What’s the Value in a Brand Name.” Photo. Mashable. 5 Nov. 2010. 18 Mar 2013. <http://mashable.com/2010/11/05/value-of-brand-names/>

PR Integration – Traditional Media Relations & Digital PR

digital-v-printAs the media world changes more and more traditional publications have gone on to become digital media outlets.  Countless new publications are starting up with only an online presence.  Too often people think of traditional magazines as being true publications and online outlets (unless they are the online arm of such traditional media outlets as the New York Times, Vogue, Men’s Health or People) as basically useless or low rent outlets.  In reality, many online media outlets can gain you more traction and exposure than traditional outlets.  Sure there are some sites and blogs that reach only a handful of people and that’s why you need to do your homework before contacting any media.  But when used judiciously, a targeted online approach can help position you in the marketplace, build your brand and (and this one is really important) get you noticed by some of the major traditional media outlets.

online-newsroomsWhereas traditional media offers validations and credibility, online media offers speed and reach; it is the online media and publications that can get your story up and add to your digital pr strategy as quickly as possible.  This was impossible a few short years ago, but now, via online PR, your story can quickly get out in front of the public.  Combine validation and legitimacy with speed, targeting and reach and you have what I call Integrative PR.

As I’ve written in the past, you don’t want to choose between traditional and online media, you want to meld the two to fully maximize your campaign and your exposure.  For example, we recently placed a client in a number of online publications.  All of the stories were positive and they helped us increase our client’s exposure.  The articles helped the client brand himself and more fully reach his target market.  That was great in and of itself, but we then were contacted by a writer from the New York Times, who read some of the pieces online and wanted to interview the client for a story in the Times.  So those articles were doubly effective, they not only reached new readers, but they positioned the client in a way that interested the mainstream media.

When it comes to launching a comprehensive PR or media relations campaign, the name of the game is PR Integration.  Sure millions of people are online and that number is only going to grow, but the offline or traditional media sill wields amazing impact.  TV, newspapers, magazines and radio not only reach millions; the major outlets are the ones that still hold the star power.  Being featured in the mainstream media, such as the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show or USA Today still gives you the validation and legitimacy that no other form of marketing can offer.

The downside with a strictly traditional media outreach is that it generally takes quite a bit of time to build momentum.  The downside with online public relations is that, although you can get the information out quickly, people are now inundated with so much news that you can often find stories buried.

This is why PR Integration, the combining of online and offline media relations, is not only effective but important.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Kisor-Madlem, Alyshia. “7 ways online media benefits public relations”. Photo. PR Daily. 13 Nov 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13116.aspx>

Momorella, Steve. “5 ways online newsrooms will save time and money.” Photo. PR Daily. 25 Jun 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11998.aspx&gt;

I’m not Interesting Enough to do PR

There are those people who think that anything they do should be featured on the evening news.  It’s nice to have a strong ego, but sometimes it’s a bit much and as a PR consultant it’s often my job to tactfully let someone know that.  Then there are those who think that they’re just not interesting enough for anyone to take note.  This is the flip-side of the star mentality. If you suffer from this problem, which I’d dub dullitits, get over it.  The scenario usually goes something like this, you’re too bland, too shy, your business is too dull, no one is going to care about anything you have to say. Why should you even bother trying publicity? It’ll never work anyway.

I’m sure that there are some professionals that shouldn’t utilize public relations. I suppose that if you’re in the CIA, chances are you don’t want to broadcast it all over the news. But in the majority of cases, most businesses and entrepreneurs can utilize effective public relations to build their business.  For example, entrepreneurs who want to build their company, or launch a new product, professionals who want to highlight their service, healthcare practitioners who want to increase their practice, painters or sculptors who want to bring their artwork to a larger market, a professional who wants to establish him or herself as an expert in the field.  From my experience, just about everyone falls  into one of those categories. If you do, and you want to utilize the power of publicity to attract clients, build your business or establish your brand, stop thinking negatively. Believe me, you have a story to tell.  Everyone is interesting, every business has an aspect to it that makes for a good story, every field has interesting stories to tell.  Remember, you are the only “you” around. There might be others in your filed, or that run similar businesses or practices, but there is no one quite like you.  No one has your particular angle or your story.  No one does what you do quite like you do it. Whether you know it, or even want to believe it, you’re original, you’re unique. So start viewing yourself that way.

It helps to distance yourself from the situation. Pretend that you’re hiring yourself to represent your company, or your business, or product, or even yourself. How would you approach this assignment?  View the situation objectively.  What steps would you take? What advice would you give? Would you accept: I’m not interesting enough as an excuse to stop moving forward?  I’d bet not.  Don’t let your fears and doubts stop you. Remember, no matter how confident some people seem, most people have some secret doubts about not being interesting enough or not being success material. We’re all success material. Part of achieving success is working through those doubts and fears and moving forward toward your success.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

PR Advice: Why It Can Be Dangerous

Public relations is like writing, everyone thinks they can do it and just about everyone is willing to give you advice on how you should do it.  Trouble is if you start listening to this advice you’re like a pilot being given instruction by people who have never been in a cockpit.  Trust me; everyone thinks they know exactly how you should run your PR campaign.  You will be given (generally well meaning) advice from your siblings, neighbors, clients, janitors, and anyone else who hears that you’re about to launch a media relations campaign. .

Before I began working as a PR consultant, I worked as a freelance journalist and as a magazine editor.  I once worked as the editor-in-chief of an L.A.-based publication.  My publisher was a people person, which was great, but he also had a tendency to listen to, and take advice from just about everyone he met. Whenever he left the office, I’d hope that he’d spend his day without human contact. Otherwise every client, salesperson, waiter or stranger he spoke to would be sure to offer him new article ideas. Invariably he’d then come to my office and outline all of the new articles and new directions to take the magazine that he had been given.  Not that there weren’t some good ideas, but  nine times out of ten these article ideas were totally inappropriate, as far as he was concerned they were new, exciting and revolutionary.

I understand that people love to give advice, and then generally give it with the best of intentions, whether they know what they’re talking about or not. When it comes to your marketing or your public relations campaign, you have to keep in mind that people who tell you their creative ways of marketing your business have nothing at stake.  That’s why they can afford to offer such definitive and authoritative ideas. It’s not their business.  They’re not risking a thing.  When these know-it-alls give you advice, smile, listen, maybe even nod, but stay on course.

Some advice and suggestions you’ll receive will be on the money, but more often than not, the PR advice you receive will reflect the advice givers perspective more than your business marketing needs.  My next few articles will outline some of the most dangerous PR and marketing advice that you can receive from good intending folks who have absolutely no stake in your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

 

How To Create A Perfect PR Pitch: Why Less Is More


You need to believe that you have a compelling story if you’re going to pitch yourself or your company to the media.  But, and this as they say is a big “but”, when launching a media relations campaign, always keep in mind that less is more.  The more succinct and to the point your pitch is, the better your chances of having your story featured in the media.  The truth is that writers, editors and producers are generally so busy that the less information they have to read, the better the chances that they’ll actually read it.  Hone your story down before you start to send it out.   Make sure your information is concise, to the point and compelling.  Make sure that it addresses the media’s needs.  Keep in mind that the media wants stories not facts or information. Use facts and information to support your story. And, once again, keep focusing on the mantra that less is more.  The ironic truth is that most journalists don’t have much time to read your information.  They are busy trying to do get their work done.  You’re not going to help them, or yourself, by sending out a three or four page press release.  You might find the release and the information compelling, but all a journalist is going to see is information overkill.

Remember effective PR is not about being verbose or long winded.  It’s about presenting stories that are compelling, transformational, informational and entertaining.  I know, that’s a tall order.  The bottom line is that it all comes down to the story.  Does your story connect with the media?  Is your press release interesting, entertaining, exciting?  Will your story angles and your approach meet the media’s needs?  If not, take a breather and start over.  Don’t send out information simply in order to feel like you’re moving forward.  Action does not necessarily equal results.  If you have a pitch or release that is filled with facts, statistics and information, but doesn’t tell a story.  Don’t let it leave your home or office.  Start again from a different perspective.  Put yourself in the place of the media outlets you’re going to be pitching.  If you were that editor, producer or journalist, what story, angle or approach would grab your attention?  And come up with a story idea that will grab their attention.  What type of pitch or approach would meet the needs or grab the interest of their readers, viewers or listeners?

When launching a public relations campaign, your  job is not to sell a product service or even yourself.  Your  job is to present to the media a compelling story that they will want to run with.  Your pitch doesn’t have to be completely unique or original; most any pitch can work, if it’s presented the right way.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Whaling, Heather. “How to Take your PR Pitches to the Next Level.” Photo. Mashable. 3 Mar 2012. 4 October 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/03/03/better-social-media-pitches/>

Secrets to Launching A Successful PR Campaign

From a PR perspective, perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from being a magazine editor was that a story is only a good story if it meets the media’s needs.  For example, I’d receive hundreds of pitches from public relations representatives and publicists and although a number of the pitches were good, I’d say no to most of them.  Why?  They didn’t meet my reader’s needs.  They might have been great story ideas, but if they didn’t resonate with my readers and my particular target market, I wasn’t interested.  So how does this apply to you?  When pitching your story to the media you have to understand that you need to tailor your pitch to each particular media outlet.  You need to be able to make that editor, writer or producer understand why the story you’re pitching is perfect for him or her.  To succeed, it’s important that you develop a number of different angles to pitch to the various TV shows, magazines and newspapers.  Each media outlet has its particular needs and interests. For example, if you want to successfully place a story, don’t send the exact same pitch to the Wall Street Journal that you you’re sending to Ladies Home Journal or Maxim.  You could pitch the same basic story to each of those, but you’d definitely need a different pitch, angle, or approach.  The primary secret to implementing a successful public relations campaign is to tailor your pitches so that they meet the various needs of each outlet you’re approaching. It’s important to develop a number of different angles to present to the various media outlets. Make sure your pitches are appropriate.  Don’t pitch a finance writer a sports story.  You might have a great story, but it won’t work.  Unless, and here’s where modifying your pitch comes in, you can pitch a story on sports and finance and how you can address that topic.

Start by developing your main story.  That will serve as your framework, your overall structure.   Now modify the pitch so that you can target each media outlet magazine.  You might just need to tweak your pitch a bit to meet the needs of the various outlets.  It doesn’t generally require a major overhaul. Don’t always focus on the obvious story.  Study the various angles and approaches.  For example, is there a trend story you can connect your product or service to? Is there a transformational story you can tell? What is your business angle? How about a holiday story or a seasonal angle?  There are a number of approaches you can take to creating different angles and pitches.

Study the media you’re pitching; understand their needs and the type of stories they run.  Develop compelling pitches that meet their needs and you’re set to launch an effective PR campaign.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

PR & Marketing Brainstorming Tips – Part 2

To begin, set up a session to review all of your media hooks and possible PR ideas.  They can be obvious, or they can be crazy.  You don’t have to use all of these, but you do want to push yourself, use outside of the box thinking and let your creativity run wild.  Once you’ve created a list of possible ideas, the next step is to review which ideas are your strongest, which have a chance of gaining you and your company media coverage.  Now start thinking like the media.  Let’s say you’re an editor or a producer; which of the stories you’ve come up with would be the most appealing.  How and why will those ideas work?  Now drill down even further, which ideas will work specifically as TV pitches?  TV is a visual medium; you want to present stories that offer more than just a talking head.  When pitching TV, think in terms of the strongest visual stories you can present.  Now think in terms of radio, what type of story ideas would work best there?  Next, do the same type of exercise with print media and social media.

Finally, start segmenting the media.  Different media outlets have different needs.  You need to keep that in mind when pitching and presenting your story ideas.  This is where most stories meet their doom.  You need to not only pitch great story ideas, you need to pitch stories that a particular journalist who writes for a very specific target market understands.  For example you might come up with a great pitch idea that you could present to women’s magazine, men’s magazine and general interest magazines, but how you pitch your story to each particular outlet  is going to decide whether the media is going to cover it or not.  That’s why you want to spend time brainstorming practicing how to build those media bridges.

Remember your PR hooks and media pitches need to meet the needs of the various magazines, newspapers, radio shows, and internet sites that you’re targeting.  You could have a great story, but if you pitch it to the wrong media outlet, it won’t get you very far.  Effective PR comes down to effective story telling. Take time to brainstorm and develop your stories.  It will be time well spent.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Brown, Ronald. “Innovation- Idea-Light bulb.” Photo. Mashable. 22 Jun 2012. 25 Jun 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/06/22/measure-product-viability-agile-time/>

Tips for Using Social Media to Boost your Traditional PR Campaign

There are times you can reach the traditional media using some nontraditional means.  Blogging, social media and online wire services can offer unique approaches to garnering coverage in print, TV and radio.  For example, sometimes the best way to contact a writer, editor or producer is through the back door.  For example, if you’re looking to garner a placement in the Wall Street Journal or Time Magazine, an approach could be to blog on one of their stories.  Newsweek and other publications have added blog round up boxes on their sites.  What they basically do is report on readers who have blogged about one of their articles.  Try picking a publication that’s of interest to you and blog on one of the articles.  Now link it using a backtrack line and then submit that to Technorati.com.  If all goes as planned, your blog will be reported and they in turn will link to you.  At least that’s how it should go.  If you’re up for a new approach, give it a shot.

Another way to keep in touch with, or at least in front of journalists is via social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Twitter can definitely be useful since it moves so quickly and new information is constantly being posted.  Some journalists will tweet when they’re looking for experts to interview.  They’ll also post articles that they find of interest or previous articles they’ve written.  This is a great way to get a real sense of an individual writer’s interests, likes and dislikes.

Twitter Tips
You can also be proactive in your approach.  Tweet stories that aren’t necessarily direct pitches but that show your interest in that particular field.  If you find something that will possibly interest a particular journalist, Tweet it.  And when he or she Tweets something you find of interest comment on it or reweet in.  Interaction is fine, just don’t spend your time trying to sell or pitch. When you find something you think a journalist might enjoy, share it. And when he or she shares an interesting article or tweets something entertaining, feel free to comment and interact.  Remember the name of the game here is connecting and sharing – not selling and pitching.  Still, on those occasions that you do find that perfect story to pitch, go for it, but present it in a way that you’re bringing value to the table.  Do not use social media as a way to constantly pitch.  You’ll quickly overstay your welcome and lose a valuable connection.

Sharing Your Press Release
Using paid wire services isn’t something I generally recommend, unless your story is amazingly timely, has a celebrity tie in, or has to do with a breaking news story.  Your best approach is to send your press releases to a targeted media list and following up with phone calls.  Still, posting your releases on free wire services, and (judiciously) posting your release on social media sites can help.  If your release has enough useable information on it, you might find that some media outlets as reprinting your release as a short article.  Articles that offer tips, or secrets or bust myths can be the most effective.  For example: 5 insider tips to a perfect body or 5 secrets to perfecting your golf swing, or The Skinny on 5 weight loss myths.  Something else to consider is offer 7 insider tips, only cover 4 of them in the release and end it with the link to your website or blog to find the rest of the tips.

All of these are different ways to get your message and pitch in front of your target media.  Using trial and error, find the methods that work best for you and then stick with them.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Why You Should Launch Next Year’s PR Campaign this November

You want the fourth quarter to end on a strong note, which is why it’s so important to launch a media relations campaign for the holidays, but even if your end of year plans are set and you’re looking to launch in a big way for the upcoming year, you need to start your PR and marketing no later than November.

There are a few practical reasons for this. To start, if you’re looking to place stories in any of the national monthly publications, keep in mind they work on a three to four month lead time; which means, at least as far as those media outlets are concerned, you need to pitch them in September or October to have any chance of landing coverage in January. Although other media outlets work on much shorter lead times, you want to place stories during the end of the current year to help build your brand going into the new year. You also want to start pitching in November to get on the media’s radar for New Year-oriented stories. January is going to be filled with stories that have to do with new gadgets, diets, approaches, products, and services that can help people get a fresh start in the new year.

Remember the media is looking for a hook and an angle that works for them, so approach your pitch from their perspective. For example, if you’re an accountant your pitch might be:
5 Insider Tips On How To Start Your New Year Accounting And Bookkeeping On The Right Foot,
or 5 Tips To Prepare For The Upcoming Tax Season

If your in the beauty, fitness or weight loss business, focus on such pitches as
How To Achieve Your Optimum New Look For The New Year


Focus on what makes your business, service or product special. Is there a different approach you use that can help people start the new year right? What problems do you solve? How do you, your product or service differ from others in the field? Maybe you’ve updated or modified your product or service for the New Year. Look at it from all angles; is it smaller, larger, brighter, less expensive, more user friendly, or more effective? How could you present what you do or sell in a way that’s different, offers a story and ties in with the New Year theme?
And don’t forget the most important focus; how does your business or product affect others? How has it helped change people’s lives? What solutions does it offer? Does it make life easier? Does it make people richer, thinner, smarter, faster, or happier? Perhaps you have clients who would be able to tell their story to the media? The most effective PR campaigns are those that tell transformational stories. If by launching an effective public relations campaign you can illustrate how your business has positively affected the life of others, people who see read or hear your story will want to know if you can do the same for them. And your phone will start ringing.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

How Important Is Traditional PR In The Age Of Social Media?

Although we’re in the age of blogging and social media, being featured in the traditional media (TV, print and radio) is still tremendously important.  In many ways it’s even more important than it was a decade ago.   PR specialists who are shifting their focus solely online are loosing sight of the value that traditional media offers.  Whereas any effective public relations campaign needs to include an online approach that embodies social media, it’s important to make sure that the core traditional elements are also in place.

Why is traditional media so important?  The recognition factor that traditional media offers is immense.  Most consumers will be able to recognize and identify popular newspapers, magazines or TV stations much more readily than they will the most popular blogs online that are not mainstream.  The traditional media have built credible brands that carry weight, influence and credibility.  If a story is featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or CNN, that coverage is going to be more impressive to the average consumer than if it were featured in the top online blogs.  Perhaps even more importantly, if a story is covered in the traditional media, it is all but guaranteed to be covered online by blogs and discussed on social media sites.  Add to that the fact that traditional media outlets also have an internet presence and their sites generally generate more traffic than even the top online blogs.

Bloggers often write about what’s going on in traditional media, whether it’s a TV segment or a story that was covered in the newspaper. If you land an interview in traditional media, you’re likely to catch the attention of social media as well. Furthermore, appearing in traditional media gives you something to post about in your own blog and in social networks.

The truth is that social media and blogging should be a core component of any media relations campaign, and driving and controlling your message by placing stories in the traditional media is more critical than ever.

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that how you pitch the traditional media is different than how you approach bloggers or online media.  The online approach is more direct, you’re talking more directly to the consumer.  When pitching newspaper and magazine editors or radio and TV producers, you’re pitching the media, not the public.  You need to convince that editor or producer that your story is compelling and speaks directly to his or her target audience.

This is not an either or situation, you want a combined online and traditional media approach; but if you’re looking to establish yourself as an expert in your field and to gain the credibility and validation of being perceived as a news story, you need a traditional PR campaign.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

The Steve Jobs Approach to PR Magic

By branding yourself as well as your business, you set up a two-pronged marketing campaign.  By establishing yourself as an expert in your field, you become the authority, the go-to person in your particular arena.  This type of validation will then extend to your product or service.  People buy what they trust.  Establish yourself as an expert and you won’t need to sell your clients or customers, they will come to you.   People will look to you not only for your product or service but also for you advice, your savvy, your expertise.

That is what made Steve Jobs so immensely valuable to Apple.  Love him or hate him, people saw him as the innovator, as the one who changed the field, the one who came up with the most interesting and exciting products.   The one they could trust. Whenever Steve jobs presented a new product, be it the Mac, iPhone or iPad, it wasn’t just a presentation, it was an event; it was an experience.  Journalists would fall over one another to cover it. And it wasn’t simply a tech story; it was a pop culture event.  It would be covered on every type of media outlet from Wired, to the Wall Street Journal, to CNN, to Extra.

Okay, so you’re not Steve Jobs.  But you get my idea.  An effective PR approach is to establish and brand yourself as you brand your business; and branding is perhaps the main function of a successful media relations campaign.  Yes, you want to reach prospective customers and clients, but you also want to establish who and what you and your business are.  Remember you’re not selling a product or service, you’re building a brand that establishes your value in the marketplace.  That is precisely why you need to view PR as a long term process.  It’s impossible to establish a brand in a few months.  It is a cumulative process.  You need to be consistent.  You need to stay on course, particularly during the first six months, which are generally the toughest.

Building a brand comes down to creating a strong narrative, building a strong story that people relate to.  That’s where Jobs understood the process more than most.  The Apple brand came to be an ongoing story with new chapters being added with the launch of each new product.  Jobs established himself first as a wunderkind, then as a visionary, then as a shrewd business leader who could turn a business model on its head and open new markets.  But that legend didn’t simply happen on its own.  It was a well crafted, strategically organized public relations campaign.

As an entrepreneur or business owner, take a page from one of the shrewdest marketers we’ve seen in ages.  Brand yourself as you brand your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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