When Should You Launch A PR Campaign?

August 5, 2011 Leave a comment

If you’re reading this in real time, it’s early August, the talk shows are gearing up and getting ready to start production and the monthly magazines are turning their attention to their holiday issues.  There is no greater time to launch a public relations campaign than now.  But what if you’re reading this in December or early June, should you wait, move forward? What is the best time to launch a PR campaign?

The answer is, it depends on your specific needs.  Unless I’m dealing with a seasonal or holiday oriented product, I seldom decide when to launch by looking at the calendar.  What I focus on are my client’s needs and objectives.  If you have a product, or service that is ready to launch, do it now.

If you’re a larger company and are launching a fashion line or new toy line, your timeline is different, you want to launch in time to hit whatever your primary season is, or your industry’s particular timeline.  But if you’re a newer company, or are launching your first PR campaign, your primary focus should be on establishing your presence.  At this point, forget what the big players are doing, your focus and your intent is different.  If you’re a new clothing line, your PR strategy should not mirror that of Ralph Lauren.  That company is currently on a different trajectory than yours.  It has different goals than yours.  If all goes as planned you could be launching that style of media relations campaign in a few years, but for now focus on your own unique objectives.

That can be confusing, because chances are the feedback you’ll get from others will be based on what other companies are doing.  Remember, right now chances are you’re not competing with Paramount Pictures, Facebook, Harry Winston or Revlon.  You might be playing in the same arena, but you’re playing a different game.  Don’t get steered in the wrong direction.  Chances are you’ll end up wasting quite a lot of time and money.

If you’re launching a new product or service, or are a relatively small company and are doing PR for the first time, your objective is to get yourself on the map.  You want to establish yourself and your company.  With that in mind, unless your product is specifically seasonal or tied to a particular holiday, your focus shouldn’t be on when you’re going to launch your campaign but on whether you have your stories, release, media list, bio, pitches and game plan ready to go.  Your focus should be on starting your campaign now.  The media never stops.  They are always looking for new stories.  So, put the calendar away and get ready to launch.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under business, Marketing, Media, Media Relations, Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Developing a New PR Approach

July 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Marketing has shifted dramatically in the past decade.  With the advent of blogs and social media, companies now have different marketing and PR needs.  With that in mind, it’s important to rethink your approach to media relations.  As opposed to focusing solely on traditional PR campaigns or 100% on online campaigns, consider a menu of strategies.   What fits your specific needs can vary, from

1) A full blown traditional PR and social media campaign,

2) A campaign that emphasizes traditional public relations, along with a more targeted online media approach,

3) One that cover a targeted traditional media outreach in conjunction with an online media approach,

4)  A campaign that focuses 100% on online PR

5) A social media campaign.

6) You get the picture, you can mix and match.

Remember what is right for you and your company depends on your specific needs and its budget.  Although it is possible to launch a successful online PR campaign, it is quite different from a traditional media outreach.  The media outlets and the overall approach have to be handled differently.  When launching an online campaign, you’re targeting bloggers, online media, forums and individuals via social media such as Facebook and Twitter.  Your approach needs to be more conversational and more personal in its tone. The traditional media approach is more formal and more press release driven.

This is a PR/marketing world of mix and match, and no one approach is designed to fit all.  Study your prospective clients and customers; review your marketing needs and how to best reach your target market. Now come up with a plan that specifically meets those needs.

Although both traditional and new media PR campaigns can be successful, your best bet is to create a campaign that encompasses both. Whereas some companies have been quite successful going strictly with the online approach, your needs might be better served by adding the credibility of being featured in the news.  A feature in a magazine or segment on a TV program changes how you’re viewed by your clients and prospective clients.  You are more readily perceived as an expert in your field.   People who see your magazine articles and TV segments on social media sites will view you as an expert, as a professional who can be trusted.

A strong traditional media campaign is still imperative to gain the credibility and validation of being featured as a news story.  Yet particularly when starting out, you can achieve your initial marketing goals if you have both a strong online presence and a limited traditional PR campaign.

Develop a media relations plan and campaign that is designed specifically for your needs.  Don’t assume you intrinsically know who your target market is and how to reach them.  Do your homework.  It will pay off in the long run.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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The Multidimensional PR Approach

July 19, 2011 1 Comment

Whereas traditional media is still as important as ever, you can now utilize it in a variety of ways.  For example, as opposed to focusing solely on traditional media, you can target some specific media outlets and use those validating mainstream media hits to enhance your online media campaign.

Clients that we’ve place on Dr. Phil, Oprah (well those days are gone), the Today Show, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other media were able to magnify those media placements by posting or commenting on them in blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, forums, etc.  Utilizing this approach you can achieve one of the primary functions of traditional media – gaining the validation and credibility of being featured in the news.  Once a few traditional placements have been secured, you can then magnify them using social media.  That approach has helped us create an online buzz about our clients.  It separates our clients from the competition, enhances their brand and creates greater awareness about them and their company.

PR is now multi dimensional. There are myriad ways you can develop successful campaigns.  The optimum approach is one that incorporates traditional and online public relations, yet at times, developing a hybrid campaign, or one that focuses solely on traditional or online media, can also serve its purpose.  It all depends on your needs, your business model, your market and your budget.

It is now possible for campaigns to be more targeted and strategic.  For example, a physician we worked with who was featured on Oprah separated herself from the others in her field by using social media and blogging to spread the word about her segment on the show.  A beauty expert who was featured in Allure was able to present herself as a much more credible authority and expert in her field by blogging about and posting the link to the Allure article on various social media sites.

After one or two validating placements you can either continue to focus on traditional PR, or , if you’re on a tight budget, you can shift your campaign towards an online approaching using the magazine, newspaper or TV coverage on you and your company to generate interest online.  Using online PR and social media you can establish yourself as an expert via your traditional media coverage and further establish the credibility of your brand.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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Talk Shows Rule Daytime TV – Now Learn how To Book Yourself

June 29, 2011 1 Comment

Recently ABC announced that it was canceling its long-running soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live and replacing them with two new one-hour daytime talk shows, The Revolution and The Chew.

All My Children premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. “One Life to Live” debuted on July 15, 1968 and marked its 10,000th episode on August 17, 2007.   But times have changed and now reality-oriented talk shows rule the daytime.

The Revolution will be a weight-loss show co-hosted by “Project Runway” emcee Tim Gunn. The Chew have a food slant and will offer a “rotating cast” of hosts that includes chef Mario Batali, Top Chef’s Carla Hall, chef Michael Symon, nutrition expert Daphne Oz, and entertaining expert Clinton Kelly.

These two shows are just some of the more current offerings to an already crowded daytime lineup which will also include such newcomers as Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Rosie O’Donnell and Fran Dresher.  Add them to such returning old guards such as Dr. Phil, Ellen The Dr. Oz Show, The Gayle King Show, The Talk, The View, Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart and you have a pretty full day of talk.  Chances are not all of these shows will survive and they will all be fighting one another for the elusive ratings.

This time around there is no Oprah in the mix.  For the first time in decades, a new show truly has a chance to jump out of the pack and claim the daytime crown.  So, if you’re an expert in your field, or someone who has written a book or have a service or product that fits one of the shows’ target markets; get ready to start pitching.  The shows don’t start until September, except for a few such as the Revolution, which is scheduled to launch in January.  But by late July producers are setting up their booking schedules.

Don’t make the mistake of blindly pitching every talk show the same way.  Study each show and see what type of segments they run; then tailor your pitch or press release to meet those criteria.  Remember  follow-up calls are important. They’re the only way to know that your press release has actually been read. And, just as important, by following up, you can find out if the press release did its job and generated interest. If the release didn’t do the trick, you can now add the human touch. If the response is no, you can offer other angles, but do it lightly and then exit gracefully. Don’t waste your time trying to convince the media why you are right or trying to make a hard sale. Your objective is to meet their needs and not by pitching a product or a service, but by giving them a good, compelling story.  Work on your PR pitch before you call. Do some pitch practicing, even if it’s just with a friend. Record a call and listen to how you sound. Don’t sound intimidated and certainly don’t try to intimidate. Be upbeat and polite.   Remember study each show and pitch towards their needs.  It might take some time, but if you stick to it, brainstorm and come up with some creative pitches – we’ll see you on the talk shows.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under soap operas, Talk Shows, target audience, traditional media, TV, tv interview, tv shows Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Traditional plus Social Media: The Beauty Biz Success Secret

June 24, 2011 Leave a comment

According to research conducted by The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, in 2010, total  U.S. prestige beauty generated $8.4 billion, an increase of 4 percent in dollars, compared to $8.19 billion in 2009.

Beauty is a huge market and that figure does not take into consideration all brands and products.  The bottom line is that beauty sells.  As with fashion and entertainment a beauty-oriented company needs to develop a strong brand in order to be truly successful and nothing is more effective for creating a powerful brand and brand awareness than PR and media relations.   Through public relations your product or service is positioned as a news story, not as an ad or a commercial.  Through the media, you are also positioned as an expert in the field, as a beauty guru.  Soon the media starts coming to you to learn the latest beauty or skin care tips and secrets.  You help define beauty and style trends, while positioning both you and your company via the media.

You can then meld a blogging and social media campaign with your traditional media campaign.  For example, if you receive coverage in your local newspaper on your salon, or your new product line, you can take that article and link it on your blog as well as on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg and other social sites.  You have now turned a local article into a national article.  Or conversely, you can tape a very cool, interesting segment and post it on YouTube.  In the beauty world you can be a bit outrageous, so make it fun, make it interesting, give it attitude.  Now using your blog, Facebook, Twitter and other online venues, try and create a buzz around that video.  If you generate enough interest you can then pitch your YouTube phenomena to the mainstream media and garner media coverage in print and TV.  That’s not a slam dunk, and requires work and some creative thinking, but we’ve done it, so it is possible.

The key to a successful beauty PR campaign is to create a compelling story around your product or service.  Make it interesting, stylish, and compelling.  Always keep your target market in mind. Then study the media outlets that reach your target market.  Now develop a number of different stories to pitch to a variety of different media outlets.  Each media source has needs and interests that are specific to it.  The primary secret to launching an effective media relations campaign is to focus on what the various media outlets need, and pitch each outlet accordingly.  For example, beauty trade publications will be interested in a business angle, whereas your local media will respond to a pitch with a local slant and a national TV show is going to be more willing to run with a story that has a strong visual component.  Being in the beauty field offers you strong visuals, so be creative and use them.  Also remember that the ingredients, the look and the packaging itself can offer you a compelling story.  If you use eco-friendly packaging, or if your ingredients are non allergenic, or if you utilize customer recycling initiatives, these can all be angles you can pitch to the media.

More and more, savvy beauty-oriented companies are spending zero on traditional advertising and utilizing a creative mix of traditional public relations combined with a creative blogging and social media campaign to build their business, grow their brand and achieve success in the beauty biz.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under beauty, Beauty Industry PR, beauty products, Marketing, PR, traditional media, TV Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Surprise! The Donald is Not Running: The Bad PR Trump Card

May 17, 2011 Leave a comment

News flash!  Donald Trump is not running for president in 2012.  NBC pushed Trump to make a decision and reality TV won out over president of theUnited States.  It was a month of bad timing all the way around for the Donald.  First, he positioned himself as leading the birther campaign charge, which wasn’t the best PR move in the world; then President Obama goes and ruins the birther media frenzy by first releasing the long form of his birth certificate and second, finding and killing the most wanted terrorist in the world, Osama bin Laden.

If Donald Trump seriously did decide to run for president in 2012, he had more than hurt any chances of being taken as a true contender, but few believed that was really his intention.  As he certainly seemed to prove with his decision, media exposure was his ultimate aim.  Even before the birther fiasco, there have always been more potential minefields out there for Trump than for most candidates.  He is now a Republican, but in the past he has been both a Democrat and a member of the Reform Party; in a book he wrote in 2000 he praisedCanada’s single payer health-care system.  Not a stance that would give him much traction in the GOP.  His affiliation with the Miss USA Contest would have most likely raised some Tea Party eyebrows and who knows what reporters and political opponents could have unearthed when digging into his casino and real estate dealings.

Did Trump seriously want to open himself up to such scrutiny?  I doubt it, But he did find a way to keep himself and his TV show in the media, positioning himself as a may-be residential contender was certainly one way to keep himself in the spotlight.  The real story is that regardless how big of a non-story he is, the media runs when he beckons.

Trump has been here before and this approach has served him well. It certainly helps his TV ratings, feeds his need of the spotlight and keeps him in the entertainment, financial and political outlets.  But Trump made a poor media bet when he chose to take up the mantle of the birther movement. 

Trump challenged President Obama’s place of birth on the “Today” show and on CNN’s “State of the Union,” despite the overwhelming evidence that the president was born in theUSA.   Trump talked about the issue in interview after interview and reportedly met with anArizonastate lawmaker sponsoring a so-called “birther” bill.

“The reasonIhave a little doubt, just a little, is because he grew up and nobody knew him,” Trump said on “Good Morning America.”  Palin praised Trump’s questions, although she stated the she doesn’t think the end result will show that Obama was not born in theUnited States.

Whereas jumping on the birther bandwagon offered Trump quite a bit of media coverage, it was a poor PR choice. It’s true that the hardcore birthers and others of that ilk embraced him, but that stance marginalized him in the mainstream.  By pandering to that segment of society, Donald Trump once again positioned himself more as a reality show host than a serious presidential contender, which in fact is what he is. 

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under Media, obama, Politics, publicity, Reality Tv Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Press Conference Mind field

November 24, 2010 1 Comment

A well timed press conference can be an important PR tool if used effectively, but it can also be a risky approach.  It’s important to know when and where to hold a press conference. Unless you have a strong breaking news story, an extremely timely story, or a story that involves a celebrity, chances are holding a press conference is not your optimum choice.  Even if your story does fall into the listed categories keep in mind that just as you’re about to start your press conference a fire could break out, or a national news story could hit the wires and you could end up delivering your story to all but empty room.

Although press conferences are held for myriad reasons, the successful ones are primarily utilized to give the media up-to-the-minute information on breaking news stories, or when a celebrity or known personality is addressing a topical issue. Countless other types of press conferences are announced, but few receive any significant coverage.  When you are asking the media to be at a certain place at a certain time to cover one specific story, keep in mind that the odds are against you.

When you schedule a press conference, your story is being set on a very specific timeline and will compete with every other potential story locally, nationally and internationally. If you are going to hold a press conference, hold it in the mid-morning. The later in the day you hold it, the less media you will draw because of deadline scheduling conflicts.  If a story that the media considers more urgent, or more ratings worthy breaks at the same time – you’re out of luck. We have held some very successful press conferences.  But we’ve also held some conferences that were passed-over because of a high speed car chase in progress, a breaking murder story or a celebrity drug bust.   Those are the breaks.

There was one case where two TV crews had arrived and were setting up to cover a press conference we had scheduled, suddenly each producer was paged. Next thing I knew they were packing their gear and heading out the door. A fire had broken out at a local refinery and they were on their way to cover it. Needless to say, that was the end of that particular press conference.
Whereas there is a time and place to hold a press conference, in my experience most press conferences are ineffective, because the story or pitch usually does not warrant that type of media approach. Try to think like the media, play devil’s advocate with yourself. If you were a harried producer or editor, and were pitched a story on your proposed press conference would it be of interest to you? If the answer is no, forget going the press conference route. Reframe the hook and pitch it as a feature to the various outlets.  Chances are you’ll be more successful and your story will have a much longer lifespan.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

 

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5 Secrets To Pitching The Media

September 30, 2010 1 Comment

When pitching your story to the media, remember to focus on their needs.  Always keep in mind that it’s not you, your book, your expertise, or your profession, that’s going to grab the media’s interest – it’s the STORY that you can create from these materials.  So how do you find the story, below are some sure-fire tips, suggestions and public relations secrets to use.  Make sure and review these before making your pitch.

When pitching your story to the media, remember to focus on their needs.  Always keep in mind that it’s not you, your book, your expertise, or your profession, that’s going to grab the media’s interest – it’s the STORY that you can create from these materials.  So how do you find the story?  Below are some sure-fire tips, suggestions and public relations secrets to use.  Make sure and review these before making your pitch.  Also keep the particular media outlet you’re going to in mind.  Don’t pitch a hard business angle to a woman’s publication that focuses on human interest angles and, conversely, don’t pitch a beauty story to a financial publication (unless it’s a story on the business of beauty).  With that in mind, review the following and come up with the perfect pitch for you, your product and your company.

1.  Tie your story to the calendar:  Valentines Day, Spring Cleaning (taxes, teeth, house care, skincare, mental health,) summer dieting, getting in shape, Memorial Day, Summer (heat stroke, swimming, sunburn, health hazards, air conditioners, summer colds) Labor Day, back to school anxiety, flu, Fall fashions, children’s ergonomic health, Mom’s and back to school, Halloween, teeth, safety, family, Thanksgiving, over-eating, dieting, anorexia, anxiety, family stress,  winterize your skin, dieting for the holidays, holiday safety, de-stressing while planning your holiday, fashion and skincare for the holidays, New Year’s, resolutions, colds, flu.  You get the picture.

2.  Call the local TV assignment desk before 9:00 a.m. and offer yourself as an expert who can comment on a breaking news story you read about in the paper that morning.

3.  Check the websites for tidbits about reporters, producers, or the show.  Use that information when you’re creating your pitch.

4.  Follow a reporter you like and when you pitch, mention that you read his/her stories when making your pitch.  Don’t just sell, create a mutually beneficial relationship.

5.  Watch shows you want to pitch for three weeks.  Watch it, target a producer.  Don’t just pitch your story, but the entire segment you would be in – with other experts, patients, etc.  Pitch controversy, relationships, personal triumph or makeovers.

Remember your job is to give the media a compelling story.  Don’t try to sell, or push. Work with the editors or producers you’re pitching.  Become their ally.  Let them know that you’re on their side.  Together you can come up with an interesting story that meets both their needs and yours.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

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Filed under advertising, business, Business Strategy, Marketing, Media, news, PR, PR Campaign, Public Relations, TV Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Create A Niche Market For Your Business

September 8, 2010 1 Comment

It’s tempting to think that your product is perfect for… everyone.  Now, there is a broad market sector.  Generally when a company markets to everyone it’s listened to by no one.

Not only that, if you want to market to everyone, that means your marketing has to be everywhere, which generally means you need to invest millions in your campaign.

There are times where your product or service will define your market for you.  For example, if you produce golf clubs you have a pretty good idea of who to market to, although even within such a defined market you can generally drill down quite a bit and define a variety of different markets within the overall target audience.  Let’s get a little more general, let’s say you develop a line of lipstick.  You’re primary market is female, that is somewhat safe to say, but that still leaves you a rather large terrain.  Is your primary market teenage girls, women in their 20s to early 30s, women over 40?  Are you focusing on women who shop at Wal-Mart, Nordstrom’s, or trendy boutiques? These are just a few of the questions that you’d need to answer before you launched your line of lipstick.

Let’s broaden the scope even more.  Let’s say you’re selling a new brand of bottled water. Everyone drinks water.  Your market is infinite, right?  Wrong.  What you need to discover is who drinks your brand of bottled water.  Are you targeting men, women, teens, seniors, athletes, moms, who are your customers?

Finding a niche market does not mean that you will only focus in that arena, it means you will create a following a loyal group of buyers who know and trust your product or service.  Once you establish yourself in a niche market, you can then branch out and develop customers in other arenas.  By targeting your approach, your odds of success are also much greater and your risks are reduced.

But how do you know what your market is?  First and foremost know your product or service.  What does it offer? What problems does it solve? Whose life does it make easier?  If you truly know and understand your business it will lead you to your customers.  Be honest with yourself. Don’t develop a product that is perfect for college students that are on a budget and then market it to private jet owners.  That is an exaggeration, but I’ve seen companies who refuse to see their true customer base because they had a preconceived idea of the market they wanted to capture.

To start, you need to be sold on and passionate about your product or service.  If you don’t believe in it, don’t expect anyone else to.  Know your business.  As I mentioned, if you truly know your product or service it will help define your market for you.  Take some time to research that there is a need for your product.  Don’t create a business solely because it interests you.  A hobby is not always a business.  In some cases it can be, but make sure you have researched the need and demand for your business.

Now if the demand is there, you’re onto something.  Create the best product or service that you can and go forward.  Figure out exactly who your potential customers are.  Where do they buy?  What magazines or newspapers do they read?  What TV shows do they watch? What sites would they visit on the internet? Once you have that information, you have your direction.

If you’re working on a limited budget start with a targeted PR campaign combined with a social media/blogging campaign.  If you have the funds hire a public relations firm, otherwise, do some homework, learn the basics and start by launching your own targeted niche marketing campaign.  You can broaden your scope and target other markets as you grow, but to start, find a niche, develop your marketing and media relations campaign and grow your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, internet marketing, Marketing, Media, PR, PR Campaign Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Marketing 3.0: A Powerful New Way Build Your Business & Land More Customers

March 24, 2009 1 Comment

When you think of it, what we thought of as media exposure not so many years ago has completely morphed and changed.  Warhol would be proud.  Not only is everyone going for their fifteen minutes, they’re now shooting for an hour.  What made it into the media used to be decided by a handful that controlled what we saw, heard and read; now all of that has changed.  But as the outlets have changed and the media terrain has morphed, the market has become so diffused that it’s more and more challenging to find a venue that 1) gives real information and 2) reaches a specific audience or market.  TV shows and print publications used to be the public’s main sources for news, politics, entertainment and information and now, no longer have the reach or the impact they once did.    Those outlets that once served as the primary venue for exposure are no longer the powerhouses they once were.  But, they are still tremendously important and need to be a part of your promotional or marketing campaign.

 

The traditional outlets are morphing.  Newspapers are folding; more information in going online, but simply promoting yourself or your company on the Internet is not the end-all marketing-wise.  Neither advertising nor straight Internet marketing offers the validation and legitimacy of traditional PR.  That’s primarily due to the fact that anyone can post information on the net.  There is very little vetting and fact checking.  Overall, the Internet is Wild West of information, and although marketing online may get your message out there, it alone is not enough.  To begin with, simply being on the net is not enough, you need to drive traffic to your information,   But more importantly, that type of exposure seldom offers you the  credibility, validation or build brand trust as being featured as a news story will.  The most effective approach is a strategic marketing mix.  You can reach your target market and gain validation and credibility through effective PR, and then utilize the Internet to amplify and maximize your message.  That is the marketing strategy that you now need in order to build your business, land more customers and make more money.

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

 

 

 

Filed under audience, Build Your Business, business, Economy, Entertainment, information, Land More Clients, Land More Customers, Marketing, marketing strategy, Media Exposure, Media Relations, morphing marketing, news, Politics, PR, print publications, Promotional and marketing campaigns, small business, Target Market, tv shows Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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