• 4 Ways Visuals Help Win PR Business

    These days it’s impossible to find an article written about our business that doesn’t cover the emphasis currently being put toward visual story telling.  It’s an exciting part of a PR and social media gig, and should be a big part of every agency new business pitch.  Here are a few ways to leverage visual content to help pitch prospects:

    First, work with your in-house video producers to develop a “draft” video that supports the theme of your pitch, and use that content to further support a specific point during your meeting. You may slightly miss the mark on the tone or vibe of the video – occasionally that happens – but the effort and the investment will be appreciated and will demonstrate how your PR agency employs visual images to positively impact any communications initiative.

    Second, pepper your recommended communications program with smart and provocative graphics, videos and images. Propose a monthly webinar hosted by your client’s key spokesperson, or spice up the distribution of a press release with an accompanying infographic that helps tell the story. Or, develop and distribute a logo or icon that represents the category you are creating. In all circumstances, recommend a stream of visual content that will help you and your team better tell the prospect’s story. (A steady flow of visual content is key. One-offs aren’t going to cut it in today’s content-hungry world. Visual content should be included throughout any smart program, and it should be front and center during a new business pitch.)

    Third, work with your in-house graphic designer to be certain that your presentation is perfect. In addition to being packed with sound, smart and creative ideas, it should be visually strong. Quite simply, it must look good – and it should help convey whatever message you are trying to deliver. Basic graphic design fundamentals exist for a reason, and they should be employed when assembling your final presentation.

    Finally, leverage some of the content discussed in the meeting for a follow-up visual deliverable. Include a video via email, a graphical representation of a key metric or send a crisp clean infographic via FedEx. In any circumstance, you are reminding the prospect of the content-rich discussion that occurred in the meeting, and the fact that you have the capabilities to deliver supporting materials whenever necessary.

    What tips do you have for leveraging visual content as part of the new business process?

    [Blogger’s note: Clients here at Matter have the luxury of being able to leverage Studio-C by Matter Communications, our in-house creative services team. That team has a continuous dialogue with those pitching new business and running client account teams, and that relationship makes for improved visual content that support both client and new business initiatives. It’s seamless, really, and has benefits that are both programmatic and budget-related. And, the award-winning deliverables are top-notch.]

    Scott Signore

    ,
    , , , , , ,

  • 5 Reasons Thanksgiving is big deal in PR

    Like most businesses in America, next week the dedicated employees here at Matter will take a well-deserved break from their press releases, editorial pitches and blog posts as they celebrate Thanksgiving. Matter will have an abbreviated work day on the Wednesday before the holiday – and they have been encouraged to work from home that day in the spirit of avoiding holiday traffic and getting a jump start on the extra-long weekend. And, we’re closed on Friday, and that time will likely be used for catching up with friends and family, or finding ways to begin holiday shopping.

    No matter how the Matter employees choose to spend the extra few days off, I certainly hope they’ll spend some time re-charging for the final month of the year. Here are five more reasons why Thanksgiving break is noteworthy to PR professionals:

    First, we need a few days of peace before the madness of the annual stretch run. Let’s face it: the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are madness, and there seems to be more to do for our clients in that period of time than in any other during the year. Considering the days off around the November and December holidays, client teams are required to accomplish a month’s worth of work in only a few weeks. We’re up for the challenge, naturally, but it makes for a hectic time!

    Second, if any unaccomplished programmatic goals are on still on the table, now’s the time to address them! As many PR and social media teams assess, measure and recalibrate at the end of each year, now is the time to be certain that you’ve delivered on your programmatic promises. That’s in addition to being certain that the results you’ve generated are directly contributing to business and communications success.

    Third, a vast number of pitch-worthy trend stories will be published between Thanksgiving and the start of the New Year, meaning there are good opportunities to place your client’s key messages. In addition to having the foresight to deliver content to appropriate editors and bloggers in advance of anticipated story publishing deadlines, it’s smart to stay on top of media Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, ensuring that you can capitalize on timely opportunities that may arise. (This also goes for broadcast TV producers and editors, who are frequently looking for product or spokespeople in a timely manner.)

    Fourth, the Thanksgiving break is the perfect reminder that the start of a new year is…only a few weeks away! And, to that end, now is the time to get next year’s plans baked and ready to go. It’s likely that the planning process for most client teams is already underway, but Thanksgiving has a way of reminding all of us that the process should be moved along in a timely manner.

    And, finally, we work long days and having a break to spend time with family and friends is a big deal. (And, working hard and having long days isn’t necessarily a bad thing, particularly if you dig your job.) It just so happens that we have a gig that often requires early mornings and late nights, and checking email after you’re technically “done” for the day. Giving yourself a break is hugely important, and it always feels that the Thanksgiving break comes at just the right time.

    Public relations and social media people – what does Thanksgiving break mean to you?

    Scott Signore

    ,
    , , ,

  • The Boston Globe: Matter Communications a “Top Place to Work” in 2013

    Award Honors National PR Firm for “Investing In The Happiness of Employees”

    Newburyport, MA November 18, 2013 – The Boston Globe named results focused public relations and social media firm Matter Communications one of the Top Places to Work in 2013. The Boston Globe honors Massachusetts’ best employers in its Top Places to Work magazine, which will appear in The Boston Sunday Globe on November 17.

    The honor comes on the heels of two “PR Agency of the Year” awards for Matter Communications in 2013, as well as being named a “Best Place to Work” by the Boston Business Journal two years in a row.

    For six years, the 48-page Top Places to Work magazine has honored the state’s most beloved workplaces based on surveys completed by the people who know them the best — the employees themselves. Matter Communications received some of the highest marks in its size category. The results will also be featured on BostonGlobe.com and Boston.com.

    “The companies on our Top Places to Work list foster productivity and innovation by investing in the happiness of their employees, which cannot solely be measured in dollars and cents,” said Boston Globe Business Editor Mark Pothier.

    The Boston Globe’s 2013 Top Places to Work survey, conducted by employee survey firm WorkplaceDynamics, measured more than 76,000 individuals’ responses to statements regarding six key factors related to employee happiness, including company direction, execution, employee connection, work load and responsibility, management, and pay and benefits.

    “We’re fortunate to have done a lot of things well over the years, but nothing means more to me than the astonishingly positive culture we’ve built and fostered,” said Matter Founder and CEO Scott Signore. “Our people don’t have ‘jobs’ – they have careers that they value, and that’s meaningful to our entire staff and the 60-plus clients with whom we work.”

     

    About Matter Communications

    Headquartered north of Boston in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with offices in Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Matter Communications executes creative, results-driven public relations programs on behalf of clients across the U.S. and Europe. Matter maintains a broad portfolio of clients in high-technology, consumer-technology and consumer markets – including, among many others, Harris Corporation, Lexar Media and Verizon Wireless. Founded in 2003, Matter’s PR services include company and product launches, product reviews, analyst and media relations, social media, crisis communications and thought leadership programs. For more information, please go to https://www.matternow.com or visit the PR Whiteboard blog.

    Media Contact
    Parry Headrick
    VP of Marketing & Communications
    [email protected]
    978-518-4547

    Matter

  • End-Of-Year Momentum Matters

    Like so many before them, the past few days here at Matter have been terrific.  The fullness of Fall – with programs moving forward full steam ahead and planning for next year well underway – always keeps us busy. That being said, the past few business days have been especially terrific. We’ve had lots to do, but it’s positively-toned and contributing to the dynamite momentum.

    A few noteworthy highlights from the past week include:

    ·         A team from Matter traveled to Palo Alto, CA to deliver a creative pitch to a dynamite tech company, and we were awarded that business soon after! It was an excellent effort on our team’s part and we’re thrilled to be working with this significant new client! (Author’s note: the news is so new that I can’t yet share the name of the new client – but will soon!)

     ·       Congressman John Tierney, the Congressman representing our district here in Massachusetts, took a tour of our creative services studio, Studio-C by Matter. He’s enthusiastic about leveraging our video technology so that he can continue to participate in discussions in Washington, and then share his perspective with local and national broadcast audiences. (Our technology allows for live and interactive broadcasts with television stations and networks nationwide.)  It’s exciting for John and his staff, and for all of us!

    ·         Dr. Jenna Dieter of Healthcare Complete conducted a valuable “lunch and learn” seminar here at our office that addressed the “5 Secrets to Extraordinary Health.” She provided well-timed tips for maintaining well-being, and complemented her visit providing massages to our staff. (A mid-day massage is a nice perk, eh?)

    ·         Speaking of maintaining good health, we were visited by our agency’s unofficial nurse who administered complimentary flu shots to our staff. We’ll need everyone healthy this winter to maintain our momentum at the start of the year, and I’m thrilled so many of the staff capitalized on this benefit.

    ·         Leading the way in client program planning, our dynamite team from Tyco Integrated Security met with their counterparts to discuss comprehensive communications plans for the year ahead, including the many ways to work with varying agencies who manage different parts of their overall communications program.

    ·         We kicked-off some annual and (slightly!) competitive fall season events such as “Tuesday Night Hoop” and an agency-wide food drive that benefits the local branch of the Salvation Army. The basketball games barely resemble the sport, but they do give all of us an excuse for a good run at the end of a long day, and we made this year’s food drive inter-office competitive in the spirit of securing even more donations!

    ·         And, finally, tonight we’re hosting a small event for locally-based business leaders who have an interest in our creative studio capabilities. In the past few days we’ve been tweaking some details to be certain that we make the most of the visitors’ time, and everyone leaves Matter with a better understanding of who we are and what we do:

    Busy days here at Matter, but all of the activity directly contributes to the exciting momentum we are building as we near the end of the year and begin a new one. (And, all of this activity means we need people, so take a look at our careers page and let us know if you think you can help us out!)

    Scott Signore

    ,
    , ,

  • My first time at PhotoPlus Expo

    I was given the opportunity this year to attend PhotoPlus Expo (PPE) in New York City with our client Sigma Corporation of America. For those who aren’t familiar, PPE is one of the photo industry’s biggest shows. Media and consumers travel from all over to come to this three day event in NYC. Not only was this my first time at the show, but we were about to do something new with our client and also for Matter.

    Joined by the Matter Studio-C team, we planned to live stream nine shows (three per day) lead by Sigma’s Pro photographers. During each show, the pros shared tips with viewers, while engaging with booth visitors as they trialed Sigma’s lenses.

    As a result, we had an average of 3,000-4,000 viewers per show with 19,000 views in total.

    Until you are behind the scenes, I don’t think people realize how much goes into planning and executing a show like this. I was pretty impressed to see everything come together, and was very excited to be part of a first for Sigma and for Matter Studio-C.

    On the last day, I even got some time behind the camera. The guys taught me a few pointers and we were in business.

    If you weren’t able to make it to PPE this year, relive the Sigma Safari Experience here.

    Matter

  • Twitter’s IPO is No Blockbuster

    Yesterday’s double-whammy reminder of how the world remains an ever-changing orb of technological advancement came in the form of an exciting IPO reminiscent of the pre-bursting bubble from 15 years ago, alongside the death knell of a legacy business that capitalized on a technology that has come and gone in my lifetime.

    So long, Blockbuster. Hello, Twitter.

    It seems ridiculous at this point but it wasn’t long ago that the idea of renting movies to watch at home was sort of thrilling. Fueled by consumer electronics giants that manipulated tired media formats, home entertainment was new, unique and fun. And, so was a trip to a video store on family movie night.

    Like all consumer-facing economies, the home entertainment industry needed a distribution channel. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, video stores popped up all over the landscape, some big, some small. (I recall more of the latter than the former, or at least that’s what existed in my town when I was growing up.) Over time, the well-heeled national chains such as Blockbuster crushed most of the “mom-and-pop shops,” as is the nature of capitalism. Then, however, the category changed again significantly. Renting movies (and games!) was possible through the mail or at a kiosk at a shopping mall or grocery store. Before long the content could be delivered into your home directly through the always-evolving cable and communications connectivity.

    Earlier this week, DISH Network, which purchased Blockbuster in 2011, announced it was closing the chain’s 300 remaining U.S.-based retail stores, as well as its distribution centers. Blockbuster has gone the way of a seemingly countless number of national retailers, and the video rental business is now reminiscent of the milk man delivering milk to your home. Technology drove both the rise and collapse of the category.

    In the same week DISH Network broke news about Blockbuster, Twitter went public.

    Social networks have established themselves as powerful channels for pretty much everyone and everything. Connections with engaged audiences are meaningful, measurable and sometimes game-changing for brands and even political movements. So, companies like FaceBook and Twitter are able to take their respective cases to the street and see exactly how valuable they have become globally.

    “New” doesn’t accurately describe social networking. It’s established – and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The existing networks will be complemented by new networks, applications and platforms – and it will be driven by technology. Advances will improve existing networks, and launch new ones. As the networks grow, so will the businesses that drive them.

    I wonder, however, how long we’ll look at these networks as so important to our lives. I wonder if our habits of posting online or direct messaging with one another will be displaced. Or, at what point in the future will the value of these habits be diminished? Maybe never, but I’m certain those involved with Blockbuster felt similarly.

    What’s certain is change based on technological innovation. Habits years from now will be different than today – and technologies common in our lives today will be long gone tomorrow. All categories of our lives will be impacted by new developments – that’s historically accurate and a solid prediction for upcoming events.

    Let me know what you think. What technologies are sure to fall bay the side of the road?

    Scott Signore

    , ,
    , , ,

  • The PR Power of Pink Surgical Gloves

    Visual storytelling.  For much of the year I’ve been talking with colleagues, prospects and clients about the powerful and very real impact that this kind of story-telling has on any communications initiative.

    Obvious to any audience who experiences and embraces visual elements, the impact of these story-telling tools has been proven by countless marketing studies. It’s a fact that supporting your PR and social media campaigns with visual imagery makes any communications effort more effective, powerful and engaging. And, it’s also a fact that we opened Studio-C by Matter Communications, a comprehensive physical creative studio, to stay ahead of the communications trend and to be certain that we were able to offer our clients the most comprehensive, visually impactful programs.

    Increasingly we’re asked to make a client’s communications program “come to life” by incorporating visually arresting visual elements.  A product or service that has energy and excitement becomes more so when it is complemented by logos, icons, infographics and videos. Few of the supporting elements are as powerful as a well-produced video. And, few communications situations are as tailor-made for video as one we encountered recently.

    As part of our public relations and social media program designed to promote the new Gerrish Breast Care Center at Anna Jaques Hospital, a leading healthcare institution located north of Boston, we developed a video to help tell the story of not just the Center’s opening, but also to deliver a message about how valuable it is when individual networks come together and become something bigger and more powerful than they could be on their own. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

    The video features courageous members of our community who have survived breast cancer and, while emotionally moving, it also conveys the hospital’s excitement about the new services being offered to its breast care patients. And, it’s extraordinarily powerful when juxtaposed against the same story communicated by traditional PR alone.

    By the way, Danielle Perry, the smart and savvy Director of Communications at Anna Jaques, entered that powerful video in a contest that highlights Breast Care Awareness with pink surgical gloves as the connecting theme.   You can vote for the video until November 8th by visiting this website:

    The PR Power of Pink Surgical Gloves

    Take a look and at the video and let me know what you think, and do consider casting your vote!

    Scott Signore

    , ,
    , , , , , , , ,

  • The PR That Fuels Election Day

    Fall is fully upon us – and there’s no looking back now. The leaves have fallen from the trees and the clocks are set back marking an earlier end to the light of day.  It’s playoff time for high school sports – the undefeated girls soccer team here in Newburyport seems to be on a particular roll – plans are being made for Thanksgiving, and our cities and towns are full of signs encouraging us to cast a vote in one direction or another. It’s election day here in Newburyport and all across this dynamite country.

    Here are five ways that a political election is like our day job:

    First, all political campaigns are about influencing decision-makers. A vote cast for a preferred candidate equates to action by a member of a key audience. Our PR programs are designed to reach those whose opinions will be swayed, and so is the intention of all campaign efforts. The seemingly endless volume of advertisements, editorials and yard signs are all for exposure and influence – sound familiar?

    Second, impactful messaging is key to success. I consistently remind our clients that smartly laying the ground-work in advance of programmatic execution should be a priority. Politicians across our Commonwealth similarly sit with advisors, family and friends in war rooms, breakfast diners and every spot in between sharing their messages based on key care-abouts. Like we do for our clients, these opportunistic politicians determine what they want to communicate, to who and how.

    Third, connecting face-to-face still matters. While the PR category has evolved, we haven’t lost sight of the power of connecting in person – with clients, customers, media and business partners. The bulk of what we do is electronic, but a typical relationship highlight is a first handshake or dinner and drinks at the end of a long planning day. So much of what we do can be done remotely – we live it daily – but the power of in-person dialogue is stronger than ever.   Candidates spend time, energy and money on air cover for their campaign – then they go with gusto. They shake hands – a lot of hands.  And, during that process the interpersonal connecting allows for the exchange of information, as well as meaningful and potentially vote-swaying moments between candidates and constituents.

    Fourth, it’s a measurable program. Like the qualitative and quantitative metrics we establish at the start of our client programs, results will be tallied. Election committees won’t need to collect brand sentiment or key message pull through, but it’s aligned to the way we work: we define the intent of a program, and measure throughout.

    Fifth, it’s a lot of hard work. Recently I shared with a small group that my agency’s time having fun – celebrating wins or the end of a long week – is discussed far more often than the many long hours of work put toward the project that resulted in that particular outcome. Being a top-notch PR person takes a lot of work, and I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many smart and savvy  professionals who are dedicated to the success of their clients. It’s hard work. And, so is campaigning for office – in any state or county in this nation. It’s a serious commitment, no matter the sought-after office. It’s energy and effort at all hours of the day and in the week, and it distracts from other serious priorities. It’s a serious sacrifice.

    Be certain to vote today and no matter the candidate of your choice, I suggest taking a moment to reflect on the luxury we citizens have as we, collectively, get to choose our leaders. And, best of luck to those elected officials who will greet a number of new “clients” beginning tomorrow morning.

    Scott Signore

    ,
    , , , ,