• Why You Should Take a Break

    Here at Matter, the office is busy with the sound of final projects being completed before the holiday break. While we remain available for our clients, we take the week after Christmas to recharge and refresh so that we can start the New Year off strong.

    And while most people recognize the importance of taking a break, the workforce often doesn’t act upon its own advice. In fact, a recent survey by research firm Harris Interactive revealed that American workers only use 51% of their available vacation time; furthermore, 61% of respondents continue to work when they take a vacation.

    It’s something we can all relate to: there’s a lot going on, and it’s difficult to unplug, especially for PR pros. Even so, not taking a break can actually do more harm than good. So if you need an extra reason to take that lunch break or book your next vacation, think about the following two benefits of stepping away from the computer screen.

    1. Less Stress: It’s obvious, but people who regularly indulge in some me-time are less stressed, and who doesn’t want that?
    2. Higher Quality of Work: This seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? But it’s true: the more vacation time one takes, the better one’s quality of work. Ernst & Young proved this in 2006 after a study of its own employees revealed that for every 10 hours of vacation time employees took, their end-of-year performance ratings improved by 8 percent.

    Clearly, not only is taking a break good for your own personal well-being, but it’s also beneficial for your work! So for those of you who have a difficult time finding a few minutes to unwind, perhaps you just found your New Year’s resolution: invest some time in yourself. Your body and your employer will thank you.

    Matter

  • 7 Life Lessons Learned in PR

    7 Life Lessons Learned in PR

    Tomorrow marks my 120th day working at PR Agency, Matter Communications. While they may seem like the fastest four months of my life, they also have been the most valuable. Working in public relations teaches you many things, some of which are important life lessons that will serve you both in your professional career and in everyday life.

    Here are seven life lessons I have learned in my first job in PR.

    1. If you’re going to have one exceptional trait, be reliable.
    I have come to realize that it is very easy to commit to something, yet not as easy to follow through. Whether it’s a deliverable to a client, or a simple response to an urgent email, being reliable is something that people remember. To be cliché, actions truly do speak louder than words, so make your actions heard.

    2. When you have something to say, say it.
    The importance of participation is drilled into us from elementary school through lecture classes in college. Raise your hand, participate and provide thoughtful input, for you never know how rewarding it might be for both yourself, and your team. Participation equals engagement, which shows your team you care about the matter at hand. And if you have a question-don’t be afraid to ask it because more likely than not, the person you’re asking will have asked them before.

    3. Words “matter”.
    Whether you’re writing an article or drafting a twitter calendar, your word choice is very important. Your choice of verbiage can make or break the message that you’re intending to send, so choose carefully. Read and re-read what you’ve written. If you aren’t sure you’ve nailed it, have a trusted colleague review.

    4. Embrace criticism.
    I was told in order to work in PR you must be thick-skinned. While I’ve found this is true, I’ve honed my skills as an Account Coordinator from gathering honest feedback and being open-minded to constructive criticism. It is important to your professional development to get rid of bad habits now, so they don’t continue to haunt you in the future.

    5. Have confidence in everything you do.
    This is something particularly hard when you’ve just started working at a new job. It’s time to silence that voice in your head that is telling you that you will fail. As soon as I started gaining the confidence to voice my opinions in team meetings, send important reports to a client, and share work that I had written, I noticed that it came with less errors and more positive feedback.

    6. People are mostly nice.
    There will be days that you send out the perfect pitch and reporters come flocking, and there will be days when you receive that nasty “not interested” one-liner. I have come to notice that the generous and appreciative responses you do receive, often outweigh the bad ones. You will find that people don’t necessarily fall into the stereotype you would assume (in a good way.)

    7. Having fun is important.
    It’s easy to get caught up in the world of meetings and deadlines, but it is essential to take time for yourself and laugh a little. Taking a yoga class with your colleagues or going out for a coffee break with a teammate can really make a difference in your day, while improving your work and uplifting your attitude.

    What’s the best life lesson you’ve learned working in PR?

    Kate Duchaney

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  • 4 Steps to a Successful 2015 Video Strategy

     

    With Christmas around the corner, there’s really only one thing on everyone’s mind.

    Next year’s Video Content strategy!

     Ok, well, maybe not, but as the calendar year winds down and we all gather to reflect and celebrate the accomplishments of 2014, there’s no time like the “present” to start thinking about what 2015 has in store for your brand’s content production.

     Unsurprisingly, countless articles about 2015 Video Marketing Trends and Predictions have been popping up for well over 6 months (I’m personally looking forward to what’s in store for 2016 and 2017, which I’m sure I’ll hear about from someone in the next few days…).  But if you have yet to put much thought into what your strategy will be come January, here are 4 steps I suggest taking:

    Audit

    Take a solid look at what you already have, and what you can do to improve it.  How’s your YouTube presence?  Is it organized and easy to navigate?  Are you using custom thumbnails to your advantage?  What are your competitors doing?

    Step back and view your YouTube page as if you were a potential customer looking for knowledge and/or entertainment.  What’s the experience like for someone who isn’t as deeply invested in your brand as you are?

    If you haven’t yet, start taking YouTube seriously.  Create playlists, add longer text descriptions, keywords, and tags to boost SEO.  It’s relatively easy, and it makes a huge difference.

    If you haven’t yet, check out the YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands for some solid insights.

    Experiment

    As fellow video producer Tim Bradley wrote a few weeks ago on our blog: “Try it all with video.”  I couldn’t agree more.

    Approach every initiative with the possibility of video top-of-mind.  Utilize different styles (formal, “run and gun,” animation, scripted, etc.) that best suit a particular message.

     Expect the unexpected – you’ll often find uses for your video assets you weren’t anticipating.

    Do it Right

    No more foot-dragging – you need to start seriously budgeting for high-quality online video in 2015.

     A few quick stats from Brightcove:

     -Seven in ten (76%) consumers cite video as their preferred content source when consuming brand information.  (I repeat: seven in ten.  Seventy-six percent.)

     -Over a third of consumers (35%) cited brand video content as more memorable if it is of high quality.

     Customers (of ALL kind – take note, B2Bs) are hungry for well-produced, engaging videos to give them all their information.  Don’t waste the opportunity by relying on cheaply-produced videos or overly-long PowerPoint screengrabs.

     Take your time and do it right.

     Distribute

    It’s no secret that there are no longer any free lunches  in the content marketing world.  You need a distribution plan, otherwise no one will see your video.  This WILL be an additional expense, so make sure to budget accordingly and be prepared for the cost. That way, you can be sure you’ll get the results you want.

    Did I miss anything?  Let us know what you are planning for your 2015 Video Strategy!

    Matter

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  • PR Agency Matter Communications Wins 2014 Best in Biz Award

    Marks Fifth ‘Agency of the Year’ Award in Two Years for the PR Firm

    [Newburyport, MA] – December 3, 2014 – Matter Communications has been named a silver winner in the 2014 PR Agency of the Year category, Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

    Matter Communications is one of the fastest-growing public relations and social media firms in the country that has won five ‘Agency of the Year’ accolades in the past two years. This award also comes on the heels of Matter’s announcement last month that it was honored as one of Massachusetts’ best employers in The Boston Globe’s annual Top Places to Work magazine.

    As in previous years, the annual program in North America featured a large and distinguished judging panel comprised of members of the media who reviewed and scored the hundreds of award nominations. More than 550 award nominations were received this year in a variety of company, executive, team, and product focused categories. Nominations were fielded from public and private companies of all sizes, from virtually every major industry and region in the U.S. and Canada.

    Best in Biz Awards 2014 honors were presented in 60 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

    “Winning an ‘Agency of the Year’ award is an honor I’m elated to accept on behalf of our dynamite, hard-working PR staff,” said Matter CEO Scott Signore. “It is also particularly rewarding because our work was judged by members of the media with whom we interact every day.”

    Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2014 were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of 53 judges from highly recognized newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, radio outlets, and analyst firms. In addition to the numerous judges returning from previous panels, this year’s 53-person judging panel included several worthy additions to this high-profile group. The panel included contributors to AdWeek, American Banker, Android Central, Atlanta Tribune, Boston.com, Buffalo News, Business News Daily, Chip Design Magazine, Computerworld, Connecting Women Radio, Consumer Affairs, Crain’s New York Business, CRN, Detroit Free Press, Digital Trends, ECT News Network, Entrepreneur, eWeek Channel Insider, Fierce Online Video, IDB Ventures, IEEE Institute, Inc. Magazine, InfoRisk Today, Information Week, Journal Times, King Features Syndicate, L.A. Biz, Lab Reviews, Law Technology News, Marketing Profs, MediaPost, Miami Herald, Motley Fool, New York Observer, NorthBay Biz, PC Magazine, peHUB, Phoenix Business Journal, Quad-City Times, San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley Business Journal, Small Business Digest, Tech Cocktail, Tech-Gaming, TheDeal.com, Upstart Business Journal, Venture Capital Journal, Wired, Xconomy and ZDNet.

    For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2014, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2014-winners.

    About Matter Communications

    Headquartered north of Boston in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with offices in Providence, Rhode Island, Portland, Oregon and Boston, Matter Communications executes creative, results-driven public relations and social media 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, Akamai, FootJoy, 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.

    About Best in Biz Awards

    Best in Biz Awards recognizes top companies, teams, executives and products for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs annually: North America, and International. Entries will begin to be accepted in the Best in Biz Awards 2015 International program in January 2015. Any organization worldwide may participate in the International program in any of the more than 60 company, department or team, executive and product categories. For more information about the entry process and categories in the International program, please visit: http://intl.bestinbizawards.com.

    Media Contact

    Parry Headrick
    VP of Marketing
    [email protected]
    978-518-4547

    Matter

  • How Brand Videos are Like Your Favorite Song

    How Brand Videos are Like Your Favorite Song

    Producing a successful brand video is like creating a piece of contemporary music. Generally, with a simple brand video you’ve got the introduction, the verse, the chorus, maybe a bridge or solo, and the conclusion. As video creators, this is how we initiate creating any number of brand videos for our clients. You’ve got about 10-15 seconds in your introduction to hook the audience to keep watching – do this by presenting “the problem,” a unique situation or location, or by showing stylized video with high production value. During the verse, we present the meat of the video – the who, what, where, when, why and how. The chorus is when we celebrate the brand’s achievement. The bridge may circle-back to “the problem” before reemphasizing how said brand is the right solution. And finally, the conclusion is the takeaway – the one piece of information (or a feeling) the brand wants the audience to walk away with. This will often include a call-to-action.

    These holistic elements are the structure of a basic brand video, but a successful brand video works with a deeper understanding of music, taking into consideration the seven elements of traditional music:

    1. Melody: a succession of notes heard as some sort of unit.
    2. Harmony: the relationship between two or more simultaneous pitches.
    3. Rhythm: the variation of the accentuation of sounds over time.
    4. Timbre: the quality of a sound.
    5. Form: the structure of a particular piece, how its parts are put together to make the whole.
    6. Tempo: the speed of communicating an emotion in a particular piece, how fast or slow it’s played.
    7. Dynamics: the volume of all parts as a whole and every layer in the structure.

    Look at any number of the videos we’ve created for our clients and you’ll see what I mean. Maybe it’s the melody in the way the video tells a compelling story:

    Or perhaps the video showcases the harmony in which the brand works towards a better tomorrow:

    Or maybe the brand is keeping in rhythm with its company mission:

    It could simply be the timbre in which a brand continues to produce quality products or services:

    Explaining a specific line of service of a business is similar to the form of a song:

    The tempo in which a brand communicates can be very powerful – whether fast or slow – to emphasize emotions:

    Lastly, and arguably the most ambitious to achieve, is the dynamics – the parts as a whole. We achieve this by creating a series of videos for a brand; each video individually elicits a specific element, but when combined, the dynamics tell a complete, compelling, and engaging story:

    Need to strategize how to breathe energy into your next video project? Drop us a line via the form below!


    Tim Bradley

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  • PR Teams Take Time Out for Team Building

    In such a fast-paced environment, trust and respect among team members is a critical element for success. That’s why it’s important to periodically take time out of the office, step outside of our comfort zones and get to know colleagues on our PR teams outside of the confines of conference rooms and our inboxes.

    We recently had the opportunity to venture pretty far out of our comfort zones on a photo scavenger hunt team building activity. Our group of nearly 20 divided up into teams of 4 and headed out for an afternoon of peculiar tasks designed to help us all better appreciate each other outside of our office environment. Between thumb wrestling police officers, seeking piggy back rides from strangers and performing original songs in public, it’s safe to say we all had the opportunity to get to know our teammates a little better and appreciate their unique talents. While we had fun along the way, we also had to get creative, think outside the box to solve problems, and work together to achieve as much as possible in just two hours, which parallels the results we must produce as a PR team for our clients each day.

    At the end of the scavenger hunt, we all came together as a team to discuss what we learned about each other, how different people and groups used very different approaches to produce similarly awesome results, and the importance of trusting teammates to complete unique tasks critical to our collective success.

    The result: A better appreciation for the ways each individual approaches tasks, a more cohesive team feel, and (of course) some pretty awesome photos. A few highlights below!

     

    Matter

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