• Matter Grows Consumer PR Client Base with New Brands and Extended Programs

    Matter Grows Consumer PR Client Base with New Brands and Extended Programs

    Agency’s Consumer PR Team Continues to Support Successful B2C Product Launches, National Partnerships and Local Market Outreach with Mix of 360-degree Media Relations, Influencer Activations and Creative Events.

    BOSTON, June 11 , 2024 – Matter Communications, a brand elevation agency integrating PR, marketing and creative services – today announced the growth of its consumer client roster, highlighted by the addition of new clients as well as program extensions with existing clients from successful partnerships. Designing and executing programs focused on earned media, influencer relations, events and sampling, Matter continues to elevate consumer brand stories across retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, health and wellness, sporting goods, consumer tech and beyond.

    “Engaging with today’s diverse, digitally-savvy consumers requires brands to rethink traditional marketing approaches and be nimbler in their communications” said Matt Mendolera-Schamann, Executive Vice President, Consumer PR, and Leader of Diversity and Inclusion at Matter. “For over two decades, we have developed customized and ambitious activations that drive awareness and sales for B2C brands, helping them reshape perceptions with key stakeholders. As we continue to grow our consumer practice, we are not only excited about the new brands enlisting our expertise, but very proud of the longstanding partnerships that result from our top-notch client service.”

    The following companies are a sampling of B2C clients who have recently partnered with Matter to elevate their communications and marketing programs:

    • Exergen, a leading manufacturer of thermometers and maker of the most accurate thermometer on the market that’s become the go-to choice for medical professionals and top hospitals across the country, brought Matter on board to support its new marketing goals throughout the most recent cold and flu season. Following successful media and influencer campaigns as well as an organic social strategy launch, Matter and Exergen recently extended the partnership to help with communications and content programs, as well as new product launches.
    • Performance Golf is a leading online golf instruction company that provides golfers of all levels with the tools and resources they need to take their game to the next level. Matter is working with Performance Golf to drive broader awareness among key athlete and consumer segments and support its growth goals throughout the U.S.
    • Pinemelon, a trailblazing online grocery platform headquartered in Denver, Colorado, on a mission to redefine grocery shopping. Pinemelon tapped Matter recently to help support its expansion into Boulder, and to tell stories about the local farmers, community commitments and other unique differentiators that set their offering apart from competing food services.
    • Segway-Ninebot, the global leader in micromobility and robotics technology, relied on Matter to successfully launch a wide assortment of groundbreaking transportation products, including next-generation scooters and e-bikes, as well as home technology products at CES 2024 and beyond. The Matter team assisted in planning, coordination, and development of the brand’s newest batch of product launches, as well as securing hundreds of press placements and product reviews at and following the show. Matter continues to support Segway with various projects, helping drive consumer and influencer awareness and sales for their innovative new launches.

    “From my positive experience with Matter at my previous company, I knew they were capable of handling a variety of our marketing needs while being seamless collaborators with the other agencies we work with,” said Rich Blumenthal, Director of Sales & Marketing, North America for Exergen Corporation. “Working with them during our busiest season this past year to elevate our brand marketing, I was once again impressed by their creativity and honest feedback about what’s working or where we might want to try something new. Based on the great results, it was an easy decision to extend our relationship, as we see Matter as an extension of our internal team, who we can go to for counsel and creative ideas on just about anything.”

    To learn more about Matter’s consumer PR team and client work, please visit the Consumer page on Matter’s website. Companies looking to include Matter in any open or future Request for Proposals (RFPs) or explore a potential partnership are encouraged to contact Matter to receive a custom program quote.

    About Matter Communications

    Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency that integrates PR, marketing and creative services into campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with offices spanning North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across healthcare, high-technology, consumer technology and consumer markets. For more information, visit https://www.matternow.com.

    Contact

    Matter Communications

    Greg Amaral

    [email protected]

    www.matternow.com

    Matter

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  • Should Your PR Program Sell Logic or Emotion?

    Should Your PR Program Sell Logic or Emotion?

    Logical:Emotional as B2B:B2C

    Think about the last time you bought something – maybe your morning coffee, a refill on dish soap or your favorite midday snack. If you’re like most consumers, you likely purchased out of force of habit. These habits are driven familiarity, convenience and fulfillment of a basic human emotion whether hunger, desire or status. When you reached for that item, you likely didn’t put thought into ROI or consider the competitive set of products available from other brands. Most likely, your buying decision was somewhat instantaneous.

    Now try to recall a time when you made a business purchase – perhaps a new technology to automate day-to-day operations, an emerging platform that could save your company money or time, or both. Decisions to purchase for a business typically require consensus, a review of competitors and evidence of projected ROI. The journey to making a B2B buying decision starts with deliberately identifying a pain point or means to increase profitability. From there, you seek out solutions and, ultimately, select a technology or company to deliver value to your organization. While there may be some room for emotional appeal in a B2B sale, logic is the trump card.  

    Core elements of successful PR are universal – storytelling, usage of multiple channels, measurement, etc.- but effective B2B and B2C PR must appeal to the unique ways you buy at home and at work.

    Define the buyer

    In a B2B setting, a buyer might be identified based on industry, job title/function, the size of the company or geography. Once this has been determined, your PR program should be 100% focused on reaching that target buyer.

    For B2C, the process of naming the buyer can be more difficult. This is especially true for mainstream consumer goods with the potential to be used by a wide set of demographics. Typically, factors like age, income level, gender, education and location help shape the buyer persona. With products that appeal to a broad swath of shoppers, creating variations on key messages by channel becomes imperative.

    Establish messaging

    The best storytelling – whether for a B2B or B2C buyer – will always have some level of emotional appeal. Even a deep tech B2B customer story works best with an affecting payoff at the end. New tech means a data center employee gets weekends back, disaster averted during storm, etc. That said, the core message for B2B should concern itself with ROI. It should reassure a potential buyer your business is dependable, secure and armed to solve pain points.

    Consumer messaging should be simple and appeal to more basic human needs. The need can be as simple as the need to eat or as complicated as the need to be viewed as cool, trendy or important. Because the buying process is typically less time-intensive, messaging must accommodate a shorter attention span and lack of appetite for details. Keep your brand promise simple and repeat it often.

    Select channels and content

    All buyers are influenced by social networks, media, word-of-mouth and online reviews. The spheres of influence that matter most differ between B2B and B2C so your content and influencer strategy should reflect this.

    For a makeup brand, taking advantage of a visual channel like Instagram and beauty influencers that reach millions there will push product to your core buyer. That same visual platform won’t sell security software for healthcare organizations.

    Oftentimes, there can be a temptation to “be everywhere” in PR and social. Resist the urge and make sure the channels you select have the ability to drive or influence sales.

    Measure results by actions

    Regardless of the audience, a solid PR program must effectively quantify impact. To do this, decide from the onset how you’ll know if your efforts are working. For a B2C social campaign, look at KPIs like engagement, video views, referral traffic or fulfilment of an offer code. KPIs are often entirely different for B2B and focus on whitepaper downloads, webinar signups, blog traffic or attendance at a user event.

    The difference between B2B and B2C PR comes down to the target buyer and how they purchase. Make sure you understand that person and what drives them. Next, find out where they consume media and content, and craft your programs accordingly.

    Matter

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