• Media Landscape Check-Up: Boston, MA

    Media Landscape Check-Up: Boston, MA

    The COVID-19 pandemic has brought sweeping changes into every facet of life in the Greater Boston area. Businesses are closed, kids are out of school, many are working from home and essential workers at hospitals, grocery stores and emergency services are on the front lines putting themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities afloat.

    While the lives of Boston’s media members have been upended by the coronavirus like everyone else, they are striving to keep citizens informed on how to navigate the pandemic, and what’s to come in the short and long term. COVID-19 has consumed seemingly all headlines – worldwide and here at home – with many reporters from across the region dropping their regular beats to cover the rapidly changing reality. 

    In looking at the Boston media landscape, several coverage themes have emerged across local publications.

    Bay State Businesses

    The most evident impact of the pandemic is felt at local businesses – either forced to close their doors, lay off employees or revamp their entire business model to try and survive. Unfortunately, many companies have been forced to restructure and lay off thousands of employees across the region, dramatically increasing unemployment claims in Massachusetts. As the crisis continues, local businesses continue to be profiled by Boston’s media, spotlighting how they and their workforces are adapting to the new normal.

    Relevant Articles:

    Boston’s Medical Community

    Home to some of the best hospitals in the world, Boston’s healthcare community is facing the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic head on with the rest of the world. From hospitals shifting patient visits to virtual appointments and finding ways around equipment shortages to businesses altering their operations to support the medical community during this time, we’ve seen no shortage of coverage on how the region’s elite medical workforce is managing the crisis.

    Relevant Articles:

    An Ecosystem of Innovation

    In addition to being a hub for the medical community, Boston is a hub for innovation and home to some of the world’s most revered scientists, innovators, engineers and entrepreneurs. These individuals and their associated companies across Greater Boston are working overtime to develop solutions for the challenges we’re facing, from lack of medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to e-commerce and fulfillment solutions for businesses that have gone digital. 

    Relevant Articles:

    Impact on the Everyday

    Stories of inspiration, strength and heartbreak featuring the pandemic’s impact on everyday life in Greater Boston continue to flood news mediums over the recent weeks. From neighborhoods banding together when forced to stay apart to parents balancing working at home with their newfound homeschooling duties, local media continues to connect Boston’s communities with our most personal stories.

    Relevant Articles:

    The pandemic has forced everyone to reflect on what is most important, as well as which news and services are truly essential. We’re continuing to monitor coverage in the Boston area and beyond in the midst of this crisis, and will report regularly. We’d love to hear from you – what stories are you seeing in the local news? Is there one that needs to be told? Drop us a line and let us know what stories have been impactful for you.

    Kaileigh Higgins

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  • Get Out There on International Women’s Day

    Get Out There on International Women’s Day

    Today is International Women’s Day. All throughout the world, individuals, colleagues, friends, family members, businesses and organizations are showing their support of women with demonstrations that range from gentle encouragement to groundbreaking stands against oppression. I count myself as extraordinarily lucky to work alongside some of the most intelligent, most passionate, most driven women – nay, people – I’ve ever known.  But there are many women out there, in our industry and far beyond, that are on the hunt for sources of community. Sources of inspiration. Sources of action.

    No matter what moves you, there are a number of fantastic groups, events, publications and initiatives that would love to add you to their ranks. Here are a few of our favorite finds:

    If You Love PR & Marketing

    The brand new Organization of American Women in PR seeks to connect female leaders in the PR industry and provide education, networking opportunities and support.

    Near Boston: Take a look at Young Women in Digital, a networking organization dedicated to young women building careers in digital marketing, social media, public relations and more.

    If You Love Journalism

    The Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) is a renown organization for female writers, offering a series of impactful events and even a fascinating member showcase packed to the brim with books, videos, podcasts and blogs.

    If You Love Politics

    Based at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) gives you a clear look at the state of female-led politics in your specific region, in addition to ways you can get involved.

    If You Love Technology, STEM or STEAM

    The Women in Tech Summit is widely regarded as one of the critical events for any women looking to advance their position in technology fields. Check out their individual city listings for some of the smaller events happening in or near your own back yard.

    Near Boston: If STEAM is your passion, She Geeks Out might be the community for you. In addition to providing a number of local events, their blog features profiles and podcasts from highly influential women in the field.

    If You Love The Arts

    The National Museum of Women in the Arts in D.C. is a great stop for learning and advocacy, and provides helpful resources like this fantastic list of websites and organizations serving individual interests.

    If You Love Design

    The AIGA has a Women Lead steering committee that creates meaningful content around the achievements, gender-related issues and amazing innovations of women in design – perfect for learning and inspiration.

    If You Love Business & Entrepreneurship

    The Ellevate Network connects women in business through an online portal, major events and local chapters. If you’re not sure about joining, there are local events that are open to the public.

    Near Boston: Women Founders in Boston works to give female entrepreneurs the boost they need to grow their businesses and realize their visions. Want to get hyper-local? WE BOS is a city-run organization with the same fantastic goal. Meanwhile, Wonder Women of Boston is an open community of ambitious, accomplished women of all ages and backgrounds in the greater Boston area.

    What did we miss? Tell us your favorite events, organizations, even kick-ass women we should all know something about.

    Vanessa Boynton

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  • Why Collaboration is Essential for Innovation in Boston – and PR

    Boston has had quite the 2016, so far. Over the past six months, the city has experienced incredible milestones, further raising its notoriety as “The Hub” of innovation. Not only has Boston been ranked No. 1 among the top 25 startup hubs in the U.S. (over Silicon Valley, ask Sergey), it was named the future home of GE, witnessed Salesforce’s high-value acquisition of Demandware, and will welcome both AmazonFresh and Google Fiber—just to name a few highlights.

    Boston is clearly a top spot for anyone in tech, PR pros included, and the No. 1 ranking is just the beginning. When this was announced, I promptly toasted a frothy UFO Hefeweizen to my adopted city and set out on a tour of Boston tech events to discover the people, organizations and trends that contribute to Boston’s innovation economy. As a member of Matter’s Precision group, designed for companies with focused budgets, we are all about collaboration with our clients and with each other. What I found on my tech tour is that collaboration is key to Boston’s success as well.

    Here are a few ways collaboration benefits both Boston’s innovation economy and PR.

    1. Collaboration between organizations
    “You create two great research institutions, wait 200 years and see what grows up around it.” – Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Boston’s original economic policy at BostInno’s 2016 State of Innovation (BOSSOI).
    Today, Harvard and MIT are collaborating with promising local startups in medical devices, wearables and big data; the nation’s best hospitals; leading venture capital firms, incubators and accelerators; and government entities to make digital health Boston next, pioneering endeavor. Even Fiona Murray, associate dean of innovation at the MIT Sloan School of Management, called “inclusion, collaboration and contribution” the “blueprint” of Boston’s innovation ecosystem at Xconomy’s INFLUX Boston (shout out to my colleagues Emily and Diala for attending the event). Likewise, collaboration between PR, media and community organizations is vital for generating awareness of great companies, doing great things.
    2. Collaboration between big and small companies
    “If we fail to innovate, we almost certainly will not exist.” – Rob Biederman, co-founder and CEO of HourlyNerd at BOSSOI.
    “We” means everyone, big companies and small. And (surprise), collaboration is key. From small companies, big companies can learn to stay lean and adopt an experimental mindset, while throwing fear of failure out the window. From big companies, small companies can learn to create and maintain a company culture as they scale. Collaboration between big and small client teams is just as important for good PR, and we do it well at Matter. Knowledge sharing between Precision and larger agency accounts allows everyone to maintain a culture of innovation, with stunning results for clients.
    3. Collaboration between companies and their customers
    “Sounds like you’re in our target demographic. What would you think of…” – A local startup founder at Boston TechJam 2016.
    This was a fashion tech founder’s response to my introduction as a tech and Ann Taylor LOFT-loving, 20-something transplant to Boston. Spoiler alert: I thought the product was great. I also loved the way the founder paused his routine (handing out swag and drink tickets) to ask my opinion as a potential customer. But this only scratches the surface of collaboration between companies and their (potential) customers in Boston. Microsoft just hosted a public HoloLens Hackathon. Local entrepreneurs are using crowdfunding and crowdsourcing to generate capital and ideas. Likewise, PR collaborates with clients and customers of clients to generate customer profiles, case studies and third-party quotes for effective media relations. The talented Vanessa Boynton discussed why building a customer profile is essential to creating a “collaborative” brand in a recent Matter Chatter blog post. Read it if you haven’t.

    Collaborate to innovate is the name of the game in Boston and in PR. Put me in, coach.

    Matter

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  • Takeaways from the Innovation Conference for Boston Business Women

    A group of lovely ladies represented Matter Communications at the first annual Boston Business Women Innovation Conference last week on Monday, May 9. The event featured an impressive list of female speakers, who each took the stage to share their insight and experiences with the community, including Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post. When asked to reflect on their favorite key takeaway, here’s what our Matter attendees said:

    Be fearless.

    Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask for what you want: From going outside your comfort zone and being the first to say “hello” at a networking session, to taking on work that may be outside of your job description. In the end, it will position you for future success. In the workplace, don’t be afraid to show emotion, it demonstrates that you are presenting your true, authentic self to your colleagues instead of hiding behind a mask that is untrue. This authentic self is very important as we move from a technology-centered era to a human-centered era supported by technological innovation.

    Life is all about choices.

    Many speakers spoke about choice and the role it plays in creating our own paths. Kip Hollister, founder & CEO of Hollister Staffing, said, “We are all the creators of our own reality through our moment-to-moment choices.” Taking ownership over the choices we make at work, at home and in our everyday lives is very powerful and can contribute greatly to our overall well-being, happiness and satisfaction. Colette Phillips, CEO Colette Phillips Communications, said that when faced with a challenge, “You can choose to be bitter, or you can choose to be better.” This is an empowering way to take ownership of a situation that takes you out of your comfort zone, no matter where you are.

    Passion and purpose are key.

    Colette Phillips spoke about living life by the three “Ps”: passion, purpose, and plan. This simple motto is something we can all apply and live by when it comes to our careers, but it also beautifully transcends work into our daily lives. You must not only take what comes at you with determination, grace and positivity, but also have the confidence to shape your own outcomes in order to achieve true happiness and fulfillment. That is unique to each individual, so whether it means writing your own job description, asking for that salary adjustment, developing a more positive mindset or taking the first step toward a healthier lifestyle, we have the power to initiate the change we want to happen … we just have to have the courage to ask for it.

    Make time to think.

    Thinking is where the magic happens. The more time we invest in creativity and generating ideas, the more meaningful progress we’ll make toward 10,000 hours and “expert status” in our field. Beginning her career as a receptionist at Hill Holiday, Karen Kaplan, now CEO, worked hard to think clearly and become an expert in every position she held. She said, “Mind your time spent transacting—answering an email, cleaning your inbox—versus thinking. Thinking leads to creativity and ideas, and creativity and ideas level the playing field. They transcend age, gender, race, nationality, ethnic background, rich and poor.”

    Matter

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  • After GE, Boston's Next Whale Could be Big Blue

    As everyone with a pulse knows Boston was unsuccessful in its bid for the 2024 Olympics (thank God!) but it did win the hotly-contested battle to get GE to relocate its corporate headquarters here later this year.

    So it begs the question: why stop there?

    What if another titan of industry with a significant footprint across Greater Boston followed suit?

    What if IBM decided to trump GE and play “Anything you can do, I can do better!”?

    Big Blue is continuing its acquisition binge of Massachusetts-based companies and just this morning Resilient Systems officially became the latest in a long line of software, analytics and services firms it has gobbled up in the past decade. The company is also increasing headcount in Cambridge for its rapidly growing Watson Health group. So is it that far-fetched to think that it might follow the playbook of the Industrial Internet Boys and Girls of GE and move corporate headquarters from its long-held leafy Armonk, NY, campus to the Boston area?

    IBM has called Armonk home since 1963 and it currently has thousands of employees there. It is every bit as part of the local DNA as Gillette once was to South Boston and Back Bay. An even better comparison is long-time IBM rival EMC with its ties to Hopkinton.  We all know what happened when Proctor and Gamble wrote a very big check to acquire Gillette in 2005. Gradually that local connection frayed.  And depending on what happens with the Dell-EMC “merger” the EMC influence and presence out on Rt. 495 will likely fade over time.

    IBM to Boston? It might be the tech industry equivalent of trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Or A-Rod to the Sox.  Times ten. It would be a “game changer’ in so many ways.

    I know one thing is certain. Governor Charlie Baker would LOVE to have Ginni Rometty and company pull up stakes and move north to the Hub of the Universe.  Think of the impact on jobs and tax breaks. Charlie looks great in a tux and what if we got The Good Governor and IBM’s First Lady together socially? Could it happen?

    Despite its 50+ year history in Armonk, there’s precedent demonstrated by IBM to re-think and evolve its corporate footprint. Back in 1995 (before distributed workforces really took root and remote work became widely accepted), it shrunk its space by nearly half when moving from one Armonk location to a more modern 211-acre campus, which was dwarfed by the 368-acre headquarters it opened back in 1963.

    So what is next for IBM? Could its “Next Big Thing” actually be even smaller corporate headquarters and might they be located here in greater Boston?

    Continuing this creative/fictional exercise, here are some thoughts on a new HQ location for Big Blue:

    • Lexington – another leafy and very desirable suburban area similar to Armonk in a few ways. Just a 40-minute ride to Boston (Armonk is the same distance to Manhattan) and there is very likely a sizeable amount of available space up in north Lexington near the Bedford line.
    • Worcester area – while not a tech hub and a bit far removed from the Waltham/Cambridge corridor, “The City of the Seven Hills” must have no shortage of available space, and rich tax incentives to offer. The 128/495 tech belt would finally be expanded to Central Mass. The execs could all move to Westborough and Southborough to complement their existing Marlborough office.
    • Waltham – IBM could own the area that Boston Globe columnist Scott Kirsner in 2009 coined “Mount Money” because it was once Mecca for the local venture capital industry. Theoffice park that looms high over the Cambridge Reservoir and Route 128 were long home to more than a dozen VCs before they got hip and migrated to the Seaport District, Cambridge, etc. IBM in Waltham would restore much of the luster lost there in recent years and the location is prime for access everywhere.
    • Maynard – what’s happening in the old mill buildings once occupied by long-time IBM nemesis Digital Equipment Corporation? Do they need a big anchor tenant? Or would the ghosts of Ken Olsen spook Ginni and company?
    • Alewife – see notation on Waltham above but keep in mind that congestion would be an issue in North Cambridge. On the other hand, guess where Resilient is located? Maybe IBM’s real estate and industrial design gurus could string together a “daisy chain” of smaller IBM locales stretching from their Watson Health location on Binney Street in Kendall Square up to Alewife and all the way to Lexington via the Red Line and bike paths?
    • Of course downtown Boston – the new TD Garden complex might seek some business tenants and Downtown Crossing and Seaport (some in the real estate industry are taking to calling it the new Dubai) are always attractive, if not ridiculously priced locales. Don’t rule them out so Ginni could live in Beacon Hill or Back Bay.

    Clearly there are a lot of “ifs” involved in something of this magnitude. And, while I have no idea if IBM is handcuffed in Armonk, it might be fun to speculate about it and get the input of the local tech, real estate, recruitment industry.

    Could it happen? What would it take? What would be the economic impact on the Hub? What are your thoughts?

    Matter

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  • From Boston to Portland: a PR Brainstorm

    Everyone knows the common saying among creative professionals: “There’s never a dumb idea while brainstorming.”

    Jokes aside, being a member of the Matter Communications team, whether in Portland or Newburyport, we often find ourselves searching for creative ideas among our colleagues, both on and off the account in question, to expand our clients’ reach within their respective industries. Matter has developed such a strong repertoire of clients that teams often overlap when it comes to technologies or media targets.

    Cue the calendar invite for a brainstorm session.

    Sometimes it takes a conversation with a person or group not on the account to be a catalyst in a new, innovative communications tactic. A fresh pair of eyes and/or ears can make a world of difference in a short 20-minute brainstorm session. There is no shortage of smart PR professionals at Matter, which makes for productive, sometimes ground-breaking brainstorming sessions, whether on the couch or over the conference line 3000 miles away.

    If you’re feeling like all of your ideas have been exhausted, it will never hurt to get 4-5 people together just to talk. Since this should be an educational post, I’ve developed a few simple checkpoints the brainstorm leader can use to make a session productive and efficient!

    • Provide a brief explanation of the client’s offering to start the conversation and ignite a firestorm of creative thinking.
    • Ask if any of the brainstormers have a relationship with a publication or editor that can be utilized for an opportunity. Don’t expect an immediate introduction, but learn what can be done to seize the potential opportunity.
    • Has anyone noticed any current events or relevant news stories that can be related to the client’s story or offering?
    • Build upon others’ ideas – don’t just write them down to let them die

    While you should come out of a brainstorm with an entirely new set of provocative, exciting and news-worthy ideas, you may even discover a completely new understanding or appreciation of exactly how cool your clients really are!

    Matter

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  • Uber Cabs Finds Opportunity in a Crisis

    Last week, United Steel Workers of America Local 8751, the labor union representing Boston city school bus drivers, created a crisis situation for themselves and every parent and child in Boston when they refused to pick up 33,000 school children at their bus stops Tuesday morning. Their intention was to voice grievances over supposed safety and performance improvements, but their actions made them look heartless, selfish, and despicable. Okay, so you’re angry about certain aspects of your job. The way you decide to let everyone know about it is by taking it out on innocent children who are just trying to get to school? You shouldn’t need a Public Relations professional to tell you this plan isn’t going to work out in your favor. But, I don’t think the Boston bus driver’s union did a whole lot of thinking, or planning for that matter, before executing their surprise strike.

    As a parent, I can only imagine the panic and worry I would have felt after arriving to work and receiving news my child’s bus driver had purposely left him or her stranded at the bus stop. I can also picture the anger and headache of having to rush home, come up with an alternative plan to get my child to school or miss a day’s work. Perhaps if the school bus labor union had held a planned rally or written a well thought out letter to the community they may have received sympathy, or at least made the community aware of why they were unhappy. Instead, they brought bad publicity to themselves, and managed to anger the very people who may have been able to remedy the grievances they were trying to protest.

    As the school bus drama was unfolding last week, Uber Cabs, an up-and-coming smartphone cab company known for their sleek black cars, came up with a brilliant Public Relations plan amid the chaos. While most of Boston had come to a standstill, and parents and children were left improvising on ways to get to school, Uber Cabs swooped in and came to the rescue. They began advertising on their blog and social media sites that they were offering free rides for kids to get to school and back, no promo codes required, and no questions asked. The perception that Uber was swooping in to help out parents and children in a difficult situation generated lots of positive publicity for them, including coverage in the Boston Globe, local news stations, and social media. They did a great job of thinking quickly on their feet and taught other companies a lesson; always look for ways to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

    Matter

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  • Matter Honored at BBJ Best Places to Work Event

     

    Last night Matter was honored as one of the Boston Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, ranking #5 in the Best PR/Communications category. That’s a big deal to us, because it was our employees’ surveys that won us the honor.

    The event, held at the iconic Want Theatre in Boston, MA, started off with a networking/cocktail hour that was generously sponsored by Samuel Adams, 90+ Cellars and Ambrosia Events.

    Then we headed into the theatre for the awards ceremony where we were welcomed by the President and CEO of the Citi Preforming Arts Center, Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., who shared the remarkable opportunities and accomplishments of those at the theatre. He ended by saying that the arts are all about having fun – queue the beach balls in the audience. The energy in the audience was infectious!

    Chris McIntosh, publisher of the Boston Business Journal, kicked off the awards ceremony by explaining the significance and process behind the BBJ Best Places to Work Awards which celebrated its 11th year last night. He shared that each company was limited to a three word acceptance speech and then dove right into the awards, and guess who was first – us!

    Our general manager, Mandy Mladenoff, accepted the award on our behalf. She briskly walked on stage, put her hands in the air and said “Bad at speeches, but great at PR!” Yes, she went over the word limit. The twelve other Matter team members in attendance cheered her on from the audience, and it was a blast.

    The awards continued with the Top 25 small, mid-level and large company categories which included Comcast, The Ritz-Carlton, HubSpot and more. Congratulations to all the 2013 BBJ Best Places to Work Winners!

    We had a great time last night being with Boston’s finest business professionals and we hope to be there again next year.

    P.S. Be on the lookout in the next couple of weeks for a recap video of the event by our Studio-C team.

    Matter

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