• How to Find Your Journalist BFF

    How to Find Your Journalist BFF

    /></p> <p><span style=As PR professionals, media relations is one of biggest parts of our job (if not THE biggest part!). Our clients expect consistent media coverage even when there isn’t always hard news to pitch, which means we’ve got to get creative. While well-written press releases and exciting announcements are always a promising start to secure coverage for our clients, the most reliable tool is having strong, authentic relationships with journalists. If you’ve got a good working relationship with a reporter, it’s more likely you can work together to find an angle that makes sense for the outlet they write for and will pique the interest of their readers.

    In theory, this all sounds reasonable but you might be thinking: okay, some of these reporters don’t even respond to my pitches, how am I supposed to build a relationship with them?  Here are few tips that could help you connect in a meaningful way:

    1. Do your homework. Get to know a reporter’s writing. Referencing past articles and knowing how they tend to structure their work can help grab their attention. For example, if you know they always include quotes in their articles and you can include an excerpt from an exec in your initial outreach then you’ve already cut out a step for them.
    2. Make sure you scratch their back too. The key is that these connections with reporters should be mutually beneficial. You should be just as much of a resource to them as they are to you. How can you help make their job a little bit easier? Perhaps it’s as easy as congratulating them on a new gig. 
    3. Be mindful of what you’re sending them. Just because you have a relationship with a reporter doesn’t mean they’ll write about anything you send them. Be courteous of overloading their inboxes and only share info you think they’ll actually be interested in.
    4. Check out their social pages. Journalists are humans too! By following them on social, and sharing their content, you’ll not only stay updated on their recent articles, but you could get a glimpse into their everyday lives. Maybe you see them tweet about The Bachelor finale and can connect with them on a personal level about how much you both are loving (or hating) this season.
    5. Talk to them about things other than your clients. Obviously, you want them to write about your clients, but sometimes it’s important to take a step back. If you see an article they’d be interested in, shoot them a link. This could help them start to see you as more than just another PR person. Show them that you care about their assignments and instead of pitching them your client out of the blue, try asking what he/she is currently working on to see if there’s a way you can help.  

    Of course, every reporter has different preferences so take all of these with a grain of salt. The biggest takeaway here is that journalists are integral to the work we do as PR pros and we can also play a role in their jobs, so why not find a way to work together? It will make both of our lives a lot easier in the end—plus, you might end up having more in common than you think.

    Matter

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  • Media on the Move: Week of December 18

    Media on the Move: Week of December 18

    The media industry continues to see downsizing with Buzzfeed and ESPN announcing 100-plus personnel layoffs and CBS starting its staff reductions as well. Still, while many publications report decreasing readership, we see a glimmer of hope with The New York Times sharing that its audience has doubled over the past two years.

    In addition to shrinking newsrooms, we’re in the middle of a national reckoning over sexual harassment in the workplace. And it’s proving that no one is too powerful to fall as we’ve seen with prominent names like Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor and Charlie Rose. Check out or list of media moves and changes to keep a pulse on this ever-changing industry. 

    Adweek: Ann-Marie Alcantara leaves PopSugar and joins as tech reporter.

    Barron’s: Jon Swartz hired as senior reporter working out of New York and San Francisco.

    Business Insider: Sam Shead is leaving the publication to write a book about Google Mind while freelancing in New Zealand.

    Buzzfeed: Matthew Zeitlin is no longer with the publication, no news on his next move.

    Fortune: Barb Darrow left the publication. Since then, she has written an article for InformationWeek, but no official news on whether this is a permanent gig.

    Gizmodo: Andrew Couts was hired as managing director.

    Huffington Post: Hillary Frey was appointed executive editor.

    Mashable: Aliza Weinberger, Patrick Kulp and Lance Ulanoff are no longer with the publication. No news on where their next moves will be.

    Newsweek: Rachel Brody joins as their deputy opinion editor.

    New York Times: Monica Drake joins as managing editor and Emily Flitter joins as banking reporter.

    Time Inc: Meredith Corp. bought the publication in deal backed by the Koch Brothers.

    PBS NewsHour: Yamiche Alcindor joins as White House Correspondent after three years with The New York Times.

    TechTarget: Joel Shore leaves with the publication to freelance and consult. 

    Matter

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  • Q&A with Don Davis, Editor-In-Chief at Internet Retailer

    Q&A with Don Davis, Editor-In-Chief at Internet Retailer

    We sat down with Don Davis, Editor At Large at e-commerce news & research firm Internet Retailer. He is a New York native and Yale graduate.

    Matter (M): Don, how long have you been a journalist? Where’d you get your start?

    Don Davis (DD): I began my first reporting job in June 1970, right after graduating from college. The job was at the Springfield Union, a morning daily in Springfield, Mass. I wrote obits, chased cop cars and fire engines, and covered whatever happened on weekends when more senior reporters were off. I had a blast.

    M: Favorite food?

    DD: Just about anything on a French bistro menu.

    M: Favorite movie?

    DD: 1900

    M: Spirit animal?

    DD: Sorry. I’m too focused on the real world to even make up an answer.

    M: What’s your favorite brand and why?

    DD: I buy most of my clothes from L.L. Bean or Lands’ End. I think fashion is a rip-off and prefer comfortable, durable clothes that never go out of style (at least in my mind.) I do occasionally splurge on Tommy Bahama, which I find really comfortable.

    M: What are you doing when you’re not editing copy, assigning stories and being hassled by PR folks?

    DD: Playing tennis, listening to jazz, eating and drinking with friends and family, studying Chinese, traveling.

    M: I joke about you being hassled by PR people (kind of). You’re a tough and well-respected, but yet very accessible editor. That is rare. What advice do you have for PR people and their clients? How do we break through all the news and get your attention?

    DD: We’re very clear about what we want: We want to speak with retailers about their online operations and strategies. Give me that and you’ve got my attention. We also want insights from experts on stories we’re digging into. That’s a bit trickier, because every one of your clients thinks they’re an expert on all sorts of topics. Some of them are. Tell me why the person you’re pitching really does have something to offer.

    M: What’s the biggest mistake that PR people and their clients make when pitching the media?

    DD: They don’t spend a few minutes reading our stories. Anyone who did would have a pretty good idea of what we cover and what we’re looking for. With just a little bit of study of our website a PR person with a client in our industry should be able to craft a pitch that would get our attention.

    M: How is social media changing the way your team finds and reports stories?

    DD: I’m a social media skeptic. I’ve tried to use Twitter and occasionally other social media to find stories or to connect with sources. For the most part, it’s been a waste of time. Others on our staff insist it’s worth following social media, but I think they get a modest return for the time they spend.

    M: You’ve been at IR for as long as I can remember. What continues to surprise you about the ecommerce industry?

    DD: That people keep coming out of nowhere with great ideas that big corporations might have thought of, but didn’t. Think Warby Parker, Blue Apron, Rent the Runway.

    M: Aside from IRCE, of course, what industry events get you most excited? What topics or tracks catch your attention?

    DD: I’m not seeing all that much new at shows covering online retailing, which may reflect that the industry is getting more mature and there’s less that’s fresh and amazing. On the other hand, business-to-business e-commerce is just getting going in a big way. We’ve hosted two seminars this year where there was really rich discussion among the manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors who came. And next September we’re partnering with the leading expert in B2B e-commerce, Andy Hoar, on a new show called B2B Next. I’m very excited about that.

    M: What’s your opinion on all this “store of the future” tech and the closures of major chain’s brick and mortar locations? Is this Amazon doom and gloom chatter for real, or do we need to be thinking about retail differently? In thinking about all of this, what are your predictions for next year?

    DD: “Your margin is my opportunity.” That short quote from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos encapsulates where we are in retailing today. Retailers for years marked up merchandise by healthy amounts because they could. In the internet—and Amazon—age that’s no longer possible for most retailers. When it comes to commodity items, big companies like Wal-Mart, Amazon and China’s Alibaba will dominate. No “store of the future” is going to entice consumers to spend a lot more on everyday items like paper towels and toothpaste.

    Where other retailers have a chance is in creating unique products or providing the kind of in-depth information consumers won’t find on the websites or in the stores of mass merchants. Apple, of course, is the prime example of a company that provides products so good consumers will pay more for them, and that can keep innovating so that it holds that enviable spot for years. But there are plenty of other retailers that have developed their own brands of products, whether that’s Bonobos in men’s pants or startup M.Gemi that sells handmade Italian shoes at half the price of high-end retailers.

    Trusted sources of information will also survive. If you’re looking for information about car stereos you’re going to find expert advice at Crutchfield that you’re not likely to find elsewhere, and toy buyers will get more guidance at Fat Brain Toys’ website than they’re likely to find in a big-box store.

    Apart from the mass-merchant giants, the retailers that will succeed will focus on a niche and provide great products and service in that arena.

    As for next year, I predict we’ll see consumers buying more through voice-activated devices, retailers taking advantage of new technology from Apple and Google to provide really compelling augmented reality apps, and artificial intelligence beginning to live up to its hype by enabling retailers to provide really good automated service while also cutting costs.

    Matter

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  • Media on the Move: Week of August 28

    Media on the Move: Week of August 28

    In recent weeks, we continue to see publications announcing redesigns or changes in production. This is likely due to the cost of printing and a continued move to digital for most readers, but the changes are significant. Notably, Cooking Light, owned by Time Inc., and Men’s Fitness, owned by American Media Inc., both announced they will undergo noticeable changes within the coming months.

    Bloomberg News: Doni Bloomfield leaves to attend law school

    Cooking Light: The publication unveiled a new look with their September issue. Health and nutrition will now be included throughout the entire publication, and new features include “What’s Fresh Now,” “Picky Eater Guru,” and “Ask the Experts.”

    CNN: Hadas Gold has been hired as a staff reporter.

    CNNMoney: Daniel Shane joins as a staff reporter.

    Financial Times: Tim Bradshaw moves to focus on the convergence of entertainment and technology.

    Forbes: Brett Knight joins the staff as deputy business editor.

    Men’s Fitness: The publication will no longer be published in print . It will become an all-digital brand and subscribers will receive “Men’s Journal” for the remainder of the year.

    New York Times: Sewall Chan is promoted to Deputy Editor. Adam Bryant, formerly the creator of the column, “Corner Office,” and editor Malecia Walker, have left.

    Newsweek: Matt McAllester, editor-in-chief, is on leave for an undisclosed reason. Bob Roe will serve as the interim editor-in-chief in his abscence.

    People: Nicole Weisensee Egan leaves. Nicole is now a freelance investigative reporter.

    Wall Street Journal: Jason Adders is promoted to chief news editor.

    Washington Post: Beth Reinhard is hired as the new rapid response reporter.

    Wired: Erin Griffith joins as senior writer. She was previously at Fortune, where she worked as senior writer, covering technology, startups, and venture capital.

    Matter

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  • Media on the Move Week of July 31

    Media on the Move Week of July 31

    In recent weeks, we see the continued trend of shrinking newsrooms. Notable publications like the LA Times and Barron’s lost key members of their staffs for unannounced reasons, and a handful of outlets are paring down their reporting staff and instead relying more heavily on editors to develop content. This type of downsizing is not new to the media industry, but it does continue to stress the importance of sending highly targeted, relevant pitches to reporters as their time is more valuable than ever.

    Adweek: Stephanie Paterik is named the new Managing Editor. Lauren Johnson is promoted to Senior Editor of technology news. Emma Bazilian joins as the Features Editor.

    The Atlantic: Matt Thompson is promoted to Executive Editor. Adrienne LaFrance takes over as Website Editor.

    Barron’s: Katherine Bell takes over as Editor-in-Chief, replacing Edward Finn.

    Buzzfeed: Elizabeth Pears is promoted to News Editor.

    Cosmopolitan: Ashley Oerman is named Wellness Editor.

    Forbes: Biz Carson is appointed to Technology Reporter.

    Gizmodo: Sam Rutherford and Melanie Ehrenkranz take over as Senior Reporters to focus on consumer tech.

    Los Angeles Times: Following newsroom buyouts, Bob Sipchen and Michelle Maltais have left.

    Men’s Journal: Greg Emmanuel is promoted to Chief Content Officer, replacing Mark Healy who has since left.

    Mergermarker: Dayna Fields joins the staff as a Senior Reporter.

    Motherboard: Nicholas Deleon departs, but has not yet announced where he’s heading.

    New York Times: Christopher Drew, Ian Fisher and Fernanda Santos depart.

    Reuters: Jean Yoon is named Executive Editor of Editorial Strategy.

    San Francisco Chronicle: David Perlman plans to retire in August.

    SELF: Casey Gueren is named the new Health Director.

    Vanity Fair: Gabriel Sherman takes over as a Special Correspondent.

    WIRED: Scott Thurm joins as Business Editor

    Matter

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  • Media on the Move: Week of July 17

    Media on the Move: Week of July 17

    As reporter shakeups continue, we also are starting to see a trend in publications streamlining their areas of focus. Likely due to smaller editorial staffs, major outlets are paring down their lists of series, columns and blogs and are instead focusing largely on breaking news and company stories.

    Here’s a look at what media moves were made recently:

    Bloomberg News: Sarah Kopit is promoted to managing editor of breaking news. Stephanie Flanders will lead the Bloomberg Economics team.

    Business Insider: Tanya Dua joins the staff as an advertising reporter following her time at Digiday.

    BuzzFeed: Tom Gara takes over as editor of the new opinion section.

    CIO: Given the recent layoffs at IDG, CIO is changing it’s editorial strategy to focus on the CIO and how they can best do their jobs. They will no longer publish the Career Roadmap series.

    Cooking Light: Editor-in-chief, Hunter Lewis, leaves to lead the Food & Wine staff.

    CNNMoney: Following her time at The Washington Post, Julia Carpenter joins the team as a gender and money reporter.

    ELLE: Whitney Robinson takes over as decor editor. Michael Boodro leaves the publication.

    Glamour: Ana Colon is promoted to Digital Fashion Editor.

    The New Yorker: Jessica Winter takes over as online executive editor.

    PopSugar: Chelsea Hassler takes over as senior editor for news and culture.

    Sports Illustrated: SI Eats, a digital channel covering the intersection of food and sports is now available.

    The Verge: James Vincent takes on a new beat, covering AI and machine learning. Natt Garun is promoted to technology editor.

    Wall Street Journal: The publication has eliminated a number of their blogs including “Speakeasy,” “Off Duty Daily,” “The Daily Fix,” “Dispatch,” and “Numbers.”

    The Washington Post: Alex Horton takes over as general assignment editor.

    Matter

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  • Media on the Move: Week of June 19

    Media on the Move: Week of June 19

    We continue to see major shakeups going on across the media, but specifically among business press. This past week was marked by significant layoffs at both Huffington Post and Time Inc. These announcements come just weeks after IDG reported a total overhaul following its acquisition, and we do not expect the trend to stop here. Keep an eye out for a continually changing media landscape in the weeks to come.

    Notable journalist and media industry moves

    Boston Globe: Curt Woodward takes a new job at the Globe and is no longer covering tech or  venture capital as a reporter. His new role is not yet confirmed.

    Business Insider: Frank Chaparro takes over as the finance reporter.

    BuzzFeed: Zahra Hirji starts as the energy and climate reporter.

    CNBC: Lora Kolodny joins the CNBC digital staff to start reporting on tech and venture capital.

    Fortune: Brian O’Keefe is promoted to deputy editor. Kristen Bellstrom to deputy digital editor. Nick Varchaver shifts from assistant managing editor to investigations editor. Matt Heimer takes over as features editor. Leigh Gallagher moves from managing editor to senior editor-at-large. Anne VanderMey moves from associate editor to senior editor.

    Huffington Post: The HuffPost news room braces for significant layoffs. While it’s unclear how many newsroom jobs might be affected, Verizon, which owns HuffPost’s owner AOL, is preparing to make broader cuts at the company in the wake of Verizon’s acquisition of Yahoo.

    MIT Tech Review: Tom Simonite departs and moves to WIRED to cover AI/machine learning.

    The New York Times: Kevin Roose, formerly the VP of editorial Fusion,  joins the staff as business columnist.

    Time Inc: 300 reporters have been laid off from the company.

    WIRED: Vera Titunik takes over as features editor.

    Matter

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  • How Lawyers Can Become Valuable Resources for Journalists (and Get Quoted)

    How Lawyers Can Become Valuable Resources for Journalists (and Get Quoted)

    Given the number of attorneys in the United States (some 1.2 million practicing ones), it seems unlikely that the majority of these lawyers can become trusted resources for journalists. It is possible, and before such a union can materialize, there are rules that apply for both parties. The below focuses on a lawyer’s role in forming a mutually beneficial relationship with reporters.

    Rule 1. The Media Do Not Work for Lawyers, Clients or Firms

    Simply put: Reporters are interested in getting a scoop and writing an article in a compelling, accurate way. To achieve this, they seek and cultivate relationships with people-in-the-know to glean information to report their stories out. It’s up to the journalist to decide what the angle is, with whom to speak, what information to use. In short, they call the shots and decide what goes in a story and how it’s presented. Lawyers – no matter how high up a firm’s food chain – have no say.

    Rule 2: Say Something Relevant, True … and On the Record, Preferably

    On a positive postscript to Rule 1, lawyers can influence a story by controlling their messaging, especially if what they say is relevant beyond their internal audience and business goals.

    One obvious rule is that lawyers know their topics inside and out before positioning themselves as thought leaders to the media. Because of their work, attorneys are on the frontlines of human and corporate drama, amassing relevant insight and perspective. Information based on experiences is the currency reporters and readers crave. Focus explaining a legal issue’s impact on various audiences depending on the media outlet. Get to know a reporter’s beat and previous articles.

    A journalist may seem like an ideal contact given a recent article, though it’s best to review previous ones to get a sense of their style and what they’ve covered previously (and how). Reporters love trend pieces so upon reviewing articles, ask yourself (or discuss with your PR team) why this is important and what’s next. The “what’s next?” question will help develop potential follow-up articles.

    Client sensitivities by lawyers are certainly legitimate concerns, and sometimes attorneys must pass on a media opportunity due to a client conflict. Clients naturally come first, though there are other ways to work around not commenting or providing insight. Specifically, a lawyer can set interview conditions, perhaps speak on-background with the goal of educating a reporter while cultivating a long-term relationship.

    Rule 3: Never Blow Off a Deadline (or a Reporter)

    Time is money for lawyers, and the same goes – albeit indirectly – for journalists. The reason reporters have deadlines is to feed the process of the news cycle. In this age, it’s about posting to the web as soon as possible to attract readers to a site (which in theory would generate ad sales and more viewers). Before the web, deadlines kept the process moving by ensuring that copy would get to the typesetter and presses in time to make the press run. A missed deadline then, meant overtime pay. Now, it’s more the speed of disseminating information that translates to Benjamins, though most news outlets continue to publish hard-copy editions.

    Reporters are generally mindful of a lawyer’s time, and it’s fair and kind to be mindful of theirs by keeping appointments. If anything crops up at the last minute that forces a cancellation, check with an equally qualified lawyer as a replacement to speak with the reporter. That extra effort and attention to detail will resonate with the media.

    Rule 4: Never Ask to See an Article Before Publication. Never.

    Only select people are permitted to read a reporter’s article before it’s printed, specifically their main/news editor, copy editor and perhaps someone else in the newsroom. That’s it, so asking will only demonstrate a lawyer’s misunderstanding of the media and make the process awkward. Only one thing annoys a journalist more than this, and that is providing juicy information – and then saying, “That’s off the record, right?”

    Certain media will agree to review quotes beforehand with a source, though that condition is set before the interview, not during or after, and it’s becoming more rare.

    Rule 5: Embrace Media Training

    When it comes to seeking legal counsel, people (including PR professionals) rightfully defer to the lawyers. The same dynamic should hold true in media training. While not lawyers, PR counsel are just as valuable as legal advocates because reputation is at stake in both cases. Lawyers – no matter how legally brilliant – are best served by listening to a PR professional. If there’s a disagreement over an approach, an engaging, healthy back-and-forth often leads to a thoughtful and agreed-to media plan.

    Rule 6: Follow-up, Keep in Touch … Though Don’t Overdo It

    After an interview, continue to keep reporters in mind. Send a brief thank you email. Make investments by keeping in touch by providing information that is relevant and useful. If a lawyer anticipates a regulation to kick-in that would affect clients, chances are a journalist for an industry publication or a beat reporter for a business outlet would like to cover it – or at least know about it.

    Send along a timely and germane client alert with a note saying that you are happy to discuss – even if it means no immediate ink for you or the firm. It’s simply helpful gesture highlighting a lawyer’s knowledge and one step closer to solidifying a one’s status as a trusted media resource.

    A version of the above post originally appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and its affiliates.

    Claire Papanastasiou

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  • Brian Williams, Jon Stewart and the Shifting Media Landscape

    Since the time that I was in college, people have been talking about the “death” of print journalism and the shifting media landscape. We talked about it so much in fact, that my then journalism-major girlfriend wound up becoming my lawyer fiancé. Between a PR pro and a lawyer, I’m not sure which side of our union best represents the “dark side” – but I digress. Recent weeks have seen two more major fluctuations in the already unstable ground that is journalism in the modern age.

    Longtime newsman and benchmark journalist, Brian Williams, has been suspended from the NBC Nightly News for concocting a fictional story that he was in a helicopter that was hit by ground fire in Iraq in 2003. Almost simultaneously, Jon Stewart announced his resignation from the Daily Show, Comedy Central’s satirical take on mainstream news reporting. At a glance, these two sound like journalists at opposite ends of the spectrum, however, many Americans actually hold Stewart and Williams in similar regard when it comes to journalistic integrity and admiration. At least they did in a 2008 PEW Research report. Things have likely shifted even more in Stewart’s favor in recent weeks.

    Many have even begun to speculate that Jon Stewart is the natural choice to fill Williams’s seat. I don’t know if this will happen, but the fact that publications like the Washington Post would even suggest such a departure from the traditional tenets of journalism, says quite a bit about the media today.

    In a world where the lines are blurring between satire and national network news, where do we draw the lines between PR pros and journalists? I would posit that PR pros are, in many ways, parallel to Jon Stewart in this regard. For many editors or producers, we are quickly becoming a really viable source for quality news. The best PR pros are evolving from “flacks” to multifaceted experts, respected for our knowledge and availability. That’s right, I said availability – newsrooms are shrinking and journalists simply aren’t available to write every story.

    In today’s media landscape, information is regarded as information regardless of the whether it comes from a three-piece suit and haircut, a health IT blogger, a mommy blogger, some guy on Twitter or a PR pro. You may not know it, but that recent op-ed that you read in the New York Times from the CEO of X company was most likely written by a PR pro. The old guard in journalism is evolving or they are dying out, and it is our job as PR people to evolve right alongside them or risk the same fate.

    I always say that the best PR people know enough to be dangerous around a lot of issues and industries. With the new dual role of journalist and PR pro comes quite a bit of responsibility. Not only must we deliver our client’s messages, we must deliver them in a way that engages and educates beyond just products or sales. In our new hybrid roles, we must become creators of content that is worthwhile and engaging, without making things up of course…cough. Also a little humor never hurts, just ask Jon Stewart.

    Ryan Lilly

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  • All the Self-Promotion That's Fit to Print

    Ever been tempted to pay for a PR placement? You pitch the perfect story and the editor just won’t bite.  You go back a second time with no luck, so you think to yourself: “Man, I wish I could pay to slip this story in. The readers will find it valuable.” Unfortunately, you can’t do that (at ethical pubs) so you go back to the drawing board, dreaming up fresh angles and more inventive ways of reaching the targeted reporter.

    If, as a PR pro or an in-house communications person, you’ve secretly wished you could do a pay-for-play deal with your dream publication, then the emerging trend of brands (read: companies) publishing their own magazines with fresh and journalistically legitimate content should perk your ears up. And, you might be surprised to know the trend is gaining a heck of a lot of steam. The sagging publishing industry is now competing with brands for the same eyeballs.

    Tessa Wegert of ClickZ blogged recently about the success a number of high-profile brands are having with periodicals of their own – including P&G, SAP and Urban Outfitters, to name only a few.  A commonality among these branded magazines is not just the quality of their content, but the fact that the publications are developed by experienced and credible writers and editors. Writers and editors who have made their career writing for significant media outlets now write for some of the world’s most established brands, and they’re supplementing their respective incomes handsomely.

    I’m conflicted about it, frankly. To me this approach is potentially inappropriate and simultaneously brilliant.

    Marketers can leverage this channel as a way to deliver key messages to interested consumers. (I like that.) And the depth of interest goes beyond the brand itself and includes the category in which the brand is established. Interested, self-identifying consumers read content-rich stories pumped out by journalists hired by brands looking to sell stuff – kind of perfect, really.

    And yet it’s disturbing in the sense that the delineation between “story” and advertisement becomes increasingly blurred, potentially duping consumers who may not understand the nuance. Basically, brands are “selling stuff that people want to look at,” which is straight out of a basic advertising playbook.

    But the evolution is undeniable in the sticky muck of an ever-intersecting digital world. Resistance is futile. Adapt or die.

    Rather than being “off to the side” marketing tools, branded publications have become key components of overall marketing initiatives. They have become widely-accepted communications tools, with solid editorial teams who craft, create and publish news and feature stories that consumers want to read. It’s a smart approach, and one that I may recommend to clients here at Matter.

    What’s your take on brands publishing periodicals – are you on board?

    Scott Signore

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