• Trend Alert: Personalization is Changing PR

    I chose a career in PR because of the ever-changing nature of the industry. I can never expect the same day-to-day with my consumer clients due to the unpredictability of the retail industry and the enhancement of technology. It’s so important to stay in tune with the hottest trends, but one trend that has not only been pertinent to my consumer accounts, but across a wide variety of industries, is personalization. Personalization is tailoring content toward a specific target, so every consumer gets a customized experience. There are three specific personalization trends within the consumer industry that I have noticed have increased my client’s capabilities:

    1. Customer Loyalty

    More and more retailers are using personalization to increase customer loyalty, and gain crucial information about their customers’ shopping preferences. While PR isn’t directly related to quarterly sales, we are driven by data, which helps us tell a compelling story. This goes further than simple demographic results. Personalization when it comes to shopping can go as far as predicting what a customer will buy based on their purchasing habits. As an example, should a person continuously buy a certain brand of paper towels, makeup or clothing, technology and personalization allows our consumer clients to anticipate that with the information collected from past purchases, giving them the ability to send coupons and rewards they will want to use. By understanding how our customers’ are working to use personalization as a customer loyalty tactic, it allows us as PR pros to identify opportunities to position our clients as innovative, strong brands.

    2. Mobile App Development

    Every PR pro needs to be ‘in the know’ when it comes to what technological innovations are shaping the industry’s our clients are a part of. For years, mobile apps have been a huge focus for many industries – and consumer is constantly having to stay ahead of the next new update. For example, on Wednesday, LinkedIn announced the fully redesigned Pulse mobile app, which delivers personalized articles to the newsfeed based on the LinkedIn user’s job, followed pages and network connections. By using Pulse, I can quickly sift through daily news articles that are personalized for me—even disliking content with a swipe left, or saving an article with a swipe right. In an area where there is a lot of noise, it’s important as PR pros to be able to identify where our client differentiates compared to its competitors.

    3. Digital platforms

    The rise of social media changed the world as we know it. This has not only effected business strategy and PR, but also changed our reality. According to Adweek, there are more than two billion active social media users worldwide—that’s roughly 28% of the world. With these stats alone, we can understand how important it is to target consumers strategically through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and many more widely used platforms. Social channels are constantly changing their platforms to create an easy, intuitive and personalized user experience. This year, Facebook rolled out new updates that changed the way consumers are able to view brands and friends in their newsfeed. Forbes mentioned how its new algorithm creates content only each specific user cares about so it’s less likely to be missed. For me, having the power and ability to stay on top of this extremely fast paced industry allows me to stay one step ahead of what’s going on so I’m armed with the knowledge I need to position my clients in the most influential way as well as keep an eye out for any barriers that may arise.

    Personalization isn’t completely new to the PR world—we all know that building relationships is a crucial part of PR, but this isn’t something that will happen overnight. A quick glance at your media list and name swap on an email blast is ineffective. If you want a long-term relationship with a reporter, you need to dive deeper—read and comment their stories, check out their social pages, and keep the conversation going. This way, when your client is counting on you for a new product launch, you have the perfect person to pitch. Although improved personalization trends are crucial, it’s imperative to stay grounded and focus on preventing the simple errors. You might have taken the right steps or completed detailed research, but an overlooked name spelling could cost you the big story.

    At the end of the day, staying aware of industry trends will only help you represent your client more efficiently—making you the PR pro to trust. Has personalization improved the way you approach PR? Let us know and comment below!

    Matter

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  • 3 Ways to Win at Social Media (like the CIA)

    I’d like to congratulate the U.S. Government. You’re winning at public relations right now. No, really. Two well-known and often maligned government agencies have found respective niches to educate and entertain, helping to project a friendlier image to the masses. There’s a few lessons we can all learn from their social media triumphs.

    Let’s start with the CIA. The agency renowned for keeping tight lips about its intelligence gathering and secret keeping efforts turned the spotlight on itself with a tongue-in-cheek announcement that it would be tweeting news and updates in 140 character bursts.

    The CIA wasn’t afraid to poke fun at itself. It was smart: more than 300,000 people Retweeted their first Tweet.

    A slight twist on the iconic spy catch phrase garnered more than 302,000 retweets and over 188,000 favorites. Now the government agency with secret agents operating incognito around the world has more than 712,000 followers watching its every tweet.

    The TSA has been on Instagram for a little over a year now, but Wired.com recently profiled some of the unusual, and even frightening, items that have been confiscated from travelers. It’s both scary and funny to see what people have attempted to smuggle on airplanes. And yes, these are apparently batarangs someone had in their carry-on:

    From bizarre to extremely serious, the TSA uses a mix to send a message on Instagram that security screenings are working.

    Mixed in the assortment of weapons are photos showing the good work of TSA agents (and their K-9 teams – another smart move because, well, dogs are social media gold) and key messaging about important TSA travel initiatives. The overall point being made to the TSA’s 77,000+ followers is crystal clear: those controversial body scanners and ensuing pat downs are making a difference with regards to safety.

    Here’s my three takeaways for what we can all learn from the newfound social savvy of the CIA and TSA.

    1. Pick a channel that fits your message: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, Vine, Snapchap – there seems to be a new social media channel popping up every month, and it can be daunting to try to master each one. Every channel is unique. Instagram, with an exclusive emphasis on photos, is the perfect fit for the TSA to showcase bizarre, confiscated items. (It has a Twitter account too, but with only a quarter of the audience.) Don’t try to conquer every network at once. If you’re just starting out, pick one or two that best suit your needs.
    2. Don’t take yourself too seriously: Mission critical is a cliché tossed around in business all the time, but when it comes to the CIA, its work is truly mission critical to our safety. But that doesn’t stop it from taking an irreverent poke at the pop culture spy vs. spy perception most of us have of its operations. There will be plenty of time to broadcast your company’s core values, key differentiators and repackaged sales collateral. With the need to post up to three times a day depending on the channel, there are also many opportunities to inject personality and pop culture in your brand (within reason, of course.)
    3. Make a commitment: Social media is not one-time deal. Rather, it is a full-time if not 24/7 endeavor. Even though the CIA is already approaching three-quarters of a million followers, not everyone will experience that rapid growth. When it comes to a brand or executive looking to build a following, growth is achieved through a steady stream of content and engagement. If you want to reach an even larger audience, seriously consider tossing a few advertising dollars to support the effort.

    It’s trendy to make jokes about Big Bureaucracy, but in this instance, we should tip our hat to the CIA and the TSA. They’ve provided creative examples of how brands that at first glance have no business being on social media are totally winning at it. (And maybe with this praise, the TSA will let my teams cut to the front of the airport security line the next time we travel to support a client’s trade show efforts or shoot a video.)

    If you want to check out the CIA’s Twitter or the TSA’s Instagram, just click the links. If you enjoy shameless plugs, I’ll plug myself right now with a link to my own Twitter right here. Most importantly, for a great example of the best way to leverage a collection of social media networks, I’d encourage you to check out Matter’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

    OK, we’ll stop asking.

    Do you follow any businesses, organizations or brands that unexpectedly have a sneaky good social media channel? Let us know who it is and why its great in the comments section.

     

     

    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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  • PR: Is Proximity Relative?

    As the newest team member at Matter Communications in Portland, OR, I take time to reflect on the words of one of the most influential voices of my generation to help make my transition as seamless as possible:

    “When opportunity knocks, you better let him in. Sit him on down and try to be his friend.”

    I’ve taken Coolio’s words to heart during my first month with Matter and the weeks leading up to my start date. Yes, Coolio AND the Space Jam soundtrack referenced in my first Matter Chatter.  I stick by my “most influential” claim. #noregrets.

    Throughout my career, I’ve been a part of numerous PR campaigns ranging from basic US-based media relations to global product launches and reviews. I’ve worked in agencies on the east and west coasts and have come across opportunities with clients down the street and half way around the world.

    Many times, potential clients, who are not necessarily within driving range of the office, will question the reliability or ability of an agency to meet their needs. Are time zones really that big of an issue? Of course, it may be inconvenient to be in our Portland office on a call at 6AM, but if the work is done satisfactory and in a timely manner, should that be an issue?

    Whether we like to admit it, a PR professional is on call at all times. In this day and age of constant connectivity, do the miles really make a difference? Will a potential client in the Bay Area pass over the most qualified or affordable agency if they’re not in San Francisco? Will a Seattle company be more content with an agency headquartered in Newburyport, MA who has an office down I-5 in Portland?

    Matter is the second bi-coastal agency on my resume and I’ve seen the time zone bias play on numerous occasions. But with that, I’ve also been on a 7AM call with European contacts. The work gets done, clients are happy and we’ll occasionally get a good night’s rest!

    When it’s all said and done, I think the experience, willingness to adjust and success of a company should be the ultimate measure of a deal. Hey, there’s always a seat on the red eye if the clients back east want to thank you for your work in person!

    There are so many opportunities out there to increase the success of your campaign, but to a PR professional “home” is wherever you can connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot. We can make it happen on the road during a trade show, in the office or on the couch at midnight. If the opportunity to develop a communications plan for a company outside of your city limits arises, reinforce the quality of work rather than your ability to take them out to lunch!

    Seth Buchwalter, Senior Account Executive, Portland, OR

    Matter

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