• PR Real Talk: Trade Show Execution – What's Working, What's Not?

    Today, we’re talking about industry trade shows. From the months of preparation to the perfect storm that is: HIMSS, CES, RSA, etc., a lot of time, effort and money goes into creating a successful trade show experience for both your team and your clients. As communication professionals, it’s our job to help our clients develop meaningful relationships with media and analysts, at and around these events. Despite the many advances in digital communications, trade shows remain very important opportunities for that oh so valuable face time that journalists love so very much.

    Trade shows have become one of the cornerstones of any successful PR program. Chances are pretty good that any PR vet you talk to will have some heroic battle story about the time they did 78 briefings at CES, or HIMSS, or wherever. Because trade shows have been integral to PR for so long, they suffer from a very real threat of the – “because that’s how we’ve always done it syndrome.”  Good public relations requires evolution and the ongoing questioning of everything. Are we releasing the most interesting announcement we can at this show? Does our presence at the show have value in the eyes of the media and industry at large?

    A few Matter Communications folks had the opportunity to attend and view a live Twitter chat (#HITMC) last week week led by John Lynn, a well-known and highly respected healthcare journalist and entrepreneur. Co-hosted alongside a communications agency based in Georgia, John discussed what works when meeting with media, tips for engaging editors, and thoughts around press releases at HIMSS. While the chat was healthcare-focused, many of the points brought up can be applied to a wide variety (if not all) of our clients, particularly those that attend the largest trade shows and face the goring challenge of breaking through the noise and finding value.

    A DYING TRADE? OR AN EVOLUTION?

    One topic that raised a few key takeaways is around the continuous battle of the press release. A continuous stable (or base) of each client announcement that has rendered suspicion over the years. Is it really dead? A majority of the PR pros at Matter and across the industry will agree that no, the press release hasn’t died. While the press release is still alive and well, it is not the same tool that it once was, thus our approach may need to be reevaluated. A few of the participants of the #HITMC chat noted that sending out press releases are best done at least one or two weeks prior to HIMSS (or other major conferences), versus right before. This allows the reporter to read and fully digest the material, and provides them an extended time to be able to ask questions prior to meeting your client at the show. Other participants raved about the type of content we are feeding them within our press releases; making it relevant, interesting and NEW. Here are a few examples:

    DATA, DATA, DATA

    Another topic that arose during the chat, and one we’re well aware of, is the media’s insatiable appetite for data. We always ask for it from clients, as reporters really do value hard and fast numbers that support or bolster the stories we are telling on behalf of our clients. Third party validation and data are undoubtedly one of the key ingredients to make our clients stand out amongst their competitors.

    During the next conversation with your client, and if it aligns with your current campaign and overall messaging, ask your client if he/she has any updated case studies or data they have gathered internally. If not, maybe that brings up another conversation about conducting a survey to gather that data. Aside from becoming great pitching fodder for your team, data can lend itself to other assets we love as PR pros such as infographics, info-stamps and even gifographics. Data can provide that extra level of expertise your client is always looking to portray to its customers, industry influencers and the media.

    IN SUMMARY

    When it comes to large conferences, there are always lessons to be learned as you come out of the show. As trusted partners to your clients, it is important to understand and recognize when you need to revisit a certain tactic or approach when planning for conferences large or small. Always be on the lookout for industry intel on what the media wants and how well your proposed strategies and tactics are working. When it comes to PR planning and development the need for evolution is the only constant. To set yourself apart and to really be seen by your clients as a trusted advisor, keep an eye out for the next Twitter chat or take an opportunity to simply ask a journalist what they want. This desire to understand your audience and the state of your industry will help you to set yourself apart from the PR flacks at the trade show, who continue to simply do the same things they’ve always done.

    What other tips do you have when developing a trade show plan? Share yours below!

    Matter

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  • 3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    At year’s end, most video production houses should be recapping their latest and greatest work into a short video for the world to see. Also known as the “sizzle reel,” this video showcases said video house’s best work and truly provides good insight into the group’s production value, quality, aesthetics, and knowledge in industry. This best-of-the-best video is ultimately edited very intentionally to project or parallel the type/style of video the House wants to be creating in the future, so I’m offering some tips of what to look for when watching a video house’s sizzle reel. If you’re a B2C or B2B content marketer or business in need of a video and researching production houses, keep an eye on these key elements within a sizzle reel:

    1. Production Value

    A simple quality control check, ask yourself this question: does this look good to me? From drones to jibs and image stabilizers to dollys and sliders, there’s nearly an infinite amount of production gear readily available to video producers to create dynamic video that help craft your story and detail your message. A professional video house should be using ALL of them, and not resting on the laurels of any given one. The sizzle reel should exemplify all facets of production tools and techniques. And two major things that are equally as important as the video quality are the lighting and audio. Lighting sets the tone and mood of the picture so working beyond just natural lighting is important. And many splashy sizzle reels tend to omit audio clips and soundbites, choosing to let the music bed do the talking, but we all know that audio can make or break a video so it’s important to provide examples of professionalism.

    After these essential fundamentals, it’s important to dive a little deeper and acknowledge the editing choices and techniques showcased in the sizzle reel. Shot selection in a sizzle reel is important to acknowledge because every video editor should be very deliberate in any video project; each shot should tell it’s own story in some way. In a sizzle reel, each shot should highlight some facet of the video house’s production value: camera movement, framing, lighting, audio, video coverage type, and/or industry knowledge. Lastly, bonus points for advanced editing techniques such as timelapses, transitions, overlays, color grading, motion graphics, animation, etc.

    2. Industry Knowledge

    In a 1-to-2 minute sizzle reel, there’s plenty of opportunity to showcase one’s expertise in any particular industry. Especially when, to reiterate, the sizzle reel is a video house’s opportunity to present the type of work they want to be doing. As a content marketer, it’s important when reviewing a sizzle reel to note what type(s) of industry said video house has produced work with/for because each has it’s own opportunities and challenges. Primarily working with an industry that’s based mostly outdoors vs. working indoors is probably the most obvious, but others include: product vs. service, people vs. places, and action vs. static.

    Working with a creative services group that’s in-house of a PR and social media agency offers a wide berth of industry perspective and knowledge that ultimately translates cross-businesses. Not being stuck in just one industry can open up possibilities for how you look at other projects, and allows for fresh perspectives as well as best practices when creating different types of videos.

    3. Story-telling

    A video house’s expertise can fall under any number of arenas: company explainers, thought leadership, company or product launches, testimonials, recruitment, lifestyle, event coverage, social media, live broadcasting, etc. And obviously a sizzle-reel is a compilation of many such individual stories. But it’s important that the sizzle reel should tell a story within itself as well. A content marketer should be able to watch the sizzle reel and have a good understanding of the video house’s service offerings as well as the expertise they can bring to the table.

    If you’re a content marketer who plans to produce engaging and compelling video, we’d love to brainstorm your ideas. What types of video do you intend to create? Check our Agency Reel:

     

    Tim Bradley

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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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  • Pitch Please!

    Pitch Please!

    The art of the pitch – it can be delicate and precise like threading a needle, to something much more direct and forceful, like demolishing a wall with a sledge hammer. Regardless of your style, if you are going to get into PR, you should enjoy breaking down the walls and building relationships with the media. As PR Snoop Dogg (Snoop Lion does not exist to me) would put it, pitch please!

    I am by no means a vet, but as the months and years roll on it seems as though I am seeing increasing hesitancy from younger PR pros to hit send, or even, dare I say it, pick up the phone. I don’t want to be too sweeping here or condemning, there are definitely those younger folks who are hungry for media interaction, and also ready for it – kudos to you!

    Disclaimer aside, for those considering joining the PR ranks or those just getting started, the pitch is where it’s at. In my experience, there is not much in the course of an average day that is more rewarding or exciting then breaking through to a top tier publication or journalist, and getting them to see things your / your client’s way. It is like a dance of give and take, and whether or not it seems like it at the time, as the PR pro you are always leading.

    I like to think that I have a pretty good track record with the media, and while I don’t believe in a set equation for landing a story, there are definitely some pitch tactics that I have come to love and those I have grown to hate. Homework is perhaps the most important. Get to know the journalist, reference a recent article, and maybe even check them out on social media. Who knows what you may have in common that could serve as an ice breaker. It sounds corny and maybe even creepy, but see where they are geographically – what’s been big in the news there recently, maybe sports or weather – all it takes is one reply or one answered phone and your door is open.

    Once you have done your homework, you can and must be confident when you pitch – confidence is paramount. Insecurity rings out over the phone, it bleeds from your words in an email and it diminishes your credibility, making you harder to listen to. A journalist or editor from, oh say Bloomberg for example, will sniff out an ill-informed, insecure PR pro in an instant, and shut them down just as quickly. This can be very unpleasant – but it is important not to be shaken, to learn from it and move on to the next target.

    It is also very important to always remember that journalists are people – TALK TO THEM LIKE PEOPLE. Though they hold the keys to something you want, you are both just people who go home at the end of the day and do the same things that all people do. It is important to both give respect, but also earn and demand it back. All this said, conversation can’t and shouldn’t always be about shop, niceties like – “have a good weekend!” or “I hope you have been well since we last spoke!” – go surprisingly far.

    As Bill Gates so eloquently put it back in 1996, “content is king.” While many debate this stance in a world filled with more and more screens, and constantly increasing stimuli, I still think the sentiment rings true for a PR pitch. With that said, leave the marketing speak at the door! How do you expect to cut through an inbox with hundreds of other pitches when you sound like a pre-programmed Teddy Ruxpin spewing marketing rhetoric? Don’t copy and paste from that white paper or case study because it is easy and you need to send out 25 pitches today, just don’t do it – they’ll know – and your pitch will join many others just like it in the trash. Focus on your subject line; it is your first line of attack and often your only chance of getting through. Up-level your story and make it instantly interesting and attention grabbing; do this in seven words or less and you will cut through the noise, more often than not.

    Finally, “no” or “not now” are not always as cut and dry as they may seem. If you feel that you have a story that is just too good of a fit to simply let die at the hands of an editor who might not have even read or listened to your whole pitch, then don’t be afraid to push back. Do so very carefully and at your own risk, but often it is safe to say, “I appreciate your feedback, what about this angle,” or, “are you sure that you considered this piece of the story, it just really seems like a good fit.” It is scary and a bit risky, but believe me sometimes a well-informed argument works, and you come out the other side with a great story and a new level of respect from the journalist. At the very least you will not likely be forgotten anytime soon.

    These are just some little tips and tricks that I have learned over the course of thousands of pitches, hundreds of pieces of secured coverage and quite a few denials – you can take them or leave them. Perhaps what is most important it to develop your own set of guidelines, keep track of what works and what doesn’t, and build your repertoire of best pitching practices. Tips and tactics aside, you have to be in it to win it, so pitch please!

    Ryan Lilly

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  • A Farmer's Instinct to Crisis

    Me with one of our pigs; 1973

    Here at the Matter Chatter blog, we talk about all things public relations, marketing, and communications, so I’m going to talk about baby ducks and apple pie.

    I grew up on a farm in Vermont. As any farmer will tell you, it’s a place of great wonder and great tragedy — and of course, the realities of what you do as a farmer. (Let’s just say as a child, I learned quickly not to give the cows names.)

    Wonder arrives with baby farm animals. There’s nothing quite like watching eleven piglets swarm the pasture (yes, they got out), or the determined look on a young calf’s face as he wills his legs to work for the first time.

    And then there were the baby ducks. My family and I painted a wooden dog house and filled it with hay to give the ducks a warm home near the pond where they swam. We spent hours with them, laughing as they’d fall in line behind us, following us wherever we went. It was the living version of Make Way For Ducklings.

    Life was not all hay and pitchforks, however. Our family loved going to the movies, and on one such August night, while we were enjoying the latest Bond film circa 1973, the temperature dropped to an unusually low temperature. When we returned home, my mother put an apple pie in the oven, and my brother and I ran down to the pond to check on the baby ducks.

    To our horror, the ducks had washed up on shore; from all appearances, they were dead. Their feathers had not yet developed the protective oil that allows adult ducks to swim in cold water, and they succumbed while we were away. Tears and calls for help led my father to the scene. Without a pause, he scooped up the ducklings in his arms. Rushing to the kitchen, he yelled for my mother to pull the apple pie out of the oven. Out came the pie and in went the ducks, wrapped in a kitchen towel.

    Within minutes, the chirp, chirp, chirp of baby ducks filled the kitchen. They were fine. They lived a long and happy life. The apple pie was tossed in the pig trough, half-baked and soggy.

    I don’t know what made my dad think about the warmth of the oven, I just know he did. And as PR practitioners, we’re often filled with that gut instinct to do something outside the normal methodology, to the benefit of our clients.

    There are tried and true methods when it comes to crises communications, and volumes of pages dedicated to plans, procedures, and protocols. And then there are the things that come from instinct, a farmer’s instinct. Perhaps from something you’ve experienced before or even something you can’t quite recall, like the fact ducks can lower their body temperatures to a near hibernation-like state, and revive fully when warmed. Don’t ignore that instinct. You may have to throw out the apple pie, but it will be worth it. 

    Matter

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  • Tips for Keeping Up with the Fast Pace of PR

    Tips for Keeping Up with the Fast Pace of PR

    The PR industry has changed rapidly in the past 10 years. On one hand, technology has made our lives easier by providing us with instant access to information and new forms of communication. On the other hand, it makes your head spin. (more…)

    Matter

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  • Merry metrics

    This time of year is brutal.

    We’ve hit Reality Check Season here at Matter. In addition to the regular, end-of-year PR stresses of chasing reporters and stories, staying on top of the latest holiday trends, and planning for the New Year ahead, we fine PR pros subject ourselves to something called metrics. (more…)

    Matter

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  • Meeting in person

    Last week, I was reminded of how much I value in-person meetings. My team and I met with long-standing client Lexar for the purpose of planning our program for the year ahead. While we’ve been working as an extension of Lexar’s dynamite marketing team for some time – and we’ve been informed and aligned throughout the relationship – the opportunity to collaborate first-hand and overcome planning challenges together during a working session was the key to a successful process. (more…)

    Scott Signore

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