• Matter Reaches 500 Hours of Volunteerism!

    Matter Reaches 500 Hours of Volunteerism!

    “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” – Arthur Ashe

    I am excited to share that the talented professionals here at Matter have reached their objective of dedicating more than 500 hours of volunteer time to worthy entities and initiatives across five offices nationwide.

    Since the start of the year our dynamite staff served meals at homeless shelters in Boston, Boulder and Newburyport, provided books to needy children in Portland, worked with the Ronald McDonald House in Providence, and all offices walked in “awareness events” for a worthy cause. And that’s just the beginning: on a monthly basis our team has been a force of goodwill by delivering on their promise to give back – and having their time as working professionals be even more meaningful. They’ve rolled-up their sleeves and got things done, and I am tremendously proud.

    We launched our Helping Hands initiative at the end of last year, and it has been embraced with gusto by employees who want to collaborate outside of the office in the spirit of making a meaningful impact on the world around them. In most cases, the monthly event in each office has a waiting list of participants from so many generous volunteers eager to participate. I am so grateful for the willingness the staff has shown to sacrifice both professional and personal time to give back to the communities that we care so much about. Please join me, in tipping my hat to this kind and tremendously generous crowd.

    People in need matter. Helping hands matter.

    Scott Signore

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  • Spring Cleaning in the PR World

    The sun is shining here in New England, so there’s hope that the spring season has finally arrived. And, with warm weather and sunny skies comes the thought of spring cleaning – getting the things around you in order so you can make the most of every day. Here are a few tips for corporate-side public relations managers who may want to seize the season and evaluate their current PR agency team and the program they execute:

    First, it’s a good time to audit your PR and social media team’s results against the metrics established at the start of the program. (Frankly, it’s always a good time to do this type of review!) You developed the metrics in concert with your business objectives, so you should take a close look at exactly how your communications program is contributing to your business success.

    Second, it’s also a good time to look at the various components of your program. Do you have a good volume of creative elements that strengthen your message and help you tell your story visually? Or, do you need to do more to get the attention of your key audiences? Remember, more than 90 percent of B2B marketers and 75 percent of B2C companies employ valuable visual content as part of their communications mix. Why? Because it drives revenue. That’s a pretty compelling reason.

    Third, take a look at the team supporting your business – are they still coming to the table with high energy and creative ideas? Are they asking the right questions and helping you to strengthen your story before it gets out to the market? In general, are they pumped to be working on your behalf? Your agency team members are representatives of your organization, and your expectations of energy and enthusiasm should be met. If not, it may be time to consider an alternative.

    Fourth, do you have a plan in place to best exploit the results of the team? Leveraging media successes helps any organization get the best ROI on their initiative, and pausing to determine if you are supporting the sales team appropriately is a smart thing to do. In addition to helping these folks to succeed in their job, you have a more convincing way to justify your agency spend.

    And, finally, dig down into your organization’s story-telling – and poke holes so the media doesn’t take that step first! Evaluate the always-changing market and solidify your key messages with new facts that support your positioning. And, seriously consider media training for the spokespeople who are active contributors to your program, as the message is only as clear as the way it is delivered!

    What other steps should we take this time of year?

    Scott Signore

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  • 3 PR Lessons from a Taylor Swift Concert and the CrossFit Games

    To observe an elite star at the height of his or her powers can be vexing or inspiring. I suppose that’s why there are Instagram posts and coffee mugs to remind us all that Beyoncé also operates in a day with 24 hours – whether we’re meant to feel bad about ourselves or determined to do more is a matter of perspective. This weekend, I watched two different types of stars at the pinnacle of their games: Taylor Swift and the athletes of the CrossFit Games. And, yes, I swear this post is not total clickbait.

    On Saturday night, along with 60,000 other #Swifties at Gillette Stadium, my ticket was scanned, my LED bracelet adorned my wrist and my eyes were fixed on the 1989 Tour. What struck me more than the manic jubilation of the mainly tween crowd was the incredible precision and care given to every set piece, light, costume and word spoken on stage. As a longtime fan who admittedly cringed at some early live performances, it was impossible to ignore what a pro Swift has become since her teen years – from her voice to her command of the stage and crowd.

    https://instagram.com/p/5le9Lko0V_/

    The rest of the weekend, aside from summiting a “mountain” and grabbing brunch with friends, found me on the couch, keeping up with the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games. Like 270,000 other CrossFitters, I competed in the CrossFit Opens this year and, needless to say, was a few Kettlebell swings and muscle-ups short of qualifying for Carson. During the Individual Men’s Snatch Speed Ladder, Elijah Muhammad failed on his first attempt at the final Olympic lift, and 200+ pounds crashed down on his head and back – a scary sight so I’ll spare you the link. Rather than quit, Muhammad composed himself, returned to the bar and hit the lift.

    So, does any of this pertain to PR, or is this just a thinly veiled ploy to tell the world I’m a CrossFitter who likes Taylor Swift and wants more Instagram followers? The answer to both questions is yes.

    Here are three things I’m taking to work from my weekend of stargazing:

    1. Details Matter: Whether timing pyrotechnics, crafting the right pitch for the right target, tracking coverage or pulling statistics, any campaign or PR program is only as good as the sum of its well-choreographed parts. Take time to be precise and accurate before you hit send.
    1. Progress Matters: While it’s critical to be mindful of the small stuff and not to rest too long on your laurels, pull back when you can and make note of how far a program has come, as well as your own personal development as a PR pro, colleague, friend, athlete, pop star. You may be surprised.
    1. Perseverance Matters: It hopefully won’t feel like a heavy barbell to the head, but PR is full of failures and rejection. How you react to those disappointments will determine your success. When a pitch doesn’t click or a campaign concept gets dismissed, refocus and get back at it.

     

     

     

    Matter

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  • How Doing Good in Online Video Can Help Your Brand Do Well

     

    I find all too often that companies are using online video as a means to hammer home their services, products, values, and messaging- and just that. We all know the stats about how video is an engaging way to showcase what your business can do, but unless you’re the creator of an exciting new consumer tech product or are offering a deal that’s almost too good to be true, who is going to share your visual message with their friends? In a digital world where social media is king, you need to be continuously thinking about the connection your video is making to basic human emotions. I believe that these philanthropic initiative videos have incredible shareability.

    There seems to be a trend we’ve been noticing here in the office where videos that showcase a brand’s effort to do good in its community are able to trigger that warm and fuzzy feeling to its audience. I think brands need to stop thinking of Facebook feeds as a place where it can just upload glorified TV commercials, with hopes that people will flock to its website and buy more stuff. Taking a stance on a social issue and contributing to a good cause is equally or maybe more powerful. Notice how in the Tim Horton’s video they never mention how inexpensive the coffee is, or how good the muffins taste? Sammy the Explorer never talks about how Hurley’s surfboards are going to help you ride out that wave that is 10 feet overhead. They just want you to see that they’re making an effort to brighten an unsuspecting person’s day, or make the world a better place.

    I think a company should first think about who are its consumers, and what they care about. Do they care about the environment? Poverty? Then, create a video that showcases how your initiative affects people; how it makes them feel. It is crucial to focus on the emotions of the people in the video, without littering it with your company’s logo and branding. Even at the end, directing the audience to a microsite where they can learn more about your cause seems to be the way to go. Just don’t try and sell them anything just yet.

    My main takeaway from these volunteering/philanthropic brand videos is that it’s equally as effective to win people through their hearts, and not necessarily the lowest price point or clever slogan. Make viewers feel good on the inside, and they’ll be forever yours.

    Matter

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  • From NBPT to PDX: The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication

    A bi-coastal, cross-office exchange program – how cool is that? With the importance of office culture always top-of-mind at Matter Communications, a program was created wherein each month two professionals from our East Coast locations are offered the opportunity to visit our new Portland, OR location. The goal: foster work relationships and encourage collaboration.

    Sarah Ellis and myself were recently (and fortunately) selected for the trip, and it was a blast. Exploring the sites and sounds (and eats) of a new city is always reinvigorating for the soul. Pairing that with new and/or improved work relationships was a true reminder of how fun and fulfilling working at Matter can be. Since I’m more of a visual guy, I created a short video essay to describe the trip:
    https://vimeo.com/97553022

    #PDXMatters

     

     

    Tim Bradley

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  • Great Places to Work Matter

    Matter Communications was named among the Boston Business Journal’s 2012 “Best Places to Work.” That’s a big deal to us, because our employees nominated the company, and it was their surveys that won us the honor. We all work hard and also take the time to make our work environment supportive, creative and fun! There was plenty to see at the BBJ’s breakfast honoring all the winners: (more…)

    Tim Bradley

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  • Running for a goal

    There are so many worthy (and non-worthy-but-still-interesting) topics I could cover in my post today:  from the Grammys to Egypt, the iPhone on Verizon to Donald Trump’s run for the Oval Office in 2012. And these are but a few. (more…)

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  • Team Players

    Over the last few days, some of Matter’s employees (myself included) have been working on a special project that needed some last-minute great results. As I was making a few well-placed phone calls today, I realized that the way we approached the project really set us up for success. (more…)

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  • (I’ll) Never Walk Alone

    In November 2006, I came to my first in-person interview at Matter in a state of high excitement: not only had a preliminary phone interview led me to believe that I had found my dream PR agency, but it was the first time I’d donned heels and lipstick in over a month. My husband and I had welcomed our son to the world in late September, and I was in that stage of near-delirium produced by lack of sleep combined with incredible responsibility and commensurate happiness that any parents reading this will find familiar. (more…)

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  • I almost forgot. Eight heads are better than one.

    Last week I was reminded of the real benefits of a very simple PR tool– one that we’ve all used in many shapes and forms: brainstorming. Sure, sure, we’ve all read about, talked about and participated in brainstorming, likely many times in our lives; but how often do we really sit down for a good, old-fashioned brainstorming session? It’s all too easy to let this type of creative collaboration go by the wayside, as we keep up with our day-to-day tasks and whittle away at our to-do lists. (more…)

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