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Last week, news broke in TIME Magazine about the extreme rise in the number of pregnancies at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, MA. For a school of 1,200, the 17 pregnancies this year - more than four times the number from last year - definitely came as a shock. Who or what was to blame? Naturally, people blamed movies like Juno and Knocked Up, but others claimed these girls were in admiration of a school-mate who had a baby as a freshman.
However, the real shock came when the high school principal, Joseph Sullivan, commented to the TIME reporter that several of the girls had done this on purpose as part of a "pact." According to a related Associated Press article, Sullivan was quoted by TIME as saying, "That bump [in the number of pregnancies] was because of seven or eight sophomore girls. They made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together."
What's more disturbing than the possibility of these girls actually making such a pact? The possibility that no such pact existed, and that Mr. Sullivan may have spoken incorrectly to a national media outlet.
The city's mayor, Carolyn Kirk, is now publicly denouncing the rumors, telling the Associated Press, "any planned blood-oath bond to become pregnant -- there is absolutely no evidence of." Apparently, when asked by the Superintendent about how he came to believe a pact existed, Sullivan was "foggy in his memory."
This story is tragic for the pregnant teens, the unborn children, the parents and Mr. Sullivan's career. There is also a great PR lesson to be learned. Whatever you say to the media is fair game, so if you don't want it published and you don't have all the facts, it's best to keep it to yourself.
We are constantly working to get our clients positive media exposure and this includes securing interviews with radio, television and print outlets all over the world. Before an interview, we're sure to let our clients know not to divulge any information they are not comfortable sharing with the world, or that is not completely fact-based... a lesson that has been clearly demonstrated in Gloucester.
We can assume that Mr. Sullivan clearly did not get any media coaching - or did he? One has to look at the district superintendent and school board in this situation - did they really not offer any advice or direction on what message he should convey, or was this a planned cop-out to take the focus off the school? What do you think?
We understand that it's important to see a return on the investment of a campaign and prospective clients often ask us about how a PR campaign's effectiveness can be measured. We're always working with our clients to help them connect the dots - correlating media placements to web traffic and, ultimately, sales.
Today, we proved the power of PR to ourselves. Our friend Wayne with Gear Diary, who recently posted about Tanita's KD-400, brought another cool product to our attention today. When my colleague Katie at BLASToutdoors in San Francisco passed on a recent post of Wayne's about a "unique" desk organizer, I knew it would be the perfect complement to her San Fran desk. As soon as I completed my order to have one shipped to her, Katie let me know that she just ordered two! Ah, the power of PR! Who says you can't link media coverage to sales?
If you'd like one of these desk organizers for yourself, head on over to Stupid.com.
BLASTmedia and BLAST Outdoors' clients run the gamut when it comes to the latest and greatest tech products. It seems like every time I turn around, we're bringing on a new and exciting client. One of the best perks of working at Blast is getting to try out the cool stuff around the office! So when word spread that I would be leaving this week to be a camp counselor down in Bedford, IN, the girls in the San Fran office hooked me up with some great camping gear! Now I'm ready to head to camp with my Coghlan's Headlight, Cliplight and Micro Lantern and SmartShield eco-friendly combo sunscreen and insect repellent. Check me out with all my cool gear in the great outdoors!
It's no secret that PR practitioners have a love/hate relationship with the media and vice versa. Right now, CBS is at the top of my favorites. CBS purchased a full page ad in the New York Times today honoring longtime NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert. CBS - nice job of putting network rivalries aside and doing the right thing. Our thoughts are with Tim's family, friends and colleagues as they lay him to rest today.
At BLAST, we pride ourselves on helping our clients sell products. Nothing makes us happier than to have a client tell us that their sales are through the roof because of the national media coverage we secured. This month, one of our clients had a big win and was featured in the top four national consumer publications in their industry. kickTrak was highlighted in the current issues of Fit Pregnancy, Pregnancy, American Baby and Pregnancy & Newborn. For us, PR is all about results starting week one - rather than spending months simply strategizing. From Day One of client campaigns, we're on the phones with our editorial contacts making top-tier media coverage happen! What's the point of PR without media results, and ultimately, sales?
A full page about kickTrak and the importance of kick counting in Pregnancy & Newborn:
Our clients range from established companies with $100mm plus in sales to start-ups with only a few employees. We are firm believers that every company should take advantage of PR, whether done in-house or through an agency. PR is an extremely cost-effective way to reach target audiences with the right message, and PR can have a big impact on sales if executed strategically. But, how do you know what to look for in a PR agency?
I came across a great video from Inc. Magazine that provides some good tips for start-ups when considering PR - but large companies should also pay attention. The first tip that is suggested is to find a PR firm your own size. I think this holds true for start-ups, who typically don't have the budget for a global agency or want to feel like they are getting more personal attention with a boutique firm. However, some large companies "go big" when they could have gone small for the same impact. Established companies go for the big dogs when looking for an agency - those with impressive client rosters and huge campaign teams. Having worked for the largest global PR firm before joining BLAST, I know what companies sometimes get vs. what they pay for when it comes to large agencies.
Large agencies are great if you are a company looking for strategic planning, big ideas, focus groups, event planning and media coverage all thrown into one for a large monthly retainer. However, some big companies are just looking for solid media coverage and could do without all of the other stuff. It is these companies that overlook agencies like BLAST because of our size - but I would put our client coverage against any global agency month after month. Since we only focus on media relations, we do it extremely well and have close relationships with the press. Large companies could get fantastic media coverage for a fraction of the retainer, but too often think they have to "go big" in order to get great PR.
Tip No. 2 is Know Your Message. I meet countless entrepreneurs at various industry events, parties and trade shows - all extremely excited about their venture but cautious about spending money on PR....and rightfully so, because they can't explain their business! Unless you can tell me in 10 seconds or less what your product/service is and why it is unique, you're probably not ready for PR. If you, the CEO, can't concisely communicate what it is you do, then your employees likely can't either. And, as PR people, we must have clear and concise messages about your product/service to share with the press. While we can certainly help you create key messages, all people in the organization must have a clear message when communicating to the public (media, analysts, venture capitalists, etc.) before embarking on a national PR campaign. Once that single message is defined, we can help you mold it to appeal to different audiences.
Building a foundation is the third tip, but this again applies to both large and small companies. One would assume that multi-million dollar companies would have strong Web sites and collateral - but man, have we seen some crap Web sites from established companies. With all of the Web design talent out there looking for work, there is no excuse for having a poor Web site. It is likely the first place people go to learn about your company, so make sure it's a good first impression. If your site hasn't been updated in the past year - find someone who can do it for you.
Tip No. 4 suggests spending money on a PR campaign that strategically will make the most impact. Want to know the public opinion about your brand/product? Hire a firm that can execute a focus group or survey for you. Are you looking to host a major event/PR stunt to get a lot of attention? Hire a firm that is great at event planning and media execution of it. Is your goal to get in front of your target audiences on a national level to help drive sales? Hire BLASTmedia.
Lastly, make sure you are talking to everyone and anyone about your product/company. YOU are your best PR, so take advantage of networking functions, trade events, holiday cocktail parties, whatever - you never know who you will meet that might be able to help your business in some way.
These are just a few suggestions for companies who are thinking about PR or looking for an agency. Whatever agency you choose, be sure to hold them accountable for media coverage results every month - we expect it from our account reps and you should, too!
Advertising is a billion dollar industry in the U.S. - and is an industry that seems to get more creative by the day. This morning, an ad was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer and on the newspaper's Web site advertising Derrie-Air, "the world's only carbon-neutral luxury airline" that charges passengers by their weight. As the company's policy states: the more you weigh, the more you pay. It turns out that this was all a hoax, and was simply a test by the Philadelphia Media Holdings company to see what kind of traffic they could drive to www.flyderrie-air.com.
Philadelphia Media Holdings spokesman Jay Devine said the goal of the campaign was to "demonstrate the power of our brands in generating awareness and generating traffic for our advertisers, and put a smile on people's faces."
This is certainly one way to get people's attention - but I have to wonder - did it work? Yes - I'm sure it put a smile on a lot of people's faces when they realized it was a joke. However, the interesting thing about this advertising tactic is the media coverage it has received so far, and continues to receive. The ad ran this morning, and already, the Associated Press has written an article linking to the fictitious site. So, when the Philadelphia Media Holdings company goes to prove to their advertisers the "power of their brands," aren't they really going to be proving the power of PR? Clearly, a lot of money, time and effort went into the making of this campaign, but how are they going to factor in the traffic and awareness that the media coverage generated for them? I would venture to guess that a good portion of the visitors that come to the Derrie-Air site are from other states, even other countries. I'm sure that Philadelphia Media Holdings will attempt to prove to their advertisers that they are the best way to get in front of their desired audience. But in the end - it goes to show the power of good old-fashioned media coverage.
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
~Charles Darwin~
Find the audience and get the message in front of them in a manner they want to receive it. On the surface, that seems like fairly easy marching orders. Peel it back a bit and you'll understand why companies hire PR agencies.
I speak to many young PR pros and they all seem to think they are on top of Social Media, Web 2.0..blah, blah, blah. PR Week even focused this week's issue on Digital Media with a panel of PR Pros spouting off about the new frontier of digital media. Folks, it ain't new! We've been following/influencing bloggers and social media for over 2 years now. Tell us something we don't know!
Our clients don't care their audience is hanging out on Pownce, Twitter or FriendFeed. Our clients are worried about getting their product to market on time, opening new sales channels and managing the day-to-day rigors of their business. They need their PR Agency (or PR team) to help drive sales. In order to drive sales, PR Pros have to find the audience and call them to action.
Web 2.0 (I really disdain that term) and Social Media have indeed opened the door for PR Pros to explore many new ways of getting in front of your client's audience. Some "ways" are better than others, and GREAT PR Pros understand how to use Social Media as a powerful PR Tool.
As a professional PR practitioner, today's media rich environment has never been more exciting -and it has never been more challenging. Juggling the demands of multiple clients is hard enough as a PR rep. Mixing in the demands of trying to follow a fickle audience traverse the web is equally as challenging. What separates good PR folks from GREAT PR folks is the ability to influence "the target audience du-jour" NOW. Not tomorrow, not next week and certainly not "when the product lands on the shelf"....NOW. In my experience, leveraging Social Media is the quickest and most powerful way to accomplish this.
What worked yesterday to identify that audience and get in front of them may not work today or tomorrow. What are you trying differently to identify and influence that audience? What new avenues are you going to turn down today to see whose hanging out on the corner? Great PR people choose to make those turns everyday.
.......Find the audience and get the message in front of them in a manner they want it delivered....that's my definition of Social Media (some things never change).
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