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How to Leverage the Changing PR Landscape in Your Brand Marketing

changing PR

Back in the day, public relations consisted primarily of press releases, articles in the daily newspaper and magazines, TV and radio spots, and a quarter-page section in the Sunday paper.

But today it’s a different world. Technology has given brands the ability to connect with potential customers in much broader ways than ever before and develop a much more integrated approach through various communications channels. 

The PESO model (paid, earned, shared and owned media), identified by Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks, gives us the opportunity to grow brands in a thoughtful, controlled way. Even better? The results are measurable at all points in the process, from beginning the awareness-building process, through the final purchase. 

Paid Media

Facebook and Google ads, paid amplification, pay-per-click campaigns, sponsored influencer partnerships and print ads are all channels to get your content in front of as many people as possible in a relatively short period.

Paid media can be used effectively to reach new audiences that may not have been considered before. And a key benefit is that you have complete control at all times over your content, your budget, and even your audience. 

Try amplifying select pieces of your content, and test to see which performs best. If you don’t like how your content performs, you can always adjust to suit your needs.

Earned Media

Many older media tactics still have a place in this new PR landscape, especially in the earned category. This is where articles in publications like USA Today, Forbes, or the Wall Street Journal, as well as on radio and TV shows can boost your brand. 

But it’s not just the staff journalists at those traditional publications who can give a shout out to your brand. 

Everyone has a voice today, including the staggering number of bloggers and influencers who generate online content. They can be much easier to reach through Twitter or their own blog. Even traditional reporters can be reached via their Twitter handles. And a mention on Twitter from a business reporter on HuffPost or the New York Times can be just as valuable as a full-blown article in a print publication.

Shared Media

This is where things have really changed for marketers, and definitely to your brand’s advantage. Social media has rewritten the playbook on gaining exposure for a brand. In addition to sharing your news in real time through boosted posts, you can also enjoy the free organic reach that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social platforms provide.

YouTube, Facebook Live, and Instagram Stories allow brands and influencers to connect with their audiences and share information in real time. More effectively too, as Facebook users typically spend three times as much time watching a live video as reading a regular post.

Owned Media

Perhaps the most significant change to the PR landscape in the past decade is the ability to live on the web and own your content. Search engines can now lead prospective buyers straight to your website, where your blogs, videos, eBooks, new releases, and podcasts all reside. 

With owned media, you have absolute control over what is published, when, and how often. You can also control shared media from this space, pushing your published content to your social channels to drive more traffic to your site. 

There are some drawbacks, so make sure your content doesn’t sound like corporate marketing speak instead of more objective and interesting storytelling.

And because PR is no longer just about the written word, it’s essential that you visually showcase your brand as well. It will be far more interesting to your end consumer, and your visuals will make the media stories about your brand much more interesting. 

Ultimately, nothing has changed, and yet everything is different. We’re still telling brand stories, communicating the benefits of products and services, and reaching out to consumers to let them know we understand their challenges.

Not every media type will fit into every PR or marketing program. But the media landscape will continue to shift, and new trends will come on the scene. 

It’s our job to continue to be diligent in our research, remain flexible in our approach – and always be open to new ways for sharing our stories in a way that positively connects with our audiences.  

If you need help navigating the new PR and marketing landscape, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Build Better Brand Engagement by Tapping into Your Buyer’s Emotions

brand engagement

How do you feel when you read a Disneyland social media post? Or an ad for the latest Apple product? Does a message from BMW or Audi evoke a particular response from you? These brands all excel at making emotional connections with their consumers that are designed to build ongoing relationships and trigger a purchase. 

Think about what makes you choose one brand over the other. More often than not, it’s emotion. Through emotional branding, brands appeal directly to consumers’ needs, creating a connection that often results in long-term brand loyalty. More

Marketing to the Adult Daughter: Getting It Right

When it comes to marketing to the adult daughter, most brands are still missing the mark.

They’re known as Adult Daughters. Or Baby Boomers. Or even the Elastic Generation. Today, every fifth adult in the United States is a female over 50. They have a combined net worth of $19 trillion and make 85% of all U.S. household purchase decisions. But when it comes to marketing to these adult daughters, most brands are missing the mark.

These women are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation of women in history who control half of the country’s discretionary income and two-thirds of the consumer wealth.  They spend $400 billion more than younger demographics each year on consumer goods, and dominate spending in 119 out of 123 CPG categories. More

Tips for Creating a Successful Start-Up Marketing Strategy

start-up marketing strategy

We’ve worked with many start-ups this past year and have had an opportunity to experience first-hand what has worked and what hasn’t. A strategy is undoubtedly important; without a solid start-up marketing strategy, you’re not positioning your new product in the best possible way.

What we’ve seen though is that many, if not most, entrepreneurs are spending hours of time and tons of budget creating their product or service, but for the most part ignoring the marketing component, or leaving it to the last minute. Or, worse, trying to do it themselves.

The reality is that you need both: a great product and a great start-up marketing strategy to get off the launch pad.  Following are some of the critical elements to consider in developing a winning marketing strategy.      More

Tap Into $1.1 Trillion in Millennial and Gen Z Spending This Holiday Season

Tap Into $1.1 Trillion in Millennial and Gen Z Spending This Holiday Season

Halloween decorations are being put away, and now it’s on to the holidays!  This year, U.S. holiday spending is expected to top $1.1 trillion, up more than 5% from 2017.  Nearly $128 billion of that will come from online sales – an increase of more than 20% over last year.

Millennials and Gen Z shoppers will be out in full force this holiday season, and smart marketers will be looking to these younger generations for significant sales.

How can your brand tap into that enormous amount of spending power? It’s critical to understand how to reach these younger consumers with your marketing messages.      More

Is it Content Strategy or Content Marketing?

content marketing strategy

Content is a huge piece of your marketing efforts – at least, it should be. The world won’t know what you’re about without content, whether you prefer blogs, social media posts, infographics, images, or video. This focus on content has resulted in many professionals using terms such as “content strategy” and “content marketing,” often interchangeably.

But are these two terms interchangeable? The answer is: not at all. Content strategy and content marketing are two separate things—and both are equally important.      More

Using Influencer Engagement to Boost Small Business Growth

Using Influencer Engagement to Boost Small Business Growth

As one of today’s most efficient and successful online marketing strategies, influencer marketing will continue to grow and evolve well into 2019. What started as “celebrity” influence has grown into a dominant industry with influencers boasting audiences and engagement of all types and sizes.

Studies have shown that 94% of marketers believe influencer marketing delivers 11x more ROI than traditional forms of digital marketing. It can be used to meet various marketing goals, including building brandawareness, increasing customer loyalty, distributing content, attracting followers and driving sales.      More

Back to School Marketing Trends for 2018

back to school marketing

While many parents started their back-to-school shopping as early as July, marketing for this time of year is still in full swing. Last year, spending for back-to-school hit $83.6 billion, and in 2018, 56% of parents plan to spend more per child than in previous years.

Those dollars lead to competition among brands, with 75% of marketers saying they’ll change up their strategies in 2018.  For 90% of brands, that means discounts and coupons. For others, increased mobile marketing will be the lion’s share of their strategy.

What can you do to capture the attention of parents dancing in the aisles as their kids go back to school? Here are some trends you can cash in on.      More

Is Your Brand Marketing Reaching Generation Z?

brand marketing to generation z

According to Adweek, Millennials as teen consumers were virtually ignored by marketers, who were waiting for them to acquire discretionary income rather than engaging them early. Only later did brand marketers realize that with early access to technology and social media, Millennials became the first generation to consume and influence much earlier than previous generations. By the time the lightbulb came on for many brand marketers, it was too late – that ship had sailed.      More

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