Upload
lewis-global-communications
View
110
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Reality Check:
PR is Dead! (Oh No, Not Again!)
About LEWIS
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING
Our Services
CONTENT RESEARCH
Wholly owned international network of 27 offices
27Over 600+ staff, fast-growing, employee-owned
600+
Founded by a journalist 20 years ago
20Award-winning global communications
Inventive campaigns that drive awareness, demand, adoption, advocacy
WARNING
3
THE CONTENT CONTAINED HEREIN WAS DEVELOPED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE B2B TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY.
(Although the basic principles are relevant across a wide berth of industries…)
4
The Many Deaths of PR
“DOT.COM BUBBLE IMPLODES!”
“CEOs CALL FOR AN END TO THE MARKETING ‘BLACK HOLE’”
“2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS SPELLS DOOM FOR THE MEDIA”
“EVERYONE GETS THEIR INFO FROM FACEBOOK”
5
Irrefutable Proof that PR is Not Dead
6
Why are People Constantly Killing PR?
It’s the ultimate “what have you done for me lately” discipline.
You can’t practically measure ROI like you can with other marketing programs.
It seems like it should be easy, but it’s extremely hard to do well.
7
Where PR Programs Fall Down
A “transactional” approach to PR
Shiny object syndrome
Treating PR as a silo
PR IS A LIVING, EVOLVING, STRATEGIC DISCIPLINE
8
A Transactional Approach to PR
“We need to crank out more press releases.”
PR IS NOT A COLLECTION OF TACTICS; IT’S STRATEGIC “PERCEPTION SETTING”
“Give me news and I’ll get you coverage.”
“Get me analyst briefings and speaking opps.”
“I want to know the value of each media placement.”
9
Shiny Object Syndrome
“We’re moving 100% to inbound marketing.”
“Why bother with the media when I can go straight to people with social?”
“PR doesn’t generate leads like Google AdWords does.”
MARKETING IS A TOOL CHEST
10
Treating PR like a Silo
MARKETING STRATEGY
PRODUCT MARKETING
MARKETING COMMS
FIELD MARKETING
CHANNEL MARKETING
CREATIVE
CORPORATE COMMS
PR
IR
ANALYSTS
Fragmented story
Underutilized resources
Limited career paths
PR as a “Tool in the Chest”
11
YOUR STORY
Website
SEO
SEM/PPC
Organic and paid social media
Community development and management
Video and interactive
DIGITAL DIRECT ADVERTISING EVENTS CONTENT PR
Direct marketing
Email campaigns
Surveys
Customer programs
Target account campaigns
Online
Outdoor
Broadcast / underwriting
Sponsorships
Mobile
Content syndication
Conference and trade show participation
Association sponsorships
Roadshows
Local events
Webcasts
Speaking engagements
Thought leadership
Presentations
Videos
Blog posts
Infographics
Animations
e-Books
Collateral
Industry briefs
Media/analyst relations
Influencers/ bloggers
Press releases
Contributed articles and bylines
Award submissions
Proactive pitching
YOUR CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS, PARTNERS, EMPLOYEES, ETC.
Why PR Always Matters
PR IS THE ENGINE DRIVING PERCEPTION
It is the “tip of the spear” for major corporate initiatives
It is the driving force behind advancing the company story
It remains the single most impactful source of validated content
If PR Ain’t Dead, Bring it to Life!
Perform “judgment free” program evaluation
Identify strengths, weaknesses and
root causes
Evaluate your corporate story
Evaluate marketing department structure
Set a baseline and grow
Judgment-free Evaluation
Collect 360-degree feedback – don’t agree or disagree, just collect
Put your own perceptions aside
Compare your results with peers’ results
Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Root Causes
Are we a “usual suspect” in our market, or are we not getting our fair share?
If we’re not getting our fair share, why not?
What types of articles/reports are we not showing up in?
Why are we not showing up? Do we really belong in them? Are we dull? Do we lack content?
How much of our coverage is “transactional,” and how much is creative?
Transactional = arms and legs; creative = brains
How are we managing the agency? Are we giving them what they need? Do they have time to be creative?
Look at the things that matter:
Why should anyone be interested in your company? (Sorry…your product features just aren’t that interesting.)
What’s a drop-dead-easy way to explain how you’re different from everyone else? (Does Mom understand what you do?)
What is the “big thing” going on in the world that creates a massive opportunity for you?
Can you prove your story?
Evaluate your Corporate Story
Who owns your story? And does the story drive your communications strategy?
Is PR fully integrated with the rest of marketing?
Are there seamless flows of ideas, content, programs across functional areas?
Do you hold collective brainstorms and planning sessions?
Evaluate your Structure
ANY INITIATIVE
DIGITAL DIRECT ADVERTISING EVENTS CONTENT PR
YOUR CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS, PARTNERS, EMPLOYEES, ETC.
Set a New Baseline and Grow
You can’t change the past.
MAKE IT YOUR BASELINE.• Set new goals and expectations for your PR program• Include the agency on this initiative – and jointly own goals• Goals should include inputs as well as outputs
About PR Measurement
Don’t confuse measurement with ROI Measurement is a way to “instrument” the program to identify
anomalies and diagnose issues
Measurement is a way to understand program trends
Set goals that map to real-world conditions
E.g., coverage volume is usually dependent on availability of assets
Avoid assigning automatic “annual increases” without understanding whether such increases are warranted
Traps
Doing the same things and expecting different
results
Becoming distracted with requests that take you off
story and off trackParalysis by analysis
Confusing activity with results
Trying to get it perfect – PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD
But the biggest trap is…
PR on Autopilot!
“ACME is the leading provider of Roadrunner eradication systems…”
“ACME’s Roadrunner Blaster is a disruptive and revolutionary technology that…”
“I’m delighted that Wile E. Coyote has joined ACME as our CTO,” said CEO Chuck Jones.
Creative Autopilot
Hyperbole replaces thought
Doing what everyone else does
Meaningless quotes
PR on Autopilot!
“No news = no coverage”
“We can’t get ACME business coverage without household-name customer
references.”
“We’ll blast the news to our list.”
Execution Autopilot
Onus avoidance
Slave to conventional wisdom
Robotic tactics
“We’re just doing what you asked us to do…”
Expertise forfeiture
CASE STUDYReviving a Program
Encryption
Situation: The “data encryption story” is old and known. SafeNet needed a way to make it interesting again. The company also needed to change the perception that database encryption is complex and expensive.
Strategy: LEWIS developed the concept of a “Secure Breach” – an oxymoron designed to articulate that even if perimeter defenses are compromised, your data can remain secure – and authored a manifesto to share with customers, the public and media influencers. This term became the basis for SafeNet's “Secure the Breach” corporate marketing initiative.
LEWIS also enlisted the help of an analyst to create a formula for calculating breach severity, to demonstrate that not all breaches are created equal. The Breach Level Index (BLI) became a tool for the entire industry to use when trying to determine the significance of each breach. LEWIS and SafeNet produced a quarterly BLI report, which we used to drive major media coverage.
Results:The first annual report was released in February 2015, and yielded more than 450 media mentions globally, making it one of the most successful announcements in company history.
✔️ Thought leadership ✔️ Analyst relations ✔️ Research/Index
We’re Here to Help
We help companies all over the world with their public relations challenges, and we’re here to do the same for you.
Andy MurphyHead of U.S. Public Relations
Email: [email protected]
Questions
Webcast Recaps
MARKETING AT MILE 13:Are You on Track for a Strong Finish in 2016?
Learn more: www.lws.co/mile13