Our Perspective

We've Been Busy

From the desk of Jennifer Roane…

Is it May already? I can’t tell. With all this rain and cold in Colorado it seems more like November in Boston. But, it is spring in Colorado and we almost missed it. Not because of the rain, but because we hit the ground running at the beginning of 2011 and haven’t looked up until now. 

Since we launched Content Delivery Optimization late last year, we have been working hard with existing clients to create PR programing based on this process. We have also been out talking to new prospects and as many companies as we can about why CDO is creating value and tangible returns to our existing clients’ businesses. 

Over the course of the past six months, we have learned that our CDO process is providing clients with a modern form of communication and engagement. By using CDO as the basis for all of the programs we create, we are building rich communications platforms and are able to translate these into campaigns that provide the right mix of connection with audiences. 

It is a twist on the way big brands create their corporate communication strategy, but tailored to smaller companies, budgets and the new normal landscape we find in the world of public relations.

We are seeing this translating into exciting work with existing clients, as well as helping us bring on new clients. In fact, we just announced three new clients on Wednesday -- eWise, North Plains and Smartling. All three companies chose to work with us because of this approach to communications. 

You can read more about these new clients in the press release. All are strong additions to our current mix. They all are innovating in their respective markets and making exciting moves – a combination that is energizing. 

We think that 104 West CDO process is ready-made for delivering strategic messaging that takes advantage of all the myriad communications channels we now have, and opens up more delivery mechanisms for our clients.

Now that CDO is up and running successfully for clients, we will continue to evolve it to make it work even harder for companies. 

Is News Only News If You Read it in the Paper?

From the desk of Patrick Ward...

In a recent discussion, we looked at the role that news plays in a world where people consume content through multiple channels. We think there are new and growing opportunities for companies to become their own media channel. 

This is the first discussion in a series about that opportunity. But before delving into the future, we thought it might be useful to understand the massive shift in news consumption and revisit the precipitous decline in the market share of traditional print media. Now, we understand that, for most of us, this isn’t news and most of us can intuit the dire condition of the daily newspaper and weekly magazine (alas, poor Newsweek, I knew you well) just by our own reading habits or the obvious emaciation of newspapers and magazines. But, nonetheless we thought it warranted some detail.

The Decline of the Newspaper
Newspaper readership has rapidly declined since the rise of online news portals. Ranked only behind local and national television outlets, online news sources have become the third most popular news source. A March 2010 report by the PEW Research Center found:

• 78% of Americans say they get news from a local TV station.
• 73% say they get news from a national network such as CBS or cable TV station such as CNN or Fox News.
• 61% say they get some kind of news online.
• 54% say they listen to a radio news program at home or in the car.
• 50% say they read news in a local newspaper.
• 17% say they read news in a national newspaper such as the New York Times or USA Today.
  

With dropping print readership, more people are turning to online news sites that offer news on demand.

Who gets their news online?
Clearly, this trend is along generational lines. Younger people, of the GenX and Millennial age groups, are most likely to receive their news from online sources. This group is often more connected to mobile devices than their older counterparts, so getting news on-the-go is increasingly important. Although television is still their primary source of news, 53-59% access news online and only 24% read traditional newspapers. Again, that’s not news, but as companies examine how to reach that demographic or how to prepare for them as they age, it’s worth revisiting.

 So where is the news coming from?
Whether on television, online, or in print, 92% of American adults say they access multiple sources for their news, with many accessing four to six sources per day. Online news readers are no different and often seek out news from multiple sources. Unsurprisingly, among online news sources, the most popular are aggregated news sources, led by Yahoo, CNN, and Google.

The consumption of news has not decreased, but transformed. The way in which people access the news is changing. With the convenience of laptops and mobile devices, many more readers are getting the news online and on their own time.

As consumer preferences for news organizations declines and sources become more proliferated, the power of the news brand has become compromised. Consumers are becoming less interested in the source of the news, so long as its credible. Much of that credibility is coming from friends who alert them within social networks, a trend we’ll examine in our next missive. But its also an opportunity for brands which consumer already trust to become direct source of information, a more interesting concept we’ll explore in a later installment.

Secrets to Successful Corporate Blogging

From the desk of Kathryn Marshall...

When it comes to PR, companies need to continually think past traditional PR strategies and tactics to help raise awareness for their brand and manage their reputation. Blogs have become a common platform for companies to communicate with their constituents, whether they are breaking news, managing a hot issue or interacting with customers. But what makes one corporate blog stand out above the rest? Why do some attract thousands of readers while others fall on deaf ears?

 
We are often asked to help companies enhance their existing blogging effort to boost their brand. We thought it would be helpful to share a few best practices we recommend to help make your corporate blog stand out and have it work for your company, both from an SEO standpoint and to help strategically build your brand.
 
1) Become an industry hub - Many corporate blogs make the mistake of acting like an online marketing brochure and are very one-sided and boring. Be bold with your blog and use it as a platform for posting content people can't get elsewhere such as breaking news, sneak peek photos or videos or exclusive CEO interviews.
 
In addition, think outside your company and demonstrate your willingness to have your blog serve as an industry hotspot where all types of viewpoints and opinions are reflected which can help attract a wider readership base.
 
2) Your SEO secret weapon - Blogging is the perfect way to accelerate your SEO strategy. The frequency of posts, the keywords used, the relevance of the posts, titles, tags and link backs enable you to leverage organic search results and become more visible to people looking for similar information online. Be thoughtful about the words you choose for titles and tags, as well as the phrases you use in your content which will affect your overall search results.
 
3) Measure your competition - Search engines are picking up millions of posts per day. How can you ensure your content is getting through? First, measure the competition by using search engines to search the number of company pages that come up per topic area to get an idea of how congested the space you are writing about seems to be. Then, plan your frequency of posts accordingly. Some experts have gone so far as to break it down numerically.
 
According to Ian Lurie, author of "Web marketing all-in-one desk reference for dummies," companies should use the following guide for frequency of posts:
 

< 10,000 company pages - 1 x week
10,001 - 100,000 company pages - 2 x week
100,001 - 200,000 company pages - 3 x week
200,001 - 2,000,000 company pages - every day

 
Implementing these best practices can help you bolster your corporate blog, build a stronger readership base and ultimately enhance your brand.

Five Critical Factors to a Successful Public Relations Launch

From the desk of Jennifer Roane...

Do you have a product, idea or a company to launch this year? If so, you probably have put quite a bit of thought and research into what exactly it is that you are going to offer. You have studied the competition, the market, the target audience, now all you need to do is introduce it and generate sales. Right?

Sort of. If you have incorporated public relations into the process from the beginning then the launch and public introduction likely have already been set. However, more often than not, companies wait until a few weeks before they want to launch their idea, product, or company to integrate PR. All of the thought and research that went into the product gets short changed when companies don’t work through the public launch with their PR team early on in the process.

Regardless of the scale of the introduction, the following five critical success factors provide guidelines on what to think about when preparing for an eventual public launch of a new idea, product, and/or company.  

Planning: Will you be prepared for a full launch out of the gate? Do you stagger the launch according to audiences? Do you introduce a beta first? Is there a social media component to the launch? Ideally, the PR team should be integrated in the process from the beginning to help answer these questions early on. By keeping the PR team in the loop from the beginning ensures that there is a well thought out strategy for a public introduction.  

Timing: Another reason to have PR involved from the outset is so that timing can be discussed. As the saying goes, timing is everything. Without a plan, the timing of a launch can end up being determined by outside factors. What conferences, trade shows or industry events make possible launch platforms? Are there events that may steal the attention of the press? Will Google or Apple announce something that is going to trump your news? Ensure these important questions are considered by bringing the PR team into the fold early. 

Messaging: It is important to develop the story in a way that will reach and resonate with the right constituencies – shape the story that will ultimately help build a brand. Finding the difference early on gives both the business and the PR team the framework to execute programs that resonate in the market and ultimately build brands.  

Commitment: Everyone needs to be committed to the plan, from the executives serving as spokespeople to the product, marketing and PR teams. Without commitment to the plan, the execution will become more difficult.  

Execution: Without solid execution, the planning, timing, messaging and commitment become meaningless. Ideas without flawless execution to support them can be just as detrimental as solid execution without the great ideas. Make sure you have the right PR team in place that can provide both.  

Integrating your PR team early on in the process and keeping these five factors in mind while planning the introduction of an idea, product or company can greatly improve the overall success.

Setting your plans for your public relations program

From the desk of Johanna Erickson...

Happy New Year! At the end of 2009, we talked extensively about the process of measuring and budgeting for PR. Given the New Year and a fresh budget cycle ahead, we thought it would be timely to start off the year talking about best practices when it comes to PR planning.

Align PR strategy and goals with the business:
Collaboration with the business is of paramount importance. Take time to plan your PR goals to fit with the current goals and initiatives of the business. It will ensure the PR program is directly supporting the business and will boost its potential success in moving the needle.

Take a look back:
Take the time to review the previous year. Identify what worked, lessons learned, review the previous results and set new goals for the upcoming year.
 
Budget:
Establish the budget before planning begins so you can create programs that are executable within the budget guidelines set for the year. This will also help keep the PR program focused and on target.

Strategy/Collaboration:
Conducting a strategy session with the extended PR and marketing team will serve to solidify the goals, direction, key messages and program elements. It will also ensure everyone is behind the effort and provide support where needed.

Calendar:
Creating a timeline for the year will help to not only see the year at a glance, but it will help to align the budget to ongoing programs and create a roadmap for the year.
 
Measurement:
As you plan, be sure and include specific program goals to measure your success. These markers should be reviewed on a monthly basis so you can determine if you are on track.
 
Reporting:
Planning should be a collaborative process. Take the time on a monthly or quarterly basis to report on the activities and initiatives that have taken place. This is also a good time to make adjustments to the timeline and report on measurement goals.  
 
The planning process is your map for the New Year. Aligning the company goals with the PR plan sets the stage for a successful and collaborative year.