Creating PR Magic with Trade Media 2.0

Brian Hall
June 25th, 2009

This week, I want to share an anecdote that really hits home with me as I think about the ever-changing world of media relations.

David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR, told attendees at the recent BMA Annual Conference about how the PR team at the Universal Orlando Resort took a new approach for the announcement of the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” attraction. Instead of distributing the news to hundreds of mainstream media outlets — as we all have a tendency to do with big news — they targeted only seven of the leading Harry Potter bloggers, providing them with the news during a special midnight webcast. And while he said the lead PR manager feared being fired if it didn’t work, the results were spectacular. Through the power of Web 2.0, the story went viral, generating impressions on 350 million Harry Potter fanatics within 24 hours. Impressive… even magical one might say!

The strategic approach they used can generate PR magic for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy communicators as well. We B2B types know full well that trade media remains a great way to reach our audience. We just need to be sure we think beyond the traditional print story. By tailoring our content and approach for their e-newsletters, blogs, online videos or podcast — or “Trade Media 2.0″ as I like to think of it — we too can capitalize on the power of digital media to spread our news to our B2B audiences.

Let’s share some additional examples — anyone have a Trade Media 2.0 success story they can share with our readers?

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Feeling Web 2.0 Anxiety? Try a Strong Dose of Strategy, Planning

Brian Hall
June 15th, 2009

I’ve just returned from taking in two days of great content at the Business Marketing Association’s Annual Conference

in Chicago. As you might imagine, the event focused heavily on “Web 2.0″ — with presentations from companies who are ahead of the curve on using these tools to engage their audiences.

Following the second day of the event, one of my dinner companions captured the mood I sensed from many participants when she informed us she had just sent a text to her colleagues saying “We are falling behind!” She (and probably many others) planned to rush back from the conference and immediately get to work on implementing many of the great new tools at our disposal.

To her and everyone else who feels the panic of being left behind on digital/social media, I say: Stop! Take a deep breath and relax… now step back from your computer!

To be successful you must first take the time to formulate a solid plan. Yes, you should certainly be considering these tools as part of your marketing mix. But quickly implementing tactically without first thinking through objectives, audience, message and strategy is only going to cause you to fall further behind in the long run. Besides, prioritizing speed over quality will stifle the creativity our audiences expect from Web 2.0 communications.

So take the time to do it right, do it better, and do it in a way that will actually move the needle.

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Examine Messages, Audience to Seize Opportunities of Stimulus Act

Brian Hall
June 9th, 2009

From infrastructure to renewable energy, companies throughout the Advanced Manufacturing & Energy sector are working feverishly to capitalize on opportunities created by the U.S. stimulus bill. With so many looking to capture a slice of the pie, the May issue of G&S Insight advises communicators to carefully examine their messages and target audiences:

 

Begin by working across divisions to determine which products best qualify for tax credits and other incentives. Then develop hard-hitting messages that clearly illustrate how your products are better than the competition and help you stand out in the extremely crowded marketplace.

 

Also, look for ways to target your audience directly. Digital/social media, for example, can help deliver your message quickly and with more precision while effectively engaging your defined targets.

 

Finally, recognize that your audience may not fully understand how they can benefit from the stimulus plan — take the opportunity to help educate them.

 

By following the right approach, communicators across the Advanced Manufacturing & Energy segment can harness the new stimulus bill’s potential for maximizing impact on business growth.

 

Read more in the May issue of G&S Insight.

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We Still Need to Write Clearly and Well — Whether for 140 Characters or 140 Pages

Mark Monroe
June 1st, 2009

Item:  some of our elected representatives were caught tweeting during President Obama’s first big speech to a joint session of Congress.

 

A day or two later, Jon Stewart neatly captured the effect of new media on how we write when he claimed to have intercepted tweets sent by Obama himself during the address.  The text:  “OMG totally addressing Congress!”

It’s critical that PR embrace new media and take full advantage of the opportunities they offer for efficiency and engagement.  And if that means starting out with a message of 140 characters or less, so be it.

 

(And if our target audience is ditzy, distracted teens, then we should speak in a language they’ll understand… )

 

But especially in B2B, it’s also critical that we retain the ability to write in clear, sound English; to understand and interpret highly technical content; and to be credible with audiences and influencers that include editors, scientists and engineers, regulators, consultants and top management.  We still need to communicate clearly and precisely.

 

Over the years we’ve blamed the erosion in writing skills in PR on various causes, including a greater emphasis on strategy, the appeal of big ideas and events to clients, the increasing influence of broadcast and then digital communications, and even the simple fact that learning to write well is a difficult and never-ending process.

 

But it’s worth it — when copy flows quickly and easily through the client’s approval loop, when it gets a gatekeeper’s attention, and when it helps a customer clearly understand how the product meets his needs.

 

Let’s keep working at writing well, folks!  OMG.  Totally.

 

(Guest contributor Mark Monroe is a senior vice president at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations.)

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