Category Archives: media relations

Houston, We Have a Problem: A Female First Campaign Lost in Space

Posted on by
Reply

Pop star Katy Perry, news anchor Gayle King and four other high-profile women launched into space this week with high hopes of inspiring a swell of female empowerment. But, the Blue Origin 11-minute flight—carrying six glamorous women in full make up, donning matching blue, fitted spacesuits —did not resonate with the public as intended. Instead, it launched a chorus of criticism by celebrities and others who bashed the event as tone deaf and an empty show of feminism.

So, what went wrong? How did this “one giant stunt for womankind,” as a critic from The New York Times called it, go wrong and how might a different comms approach have produced a more positive outcome?

Exploring the Issue

The flight was part of the New Shepard program at Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. In announcing the flight, the women described the trip as an endeavor to encourage STEM careers and female empowerment, according to interviews with Elle.

The rocket, which pilots itself, carried Perry and King, as well as aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sanchez, a journalist and Bezos’s fiancée. Even though the women were not space professionals, the Blue Origin team labeled the group as the rocket’s “astronaut crew.”  Blue Origin described them as storytellers who inspire others —as advocates for students in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civil rights, philanthropy, overcoming adversity and more.

While the trip may have been designed to encourage girls to consider STEM careers, the women aboard were seen as space tourists. They were not operating the rocket or fulfilling any astronaut responsibilities and left audiences reaching to connect them with STEM.

Upping Their Game

Could the right communications approach have changed the outcome here? Maybe. However, we do see a few areas where Blue Origin could have better executed this mission.

  • Authenticity in messaging: Blue Origin thought they were planning a mission to inspire young girls and women to explore new careers, but the wealthy, well-connected women selected to participate did not relate well to audiences. Brands need to ensure their messaging is authentic, compelling and connects to their audiences. The public watching and reading about the launch are not millionaires or billionaires who can afford the undisclosed ticket price. Audiences might have better received a passenger manifesto made up of successful women in STEM, rather than celebrities and journalists.
  • The brand’s reputation: Amazon, also founded by Bezos, has a reputation for disregarding the environment with its packaging and fleet of delivery vehicles in constant motion across the globe. While Blue Origin claims to be sustainably minded using reusable rockets and researching ways to encourage sustainability through space exploration, many viewed the rocket launch as damaging to the environment, as well as a waste of resources when many are experiencing financial hardship. Blue Origin may have been better served by hosting more female scientists like Bowe on the mission, conducting research to further sustainability, and creating messaging to show how those initiatives might connect to the brand.
  • Optics: Full-makeup, perfect blow-outs and designer matching spacesuits set a new tone for space exploration. Blue Origin’s comms team should have considered the optics of the women posing in slinky suits with professional makeup and hair. The comms team should have considered suggesting attire that looked less Hollywood and more professional rather than monied glamour.
  • Leveraging post-event energy: After the women returned to Earth and interviews were conducted, audiences were left feeling flat. Perhaps a post-event press conference with the women talking about the next steps for advancements in STEM for females, for which this mission has opened doors, would have conveyed a real commitment, garnered more attention and furthered a goal of female empowerment.

While the launch gained plenty of media attention, the resulting backlash has not benefited Blue Origin or the six women who chose to board the rocket. When considering a media stunt or event, be sure to think strategically. Not doing so could leave your brand identity lost in space.

April Fools: Messaging Blunders That Should Be a Joke But Aren’t

Posted on by
Reply

I wish I was joking. What follows really ought to be an exercise in April Fool’s frivolity and humor. Unfortunately, the only thing foolish about what follows is these brand communications efforts were undertaken with some level of intent or ineptitude that resulted in public embarrassment for some or all involved.

With that, I offer the top five most April Fool’s-worthy communications that really should have been overseen by a competent public relations professional:

  1. Mixed Signals: On March 24, some of the Trump Administration’s most senior leadership commiserated over an imminent, and then later completed, attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen who are accused of carrying out missile and drone attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. They did so via an app called Signal, a free open-source and encrypted messaging app, the use of which by government employees has, to date, been discouraged by the federal government. That group chat included a well-known U.S. journalist, leading to an embarrassment of sometimes competing explanations, excuses and denials that anything sensitive was shared. They tried to chalk it up to something like a fat-thumbs-texting-moment where you didn’t mean to text your ex, but you did and now you very deeply regret it.
  2. Oh Boya, a Press Release from Goya: In a what-medication-was-he-on-moment, Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue issued an ill-considered, rambling and seemingly pointless self-published press release in February announcing his new, but extremely unclear chapter after the Goya board allegedly voted him out. The release included a stream-of-consciousness quote from Unanue about child trafficking. File this one under friends don’t let CEOs self-publish press releases.
  3. Dude, Where’s My Car?: Jaguar went full SNL/Calvin Klein commercial crazy late last year when it rolled out its new branding in a techno-beat, multiracial, gender-bending, psychedelic-color driven ad campaign that seemed to offer a little bit of everything … except its iconic automobiles. While trying to defend the company’s rebrand as “bold” and “imaginative,” the public seemed to respond with a collective eye-roll and complete dismissal of one of the most confusing rebrands/commercials of the modern era.
  4. Finger-licking Eh: In 2024, McDonald’s—the bastion of Big Macs and Dollar Menus—took a bold step in introducing its first beauty product line. In partnership with beauty brand Nails.INC, Mickey D’s created a line of nail products that mirrored its brand colors in polishes, along with stickers and a French-fry-inspired French manicure. Ironically, the fast-food giant has a standing policy that does not allow employees to wear nail polish. The campaign ended almost as quickly as it was announced as the public did not seem to be lovin’ it.
  5. Ain’t Mis-Bee-haven: Spring was in the air, but a 2024 campaign proved to be a buzzkill for dating app Bumble after it introduced a series of advertisements advocating against celibacy. It was an ill-considered attempt to humorously address dating frustrations related to dating apps. Backlash was swift, with women’s organizations and others noting women choose celibacy for a range of reasons, including safety, reproductive rights and more. With its wings clipped, Bumble quickly reversed course and ended the campaign with a commitment to help support domestic violence organizations.

If there is a takeaway or lesson across all these situations it is this: Avoid becoming a fool, in April or any other month, by ensuring your internal or external comms teams have a say in all brand communications. Public relations pros know how to manage the message as well as alert senior leaders of potential, unforced errors that can place a dunce cap high-atop the brand’s reputation.

Brand Authenticity Requires Communicators to Play Lead Roles

Posted on by
Reply

While brands have a voice in shaping their narratives, it is their publics who play an outsized role in holding organizations to their brand promise and reputation.

One of the best time-tested methods of ensuring adherence to brand authenticity is having a public relations or communications professional at the decision-making table from the start. Failing to do so runs the risk of self-inflicted reputational harm that is extremely difficult, and often expensive to dial back later.

In brands we trust

B2C as well as B2B consumers have vast resources to evaluate brands and a wealth of options from which to choose. Brands that consistently speak to the values and priorities of their consumers engender trust and an emotional connection. According to April 2024 data released from Shopify, 86% of American consumers say authenticity is a key reason they buy or engage with a brand.

Whether it is Red Bull, GE or Salesforce, these companies and others are great examples of organizations that use engaging storytelling, emotionally targeted messaging and brand authenticity to reach and connect with their audiences. We know Red Bull gives you wings. We know GE is focused on imagination at work, and that Salesforce positions you to manage success, not software. Their messaging goes beyond taglines, and their stories resonate with their publics because they meet a need.

What Ben Franklin said

Ben Franklin famously quipped, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” There are countless brands that illustrate Franklin’s point.

The example set by Target regarding its shifting DEI policies has put … well, a target on the Target brand with calls for boycotts and declining sales. Such inconsistent messaging causes brand audiences to reconsider the authenticity and trustworthiness of the organizations at issue. Consumers aren’t sure what, if anything, the brand stands for and repairing that damage will be a long and expensive undertaking.

On the B2B side, there is no more powerful example of reputational damage due to a lack of authenticity—as well as transparency—as WeWork. The company promoted a utopia-style revolution in how workspaces would evolve while leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively. In reality, the company infamously misled everyone regarding its spending, profitability and stability, leading to a loss of trust among investors and business clients that ultimately led to the founder being ousted and a Chapter 11 filing in 2023.

The power of communications strategy

A chief communications officer with a seat at the leadership table can help organizations adhere to brand authenticity. These professionals are trained to assess the communications risks of any given action by an organization that plays out in front of its publics—internal or external. They help brands avoid unforced errors and plan for a range of responses from their target audiences.

Having that comms professional in the room from the start of major brand decisions can lead to important conversations and questions filtered through a public perception lens, such as:

  • How does this align with the public’s understanding of who we are and what we do?
  • What risks are we taking with this change, and what can we do to mitigate them?
  • Does this change align with our core values?
  • How should we communicate this change clearly to our audiences, and what are the best channels to do so?
  • What is the plan to measure the impact of this change on our brand reputation and perception?
  • What is the backup plan if this change is not well received, and what is the trigger to institute that plan?

Brand leaders are best served when their PR teams challenge group think and work to consider the reaction to organizational change among various audiences. This approach can strengthen and even improve the proposed changes, better aligning them with the brand’s reputation and perception and lead to a smoother introduction to its publics. However, making change better and more sustainable only happens if the communicators are in the room where decisions are made from the beginning. That is how you maintain brand authenticity, and it matters.

Keys to Boosting Brand Awareness in 2025: Embrace New Media

Posted on by
Reply

While you contemplate adding extra protein and strength training to your weight loss plans for 2025, why not consider adding new media and video to your company’s communications strategies?

A turn of the calendar to a new year presents an ideal opportunity to not only consider weight loss and exercise, but to evaluate business strategies as well – both successful and failed strategies. In public relations, as with many other industries, this new year refresh or reinvention beckons us to consider the latest trends and undertake new initiatives to continually boost brand awareness in the year ahead.

This time of year is replete with industry experts offering outlooks on what we can expect in the year ahead. And while traditional PR tactics, like contributed articles to well-respected outlets continue to carry weight, we are increasingly seeing good PR pros encouraging industry pundits to take on new platforms or new features of existing platforms to share their views, including – LinkedIn Live, LinkedIn Newsletters, TikTok, and new X competitor Blue Sky, among others.

Depending on the audience targeted, each platform can yield considerable results for company leaders who offer original, valuable and educational content. Leaders who want to boost their brand’s visibility in 2025 should consider the following new media:

  • LinkedIn Lives – In 2025, we will continue to see savvy thought leaders connect with their audiences through LinkedIn’s event-hosting platform LinkedIn Live. LinkedIn Lives are becoming increasingly popular for the platform’s ability to host live events with a casual feel – with one or multiple speakers, while engaging and interacting with the audience through a live chat function.

The tool markets itself in many ways as the event can easily be promoted among LinkedIn followers of the company page or the individual hosting the event. Followers will receive notifications about the event, as well as when it goes live. Moreover, any form of video in social media tends to generate higher levels of engagement than written content alone.

In the insurance space, digital marketing and transformation guru Ema Roloff has seen tremendous success with this resource, gathering roughly 1,600 registrations for an insurance predictions and trends event in late 2024. She hopes to do the same and more this year ahead of her Insurance Trends to Watch for 2025 event Dec. 17.

  • LinkedIn Newsletters – As LinkedIn continues to flex its authority as the social platform for business professionals, its newsletter function has also become increasingly popular for sharing thought leadership and other educational, nonpromotional content. LinkedIn claims it has seen a 59% increase in people publishing newsletter articles and a 47% rate increase in engagement. The platform claims more than 184,000 newsletters published. Once published, these newsletters invite your connections and followers automatically to subscribe so they are notified each time you publish with an in-app and email notification. Another perk – the success of your content is easily measurable through LinkedIn analytics.
  • Tik Tok – While Tik Tok has primarily been a successful B2C tool, we are now seeing the platform used more frequently for B2B engagement. In fact, Roloff has told us, her B2B Tik Tok videos on digital marketing in insurance have attracted more than one million views. We’ve been hearing for years that video content is essential for business communications, and Tik Tok proves the point and should not be overlooked in 2025.
  • BlueSky – As some look to move away from X, the app Bluesky, which bills itself as “an open foundation for the social internet” has been gaining popularity. In fact, BlueSky just reported crossing the 15 million user mark. As audiences flock to newer platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads, business leaders will want to take note to ensure they are meeting their customers where they are.

To understand new media available to your business and what might be right for you, work with a communications specialist or agency that understands your business objectives, your audiences and the new media that can deliver on those objectives and audiences. Technology and AI are quickly changing how we do business, as well as how we communicate and interact with each other and prospects. Don’t get left behind.

Wicked-ly Long: How long-form content can be valuable with the right message and strategy

Posted on by
Reply

As the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked the Musical hits box offices worldwide this weekend, audiences are eager to see how director Jon M. Chu will bring the story to life. In April 2022, it was revealed that the adaptation would be released as two films, split by the first and second acts of the stage show. And in September 2023, it was announced that the first installment would run a whopping two hours and forty minutes—longer than the total runtime of the original production.

In an age dominated by digital media, we’ve been repeatedly told that attention spans are shrinking. The American Psychological Association reports that the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8.25 seconds in 2024. Yet, some of the most successful Hollywood blockbusters in recent years have defied this trend with above-average runtimes. While advances in technology and more sophisticated storytelling techniques may be contributing to audience engagement, society’s willingness to embrace long-form content challenges our understanding of how people consume media. Not only are audiences willing to sit through extended films—they anticipate them for months, buy merchandise, participate in online discussions and pack theaters in record numbers.

There are countless reasons why audiences become deeply invested in a story, and it’s undeniable that films like Wicked, Avatar, Oppenheimer and Avengers: Endgame benefit from unfathomable marketing budgets. However, a valuable communications lesson can be mined from the success of these blockbusters: when people perceive something as valuable, they’ll make the time to consume it.

Will anyone read it?

This lesson extends beyond films to written content, such as articles or blogs. Understanding how these mediums have evolved is key. In the 2000s, the average article length ranged from 500 to 800 words. By the 2010s, this figure had grown to roughly 2,000 words. Today, articles are back down to an average of 500–800 words, while blogs often remain closer to 2,000 words. These fluctuations reflect ever-changing factors like algorithm updates and SEO best practices.

Many brands stick rigidly to short-form content, fearing audience fatigue or wasted efforts. However, a strategic mix of short- and long-form content can offer a more comprehensive approach, giving audiences a deeper understanding of a brand’s insights.

What warrants a longer message?

Not every announcement or discussion requires a long-form message. The key is understanding when more depth is necessary and where that depth makes sense. For instance, a general press release announcing a personnel change or new product offering is best kept succinct and easily digestible. Overcomplicating simple announcements risks disengaging readers and the reporters who you hope will cover it as a story.

On the other hand, targeted content—such as a blog or article for an audience with a preliminary understanding of the subject—can benefit from a longer, more detailed explanation. For example, a trade publication or a subscribed site catering to industry professionals may justify a 1,500–2,000-word deep dive that addresses relatable pain points and offers insights on trends.

The critical question to ask is: Who are you talking to? General audiences unfamiliar with industry nuances might struggle with long-form content, while more specialized audiences may appreciate detailed analysis. This is where thought leadership plays a pivotal role. While press releases are typically concise (around 400 words), thought leadership offers companies the opportunity to dive deeper into subject matter and educate, justifying longer formats.

The value of strategic communication

A skilled public relations team can help brands determine the right time, place, and format for their messages. Long-form content can help to humanize a brand’s experts, foster transparency with the public and solidify the brand’s reputation as an industry leader. A well-rounded PR approach that considers various audiences, their preferred methods of information consumption, and the gaps a product or service can address is essential for effective messaging.

Long-form content is not obsolete in today’s digital world, but brands must approach it strategically. And as moviegoers flock to experience the magic of Wicked on the big screen, let it serve as a reminder: audiences will make the time if you make it worth their while.

Public Distrust in the Media is Expanding, But So Are Avenues for Good PR

Posted on by
Reply

An integrated approach has long been key to successful public relations campaigns, but as public trust in the media continues to wane, a multi-pronged approach is increasingly important.

An October 2024 survey from Gallup found Americans continue to have record-low trust in the media. According to their findings, just 31% of those surveyed reported “a great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the media to report the news “fully and accurately,” compared to 32% last year. Another 36% responded they have no trust in the media. Not surprisingly, these numbers are down dramatically since Gallup began the survey in 1972, when trust in the media hovered around 70%. Since 2018, the percentage of individuals who reported a great deal of confidence in the media has fallen continuously from 45% to 31%.

In this environment, it has become critical to consider PR tools and resources beyond just the media interview. A strategic, multi-faceted approach can be tremendously impactful when it comes to raising awareness for your brand. Introducing additional channels allows you to control your message more than a traditional news story alone.

Thought Leadership

Thought leadership features insights and expertise by industry leaders designed to educate the reader around trends and challenges. This content is not meant to promote or sell.  Thought leadership helps build credibility for organizations and/or the c-suite. Unlike a news article written by a reporter, thought leadership is penned by the executive, or ghost written on their behalf based on the thought leaders thorough interviews with a communications team or PR agency (preferably one staffed by former journalists). This helps ensure the company retains control of the messaging and narrative. Articles are then published by third-parties – typically trade media – or on the owned channels of the organization. Thought leadership is not only attractive to companies looking to build their media profiles, but for editors seeking to fill “pages” as newsrooms continue to shrink.

This education or insight-based content approach is proven to raise awareness. In fact, seven in 10 decisionmakers surveyed by Edelman and LinkedIn for a 2024 report said they are “very likely to think positively” about companies that produce consistent and smart thought leadership. And 67% of decisionmakers and c-suite leaders said thought leadership has led them to “research a product or service they were not previously considering.”

Social Media

Of course, with shrinking newsrooms, have come growing voices on social media. While most companies now have some type of presence on social media, they may not leverage these channels to their full advantage. As distrust in mass media grows, people are turning to social media channels like LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok or Instagram.

In its newsletter feature, LinkedIn provides a built-in publishing platform for company leaders – or anyone – to share content that lands faithfully in the inboxes and newsfeeds of their followers and newsletter subscribers each time an article is published. We see increasing value and reach in this particular communications tactic. Again, comms teams must be careful to limit or avoid promotion in this content as readers will likely reject promotional content. However this provides another platform to weigh in on industry trends and consumer issues, as well as educate, while reaching a wide and growing audience.

Social media also allows companies to amplify any published thought leadership on their own social media channels to enhance visibility and further the article’s reach. The publications will often do the same with quality thought leadership published on their platforms.

Owned Media

Finally, other owned media, like blogs continue to be a compelling tool to raise brand awareness and demonstrate expertise as trust in the media declines. A blog, hosted on a company website, that is frequently updated with original content demonstrating your company’s expertise, can also help to raise your profile. White papers, short videos on company-branded YouTube or Vimeo and more can do the same. Again, this content can be circulated across social media to stretch its reach.

Connecting with Today’s News Consumer

While legendary newsman Walter Cronkite may have been known as the “most trusted man in America,” for many American households, today’s news anchors, reporters and editors are not as warmly perceived. Fortunately, as we head into 2025, more options exist for us to see and/or hear the news. People can choose where and how they want to consume their news, and companies will need to continually find new ways to meet them where they want to be met.

A good public relations agency can recommend the best strategies and tactics for your company and that should include a multilayered approach that considers more than media relations.

2025: Do You Have a Communication Strategy? You Should

Posted on by
Reply

As many businesses and non-profits begin to turn their attention to 2025 planning, one component that should not be overlooked as part of a success strategy for the new year is communication or comms planning. An effective public relations campaign can prove to be both an affordable investment in growing your organization as well as in deepening important reputational relationships that can help sustain for- and non-profit organizations in troubled times.

Here are five critical tactics for B2B organizations to consider when developing 2025 comms strategies.

  1. Highlight Industry Expertise. In the world of B2B marketing and communications, clients and partners look for actionable, tested expertise. By positioning your subject matter experts as thought leaders through authoritative content, you position your brand as a potential resource for your target audiences while demonstrating your deep understanding of, and vision for, the industry you’re in. That content can include contributed articles to respected trade outlets, white papers, industry reports, owned video content and feature-length broadcast interviews on hot topics or industry trends.
  2. Develop Authentic Messaging. Whether your audience is business or consumer, the public at large is tired of being sold to or fed boilerplate marketing messaging. Don’t sell. Instead, tell stories to highlight the purpose and values of your brand that address the concerns of your audience. No one looks for a sales pitch; they look for anecdotes, reviews and stories in which they recognize themselves or their priorities. Your audiences are more likely to turn to the sources of those stories or analogies when seeking solutions and opportunities.
  3. Focus on Data-driven Solutions. B2B audiences look for track records of success supported by hard data. Highlighting successful partnerships or projects supported by numbers and real-world outcomes creates a point of distinction and gives trade journalists something to work with when telling stories that can shine a light on your brand. This can also include information on lessons-learned and client testimonials.
  4. Be Prepared for Crisis Scenarios. From online review sites to social media platforms, the public-at-large can rapidly shape public perception of your brand in minutes or hours. By preparing for likely crisis scenarios and developing actionable protocols to deploy your response messaging, your organization stands a better chance in weathering whatever storms may come. Paramount to protecting your brand in a crisis scenario is developing messaging that is honest, authentic, empathetic and deployed with thoughtful speed.
  5. Pursue a Broadening Media Landscape. While rumors regarding the demise of journalism have been abundant in the past decade or more, the reality is the media landscape has broadened considerably. Where there once existed only print, broadcast and online, there are now podcasts, streaming platforms, vlogs, subscription-based email newsletters, audio-based social channels and even industry-specific Slack communities. The options are seemingly endless. Start by understanding the audiences you hope to reach and how they consume media. Then, plan accordingly.

If your 2025 marketing or business development plan lacks a clearly defined comms strategy, you are missing countless opportunities to convert the work you’re already doing into compelling storytelling that can move the needle for your brand. What’s worse, you may also be completely unprepared to defend your reputation if you find yourself facing a communications crisis. Make sure you have a 2025 comms strategy ready to go before January 1, 2025. And if you need help, Kimball Hughes Public Relations has nearly 30 years of expertise to help you make the most of the year ahead.

Navigating Conference Season: Take-aways from a Philly Cyber Risk Summit

Posted on by
Reply

It’s conference season and this week I was fortunate to attend an industry event with a global draw – without hopping on a plane or train – in my hometown of Philadelphia. Insurance carriers, brokers, cyber risk assessment, breach recovery experts, legal, security, privacy professionals and more traveled to the City of Brotherly Love for three days of discussions on cyber risk hosted by NetDiligence®. For me, the event provided a valuable opportunity to learn about trends and challenges in the ever-evolving cyber space, to connect with clients, make new connections and of course check in with and coordinate meetings with trade reporters and editors on site.

As a public relations professional who has spent years working closely with the insurance industry, I know enough about cyber risk and cyber insurance to be dangerous. However, the speakers at the conference offered eye-opening insights on challenges in the cyber risk space, emerging risks including artificial intelligence, new technology and best practices for risk mitigation. Now, I know enough to keep me up at night.

For example, top cyber scams noted by Experian Head of Global Data Breach Resolution Michael Bruemmer included those related to fake news (particularly bad during election season), natural disasters, charities, sextortion (which can even include a photo of the recipient or their house) and QR codes. What I learned about QR codes maybe should have been obvious – it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between a legitimate and illegitimate QR code with the naked eye.

For businesses, the top risk, according to NetDiligence, remains business email compromise. As to why the risk remains so high despite corporate teams working diligently to implement safety measures and train teams to spot these emails, Bruemmer said it’s the smart pitches from the criminals that appeal to human weakness. They just keep getting more creative.

Outside the sessions, I spent time roaming the exhibit hall and making new connections. Representatives were on site to talk about their cyber risk technology, mitigation services, cyber data mining services, e-discovery and more. While the usual water bottles, pens, mints and cozies adorned the tables, a robot, like a modern version of Rosey from the old Jetsons’ cartoon, roamed the floor proffering champagne from exhibitor KYND for attendees.

Additionally, I had the opportunity to connect a few clients with attending media for background conversations. At Kimball Hughes PR, we encourage our clients to leverage their attendance at conferences like this for potential media introductions or onsite interviews. Not only can conferences bring value in terms of continuing education credit, new business meetings and client relationship building, meeting with media members, who are often on-site at these events, can pay dividends in establishing you as a trusted source for future articles or even in a conference wrap-up piece.

We often suggest our clients bring us along to conferences where media is attending for boots-on-the-ground support. This way, we can coordinate additional on-site meetings, assist in fielding questions, assist in bringing trending conference topics to the conversation and seek out opportunities to comment on articles currently in the works.

While I’ll be happy to trade my dress shoes for sneakers in the days ahead, this industry conference, like so many others, was a fantastic opportunity to learn, further relationships and build new connections.

Stay tuned for more conference round-ups as members of the Kimball Hughes PR team continue to round the conference circuit throughout the month.

Share of Voice: Why it Matters and How Your Business Can Stand Out

Posted on by
Reply

As we continue to navigate a fluid economic reality, many business leaders are on an ongoing mission to cut costs and justify spending. Endeavors that are immeasurable are frequently the first to go.

Public relations can easily fall into this category. Marketing can too, but the reality is there is no direct, measurable, line from PR to sales. But before company leaders label PR efforts as unquantifiable, they should look to the following data point, which can confirm their message is getting in front of the right audience thanks to their PR and marketing efforts: Share of Voice (SOV).

SOV allows companies to measure their brand awareness, health and visibility against industry competitors. It can be viewed as a measure of potential awareness by your target audience of your business and its branding. SOV is a trackable metric that demonstrates where your business stands among competitors in a given period of time. It can also demonstrate the PR and marketing tactics or messages that were most successful in raising awareness for your brand.  

At the same time, SOV can also provide insight into the most successful PR and marketing tactics of your competitors, giving you an even better idea of what might work for your audience. Further, SOV can point out any potential disconnect between what competitors are talking about and where your business chooses to focus its messaging.

Getting to Know Your Numbers

Calculating the metric is not rocket science. It requires aggregating your company’s media mentions and gathering data on industry competitors and their media mentions from the same points in time. Ideally, you’ll want to measure your SOV and that of your key competitors to get a benchmark before launching a PR campaign. Then, measure again during and after the campaign, to see how your company’s SOV has fared against your competitors.

The results can be eye-opening. We have found our clients see tremendous value in the metric – value they can bring before their board, investors and leadership team to pair with the organization’s overall efforts to achieve critical goals.

For example, at the end of 2022, a global insurtech company reached out to our agency looking to build SOV in the American insurance media market. At the time, they only had a 9.1% SOV and were struggling to breakthrough. Our team studied the approach of their competitors and developed a new, non-promotional PR approach focused on the dynamic personalities and interests of the co-founders and the state of the insurtech and insurance industries more broadly. This approach had a knock-on effect of demonstrating the company had its finger on the pulse of its core audience and their needs.

By avoiding outdated industry topics and blatant self-promotion, focusing on current trends and educating insurtech customers, we were able to secure dozens of media interviews and contributed articles for the company. By the third quarter of 2023 – just 9 months into our engagement – the company had established itself as the dominant voice among its competitors in the insurance media, with an SOV of 77.8%. This growth has corresponded with increased sales numbers and inbound product inquiries.

SOV is a powerful metric.  It can demonstrate the value of a strong, consistent and coordinated public relations campaign in partnership with good marketing. While there still is no direct line from PR to sales, a considerable uptick in SOV demonstrates your message is being broadcast, and if done correctly, it is broadcast to the audience most in need of receiving that message. As year-end planning begins, consider incorporating this metric into your 2025 planning to help make your company the top voice among your competitors.

What’s in an Address? Good PR Doesn’t Always Mean Big City Agencies, Hefty Price Tags

Posted on by
Reply

There was a time when American businesses leaders could do no wrong if the consultants or vendors they hired were marquee names with storied addresses on K-Street in Washington, D.C., Madison Avenue in New York or were located among the scenic vistas of Silicon Valley. That time is over. Management has tired of paying for the geographic mark-up of posh addresses. New York City and Silicon Valley may have been known as go-to hot beds for finance and tech expertise, but cities in Texas, less recognized for offering that same level of expertise without the swanky digs, are quickly transforming the Lone Star State into a tech and financial hub.

Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab and Deloitte are expanding their presence in Dallas, lightly dubbed Y’all Street, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the same time, tech companies like Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Oracle and Tesla have moved sizeable operations to Texas as well, noting a friendlier regulatory and tax environment and robust talent pool.

These companies do not want to spend Silicon Valley or New York City dollars to get the same-or-better quality and service they can get elsewhere. This thinking has long been a too well-kept secret in public relations. While business leaders may have previously assumed a large New York City PR firm was the only means of garnering impressive results, current trends are pointing to star PR talent in Texas, and elsewhere outside the high-rent districts of Manhattan.

Good PR does not have to cost $30k, $20k or even $10k a month. While some of the country’s most well-known global PR firms may have former presidential candidates to tout on their rosters, many boutique agencies have tenured professionals who not only know PR, but know your industry… and best of all, who will take the time to listen and get to know you because they value – and need – your business.

In fact, we often hear from clients who have come to us from large, global agencies. They tell us they were shocked by the both the price of admission to these goliath agencies, as well as the lack of access to senior talent at those agencies. Too often with larger firms, clients find themselves the victims of bait-and-switch routines with a junior staffer managing their account after an initial meeting with executives where they signed on as new clients. Or they find out that press releases or thought leadership writing are all additional costs outside the retainer agreement. Just as many tech and financial services companies have recognized, good expertise does not always come from the most expensive source.

That said, we are all also too familiar with the phrase “you get what you pay for.” Fantastic PR firms offering services at a fraction of the price of their larger counterparts are out there, but business leaders and their marketing and communications teams seeking support will have to do their homework to find a valued partner they can trust.

Contemplate the following dos and don’ts when considering a PR firm:

  • Don’t be fooled by a name or size. Simply because they have a celebrity on their roster or they are the biggest, does not mean they are the right fit for your company’s needs. Often, business owners can get more bang for their buck when it comes to PR by selecting a smaller agency with specialized expertise to fit their needs.
  • Don’t assume PR is expensive. PR does not have to be expensive. Campaigns can be tailored to fit your budget – within reason. A smaller, targeted campaign by a team who really understands how to reach a specific audience and what they are looking for can produce more results for less compared to an overly broad, national campaign.
  • Don’t let your company be nickeled and dimed. A good PR firm will not busy themselves with counting your hours and billing for every single. They will work with you. They will offer inclusive services, and not bill separately for press releases or writing services. (And on writing, ensure the agency you are considering has proven writers on staff.) Often, the best PR firms employ former journalists, who not only know what reporters are looking for, but know how to write like them to ensure the best possible reception among the journalists most important to you and the audiences you need to reach.
  • Do ask who will be working on your account to ensure the leadership team you spoke with at first doesn’t ghost you for the newest assistant.
  • Do consider a PR agency’s specialties and expertise in your industry.
  • Do look to references. Clients, and particularly former clients, can give you an honest opinion on whether an agency met or exceeded expectations, as well as their experience working with the team.

Most importantly, keep an open mind. Just as good tech solutions no longer come only from Silicon Valley, good PR is not provided exclusively by big city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars a month. Smart, committed and results-driven teams drive PR success and increasingly those folks can be found at boutique PR agencies that offer more manageable retainers.