The PR Warrior

Hat-tip to Ivy Lee as a Specialist Media Relations Agency is Born

Introducing...

This week the communications firm of which I'm a partner (parkyoung) announced it had established an offshoot agency in partnership with media relations specialist, Jaselyn O'Sullivan.

The Ledbetter Agency, as the new entity is called, specialises in media relations and 'traditional' publicity. 

The name is a hat-tip to Ivy Ledbetter Lee, regarded by many as being the father of modern public relations; he was also credited with issuing the world's first press release.

It's a counter-intuitive move, for sure, setting up a media unit while other PR agencies are busy trying to establish their social media credentials, but that's exactly why it makes sense to go down this path.

Zig while everyone else zags!

PR today has many layers and is becoming more and more complex, all of which is placing considerable stress on the 'old' PR consulting model. 

Under this model, consultants are expected to administer the account, manage the client relationship, handle all the media relations, sometimes run events, and now, look after social media as well - it's crazy, it's unwieldy, but it happens! 

* Jaselyn O'Sullivan, media gun!  

Which brings us back to The Ledbetter Agency...

The idea is to complement the parkyoung offer of communications strategy, social media planning and content creation, allowing us to focus on developing and running broader communications programs while at the same time fully servicing clients requiring media work.

While social media is becoming a core part of what we do as PR people - and rightly so because it's rapidly changing the marketing ballgame - traditional media relations work remains important. For some clients, that's all they require from a PR agency.

Fantastic Opportunities

Coincidentally, we announced The Ledbetter Agency on the day new talkback radio station MTR 1377 hit the airwaves in Melbourne, and only last week a proposed free major suburban newspaper (The Weekly Review) was unveiled.

So while the marketing landscape has changed and social media (of which I am more passionate about than ever before!) continues to grow, there are still fantastic opportunities for brands in the traditional media space.

Of course, the combination of 'old' and 'new' is more powerful than either by itself...and don't forget that events and face-to-face communications are potentially more important than ever before too!

Cheers to Ivy Ledbetter Lee!

 

* 3 wise monkeys - From left: Park, O'Sullivan, PR Warrior

Sell the Light, Not the Lightbulb

I spent an absorbing hour this week with an international corporate communications guy from the US.

It's always good to chat to someone who sits at the cutting edge of the profession and is in a position of seeing PR from different angles given their work takes them across territorial borders on a regular basis.

Something the PR guy said really resonated:

"Sell the light, not the lightbulb."

Wow! Love it! (I'm quite partial to the odd good analogy).

It certainly relates well to public relations generally, but is particularly relevant in today's hyper-connected and information-overloaded environment. 

No-one is interested in your product (lightbulb), but shed some light on other more interesting matters relevant to your brand and the industry/category in which you operate and you might just get our attention. 

Does your brand stand for more than just the products or services you sell?  

Is it genuinely hooked into the community? Does it add value to my life in some way? 

If nothing else, what's the benefit to me? 

 

As the authors of the Cluetrain Manifesto so eloquently put it:

If you want us to talk to you, tell us something. Make it something interesting for a change.

The 'lightbulb' isn't interesting, but the 'light' is.

What about you? Are you still trying to sell the lightbulb, or have you seen the light?

O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y is the Name of the Game

Okay, the PR Warrior is back on deck, nice and refreshed after a break by the beach at Wye River.

What's on my mind? Thanks for asking :)

O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y....that's what!

OPPORTUNITY for brands that are open to change and willing to unlearn old marketing habits.

OPPORTUNITY for brands that have genuinely interesting stories to tell and a willingness to put them 'out there' for others to share.

OPPORTUNITY for brands to truly engage their customers by creating and distributing really cool ideas, insightful points of view and key talking points.

OPPORTUNITY for brands to change their culture for the better by encouraging openness, transparency and participation, both internally and externally.

OPPORTUNITY for brands to increase the intensity of connection with the people that matter to their business via a mix of channels, social media being just one (don't forget face-to-face activity, it's more important now than ever).

OPPORTUNITY for brands to start weaning off their heavy reliance on ineffective paid-for advertising and instead place strategic public relations at the heart of their communication efforts.

OPPORTUNITY for brands to enter into longer-term courtships with consumers, not just the occasional 'quickie' they're so addicted to. 

And, for individuals...

The OPPORTUNITY for anyone to become a genuine, fully-fledged 'multimedia micro-star'! Go on, go for it!

Cheers!

 

One 'Smell' of a Great Idea!

A key marketing challenge in the not-for-profit space is to come up with ideas that resonate strongly with the public.

Generally speaking, the concept must do two things:

• raise community awareness of - and support for - the organisation's cause or issue;
• generate revenue by getting people to part with cash, either as a straight-out donation or in return for some tangible item such as a badge, ribbon or wristband.

The latter is a big challenge. 

For years, badges were king. Then some organisation - I've got no idea which one - started selling a ribbon people could pin on their lapel (Pink Ribbon for breast cancer maybe?). Within a matter of years, we had yellow ribbons, red ribbons, silver ribbons, blue ribbons. You get the picture.

Then wristbands became de rigueur. I'm thinking it was Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong organisation that popularised the wristband concept with a yellow one that nailed it big-time.

* Livestrong wristband was a global hit, but do we really need any more charities using the concept? 

Well folks, today you'll be pleased I read about a ripper idea by Guide Dogs Australia.

The guide dogs organisation has worked in collaboration with Kit Cosmetics to produce a fund-raising product with a difference: it's a scent!

Great idea because I reckon it works on a number of levels.

• firstly, it's not a badge or a ribbon or a wristband (product differentiation);
• secondly, it appeals to a sense other than sight (brand relevance);
• thirdly, it's aimed at a younger demographic i.e. 18-35-year-olds who can relate to Kit Cosmetics (targeted = relevant for audience).

 

Importantly, the story was unique enough to warrant editorial coverage in Australia's major newspapers.

All up, a great idea - I hope it works well for Guide Dogs Australia and its advertising agency Clemenger BBDO.