Posts Tagged ‘Media Relations’
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
The boxing match between traditional radio and podcasting took center stage a few years ago, although there really is no winner. Radio gets millions of listeners and the sense of urgency is far more prevalent than during a podcast, which you can listen to whenever you like.
However, podcasts have found an excellent niche. Depending on the theme, tone, audio level and quality, podcasts are growing in popularity, and are earning respect from listeners across the globe. Aiming to those who are relatively savvy on social media, podcasts are popping up everywhere.
The best thing about podcasts from a PR perspective is that they are viral. You can easily share snipits from a podcast, or create alerts on Twitter and Facebook to generate awareness and interest quickly. Podcasts are saved easily and you can go back to them online, comment and share the content over and over again. It’s an overall effective tactic to share your client’s message with the right audience. The key is to find the right podcast for your client, where s/he is comfortable speaking to the host.
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Tags: itunes, Media Relations, podcast vs. radio, podcasting, pr tactics, social media, social media PR
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
About eight years ago we saw a few small hotel bloggers make their debut online, talking about properties, where to stay, amenities to rave about, room categories to avoid and so forth. A great example of a hotel blog that started hyperlocal in Boston and grew enormously in the past decade is friend Mark Johnson’s HotelChatter.
Between then and today, there are myriads of bloggers on the internet writing up anything from favorite hotel roundups, and top 10 destinations, to exposing bed bug infested hotels and other popular topics relating to the travel industry. As PR people we already know there are some bloggers that have impeccable ethics, and others not so much. It’s up to us to decide who to pitch to.
Without assigning blame to anyone, how do you pitch bloggers in the new decade? Earlier on, it was easy because bloggers did not have the prestige they have today. These days, bloggers are well respected writers, often times editors of high-end publications that are no longer in business. Many senior level writers have left magazines and newspapers to start their own blog and online presense.
The travel/hotel blog boom is still going strong. Pitching bloggers is getting harder. Crafting a clever angle is more important than ever. Establishing relationships with the bloggers takes more time now than it used to. It’s all online too, you have to follow them on Twitter, comment of their FB posts and show interest in their content. It’s a new process that PR people have to embrace when pitching bloggers for hospitality clients (and all clients, for that matter).
One thing is relatively unique for writers and bloggers in the travel and hospitality industry: they don’t leave it! So, happy pitching!
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Tags: bed bugs, bloggers and pr people, hospitality social media, hotel pr, hotels and bloggers, how to pitch bloggers, Media Relations, pitching in 2010, travel bloggers, travel pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
I was at client meeting today and among other things, we touched on the pros and cons of traditional print placements. While traditional is inevitably moving towards the all-digital, all-viral, all-social era, my client and I pondered on why we still love reading print.
Sure, there’s the argument of the tangible “leafing through” a magazine at the airport, on the train or waiting at the doctor’s office. But, there’s more to it, there’s an exclusivity about reading the Sunday paper or your favorite magazine even though you can have 24 access to it online. For example, I know when I sit down to read TIME I will be focusing on reading and digesting that pub’s information only. And I look forward to that.
At the same time, I never read TIME.com because I simply do not wish to be distracted by links and pop ups that interrupt my reading. Knowing that I can instantly search for a million things that I find interesting on the publication’s site is tempting, but not something I seek out when reading certain magazines.
At the same time, I love logging on to www.nytimes.com, but hardly ever read the tangible version of the paper anymore. NYTimes is a rich source of info that’s constantly updated, and that’s what I look for when sharing information on my social networks.
The odd thing is that I do recycle and believe in not wasting paper. However, there are times when I crave those 20-30 minutes of quiet reading time like the old days, when digesting information was more important than skimming it and virally sharing it before moving onto the next link.
I believe that both print and online placements have strengths and weaknesses. Online placements (especially via social media) tend to have a much broader impact in a short period of time. The question is, how much does that info sticks with you in the long run?
On the other hand, we are humans and tend to assign value in tangible things - old clippings, front page collectibles, cutting out recipes (I still do that!) and even saving articles for loved ones. With print pubs, we tend to assign more value in article we spend 15 minutes reading when we would probably just skim its online equivalent, simply because we get far more distracted interacting virtually.
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Tags: interactive marketing, Media Relations, online publications, PR, print placements, print versus online, the future of publishing, the value of print
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Especially now that PR professionals’ time is generously spent on coordinating social media initiatives, and in tandem with the ongoing changes in the publishing industry, the importance of traditional follow-up in media relations is the one component that has remained concrete in securing successful PR placements.
Relationships are evolving in quantity, and perhaps even in quality, but following up on a good story idea is a crucial part to strategic public relations. Reporters are still out the to get the best stories because those are their livelihood. Staying in touch with reporters and writers is necessary to keeping your network alive, but also provides an ongoing opportunity for follow-up. Maybe a story idea was good, but wasn’t the right fit for a particular issue or section. It might be a great fit down the line, or you might have to sharpen the pitch a little. Follow-up takes time, patience, lots of writing and calling, and a tons of persistence. In the end, the effort is worth it!
On a totally unrelated note: My mind lately has been on the deadly earthquakes both in Haiti and now in Chile, and having grown up in a very earthquake prone country, I still can’t imagine the pain hundreds of thousands people are going through.
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Tags: conducting follow-up, Media Relations, pr tips, publishing industry, reporter follow up
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
The publishing industry, along with the PR industry, are sloooowly on the rise. Since editors and PR pros can’t succeed with one another, it’s a typical love/hate dynamic, it’s important to keep up with your network. So what if half the reporters and editors you worked with were laid off? Keeping in touch with media during this transition can help you immensely as things start shaping up again in the world of the press. Remember, you can’t just think of your clients when you build relationships. You owe it to to yourself, and the editors to be genuine and credible… otherwise you won’t make it in this business.
I was thrilled the other day to hear back from one of my favorite editors, who was laid off last year from an internationally acclaimed outlet. She is now back and much stronger than before, and writing for super publications. We kept in touch regardless, and now have a lot to gain from one another again.
Forging strong, genuine, long lasting relationships that carry you as a PR pro throughout your career is the main ingredient to your individual recipe for success. Don’t underestimate your past media relationships just because things may be a little quiet right now. Editors don’t forget true professionals. Embrace those relationships and trust your instinct as the industry moves into a new chapter.
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Tags: building relationships with the press, editors and pr professionals, Media Relations, pr and media, publishing crisis
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
When a launch happens, as PR people we do all we can to provide as much strategic press around that event.
While it’s usually not possible to get every hit on your media wish list, it is important to manage the timeliness of the press you can obtain.
A great example is the Forbes.com blurb for the opening of Hotel Chocolat as the Find of the Day. Hotel Chocolat is a luxury chocolatier from the UK that is launching in Boston’s Newbury street this week.
Timely, strategic placements make the difference, and establish the presence for a client, where the quality should not be compromised for quantity and column inches.
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Tags: boston, forbes, lifestyle pr, media placements, Media Relations, newbury, strategic pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Since late last year, and more so this year, we’re noticing a decline in traditional media placements. They are fewer, much more selective and harder to secure. As a result, with Facebook and Twitter now completely mainstream, good old magazines and newspapers (at least those surviving) are struggling to adjust to this new wave in publishing.
As a result, I think that the print that survives will become much more valuable in public relations, in terms of branding and editorial. However, we’re finding that breaking through editors’ mailboxes is insurmountable nowadays. Persistence is still key, but creating sharp and timely angles is more important than ever. It doesn’t matter if your product is new. Why would the editor want to write about it? Your hotel package might be amazing in luxury and dripping with freebies, but why would a travel writer want to do a story. These are things that necessary to think through before you get on the phone or start blasting off emails.
My client, the Hotel Heritagein Bruges decided to do a 9.9.09 rate for 99EUR next month for one day. The purpose of the promo was exposure and momentum, not so much the number of bookings for that rate. I pitched it creatively, and here is a great placement in the Wall Street Journal’s Travel Watch section.
Finding value in the pitch and aligning it strategically so that it helps not only the client, but also the editor, is key to great media relations.
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Tags: breaking through the media clutter PR, creative PR thinking, hotel heritage, Media Relations, wall street journal pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Friday, July 3rd, 2009
As we continue to mourn the impending death of print (or at least the decrease in its popularity), one thing is for sure: for PR/Media relations to work effectively, a strong online presence must be acquired. The concept and practice of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is certainly not new, and it has become a necessary element in the PR toolbox.
SEO helps PR professionals think in terms of their audience. As chief communicators, we’re increasingly challenged not just with our style of writing, but more so with our understanding of what our audience is searching for on the Internet. How we make news and how it is delivered is only one part of the equation. Nowadays, we are constantly thinking who is reading our news (=press releases/announcement), and most importantly… is that actually relevant to that person (=reporter, writer, site visitor, etc)?
We now train ourselves in writing optimized press releases, rich in links and tags, in order to maximize our message’s viral ability. By thinking in terms of our audience, we can create and deliver news that is important.
Don’t underestimate good media relations and PR: in the world of blogs, Twitter and Facebook, getting a message or news item to someone who is actually searching for it is a huge feat.
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Tags: Media Relations, press releases and SEO, SEO and PR, social media and SEO
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Monday, May 4th, 2009
Generally, I cannot imagine a better way to spend a lazy Sunday morning if it doesn’t include flipping through the New York Times (or its equivalent when I travel abroad) and sipping a cappuccino. However, I only do that on Sundays, and read newspapers online during the week.
As with most other outlets, trade publications, or even glossy magazines that I used to read in print, I now follow those nearly exclusively online. Sadly, I did away with my favorite WSJ subscription, too. I can now access pretty much everything on the web.
The slow death in print has been a hot conversation topic in my professional circles. Some us agree that print has long lasting value and is more personal, and others are done with magazines printed on recycled paper. News is found immediately online, making print editions outdated the minute they to press.
And that is true.
While sad, it’s important to maintain some connection with news, headlines or not, on a more personal level. In fact, much content that is usually in print, doesn’t always make it online (sidebar stories, especially). Of course, all online content will never appear fully in the print edition either.
From a PR perspective, the more we know, the better equipped we are for our clients. However, maintaining a balance between print and online news is important when we pitch and keep up with our media relationships. Both print and web have value to reach the right people. Speaking for myself, I think print has become more of a comfortable pastime while following stories online is now part of a daily routine.
But, scanning the news environment will always be a part of our jobs as PR people. I fondly recall the days working at my first hotel when I would spend an hour a day reading newspapers and magazines, and coworkers would stop by thinking I was reading because I had nothing else to do!
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Tags: death of newspapers, keeping print alive, Media Relations, newspapers vs. online, PR, print vs. online, social media and print
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | 2 Comments »
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Still unsure what the media should call the virus in order to get the most hits and rankings, I’ll avoid the term “swine flu” for now.
Sounds like the press is reaching a peak on this story and rather quickly. Just yesterday, we were bombarded with news updates on reported cases of the virus in the U.S. Then, the WHO Director General raised the level of awareness to 5, activating pandemic preparedness plans on a global level, which was concerning, but, thankfully, did not cause general panic.
But doesn’t it seem like the public is fed up with so much coverage on the topic already? I know I am getting there. Some say the story is overblown, and I tend to agree with Jack Cafferty here: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/ Some agree with the previous post I wrote on the cycle of news. Others say that the public should be aware of the issue and the more facts surrounding the topic the better. Others are more concerned about the President’s first 100 days.
The point is, as much as the H1N1 virus is a hot headline right now, it may have reached the climax surprisingly early in just a week. Perhaps because of the fact that we receive news from so many outlets and resources today versus just a few years ago, might be adding to this frustration of “too much news, too fast.” Bombardment on any topic naturally desensitizes the public so that news gets old very quickly.
It will be interesting to see how the media will continue to keep this story alive enough to be on the front page… and for how long? Will it be through exaggerated headlines, good and accurate reporting, or by feeding fire to the story via social media?
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Tags: crisis communications swine flu, h1n1 virus PR, Media Relations, news cycle, social media, social networking, swine flu
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | No Comments »