Posts Tagged ‘PR’

Mad Men season 4 premiers with PR basics 101

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Loved watching Mad Men last night!  Aside that it is the only show I follow on TV, I enjoy it more and more every year.  I follow it not so much for the stories of Betty and Don, but mostly it’s fascinating to learn about marketing and advertising in an era when the industry was all about men, and women fighting to break the glass ceiling…

In any case, last night’s episode presented Don Draper - now the head of a new ad agency - talking to a reporter writing a story for the firm to be published in Ad Age.  Don clearly blew the interview by being modest and keeping a low profile.  The article did little service to the agency, which was expecting an awesome PR piece to post in the offices and share with clients, by mentioning Draper “without a name.”

The lesson Don learned, which is timeless in PR regardless of how many centuries go by, is that the press is powerful because it shapes public opinion.  How you present yourself reflects upon you  and throughout your business.  Don is in desperate need of media training, with a heavy dose of change of attitude.  At the end of the episode we watch him on an interview with the WSJ for a new story, where he seizes the moment by appearing dynamic, powerful and in-control. 

There is nothing more important in PR than the ability to drive and control the story.  Let’s see what next Sunday brings!

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Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »

Hotels: Recession Marketing and Power of PR

Friday, May 8th, 2009

My recent article on www.HotelExecutive.com explores the impact of marketing during a recession, and how fast-action public relations strategic plans help carry through hotels in a tough time.  While I keep reading news stories about hotels and their grim future, at least into 2010, I do think that there is a window of opportunity for properties to reinvent themselves and stay alive.

Of course, the question is… is it worth the trouble to spend more money to reinvent a hotel concept?   That’s a question for owners and investors.  But, it does make sense to invest in reshaping the overall perception of the hotel brand, regardless of size, type of property, location, or audience.  PR can assist greatly in re-branding and creating key messages that will tactically make a strong  impact through the downturn.  

My prediction is that once the hospitality industry reaches the tail end of this weak economic cycle, those who invested in PR as part of a strategic recession-driven marketing plan, will be ahead of most of their competition.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | No Comments »

Web Wins Over Print?

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!
Related article in PRSA: http://www.prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842348002

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | 2 Comments »

Managing the Publishing Industry Crisis

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

The crisis in the PR field has clearly translated to the world of media and publishing. With dozens of magazines and local papers folding each month, and publications like Forbes, USA Today, NY Times, Cosmo, Conde Nast, and other giants announcing layoffs, it’s no wonder why PR practitioners have to change their approach to creating and sending out news. Relationships established with writers and long lasting editors are fizzling. Most reporters and editors either move onto freelancing writing positions, or early retirement. The news process is in jeopardy, with stories backlogged from previous writers that are waiting to be published for months, tons of story ideas are left of the shelf, and following up has become a nightmare. Adding social media to the mix, news is everywhere, but is it really news? How is this crisis changing the dynamic of the otherwise mutually beneficial relationship between PR people and the almighty press? Is it still almighty with the presence of Twitter and Facebook and other outlets waiting to be born?

I am concerned about news credibility, PR ethics and yellow journalism as the economy continues to affect the future of the media.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | 3 Comments »

Share Resources to Expand Your Network

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Special thanks to Marina Echavarria of Realm Media Productions, Inc. for inviting me to write a media relations post on Hospitality public relations, by sharing some tips to manage the ever changing scope of the field as it keeps evolving in the industry. 

Fun and useful media relations tips on her well-circulated Build-A-Buzz professional PR blog: http://buildabuzz.wordpress.com/

As PR people, sharing information, tips, contacts, and articles is an important part of keeping up our relationships, coming up with new ideas, discussing trends, and of course learning new things as our network expands!

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Posted in Hospitality, PR | 2 Comments »

Using Time and PR Wisely

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

During a downturn, so many businesses get discouraged with layoffs pending, budget cuts, hiring freezes, and cuts in benefits.  As a business, as much as you are fighting to survive, you should make an effort to invest in your existing employees.  Internal communications should be a big part of your PR outreach as a company.  Even if you have been forced to slash your external PR and marketing budget -which you should still avoid if you can-making sure your employees are informed about how the economy is affecting their workplace is vital to productivity and morale.  It’s not about cutting back on the holiday party or stopping the managers’ outings, but about maintaining a continuous flow of communication, and allowing for feedback.  Tactics to reach your employees are easier than you think, by organizing assemblys, monthly company-wide meetings, writing in-house newsletters, starting a company blog, and even keeping in touch through an internal social network can motivate staff.  These, and many other communication vehicles allow for a healthy business environment that can hopefully survive the economic downturn.

Investing in internal PR communications requires careful attention and will certainly be appreciated by employees in the long term.   And that’s the type of employees you probably want to have.

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Posted in Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | 2 Comments »

Building Strategic Media Relationships

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Just a few days ago Kim Orlando, Founder of TravelingMom.com, was in the lead paragraph of Lauren Sherman’s story in Forbes.com about kids and travel, providing helpful tips and information to the reader.   Connecting clients to reporters who are seeking for a reliable source - especially on a tight deadline - must be done strategically.  Timing is everything, and effective PR professionals are charged with walking the fine line of helping their clients meet their objectives, and providing a reporter useful, credible and accurate information to make their stories better.  

It is generally not known that more than 70% of news stories every day are provided by PR practitioners and the success of each one depends on so many factors… timing, relevance, angle, news worthiness and messaging.  Maintaining and keeping up relationships with good reporters obviously makes a huge difference in PR campaigns– even if you are turned down on a story pitch few times it’s ok.  Building trust in those media relationships is important.  The right story angle coming from the right PR person will eventually make it in!

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | No Comments »

Make It Viral!

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Since messages are everywhere we look nowadays, it’s easy to read an article and forward it to ten people who we think will find it interesting.  Everyday, we share information, news stories, funny anectodes, events we would like to attend, video streams, and photos.  Each time we forward a message through email, or social networks, it is because we want to create a chain reaction from people we trust.  We want to start conversations on topics we find interesting.  Recently, we created a Facebook page for the four star Hotel Heritage in Bruges, www.hotel-heritage.com, where we are working on creating a fan base of people interested in traveling to that destination.  When the hotel won the 2009 TripAdvisor Award for Best Luxury Accommodation earlier this year, we sent an update to fans to let them know.  We opened the topic for discussion and paired it with traditional media relations.  Spreading a strong, well-tailored, yet simple message strategically to its audience, helped the hotel with outreach, awareness, exposure and branding.

Consistently examining and re-examining your message will help you determine if it is newsworthy enough to have a viral component.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | 1 Comment »

Is the Press Release Really Dead?

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

While the press release has always been the staple for most successful PR campaigns, over the last few years, it is no longer necessarily viewed as the bread and butter of media relations.  Is the press release no longer effective because it is outdated the minute it becomes published?  Is it because editors are simply overloaded by too many messages that clutter their real and virtual inboxes?  Or is it because the press release today actually has the flexibility to become an ever-evolving communication that effectively lends itself to various outlets?  The press release’s role remains to create and disseminate an actual newsworthy item to the public it speaks to.  However, its structure and formality is slowly fading.  With the arrival of web 3.0 and social media becoming mainstream, updates, announcements and news items become far more interpersonal, viral, and casual.  All you need to do is become a fan of something on Facebook and you get all the updates you need.   You don’t always need the press release to mediate the process anymore.  At the same time it is still one of the most formal methods to credibly inform the public.  So, nostalgically, it sounds like the press release is an old but wise communications tool, that will stick around in some form. 

So, while I think the content of a well-written press release will continue remain very much viable in the PR process, the vehicles that create the structured message continue to evolve… from the days of handwritten news, to those of the typewriter, to the keyboard, and onto whatever is next.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, PR, Top Accommodations | No Comments »

What should be the role of PR and IMC in this economy?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

As a giant communications philosophy, IMC keeps evolving over the years. With the popularity and steep learning curve of clever social media versus traditional media relations campaigns, can PR still work well independently, or is it best practiced as part of an integrated marketing plan? With lower advertising budgets, and less exposure via paid communications, businesses have to become smarter with their marketing dollars. When planned well, PR offers better quality and longer term visibility than short term ad campaigns would for sure. But, in this economy, there’s a trend of businesses desperately trying out various components of IMC (advertising, marketing, social media, direct mail, interactive promotions, and PR) a little bit at a time, and spreading their dollars when they should be investing in what will work. That quickly turns very ineffective marketing into panic. You can’t just run 1 or 2 ads. You can’t just send out a press release without spending money to conduct follow-up. It’s therefore important to research each IMC option well and decide which vehicle will carry the message most effectively. Customize the best communications approach, and invest in it successfully. Thoughts anyone?

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Posted in Hospitality, PR | 2 Comments »