Archive for the ‘PR’ Category
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Have you flown Spirit airlines? If so, do you recall the experience you have with the airline’s customer service? I have not flown them yet, but plan on doing so to see for myself. Meanwhile, this article on Gadling.com is very convincing as it talks about the importance of engaging strategic PR to improving Customer Service - which appears to be directly affecting revenue.
Spirit has been in the news before about poor customer service, and the negative publicity is impacting investor relations. After a horrible two-year stretch of the economic downturn, from oil spill distasters to deflecting horrific ad campaigns (namely Spirit’s campaign to fly to FL during the oil spill) and poor customer service, PR is seen again as a mandatory communications vehicle - and not as fluff.
Whoever said any publicity is good publicity, coined a catchy phrase for drawing negative attention. In most cases, like in Spirit’s for instance, it isn’t working out well.
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Tags: making pr a priority, oil spill, poor pr tactics, pr crises, public relations and social media, spirit airlines pr and publicity
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
When Foursquare, Gowalla and the like started becoming popular we explored the idea of the geo-social concept working well with hotels and restaurants, particularly because they are physical locations, where people can gather and let others know where they are. Safety concerns and territorial feelings aside (no, it’s not cool to be the Mayor of a hotel suite’s bathroom, I don’t care if it’s the executive suite), hoteliers have not only caught up with social media, but they are constantly thinking ahead to digital networking, which is encouraging as the economy picks up again.
If mobile marketing is the way to go, how it can it work efficiently? Just read the story on HotelChatter and see what Four Seasons and Gowalla are doing. They have a promotion running that offers an incentive to guests after they check-in to places that Four Seasons concierges recommend: they earn hotel credits and can use them up on property. It’s a clever concept because it adds value to the stay vs. offering a lower rate or a discount. So, I vote yes! One concern though: safety. Hotels will have to figure that out.
Foursquare and Gowalla will be tapping into more hotel chains soon I think, and by early 2011 (which equates to nearly a decade in social media years) geo-social promotions will be commonplace in the hospitality industry and, hopefully, well streamlined.
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Tags: geo-social marketing, gowalla hotels, hotel pr 2010, hotels foursquare, mobile hotel marketing, social media marketing
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Sunday, September 5th, 2010
Being in my early thirties I am a huge fan of The Body Shop. Having grown up in Greece, there wasn’t a birthday party that went by without giving or receiving a gift from the socially responsible cosmetics retailer.
So, occasionally I reminisce by walking into the Body Shop to browse the beautifully packaged products that look and smell differently now, but somehow still feel oddly familiar. The store I went into today wasn’t too busy and a chatty sales lady came up to me asking if I needed help. I nodded in appreciation while quickly replying that I was just looking. I had not yet finished my sentence when her face lit up and said full of excitement, “You should try our skin line! It was number one in the Palm Beach Post this month!!”
Naturally, she sounded passionate about the PR placement, which made her comment worth noting in my very biased-towards-PR mind as I left the store moments later, and after unsuccessfully searching for my favorite lip pencil. Undoubtedly, the lady used that placement in the Palm Beach Post as an effective way to sell the company’s specific product line, and I wonder how well it worked for the FL shops, since the Palm Beach Post is the top newspaper in the county.
In any case, it was great to know that organizations are still valuing strategic PR while fully capitalizing on its unique ability to influence public opinion and enhance brand awareness.
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Tags: body shop pr, effective pr, palm beach post, retail pr, sales and pr, social responsibility pr, the body shop
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Strategize PR efforts to include the destination to cast a wider net of opportunities for the hotel
Happy Friday! Today, I am in a great mood. It’s been a whirlwind of a summer with almost too much travel, so coming back and settling into a routine has been a great way to end the summer on a soft note.
I’ve been thinking a lot about destinations this week… as we’ve explored on this blog, if you are working with a hotel, aligning your PR efforts to include the destination can pay plenty of dividends in the long term.
It has indeed become more difficult to obtain prime and strategic placements with the publishing shakeout, but when an article finally does come out, somehow it’s all worth it again!
I was so pleased with this USA Today Travel Tips article that talks about the Hotel Heritage Relais Chateaux in Bruges. I like this article especially because it only lists one hotel for each destination. The fact that the article was published as online content makes it easy to share it with others on Twitter and Facebook. In the past, a print article would have been more exciting, but that has completely changed in the last two years.
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Tags: belgium, bruges, destination and hotels, destination pr, hotel pr, relais & chateaux, strategic travel pr placements, usa today travel
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
One of the most important decisions a PR pro has to make early on in his/her career is what type of professional s/he wants to be.
I received a request to do a blog post about this, which was inspired by this article in PR Week, about how Naomi Campbell’s PR advisors handled her appearance at the Hague. Although PR Week is indeed a publication that discusses strategy, reports news, and explores the PR process, this article is a classic example of how professionals can become… well… boastful.
While I was asked about my opinion, I really am not in the position to comment on how a PR person should or should not be, as long as they are professional in their demeanor. I think it is more important to decide on how a professional chooses to practice within the profession. However, it is very unfortunate that on the whole, the ball takes those modest PR pros who choose not to broadcast their every success so widely… feeding the vacuum of misconceptions that the PR profession is a “spin doctor’s” profession.
Sigh.
I read somewhere recently that “what other people think of you is not your business.” While this statement may sound momentarily freeing and comforting, in PR at least, that is very untrue.
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Tags: boasting and pr, ethics and pr, imc, pr pros and conduct, pr week, public relations professionals, spin doctors
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
A growing trend in news media that is usually published very informally, often lacking fact checking and research on behalf of the writer, who is usually not a professional. These self moderated citizen media include websites and blogs and other online outlets that allow real time news to break and develop as readers comment and start conversations about the topic.
In any case, hyperlocal is another buzz word that has become mainstream the past couple of years, mainly to rise of social media and the insatiable curiosity to know what’s going around us, even if we don’t really care to get to know our neighbors.
With news media going hyperlocal, it’s easy for PR people to target very, very specific self-proclaimed journalists who report on their area; from traffic incidents, school plays, community events, yard sales, store openings, and even some odd stories, like bear sightings if you live in the woods, or if you live in my town, you can learn everything about our feral cat problem.
I am not sure how much PR pros would benefit from pitching hyperlocal independent writers in the long run. They are certainly entertaining, but I remain uncertain about their credibility. That said, I do think that hyperlocal news do have the potential to develop credible stories with the right people facilitating and reporting the news - even if that means taking five-ten minutes longer to confirm sources and facts.
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Tags: citizen media, hyperlocal and credibility, hyperlocal news, pr and hyperlocal
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
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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Tags: mad men season 4, media training, PR, pr lessons, public opinion, public relations blunders
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
As hospitality blazes into social networking, the article in the New York Times last week seems very timely. Always revolving around cost, the essence of travel and seeking authentic experiences in hotels, B&Bs or even rent-a-bed places remains.
I read with interest the article and agree that social networking provides a healthy alternative to expensive hotels (or expensive cities with hotels), but a traveler must be experienced and really know what they are doing. Plus, you need to have enough time to research the listings and figure out what accommodation works best for your travel needs.
It’s an awesome niche though for traveling with low cash and an appetite for adventure and it’s fun trying to predict the unpredictable, especially when you show up at a chef’s house for a couple of nights, or the vintage clothing buyer’s house you’ve agreed to rent your room from, as the article discusses.
This type of B&B networking is not quite competition for hotels as it appeals to a completely seperate market segment of travelers. But, it’s important to note how the social media savvy of these young (25-35) travelers, and ensure that your hotel’s social networking initiatives are up to par.
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Tags: hospitality SMM, hotel pr and marketing, social media B&B, social media PR, social networking hotels, travel pr
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Just days and already this initiative has spread far and wide. Totally gone viral, the Influence Project 2010 tracks how many people you influence online, via blogs, social networks, etc. There’s a contest going on of the most influential person who will be featured in the prime business publication’s November issue. I was reading the article on their site today and the process of online influencing and how they track it is fascinating! Apparently there is a way for you to register and see how you influence others online, but I can’t seem to get the link to work right now.
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Tags: fast company, influence project 2010, new media, online influence, pr and social media, social network influence
Posted in Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, social media | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
I am so pleased to launch a fresh look for my business after four years! It’s so rewarding to see where all this PR work has evolved into and its future potential. I am so happy with this new website that will serve not only as an integrated marketing tool, but also as a place for me to return every so often and reflect on my starting point.
Thank you to a fabulous team of web designers, the clients who I’ve had the pleasure of working with for years, and to my colleagues for their support and advice as we press on exploring the truth in PR. The blog look will be updated shortly!
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Tags: imc, internal branding, new website, pr and website
Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »