TGPR

Angry Birds

2012-01-25T16:17:00.001-08:00

The press are mad, mad, mad at lazy PR people.

Apparently flacks don’t spend enough time getting to know reporters before we pitch them.

And because our jobs mainly consist of tossing about silly expressions like “innovative” and spamming reporters, it’s not as if we can use “too busy” as an excuse for our bad behavior.

If only we weren’t so self-centered, so shallow, then we’d actually have time to learn the likes and dislikes of ever-so-interesting journalists.

Then, once we know the names of all their favorite indie bands and late night fast food haunts, we can entertain the press with clever pitches, which is what they all want.

Puhleez!

Here’s a news alert for the “I’m too busy to respond to your pitch” media: we’re also ridiculously busy!

We get hundreds of emails every day, just like you. We have deadlines and irrational bosses, just like you. We’re working on a hundred things at once, just like you.

Stop thinking you’re special just because influence peddlers beg for your attention and feign interest in your Academy Award picks.

You want to be entertained? Go to the movies.

You want me to read every story you write? I don’t have time for that.

Before sending a pitch, I read what I can about the journalist I’m targeting. I have about five minutes to spend on this because, in case you didn’t know, we’re targeting about 50 journalists per client at any given time.

The pitches I develop are clear and concise. The journalists I target should be interested.

Often times I get an email response, but many times I don’t.

Reporters don’t like to be called, so when a reporter doesn’t respond to an email, I basically have no idea why the story I pitched isn’t a fit.

Which means I have zero valuable feedback to share with my clients.

Oh, and by the way, clients don’t want to hear our feeble excuses.

They pay for coverage, not empty analysis, and many have very high expectations.

As a PR rep I’m always trying to “manage” expectations, but usually it comes off as sandbagging.

I explain that PR is a process, exactly like sales. It takes time to woo a reporter.

But clients usually expect results right away, so we go as fast as we can and sometimes that means we don’t know where a reporter vacationed last summer or how often he walks his dog.

I’m sorry: I can’t stroke reporters and satisfy anxious clients all the time.

The answer to the first problem is that reporters need to lighten up.

Stop being so demanding.

Recognize that PR people have a job to do and we don’t want to hear your whining and bitching.

Reporters also need to do a better job responding to emailed pitches.

If you don’t like my pitch say, “I’m not interested” or “I don’t think that’s particularly special.”

If you don’t have time but may be interested later say, “I’m busy now, please try again in a week.”

If I send something totally off base, then blast me.

But for heaven’s sake, say something!

As for the second problem: clients, we need you to think long-term about PR.

Not every press release is worthy of press coverage.

Particularly these days, you need a kick-ass story, a strong news hook, a non-tech customer reference and most of all, you need patience, because there’s a long line of people who have good stories, too.

You have every right to expect press coverage.

But unrealistic expectations will only lead to pissed off journalists and pathetic meetings where your PR person tries to explain why you didn’t get coverage for what you think is a “sure thing” story.

As I said, PR is a process. Clients and PR people need to view the process as something they work at every day, like being a better friend.

A more thoughtful strategy is the only way to placate Angry Bird journalists.

Who you gonna call?

2012-01-03T20:21:00.001-08:00

In 1984, the answer to the question posted in the title of this blog post was Ghostbusters. And, if you were a PR pro at the time, building a media list was as easy for you as finding ghosts was for Bill Murray & Co.

Before the Internet flipped the script on the media industry, it was easy enough for PR and marketing pros to identify the industry’s top publications and reporters. When I started in PR, my clients were semiconductor equipment manufacturers. There was a small, manageable group of pubs and reporters that everyone knew. Building a media list took about 10 minutes.

Today, every industry (semiconductor equipment manufacturing included) has a dozen or more trade pubs, and at least a hundred blogs and bloggers who cover the space. As such, it’s incredibly difficult, not to mention time consuming, to build a good media list in 2012. And yet, it absolutely has to be one of the first things a good PR pro does for his or her client.

If you're just getting started, here’s five tips to make your media list shine:

1. Be inclusive -- Make sure your list is segmented according to the audiences you’re trying to reach. If you’re a small B2B software company selling a CRM system, be sure to include SMB pubs, IT press, sales and marketing magazines, cloud bloggers, business press and VC outlets. Also include vertical pubs like manufacturing and health care, if you sell to those markets, and don’t forget the local business journal.

2. Be targeted -- This may seem like a conflict with the first point, but it isn't. Sure you want to include every audience, but there are so many pubs these days, don’t try to find every magazine or blogger. Pick the top five or so pubs/blogs for each audience, and get to know them well. It’s always smarter to do a good job with a small group of reporters/pubs.

3. Stick to emails (and maybe Twitter handles) -- You don’t need mailing addresses or even phone numbers these days. Yes it’s important to call a reporter some times, but finding phone numbers for freelancers (and these days, almost everyone is a freelancer) takes a long time and usually the numbers are not published anyhow. Email is how most reporters prefer to be contacted -- although in 2012, some want you to follow them on Twitter first.

4. Update regularly -- Media lists are organic. It’s a function of the fact that reporters are constantly moving around, changing beats, pubs are going under, etc. Make a concerted effort to review and update your media list regularly to ensure the reporters on your list are still there, and they are still the best contacts for you. It takes time but it’s the only way to know for sure that the pitches you’re sending are going to the right people.

5. Publish the list online -- You’re going to want to share your media list with the marketing, sales and management teams, at least. We all know offline spreadsheets are horrible for sharing information broadly. Publish your media list online, using Google Docs or a comparable system, for easy sharing and program transparency. That way, when the VP of Marketing or CEO complains that she doesn’t know who you’re calling or which pubs you’re targeting, you can hand her a mirror.

Happy pitching!

Kevin Wolf

Founder

TGPR

The New Pitching Rules: It’s Complicated

2011-04-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

The lines are blurry between journalistic and corporate content these days. What are the new rules for media relations?

By Polly Traylor, TGPR Consultant

Recently, on behalf of a software client, we pitched a freelance reporter who writes for a prominent media outlet. The guy, let's call him Ted, has a habit of agreeing to do interviews but then during the call, makes a heavy pitch for his marketing consultancy.

These days most freelance writers can't make a living without doing some corporate work. That's just the reality of how (poorly) media companies are paying freelance writers these days and also the fact that many writing gigs are for blogs that may not have steady revenue streams. That's all fine and good, but it changes the rules a bit for PR professionals.

Let me first comment on this particular experience with Ted.

1. In my personal opinion, it's inappropriate to pitch services to a company at the same time that you are (supposedly) interviewing them for an objective story. Ted would probably be more successful if he separated his reporting subjects from potential clients -- or at least put some space in between the interview and the business pitch.

2. There is no obligation on behalf of a company to sign up for any paid services from a reporter, in exchange for coverage. That's the age-old ethical practice of working with publications. Advertising and editorial are like church and state: they should be separate. It doesn't always work that way, but that's a standard that websites and publications should still strive to meet even in today’s world where the lines are constantly blurring between corporate and independent editorial.

3. Our firm will no longer be pitching Ted. This is not the first time that he has interviewed our clients, given his pitch, and then did not cover the company (or respond to follow-up e-mails) after we did not buy his services. Sure, there's never a guarantee of coverage from interviews, but the pattern suggests a dangerous conflict of interest from Ted.

What can we learn from all this?

First, all PR people need to be wary of writers who do a hard sell of their paid services before, during, or directly after meeting with a client. If you know that's how a writer operates, ask them to send their pitch separately for you to forward to the marketing director. Don't waste your client’s time if you can avoid it.

Second, don't be afraid of working with a writer who also writes for corporate-sponsored publications. There are many high-quality sites owned by large companies such as Microsoft, HP and American Express, which use highly experienced writers and deliver objective stories about industry trends. Those can be excellent press opportunities for your clients. Remember: it's all about search engine optimization these days, not marquee media brands.

Third, consider how to position your company as a (free) provider of contributed content. Many websites, including big media, publish articles with company bylines these days. The trick is, make sure you know the publication’s specific requirements and expectations before you go to the trouble of writing and pitching something. We got burned recently when an article we developed on behalf of a publication, with their prior approval, was in the end rejected. The editor told us that "98% of vendor-contributed content gets rejected" and that the article was biased. We did not mention the company's name, product line or even go into detail on the product space.

This same editor told us that they more readily accept articles from consultants. This logic is hard to decipher, since consultants are also selling services, but the point is: be careful. The editor should have been clear about her acceptance rate from the get-go, but she wasn't. Next time, we’ll ask more questions before developing something for a specific site.

The new rules of pitching the media, especially freelancers, are changing all the time. It requires a lot more upfront research to know who you are working with and their motivations. But if you take the time to build relationships, the result can more quality coverage of your clients in cool and unusual places.

Connect with Polly on Twitter, e-mail, or her blog.

The Same, but Different

2011-03-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Tool Guy PR re-launched this month as TGPR, LLC. It’s a subtle but significant change that reflects the company’s growth and our goals for the future.

When I founded Tool Guy PR in 2002, the intent was to fix a broken PR model. PR agencies for which I had worked in the ‘90s billed clients tens of thousands of dollars a month and rarely delivered results commensurate with cost. I had the reverse experience at Actuate from 1999 – 2002, where we paid PR agencies a ton of money and the return was almost always less than satisfactory.

The TGPR mission has always been to provide clients with great PR at a reasonable cost. This message resonated well with clients in 2002, when we were all coming out of the dot com mess, and it’s just as important today.

In 2004, I began working with other PR contractors. By 2007, a new TGPR business model had taken shape. Rather than support a few clients on my own, we organized into small, highly efficient PR teams capable of helping many clients simultaneously.

I knew the transition to virtual agency status could result in the perception that TGPR was just another gluttonous PR firm, so we’ve been careful to maintain the values that differentiate TGPR from all the toads.

For one thing, we don’t require that clients engage with us for a fixed period of time. Every agency mandates a long-term guaranteed contract, but we think clients – particularly early stage tech companies – need more flexibility than that. So, with TGPR, clients can come and go as they please, without fear of being penalized.

Another core belief is that clients should not be forced into a fixed retainer. Again, this is unheard of in agency land, where hefty retainers ensure huge profits for firms even when clients aren’t busy. We think that model is ridiculous. TGPR follows the “Utility PR” model, which means clients pay for what they use, and nothing more.

This approach has paid huge dividends for TGPR. Our business has grown almost 50 percent every year since 2007. We recently engaged our 50th client – a modest milestone indicative of the fact that TGPR clients stick around. TGPR is also not a one-person show anymore. We’re represented by experienced communications pros in five US states and on three continents, and we serve a global client list.

Today, TGPR is a virtual agency in every sense of the word. We provide every service offered by our larger competitors, but we do so at a more reasonable cost, which we achieve by eliminating typical big agency fluff such as three-hour “brainstorm” sessions, expensive coffee and specialty cookies. Most of us work from our home, providing ample time for work, family and the pursuit of other passions.

I want clients to know that while our name has changed, our commitment to providing great service and excellent results at a fair cost most certainly has not. Now that much of the administrative hassle associated with the name change is behind us, I look forward to engaging clients and prospects more often. TGPR is doing amazing work for clients every day, and I’m eager to share our stories and lessons learned with the world.

'Tis the Season for Holiday Marketing

2010-11-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is a great time to increase publicity for your products and services. Sure, consumers are inundated with ads and various marketing gimmicks. But smart promotion can make the difference between increased sales and a lump of coal in your holiday stocking. So, following are five tips to help marketers increase buzz during the holidays…

1. Give Back – Nothing warms the heart (or loosens the purse strings) more than companies that find a way to make a contribution to society during the holidays. Marketers should identify one or more worthwhile causes, and create a program in which company employees—from junior level staff up to management—can participate, then promote the activity to media. The total amount raised is not what’s important. Your customers will gravitate to your company and products because they believe in the spirit of your effort.

2. ‘Tis the Season – Nearly every company has a customer or partner whose business is consumer focused. Now is the time to consider a joint announcement. If your business is selling accounting software to manufacturers, find a manufacturer that builds consumer products and you’ve got the basis for a story that connects your company to the holidays.

3. Holiday-ize Your Product – It doesn’t matter what you sell: every product can be “holiday-ized.” If you make call center software for healthcare companies, ask your engineers how hard it would be to create a few templates that allow a healthcare company to capture information about the holiday shopping tendencies of its customers. The templates would give healthcare providers fresh insights into the personalities and risks of the insured—and you’d have a “new product” to announce, just in time for the holidays.

4. It’s Ornamental – Most companies dress up corporate offices and buildings during the holiday, but how many marketers think to promote this activity? Are tinseled trees and gift wrapped cubicles press release worthy? No, not at all. But pictures of these festive activities will look great on your Facebook and Twitter pages, not to mention your company blog. What’s important is that promoting your trees, lights, pumpkins and stars demonstrates the culture of your company, and that can have a lasting impact on customers.

5. Lower Prices! – These days, we’re all a bit strapped for cash. So, why not announce that you’re lowering the price of your product (or products) through the month of December? These stories make great press releases, are strong competitive marketing tools, and encourage prospects to become customers. If you’re trying hard to close out the year on a positive sales note, announcing a holiday savings promotion can fill your lead generation pipeline like a Christmas stocking!

The Results Are In... Social Media Is On The Rise

2010-10-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

Last week, Tool Guy PR announced the results of its Q3 2010 Hype Report, which reviews the market tendencies of early stage technology companies over the past quarter. The latest report identified several interesting trends, including a dramatic increase in the use of social media.

Multiple news outlets reported the Hype Report findings including InformationWeek, Ragan.com's PR Junkie and the Central Valley Business Times. Here's where you can find the Hype Report press release.

It's startling how active tech companies' social media programs have become despite still questionable ROI for these projects. But as Facebook may like to point out, 500 million people can't be wrong.

A Single Throat to Choke

2010-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

From time-to-time agencies get asked to “partner-up” with another firm for various reasons, to ease the transition of a merger, perhaps, or to handle specific areas of expertise. Clients aren’t looking for trouble, maybe they want to see which agency is best for their needs long term before deciding which one takes over the account full time. In any case, the extra help is nice.

But hiring multiple agencies to do similar work is fraught with downside. Take this personal experience, for example. I recently hired two contractors, one to build a gate and fence in our front yard, the other to re-pave our driveway. Along the way I asked both if they’d be willing to help us install a basketball hoop in/around the area in which they were working. Each agreed to handle some aspects of the job. At the end of the process all I got was a crooked post and two contractors pointing fingers at each other.

Tool Guy PR has in the past collaborated successfully with other agencies on a client’s account. From the client’s perspective, the benefit is an extra set of voices to increase buzz. Tangential advantages include competition among agencies, which can breed positive results. And for the agencies, the benefit is an opportunity to help a client and share ideas with other PR pros.

Of course there’s extra cost to the client, too, but, unfortunately, that’s not where the bad news stops. Two agencies may mean more people available to handle the many assignments of a busy client, but that doesn’t ensure everything will work out smoothly.

Too many cooks in the kitchen can lead to the blame game, and settling disputes can be difficult, not to mention distracting. The largest companies are well known to use multiple agencies, but with multiple product lines and business divisions, it's unlikely that agency personnel will cross one another too often. But for a smaller company, using more than one PR team, each with its own agenda, can sidetrack what was expected to be a cooperative project. In the end, it’s the client that gets burned and both firms end up with egg on their faces.

A single throat to choke implies that with one agency, there’s no doubt whose responsibility it is to handle something and therefore the client knows exactly who to contact when something goes wrong (or right). Most marketing execs get this, and Tool Guy PR has more than once replaced an agency because the client understood the benefit of a single, focused PR team. Even at the risk of hurting someone’s feelings, when it comes to successful PR programs, it’s always better to bruise egos at the beginning of the process than be left with a crooked post at the end of it.

That said, if you do decide to go with the dual (and duel) agency set-up, remember to define roles and assignments clearly. Keep the process clean and make sure to run a tight budget so costs don’t balloon as you get deeper into the program.

Q2 2010 Early Stage Tech Vendor Hype Report

2010-08-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

If I’ve learned one thing in 15 years as a marketing consultant it’s this: don’t tell your clients what they want. It’s their marketing programs, after all. As consultants it’s our job to provide sound advice… then follow the path chosen by the client.

Insisting that your clients do things your way is perilous, like pissing off Mel Gibson.

As a marketing consultant, I’ve worked with many CEOs and vice presidents of marketing who know exactly what they want in a PR program. They also have a willingness and requisite experience to implement one. Working with people like these usually leads to successful PR and mutually beneficial consultant/client relationships.

But not every company has a CEO or VP marketing who knows his or her way around a media list. And so I’m often asked to instruct a client as to what their PR program should and should not include.

Clients that need a helping hand ask plenty of questions. Here’s a few of the more common ones: How many press releases should I issue each quarter? How many articles should I expect to get over a three-month period? And among those press releases and articles, what percentage should focus on customers and partners versus products, people and company events?

Rather than offer my own two cents on these matters, here’s some direction in the form of real-life company data culled from the public websites of various randomly selected early stage technology vendors. To protect the privacy of all, of course I will not share the names of the companies profiled.

Before launching into the data from Q2 2010, however, it’s important to note that every PR program is unique, just like every company is unique. Sure, early stage tech vendors have much in common—like a desire for great publicity—but companies are run by people who by nature make random and rarely similar decisions. So just because 41% of press releases issued in Q2 were about new products, it doesn’t mean that your company should do the same.

That said, here’s the data:

Press Coverage

Companies profiled averaged 3.65 articles for the quarter. 20% received at least eight articles. A staggering 35% received zero articles. Of the 73 articles generated by these companies, 30% were news stories, 15% were features and 55% were mentions. Meanwhile, 40% were about products and only 14% were about customers or partners; the rest were miscellaneous.

I’m guessing most CEOs and VPs marketing reading this just lost their lunches. Less than four articles in a quarter is probably not what companies expect for PR budgets that average $10K or more per month if you’re paying “big agency” prices. On the other hand, if you’re using a freelancer or smaller agency, four solid stories that can double as sales tools doesn’t sound too bad.

It’s notable that 30% of stories were news-based while more than twice that number were mentions. This says to me that companies should focus on ways to “crowd” other companies’ coverage versus focusing exclusively on their own news stories. Defined as offering clients as resources for stories about news made by competitors, crowd pitching is a practical and aggressive PR tactic.

I’m surprised that only 14% of stories were about customers and partners. Reporters always seem to ask for customer/partner references when covering a subject, yet the data shows that those resources rarely make it into print. This suggests media has less time than ever to contact customers/partners for follow up questions, which is too bad.

One other metric that stood out was the very few number of contributed articles placed by companies we profiled. Of the 20 companies we looked at, only one secured a bylined article in Q2. That’s a shame because contributed articles are a great way to generate press coverage while also helping media do its job. Certainly it takes some time/resources by the vendor to develop the content, but the cost-to-value is remarkably low considering the article will appear online (probably forever), can be published to the vendor’s website, and possibly re-written with an industry specific approach for multiple vertical market publications.

Press Releases

Companies profiled issued just about five press releases per quarter in Q2. 60% issued three or less. Of the press releases issued, 41% were about products and a nearly identical number (42%) were about customers or partners. Meanwhile, only 4% of companies announced financial events including fundraisings, mergers or acquisitions.

When I’m asked, I suggest that early stage tech vendors issue at least two press releases per month, so five for the quarter is a bit lower than I’d recommend, but it’s in the ballpark.

That over 80% of press releases were about products, customers or partners is not a surprise. The truth is, early stage tech companies don’t have much else to talk about. And per the above data, more than half the press coverage these companies received in Q2 was about products, customers or partners, so there’s some correlation between the type of press releases issued and the type of press coverage received.

On the other hand, companies that issued three or less press releases generated a total of 29 articles in Q2, an impressive total given the lack of news.

The busiest press release issuers, those with at least 10 announcements in the second quarter, secured over 45% of the total press coverage for all companies profiled. Suffice to say, it still pays to produce press releases.

What Matters

The point of this exercise was not to encourage early stage tech companies to follow one path or another. As mentioned, consultants who counsel too much don’t last long. Rather, the intent was to demonstrate that there is a wide range for the amount of hype tech companies pursue, and each company needs to find its own way. Still, peer data can be a helpful guide to companies needing some direction. Of course, us consultants are always here to help when asked.

As an aside: the facts in this report are based on publicly available second quarter 2010 data for approximately 20 early stage tech vendors (loosely defined as companies under $10M in annual revenue). The opinions in the report are those of the author. We encourage all readers to form their own conclusions.

Today Was a Good Day

2010-08-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

A client let us know last week that recent significant press coverage resulted in a 37% increase (month over month) in the number of persons who visited the client’s website. Among the nearly 200,000 people who went to the site, 94% were new visitors.

Not every press hit is going to drive this kind of website traffic, but good PR can have a real and instant value to companies that take the time to measure and leverage it.

I won’t get into a long post right now regarding best practices for and the merits of measuring PR. But one easy way to assess PR value is to track the number of people who visit your website and see if that number increases during times of significant press coverage. Using Google Analytics, for example, companies can easily calculate website traffic and connect the number of visitors, time spent on the site, number of pages viewed, etc., back to specific media coverage.

Another way to measure PR is to ask: Are we, the client, getting more and better press coverage since we hired the PR agency? If the answer is Yes, and you’re not breaking your wallet to make it happen, it’s safe to say you’re getting good value for money.

Plenty of PR firms dance around the PR value question. Next time we’re asked, I’ll probably forward the email our client sent last week. With a screenshot of the Google Analytics dashboard showing the huge spike in website traffic following our coverage, the elated client remarked: “Something happened yesterday. Something wonderful.”

If you’re a PR person who has been asked to quantify PR value, emails like these are great reminders that PR absolutely can have a tangible return on investment.

Going Glocal

2010-07-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Anna Kendrick fans will recognize the word “glocal” from Up in the Air, last year’s award winning movie starring Kendrick and Oscar winner George Clooney. Kendrick uses the word to explain her company’s new philosophy: let’s be global and local.

Many PR firms take a similar approach. But larger agencies like to claim a big advantage in this area over smaller firms. It makes sense on the surface: The largest firms have people on the street in Asia and Europe at least, while some maintain offices in South America, Africa and other exotic locales. In theory that makes them better able to service a client internationally.

So, does that mean smaller PR firms can’t compete on a glocal scale?

Well, no, not at all. In fact, smaller firms are often far better equipped to service clients internationally than larger agencies. Here’s what I mean:

Large firms typically have equally large satellite offices. This means you, the client, is likely to get the same quality of service in China, for example, that you receive from your firm in the US. Therefore, if you’re tired of explaining your business for the sixth time this month to a 25-year old account executive in charge of your US account, it’s a good bet that your China-based youth-filled PR team is going to have the same challenge.

This is not a geography problem; it’s an experience problem. The frustration that occurs when trying to train your inexperienced international team easily trumps your agency’s flashy corporate presentation including a world map littered with global office flags (raise your hand if you’ve seen one of these).

On the other hand, a smaller firm is more likely to engage smaller agencies outside the US as partners. Internationally as in the US, smaller firms typically consist of more experienced PR people for the simple reason that junior reps can’t generate enough business to survive alone. Our firm, for example, partners with veteran-led agencies only, so international PR colleagues get up-to-speed faster on client accounts.

Another drawback of using a large agency to go glocal is vendor lock-in. When you hire a large US agency, you’re also hiring their people around the world. If after a while you decide the international team isn’t right for you, too bad. The only out is firing the international team and the US team, and starting over. Anyone who’s ever bought one of those Internet/TV/phone packages from AT&T or Comcast will appreciate the agony of having to disconnect all three when one or the other fails to deliver as promised.

Compare this situation to the smaller agency model. If a client doesn’t like his or her team in the UK, no problem. Just fire the UK team and ask your US team to find new UK representation for you. As always, flexibility is a key advantage smaller firms have over larger ones.

Then there’s the cost issue. Your large agency is costing an arm and a leg. Well guess what? The international team costs just as much, if not more. If your company is like most early stage tech vendors, that’s just not an option. Sure you want international exposure, but at what cost?

Of course, smaller firms are well known to charge considerably less for PR services, and most small firms will extend similarly low prices for work shipped overseas. Small firms understand the cost constraints of early stage clients and are therefore more likely to find a price arrangement that works for all parties.

There are other benefits to going glocal with small PR firms. Using a smaller firm allows clients to select international resources that fit specific needs, like content development and translation for example. Some clients need help in international markets but don’t necessarily need the services of a five-person regional team that does everything. The ability to sign a contractor or small firm to fill a niche roll is enticing.

Hiring small agencies for glocal PR has its drawbacks, too. But they tend to be the same ones larger agencies experience, like translation and business-hours issues. In the end, smaller agencies are just as capable of going glocal as larger firms. But sometimes it takes clients with a keen eye for productivity, flexibility and value to find that out.

Publicitechonomics Makes News

2010-07-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Not everyone can pronounce it -- think "publicity" plus "tech" plus "economics" -- but marketers and investors are getting the point. Thanks to The Huffington Post, which published our publicitechonomics article yesterday, more people are likely to view the story than if it appeared online at the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post or the Wall Street Journal. Such is the nature of news in 2010... and that's fine by me! Following is the article in its entirety. Here too is a link to the version that ran at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-wolf/publicitechonomics_b_660765.html Enjoy!

Publicitechonomics

There's a word I've been using lately that, while made up, would seem to epitomize a primary challenge facing the high-tech marketing and investment/venture capital industries today. The word is "publicitechonomics," pronounced publici-tech-onomics, and it describes the complex relationship between technology vendors, marketing budgets, and how much publicity a technology vendor would like at any given time.

Every time a technology vendor launches a new product, signs a big customer or partner, or plans a merger or acquisition, publicitechonomics comes up. That is: How much time/money should we invest to promote this news? And what is likely to be the return on that investment? Even tech companies with the deepest pockets go through this exercise because promotion and exposure are central to technology vendor success.

Publicitechonomics also takes center stage when tech vendors receive financing from angel investors and venture capitalists. When a tech company gets funded, the pace at which it develops depends (exactly how much is debatable) on the funders. Investors recognize the importance of marketing, so they take a more prominent role in this aspect of the tech company's fledgling business than others.

One way investors help drive marketing is by guiding CEOs in the selection of a PR firm. Of course, shopping for PR services is like shopping for anything else. You check out the expensive agencies first. Then, after considering the price, you look at more modestly priced firms. And if you have to, you visit the "economy" PR lots.

But if you can afford it--and most venture-backed companies easily can--investors and CEOs are going to engage the most expensive agency they can find.

There's no conspiracy theory here. Not all PR agencies are in bed with VC firms. But in the same way most of us like designer clothes, investors and CEOs tend to choose PR firms for how they look versus what they cost.

This is good news, if you happen to be CEO of the next Facebook. Your investors have bottomless pockets and grandiose expectations so why not hire the biggest firm? Heck, buy the whole darned agency! If you're Facebook, your biggest PR concerns are, well, everything and nothing. You may very well need a 10-person team of PR professionals working 'round the clock to promote your business.

The trouble is, most tech companies aren't the next Facebook. Most hope to earn a steady living by selling a product that solves someone's problem and/or makes them happier. These companies need marketing and promotion, too, perhaps more than the Facebooks and Apples of the world. But unlike the big shots they're not in a position to spend lavishly for it, despite how much money they've raised.

Here's the dilemma: PR is an important expense for tech companies. They need it desperately, but every dollar counts. Nowadays more than ever they're under pressure from investors to keep costs down. So, why is it that investors still insist that their portfolio companies hire big, expensive PR agencies?

Here's what happens: The investors say, "Hire a big PR firm, they're big, everyone knows them, they'll take care of you." And guess what. That's exactly what happens.

Next thing you know, the itsy bitsy tech company with lots of ambition but few referenceable customers, rushes out to sign the biggest, baddest PR firm they can find.

Now don't get me wrong: Big PR firms are great. But if you're an early stage tech company, and by that I mean every company not named Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc., etc., you know who you are! Don't fool yourself! What you need is a small PR firm and a marketing program that is aligned with business and fiscal requirements. It's the real-world, common sense, Great Recession-era version of publicitechonomics.

I have a bit of an axe to grind with the investment community. I'm bitter about publicitechonomics this week because it bit me in the ass. A tech company that my small PR firm was courting decided to hire a larger PR agency. The very sincere and earnest internal marketing executive whom we'd been pitching explained to me that she'd chosen the other firm in part because "the VC firm wanted a name."

I had a similar experience recently when a former client described his reasoning for switching to a large PR firm as "something we should do now that we're Series C." As if that would change the fact that they have practically zero news or customer stories.

So, it happens. And I don't necessarily begrudge tech companies for going with big PR firms. They're well known to have shimmery offices, conference rooms overlooking the San Francisco Bay, and expensive cookies and coffees. Besides, investors are footing the bill, so why not? Tech company CEOs and marketing executives will feel special... for a while. That is until the PR agency realizes you aren't quite developed enough to require the resources of a big PR firm, then they'll hand off your account to a team of junior executives. Ugly business, public relations.

In PR as in real life, even the smartest people sometimes make very unwise and potentially damaging financial decisions. Tech companies and investors can mitigate this risk by openly and honestly discussing publicitechonomics. Only then will all parties arrive at a PR solution that is best for them.

Your Way PR

2010-07-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

The burger king has a saying: “Have it your way.” The sentiment is meant to convey that customers shouldn’t feel bad about nixing pickles or doubling onions on their cheeseburgers.

Beyond alerting customers to the King’s commitment to fast-food flexibility, the ad is a shot at competitors, some of whom presumably have more rigid burger development standards.

As well, the ad underscores the importance of customer service. In so many words, Burger King is asking, “How good is the value if the customer doesn’t get what he or she wants?”

The same concept applies to PR. Most agencies try to fit clients into a standard framework. In theory this makes it easy for clients and agencies to set plans and goals, and determine budget. But in practice it often has the result of missing the target in terms of clients’ unique needs.

So, what happens if a client doesn’t want a cookie-cutter program?

The sad truth is, most agencies don’t care. It’s easier for them to slap a name (Start-up Package) and budget on your program, and move on. Customization takes time—and a willingness to listen. The typical agency model is built around standardization; attention to client desires takes a back seat.

Clients shouldn’t be afraid to speak up in order to get what they want. If your agency is insisting you need a “News Bureau,” but no one on the PR team can describe what that is, you likely don’t need and it shouldn’t be in your plan. Likewise, if the agency says you need “Analyst Relations” but your customers don’t give a darn what Gartner says, skip it!

Of course, some clients don’t know what they want. Like ordering Value Meal #4, some companies figure their agencies know best so they sign up for whatever program the firm recommends. Other clients just don’t take the time to review their PR plan. The same clients flip out when the activity report and invoice arrives (just like they do when they learn their burger has mustard on it even though mustard wasn’t advertised on the menu).

It’s always best to know what you want and what you’re paying for. But if you absolutely don’t have time for either, consider these five tips when devising your PR program:

• Have a plan – Start by asking this simple question: Why do I want a PR program? Are our sales reps asking for selling tools? Does the CEO want his name in the paper? Are our competitors making us look bad with their constant PR activity? Once you assess the reason for starting the program, it’s easier to determine the program’s elements.

• Make a list – Make several lists, in fact. At the very least, you need a media list. But you may also need an editorial calendar for all the publications you’re targeting. And some clients do have customers who care about Gartner, so an analyst list is helpful. Bottom line: You can’t influence the media (or analysts) if you don’t know who they are. So finding out who’s following you and your category is an important first step.

• Get in touch – Even before your PR people start calling media, you should do it. Like any process (including burger making), you’ll have far more appreciation for what it takes to be successful if you try it first yourself. So, pick up the phone or send an email and introduce you and your company. Media always prefers to hear from internal staff over outsourced PR people. Once you’ve made this initial approach, hand the keys—and feedback from any journalists—to your PR people and let them do their jobs. But every so often, make a few calls of your own. This way you won’t lose touch with the task.

• Get answers – PR is not telemarketing. Repeat: PR is not telemarketing. We’re not here to cold-call reporters and check “complete” on our to-do list when they hang up on us. We want answers, and you deserve them. Insist that your PR people find out WHY a reporter isn’t interested (if they’re not). Don’t accept, “I couldn’t reach him so I guess he’s not interested,” as a completed assignment. If you don’t find out what’s working and what’s not, with actual feedback, you’ll never have PR success.

• Leverage results – We just got the Wall Street Journal, hurray! Now, what are you going to do with that clipping? If it sits on your CEO’s desk and nothing more, it’s wasted. If it goes on your website’s News page and that’s all, it’s wasted. You need to blast PR results to everyone and anyone—you never know whose friend might become a prospect. That article, however meager the mention, should go on your website, on your office wall, in your newsletter, in your blog, on your Facebook page, on Twitter, etc. You should also insist that your sales team email it to prospects. Depending on how much coverage you have, maybe the rep sends an email once a month versus with every score. But if you’re not using PR results as sales tools, you’re not maximizing PR.

A former colleague once said: “Clients will beg, borrow and steal for the money to pay their PR bills if the results are worth it.” This may be a bit far-fetched, particularly in these tough economic times, but the point is a good one: Clients need more control over the elements of their PR programs in order to ensure that results are aligning with business objectives. When agencies force clients into programs that don’t match their needs, it’s the internal marketing executive who ends up with cheddar instead of American cheese.

In the News

2010-07-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

A curious irony is afoot in the world of high-tech PR. More than ever, stories about tech companies and tech markets are written from a news perspective. For example, a technology publication, reporting on a trend in the online banking industry, will leverage interviews the reporter did while attending a recent conference or trade show.

To the casual observer, the article appears to be an evergreen story about trends in online banking. But smart PR people know the article never would have appeared when it did unless the reporter was assigned to cover the conference or trade show, thus giving the journalist a reason to write the story today versus next year. The conference/trade show created a sense of urgency.

The irony is that, despite the fact most technology stories today are written from a news perspective, it’s harder than ever for tech vendors to get news coverage.

This is true because most vendors are relatively small companies and the news they’re promoting is not particularly newsworthy in the grand scheme of tech pub editorial.

This is a problem for early stage tech companies, nearly all of which struggle to get the attention of media. These companies want to issue press releases, update blog sites and participate in social media when they launch new products, sign-up customers or exceed milestones. But they’re confused when these events don’t result in coverage.

Unfortunately, tech and business press don’t write news stories about customer wins or customer deployments, unless the end user happens to be a large public company and the financial terms of the deal are being disclosed (these things almost never happen).

Even more newsworthy events, such as product launches, get less press attention than ever. That’s mainly due to the size of tech publication editorial staff, which has been dwindling for years. Fewer staff means less time to write about every new product.

Other news, like partnerships, quarterly “momentum” and staff appointments, among other mundane company activities, have practically zero chance of getting covered.

Having said all that, early stage tech companies should absolutely consider issuing press releases, updating blog sites and publishing to social media outlets at every opportunity, despite the fact that their news is not likely to garner coverage in and of itself.

The reason being that news coverage is just one benefit of promoting company events.

In a previous job life, before the days of blogs and social media, we used to talk about press releases as having PR or IR value. The PR press releases were intended to drive press coverage. The IR press releases were intended to attract the attention of investors as well as potential employees, customers and partners.

Of course we still sent the IR press releases to media, but there was no coverage expectation. Rather, we used the IR releases as an excuse to contact media.

And that’s the biggest benefit to issuing press releases if you’re an early stage company. Your PR people need a reason to keep calling media because that’s the only way to create coverage opportunities. Using a customer-deploys press release, for example, a PR person can discuss case study opportunities with a reporter. Using product news, the PR person can pitch a trend story around changes in a given technology segment.

The news itself might not result in coverage. But it might spur the reporter to consider a larger story that includes the news… and convince the reporter to write the story sooner than later.

Of course, there are press releases that should generate standalone coverage such as financial events, partnerships with high-profile companies where deep product integration has occurred, very large customer wins that significantly exceed normal deals in terms of size and scope, and even some product announcements.

But in general, smaller tech companies need to come to terms with the fact that most of their news is not going to generate news coverage. And yet they should absolutely continue to crank out press releases, blogs and social media posts.

Given the competition for press attention, having an active news program is more important than ever.

How to Avoid Making a Mistake When Choosing a PR Agency

2010-06-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Whether you just got funded or your company is already an established business, PR is an essential part of your marketing plan. The key to successful PR, however, is finding the right person or people to develop, manage and implement your program.

If you’ve been a marketing exec for any length of time, you’ve likely had one or more “bad PR” experiences. Common problems include insanely high retainers, forced long-term contracts, junior-level support, three hour “brainstorm” meetings with specialty cookies you know the agency is billing you for, limited accountability from the agency’s senior management, and generally poor results that never seem to match the invoice.

These frustrations have led to a perception among tech companies that PR, however necessary, is likely to be a failed project unless it’s performed in-house. And given the business models of most PR agencies, that’s not a totally unfair evaluation.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Outsourced PR can be successful… marketing execs just need to know what questions to ask and what to look for when reviewing PR people/agencies. The following points/steps are a few tips to help marketing execs avoid mistakes when choosing PR representation.

1. Find a specialist – Very intentionally, most PR firms don’t specialize in anything. To bring in as many clients as possible, they claim to be smart about every tech category and vertical market. It may be that their people have worked in a variety of industries, but that doesn’t make anyone a specialist. When evaluating PR firms, look for people who are experts in YOUR market specifically. Only then will your PR program run smoothly from the beginning.

2. Who’s going to do the actual work? – PR firms are well known for bringing in heavy hitters (president, SVP, GM, etc.) when pitching new business. But once they win the business, it’s the junior-level staffer who does most/all of the work, and you, the client, never sees the senior managers again. As a marketing exec reviewing agencies, be sure to get an upfront commitment from your PR firm as to who will be doing the work and how active senior managers will be on your account. Look past the expensive cookies and fresh brew from Starbucks. Make sure that the firm’s best and brightest are doing the work, not just making the pre-game pitch.

3. Look for good writers – Some marketing execs think the most important asset a PR firm can offer is good relationships with media. While it’s important that your PR firm understands the media landscape thoroughly, never has a credible reporter written a story because he has a “relationship” with a PR rep. Instead, marketing execs should look for PR firms with good writers. Mainly due to the changing media paradigm, developing quality content (bylined articles, blogs, developed pitches, etc.) is essential. When reviewing agencies, ask for writing samples and examples of instances in which the PR team you’re hiring has been asked to produce content for other clients. As a marketing exec, you won’t have time to develop all the content your company needs. Make sure you find a PR rep who is also a good writer.

4. Flexibility is key – Retained services agreements and long-term contracts are great business for a PR agency… but they make ZERO sense for the marketing exec/tech company. Insist that your PR firm be 100% percent flexible in regards to how much you plan to spend every month. And never sign a contract that forces you to stay with a PR firm for a fixed amount of time. The only way to ensure the accountability you need from a PR firm is to make them earn your business each and every month. Use your business as a carrot, and the best PR firms will work hard to keep you happy.

5. Look for a partner, not just a representative – Hiring the right PR firm isn’t about finding your soul mate, but you do want to have a special connection with the person/people you choose. When evaluating PR reps, of course look for people who are smart, professional, ethical and hardworking. But just as important, find someone who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth. Whether it’s about your messaging, product launch plans or writing style, the best PR people will always give you an honest assessment. By finding a PR partner who not only gets your business but also isn’t afraid to deliver tough love, your marketing and PR programs will flourish.

PR reality check

2008-12-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

Those following the blogosphere scuttlebutt this week over news embargos may be interested to know that slimy agent tactics are not unique to PR. In fact, the same mishegoss showed up this week in the stab-you-in-the-back-for-a-few-extra-dollars world of MLB. Not that any of it matters. Lousy PR people will continue to run amok. Insecure reporters will continue to have their feelings hurt. Oblivious vendors will continue shrugging their shoulders. Yawn. We’re all in business to sell, as Denis Pombriant once reminded me, so let’s not make a big deal of it.

Two items from the aforementioned discussion did catch my eye, however:

1.) There is far too little training for PR people. Young whippersnappers are immediately cast into the PR fire, with a ‘senior’ executive who’s been doing the job 10 minutes longer than them breathing down their neck, while they get flamed by angry reporters and drilled by clients. PR should be like professional sports: except in rare cases when a rookie is obviously special, he or she should sit on the bench for at least one season and very little should be expected of them for quite a while. During this time they can practice and learn their trade without risking reputations, including their own and that of their agency and clients. Sure it costs the agency a bit on the front end, but all parties make out better in the long run.

2.) If you’re an early stage software vendor paying $10K - $30K monthly for PR, please smack yourself in the head. In the spirit of the holiday, let’s all make a resolution that we will not overpay for PR services simply because we have the money to do so. The world is filled with bright, hard-working, experienced independent PR people who charge way less than $10K per month and deliver far more value—since, as we know, PR agencies usually appoint their junior staffers to do the most meaningful work on client business. Even better than saving big bucks, the benefit of working with a good PR contractor is the focus you will achieve in your PR program. The best contractors eliminate fluff and waste—think 20-page briefing books, useless conference calls and wordy activity reports—and focus on aligning your PR goals with achievable strategies that deliver maximum value for the least-possible cost. And how do I know this is possible? Because that’s how Tool Guy PR has been rolling and growing for nearly seven years!

Customer References

2007-11-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

Every PR person knows the importance of customer references to media relations. Clients get this, too. The challenge, of course, is convincing customers to participate.

Twice last week I was faced with this dilemma. In one instance, a customer backed out of a bylined article opportunity--after the article had been written and long after the editor had agreed to run the story. The second case involved a customer who was willing to participate in a press release, but only after it had been significantly watered-down.

Why the push-back? Customers typically lay blame on company protocols that preclude vendor endorsements, but that's a flawed argument. Business user voices always trump those in corporate communications, and are at least as strong as those in legal.

The key to overcoming this obstacle is to persaude your business user customer to challenge the vendor endorsement protocol: Does an article or press release acknowledging use of a product count as an endorsement?

Most companies are worried that a vendor endorsement will come back to bite them, but those cases are few and far between. In fact, customer references are a great way to demonstrate just how innovative or successful a company really is. And that has far more upside potential than a stodgy old company protocol.

Inaugural post

2007-11-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the inaugural Tool Guy PR post, and what I expect will be the first of many entries related to the world of high-tech public relations.

As this week is short and time is limited, I'll keep today's post brief. I was thoroughly frustrated this morning in my attempt to contact anyone in the editorial department at Baseline magazine. Automation hell does not even begin to describe it.

But rather than point a finger at Baseline for having the world's worst phone system, I'll just make a plea to magazine web sites in general that more direct-dial reporter/editor contact information be published.

All PR professionals know journalists prefer not to receive phone calls, but on the other hand, reporters/editors don't answer the calls they get anyway, so what really is the difference?

At least if web sites offered direct-dial numbers, then PR persons with legitimate pitches could make their best effort. I have no doubt the pubs themselves could save big money by eliminating useless dial-by-name systems.