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Guerilla Marketing Tactics of the 2014 World Cup

By on June 20, 2014 in Communications, Media, Public Relations

Fortune 500 companies are shelling out big bucks to advertise the 2014 World Cup, this summer’s biggest sporting event. In this Main Street article, Jason Notte reports that Adidas, Coca-Cola, Sony, Visa, Hyundai/Kia and Emirates paid $100 million each to become official World Cup partners. McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser and BP’s Castrol each paid $20 million for second-tier sponsorship. Despite these huge expenses, many of these companies are being outshone by guerilla marketing tactics from direct competitors.

The most-viewed World Cup advertisement (at 80 million views on YouTube) is “Winner Stays” by Nike, a direct competitor of World Cup partner Adidas. This marketing battle was simply one of star power. While Adidas features several recognizable players in their ad “The Dream” (35 million views on YouTube), including Argentinian Lionel Messi, Nike compiled an all-star team of celebrity players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Wayne Rooney and Gerard Pique. Nike’s celebrity endorsers are familiar outside of the soccer sphere and created more activity on social media. Ronaldo tweeted the commercial to his millions of followers, while Messi doesn’t even have a Twitter. “Winner Stays”, which turns a group of average kids in a pick-up soccer game into star players at the World Cup, also appeals to a much broader audience than “The Dream” which, while dramatic and exciting, makes the World Cup the central focus.

Guerilla marketing is continually present during large-scale sporting events like the Superbowl and March Madness. By excluding all World Cup logos from their advertisement and relying on the power of implication, Nike has proved that partnerships are not worth the hefty price tag. While Adidas may have edged Nike in soccer sales last year ($2.7 billion to $2 billion), Nike has come out on top during soccer’s most important event.

Here are the two ads, watch and decide for yourself which is more effective.

Adidas, “The Dream”

Nike, “Winner Stays”

Women in PR: Audrey Gelman

By on June 13, 2014 in Career Talk, Public Relations, Women in PR

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Paramount PR is introducing a new blog series called “Women in PR” in which we highlight prominent women who have had an impact in the public relations world. Today, learn more about a rising force in the political PR world, Audrey Gelman.

At twenty-six, Audrey Gelman has a resume most PR professionals would envy. Shortly after graduating from NYU, Gelman became deputy press secretary for Scott Stringer in his campaign for Manhattan borough president. Running against the infamous Eliot Spitzer, Stringer was lacking serious name-recognition. Gelman gave Stringer’s campaign new life with a millennial PR approach. She hosted what New York Magazine called “the most hip fund-raiser in the history of the office of the New York City comptroller”. By inviting high-profile celebrities, like Girls creator Lena Dunham, Gelman successfully made comptroller politics cool. The event was covered by influential national media like Page Six, Refinery 29 and Vogue and made Scott Stringer a household name and eventual winner of the election.

Beyond her work with Stinger’s campaign, Gelman found time to revive Downtown 4 Democracy, a political action committee. Again, Gelman made progressive politics hip by hosting a casual, celebrity-endorsed launch barbecue. Gelman understands her demographic and the importance of tastemakers in the world of PR. Young people, she tells New York Magazine, “influence what America wears, watches, reads, and listens to — they have an opportunity to harness that influence.”

We can’t help but admire Audrey Gelman, not only for her PR efforts but also for her ambitious attitude. She currently serves as vice president of the strategic communications-consulting firm SKDKnickerbocker, is a contributing editor at Marie Claire and is the inspiration for the character Marnie on Girls. Gelman’s refreshing take on political PR has established her as an “It Girl” that female PR professionals can look up to.

To learn more about Audrey Gelman, check out this article from The New York Times.

Get Important People to Respond to Your Emails

By on May 16, 2014 in Career Talk, Communications, Public Relations

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Email is the most common form of communication in countless fields of business, including PR. Whether connecting with clients, media contacts or coworkers, PR specialists are constantly building professional relationships through email. In a recent article, Levo League compiled five tips from Brazen Life for becoming an expert in the art of email. Here are our top three:

1. Be brief

A successful career leads to a busy life! Influential people don’t have time to read through long, winding emails, so present the essential content right away. Be very clear in what you want and why your message is important to your contact. “A long email is like the stranger who reveals their life story five minutes after you shake their hand. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Short messages decrease the chance your contact drags your email into their trash folder”, Brazen Life says. Keep things simple to save time on both ends.

2. Keep it genuine

Trust is the basis of all positive professional relationships. Create this trust with your contact by making your intentions clear. Avoid an automatic delete by keeping content honest and likeable. “Successful people develop a B.S. detector after constantly having others compete for their time and attention”, notes Brazen Life. Never underestimate the importance of authenticity.

3. Show you’re already winning

Don’t be afraid to share your accomplishments! Gain credibility by sharing a recent or unique project with your contact. “The message conveyed is that you don’t mooch, and that establishing a professional relationship with you won’t be a waste of their time and effort”, Brazen Life says. Prove yourself by showing your contact that you’re already winning.

Important connections depend on effective communication. Take a little extra time when composing your next professional email.

Read the full article here: http://www.levo.com/articles/career-advice/how-to-get-people-to-respond-emails

 

15 Social Media Mistakes to Avoid- Especially for PR Pros

By on May 9, 2014 in Public Relations, Social Media

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As social media becomes more and more integrated with public relations, PR professionals have to be social media savvy. More than 90 percent of businesses use social media- and a lot of the time, it is the PR professionals behind the brand helping create content and interact with fans.

PR Daily’s article helps point out 15 social media mistakes to avoid, perfect for those PR professionals out there helping with the daily social media needs of their clients. Are you making any of these mistakes? Check it out!

 1. Not Using Images

Visual Images are essential to driving engagement on social media websites. This is especially important because people respond better to visual images rather than plain text. According to the article, “on average, photos get 50 percent more impressions than any other post type on Facebook, as well as more likes and comments. Images used on Twitter have 200 percent more engagement than tweets without.”

 2. Not Using Hashtags Effectively

Hashtags allow readers to filter through posts, tweets, or images. They help enter a business into a conversation and trending topics while also getting more engagement with the audience. “Using strategic hashtags can help businesses find their target audiences, reach non-followers in large numbers and grow a brand’s influence” explains the article. The key word to take away from this is: effectively.  Do not overdo it on the hashtags. By inserting a obscene amount of hashtags makes a business post look like it is spam and annoys the audience. It is important to use hashtags that are relevant to the post or business.

3. Not Having a Consistent Voice or A Voice at All

There is a fine line on having a voice on social media. You want to sound human but you also want to get your message across without repeating the same post. PR Daily explains that there is a fine line. “Brands shouldn’t sound like robots. Repeatedly sending out the same messages can create ill will from consumers. The key is to find a happy middle ground where the brand’s voice is consistent, caring and human.”  It is important to interact with the audience and consumers. In fact, it is expected. Social media is interactive and consumers want to be heard.  It is also important to think about the audience when posting. Post the content that they would want to see. Give them a behind the scenes look at something your business is doing via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  This creates a feeling of connectedness between the followers and business.

Read the full article here: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16470.aspx#

Pixar’s 7 Core Principles for Building a Creative Culture

By on May 2, 2014 in Communications, Community, Public Relations

While many skills are appreciated in the modern PR world, creativity is definitely an attribute that will distinguish good PR professionals from GREAT PR professionals. Whether it is thinking of creative pitch angles, media stunts, campaigns and more, building a creative culture is crucial for a PR firm’s work environment. Pixar’s President and Co-founder Ed Catmull knows the essential ingredients for creating a unique environment–after all, Pixar’s work has won 30 Academy Awards® and generated $8.3 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

“Based on philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, these principles should be at the heart of any work environment that strives for originality, fosters problem solving, and pushes its employees to new heights.”

See below for Ed’s 7 core principles for building a creative culture or read the full article here: https://www.creativityincbook.com/7-core-principles/

1) Quality is the best business plan.

Quality is not a consequence of following some prescribed set of behaviors. It is a mindset you must have before you decide what you are setting out to do. You can say you are going to be a company that never settles, but saying it isn’t enough: You must live and breathe it.

Failure

2) Failure isn’t a necessary evil.

It’s a necessary consequence of doing something great. Uncouple fear and failure. Making mistakes should never strike fear into employees’ hearts. When it comes to creative endeavors, a goal of zero failure is worse than useless. It is counterproductive. The truth is, the cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.

3) People are more important than ideas.

People IdeasWhen hiring, give an applicant’s potential to grow more weight than her current skill level. What she will be capable of tomorrow is much more important than what she can do today. Why? Because if you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, they will either fix it or come up with something better. That’s why people matter.

4) Prepare for the unknown.

Unforeseen, random events happen. And when they do, don’t waste time playing the blame game. To think one can control or prevent problems or guard against randomness by making an example of someone is naïve and wrongheaded. Instead, empower employees at every level to own the problems and give them the freedom to fix them without asking permission.

5) Do not confuse the process with the goal.

Making the process easier, better, faster, and cheaper is something we should continually work on—but it is NOT the goal. Making something great is the goal.

6) Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.

Communication structures should never mirror organizational structure. A chain of command is essential, but making sure that everything happens in the “right” order and through the “proper” channels is not efficient.

7) Give good notes.

Truly candid feedback is the only way to ensure excellence. When giving notes, be sure to include:
Give good notes

A good note is specific. A good note does not make demands. Most of all, a good note inspires.

Promoting A Socially Conscious Brand

By on April 18, 2014 in Advertising, Campaigns, Communications, Community, PR for Businesses, Press, Public Relations

Lately, consumers have been drawn toward brands that make a good impact on society, whether through charitable causes or brand alignment with non-profit associations.  Cause marketing goes beyond traditional marketing by creating the necessity to convince the audience that it is a socially responsible contributor to society. This type of publicity, however, works more seamlessly for some brands than for others. It is important to consider the audience and product before considering promoting a partnership with a non-profit or other charitable cause.

A recent PRweb article by Stacey Miller highlights the trend for brands to want to appear socially conscious as a tactic to gain visibility and promote the brand’s image; however it cannot be a universally applied tactic. Here is key advice about how to move forward with a cause marketing campaign:

1) Authenticity is key. 

You must select a cause that supports your brand’s core values. Avon’s “Breast Cancer Crusade” echoes the company’s values, which encompasses the well-being of women. The cause aligns with the company’s mission and connects with Avon’s customers.

KFC’s “Buckets for a Cure” cause marketing campaign did not coordinate with the fast-food chain’s values and ended up being detrimental to brand image. Consumers felt the campaign was a sales gimmick rather than a true concern for women’s health.

2) Integration is an everyday effort. 

The needs of your nonprofit partner should be fully integrated into all marketing endeavors. It’s no longer enough to just sign a check. The success of the “(RED)” campaign and its fight against AIDS is in part due to how big-name organizations such as Coca-Cola, Apple and Starbucks seamlessly merged the foundation’s visions and goals with their own.

3) Are you talking to me? 

As with any PR or marketing initiative, you must understand your target demographic. The audience for your cause marketing campaign may be more narrow or broad than your traditional customer demographic, so it’s important to do the research and get to know them.

Cause marketing has to be carefully articulated to appeal to the desired demographic and product image. Without the right insight, a socially conscious campaign can actually hurt the image and integrity of a brand.

Survey: Employers Prioritize Personality Over Skill

By on April 11, 2014 in Public Relations

Searching for a job is a very stressful task. Most people on the hunt for a new career position spend hours perfecting every minute detail on their resume and walk into an interview having spent ample time researching the company and its previous work. But, recent studies show that it might not necessarily be your years of experience or preparation that determine the final decision of whether or not you get hired.

Seventy eight percent of the five hundred business leaders surveyed by Hyper Island ranked personality as the most important priority to consider when interviewing job candidates. Johanna Frelin, CEO of Hyper Island, cited this surprising trend as being yet another side effect of the changing digital landscape, attributing personality of employees as a key component of an operating business. The chemistry of a workforce does have a huge impact on organizational culture and day to day functions. While competition for jobs are fierce, competence alone is not enough to guarantee your dream job.

Hyper Island CEO Johanna Frelin explains on the Hyper Island site:

“What we found most compelling about this research is how clearly it highlights that personality, not competence, is the determining factor of who’s going to get the most attractive jobs among tomorrow’s recruits. Also, there is a growing desire for talent with a unique combination of skill and flexibility––people who can collaborate, adapt quickly and are enjoyable company, but also have the drive to get things done. All those traits boil down to a personality that is essential for businesses operating in an ever changing digital landscape. Thus, specific competence is less important.”

So, perhaps we should all be practicing our personable traits and honing our conversational skills rather than trying to sell a laundry listed set of LinkedIn worthy skills and prior experiences. Personality seems to be trumping competency in the new corporate environment.

LINK: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16420.aspx

The SEO Role PR Pros Play

By on March 28, 2014 in Career Talk, Communications, PR for Businesses, Public Relations, SEO, Website Design

PR-SEO-PuzzleA recent Cision article by Kevin Bailey stressed the importance of SEO in today’s branding world–in particular, hard links. For PR professionals, securing fantastic media placements for clients also means securing the “hard link” that comes with it.

According to Bailey, “PR pros have a huge leg up in terms of earning the hard links. They have the ability to reach top media outlets and get content assets covered—content assets that are more about solving a large problem in a given industry than they are about touting a brand and its products.”

Read more here: http://blog.us.cision.com/2014/03/why-pr-pros-will-now-dominate-seo/?utm_campaign=WR%203.21.14.html&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

 

9 Powerful Words For A Successful Presentation

By on March 21, 2014 in Career Talk, Careers at PPR, Communications, PR for Businesses, Public Relations
Source: freevector.com

Source: freevector.com

Public speaking today is more a necessity rather than a skill. But most find this task rather daunting. As communications professionals, we are expected to have spectacular skills in delivering speeches and presentations.  We spend hours practicing or taking lessons. All you really need are these nine simple words to build a strong foundation for an effective presentation:

Have a conversation. Keep it simple. Know your stuff.

Strong eye contact and body language are basic requirements. But what really makes an effective presentation is staying upbeat and engaging your audience in a conversation.

Mike Neumeier from Public Relations Society of America demonstrates how we can be effective in our delivery as PR professionals.

Click here to read the blog post: http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=5808

Paramount Public Relations is Looking for Summer Interns

By on March 14, 2014 in Career Talk, Careers at PPR, Public Relations

Paramount Public Relations is looking to hire Summer interns from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 15-20 hours a week, or 2-3 days a week. Class credit is available. Tasks include writing press releases, calendar listings and media alerts, participating in brainstorming, updating media lists, pitching media, performing client research, and attending client events. The candidate must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program and/or have experience in the public relations field. Strong research, communication, writing and organizational skills are necessary. If interested, please send your resume to Jessica Prah at jessica@paramountpr.com .

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