New Web And Traditional PR Strategies

Propaganda 2.0
Getting More From New Public Relations
Platforms... And a bit about old-school
PR

Propaganda 2.0 – The Plan
 Background
– What we do
– Who we do it for
 Online v Traditional Public Relations
– Situation Analysis
• Influential Online Platforms
– Good, Bad & Ugly
• Influential Offline Platforms
– Good, Bad & Ugly
 How to Reach New Audiences
– Getting Maximum Online Coverage
– Online Media Toolkit
 Reaching out to Traditional Media
– Old School PR Tactics & How To Guides
 Tools of the Trade
 Q&A

What we do
 We put brands in consumer’s minds
– Online
– Offline
 We give brands a voice
– Interaction with consumers
– Educate media
– Highlight the important topics
 Get Brands out of the Shizzle
– Advise when things go bad
– Help plan the communication of difficult messages

Who we do it for
 Who do we work with?
– Affiliate Sector
• MyVoucherCodes
• sunshine.co.uk
• Just-Eat.co.uk
– Wider Industry
• IKEA (Family Mobile)
• TotalJobs
• yasni
• Tweetminster
 Why people choose us
– Marry online and offline media relations together
– Early adopters of online marketing and media relations
– Great track record in gaining media coverage

Online v Traditional Public Relations
 Situation Analysis:
 Consumer influences have changed
– 10 Years Ago Was:
• Parents, peers, newspapers, TV, magazine
– Now:
• Internet, Own Research Direct to Brand, Specialist Magazine
 Online Influence on Consumers is always Rising
– At expense of TV
 Newspapers not dead
– Still very influential, but influence is not reflected in circulation figures
• Metro Number One for Consumer Influence

Influential Online Platforms
 Where your brand needs to be & you can influence
– Google remains number one
• Web search
• News
• Collaboration with YouTube (high ranking)
– Amazon/ Trip Advisor/ UGC Review sites
• Customer Reviews
– Comparison Sites
• Price orientated influence
• Are public losing faith in this platform?
– Twitter/Facebook/MySpace/Bebo
• Not always good influence
• Bad news travels quick

Online, Good, Bad & Ugly
 Example of Good Online Brand Campaign
– Barack Obama
• Multi platform viral campaign
 Combined YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook & Own site
 Highlights
– 1600 videos on YouTube page
– First presidential candidate to buy gaming ad space
– Leveraged celebrity contacts (Sarah Silverman, encouraging Jewish community
to vote Obama)
– UGC competitions broke records
– Parody of Apple 1984 Commercial
– Site set up to address miscommunication by rivals
 This can all be replicated by a brand

 Example of Bad Online Brand Campaign
– Conservative Party
• Twitter Engagement Lets Modernisation Plans Down
 Commit Cardinal Twitter/FaceBook Sins
– Regurgitate Blog Post Titles
– One Way Interaction
– Don’t Reply to Questions
– Tory MP’s Don’t Interact with Each Other

 Example of Ugly Online Brand Campaign
– Skittles
• Went wrong and refuse to accept it went wrong
 Skittles Demonstrated it is Out of Touch
– Expected “Yoof” market to self moderate
– Failed to remove campaign
– Internet now filled with negative Skittle comments
– Became a consumer challenge to cause maximum offence

How to Reach New Audiences
 Getting Maximum Online Coverage
– Need to plan
• How will you encourage interaction?
• Who will manage?
• What will be your tone?
• How will you react to negativity?
 No No’s
– Facebook Groups
• Done to death
• Find alternative common interest
– One way Twittering
– Link spam
– Asking Journo’s if they got your Press Release!

How to Reach New Audiences
 Online Media Toolkit
– PR Tools
• Daryl Wilcox
– Response Source
– Source Wire
– Press Association
 Case Study
– Ps3PriceCompare.co.uk
– Focussed Entirely on Press Association
– This Resulted in GLOBAL coverage with influential weblinks

Old School PR Tactics
 Three types of PR
– Driving Sales
– Profile/Awareness
– Crisis communications
 Greater impact than advertising campaign
– Trusted source of information
 Much more cost effective than advertising
– Full page ad in national newspaper circa £30k
– PR is less costly, with higher potential exposure
 Search Engine Optimisation
– Relevant links and traffic
– High profile media links (BBC, Sky, MSN, Metro)

Why the Media Needs You!
 The papers need to fill space
– Need your press releases
– Tight deadlines
– No budget for big research stories
 The journo’s want to hear from you
– Especially business owners over evil PR’s
– High Number of Journo’s on Twitter
 Many national/regional papers today packed with press release driven
stories... Have a look at the following examples:

Why the Media Needs You... cont
Metro (most influential paper in UK)
1 – Refurbishment of Mr Benn (PR)
1A – Pic to support Mr Benn
2 – Keane (the band) PR stunt
Album on memory stick and not CD
3. Research driven story about dogs
4. Royal Mail survey from press release

Why the Media Needs You... cont
Regional London
1 – Enron appeal press release (PR)
2 – Clothing company PR Hot Tuna
3 – Debenhams PR on sales
4 – BP – Neg headline but release driven
5 – PR stunt for Great Ormond St Hosp

Making Yourself Accessible to The Media
 Journalists Need Info Quickly
– Make information accessible
– Go over and above to help
 Media Section on Website
– Press Releases
– Past Coverage
– Business USP’s/Key Facts
– Images
• Logos
• Key People Head Shots
– Media Sheet
– Contact Info
– Case Study Information

Identifying a Press Release Angle
 Several to choose from:
– Business Milestone
• Birthday, £m turnover etc
• Key business win
• New Employees
– Good For regional especially
– Survey Driven
• 8 out of 10 cats
• Use existing customer database to email out to
• SurveyMonkey.com, affordable and reputable
– New Product Launch
– Some form of stunt
– Piggyback on current story
• Green (climate change)
• Credit Crunch
• Obesity

Writing a Press Release
 Max 2 pages
 Don’t sweat the headline – the papers do this
– Clear, can be funny, not complicated
– Needs to be noticed (maybe put part in caps)
 2 sentence summary under title
– Often the only bit a journo reads and base their decision on
 Opening para has the who, what, why, where, when, how info
– 2 sentence paragraph
– Contains all the key information
 Second para has company name in
– Not in first para
– Change for online media

Writing a Press Release
 Quote from you
– Talk about how pleased you are
– Maybe the problems that you company/product solves etc
 Quote from 3rd
party advocate
– Someone (not your mum) to say how good your business is
– Supports what you say
 Where more info can be found
– Web address
 Editors Notes
– Contact info
– USP’s
 Supporting Photos? Mention them
– Media has no budget for snappers

Issuing & Following up a Press Release
 Always issue to print/broadcast media first
– Less likely to use if they see story across the web
 Finding Contact Info
– Read mags/papers you want to target
– Find journo names
– Google them and you will often find email details
– Avoid editor@theregionalblah.co.uk or News@somepaper.com
 Best day to send
 Personalise the email to the journo
– Don’t mass send
– Don’t BCC or CC them all in
– Make the journo feel special
 Paste press release into section under main body of email
– No big photos
– Don’t attach release

 Dreaded follow up call!
– Plan key Points
– Find number on Google
– Ask for named journo
 Never ask if they received the release
– Journo’s hate this
– Ask, “what did you think of the release I sent over”
– Or, “Is there any more information you need about the release I sent over”
 If journo on holiday ask if there is someone else you could talk to about a
story
 Most journo’s are too cool for school!
– Will always say they have not seen the release
– Come across as grumpy – They are just short on time
– Well known national media get upwards of 1500 emails a day

 Tell them about the pictures you have
 Awkward Questions?
– Ask for deadline info & call back
 Try and build relationship
– Future comment opportunities
– Potentially try and meet them
– “Forward Feature” opportunities
 Keep calling to follow up
– Suggest other related angles

Online Media Submission
 Online release differs to off-line
 Optimise online release headline for SEO
 Move company name to para one
– Headline & first para is often all you get
 Online release submission sites
– Daryl Wilcox is best for “real” news coverage
– PR Web/Pressbox etc, only good for SEO
 Relevant bloggers
– Avoid the prickly ones
 Use company Social Networking pages
– Twitter
 Business/consumer discussion forums

Realistic Expectations
 Media sees many new brands/products come and go
– No time to check information
 Many ignore first story – to avoid being embarrassed
– Exceptions are trusted/known brand associations
 Launch release has limited chance of coverage
– Good form of media introduction
 Need to keep dripping stories to the press
– Monthly
– Careful not to saturate target media
 If a story bombs move on and learn from it
– Don’t try to re-launch it

Make the Most of Media Opportunities
 You Only Get One Chance with Media
 Keep calling to follow up
– Suggest other related angles
 Don’t be afraid to disagree
 “Sex-Up” your answers
– Flowery soundbites
– Quirky replies
– Be memorable
 Relax and have fun!
– Journo’s want you to do well
– Makes them look good

Further Reading
 All information mentioned in this presentation available from:
 andy@10yetis.co.uk
 Thanks!
ANY QUESTIONS?

New Web And Traditional PR Strategies

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