InsidEPR

Spending Time with Clients Is a Good Thing

By Neila Matheny

Recently one of our clients hosted a press, analyst, and customer event at the San Jose Grand Prix.  It was one of the most unique Champ Car races of the season as the streets of San Jose were completely shut down with over 150,000 visitors.

Once the event logistics were squared away, the three-day event gave our client and me an opportunity to spend time with our industry colleagues in a new light.  The invisible line that normally stands between PR professionals, vendors, and our press and analyst contacts was instantly removed.  During the event, we had the opportunity to mingle with our client's customers without having to ask them to serve as media references or sign off on press release quotes.  Instead, we all cheered on the drivers as they whizzed by our pit lane suit at speeds of over 160 miles per hour.  It was a nice change of pace as at this time we were all friends and fans who were focused on the race, not on discussing market share or competitive advantages.

Why Blog?

By Molly Miller

Frequently these days I am asked by clients, "Should we have a blog?"  Well, "should" is a word my grandmother used when talking about chores or brushing teeth.  But I think there are good reasons to blog.

The blogs I read most frequently are written by some of the industry's best reporters and pundits.  Their posts often give me new insights into how these people think, and what they see as important.  Our hope for the Engage PR blog is that it too will show a more complete picture of the agency.  Through InsidEPR, potential employees, client prospects, media, and analysts can get a better view of the culture at EPR, and our work philosophy.  By revealing more of our perspectives, we hope to make collaboration easier and more interesting. 

InsidEPR also gives the broader team at EPR more avenues for sharing their talests and viewpoints with others.  I like it when EPR team dynamics help the agency expand into new directions - like the blogosphere.  Clients who are wondering whether to start blogging don't have to look far to find that their employees already blog.  Providing a corporate blog is an opportunity to harnass that creative energy.

Finally, it's an expected consequence of the Internet that people will continue to find new ways to connect.  The blogosphere is inevitable (until it is supplanted by the next "new communications" medium, that is).

So, welcome to the Engage PR blog.  Here's to a new view.