InsidEPR

Key Factors to Consider When Evaluating a Potential Client

By Jeannette Bitz

As the owner of an independent PR agency, one of my most important challenges is evaluating potential clients. A solid understanding of where a company stands in its market today and where it may be in five years can indicate if it has the resources we need to do the job or if we'll be spinning our wheels.

Every agency has a methodology to determine whether to stick with a client. I've found that by evaluating the factors below, I can be confident about the companies we take on.

Take a look at the industry experience of the CEO, CMO, and CCO. Have they had success in similar companies? Even C-level executives can get in over their heads or into markets where they have limited experience.

If it's a private company, do well-respected venture capital firms back it? If it's public, consider earnings-to-income ratio and trends.

Analysts are an excellent place to start investigating overall company health and how it compares to competitors. Is there a steady stream of new customers? Increasing sales and users? Examine the target market's size and maturity; is there room for growth?

In addition to being successful now, the company should have a clear vision for growing its market position, developing new products and services, and so on.  Lack of vision can be a major red flag indicating the company's business has a short runway.

Does your sense of where the company is now and where it's headed jibe with what its executives say in the media and what they want in an agency? Not every company can become the next Apple.

Is there a process that allows customer feedback to impact product development? Without an active feedback process, customer loyalty can drop off and market share can go to competitors.

For some companies, leadership changes mean a new CMO, marketing staff, and PR team. How many PR agencies had this prospect previously gone through? Identifying the reasons for high, or low, turnover can let you know how your firm may be treated.

Does the PR budget reflect the company's size, its business goals, and expected PR results? Does it allow the agency to add strategic value, and the client to react to additional opportunities?

Netflix has a few things to learn from cable operators yet

By Caitlin Mattias

Netflix has been busy hacking away at the DVD rental brick-and-mortar stores of yesteryear ever since the launch of the no-late-fee, mail-order service launched in 1999. Let’s be honest, no one enjoyed rushing to the closest movie rental store only to find that all the copies of “Clueless” had already been rented for the weekend. Not to mention the inevitable late fees when your little brother forgot to drop off the movie after school. The old model was clearly rife with problems, so few tears were shed by consumers as Netflix’s signature red DVD sleeve became a cultural icon.

With all this next-generation thinking and industry-demolition going on, it’s clear that Netflix management was under the impression that their business decisions were touched by the divine. It’s become evident over the last few weeks, however, that the company DOES in fact have something to learn from the traditional cable operators they’re now targeting for extinction.

Ever since Netflix launched their on-demand streaming service, the cable provider ecosystem has had to quickly develop strategies to address subscribers sucking up bandwidth by streaming video. Of course, Netflix isn’t the only site to blame here – YouTube, Hulu and even music streaming services Spotify, Pandora and a legion of others are causing headaches for those managing network data usage.

If there’s one thing that cable providers have learned in the last few years, it’s that customers are fickle  characters. They have no qualms about switching providers, especially if one can offer more customizable services to cater to their household without using a complicated pricing structure. The industry trend today about cable providers is to offer triple-play services, i.e. bundling high-speed internet, television and telephone/voice service.

Somehow, Netflix management didn’t get this memo. In July, the company announced that it would split the DVD rental service from streaming, prompting an outcry on Twitter (where else?). Last month, the frustration of tweets amped back up as the company announced it was spinning off the DVD rental service altogether into a new company named Qwikster. In short, customers would be provided LESS options under one roof and they would have to pay MORE for the services that they had already been enjoying for one monthly price.

It came as no shock that Netflix issued a harried apology via blog post explaining the split late in September. But Netflix Co-Founder and CEO Reed Hastings’ apology and explanation didn’t change the fact that no one wanted the silly name “Qwikster” showing up on their credit card statements. It seems that all Reed and the rest of the management team needed was a little nudge from the stock market (read: stock plunge) to realize this whole spin-off might not work. And a scant three weeks after this bombshell dropped, we learned Monday that DVDs will be staying at Netflix after all.

Maybe those cable guys aren’t as out of touch with consumers as you thought, Reed.

 

Leaving Las Vegas

By Suzanne Panoplos

What happens in Vegas – stays in Vegas.  In this situation, I hope that is not the case.  En route back from Metaswitch’s Customer Forum in Las Vegas, I took time to reflect back on the highlights of the week and wondered what other people would be taking away from Metaswitch's four-day event. Would people remember the great customer case studies?  The industry luminaries and their insightful predictions?  Would it be Thursday’s keynote, Richard Noble, the land speed record holder and his really fast rocket car? 

In most situations, my vote would be on the Richard Noble. After all, with an audience of NASCAR lovers that is predominantly male, how could you go wrong with a presentation about a rocket car that goes  supersonic at 1000mph?  Even though I have to admit that his video demonstration of the car beating a fighter jet in a race was pretty cool, I have to think that the most important takeaway from the forum relates to the relationships that are built at these events.

Whether it is a new relationship, renewed relationship, improved relationship --- this event was all about solidifying relationships. The theme of Metaswitch’s Forum this year was the “Power of M” and as VP of Marketing Steve Gleave was delivering his final thoughts, he compared the relationship between a company and its customer as a “Marriage”.

From a PR perspective, I am not sure we are in the “marrying phase” yet; but, we definitely were able deepen our rapport with our client, their customers and our media/analyst contacts attending the event. The Forum PR team was able to spend time with the folks that we usually only communicate with over email or the phone and hear firsthand what they thought about a variety of topics. From our media/analyst friends, we heard the “back story” on what they thought about the company, our agency and PR professionals in general. (The latter topic is definitely fodder for another blog --- so stay tuned).

So as I leave Las Vegas amidst travel-weary businessmen, Vegas revelers and gamblers whose wallets are now perhaps a bit lighter, I can’t help thinking about the people we met and the “new” relationships we will have moving forward.

What’s in a Social Style?

By Leslie Schmidt

Recently at Engage PR, we participated in a social styles training, which sharpened our interpersonal communication skills by improving our versatility with others. For those who are not familiar with the term “social style,” it is defined as a person’s behaviors when interacting with others. A person usually falls into one of the four social style categories: driver, expressive, analytical or amiable.

To give a quick overview of each style’s qualities:

• A “driver” is known to be a decision maker, dominating, results-oriented and efficient. This social style prefers to hear about the “what” and “when” of a situation.
• The “expressive” style tends to be ambitious, enthusiastic and reacting. People who fall under this style like to know the “why.”
• Someone who is “analytical” is usually orderly, serious, critical and persistent. They want to know it all: Who, what, where, when, why, and how.
• An “amiable” is known for their relationship buildings skills. They of course want to know “who.”

Important Lesson #1: Remember who your audience is and adjust accordingly.

What information do you want presented in a message? You may just want the “what” and “when” like most drivers. But, what information do you give in a message? Most likely you give the same information you would want to receive, but that wouldn’t appeal to the other social styles. So what’s the solution? When speaking to your audience, assess what information they are expecting. Don’t offer what you feel comfortable with, but what will make your audience comfortable.

Important Lesson #2: In today's world, two facts have become clear. First, people are interested in what motivates them. And second, people respond better when they know you are communicating for them and not at them.

Each social style has its own motivators, fears and irritations. Knowing these before a conversation can help you address someone specifically, therefore, communicating for them. When adjusting your communication to address each social style you must do three things: Use motivators to influence, proactively address fears and reduce irritations.

For example, a driver is motivated by getting results and keeping the team looking good. They fear losing control and are irritated by time wasters and too much emotion. So, when communicating with a driver, be sure to give them the control, highlight the results that will be achieved and get to the point, with little extra emotion. This will address their needs and you will get the best possible response.

Important Lesson #3: Take advantage of other social styles in your office – Each style compliments the other to build a complete team.

Within the Engage PR office, we found that we have all four social styles roaming around, which is an extreme advantage for us. We now have the ability to look around the room and assess which person has the missing piece to help our situation.

• Work with a driver? Ask them to make a hard decision.
• What about an analytical? Give them something to edit.
• An amiable in PR is great – They can easily build a relationship with the client!
• Know an expressive? Allow them to get creative.

With these lessons, we are now able to better communicate with not only each other, but our clients as well.

Tips for Successful PR in Europe: Richard White, AxiCom

Today’s post is the last piece of Engage PR’s three-part series with European PR partner agencies. Each partner has provided some best practices for North American technology companies looking to expand into the European marketplace and shared what companies must consider before embarking down this new path.

In our final post of the series Richard White, associate director of telecom and wireless at global technology communications firm AxiCom, shares his thoughts on how companies should engage in the European technology markets.

By Richard White

Localize the Message

The enterprise IT media landscape varies from country-to-country, which means companies must take a localized approach by make sure that everything they are doing is relevant to the local market.

Companies looking to enter into the enterprise IT market should have a plan and determine how they can fulfill their services in local markets. This may include having a local angle with a reseller, customer or company office. Making sure that the company’s sales and pricing structure is localized is also important. Reporters will look at a company’s local approach as a requirement before accepting a briefing.

Start by Testing the Waters

It often works well to start with a project for start-ups launching in Europe, which does not require a large investment. However, commitment to do basic follow-up activity is important after a company launch or debut. It is best to launch in the UK first, as many English speaking analysts are based in London or in surrounding areas. Once your company has launched in the UK, think about which other countries make sense for your business.  Other markets that seem to be popular include France, Germany and Italy.

To “test the waters,” the best recommendation is to conduct a tour where the executives meet with target media and analysts in the UK. Next, follow up the tour by issuing 1-2 press releases per quarter where the release is distributed and translated for the local market. There is no need to invest in getting “wall-to- wall” coverage to ensure a successful PR campaign in Europe.  It is also recommended to do at least one case study, which can be very powerful for helping sales.

Don’t Overextend

Many U.S. companies try to launch in five countries at once. They invest money and time by doing a tour in each of those countries to start. Then after the launch, they never step foot in those countries again, nor do they follow-up with PR in those regions. Not only is traveling to five different countries exhausting, but it’s not always a realistic expectation for a company to keep up their PR activity in each of those regions.

Start small and make sure it’s manageable. As an agency “we can scale” when needed, but can your company?  Especially when having local spokespeople, who can speak the language and respond to reporters in a timely manner, is key.

Tailor your Media Approach

Media briefing preferences vary from country to country.  Media in Spain prefers press conferences, and companies are expected to have food available for journalists after the conference. Company launches will likely attract 20 journalists. Media in Germany, however, prefer to meet one-on-one and often at the publication’s headquarters.  In the UK, France and Netherlands, the media also prefers to meet companies one-on-one either at the publication’s headquarters or at another location.

The business press is also different from country to country. For example, in France and Germany, business press reporters are very tech savvy, which means reporters will likely be more willing to delve into technical details. In the Netherlands, however, it’s almost impossible to get coverage unless your company is listed on their stock exchange.

Digital media also varies. Like in the U.S., Websites like Facebook and LinkedIn are widely used, but are customized to meet the needs of each country.

Tips for Successful PR in Europe: Mike King, Johnson King

Today, we are continuing Engage PR’s three-part series with European PR partner agencies regarding Best Practices for North American technology companies looking to expand into the European marketplace. Each partner provided a tremendous amount of insight and shared what companies must consider before embarking down this new path.

In the second post of the series, Managing Director of UK-based technology PR agency Johnson King, Mike King shares his thoughts on what should be a company’s priorities when engaging in PR in the region.

By Mike King

Which countries are you going to focus on?

Although the technology industry is global, the market in Europe is very different from the US.  For a start the European market is highly fragmented and it is a mistake to think of Europe as one place – it consists of 47 different countries, with more than 200 different languages spoken.   Within the various European countries there are different stages of market maturity, different local competitors and very different local issues to address.  This means that the first decision US companies need to make when embarking on European PR is which countries do they want to focus on?   Of course, this needs to reflect where the most appealing business opportunities exists and doing business across 47 countries is clearly not an easy, or cheap, undertaking so having a clear idea of where to focus is essential.

Engage with the media on a local level

Europe’s diversity is reflected in its media landscape.  Areas of interest, styles of reporting, journalist expectations and levels of technical understanding vary hugely between countries.  The only way to engage effectively with local media is with on the ground PR teams who have the relationships and local knowledge required.  Of course, this means an additional local PR team for each target country.

Essential to demonstrate local commitment

An effective PR campaign needs to engage target audiences by demonstrating expertise, commitment and a good understanding of issues that are relevant to them.  This means being seen to have local language spokespeople (how can a company convince journalists that it is committed to a particular market if it doesn’t even speak their language?) and being in tune with local market drivers.

Find the right PR partner

Often, US tech companies will break into the European market by starting in one or two countries and then, as revenues build, expanding into other European countries.  When embarking on such a strategy, it is important to find a PR partner that not only understands your market (and has done it before) but also one that can comfortably expand activities to support future business growth.  A proven ability to manage pan-European campaigns from a central ‘hub’ and an open and honest relationship will mean that the right agency can help determine realistic targets and ensure expectations are met.

What new skills do PR professionals need today?

By Neila Matheny

Every day in PR is different.  The one consistent element in the public relations industry is that it is always changing.  In the past, PR pros stuffed hard-copy press kits for big industry tradeshows and sent press releases to contact lists via fax machine. Now, everything is done online, sent via USB devices and even trade show press offices are virtual.

Here at Engage PR, we were recently discussing what new tools PR pros need to have in their toolbox as social media and online videos continue to become a large part of the PR landscape.  We found that a lot of the skills that we all use on a daily basis were not the skills we learned about in college courses or in our first PR positions. This video highlights many of the unique attributes the Engage PR team brings to our clients’ public relations programs, as well as some of the unique qualities about the Engage PR team and our working environment.

 

 

What skills do you think PR professionals need to perfect today?  Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.  And to see more about Engage PR and our clients, please visit our YouTube channel.

A Beginner’s Guide to Media Tours

By Neila Matheny

As a woman in my twenties, I tend to be in the norm among PR professionals.  That statistic about women may not be as true in the world of telecom PR, it is really beside the point.  On the client side, most of our contacts are men in their thirties and forties.  So after a recent press and analyst tour with one such client, I have put together my top three tips for being the best possible PR host while on tour.

Number 1 – Never check a bag.  For us women, I know a tour presents a bit of a packing challenge.  You must have multiple suits, hair drying/straightening/curling contraptions, multiple shoe options and clothes for the down time.  And on top of that, you need to carry on your lap-top bag, so how do you get all of these needs into one carry-on bag?  A tip I learned, after I mistakenly checked my bag on the cross-country flight to Boston, is to pack an empty purse and put your wallet and other purse essentials in the lap-top bag.  This way you still have a purse for the after-meeting dinners. Plus, your client will rest assured that you will make your 5 p.m. meeting in Manhattan when your flight is landing in La Guardia at 3 p.m., since you will not be waiting at baggage claim.

Number 2 – Be prepared to offer fashion advice.  I know this may come as a surprise, but you are now the female voice of reason.  There is no wife to help your male client select the correct tie to match the gray suit when the tie of choice now has a little stain on it. I give the client a lot of credit for having tie options, but we were minutes away from a run across the street to Nordstrom. Just as you advise your girlfriends, you must give honest and valued fashion advice to your client.  You don’t want the editor of Tier 1 Magazine starring at the stain or the ill-colored tie while your client is in the middle of the presentation.

Number 3 – Be ready to walk. Now, rule Number Three goes hand in hand with the multiple shoe options that were mentioned in rule Number One. There will be a lot of walking, whether that walking is through various airports or around downtown Chicago on a beautiful night.  So grab some professional but comfortable shoes (if those exist) and get ready.  Try your best to keep up, too, even if your client is a natural-born athlete and has nearly a foot on you.  Don’t give up either.  Do not slow your pace when you see the finish line.  Keep sprinting ahead.

The bottom line is that you have to be up for anything when you are on tour.  You never know what the day is going to hold or what fire drill will arise next. If you keep smiling, everything will work out in the end.

PS - I have to thank a client who loves geography, random facts, and Chicago-style pizza for making the tour seem more like the guided sight-seeing variety than the hectic, work variety.

Persistence and Quiet Tenacity

By Becky Frost

In the PR world, certain things are inevitable. A client or reporter’s travel plans will change, interviews will need to be rescheduled, and briefings can fall out of people’s calendars if not for the persistence of the scheduler.

One aspect of PR that I really enjoy is connecting my clients and their customers with the media so they can tell their story. The behind-the-scenes work that goes into each story is a testament to the validity of the message and the ability of PR to flexibly work around schedules. With only two meeting participants (the reporter and client), booking briefings is usually a breeze. With four people, it can get a little harried.

A few months ago, I had a chance to meet two prominent security bloggers at RSA, Alan Shimel and Mitchell Ashley.  Alan’s StillSecure blog regularly features podcasts on compelling security topics. While we’d talked before, the in-person meeting led to an idea about a podcast on data leak prevention with Reconnex and security expert Tom Bowers. 

That’s when the fun began. After a series of schedule changes and technical difficulties the podcast went live this morning, just a few months after the idea germinated. It’s with a special pride that I invite you to take a listen to this interesting podcast on protecting corporate data. I think you’ll like what you hear.

Characteristics of a Good Customer Reference

By Molly Miller

One of my clients recently asked about the characteristics I look for in a good customer reference for client media opportunities.  Here’s what came to mind:

Requirements:
• Willing and comfortable talking with a reporter
• Able to articulate the need for the product /service
• Has direct experience using the product/service
• Can discuss results achieved by using the product/service
• Will be responsive to the media in the time required
• Preferably is not an employee of another high-tech vendor

Bonus qualities:
• Interesting anecdotes about usage of the product/service
• Improvement metrics delivered by the product/service
• Pedigree company name

Thoughts?