Last week, I had the fortune of attending the Art of Leadership conference here in Vancouver. An interesting, insightful and inspiring one-day event, it featured an impressive line-up that included Rudy Giuliani, Hayley Wickenheiser, Charles Duhugg, Dan Roam and Dr. Vince Molinaro.
Given the sheer volume of information presented and exchanged at the conference, I though it best to share the key learnings from each speaker in a series of blog posts to be published in the coming weeks.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the keynote for the event and arguably the most influential speaker, so it seemed appropriate to start by sharing some of his leadership principles.
Rudy Giuliani’s Six Leadership Principles:
1) Establish a set of beliefs: what are your goals? What do you want to accomplish? Always have a plan and an agenda and ensure you are accomplishing it daily. You must be clear when you share your goals and plan with others. People can’t follow ambiguity. And don’t forget that you need to be able to measure your goals.
2) Be an optimist. People follow hope. And they won’t follow someone who can’t provide solutions. Ensure you train and encourage those around you to always bring you solutions instead of problems.
3) Show courage. It’s a fact: most great people fail before they succeed. Take risks, learn from your failings, pick yourself up and overcome your fears.
4) Relentless preparation. Rehearse everything. Think of every possible outcome and prepare for it. Understand that things may go wrong and something unanticipated may happen. But if you’re prepared, your confidence and agility will see you through the tough, unanticipated moments.
5) Team work. Know yourself and build a team that balance your weaknesses with the strengths of other people.
6) Communication. Sharing feedback with those you work with is key. And track metrics to ensure you know exactly where you are as compared to your original goal.
Giuliani was charismatic and charming — as one hopes a leader to be — and often illuminated his principles by applying them to his experiences as a lawyer and as Mayor of New York City on 9/11.
But it was his final point, which didn’t make it onto his toplist of principles, that actually resonated most with me: ultimately, as a leader, you have to love people and care about people. You need to be there and support them in life and in business. In return, people will take care of you and go above and beyond the call of duty.
Tags: communication, conference, leadership, public speaking, Rudy Giuliani, team work
Building a company image or brand profile is no easy task: competition is tough and consumers are sales-savvy and cynical. While it’s natural for companies to want to promote their product or service, some methods are more effective than others.
As an independent public relations agency, we act as the extended arm for many in-house marketing teams. Though we have a common goal of increasing exposure and building a positive public image for the company, we often go about it a slightly different way.
Typically, we hunt out and share a company story or concept that appeals to a broad audience that could include journalists, potential customers, industry experts, researchers and even competitors.
This often means taking an idea, a thought or an industry trend that, while relevant, is one step removed from the company’s product or service, and holds greater meaning to more people. Such content may come in the form of a media articles, research trends or blogs, and will:
- Have broader relevance
- Allow more people to relate to the topics discussed
- Back up all claims
- Avoid promoting a single product or service
- Potentially draw upon credible research
- Leverage a trending school of thought
Most importantly, this content will appeal to journalists who’re seeking objective, informative and digestible stories to keep their readers coming back for more.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Perhaps in theory. However, we’re frequently faced with the challenge of striking a balance between creating informative stories that attract diverse readership, and elevating a company’s product or service to target potential customers. What pleases a journalist commonly will not appeal to a brand ambassador.
So how do we manage this predicament?
According to Marketo’s recent market research and Content Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising info-graphic, sharing media articles is one of the mosteffective content marketing strategies—in fact, it is ranked a close second behind social media out of all available marketing tactics.
Based on these findings, and in our experience, there has never been a better time for companies to expand their reach via original, objective and compelling content that resonates with journalists and is likely to be published.
Once published, not only will the coverage become an invaluable asset for the marketing toolkit, and boost the company’s SEO via high-quality inbound links, it will demonstrate to both potential and current customers that the company has a vested interest in thought-leadership and contributing to its industry—not merely boosting the bottom line.
In our opinion, any well-rounded marketing and communications plan should include quality journalism and media coverage that appeals beyond the company’s immediate audience—thinking broader produces bigger results.
Tags: advertising, content creation, content marketing, journalists, marketing, SEO
So it’s your company’s birthday.
Today is your opportunity to indulge, have some cake and show your fans/guests/customers your true colours.
Here’s how to make the most out of your brand’s special day:
Happy birthday to me me me
Marketers and PR people say it’s the kiss of death to talk solely and incessantly about yourself on social media.
On your birthday, that rule goes out the window. It can be all about you — as long as it’s interesting.
Tell your story
How was the company founded? Who makes up the company now and what are they all about? What are the most poignant or funny stories your company has collected over the years? What have you learned along the way?
When you’re sharing these details on social media, tell stories about real people doing specific things. Stories about CEOs strategizing in generic boardrooms aren’t nearly as captivating as tales of entrepreneurs risking their life savings and drawing out their ideas on bar napkins.
Don’t be afraid to bring out the quirk.
You can rework these stories into tweets, longer social media or blog posts, and/or, if your story is interesting enough, pitches to media.
Your brand is a party and everyone’s invited
On your birthday, start something everyone can get involved in. Our client 7-Eleven Canada celebrates July 11th (7-11 — today!) every year by giving away free Slurpee drinks. Thousands of Slurpee lovers celebrate alongside the brand as a result and the company’s birthday turns into something much bigger.
Your “party” could be as involved as an event or product giveaway, or could be as simple as your CEO giving a Twitter shout-out to your loyal customers, your social team Instagramming a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the decorated company lunchroom, or a hilarious gif you made at the party.
Get silly
There’s no serious way to wear a birthday hat. Today, let your hair down a little and just be you. Your resulting communications will be magnetic. Show your audience just how fun it is to be a part of your organization. Let them in on the joke.
At Peak we use our company birthday as a reason to give back to our clients and media contacts. This year, that took the form of a wine-tasting bash at the Peak office. It was our way of showing we care about the people we work with every day. Because we all had fun, engaging photos and social media posts came naturally from the event.
Celebrate with visuals
Photo- and video-sharing platforms like Instagram and Vine are your ticket to generating quick, fun content that will engage your audiences in ways no plain-Jane blog post can.
Yes. Share those badly drawn cake cartoons. Those goofy birthday cards. The interns’ three-legged race. The perfect cupcakes you made for the occasion. The CEO high-fiving the company mascot. One of your project managers jumping out of a birthday cake.
Just make sure you make those social posts before you get into the champagne.
Tags: anniversary, birthday, brand engagement, branding, celebration, employee communications
By now everyone knows to be careful what they share on social media.
Potential and current employers may be monitoring your online activity, or it may be brought to their attention by others who deem your posts inappropriate or offensive. Even corporate social profiles have a heightened sense of what they share after the US Airways NSFW image fiasco, and more recently the Delta Airlines giraffe debacle (get it together airline social media!)
When we share on social channels like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, we know our posts will be broadcast to either the public or to a list of followers we have approved. Emails, however, we often assume are private. Like a phone call, they are typically not intended to be viewed by the general public.
Evan Spiegel, the 23-year-old founder of the billion-dollar app SnapChat, learned that this isn’t always the case, when a number of blatantly sexist emails he sent out to his fraternity during his college days, were publicized on Gawker.com and nearly every major business and technology publication in the days following. I am not here to condemn Mr. Spiegel on his less-than-eloquent language, as it may be argued that he was, and is, a 20-something frat boy uneducated in the impact of language. What I am here to do is remind us that we too could fall victim to embarrassing email mishaps, and provide some simple steps on how to prevent them.
Double check who you’re sending to
A certain member of my family who shall remain nameless once told me how he responded in a not-so-favourable manner after finding out that one of his colleagues would be taking charge of a major project, not realizing that the same person had been cc’d on the email. This resulted in a 45-minute phone call of back pedaling and apologies.
Proofreading the body of an email is second nature for many, but it is also important to make sure you check who exactly you are sending a message to before hitting send.
Know your audience
You may be quite chummy with clients, reporters or coworkers, but at the end of the day you are involved in a working capacity and a level of professionalism must be maintained when communicating over work email. Be aware that what you share and how you present yourself to these people could have an effect on your rapport with them.
Be wary of your formatting
Tying into the previous point, how you format an email to your mother or best friend should be different to how you format a business email. A proper greeting and signature, punctuation, and a clean font can say a lot about the quality of your work. It’s difficult to take someone seriously in Comic Sans.
Think before you hit send (or at least be prepared to stand by what you say)
At the end of the day, be it on social media or in an email, don’t send something you’d be embarrassed to have publically shared. I’m sure Mr. Snapchat figured his messages would never go beyond the inbox of those in his fraternity, but in a leadership role with his Stanford University chapter there was an expectation of him to have a level of professionalism, and his subsequent success made him an easy target for dirty laundry airing.
Though most of us won’t go on to create wildly successful phone apps, everyone wants to have a good reputation in the working world. If you are going to say something risqué, be confident in backing that statement if it is ever brought to light.
Tags: correspondence, editing, email, proofreading, social media, Writing
Did you know that 8 in 10 internet users trust information and advice they get from bloggers, and that 6 in 10 have made a purchase based on a blogger’s recommendation?
What if I told you that 63 per cent of consumers are more likely to be influenced toward purchase by a blog than a magazine?
Blogger outreach is becoming an increasingly important element of a successful PR campaign. Traditional media sources such as TV, radio and print used to be the only way to share stories, ideas and opinions – but as we know, sharing information via the internet has allowed information to be available at your fingertips within seconds.
What is it about blogs?
Honesty and trust: Bloggers share personal opinions and reviews that readers trust to be honest and authentic. The average person has exposure to roughly 600 advertisements a day. It doesn’t take long before people start realizing ads are intentionally placed to make you feel as though you need or want something.
- Blogger benefit: People trust real people. When they can put a face to a name and feel as though they can relate on a personal level, that trust provides more value than any other form of communication.
Influence and leadership: Some bloggers are just as influential as journalists. Most news outlets reach a certain demographic and, depending on their scope, may not be your target demographic. Bloggers are seen as thought leaders and can generate massive followings.
- Blogger benefit: Look at your campaign goals and think about your demographic. Would they be more influenced by way of traditional media, blogs or both?
Trend starters: Due to the mobile generation, bloggers have begun to actually share news before media can even become aware of the story. With blogs being the first source for information, traditional media outlets often reference blogs to provide credibility and value to their own stories.
- Blogger benefit: Bloggers live in the real world and blog anywhere on the spot, giving them an upper hand when it comes to timeliness. People no longer need to read the news paper tomorrow morning to find out what’s happened the day before – they turn to social media to find out what’s happening now.
Social amplification: It’s every brand’s wish to have something they’ve created “go viral.” Blogs are the landing pages which are then turned into links to be shared though social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Reddit. Bloggers create social sharing opportunities that traditional media often cannot.
- Blogger benefit: Bloggers want their content to go viral because of the fame that could result. From sponsorships to media coverage and increased followers – it’s in their best interest to work with you. Aka, a huge win/win.
Don’t just take my word for it – take a look at these three outstanding blogger outreach campaigns to get an idea of how beneficial blogger campaigns have been for other brands.
So the next time you are planning a media relations campaign, ensure that targeted blogger relations component is included to complement your traditional outreach. This combined approach will optimize exposure, influence and engagement for your brand.
Tags: blogger, blogging, brand engagement, influence, media relations, outreach, partnership, sponsorship
This week we were excited to learn we made the finalist list for Ragan’s 2013 Employee Internal Communications Awards. Peak was one of five finalist companies selected under the “Best Health/Fitness Program” category for our innovative health and fitness month that took place in October 2013.
For 31 days, our dedicated team supported each other to eat healthy food and drive our fitness routines above and beyond the status quo. Points were awarded to each staff-member who went the extra mile and increased their daily workout. Management at Peak supported staff by hosting yummy fruit-filled breakfasts and a series of healthy pot-luck lunches. In addition to our workplace gym memberships, they also kindly supplied Peakers with sports-bags to help the team carry exercise equipment to and from work. There was an energetic buzz about the office throughout the month.
“For fitness, I’ve always biked during Vancouver’s warm weather months. For the six years I’ve been doing this, I always stop in mid-September,” says Ross Sullivan, Partner at Peak Communicators. “The Fitness Challenge made me rethink that. This year is the first time I biked throughout October and beyond, and felt the health benefits as a consequence.”
Each year, Ragan awards companies throughout North America for their innovative initiatives and achievements. Ragan’s 2013 Employee Internal Communications Award is designed to recognize companies that push boundaries and try new tactics that achieve great results. Ragan selected this year’s finalists based on their“irreverence, off-beat humor, risk-taking and creativity in the execution of everything they did.”
The winners of Ragan’s 2013 Employee Internal Communications Awards will be announced in the coming weeks in a Special Edition of Ragan.com.
Tags: award, employee communications, fitness, health, human resources, office environment, Ragan
Tomorrow, March 8th 2014, marks International Women’s Day, a great time to look at how women in Canada are doing in the PR industry.
According to Service Canada, employment in PR has risen significantly and is expected to continue to grow (good news!). When last surveyed, women held around 69 per cent of these roles, compared to 47 per cent of the workforce across all Canadian industries. Communications appeals to women.
However the current state of affairs of women on boards (across all industries, I might add) isn’t rosy. A recent study looking at 12 major North American cities shows that Canada’s four largest cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary) rank below all major U.S. cities other than Dallas in terms of the number of women in management roles. This could impact future growth according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
Furthermore 93 per cent of women in senior positions in Canada believe they make less money than a man performing the same work, according to a survey byRandstad Women Shaping Business.
How can we better support women in the workplace in Canada?
Some proactive steps are being taken, with it becoming compulsory for companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange to disclose how many women are on their boards and set targets for future quotas.
However more can be done, particularly in our industry where women account for such a high percentage of the workforce. We should be leading the way.
Here are some suggestions:
- Job share: Allowing two women to job share on a part-time basis can be empowering. Constant communication is essential if this is to work, which shouldn’t be a stumbling block for PR professionals. We’ve used this method at Peak for women returning from maternity leave, allowing us to retain great employees.
- Part-time working: When job-sharing isn’t an option then part-time can also work, depending on the role.
- Mentorship: Female mentors can be a great support for individuals juggling multiple priorities. A VP at Peak mentors women entrepreneurs in her spare time, offering guidance to help other women in the community succeed.
- Networking and support groups: Communities that focus on women in business can be helpful. Women in Leadership is one organization that offers leadership-focused events in Canada’s major cities.
- Recognition: It’s important to celebrate successful women leaders in the PR world. PRWeek in the US publishes its US Power List, which in 2012 featured 17 women. This provides role models for aspiring PR employees, and I hope to see the number of women featured rise over time.
Supporting women in the workplace is good for the employee and employer, positively affecting retention rates. Take a moment over the weekend to consider how you can help ambitious women achieve their goals and the impact they can have on your business. Let’s change these statistics.
Tags: business, International Women's Day, job share, mentorship, networking, Public relations, women, workplace
Science can be difficult to understand — at least that’s what people often think.
Though many of the world’s most groundbreaking changes come from the fields of science and technology, these stories can be the most challenging to tell. If you’re trying to generate media coverage for your science or tech company, you’re going to have to get over that hurdle.
Make sure you can answer these questions about your company’s news:
Will your product/discovery save lives or make a difference in the way people live? Is it funny or moving? Find the right hook, and you’re in.
Case in point: the recent “twerking spider” news. Papers about animal behaviour are published every day, but the savvy folks behind this one made a hilarious connection with a current trend, and got tons of coverage as a result.
The essence of your story is NOT a list of the technical details of your product/discovery. Those are merely your supporting points.
Journalists will want to talk to an expert or two who can speak with scientific authority about the significance of the product/discovery. Offer media the chance to talk to a member of your team, e.g. the COO or lead researcher, who can talk about the essence of the story and their role in it, and answer questions on the technical details, if asked.
Bonus points if your expert can give personal anecdotes around the product/discovery. Who are the makers/designers/discoverers and why are they passionate about what they do? Was the product/discovery an accident? Or the result of many years of trial and error? Where did the idea come from? Does the product/discovery have a fun social backstory? A friendship? A romance? These are the stories journalists want to tell.
Journalists will want to support their stories with hard facts and numbers that are derived from reliable sources. Be able to offer a brief summary of one to three of the most salient, including references.
A cool photo or video of your team/product/discovery in action might just cinch the deal for media. Groups of people doing things, cool microscope images, your team racing their robot, one of your successful patients playing with her kids. IBM got everyone’s attention with their recent short film, A Boy and His Atom, a visual that’s equal-parts adorable and stunning that was made using the company’s cutting-edge technologies.
If at all possible, offer visuals of something more than your expert in a lab coat beside a machine. Please.
A little later on in your pitch you’ll need to give some background on how the product was developed or how the research was done. Distill this technical information into less than five sentences. That’s plenty for most journalists. If they need more, they can talk to your expert spokesperson, take a look at your fact sheet, see your website or Google it. If you give too much detail off the bat, you risk losing the story in it.
If you don’t give journalists context, they may not understand just how important your product/discovery is. Give them background information as necessary, again referencing reliable and accessible sources. Make sure you give a short, factual overview that will be equally useful for generalist reporters and journalists that specialize in your field.
Once you’ve answered these questions for yourself, lead your pitch with the essence of your story, and support it with human stories, your expert, stats, visuals and background information. Twerking reference optional.
Tags: journalists, newsworthy, pitching, Public relations, science, technology
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. The wine flows, mince pies are in abundance and parties become the norm during the working week.
Yet for those PRs willing to work hard throughout silly season, there are rewards – and not just from Santa – for their efforts.
So how do you capitalize on Christmas from a publicity perspective? Here are some suggestions:
Christmas gift guides: Do you have a client looking to reach consumers with a cool new product? If so, then now is the best time of year for product PR withoutnecessarily having to pay for advertising. Naturally the competition for placement in these gift guides is fierce with many other retailers looking to capitalize on the same opportunity. However if your product is interesting and relevant and you have imagery to showcase its beautiful design, then go for it. Be warned: you’ll want to start your pitching early as some gift guides decide on content in summer.
Freebies: Who doesn’t like free things, especially in December, the season of giving? Certainly no one in my address book. Consider sending ‘stocking fillers’ or other gifts and gadgets from clients as a way of getting media attention. Always provide journalists with a story along with the gift to give them a reason to write about the treat you’ve provided.
News hijacking: Christmas becomes a major focus for many Canadians during December, and that means journalists turn their attention to this topic as well. Capitalize on this interest by pitching story angles relevant to the season. Put forward a quirky angle or offer a perspective that’s unique to your client to heighten your chances of media interest. Trends in particular can generate headlines.
Timing: I’ve noticed a ‘black hole’ appears in the PR scene between Christmas and New Year. Most PRs are on holiday so the number of stories being sent to media is minimal. This is a great opportunity if you’re willing to work. Issuing a news story – so long as it’s relevant and timely – between Christmas and New Year can go further than it typically would. If you decide to telephone pitch you may find you leave a lot of voicemails. However those journalists in the office are almost guaranteed to be having a slow news day and will therefore be more receptive to suggestions than normal.
We all know that December is for planning as well as partying, and work time is spent focusing on 2014 plans for clients. However taking time out for media relations can lead to a spike in coverage, which is always a fantastic way to finish a campaign.
And if all else fails, the New Year is just around the corner, providing a great opportunity to pitch trends and predictions, which works for almost any client from any industry.
Tags: Christmas, headlines, holidays, new year, news hijacking, Public relations, winter
I’ve got a short story for you. Two friends decide by text message to meet for coffee.
“What time works for you?” says Marla.
“How about Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at Starbucks?” says Jen.
And then the conversation stops.
Fast forward to Thursday at 10:15 and Marla is waiting, cooling latte-in-hand, for Jen to show up.
“Where are you?” Marla texts Jen (secretly blaming Jen for suggesting a time and then not showing up).
“I didn’t think we were getting together!” Jen texts back (secretly blaming Marla for dropping off the face of the earth).
It’s a textbook breakdown in communication, and in professional settings it can have disastrous consequences.
The funny thing is, the solution to this problem is the easiest and most effective communications method out there, yet many people don’t do it: Follow up.
Here are some amusing excuses people make so they can avoid following up:
- “I already told so-and-so about our meeting/task/deadline.”
- “They’re a grown-up and don’t need reminding.”
- “I’m too busy.”
- “We already have an understanding.”
- “What I have to say doesn’t matter.”
- “I have nothing to say right now.”
- “This issue isn’t a big deal.”
Actually, it is a big deal. That one little message can save a lot of time and mental energy. Marla and Jen would have saved a lot of grief if one of them had simply followed up to confirm that 10:00 on Thursday was a go.
Unfortunately, following up does have a cost. You’re going to have to take the time to say or type a short message. Tough, I know.
But the results can be rewarding – even wonderful.
How to follow up as a communicator
- A quick status update reassures colleagues, clients or journalists that you’re still working on their project, and gives them a better idea when they can expect the results
- A “Did you have a chance to look at my pitch?” can get a journalist to retrieve your story pitch from the heap
- A quick scheduling reminder helps clients and journalists remember to connect for interviews – saving everyone the time and hassle of rescheduling
- Dropping a journalist who is already covering your story a line saying, “Did you need photos or anything else for this story?” helps a news outlet produce a great piece of coverage for your client, and shows journalists that you care about their needs
- A thank-you boosts everyone’s spirits and reinforces positive relationships
How to follow up to build your team
Following up internally will boost your team’s morale and efficiency, and you don’t have to be the team lead to do it.
Motivation can drop in a team that doesn’t communicate simple things like, “Thanks for your message. I got it.” When a team loses touch over time, a subtle sense of non-caring infiltrates the project, and that can seriously dampen morale and motivation.
“But I have no news to tell my team! What’s the point of saying anything?” you might protest. You don’t have to have any news. A simple follow-up of, “I’m still with you,” will help your team members move forward with more confidence, because they know you’re still supporting them.
Obviously, giving kudos to your team members is a great follow-up too, as long as it’s sincere.
But it’s not just about making everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Following up with your project team helps you identify issues that might otherwise have been swept under the rug, only to pop up in the future as full-fledged problems.
So instead of trekking alone and scared in a barren wasteland of non-communication, take the time to regularly invest just a few words of follow-up with your friends, colleagues and clients. You’ll produce relationships that are more positive, teams that are more effective and goals that are more focused.
Some words you can say
If you’re inspired to do more following up, but don’t know where to start, here are a few phrases you can borrow:
- “Just wanted to let you know that I’m still working on ____. I’ll be done ____.”
- “How are you doing with that thing? Any way I can help?”
- “Thanks for that thing you did. I appreciate it.”
- “I’m following up to confirm that we’re meeting at that place tomorrow. Does that still work for you?”
- “I got the ____ you sent. Thanks!”
- “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll give this some thought and get back to you.”
Please feel free to follow up in the comments section below.
Photo credits:
Tags: communication, correspondence, effective communication, Public relations
