It is somewhat ironic that I found out about the Tribune’s planned one week fast of Associated Press (AP) wire material from an AP article in the New York Times.  If you haven’t heard, the Tribune, parent of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other regional newspapers, announced that it will not be using AP content next week.  There has been much analysis of what this means for the media, particularly newspaper industry, but I think this shift might signal opportunity for MPR pros. 

As mission driven (ethnic, religious, etc.) and locally focused media are the bright spots in a rather gloomy forecast for traditional media, I think it is reasonable to suggest that audience focused content will replace national news in many outlets.  While it will take more work for MPR folks to identify and pitch a growing number of news channels, it will lead to a more direct and meaningful dialogue between those with a story to tell and those eager to consume it.  Rather than saying “this is why our (company, brand, product, etc) matters to the world,” you should be saying “this is why our (company, brand, product, etc) matters to you.”  Since the big media companies and new aggregators will continue to cover national and global events, it will still be useful to tie larger trends to the interests of regional audiences and affinity groups.  To make this connection valuable to the audience, medium and firm, savvy MPR pros will have to use stories relating their brand’s value in terms of reputation, relationships, experience, or symbolism as the conduit.

I am interested in hearing what you think.  What effects with the changing media industry have on those of us on the marketing side of the PR fence?
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Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on social media, and while that is really important in today’s marketing environment, there are tons of great topics on the traditional side of marketing PR that are worth covering.  I have been getting some good feedback on a video I did for my Applied Public Relations class on pitch letters, and I think it is worth sharing with you.  Keep in mind that this was created for a class, but there are some good take-aways here for you.

You know where to find my book, but if you want to check out Richard Laermer’s book you can click here.  Please remember to tweet this story to your friends.

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In the November 2009 edition of the Journal of Marketing, Diego Rinallo  (Bocconi University) and Suman Basuroy (University of Oklahoma) publish the results of their study that took a quantitative approach to discovering the effect of advertising on media coverage.  Their study suggests that the more a firm advertises with a given medium the more coverage the firm’s products will receive within that medium.  (PR professionals already know this from experience.) They also show that the influence of advertising on a medium’s coverage increases as competitive media coverage of the advertiser’s product increases. That is, a medium will increase its coverage of an advertiser’s products as other media increase their coverage of those products. 

They go on to explain that advertisers have a higher degree of influence over publishers that focus on a single industry, and that larger companies receive more coverage than small companies, while innovative firms receive more exposure than mundane firms.

While MPR folks already understand the unspoken editorial quid pro quo that can occur between a medium and its advertisers, there are a few other MPR strategies that can be inferred from the work of Rinallo and Basuroy.

1.       As coverage begets coverage, show off the media mentions that you get on a timely basis, and put it somewhere that the media, especially those that you advertise with, can see it.  An “In the News” blog that feeds out to your media contacts is a great addition to a webpage of similar purpose.

2.       When pitching a story, think about starting with trade journals or other media that have a narrow focus on the topic at hand.  This coverage can then be leveraged into coverage by the broader media.

3.       If you can’t be big, be creative.  Even if your product or service is not particularly exciting, look to the intangible stuff and the areas where your products and services create true value for your customers.  It is in those spaces you will discover the novel and innovative things that your firm is doing.  Let the media know-especially those with which you advertise.

This is an installment of the MPR Distillery where we find the latest ideas and research on marketing public relations and social media and boil it down to where it can be easily implemented in a business or taught in a classroom. 
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I will be participating in the Social Media Club’sCurriculum and Standards conference call at noon eastern time on Monday, November 2.  This is your link to participate or to hear the thoughts of some dynamic professors and marketers.  I will post a recap of this meeting on the MPR blog later in the week.
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Chris Brogan’s blog post, “How to Market an Offline Event Online” got me thinking. Aside from the great tactical insight that Chris gives us on using social media for promoting an online event, the post reminds us that social media is just another set of tools in our PR garage.  Like the printed page, or telephone call, social media will just be something else we use to promote our brand, sell our product, and get our message out.  If you look closely, all folks that are being recognized for their social media acumen are also masters of traditional media PR. Chris Brogan, Brian Solis, Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba, Gary Vaynerchuk and the like are doing live events, appearing on TV shows, being quoted by the traditional press, writing books, and giving lectures that help build their brand as much as the social media work that they do.  All of these elements, be they ancient or recently invented, use the magic of “Out of Control Marketing” where your message is handed over to connectors who, in turn, pass your message along via media mentions or word-of-mouth.  Those who practice this are risk takers because they let their message be reshaped by those who pass it on, but, wow, does it pack credibility.  So, this is your cue to look beyond the hot topic and to dig deeper in to all aspects of marketing public relations.

The answer to the question is yes, of course social media is just a form of PR.  The delivery method is different, but the purpose and the skills need to execute both forms of promotion are the same.

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The New York Times, NPR, and even the famous Dr. Oz have jumped on the water quality bandwagon. If you’ve got a product or a client with a product that has anything to do with water quality or safety, now is a great time to rev up the pitch machine.  If it is something that has a significant impact on consumers or businesses, you’ve got a national story.  If your story is not that different from what’s out there already you may still be able to play a local angle on this global topic.  This is also a great opportunity for activists groups, and a heads up for companies that may have a negative impact on the water supply.

Happy pitching!

MPR alerts are a running feature of the MPR blog that highlight a hot topic emerging in the media.  They are designed for marketing & PR firms and professionals looking for new stories to pitch. They also make a great assignment for Marketing Public Relations students.  Professors can ask their students to find examples of stories running on this topic, or to create a press release, pitch letter or social media concept based on this idea.  If you see an interesting topic email me at Gaetan@giannninimpr.com and I will post it.
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Crush It! 10/17/2009
 
It was late last year when I first heard about Crush It! (Harper Studio, 2009) I was interviewing author, Gary Vaynerchuk for my book.  The Crush It! may not have had its title at that point but he spoke with passion and enthusiasm about the value of authenticity, hustle, and following your DNA.  He really believes that someone can follow their passion and live the life of their dreams.  I am happy to say that the sharp wit, business savvy, and zeal that I experienced in my conversations with Gary come across in Crush It!

The book is both a motivational speech and a how-to manual for budding Web 2.0 entrepreneurs, and really anyone who wants to take charge of their lives by doing what they love.  Despite being a brief 142 pages, he makes his point strongly without wasting a lot of ink.  He discusses indentifying a personal passion, and using social media to build a personal brand that will, through hustle and patience, reward the entrepreneur with happiness and cash. (He stresses the former as the primary goal.)  Clearly, anyone new to the world of social media will find this book informative, instructive, and easy to read.  Those with more experience in the world of Web 2.0 will also find Crush It! worth a look.  I suppose I am a great example of the latter, I live the subject and have written a book, keep a successful blog, teach it at the college level, regularly speak to business and professional groups, and use these techniques every day and I have a page of notes that I made while reading this book.

If I have any criticism it is that Gary does not give much time to using traditional media ( I am talking about PR stuff, not advertising) to create the personal brand that stems from the entrepreneur’s DNA.  He mentions it briefly in Chapter 11, “Start Monetizing,” but doesn’t give us the depth he could have.  He is a master of the traditional media too.  He has been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, on the Today Show, and on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, just to mention a few of his traditional media appearances.

So, whether you’re just getting started or have already made a mark for yourself I will say that you will find a pretty strong return on investment for the $19.99 you spend on Crush It!
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Ping! 10/16/2009
 
Ok, I know I may be a little late to the party on this one, but I just started using Ping.  I am finding it to me a great way to broadcast a status update to all of my social media platforms.  Yes, I know, you can do a lot of the same with Twitter, but this just seems more user-friendly to me.  Plus it updates LinkedIn easily.
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Find the killer 10/14/2009
 
 Dexter takes interactive viral video one step beyond the "Elf Yourself" model.  I found this when one of my students, Heather Waber, sent me a link.  Pay attention to the evidence bag at the end of the clip.
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Amazon Review 09/25/2009
 
I know this is shameless self promotion, but when someone as capapble as Ken Lizotte says something nice about Marekting Public Relations, I just have to share.

Amazon review of MPR: http://bit.ly/om5bz  
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