The how-to-do-it e-newsletter for PR and marketing

Number 2, February 2009

The PR of a presidential campaign

Who’d have thought that an American presidential campaign could produce some of the most valuable new ideas for British PR in many a long year?

Barack Obama has only just settled into the Oval Office, so it’s the perfect time to look at the 10 communications principles behind his successful campaign – and how they might be applied in British PR. Marie Louise Windeler, chairman designate of Freshwater UK, draws on exclusive research to give us some valuable pointers in the first article in this edition of PR Success Monthly.

Alice Hart-Davis is an award winning beauty, health and well-being journalist who writes for The Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard as well as clutch of popular magazines. She reveals what she’s looking for from PRs.

If you run a PR consultancy and are worried about what the current recession is going to do to your bottom line, scroll down the page and read about 10 ways to stay up when the economy’s down. Our guide: Cliff Crown, head of Vantis’ Media Group and a client partner at Vantis, the AIM-listed UK accounting, tax and business advisory group.

And in our Press Release Clinic slot, we look at how to provide information in the most effective order to tell your story.

Finally, many thanks to all of you who e-mailed to congratulate us on the first issue of PR Success Monthly. We hope you’ll find this a useful regular source of practical information.

But, remember, the only way to guarantee that you’ll receive every issue is to register, if you haven't already done so, - it takes less than one minute - by going to www.prsuccess.co.uk

Kind regards,

Peter Bartram
(Editor, PR Success Monthly)

Obama's top tips for British PR

Can UK communications professionals learn anything from what commentators called the most innovative US presidential campaign in history? Marie Louise Windeler, chairman designate of Freshwater UK, thinks so

Good ideas travel well. And there were many brilliant ideas in the Obama presidential campaign. UK PR professionals could do worse than look at the principles behind those ideas and think about how they could be applied in their own work…

1. Keep it simple and be consistent. Everything about the Obama campaign was big and yet simple. The big ideas addressed core issues that are crucial to the majority of Americans. They were communicated and addressed in a really simple way – consistency and simplicity ruled together for maximum effect.

2. Stay true to your message. Change was the one word that summarised the campaign and was referred to again and again. The prospect of moving away from a Republican government for the first time in eight years symbolised it all: change – that, in turn, led people to believe in change for the good. By simply staying true to the message, the campaign created a ground swell of opinion that it was change that was needed to win. Obama’s website is even called change.gov.

3. Stick to your objectives. Obama’s campaign was rigorously committed to its objectives and every aspect of activity was focused on achieving one, some or all of them simultaneously. Not only did it achieve the primary objective of getting people to vote for Obama, but the campaign also successfully achieved its fundraising objective - more than £500m dollars.

4. Get to the people that matter. At the heart of the campaign was a quest to embrace and train local people to build volunteer bases in different communities – this led to one of the biggest grassroots campaigns in the world today. Individual advocacy is the biggest driver of sales – turning one supporter into an advocate was worth at least 10 votes, as the results show.

5. Make people feel empowered and involved. This was the real secret of its success. Every single person involved at the grassroots was made to feel like he or she had a role to play. Whether participating in a rally, donating or training, the campaign ensured that voters became the most important participants and felt like their contributions really mattered. Every piece of communication was personally addressed to the recipient with a personal message of thanks from Obama.

6. Refine your data gathering and completion. Such was the scale of the compilation of data that the campaign’s different hits reached millions every time. A centralised online database meant every detail was recorded and allowed for easy cross-referencing of information and creation of lists to target specific groups, ensuring that the communication was right on target every time.

7. Embrace different media forms. The Washington Post described Obama as the “king of social networking”. During the general election 46 per cent of Americans used the internet, e-mail or text messaging to get information about the candidate compared with 29 per cent who watched network TV news and 34 per cent who read newspapers. As a result, online activity including videos, YouTube, myspace and FaceBook were used to maximum effect. They also pumped information to traditional print and broadcast media which reshaped the news cycle by releasing information that played to Obama’s advantage because the McCain campaign was forced to respond.

8. Getting the language right. Every element of the campaign used language that captured the audiences and had maximum impact – the choice of words and tone had to be in harmony with the campaign’s overall vision and messages. It was about using few words for maximum effect – Yes We Can, For the Change We Need...

9. Mass integration. Undoubtedly the mass integration of all forms of communications and data gathering are mutually beneficial components of a cohesive political operation. This was the key to the campaign’s overall success. It shows that consistency and a conjoined approach works. To say it broke new ground would be an understatement.

10. Protect your brand. It’s all very well building up a successful brand but it is as important to ensure that you maintain and protect it. With expectations now well and truly raised and that’s what all will be watching. Obama’s next challenge is to protect his reputation which will be another fascinating story to tell… I’m sure.

Five minutes with... Alice Hart-Davis

Alice Hart-Davis is a freelance award-winning beauty writer who contributes beauty, health and wellbeing features to publications including Observer Woman, The Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, YOU magazine, London magazine, Red and Elle.

1. What I want from PR people is…
… interesting information, preferably relevant to the kind of stuff I write.

2. The best way to get my attention is…
… e-mail - and address me by name. I do read all my e-mails, but the ones which look like mass mailings don’t get read beyond the first paragraph. And the ones which go on beyond the bottom of the screen don’t get read to the end.

3. But please don’t…
… start your email, “Hey!” (I’ll take that from my teenage daughters, but not from anyone supposedly serious about their work.)
...or ring up to ask, “What are you working on?” or, “Is there anything we can help you with?” Those phrases are guaranteed to make most journalists see red.
... or send monster picture files.

4. When pitching a story to me…
… please, please, keep it short. If you can’t get the essence of the thing into a few sentences, rewrite it. I’ll have to pitch it to a commissioning editor in even fewer words (their attention span is even shorter). If I want detail, I’ll ask.
....And don’t send the initial information in a jpeg or word attachment. If they’re honest, most journalists will admit they rarely open attachments simply because it takes too long.

5. If you’re sending a press release, I want…
… concise, interesting information, together with all pertinent facts (eg, if it’s for a product, the name of the product, the USP, the price and the stockist. Sounds obvious, but...)

6. The most successful PR people…
…develop personal relationships with key journalists and develop a sixth sense for who to offer which stories to.

For the inside track on pitching ideas to editors in any section of the media come to the Perfect Pitch Masterclass in London on Thursday 30th April. For more information and online booking, visit www.perfectpitchmasterclass.co.uk

10 ways to stay up when the economy's down

Media tax and business adviser Cliff Crown on how PR agencies can make sure they’re still in business when the recession ends

Many PR agencies want to know how to plan for and cope with the impact of a recession. Here are my top tips, drawing on 20 years’ experience in offering accounting, tax and business advice to PR companies.

1. Seek good financial advice. Employing an experienced financial controller or financial director is arguably the best money you’ll spend in the next two years. Make sure your accountant is “hands on” and involved, and that he or she provides regular advice to your business.

2. Keep up-to-date management accounts. Have a rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast.

3. Maintain a good relationship with your funder. Most banks will focus on whether customers can service their debt burden during the downturn. So ensure, even if it’s on an interest only basis, that you’re in a position to demonstrate that your firm can.

4. Be transparent with your funder. Avoid making requests for new money at all costs. If you have no option, don’t leave it until the last minute.

5. Take difficult decisions in time. It’s never easy to take difficult and emotional decisions such as making long-standing employees redundant. But if a difficult decision is needed to improve your firm’s trading performance, take it in time to have an impact. Your funder is more likely to support you if you bite the bullet.

6. Know monthly break-even income. It’s alarming how many agencies don’t. Be clear about how you define what “success” means for your firm during the recession. It may mean breaking even, making a small loss - or even surviving as your competition falls away.

7. Bolster the balance sheet. Ideally, ensure that net assets on your balance sheet amount to at least three, and preferably six, months’ running costs. In short, make sure you have enough reserves to support the firm during a downturn.

8. Implement robust credit control. Debtor days are rising as companies can’t find credit. Use a diary system to follow up and chase clients for money, rather than an ad-hoc approach. Explore ways to release cash from your balance sheet. One important example: bring forward billing for rechargeables by speeding up internal processes for capturing the information.

9. Make realistic financial forecasts. If you think sales can’t be lower than 80 per cent of this year’s, test what happens to cash-flow when you try 70 per cent or 60 per cent. The economy is deteriorating so rapidly, it could happen. Consider the impact of clients paying after 60 or 75 days rather than 30 or 45 days in the good times.

10. Deal proactively with HM Revenue & Customs. In last November’s Pre-Budget Report, the government announced that HMRC would allow companies reasonable time to pay their tax. If you fall into arrears with PAYE or VAT, propose a realistic repayment plan. Only proceed when you have HMRC’s written agreement to your proposal – and don’t renege on it!

Cliff Crown is head of Vantis’ Media Group and a client partner at Vantis, the AIM-listed UK accounting, tax and business advisory group.

Winning new business is one of the best ways to protect your PR agency’s bottom-line during the recession. You’ll find a wealth of practical ideas that work at the Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass in London on Thursday 26th February. For more information and online booking, go to www.perfectproposals.co.uk

Press release clinic: question time

Author and journalist Peter Bartram shows how to provide information in a press release in the most effective order

When you write a press release, you’re providing answers to six questions: what’s this all about; who’s involved; when is it happening; and where; and why; and how?

The best releases answer those questions as succinctly as possible – and in the most effective order to tell the story. It’s possible to answer all the questions in one sentence. The old chestnut they often quote on journalism courses is:

Lady Godiva [WHO] rode [|WHAT] naked [HOW] through Coventry [WHERE] at noon [WHEN] to protest at high taxes [WHY].

Six questions answered in 13 words. But, usually, the answers need a little more explanation than that. So before writing the release think: which of those questions is the most important to answer?

You might think that the “what” question is most important. In which case put it at the front of your intro. For example:

A campaign to boost engineering exports [WHAT] has been launched by a group of Birmingham manufacturers [WHO].

Just two of the questions answered – but it’s enough to get the release under way and you can answer the other questions in succeeding paragraphs. If the “who” is more important, you can reverse the order in which you answer the questions:

Freda Smith, head of Birmingham Manufacturing Association, [WHO] is leading a campaign to boost engineering exports [WHAT].

Sometimes, you might choose to answer the “when” question first to give your story a topical angle:

Budget day [WHEN] will see the launch of a new campaign to boost Birmingham companies’ engineering exports [WHAT].

And if your release is going to regional or local media, you might want to stress the “where”:

Companies from Birmingham [WHERE] are behind a new campaign to boost engineering exports [WHAT].

Or you might want to hitch your release to a trend or event in the wider world. So answer the “why” question first to make that link:

In a move to reverse the decline in engineering sales [WHY], a group of Birmingham manufacturing companies [WHO] has launched a campaign to boost exports [WHAT].

Just occasionally, the “how” might form the story lead.

By cutting prices [HOW] Birmingham manufacturers [WHO] will seek to boost their engineering exports [WHAT].

But, often, (as in the example here) that might seem a little forced. In general, save the “how” for those stories where it is genuinely surprising. (Mother gives birth to triplets on the hard shoulder of the M1).

The key lesson: find the answers to the six questions, then provide the information in the order which best suits the story you’re trying to tell.

To learn more about writing press releases that hit the spot with editors, book a Perfect Press Release Masterclass at your own offices. See details at: www.prmasterclass.co.uk

Contents
The PR of a presidential campaign Obama's top tips for British PR Five minutes with... Alice Hart-Davis 10 ways to stay up when the economy's down Press release clinic: question time Worth Knowing
Diary dates:
Training events for PR and marleting professionals: Thursday 26th February: Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass How PR and marketing consultancies can improve pitches to win more business More: www.perfectproposals.co.uk Thursday 12th March: Writing for Publication Masterclass How to write news stories and feature articles that editors want to publish More: www.writingforpublication.co.uk Friday 13th March: Perfect Public Relations Masterclass, London A practical workshop for organisations that want to win more of their own media coverage More: www.howtodoyourownpr.co.uk Thursday 30th April: Perfect Pitch Masterclass, London. How to devise article and interview pitches that journalists really want to hear More: www.perfectpitchmasterclass.co.uk Tuesday 2nd June: Perfect Public Relations Masterclass, London A practical workshop for organisations that want to win more of their own media coverage More: www.howtodoyourownpr.co.uk Thursday 18th June: Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass How PR and marketing consultancies can improve pitches to win more business More: www.perfectproposals.co.uk Wednesday 1st July: Writing for Publication Masterclass How to write news stories and feature articles that editors want to publish More: www.writingforpublication.co.uk Thursday 1st October: Perfect Press Release Masterclass, London A journalist’s eye view on how to write releases that make it into print More: www.prmasterclass.co.uk
PR Success Monthly:
Make sure you receive PR Success Monthly To make sure you receive PR Success Monthly, register here Share PR Success Monthly with your colleagues If you feel PR Success Monthly would interest friends or colleagues, why not forward it to them?
Sponsored links:
Get your own sponsored link… If you would like to have a sponsored link in a future issue of PR Success Monthly, which circulates to 7,000 PR professionals in companies and agencies, please e-mail info@newventurepublishing.co.uk for more details. BNI Business Network International provides a structured business environment where all members find work for other members. Caroline Duffy Graphic Design Looks count! Good graphic design ensures you're making the best of your marketing budget. Call now for a free consultation Nick Sinclair Photography Delivering innovative and creative imagery to clients in PR, corporate communications and design companies for 20 years Vantis Media Group Vantis' Media Group specialises in accounting, tax, business recovery and advisory services for PR and other media organisations. Worldwide Webdesign Worldwide Webdesign is an advanced web design company, which has designed websites for many clients in the UK, and abroad.
Worth knowing:
D-I-Y PR Jon White, PR and marketing manager at Webcredible, has some thoughts on handling in-house PR Coming from an agency background myself, what we are doing with the PR at Webcredible is essentially very similar to the campaigns I would run at an agency but with a focus on just one company. The difference and, indeed, advantage of working in this way is being ingrained in the day-to-day workings of the company and having more flexibility, time and opportunity to be proactive with the PR programme. One particular success that springs to mind is our usability-based comment on the launch of the Google T-Mobile G1 phone, which was pitched to journalists we thought might be covering the story. This resulted in a lot of coverage, including nationals, largely because we were able to turn around approved comment in a very short space of time and get it out to the right people when they were looking for comment. This is something I had done successfully in my agency days but it can be a much quicker process when working within an organisation, and speed is crucial in these situations. There are also campaigns that have not been as successful as I would have liked, but working from within a company you do have the scope to put a lot more campaigns in place and you have more room for a bit of trial and error. In short, the approach we have at Webcredible which has brought success is to run the PR campaigns in much the same style as an agency, but through a dedicated in-house resource, focusing a lot more hours on the campaign than an agency would be able to. Organisations that want to handle more of their own PR will find lots of practical advice at the Perfect Public Relations Masterclass in London on Friday 13th March. For more details and online booking, go to www.howtodoyourownpr.co.uk Article pitch 1 There should be plenty of opportunities for PR people to pitch contributed articles this year. With the recession biting deeply, editors of smaller newspapers and magazines, in particular, will be keen to find good copy they don’t have to pay for. But there’s a big problem: most editors don’t rate PR contributed articles as being well written. A sample of 75 editors from a wide range of newspapers and magazines said that only three per cent of the PR articles they received were written to truly publishable standard. A few more might make it with a bit of editing. Editors say that three common faults with contributed articles are: 1. Lack of focus: too many of the articles are little more than background information about a subject. In that old journalists’ phrase, they’re a only “trot round the block”. In other words, they don’t offer anything new. A newspaper or magazine article needs an angle. Preferably something topical and fresh to grab readers’ attention. 2. Fact-lite: contributed articles often lack that focus because they don’t contain enough new and original facts. Information that’s not seen the light of day elsewhere. Trouble is, many of them are written to satisfy the egos of managers in companies who want to sound off about a subject dear to their heart. So they’re full of opinions but lack factual substance. Yet it’s interesting new facts which fascinate readers. 3. Boring intros: an article which doesn’t grab a reader from the first paragraph is dead. But too many contributed articles start with a boring summary of the subject matter. There’s nothing wrong with starting by outlining the nature of the topic under discussion. But you must do it in a way that entices readers to believe they’re going to learn something they don’t know. So pitch more contributed articles this year. But make sure they’re worth the printers’ ink before e-mailing them to the editor. To find out more about writing articles for newspapers and magazines, come to the Writing for Publication Masterclass in London on Thursday 12th March. For more details and to make an online booking go to www.writingforpublication.co.uk Article pitch 2 Want to know how to write a case study that will have editors drooling for the opportunity to publish it? Or perhaps you’re wondering how you could profile your company? Or write a conference report? Or a book review? Then help is at hand. New Venture Publishing has brought out an Article Briefing Book which provides bullet-point guides to writing 13 different kinds of articles. They include personality profiles, product reviews, face-to-face interviews and opinion columns. The Article Briefing Book has been designed as a quick reference guide for PR people. For each of the 13 article types, there’s a series of bullet points which spell out the main points to bear in mind when writing that kind of article. And each article type is also accompanied by a “key lesson” to bear in mind if you want to turn out copy that will please an editor. The book comes free as part of the course materials on the Writing for Publication Masterclass. The next Masterclass is being held in London on Thursday 12th March and you can get more details and make an online booking at www.writingforpublication.co.uk

Contact details

We hope you find this newsletter of interest. If you have any queries or would like to make a suggestion about future content, please contact New Venture Publishing using the contact details below.

New Venture Publishing Ltd, 29 Tivoli Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 5BG, UK.
Tel: +44 1273 565505. E-mail: info@newventurepublishing.co.uk

The how-to-do-it e-newsletter for PR and marketing

Number 2, February 2009

The PR of a presidential campaign

Obama's top tips for British PR

Five minutes with... Alice Hart-Davis

10 ways to stay up when the economy's down

Press release clinic: question time

Contents

Diary dates:

PR Success Monthly:

Sponsored links:

Worth knowing: