PR 101

Press Outreach Before, or After, Funding?

2010-11-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

You're an early stage company eager to secure Angel or VC investment. You think "If I could just get some visibility, it will help validate my company and drive customer interest or sales..." Great idea, and you'd be on to something if it were easy to create buzz for a concept or very early entity. But it's not. This is not a one-size-fits-all answer, but generally speaking, the small funds you can allocate for marketing should be applied toward collateral/web site, sales or even advertising (moreso for consumer markets) - then you can go after publicity with customer, investor and adrenaline in your back pocket. You'll simply get much better bang for the buck with traditional media outreach once you're actually "press ready."

A PR person can serve you well in the earliest stages, however, with competitive positioning, messaging, company materials (like exec bios) and helping to evolve your core sales deck for investor or analyst audiences. One of our roles is sanity checking based on our knowledge of the media landscape, present market hot-buttons, vendor perceptions, etc. We dilute the cool aid you're drinking and poke holes, so that you're better prepared to field tough questions and can succinctly explain your market, offering and competitive differentiators.

Here's why. Press credibility, albeit blurring with the blogosphere, assumes checks and balances, which is why editorial has been measured to be 3x more credible than an ad. With tech PR in particular, there are phases when a company is most appealing to press: funding, launch (caveats here), customer wins, awards, new product launches, etc. Note the first being funding. To get into the Boston Business Journal or Mass High Tech, for instance, a reporter will ask or want you to share who/what entities are backing you, who your initial few paying customers are, where your office is based, how many employees you have, AND who you deem as your closest competitors. Answering "we compete with in-house/proprietary systems" won't cut it. Pick at least one market and company that comes close, then state how you differ. Also be aware that U.S. press generally have tunnel vision and decline to cover organizations based outside of the country.

There are of course a few exceptions to securing very early-stage interest. For instance, if your innovation or organization happens to be spearheaded by a noteworthy experienced and well-known executive, you might get some early buzz going. But do you want to spend that one-time "launch" article opportunity on a largely executive profile? It's hard, but try to think longer term.

Constructing Your Positioning Statement

2010-10-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the template for a positioning statement. You can do this yourselves, but it's much more effective on the heels of competitive positioning/market research.

I've spent nearly full days holed up in a conference room with executive teams, trying to get them all to agree - so don't take this lightly. You need to have consensus on all the elements, minimally among the sales head and spokespeople. Don't let the CEO dictate positioning just because she's :-) in charge. You can vet the statement with a few investors, or even department heads, but it's really up to the leadership team because too many cooks can = an uncooked statement.

Here are the components of the core statetment:
X company provides X product or service to X types of companies (size, type, market) enabling them to/so that they can achieve X and X key business benefits.

Here is the 2nd part, which does not make it into your press release boilerplate, but is critical for marketing and sales, and for press and analyst briefings:
Unlike X or X category of competitor, which do X or fall short in X way, our products or solutions (name) can be deployed in X timeframe/deliver X very unique value, so that companies can achieve X (secondary message) home-run benefit that screams addressing an urgent problem.

Once this is baked, marketing uses the statement to help with branding and the tagline, PR uses much of it to draft the first half of the company boilerplate (last paragraph in press releases) and all of it for pitching, and sales gets to actually name those competitors in their sales decks. Yes, you can revisit it - but it should last you at least 1.5-2 years.

Important tips:

1) Be visionary about the statement. Leave room, but not too much that you are too broad, for company growth. For instance, I work with a company that sells software to the insurance sector, and I started using "insurance software" vs. for "x specific function platform for X type of carriers," up front (higher SEO ranked) in their press releases. Why? Because this fast-growing company will ultimately sell to other types of insurers and may also broaden their types of offerings. Chances are, your company will expand as well...

2) Do your market research about the terms your publics - customers, prospects, press, analysts, partners, and investors - are using to find the types of solutions you offer. You might want to create a category, but that's not wise for companies with marketing budgets smaller than those of Google to Microsoft. Minimally, check out Google adwords (research is free). In my client's case, it showed me that no vendor had "insurance software" locked up yet for paid search, yet the term was commonly searched. So, we had a shot to try to own it with organic (vs. paid) search if we used it frequently and consistently with wired press releases, site content etc. Since this company was largely creating a category, and insurers had not budgeted for what they offer, it could only benefit us to have prospects stumble on content and learn about the amazing platform we offered that tackled real challenges in a new way, and with impressive early ROI, yadda yadda.

Are you ready for PR?

2010-10-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

This is a tricky question, but an important one. Most of my experience has been working with emerging or mid-size companies in the technology sector, so I'll start there. You only get one chance for a first impression, so you want to make sure that your positioning, messages, spokespeople, and sales teams are prepared. Yes, eventually, once the "PR sales cycle" starts to take, you might get some inbound interest. If you're a boot-strapped start up, I highly recommend spending some money on having a savvy marketing pro review your press-worthy sales deck (this differs from any PPT's used for investors) and partner with a PR person to ensure that you're buttoned up before a debut.

You should have a good Web site that includes an "About Us" page with the leadership team's bios, as well as a Fact Sheet of sorts, if your company overview is not on your home page. The About Us should include references to how the company is funded and should clearly state your product or service's unique value propostion and the (already established) market/category it most closely fits into. How does your service benefit X audience - and what are the long-term market drivers? It's also very helpful to have a few paying customers on your roster - even if you can only refer to them generically, such as "one of the top 3 regional banks in New England," or "a top university in Boston." Even better if one has agreed to speak with 2-3 press. As painful as it might be in the sales process, offering a discount you can bear, in return for a customer reference to be used selectively, is worth every penny of the investment. (It's better to have a customer agree to 2 brief press interviews about how your company is helping them achieve X, than to just get a static quote for a press release.)

If you don't have these core components lined up, and don't have a competing company nipping at your heels to get there first, then sit tight and focus on sales and advertising first. It's very tough for a tiny private entrant to get media attention with these pieces in place, and even harder without them - so don't exhaust effort or budget on a PR launch until the time is right. Once you start the publicity engine, you need to keep it going. It can take months of repeat news and buzz to finally get a target reporter to write about, or include, your company in a story. Remember, there is a PR sales cycle and turning the faucet on and off is unwise.

Eyes off the Ball: Environment Trumps Economy

2008-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I too am scared. My IRA and kids' college savings are taking a beating. The price of gas and groceries are taking a toll on our monthly budget even when my income is higher than it was last year. Plus, I've been writing checks to schools and extracurricular programs for three weeks straight since school started.

But when I read this headline and article today, I about cried. Polar bears are resorting to cannibalism amid the lack of arctic sea ice they need to survive http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/23/arctic.ice/index.html. I believe that once you become a parent, you're blessed with a greater sense of perspective. That is, the ability to shrug off some of the needless drama at work, ride with a tantrum now and then and even find light in dismal situations. My perspective today? Environment trumps it all...And I'm so sad that this economic crisis has hit a height in media and voter attention right in the final months of a major election where the climate change should be at the top of the issues list - or at least friggin included.

(BTW, you'll hear - when he did address energy - Obama talk not only about energy independence, but also mandates and aggressive goals for renewable energy, not JUST oil and gas from our own soil a la McCain/BleepBleep.)

Big Picture: When it is no longer safe for us, our kids, or future generations to freely go to the beach, breathe air within miles of a city or reside in a coastal area consistently threatened by natural disasters, then NOT much else matters. Small but noteworthy indicator that it's already happening: childhood asthma is up something like 30% in the past 10 years. I'm in the burbs in a relatively "healthy" area in New England and refill inhaler scripts for two of my kids several times a year. It's real for me, I tell you. (Still a dangerous sun worshiper though. Shhhh.)

Think about it. My wallet, yours and the next guys are perfectly irrelevant if the atmosphere is so hot and polluted that we can't live the lives we'd like to - richer or poorer. We can, and will, eventually recover or adapt to some degree economically. The damage to our planet, however, if it's not legislatively protected ASAP can never rebound. Never.

It's a good thing I live an hour from the Providence zoo, which has Polar Bears! I'd better take my kids back for another look at this strong, playful and beautiful endangered species.

Meeting Obama During the Home Stretch

2008-09-14T18:14:00.001-07:00

Whether you vote democrat or republican, you must admit that being able to meet a presidential contender in the final stages of the race for the White House is cool. Even cooler for me personally, was meeting a candidate I wasn't sure about, and leaving the experience with all the confidence in the world that he would be a strong and amazing leader for our country.

Molly, my 8-year old, is in pigtails in the back - sitting on my shoulders. Her older sister is standing in front of her, grinning ear to ear.

I had the wonderful opportunity a few days ago - because my sister works for his campaign - to meet Senator Obama in a small setting with 80 other folks in NH. Better yet, the venue afforded frank and candid interaction with this group of adults and children. Immediately, I was at ease and realized why he is where he is - and was go grateful that we've got him working for us all.

Because the meeting was not televised, he was able to answer a handful of questions with total candor - and full explanation about his plans for addressing the issues. He'd thought the issues through and had timelines, budget figures and other details to share for Iraq withdrawal, global warming and education; my personal three biggies. Several of the details he offered hadn't yet surfaced in televised speeches, at least that I'm aware of, I suspect largely because Americans have demonstrated (as with criticism that Kerry was speaking down to the country when he shared specifics) that Americans' widespread A.D.D. makes detailed explanations a liability.

Throughout the hour, Obama was "grounded" and paternal. He stopped mid sentence to give a sneezing preschooler a tissue, and commented about how patient my 3-year old was being on my lap (we'd been waiting for a few hours before he arrived, and he was quite apologetic). When a choked up mother of two soldiers asked about limiting tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he paused so that she could compose herself and then offered "the good news" and several plans.

Senator Obama is, in fact, highly intelligent and energetic - characteristics the U.S. desperately needs to regain respect internationally and effectively address the complicated economic and social issues we face today and tomorrow. He's also approachable, gracious, humble, and pretty humorous. What a once-in-a -lifetime experience for me and my children . . .

The Karma Bus

2008-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty certain that the small audience I have is comprised of friends, colleagues and family, so I think it's safe to deviate from green or PR issues on occasion.

That said, I pulled an all-nighter last night. Not to research the holdup on widespread de-salinization in the U.S. amid growing drought (my next legit blog topic). Not to hammer out overdue content for my new site. Instead, I was a comrade to my 8-year old who was up all night with a stomache bug. If I could only rally for all nighters to get some of these marketing items out of the way...

Anyway, I'm not a very religious person, but I am a big-time believer in "karma." In fact, I'm pretty certain that a combination of good deeds, and having a hyper diligent guardian angel, has warded off a tad bit of bad luck on my end.

Last night, at about 3:30 a.m., brave Miss Molly, in the middle of round 4, looked to me in tears from our campout on the bathroom floor and asked "What did I do?..." as if she'd deserved this for some reason. And here's my confession: I did entertain, for a fleeting moment, an answer of "Well Molly, this is the big old karma bus rolling in. You see, since school's been out, you've lied about taking your sister's $20, ditched all requests to catch up on summer reading, started fights on a whim, and are down right no longer the sidekick I rely on to make my life easier."

Instead, as I held her hair back, I whispered, "I think you got a stomache bug sweetie. You'll feel better once it's all out of your system." Truth be told, I was also thinking "there goes $80 for camp tomorrow..." I put her back to sleep, started another load of laundry and went to bed as the sun came up. Maybe I'll tell her about karma when she feels better. There might even be a book.

Bet you're ready for lunch now, right?

A "Second-Grade" Perspective

2008-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today, I simply want to share insight from my seven year old. She may be right. You tell me.

After seeing The Green Book on the counter, she commented "A New York Times Bestseller. Yeah ...like people in New York care about the environment."

We visited the Baked Apple last summer in all of its heat and glory and she recalled the sights and smells as far from eco friendly. I guess I have to explain now what the NYT is and that foot traffic and subways = good. OR, I could just let her think she made a grown-up observation.

Green Collar Jobs - Amen to That

2008-05-15T05:30:00.001-07:00

Fast Company magazine has really evolved over the years. I enjoyed reading the May 2008 issue, particularly because there was a story by Linda Baker called "The Green Collar Preacher." It's about an Oakland, CA activist named Van Jones who has a spot-on mission of enlisting throngs of workers NOW to bring truly essential - not "lifestyle environmentalist" stuff - to homes and businesses. Jones said "If we're actually going to meet the challenge of global warming [and get at least as far as Europe already has, p.s.], we are going to have to weatherize millions of homes and install millions of solar panels. That's millions of jobs. We need to connect the people who most need the work with the work that most needs to done." Amen.

I've been so worried as I see technology put retail clerks and so many other bluer-collar, as well as white-collar people out of work. It's even made representing some technology companies over the years a bit conflicting for me. Anyway, this champion is on to something. Like, uh-oh, 25 states now have renewable energy standards for utilities, requiring them to obtain a minimum percentage of their power from renewable sources. So, if not the private commercial sector (losahs...), then residential and public sector will be needing thousands or millions of solar, wind, or other installers trained and ready to go in the coming years.

I'll leave you with a stat from the piece that's hopeful: In 2007, investment in clean technology companies in North America reached $4 billion, up 38% from 2006. At the Clean Technology Forum I attended in April in Boston, the VC from @Ventures, which funds clean techs of course, said they'd reviewed about 200 proposals in the past year but funded only 4 companies. The net from the other panelists of academics, fuel cell and wind cos, was that the market is there, but venture funds may not be the route for everyone. Fantastic ideas are emerging from universities, but need to be funded to hit the market. The kicker, which brought some scowels from the room full of private equity suits waiting to pounce on a quick hit, was that while the market is there and will only grow, it's a long-term investment. Sorry boys...

Parent Power, Political Absence and Global Warming

2008-04-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Earth Day fell on a school vacation week in New England when so many educators would no doubt have seized the chance to enlighten students. Parents have an even greater responsibility to teach our children about the environment and respecting it – sharing a little FUD when needed. It's future generations who will endure most natural disasters and disease, the increase in asthma, the dangers of beach days, and more.

Want some good news on a very micro level? I hosted a play date at our house yesterday with a family who also couldn't afford to take off for the week. The mother of three told me they wanted to do something extra to recognize Earth Day, but weren’t sure what. We collectively decided to keep the lights off until night and to plant either a bush or small tree - per kid - in honor of the oxygen they provide that helps us breathe. We planted two bushes and oodles of Lupines at my house. Glee!

Contrary to comments from my pessimistic ten-year old daughter, who says that one person’s vote doesn’t matter and that one person’s frugality with electricity is irrelevant, I do believe that small strides collectively make a difference. My sidekick 7-year old agrees. We must believe that or nada will ever change.

At a macro level, I remain super discouraged. There is an absence of focus on strategies toward a sustainable future at the political level. Dems included. Why, oh why, haven’t the folks running the debates – or candidates themselves – made climate change and conservation a key topic? I’d personally put it at the top of the list. Yes, education, the economy and current foreign policy (e.g. waste of human life and precious U.S. dollars that is “Iraq”) are toppers for me personally, but aren’t these issues irrelevant long term if the planet is an inferno? Global warming, by virtue of logic alone, transcends political parties. Face it … your tax bracket and breaks are irrelevant if you can’t safely venture outside and live your life.

Since the vast majority of Americans maintain their “what’s in it for me?” psyche, procrastinating on any degree of lifestyle sacrifice and mustering the dollars to fuel massive SUVs, it’s up to legislative government at the Federal and state levels to mandate consumer (my little family included) and business policies that better protect our planet. Please, please, please make strides to on every day, not just Earth Day, to conserve inside and out of your home. Urge your elected representatives to take daring and critical strides to make life sustainable for generations to come. Telecommute and carpool when possible. Drink tap water.

If you’re looking for ideas that make a difference, join my team on Carbonrally and see the amount of CO2 you’ll save with each challenge you accept. http://www.carbonrally.com/teams/138#posts
Think globally, act locally - and adapt personally

The Earth Day 2008 Let Down

2008-04-22T13:05:00.001-07:00

Earth Day 2008 came and went. ONE day a year when we should all pause to admire and respect the Earth we so casually abuse day after day. It appears, however, that while we all know Earth Day should be more important than ever, it remains one day and is no more recognized than 10 years ago. I'll share a handful of examples contributing to my discouraged take.

I got an e-mail from the CEO of Carbonrally today. He was in downtown Boston handing out posters and flyers and reported how depressing it was that there was so little activity in honor of Mother Earth today. What a shame, particularly for such an academically charged and educated city of professionals.

I recently chaperoned a fourth-grade field trip to the Blue Hills Observatory in Canton, MA. It’s the oldest working weather tracking station in the U.S. and is considered the U.S. benchmark on global warming since they have been tracking weather patterns daily for 130 years. As we looked out miles ahead through clear skies toward Boston Harbor, I asked the head climatologist there whether he too thought that the state of FL would actually be under water in 100 years. He responded “maybe not the whole state, but most of it is only 15 feet above sea level, so a good portion will be under water, perhaps before then. We are averaging 3 degrees warmer. It’s a problem.”

As a PR person, I'm privy to many “call for sources” that reporters send out. The volume around Earth Day 2008 in recent weeks could absolutely have been higher. My efforts to pitch a world renowned climate expert, Dr. Deborah Brosnan, for comment about the impact of natural disasters (now 3x more common) on people and ecoystems, also fell on deaf ears. http://www.sei.org/ I have no doubt that journalists take the issue seriously, but it remains unpopular. The U.S. media are of a pack mentality - thus why Britney Spears continues to trump Iraq and the Pope's visit was widely covered for a week. The "sustainable future" is an annoying concept that many readers and viewers decline to acknowledge. It’s uber real though. We all know it.

Here's to Earth Year 2009. Let's hope elected officials, a majority of concientious businesses, many more consumers - and certainly mainstream media, give a much better showing next year. The climate clock is ticking.

Greener Pastures in PR and Marketing

2008-03-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

While my goal is to have a small portfolio of green clients, from clean technologies to socially responsible organizations, I'm only partially there. So, a month into my PR consultant status, I've broadened my definition to include "companies with conscience" and I've rationalized that the flexibility of contracting has enabled me to benefit society in other small ways as well.

Not only am I not commuting three days a week, but I now have the time to skip out for an hour to volunteer at my kids' elementary school, which is in grave need of help amid deep state and local cuts that have left 30 kids in a class. I also have more time to "value add" help with homework, versus racing through it at 7 p.m. How does this benefit the universe? Because I'm raising three daughters who will, if I can help it, be acutely aware of the impact their actions and those of others have on society and the planet - and I can scatter such guidance throughout an essay brainstorm or open-ended math problem if needed.

On the career front, I am going to counsel carbonrally.com on a project basis, which is a fantastic start. The site educates and empowers consumers and organizational teams to compete with each other to reduce personal and professional carbon footprints on even small scales like swapping out a handful of lightbulbs for some glaring eco-friendly wattage. I also started project work with a small tech company that gives proceeds of its software sales to charity. And if I wanted to stretch the definition of green technology just a tad, any services that optimize automation and the use of technology obviously help minimize paper use.

Last, I continue to work, via Emerge PR, with a mobile/wireless software company that provides over-the-air update technology to handset manufacturers and operators, negating the need for consumers to drive to a Sprint or Verizon retail location to have their phone reflashed and updated. This cool technology also prolongs the life of devices, slimming the amount of hardware to be "land-filled" or recycled.

I'd very much like to evangelize and help grow market share for a solar or wind power technology company with promise - particularly because I can apply both my passion and ability to understand a technology and make it digestible to broader groups. If anyone has a lead, please share.