Posts Tagged ‘News’

  • How to make news appealing to journalists

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    We live and breathe our businesses.  Everything in our business is interesting to us and it’s easy to get tunnel vision and think what we do will transfix others as well!  We are in for a rude awakening if we think our daily endeavours are intrinsically newsworthy. For a story to find its way into the media, it must meet certain criteria and that’s where the skill of a PR/communications team come into play. They will be objective about the company’s news and look to create campaigns that offer fresh impossible-to-ignore stories.  Let’s look at what’s needed to spark
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  • What is newsjacking?

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    Marketing specialist David Meerman Scott defines newsjacking as: “the process by which you inject your ideas or angles into breaking news, in real-time, in order to generate media coverage for yourself or your business.” By recognising an opportunity as soon as it arises and striking swiftly, enormous amounts of positive PR can be generated with relatively little investment. Here are some of the most effective examples of newsjacking used by brands to gain exposure. 1.  Virgin When the British Airways-sponsored, London Eye  was  experiencing a technical problem that prevented it being erected, Virgin Airways CEO Richard Branson ordered a blimp
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  • Effective storytelling

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    Most companies believe that PR is all about selling their business, and this is true to an extent. However, for potential customers to truly understand the positive attributes of the brand, it always helps to target their emotional rather than logical faculties. This is where storytelling comes into play. An excellently structured, emotive story allows people to understand how the brand can benefit them; and benefits are infinitely more powerful than facts when you’re looking to make a sale! Just as we all love to witness (and vicariously experience) the trials and tribulations of a protagonist in a movie
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  • Top 10 PR Tips

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    1. Know Your Messages Identify three short, pertinent ‘messages’ about your brand that will inform your public relations and marketing. Everything you then do should be in line with those messages. This will ensure you are both consistent and true to your brand. 2. Live Up to Brand Values Be clear and transparent about your product and make sure that your business practices – not just your marketing – lives and breathes your brand values. 3. Distinguish Yourself ‘Be Yourself – everyone else is already taken’. This Oscar Wilde quote rings true for you and your business. Be unusual –
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  • Building your brand at christmas

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    Many organisations send seasonal cards and gifts to clients and business partners at this time of the year to say thank you for doing business with them or for providing a great service.  As everything we do reflects our brand, careful thought should be given to the design of cards, the messages delivered and the gifts we decide to give. You can use Christmas gifts and cards as part of your communications strategy. Without key messages built into your goodwill products, you’re missing an opportunity.  These can do much more than just say hello and thank you: you can
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  • How to creates news

    By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

    When a co-networker asked me why she couldn’t gain coverage for her business Visit Peaks (which offers delightful holiday cottages in the Peak District) into a glossy Hertfordshire magazine which is read by her target customers, we talked about ‘what’s in her story for the magazine’ and how she was packaging her offering to make it highly relevant to the glossy. Wendy quickly realised what it takes to make a story sell-able to an editor of a regional magazine that is outside the location of her cottages. She suggested that I help other businesses by tackling the topic – creating
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