Archive for February, 2010

Images are Key to Connecting with Your Audience

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Orinda Academy asked for help with updating their marketing materials and initiating a PR campaign. The goal was to start a conversation with potential students and their parents about the school and its special strengths. After all, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

We freshened up their Viewbook and created an email newsletter, an event ad and a flyer template using happy kids’ faces and a colorful design that immediately conveyed the school’s vibrant student population and its teachers’ individualized approach to learning. (more…)

Posted in Marketing, Web sites | 4 Comments »

Journalists go to the web and social media for story ideas.

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Where do journalists go to get a story? These days, they go to the Web, and more often than not, they go to social media sites. Jack Loechner of MediaPost did a great analysis of the new survey that was conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University. They surveyed journalists to find out where they get their stories. Of the journalists surveyed, “89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter.” (more…)

Posted in Marketing, Publicity, Social Media | 3 Comments »

Saint Mary’s College PR class learns public relations and social media.

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I’m excited that today is the first day of class for my Saint Mary’s College of California PR class that I teach each year! We study real life publicity and marketing experiences. The goal of my class is for each student to understand that they can have a career in Public Relations or they can learn how to use PR to enhance their careers. Or both!

Now I’ll talk to my students for a moment… Public Relations basic job is to make a reporter’s job easier, this is a mantra you will hear though-out the semester in this course. (more…)

Posted in Marketing | 3 Comments »

Toyota needs some Crisis Management lessons.

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Placemaking Group’s Crisis Management guru, Irv Hamilton, has some ideas for you… The headlines every day demonstrate the importance of preparing forthat time when bad news happens. There are countless bad-news triggers.   Accidents, earthquakes, criminal acts, health challenges… The list goes on.

No one is immune from bad news.  And badly handled, it can have serious consequences.

Toyota is a case in point.  (more…)

Posted in Issues Management, Marketing, Publicity | 3 Comments »

Companies will increase their digital marketing budgets in 2010.

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Are you still wondering if social media is a good marketing tool for your company? Caroline McCarthy of CNET has some interesting numbers for you. She says that “companies will increase their digital marketing budgets by an average of 17% in 2010, according to new research by Econsultancy and ExactTarget today. The new report, Marketing Budgets 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement and Allocation, finds that digital marketing will account for 24% of overall marketing spend this year.” She points out that Social media is driving much of that increase. (more…)

Posted in Marketing, Publicity, Social Media | No Comments »

Tips about blogging

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Q: What tips and tricks have you learned about blogging?

Chrysta Bairre, asked this. She has a personal blog that she values. “I have kept a personal blog for many years,” she says. “I have enjoyed many benefits of blogging, including expressing my thoughts and experiences, sharing knowledge, making new friends/connections, and deepening existing friendships/connections.” Now she wants to start a blog for her business. (more…)

Posted in Marketing, Publicity, Social Media, Web sites | No Comments »