See & Be PR

The Honeymooners – First 100 Days of Marriage between Client and PR Agency

Nov 272011

Whirlwind Romance

The client/agency relationship. It has drama, romance, suspense, action and sometimes even mystery. It can be a stormy affair or a contented partnership, because this relationship is very much like marriage.

It all starts with the invitation. They heard about you, liked what they heard and invite you over to chat. They like what they see, so you get the invitation to pitch. And the courtship begins. You woo them with gifts of strategy, creative solutions and dynamic ideas. You get to the shortlist, the heady excitement builds as you realise your dreams are on the verge of coming true. Then it happens…they accept your proposal, and you both say your ‘I dos’ and the papers are signed by the happy new couple.

But the moment the joyful union takes place, is the moment it is in danger of being lost. After all, 50% of marriages end in divorce, right? The fact is, the moment you win an account is the moment you start losing it. The honeymoon is fleeting and the second-guessing, blame shifting, miscommunication, stony silences and questioning loyalty begin. The client wonders if it was right to enter into this relationship in the first place and maybe this agency wasn’t everything it appeared to be. The agency suddenly finds it lacks the right kind of support, but says nothing for fear of disturbing the young relationship – better to suffer in silence than to have the hard, honest talks. Conflict avoidance takes roots, but avoiding conflict also means taking a detour around progress. Continue reading »

Don’t worry, be happy

Blogging, How to, Public Relations 3 Responses »

Nov 232011

Love that song, don’t you? I StumbleUponed this article about 10 ways to make you happy, and I realised that just reading the title and seeing the picture actually did.

I think we should try to apply some of these principles to our daily miserable work lives (just kidding), and here are a few:

Know Yourself
This took me quite a while. I grew up in the States, went to high school in Syria and then did university in Lebanon. Along the way I found myself quite confused, trying to be so many different people to so many different people. What did I do? Try to be what others wanted me to be instead of myself. That even translated into my career. Continue reading »

It’s all about the coverage

Media, Press Releases, Public Relations No Responses »

Nov 212011

Press coverage is usually referred to as ‘free’ advertising, but this definitely isn’t free. While there’s a lot of things that brands can do for themselves, there’s a lot that goes into everything that we do and that includes: time, effort and connections.

PR Daily shares some ways to maximise coverage, which means going beyond the obvious to take things one step further.
Continue reading »

Spicing Up Internal Communications

Media, Public Relations, Social Media No Responses »

Oct 102011

How many times have you received a staff circular in your inbox only to ignore it? Or just hit delete? It’s probably because you know it’ll be boring, since internal staff communication in the form of emails is one of the driest forms of communication. The direction is one way (or you have to keep replying to all – which is just plain annoying) and doesn’t leave much room for the staff to interact with it. Then there are those of us who think, ‘I’m sure I’ll hear it through the grapevine since my colleagues will be talking about it’, and if there’s something that sounds really important, you’ll go ahead and read it. How bout we change all of that?

It’s time to start using the tools made readily available to us to enhance the way we work and spice up our communications. More and more companies are sending out internal communication messages virally, using a YouTube-like platform that is more engaging, interactive, and allows for staff to post comments. With costs going down every day, getting involved in video is not reserved for the elite, with more people taking this route to communicate with their employees including Boeing and Mayo Clinic. Seeing your CEO speak on video – where you can experience his emotions and reactions, is much more exciting than reading black text on a white screen. Continue reading »

Did you SEE this last week?

Advertising Vs. PR, Blogging, Product Launches, Public Relations, SEE this, Social Media No Responses »

Oct 092011

Yes, our C&Bers have been busy at it, ever since we launched our new blogging approach. It was all thanks to my Twitter Epiphany (some are thanking me for it, while others are wishing me bodily harm), which was:

I recently had an epiphany. I’m new to Twitter (I know, I know, where have you been?) But the point is: I recently had a revelation. On my way to bugging and begging my way to more follows, I tried several things. First the Retweet, then follow more people and finally find interesting things on the Twitter boards that I could Tweet in my own words (you all do it too and you know it).

Ok, so where’s the ‘aha’ moment? I’ll tell you. I love to write and I love to come up with cool ways to attract people to read the links I post, but now that I have more followers, why not use that to express the only thing I really love to hear? (That would be me!) I love to say it in my own way, and I would rather be doing this when I need a break from writing a press release than play Solitaire on my desktop (does anybody even do that anymore?) or surf aimlessly on OMGFacts.com. So call me a nerd if you need to, but I pledge that at least 50% of what I Tweet from this point forward will be PR – and things related – literally from my perspective.
Continue reading »

How to choose the right PR agency

How to, Public Relations 4 Responses »

May 102011

Working with a PR agency is the most efficient way to reach mass audiences and it can be a very rewarding experience if done right.

A PR agency can generate awareness for your company’s products by promoting the image you want for your brand. It will also give you an edge over the competition, who may not be using PR effectively or even at all. Agencies also use their talent and expertise to explore new channels of communication by opening doors and inviting new opportunities for their clients.

Now that we have established the benefits of hiring a PR agency, the remaining question is – What are the criteria for choosing the right PR agency to fulfill your company’s needs?

1. Research: You should always do the research before choosing a PR agency. Start gathering background information by asking people in your industry about the agencies they know or which ones they’ve done business with. Continue reading »