LIVINGSTON, NJ (May 17, 2011)—“Creating a Lifesaving Communications Campaign” is the theme of a free webinar that BurrellesLuce will present on Wednesday, May 18, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.
The hour-long event will focus on an actual communications program that Palmetto Health, a major regional health system located in South Carolina, launched to raise compliance with handwashing guidelines—an effort that resulted in an extraordinary compliance rate of 98%.
Every day, communicators are given strategic goals to market a new product, increase sales of another line or improve the brand awareness for their organization. But what happens when the reason for the campaign is to save lives? That question will be addressed by three of the people most deeply involved in guiding the handwashing campaign, as communicators joined with the quality-improvement personnel to implement an internal campaign focused on reducing mortality within their healthcare system:
Posts Tagged ‘Press Release’
BurrellesLuce Webinar Will Present Timely Case Study Of Successful Health Communications Campaign
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
BurrellesLuce Newsletter: Media Relations – Know the Facts from the Fiction
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
April 2011
Media relations has always been a vital part of a successful communications strategy. What has changed, however, is the way communications professionals must interact with The Media — and, by extension, the bloggers, journalists, freelancers, and syndicated writers who generate coverage.
It is no longer enough to merely send out a mass press release — also known as the “spray and pray method” — and hope that someone working at a relevant media outlet or online site not only reads it, but then acts to convert the release into a story. No, in working with The Media, the expectation is that media relations professionals are educated and informed about proper targeting and evolving trends. This includes building one-on-one relationships with bloggers and journalists, regardless of their title, assigned beat, or outlet/website affiliation.
Click here to discover six myths and facts about media relations and how savvy PR practitioners can get a handle on them.
The Art of Storytelling
Monday, March 21st, 2011Communicators need to shift from providing information to showing outcomes in their writing. This was one of the points at a recent Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) professional development lunch to help PR professionals tell their organization’s stories effectively.
Flickr Image: Jill Clardy
Panelists Cindy Atlee, partner, The Storybranding Group; Nancy Belmont, CEO, Belmont Inc.; Danny Harris, founder, People’s District, and moderator Donna Savarese, director of communications, Innovative Solutions Group revealed ways to find and craft an effective story. Atlee lead the panel by asking attendees to choose a character from a list (i.e. every person, lover, jester, caregiver, hero, etc.) they felt most like that day and then tell us why. The panelists agreed that offering role names can often encourage people to open-up about their emotions toward a product, place or organization, and you can then find the emotion behind the story.
Harris says stories can have a magical construction, where you don’t realize there is a call to action. He reminded the group every good story has three parts:
- Challenge
- Struggle
- Resolution
Belmont encourages creating and finding deeper connections with your audience. She added we should look for the “like.” The more detail you can get into the story, the likelihood you will find something in common with your audience and the more likely they will like your story. She used the example of her client the U.S. Army. They look to tell the story of the everyday soldier, who we all like, not the war.
Not all organization’s stories seem interesting, so Savarese says she uses case studies to tell her organization’s stories. She always looks to give the resolution meaning to everyday people. She encouraged adding visuals, pictures and video, to help pull the reader into the story.
(In a recent Fresh Ideas post, my BurrellesLuce colleague Tressa Robbins addressed the issue of overloading your press release with too much information, and gave some great tips for crafting a story-based release.)
The panel also encouraged communicators to look outside the communications department, when looking for an organization’s story. Everyone should be involved and recommended several books on effective story telling:
- “Tell to Win” by Peter Guber
- “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh
- “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
- “How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of ‘Intangibles’ in Business” by Douglass Hubbard
How have you used storytelling to promote your organization or client? What were the challenges? Do you have any advice for BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas readers?
Public Relations & Marketing with QR Codes
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Flickr Image: Fluid Forms
In my last post, I talked about 2D barcodes being used in the print media to connect the readers’ to additional content and offer a more interactive experience. I also mentioned that there’s a myriad of uses in the communications field – not just advertising but marketing and public relations as well.
Remember, however, even though QR codes are catching on here in the US, that doesn’t mean everyone knows what they are or how to use them. If you plan to launch an initiative using QR codes, be sure that you educate your audience with detailed instructions on what to do. Also, wherever the QR code leads must offer value – exclusive information, how-to videos, giveaways, discounts, entertainment –something to grab their attention and encourage interaction. It is often easier to have the QR code point to a website that can be updated and refreshed with new content, rather than a static page, as once a QR code is created most cannot be modified.
Here are some ways to utilize QR codes in marketing, event planning and PR:
- Print on your business cards leading to client testimonial page or background bio.
- Include on conference attendee badges to make exchanging contact information a snap.
- Non-profits could link to volunteer and donation pages.
- Use it to link consumers (or reporters) to how-to videos or detailed instructions.
- Have a QR code screen-printed onto t-shirts, linking to details, to raise awareness about a charity cause or some other event.
- Use at a tradeshow to allow attendees to quickly scan your contact info.
- Grassroots campaigns could link to a podcast of their guiding principles with a call to action.
- Put next to retail displays linking to product reviews.
- PR efforts for a large event could utilize a QR Code with a link to a map of the event’s venues.
- Sponsoring an event? Use a QR code on signage and other pieces linking to a special thank-you page and a sign-up form for such things as newsletters.
- In public awareness materials, it might link to an assessment survey or support resources.
In media relations, you could even embed in your press release directing the journalist to your online press kit or photo gallery and fact sheets. That should be just enough to get your creativity flowing. What can you add? How are you incorporating QR codes into the marketing mix? How has it benefited your communication efforts? What have been some of the challenges?
A Letter From a Press Release
Monday, November 1st, 2010Dear PR Professional,
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. “I am not dead and I have an app to prove it.” Ok, maybe I don’t. But granted, I am more than 100 years old and am still holding up fairly well, if I must say so myself.
Our relationship has seen its ups and downs. You’ve shared me in many ways, including, but not limited to mail (long before it was called “snail mail”) and fax – I really burnt up some data lines in my time. Let us not forget email; you’ve emailed me so often and to so many erroneous contacts I sometimes get called “SPAM” or “junk” now – no respect for your elders. And this newfangled “tweeted.” (That’s right, I’m “hip” to it all.)
Now I spend most of my time in online press rooms as a reference link for reporters to “come and get me if they want me.”
A few tips I’ve heard over the years:
ARCHIVE: Even if you focus on social media ALWAYS have a place for traditional releases in your newsroom. This will allow journalists a resource for quotes if someone is not readily available. Your website should have an archive of news stories and I still prove to be a concise summary of events and/or activities important to your business.
IDENTIFY CORRECT RECIPIENTS: Never blindly email me. If you must do this, and I can’t think of a good reason why, at least make sure I’m relevant to the recipient. (I have a positive reputation to maintain after all.)
BE SENSITIVE TO MY SIZE: At least embed me in the email. People hate it when I’m “attached” and frankly just hanging out there is a little scary.
WRITE A GOOD SUBJECT LINE: If you MUST email me, even if the recipient is expecting me, please write a good subject line. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone unopened because nobody really knew what I was so they ignored me.
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT: If someone says they don’t want a press release, but just the who, what, when, where and why, please give it to them. Also prepare that same information in my form or at a minimum a fact sheet for your archive. Remember once I’m on your website you can still maximize me for SEO purposes.
I still have some gas in the tank so don’t count me out just yet. I know some say our relationship is a bit dysfunctional at best. Sure, I’m traditional, you know – AP Style – but I still have a place in your plan and tactics if you use me wisely. And I really think we can make this work.
Lovingly,
Press Release*
***
*Bio: Press Release is a 100+ year veteran of the PR and media relations industry, where it helps professionals connect and engage with relevant journalists and bloggers. In its spare time, Press Release enjoys finding innovative ways to stay curtain in the ever-changing media landscape and maximize its results. Web: BurrellesLuce Media Outreach; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce; Twitter: BurrellesLuce
