The JCUTLER media group Newsletter Volume 1, Number 2
Coming off the heels of last week’s ‘bank stress tests,’ as hollow as that initiative might have been, it did remind me of just how important it is for a brand to regularly perform their own stress tests. How often do companies get caught up simply oiling the machine, that is, they repeatedly execute the same form of advertising, the ‘me-too’ consumer promotions, and other dated or less-than-dynamic marketing programs? With the economy still on its knees, it is critical, now more than ever, that companies wisely spend each and every marketing dollar. While ironically PR sometimes suffers the brunt of marketing cuts, often being the first to go, it is actually the one discipline that can deliver strong ROI while maintaining a creative and adaptable format. So as you begin your own brand stress tests, kick those tires hard and determine if that one page magazine ad was really worth the expense, and remember that you could have conducted a year-long PR campaign for practically the same cost.
BIG vs. Boutique
When I was asked to head public relations for Virgin Cola USA at the ripe age of 26, you can imagine my excitement. Forget that I would have to relocate 3,000 miles — it was the career opportunity of a lifetime. Traditionally, big brands employed grizzled PR veterans to run their communications programs. Not Virgin, not Richard Branson. Branson has long held the belief that if you find someone hungry enough, it is preferable to bring on board a little less grey-haired talent to drive his worldwide Virgin Group of Companies. At JCUTLER media group, we were founded on a similar principle. While we have years of PR experience, a basic tenet of our operating philosophy revolves around our ability to consistently demonstrate a hunger to drive our clients’ businesses forward. You see, having also worked in big agencies for years, I realized that many great brands – from Fortune 100s to startups – typically fell into a black hole. There was a sense of complacency that became commonplace at big firms, perhaps because the loss of a few accounts here and there wouldn’t hurt their business. Perhaps because there was a team of entry-level personnel that often confused activity with results. As a growing, but always a boutique-minded firm, we don’t factor activity reports into our work. Simply put, results are not optional, they are the norm. Our success is only as good as what we deliver for our client roster. Each of our clients is a ‘gold standard brand, regardless of their revenue or market cap. We always operate with a sense of urgency and provide a laser focus on helping our clients achieve their goals through strategic PR. It is the results that tell the story: Over the last 18 months, JCUTLER media group beat out a number of ‘big agencies’ for some big account work.
If you have a firm on retainer, perhaps you are thinking about shaking things up. Or, maybe you are eager to see some fresh ideas, energized talent, and a no-nonsense firm that wants to demonstrate its hunger and show you results that push the needle. Not to mention, our rates are among the most competitive in the industry. Touch base if your interest is piqued and you want to hear some of our ideas. admin@jcutlermedia.com
Online Media Placements Gain Ground
Print media placements have long held an esteemed status among big brands and their PR firms as the most tangible evidence of media results. Online coverage, until more recently, was merely viewed as an added bonus. Considering, however, that over 1.5 billion people turn to the Internet for information at any given moment, it’s imperative that we acknowledge the growing importance of an online media story. An online article boasts valuable benefits that can help companies extend their brand awareness and ultimately help their bottom line in ways that traditional print may not achieve.
A positive, well-placed online article will grow in value over time, as it lives on the web indefinitely and can introduce people to a company months or even years after the article first appears. Also, a strategic placement on a popular site or blog relevant to your business will especially increase the volume or quality of traffic to your company’s website. And as we have come to know so well, all of this feeds into the great holy shrine of SEO (search engine optimization); the more blog and online visibility, the higher you are ranked among the Web’s top search engines.
An online article also offers global accessibility, allowing you to instantly share the coverage with your key stakeholders: customers, potential customers, shareholders, employees, and other key audiences. The rapidity with which an article can be spread online helps to sustain its ‘shelf life’ as a news item, as the continuous distribution and linkage can lead to more stories and coverage; ever hear of the media herd mentality? As online articles travel across the web, the most successful ones will reach a crescendo – in terms of audience reach – by landing on a high-traffic news aggregate site such as Digg or Reddit, where people go to discover and share content from anywhere on the internet.
Still not convinced that online media coverage is gaining its rightful place? Shrinking print media coverage means only one direction for the future of news: the continued advent of internet news. Even now, traditional news outlets like the New York Times and USA Today are strengthening the production of unique online content. Previously, where a print story might have been trimmed for lack of editorial space, an online article will feature an extra slideshow or feature an accompanying video. The story might not exist in traditional print, but these value-added online elements can bring a company to life for today’s visually-intrigued consumer.
Over time, a mixture of both online and print media placements will serve as the ideal mix, but as more publications shut down (Conde Nast Portfolio, Country Living, Domino, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Rocky Mountain News, etc.), an increasing number of media placements will live solely online. Embracing this fact now will give you a competitive edge, as PR is not only about media results, but the behavioral effects it drives. There is no greater or more mobilizing tool for making an impact and influencing public opinion than new media.
Media Pulse
Below are recent stories from around the media world – from shifts in how publications report the news to overall industry trends.
Murdoch: Web sites to charge for content
CNN.com
May 7, 2009
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch expects News Corporation-owned newspaper Web sites to start charging users for access within a year in a move which analysts say could radically shake-up the culture of freely available content.
Web users skeptical about paying for content
CNN.com
May 8, 2009
Are Web users ready to start paying for content? Not according to an entirely unscientific straw poll of hundreds of CNN.com readers who sounded off about News Corp. tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s plans, announced this week, to start charging for access to his newspaper’s Web sites.
Amazon’s newest Kindle takes aim at newspapers
Fortune
May 6, 2009
Amazon hopes to convert readers of magazines and newspapers to its newest e-book reader, the Kindle DX.
The White House on The Boston Globe
New York Times
May 4, 2009
At his news briefing on Monday afternoon, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, was fairly noncommittal when he was asked whether federal bailouts should be considered for newspapers like The Boston Globe, which is in a very precarious financial position right now, and other major papers that are in bankruptcy or have been shrunk drastically.
TV Week shuts down print production
Trade magazine will continue as online-only site
Variety
May 5, 2009
Trade magazine Television Week, which has covered the business of TV programming for more than 25 years, is shutting down its print publication at the end of the month.
Condé Nast Closes Portfolio Magazine
New York Times
April 27, 2009
Portfolio, a business magazine that Condé Nast began publishing in April 2007 with much fanfare, will cease publication immediately.
Sited: Gannett Forms Digital Media Network
Media Daily News
April 23, 2009
Gannett Co. announced the formation of the Gannett Digital Media Network. The company said it will tie together more than 100 digital communities with a combined reach of approximately 25 million people. This includes its big USAToday.com site from the USA Today national newspaper, as well as a number of local TV/newspaper-based sites, such as AZCentral.com and IndyStar.com.
Online Newspaper Audience Climbs 10% In 1Q – Study
Wall Street Journal
April 23, 2009
The average number of unique visitors to newspaper Web sites grew 10% in the first quarter, according to a Nielsen Online analysis issued Thursday, even as the industry struggles to translate that readership into bigger dollars.
Brands Take Social Media Into Real Life
Adweek
April 20, 2009
Get-togethers ranging from Tweetups to house parties give marketers some face time.
Report: We’re spending more time with online social media, video
San Francisco Chronicle
April 22, 2009
If you’re constantly thinking about posting a new status update on Facebook, you already know the results of a new Nielsen research study are true: The amount of time Americans are spending on online social networks and video sites is shooting through the roof.
Congress explores how to help save newspapers
McClatchy Newspapers
May 6, 2009
Calling it a necessary pillar of democracy, a Senate subcommittee examined the state of American journalism Wednesday at a time when newspapers are being shuttered and downsized and network TV news audiences are declining.
Want to learn how JCUTLER media group can help your company achieve its business objectives? Contact us at admin@jcutlermedia.com or 818.981.3023
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