Introduction to Public Relations
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Transcript Introduction to Public Relations
Prepared by Dr. LaRae M. Donnellan, APR, CPRC
Professor & PR Sequence Coordinator
FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication
“No PRessure: New Media, New Rules” PR Boot Camp
April 11-12, 2014
Who Is David Meerman Scott?
Scott’s “Old Rules of PR”
◦ Gobbledygook
◦ Writer-based v. Reader-based Prose
Scott’s “New Rules of Marketing & PR”
◦ The Long Tail of Marketing
◦ Reaching Your Publics Directly
◦ Newsjacking
Online marketing strategist
◦ Has written several books, such as “The New
Rules of Marketing & PR,” which he first posts
online – soliciting feedback – before the books
are published.
◦ While VP of marketing for NewsEdge, he
discovered the effectiveness of publishing
online, rather than relying on traditional media
gatekeepers.
Check out his website
Traditionally, PR practitioners relied on media
gatekeepers (editors/reporters), who would
decide whether our stories were worth
publishing.
◦ We would pitch stories or send out news releases in
hopes the media would use them.
◦ Our success depended upon whether the traditional
mass media covered our events or other stories.
◦ The ultimate goal = the news clip
Old Rule No. 1: The only way to get ink and
airtime was through the media.
Old Rule No. 2: Companies communicated to
journalists via press releases.
Old Rule No. 3: Nobody saw the actual press
release except a handful of reporters and
editors.
We were taught to send out news releases
when we had “big” news to share.
◦ Targeting the “right” media has always been a
guideline.
◦ But too often, PR practitioners simply broadcast
their stories to “everyone” on a set mailing list.
◦ Thus, many PR practitioners have been discredited
and accused of “spamming.”
Old Rule No. 4: Companies had to have
significant news before they were allowed to
write a press release.
Because PR practitioners targeted reporters and
editors, jargon often was rampant.
◦ While trade journalists might understand some of the
jargon, most “regular folks” would not.
◦ News releases often would be filled with fluff words,
such as “innovate,” “unique,” “new and improved,” or
“working 120 percent.”
◦ Check out Scott’s
“Gobbledygook Manifesto” for
more examples.
Old Rule No. 5: Jargon was OK because the
journalists all understood it.
Using quotes
◦ Research tells us that readers and viewers are more
suspicious of advertising than of news.
◦ Therefore, we often try to get others – customers,
analysts, experts – to tell our story for us through
quotes in order to lend more credibility to our
messages.
Old Rule No. 6: You weren’t supposed to send
a news release unless it included quotes from
third parties, such as customers, analysts and
experts.
As you know, in your journalism courses, you
are required to use at least three sources.
In general, this is still a good idea and should
be followed.
However, some stories don’t need
three sources.
Traditional media are still important.
◦ Getting positive stories about your client in targeted
media (e.g., Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, NBC’s
“The Today Show”) can be a game-changer.
◦ Although most of us will never get our clients
mentioned in the premier media, we can still reach
our publics through newspapers, magazines, radio,
TV and direct mail.
Old Rule No. 7: The only way buyers would
learn about the press release’s content was if
the media wrote a story about it.
◦ When the media cover our story, this is called “third-
party endorsement.”
Old Rule No. 8: The only way to measure the
effectiveness of press releases
was through clip books, which
noted each time the media
deigned to pick up a company’s
release.
Old Rule No. 9: PR and marketing were
separate disciplines run by different people
with separate goals, strategies and
measurement techniques.
◦ Today, the focus is on integrated communication.
Scott advises:
◦ Learn to ignore the “Old Rules.”
New Rule No. 1: Marketing is more than just
advertising.
New Rule No. 2: PR is for more than just a
mainstream media audience.
New Rule No. 3: On the Web, the lines
between marketing and PR have blurred.
Create “buyer personas,” or short biographies
about each of your publics.
◦ Give them names.
◦ Identify their particular needs & wants.
◦ Then target them.
Buyer personas for FAMU:
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James & Judy Parents
Ivana Gotoo FAMU
Tonette the Leader
Jonah the Athlete
BOT Member (and so on)
Think like a publisher.
◦ Understand your publics and what they NEED and
WANT.
◦ Become a “thought leader,” a source for information
when your publics are browsing or searching.
◦ First, solve people’s problems. Then, “sell” your
product or service.
◦ Deliver content when and where
it is needed.
How to be a “thought leader”
◦ Cervélo Cycles gets the same number of search
engine hits as companies 10 times its size. Why?
Cervélo includes content for people who are browsing
and those who are ready to buy.
Viewers can download free audio interviews with top
riders, get detailed information about different bikes,
join its “exclusive Cervélo owners club,” visit the online
bicycle museum …
Oh, and they can buy bikes, too.
What are you “selling”?
What does Starbucks sell?
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A great place to hang out
A convenient place to meet
Free wireless Internet connection
Status symbol
Ground coffee beans
Oh, and great coffee
Check out Starbucks’ phone app
and interactive website.
New Rule No. 4: You are what you publish.
New Rule No. 5: People want authenticity,
not spin.
New Rule No. 6: People want participation,
not propaganda.
How do people find us?
◦ More often through “clicks” not “bricks”
◦ We’re leaving brick-and-mortar stores (e.g.,
shopping malls, movie theaters) for online sources.
For example, movie theaters draw most customers
from within a 10-mile radius. But Netflix reaches
“everyone.”
The Long Tail of Marketing
◦ We are shifting away from a focus on the relatively
few “hits” (e.g., Justin Bieber) to the great mass of
“niche” markets (e.g., local bands).
◦ The Internet has opened up the world for the
rest of us.
80-20 Rule
◦ Pareto Principle: When applied to business, this means 80%
of your sales come from 20% of your clients.
98 Percent Rule
◦ There’s a buyer for just about anything.
◦ For example, at Amazon.com, 98% of its top 100,000
books sold at least once a quarter.
◦ “Hits are great, but niches are emerging as the big new
market.” – Chris Anderson, author of “The Long Tail”
Three forces of the Long Tail
1. Make it.
* There are far more niche goods than hits.
* Amateurs & small businesses compete with leaders.
2. Get it out there.
* Cost of reaching niches is falling dramatically.
3. Help me find it.
* Filters drive demand down the Tail.
* All those niches add up.
* The “natural shape of demand” is revealed.
How Amazon.com targets its publics
What Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
81% buy the item you viewed
7% buy this alternative
4% buy this alternative
THE LONG TAIL: WHY THE FUTURE OF... The Long Tail: Why the Future of...Hardcover
by Chris Anderson
MADE TO STICK: WHY SOME IDEAS SURVIVE... Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas
Survive...Hardcover by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
WIKINOMICS: HOW MASS COLLABORATION... Wikinomics: How Mass
Collaboration...Hardcover by Don Tapscott, Anthony D...
New Rule No. 7: Instead of causing one-way
interruption, marketing is about delivering
content at just the precise moment your
audience needs it.
New Rule No. 8: Marketers must shift their
thinking from mainstream marketing to the
masses to a strategy of reaching vast numbers
of underserved audiences via the Web.
New Rule No. 9: Companies must drive people
into the purchasing process with great online
content.
Use the power of social media.
Reach out to others and have them help tell
your story.
◦ Identify and follow relevant, connected bloggers.
◦ Comment on their sites.
◦ Create your own blog and share
information.
Share videos, audio files,
photos, other links.
Use keywords in headlines and throughout
your news release to increase “search engine
optimization” (SEO).
◦ When people search for you online, will they find
you among all of your competitors?
◦ Searchers often start with “head” keywords.
More popular or frequently searched terms.
For example:
Fish tanks
Jewelry
Caribbean vacations
Instead, use “long tail” keywords.
◦ Search terms are longer and more specific.
For example:
How to set up a fish tank
Navajo turquoise and silver jewelry
Caribbean diving vacations for families
Explore popular keywords
Writer-based prose
◦ Inexperienced writers often start with “writer-based
prose,” written from the client’s perspective.
◦ For example, imagine this text as the first words in a
brochure to attract high school students to FAMU:
“Florida A&M University sits on the highest of
seven hills.”
◦ Would this attract high schoolers?
What do high schoolers care about?
Getting marketable skills, being in a
supportive environment, meeting new
friends, getting financial aid, having fun
Reader-based prose
◦ Instead, create “reader-based prose” by focusing on
what your readers or viewers need or want.
◦ Imagine these are the first words a high schooler
might read in an online “brochure” about FAMU:
“Are you looking to prepare for your dream career, study
with renowned and caring professors, meet interesting
students, and spend time in
a fun environment? Then
Florida A&M University is the
place for you!”
◦ Might these words be more
appealing to high schoolers
than the writer-based prose?
Don’t write news releases only when you have
“big news.”
Rather, write releases that highlight your
expert ideas and stories.
◦ Distribute the releases directly to your buyers in
addition to traditional media.
◦ Help your publics find your
releases on search engines
and websites.
Newsjacking
◦ Capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to tell
your own story.
Examples
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Oreos & the Super Bowl
Hillary Clinton & the Super Bowl
Wilkinson razor & Valentine’s
Procter & Gamble and moms
New Rule No. 10: The Internet has made
public relations public again after years of
almost exclusive focus on media.
New Rule No. 11: Blogs, online video,
e-books, news releases, and
other forms of online content
let organizations communicate
directly with buyers in a form
they appreciate.
How the Internet has changed PR
◦ There are no limits to how much can be posted
(versus how much you can afford to print).
◦ Information is available 24/7.
◦ Information can be updated quickly.
◦ Web dissemination is cost-effective.
◦ Niche markets can easily be reached.
◦ Interactivity is possible (Q&A,
downloads, games, etc.).
◦ Links provide “deeper” information.
Check out these links:
◦ American Cancer Society website
Considered to be the “gold standard” of online
newsrooms
◦ National Wildlife Federation website
Exceptional interactive site targeted to specific publics
◦ “Generation Like” video
Amazing PBS documentary about youth & social media
New Rule No. 12: PR is not about your boss
seeing your company on TV. It’s about your
buyers seeing your company on the Web.
New Rule No. 13: Marketing is not about
your agency winning awards. It’s about your
organization winning business.
New Rule No. 14: Social networks allow
people all over the world to share content
and connect with the people and companies
they do business with.
For more proof of the power of adding social
media to your bag of PR tools, check out this
YouTube video:
◦ “The Social Media Revolution 2014”
Enjoy the “No PRessure: New Media, New
Rules” PR Boot Camp!
Disclaimer: Most of the information for this PowerPoint was obtained from David
Meerman Scott’s book “The New Rules of Marketing & PR.”