The Social Media Issue April 2017 | www.odwyerpr.com

Vol. 30. No. 4 April 2017

EDITORIAL GET MEDIA COVERAGE On the false comfort of lies. BY WRITING A BOOK Writing a book can help raise your 6 15 profile and build your brand. U.S. SPLIT ON POLITICAL EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES OF SOCIAL Most concede social media’s power, 16 MEDIA PR FIRMS but are divided as to whether or not 8 that’s a good thing. 16 PEOPLE IN PR CEOS FALL SHORT IN ONLINE ENGAGEMENT 21 Execs are getting on board with ­social media, but many are failing 9 RETHINKING THE ROLE OF to connect with audiences online. MARKET INFLUENCERS Is your practice of influencer mar- 22 keting hurting your organization? REACHING MILLENNIALS 26 WITH A NEW ATTITUDE www.odwyerpr.com Emotional bonds and a sense of NEW PLATFORMS AND Daily, up-to-the-minute PR news commitment are keys to making it 10 OPTIONS FOR PSAs in the Millennial marketplace. Public service campaigns have en- Cover design by Benjamin Abraham 23 tered a new media age. THE WAY TO WIN AT LIVE VIDEO CONTENT IS CONTENT MARKETING BLOWING UP To develop effective content, you The demand for live streaming need to have both a process and 11 24 events and platforms is on the rise. a plan FACEBOOK VIDEOS ­OUTPACE COMPETITION SOCIAL MEDIA MARKS Directly uploaded videos outper- ITS 10TH BIRTHDAY 25 form other content on the site. Taking a look at social media’s first decade provides a roadmap for 12 what we can expect in the next. PROFILES OF VIDEO & BROADCAST FIRMS 26 EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2017 CELEB EDITORS USE January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide ­SOCIAL’S STAR POWER WASHINGTON REPORT February: Environmental & P.A. A panel gives building relationships March: Food & Beverage a thumbs up, “cold” calls a thumbs 13 April: Broadcast & Social Media down, and stresses discretion. 32 May: PR Firm Rankings June: Global & Multicultural columns July: Travel & Tourism TO GET AHEAD, NOVICES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT August: Financial/I.R. NEED TO STAND OUT Fraser Seitel September: Beauty & Fashion NOW founder Muriel Fox tells an 30 October: Healthcare & Medical audience that young people in PR 14 GUEST COLUMN November: High-Tech must be “memorable” to succeed 31 Arthur Solomon December: Entertainment & Sports

ADVERTISERS 5W PR...... 3 Goldman McCormick PR...... 8 Omega World Travel...... 29

Crosby...... 7 LogOn...... 19 Peppercomm...... Back Cover

D S Simon...... 9 Marketing Maven...... Inside Front Cover Strauss Media Strategies...... 5

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EDITORIAL The deceptive comfort of lies resident Trump’s worsening political entanglements underscore not only the uncharted territory in which the country now finds itself, but the extreme lengths to which his thin- Pning legion of supporters are willing to travel in order to justify the leader they’ve chosen. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF By any reasonable metric, Trump has had a bad month. The FBI in March confirmed that it Jack O’Dwyer had opened a counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Trump’s cabinet colluded [email protected] with Russia in an attempt to throw the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Then, disgraced for- mer national security adviser Michael Flynn allegedly said he’d testify to Congressional intelli- ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER gence committees on that collusion in exchange for prosecutorial immunity. And just before the John O’Dwyer month closed, the New York Times issued a bombshell report that House Intelligence Commit- [email protected] tee chairman Devin Nunes (who leads the House committee’s investigation into Russia’s alleged tampering) was fed information by White House staff to substantiate Trump’s conspiratorial March claims that Obama had wiretapped him, allegations that have now been debunked by the SENIOR EDITOR Jon Gingerich FBI and NSA, as well as both the House and Senate intelligence committees. [email protected] If Trump has a problem with facts, it’s only fitting that it’s a quality he shares with his sup- porters. It’s fascinating to watch his hardline followers double down at this juncture, denying through clenched teeth that anything is afoot here, refusing to acknowledge what any sane, SENIOR EDITOR rational person would recognize as a case of a President facing crisis. Greg Hazley It doesn’t help their confirmation biases that there remain scores of Trump apologists in the [email protected] media who are willing to take impressive and concerning measures to toe this line, peddling absurd conspiracy theories in a bid to justify Trump’s lies, no matter how constricting the logical ASSOCIATE EDITOR entanglements. Steve Barnes When Evelyn Farkas, a former Obama administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine, spoke during a March MSNBC interview regarding the administration’s efforts in its final days to gather intelligence on Russia’s possible election meddling, fringe blogs CONTRIBUTING EDITORS and media sites interpreted her claims as a tacit confirmation of Obama’s surveillance of Trump. Fraser Seitel Fox’s Sean Hannity, who has referred to Trump’s alleged ties with Russia as “liberal fake news,” Richard Goldstein in March falsely claimed on his radio show that Farkas admitted Obama had wiretapped Trump, and thus, “what Donald Trump tweeted out was correct.” Gateway Pundit’s Christina Laila EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS similarly wrote on March 28 that there was a “massive amount of evidence piling up that the & RESEARCH Trump camp was spied on by the Obama administration.” Perhaps most famously, Fox News Jane Landers Senior Judicial Analyst Andrew Napolitano lifted a specious claim from a conspiracy website Caitlin Dullahan-Bates that Obama had asked British spying agency GCHQ to illegally wiretap Trump Tower during the 2016 election. John O’Dwyer Fox later benched Napolitano for making these baseless statements, but not before they were Advertising Sales Manager repeated by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer during a March press briefing, which re- [email protected] sulted in the U.S. government issuing a formal apology to the U.K. Spicer, who’s in the unenviable position of being forced to mediate Trump’s falsehoods daily, approaches his briefings like a man going into combat. When he’s not talking in circles or mis- O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 directing questions, the former Republican National Committee communications director has a a year ($7.00 a single issue) by the habit of dressing down reporters, often telling them what angles their stories should take. Spicer J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. should learn that defending the Commander in Chief is just one part of the job; crystalizing the 271 Madison Ave., #600 Administration’s policy into honest, forthcoming and substantive messages is another. New York, NY 10016. (212) 679-2471 Fax: (212) 683-2750. There seems to be no threshold to this political Stockholm Syndrome, no ceiling at which point Trump’s supporters will concede, at the very least, to what are obvious flaws in his leadership ca- © Copyright 2017 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. pabilities. His meteoric rise during the 2016 election may have subverted every expectation, but just 10 weeks in, his performance as President has been an abject failure. His signature promise Other Publications: to replace Obamacare was rebuffed by members of his own party. His executive attempts to tem- porarily bar travelers from majority-Muslim countries were blocked by the courts. The “swamp” www.odwyerpr.com Breaking news, commentary, useful data- of Washington under his tutelage resembles a luxury spa, with massive infrastructure spending bases and more. proposals that run contrary to every classic Republican tenet. Polling authorities reveal that as few as 38 percent currently approve of the job he’s doing, which means he’s less popular than O’Dwyer’s Newsletter Bush during the Iraq war and Obama at any point during his two terms (even right-leaning A four-page weekly with general PR Rasmussen in late March showed Trump with an approval rating of only 44 percent). news, media appointments and placement Still, Trump’s remaining supporters live in this confabulatory reality where behaviors that run opportunities. contrary to their own values — lying, authoritarian rule, colluding with Russia to swing U.S. O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms elections, and using a fog machine of tweets to deflect our attention — are now seen as acts of Listings of more than 1,250 PR firms political cunning simply because Trump is the one doing them. It’s a new level of cognitive dis- throughout the U.S. and abroad. sonance, exhibited by people who ironically purchased firearms during the last administration O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide out of fear of authoritarian “tyranny,” folks who now sincerely believe that the coal industry can Products and services for the PR industry be returned to America. These are desperate dreams that accompany the delirious, ameliorative in 50 categories. warmth of fooling oneself. Denial, it turns out, isn’t unlike a drug, but it too has effects that will last for only so long.  jobs.odwyerpr.com O’Dwyer’s online job center has help — Jon Gingerich wanted ads and hosts resume postings.

6 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

REPORT Americans divided on social media’s political impact

Most believe social media affects public policy outcomes in the ly shared their political opinions on social U.S., but are divided as to whether the role it plays in informing the media, a third admitted to refraining from public on political matters is a good or bad one. doing so during the presidential election By Jon Gingerich cycle. When asked why, more than half — 54 ccording to a recent survey spon- dential election were slightly more likely to percent — cited a “toxic or negative” envi- sored by Finn Partners that gauged believe that social media has a strong posi- ronment. Asocial media’s impact on public pol- tive impact on informing public policy. Republicans were far more likely to ex- icy and U.S. voting decisions, 80 percent Moreover, Democrats, along with col- press this sentiment than Democrats (64 of respondents — or about four in five — lege-aged respondents, were also more like- percent versus 54 percent). Nearly half — said they think social media plays at least ly to believe that social media has an impact 48 percent — also said they were “tired of some role in public policy outcomes, be it on public policy outcomes in the U.S. hearing about the Presidential election.” on matters pertaining to gun control, im- Finally, Democrats were twice as likely as When asked for the most important re- migration or trade. Republicans to claim that social media had source when it comes to making a decision A slim majority — 52 percent — also ad- “significantly” impacted their voting deci- on a political issue, 34 percent of all re- mitted that social media had some impact sion (28 percent versus 14 percent). spondents cited data and research, followed on their voting decision in the 2016 election. Regardless of political affiliation, respon- by “intuition or gut instinct” (24 percent) However, respondents were divided on dents agreed on something else: while more and friends and family whose opinion they whether social media has a positive impact than half — 57 percent — said they regular- trust (15 percent).  when it comes to informing the public on political matters, with nearly half — 46 Many small businesses ignore social media percent — claiming that it does, while 32 percent claimed that social channels such By John O’Dwyer that 24 percent have not yet used social me- as Twitter or Facebook carry at least some dia. In addition, 8 percent replied that they negative impacts. lutch, a B2B ratings and reviews firm, are unlikely to do so in the future. The survey found that those who said surveyed 350 small business owners/ The breakdown of the businesses ques- they voted for Clinton in the 2016 Presi- Cmanagers across the U.S. and found tioned was 40 percent with 10 or fewer em- ployees, 27 percent with 11-50 employees, 25 percent with 51-250 employees, and 8 percent with 251-500 employees. Of those small businesses using social media, Facebook is by far the preferred plat- form, at 91 percent. Twitter is second at 55 percent, with Instagram third at 52 percent. “In general, Facebook is a beast. Its reach is incredibly vast, with almost 2 billion users,” said Alex Oesterle, Owner of Blue Bear Cre- ative, a Denver-based social media agency. Oesterle advises against a big investment in Twitter from small businesses. He cites the shutdown of their micro-video sharing service Vine and lackluster growth last year. Instagram is seen as an easy platform to get into and the number of users is growing rapidly, with 600 million as of Dec. 2016. YouTube users make up almost one-third of the world’s Internet users. It’s the most costly and time-intensive platform though because of what’s necessary to put together well-made videos. Most of the small businesses using social media are pretty active, with 41 percent sharing content and/or engaging followers multiple times per day, and 23 percent do- ing so at least once per day. Oesterle recommends posting one to two times per day on Facebook and several times per day on Twitter. More than 50 percent of small businesses keep social media marketing in-house, but 36 percent outsource it or use software.

8 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Online engagement absent among U.S. CEOs

CEOs have largely come around on social media, but most still The study also found that Silicon Valley ­aren’t engaging with audiences online, according to a report that CEOs are uniquely more likely to engage gauged the sociability of U.S. executives with audiences than chief executives from By Jon Gingerich other industries, at 39 percent, and also exhibit a slightly higher posting rate (41 hief executives of U.S.-based public in 10 public and private company CEOs (38 percent). On the other hand, Silicon Val- and private companies aren’t engaging percent) have posted online within the past ley CEOs revealed slightly less overall on- Cwith audiences online, even though year. line social presence than public company their digital visibility has grown markedly The report defined engagement as any CEOs, at 86 percent vs. 92 percent. in recent years, according to a March report correspondence between a CEO and site Weber Shandwick’s “Socializing Your released by Weber Shandwick that gauged visitor, be it participating in a discussion CEO” study, the fourth installment in a se- the sociability and online engagement of or responding to comments or criticisms ries that began in 2010, analyzed the online U.S. executives. on Facebook or any other online forum, in- presence of CEOs from the top 50 public Weber Shandwick's “Socializing Your cluding corporate websites. U.S. companies listed in the 2016 Fortune CEO” report found that the vast majority The report discovered that public and pri- 500 rankings, as well as CEOs from For- of U.S. public company CEOs and private vate company CEOs exhibit different online tune’s 25 Most Important Private Compa- company CEOs — 92 percent and 76 per- behaviors. For example, although private nies in the U.S. and Mercury News’ top 150 cent, respectively — now maintain some company CEOs are the least likely to be vis- companies in Silicon Valley for 2016. form of online presence, be it on social me- ible on their company’s website (66 percent, CEOs were gauged on public presence dia or their company’s website. vs. 90 percent for public company CEOs), and visibility, as well as posts and engage- Engagement among these executives re- they’re more likely than public company ment activity during the last 12 months mains low, however, with just 22 percent CEOs to be found on social networks (59 across several online platforms, including of public company CEOs and 34 percent percent vs. 50 percent, respectively). Pub- company websites and YouTube, and ex- of private company CEOs interacting with lic company CEOs are also more likely to ternal CEO blogs and websites, as well as audiences online in the past year. engage with audiences when they do post Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and The report also found that fewer than four online. Instagram. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 9 REPORT Best practices for Millennial social media marketing Millennials reign supreme in today’s market, but companies often find marketing to this demographic challenging. By understanding this evolving generation and the proper methods to market to them, communicators will have a better chance of increasing brand awareness, yielding higher conversion rates and developing a strong customer base among this demographic. By Galina Rogers

orn between 1982 and 2002, Millen- often feature links to blog posts vs. direct Tell a visual story. Connect with their nials make up about 25 percent of the website links. Sponsored posts have over- emotions. Create authentic content with a Bpopulation and will replace the “Baby thrown banner ads, text-only PPC ads and strong social focus. Reviews from current Boomers” once they retire. Growing up in rich media. Sponsored posts often work in product users can be re- the digital age, this generation is known conjunction with PPC ads to offer maxi- purposed into testimo- for their frequent online purchasing habits mum results within your marketing efforts. nial graphic content. and strong social media usage. The need Effective social media campaigns contain Attention is key! Per to stay connected is what feeds the digital tailored social advertisements designed recent studies, Millen- marketing world, fueling Facebook Ad cre- specifically to reach your target audience; nials spend an average ation, Snapchat video advertisements and an enticing content mix of photos, videos of 1-3 seconds engag- Instagram Live Promotions. With a mobile and articles; consistent follower engage- ing with video content. device in hand at almost all times, it’s easy ment; influencer marketing; and analytical Videos must grab their to connect with brands and influencers all tools to measure the growth and effective- attention from the first over the world. ness of current campaigns. few seconds. Integrate Galina Rogers Here are a few key traits that may align Social advertisements this by asking teaser with your current customer base: When developing social ads and content, questions in the caption of your video and • More than 55 percent of Millennials create ads that are mobile friendly, with they must watch to find the answer. would rather receive product recommenda- graphics that are easily deciphered on small Make them laugh! If you can be quirky tion from online influencers over experts. screens. If available, test the ads on sever- and lighthearted within social posts, go for • Millennials take things personally. They al different smart devices to see if ads are it. Pushing the edge of the envelope is what identify with brands more emotionally translating correctly to consumers. forces them to engage. than any other generation. Use visually appealing, helpful or funny Engaging with followers • According to the Millennial Consumer content with your ads to increase your web After you’ve crafted an incredible array of Study, 37 percent of Millennials are willing traffic. This generation is most receptive to content to share, you should begin to gain to pay higher prices to support a brand they learning helpful hints that solve current so- interaction from your followers. This par- believe in. cial problems. If user generated content is ticipation should not be ignored. Engage • Millennials value brands and services available, utilize that as much as possible. with Millennials frequently to earn their that are problem solvers. Useful is the new Millennials trust influencers for honest trust. If you place a personality with your black. product reviews and social proof is often company, they will feel as if they’re speak- Are Millennials your main demographic? needed to close the sale. ing to a friend as opposed to being sold a In an ideal situation, we want everyone to Allocate a test budget and scale your best product. Answer questions and comments purchase our products or require the ser- performing creatives. Facebook’s advertis- using relevant hashtags and keep the con- vices that we provide. Realistically, every ing tools allow you to set up ads based on versation moving. The longer the thread, product/service has a target audience to a variety of different parameters. You can the more likely they’ll purchase the product which they need to advertise. Identifying narrow your audience to the smallest niche and recommend it to friends and family. your audience attributes may take some or broaden it to serve to as many users as Influencer marketing time, however, and focusing on the right possible. Increasing engagement is much more ef- audience is a very important stepping stone Stunning and shareworthy content mix fective when paired with Influencer Mar- that should not be missed. Marketing to Creating quality content isn’t just re- keting. More than 35 percent of current on- Millennials should be successful if your purposing photos viewed on other pages; line influencers are Millennials. This form product is environmentally friendly, boasts extensive analytic research can be used of advertising takes word-of-mouth to the eye-catching designs or your services solve to identify what pieces of original graph- next level. When sourcing influencers, relevant social problems. For example, a ic content will yield the most shares. The you want to look for individuals who have Kickstarter featuring a tent that can be worn objective is to have the content produced gained popularity on the Internet. This can as a jacket complete with a compatible cell shared via popular social networks such as be based on celebrity status, video views, phone charger, will appeal to Millennials as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. blog followers, etc. And more important- being trendy and environmentally friendly These points will help you develop an ly, individuals who align with your brand’s but still allowing them to stay connected. effective content strategy geared towards overall mission statement. Find quality in- Develop strong social media campaigns Millennials: fluencers through research. Visit each pro- Traditional marketing is a thing of the Content with a Purpose. Millennials spective influencer’s social channels, review past. People ages 18-34 aren’t as adept at want to make a difference. Inspiring con- comments, blog and social posts to verify responding to Native Marketing. Rath- tent will keep them engaged and fulfill their that the interaction between the influencers er than using traditional ad practices, try need to enlighten the world. Try using in- and their followers is apparent. sponsored posts. These types of posts gain spirational quotes, videos or articles that popularity through user engagement and relate to your brand. _ Continued on next page

10 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM A playbook to win the content marketing game

Developing effective content is as much an art as it is a science, It’s not all about you. By sharing and re- and it’s paramount for brands working in content marketing spaces purposing great content from others aligned to have a process and a plan in place. with your mission, you can minimize work By Lindsey Goebel effort while extending your brand into new places. People follow brands and organiza- he traditional models of developing care about. If tools aren’t available, a manu- tions not just for their original content, but effective creative no longer work in al audit of owned and shared channels can also because they’re effective aggregators Ttoday’s on-demand media landscape. provide valuable insight into how allies and of the issues and topics important to them. Technology has enabled a meteoric rise in competitors are operating. Also, try free Share content from influential publishers content consumption, forcing marketers to services such as Yahoo Answers, Buzzsumo to increase the chance adopt new ways of creating and publishing and Quora that enable you to search key- that those influencers content to engage their audiences, while words to uncover related topics and current will promote your con- staying on message and on budget. Brands content generating buzz. tent. must be nimble enough to join same-day Set meaningful measures of success. In With these tips as conversations relevant to their product or an ecosystem where organic reach is rapidly part of a foundation- service, while still making time for big ideas declining, the number of likes and followers al plan, your content that will surprise and delight. are a diminishing part of the equation. In- process of ideation, Here are eight content marketing tips that stead, focus on driving more conversation development and de- can help you develop effective content that around a specific topic aligned with your ployment can become Lindsay Goebel moves the needle. mission, or increasing the number of pos- a well-oiled machine. Stop right now and codify your content itive brand mentions. Identify goals for the Always remember, strategy. This will be your content bible, to volume and type of original content you great content is as much an art as a science. be used across the organization. It’s an es- want to publish, versus curated and/or us- And embracing the energy that comes with sential step to staying agile. According to a er-generated content, and then hold your- content creation and publishing cycles is recent Content Marketing Institute study, self accountable. something that can be mastered. 60 percent of those who have a document- It’s a marathon, not a sprint. To achieve I don’t consider it stress, just another perk ed content strategy rate themselves highly a brand’s specific marketing goals, like new of a good day in content marketing. in terms of content marketing effectiveness, email subscribers or driving sales of a prod- Lindsey Goebel is Director of Social Media compared with 32 percent of companies uct, your content will need to guide people & Content Marketing at Crosby.  who have only a verbal strategy. A content slowly down the path to conversion. How marketing strategy lays out: often do you buy the first pair of shoes you Primary audiences, objectives and key see or commit to a new membership with- Millennial marketing performance indicators. out first taking time to review your options? _ Continued from page 10 Brand positioning, voice and personality. Rarely. Brands must remember this human Purpose and key messages. tendency and bring awareness and educa- With the ability to purchase followers, an- Content themes, language guardrails and tion to their customers before making the alyzing the level of engagement is impera- design tenets. final ask. tive to the quality of your brand’s influencer Content formats, types and series. Your 7th grade English lesson is still rel- marketing efforts. Channel strategy detailing distribution evant. What you learned in middle school Reviewing social analytical data based on platform-specific objectives. about story structure also applies to content After applying everything that was men- Content workflow and roles/­ marketing. All stories have a beginning, tioned above to your current social media responsibilities. middle and end. The best stories are au- marketing campaign, it’s important to mea- Read more than you write. Always be thentic and have an emotional hook. And sure your results. Each social channel has sure you know what keeps your audience be sure to set that hook as close to the be- native analytical tools to provide basic so- up at night. To pique someone’s interest, ginning as possible. Content works when it cial listening data. To get a more in-depth you must appeal to their needs, wants and comes across as real and personal. look at your audience, Google Analytics desires. This requires understanding their Think mobile. According to eMarketer, can help you track conversions, referral pain points, what they need help on and the number of mobile-only Internet users traffic and the average of monthly visits to what makes them tick. It’s hard to become will more than double the number of desk- your website from social media. Use these a subject matter expert overnight, but read- top/laptop users this year, underscoring metrics to draft social content, optimize ing about your audience is a good place to the necessity to create better mobile expe- web pages for mobile users and retarget so- start. If budget allows, consider in-depth riences. Content must be simple enough cial advertisements, just to name a few. interviews to gain additional insights. for users to get the key message in the first Marketing to Millennials can be tricky, Keep an eye on your competitors, peers few seconds. Focus on colors that stand out but it’s not impossible. Creating a market- and industry influencers. Social listen- across formats and use one call-to-action at ing plan, listening to your audience and ing and competitive analysis tools such as a time. Consider formats that are optimized understanding the basic practices of social Crimson Hexagon, Sysomos, TrackMaven for the mobile viewer, such as vertical vid- media will provide you with a loyal custom- and others can evaluate share of voice and eo, which Facebook rolled out last month er base for generations to come. conversation volume, as well as the senti- to all users in the Facebook app newsfeed. Galina Rogers is a Social Media Specialist ment and emotion of chatter. With these And test your content on a variety of devic- and works out of Marketing Maven’s Los An- insights, you can create content people will es and platforms before publishing. geles headquarters. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 11 FEATURE Social media turns 10 It’s been a decade since social networks opened up business for brands, and communications agencies began adding social media to their list of services. As it turns out, the evolution we’ve seen in social media and its role in PR since 2007 can teach us a great deal about what the industry might also have in store for us in the next 10 years. By Rory Schaff he year was 2007, and it was also the ability to drop the marketing jargon, say it Stepping into a new reality year I got my start in PR. I didn’t know like it is to buyers and get a direct response Last month marked SXSW’s 30th year. Tit at the time — most in the profession within seconds. At a time when third-party Since 1987, it’s become one of the largest didn’t — but the industry was teetering on validation was the main driver of changing interactive media conferences of all time. the edge of transformation. perceptions, this new approach was huge. It This year’s conference is important to note, Social media has had such a significant was the embodiment of communications. though, because the main topic of conversa- impact on brand communications that it’s Needless to say, there was a lot of “talking” tion plays directly into the next decade for difficult to imagine the industry without it. going on. Brands not only leveraged social social media. And do we really want to? It’s been an en- networks to engage with buyers, they be- User experience is vi- lightening and entertaining — and some- gan weaving social media into marketing tal for social networks. times, downright terrifying — experience. plans. However, they took a production line Fail to keep up with it We’ve seen social media make or break approach to it. Content was produced and and you fail. Period. brands and agencies alike, but it was a risk pushed out in record time, so much so, that Just look at SixDegrees, we were all willing to take. content became overwhelming. MySpace and others. Now that we have a decade under our We realized this when social networks With the influx of con- belts, it’s time to reflect on the past and began to change their algorithms. They had tent, the need to dif- leverage what we’ve learned to improve and to if they wanted users to see information ferentiate it increases. prepare for the future. that was pertinent to them. This has been That’s why visual story- In the beginning a real challenge for brands, as it requires a telling has been on the Rory Schaff Did you know LinkedIn was the first ma- shift from a “content in mass quantities” to rise over the past few jor heavy hitter? It was founded in 2002 as a “less is more” approach. But when you pro- years. This approach will be getting a seri- way for professionals to share the contents duce less content, you really need to hone in ous facelift in the next few years, though. of their Rolodex with other professionals. on the content that matters most to buyers. Stories will come to a face near you thanks We all know how Facebook got its start; it How do brands know what matters most? to virtual reality, and augmenting that is was created as a network for Harvard stu- Enter big data. More users, more engage- augmented reality. The technology is there, dents to connect. There’s a pattern here. So- ment and more content meant more data. but social networks are still in the very early cial networks weren’t created with brands in Social analytics tools began popping up left stages of figuring out how to incorporate it mind but, rather, people. Where the people and right to aggregate and evaluate trillions into the user experience. The same could be go, brands will follow. of online conversations. What did this mean said with brands and communications. Social media presented an opportunity for brands? They were handed the keys to Right now, they’re taking baby steps with for brands that was so obvious, so effortless, unlock buyer interest. Leveraging data, 360-degree photos and videos. I predict that communications professionals were brands could create not only content that within the next 10 years that social networks dumbfounded when a brand passed it up. spoke to key interests, but metrics-driven will begin enabling VR experiences. In turn, A lot of them did in the beginning; they social programs. Data brought with it an- brands will begin creating content that com- thought it was a passing phase. No way to other revelation, though: sentiment. Brands pletely immerses buyers in a unique and in- determine ROI? Then, no way. When years had deeper insight into how buyers felt teractive experience, enabling them to get a went by and other players began entering about them. taste of products and services before actu- the arena — YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, The importance of brand transparency ally making a purchase. And the shopping Pinterest, Snapchat — social media be- and buyer’s trust has been magnified with cart? It’s part of the experience. came a must-have for brands. The benefits social media. More than two billion smart- Imagine slipping on a VR headset to scroll and challenges that came with social media phone users now have a wealth of informa- through your news feed. A post from your were unimaginable at the time but were also tion at their fingertips. Within seconds they favorite fashion brand pops up. You click quickly realized. can seek Siri on a brand, do a little research on it, and you’re immediately pulled onto a Key takeaways from 10 years and determine whether or not they trust the runway. You look down, and you’re wearing Like I said, social networks were created brand enough to do business with them. next season’s line. A shopping cart pops up to connect people. When brands stepped This is really where that “make or break” re- to your right and you can easily swipe items in, they were given the same superpower ality comes into play. Brands need to be on into your cart before checking out. What (because that’s what it was). The ability to top of their game when it comes to building if you have questions about sizing? A cus- directly connect with a key audience on a a transparent and trustworthy brand online. tomer service rep is on standby in the crowd channel of said audience’s choice was and Tell your story in a genuine fashion and surrounding the runway. It may sound like will always be the social networks’ greatest back it up through business practices; oth- an episode of “Black Mirror,” but wouldn’t benefit. erwise, you’ll get the virtual equivalent of a that be nice? It could be the future of social More traditional means of communica- glitter bomb. media, and if it is, we need to start planning tion — such as media relations and press So that’s where we are. The ride has been for it now. releases, which are still very relevant and a wild one, but the roller coaster car we’ve Rory Schaff is Online Services Supervisor at necessary today — don’t afford brands the been on is now ascending the largest hill yet. McGrath/Power Public Relations. 

12 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Social media, PR emails feed celeb editors Celebrity editors like extended interviews with celebrities if possible, and prefer receiving emails from PR reps before phone calls or in-person visits, a PRSA/New York “Meet the Media” audience was told March 23 at Cohn & Wolfe. By Jack O’Dwyer

ccording to the March PRSA panel, dying newborn son could take part; “What Star are booming. editors don’t mind a celebrity being we learned about Kim Kardashian West’s The book, which lists 59,200 celebs and Alinked with some product or compa- robbery” on “Keeping up with the Kar- 14,000 reps, and is sprinkled with scores of ny as long as this is kept at a discreet level. dashians”; that Glen Campbell can no lon- useful web addresses, notes that celebrities Panelists were Kristin Harris, BuzzFeed; ger play the guitar, his wife says; a girl bat- can not only be retained directly for use in Allison Cacich, Life & Style Weekly; Leora tling cancer gets to see “A Dog’s Purpose” publicizing products but that look-alike Arnowitz, Foxnews.com; Jenna Lemoncelli, and a visit from the dog in the film; and that and sound-alike celebrities can be used Hollywood Life; Joi-Marie McKenzie, ABC singer and songwriter Katy Perry “opens up cheaply and to good advantage. News; and Carly Sitzer, In Touch Weekly. about her sexuality.” He is the founder of Celebrity PR, which Recent Harris interviews included Ryan Facebook, other social media monitored operates ContactAnyCelebrity.com. Gosling, Kate Winslet, Robert De Niro, The panelists stressed the importance of Internet marketer Corey Rud hired Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and the cast of monitoring Facebook as well as other so- George and Laura Bush impersonators “Pretty Little Liars.” cial media sites. They universally expressed for an event and the “crowd loved it,” says Panelists mostly confined themselves to McAuley. Other celebrity impersonator generalizations about their work habits and sources are carboncopiescelebs.com, el- how best to reach them with few names of visthrasher.com, melodyknighton.com, celebs being mentioned. and lookalike.com. Arnowitz tells ”worst” celeb scandals Celebrity voice impersonators sounding Celeb and gossip columns usually pride like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt or themselves on showing that stars have “feet Angelina Jolie, for example, can answer of c l ay.” your phone or do blast phone-messaging. Arnowitz last December listed the “Big- Among those offering this service is Susan gest Celebrity Scandals of 2016.” Berkley of greatvoice.com. No. 1 was the arrest of Austin Lee Rus- McAuley cautions that Woody Allen sell of “Pawn Stars,” also known as Chum- once reportedly sued a “sound-alike” and lee, when police found drugs and a gun in says users of fake voices may have to sign his Las Vegas home. He was booked on 19 a “hold-harmless” agreement with the im- counts of drug possession and one weapons pressionist. charge. Rent or “piggyback” celebs No. 2 was the “messy breakup” of “Hol- Safety expert Debra Holtzman saw a pho- lywood good girl” Taylor Swift and Calvin to of Britney Spears driving in her convert- Harris and her “reignited feud with Kanye ible with then eight-month-old son Sean West and Kim Kardashian.” Preston in the back sitting in a car seat fac- Others were the alleged “lie” of Ryan ing forward, a safety “no-no.” Lochte about an incident after the Olym- Holtzman posted it on expertclick.com, a pics in Brazil; the accusations that Johnny site run by Mitch Davis, Washington, D.C., Depp abused his former wife Amber Heard; (L to R) Erica Tsioutas of Ketchum and Nicole which lets experts post an unlimited num- the split of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, ac- Chismar of Weber Shandwick moderated the ber of releases yearly for $795. Her story companied by abuse charges that were lat- event. was picked up by numerous top media out- er dismissed; the hospitalization of Kanye lets and celebrity gossip bloggers. West for a reported psychotic breakdown; a dislike of “cold” telephone calls. Holtzman also piggybacked on Pitt and the backlash against model Gigi Hadid The importance of “building relation- and Jolie when she saw daughter Zahara after she mocked Melania Trump during a ships” was also stressed. Celebs who have strapped to Pitt’s back while he rode a bi- speech at the American Music Awards. “a point of view” are also welcomed. cycle. McKenzie has varied interests Retaining “stars” can be costly Her press release pointing out the danger Recent posts written by McKenzie show Celebrity Leverage, by West Hollywood of doing that got wide coverage. She not- that she looks for human interest angles publicist Jordan McAuley, is a guide to link- ed that Zahara did not have a helmet or and follows popular TV shows. ing products and personalities to celebrities closed-toes shoes. A March 24 item displayed “A touching of all types. Cost for linking to a celebrity “Gift Suites” favored by stars video about 57 dogs saved from kill shel- can range from a few thousand to more McAuley describes the “Gift Suites” ters.” Other items included the note that than $100,000, he said. He also noted that that celebrities visit before events that are John Mayer has a new song about former celebs can be used without ever contacting stocked with everything from clothing, ac- partner Katy Perry; Selena Gomez explains them or paying them. cessories, to gift certificates for spa treat- how “online bullying” affects her; McKen- McAuley’s book capitalizes on the ce- ments, vacations and expensive products. zie herself played “The Engagement Game” lebrity mania that is gripping the country, Shows such as “Access Hollywood” and to obtain a marriage proposal; a couple in noting that celebrity mags and publications “Entertainment Tonight” provide coverage North Carolina moved up a wedding so a like Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly and of the suites. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 13 REPORT PR Newbies: stand out in a crowded field Young people breaking into PR must be “memorable” and “better informed” than their colleagues, National Organization for Women Co-Founder Muriel Fox told a March women’s PR event. By Jack O’Dwyer ox, a PR executive who co-founded “Communications rules the world” of a staff of 102. NOW in 1966, addressed an inaugural Fox, who co-founded NOW while work- She helped to create the PR Student Soci- F“PR Women Who Changed History” ing at Carl Byoir & Assocs., where as a VP ety of America in 1967 and in 1973 became program sponsored by the Museum of PR she was the highest-ranking woman in PR the first female President of the PR Society in New York. at the time, said, “Today communications of America. Her many accomplishments Fox said PR recruits must “stand out in rules the world. It is the most important and awards are listed in an extensive entry a very crowded field, be an important per- factor in deciding the fate of people every- in Wikipedia. son, someone people in power will want where. In fact, communications will decide She endowed the Plank Center in 2005 to to know.” One route to that status is by the fate of the whole human race.” “help develop and recognize outstanding “achieving success in some field that leaders and role models in PR.” The gives you stature … have informa- Center works with other groups tion and ideas that others will want and student organizations to de- to know about,” she added. velop future leaders in PR through Fox was on a program devoted to the development of ethical and ef- boosting the status and pay of wom- fective practices. It is the largest en in PR that also had as panelists undergraduate program in the Uni- Anne Bernays, daughter of Doris versity’s College of Communication Fleischman and Edward Bernays; and Information Sciences. Karla Gower, Ph.D, advertising and While she believes that “commu- PR department, University of Ala- nications technology is magic,” she bama; Meg Lamme, Ph.D., professor said, “it will never replace human of PR, University of Alabama; and encounter.” Karen Miller Russell, Ph.D., profes- Anne Bernays (L), daughter of Doris Fleischman and Edward Plank also called for increased sor of PR and media historian, Uni- Bernays, with Muriel Fox (R) at the Women’s PR History Month credibility, ethics and transparency versity of Georgia. event. in the practice of PR. Its primary Renee Wilson, President of the PR Photo by Diana Li mission, she said, is to “forge rela- Council, was emcee. Shelley Spector, tionships of understanding, trust Founder of the Museum of PR, gave the Women are especially suited for PR "be- and respect among groups and individuals welcoming remarks. cause they are usually better at communi- — even though they often disagree.” Shocking stats on women cations, perhaps because of their hormones PR Council launches The SHEQUALITY A set of statistics provided by Weber and their ability to understand the needs Wilson announced “The SHEQUALITY Shandwick shocked the 100 who attended and desires of others,” she said. Project,” a new initiative designed to help the event at the New York Genome Center. The job of PR people, she said, is to help women executives rise in the ranks of PR • Women have 52 percent of all profes- “govern for good, providing information firms. sional jobs, according to the Bureau of La- and ideas the people need.” What they Its aim is to “create a consistent pipeline bor Statistics, and earn almost 60 percent should not be doing, she said, is “distorting of strong female leaders, mentors and al- of all undergraduate and master’s degrees. communications with alternative facts and lies, to engender more women leaders, and • While they account for 78 percent of harmful emotions and using communica- to achieve equality in the top positions at those in healthcare, only 15 percent are in tions to pollute the world.” PR firms of all sizes.” senior executive posts, and none are CEOs. Byoir, the third largest firm with 350 em- Maureen Lippe, CEO of Lippe Taylor, • Women have 54 percent of financial ployees at the time and noted for its focus who heads the project, said: “This started services jobs but only 12 percent are execu- on media relations, was sold in 1978 to out as a desire to bring top women leaders tives, and none are CEOs, according to the Foote, Cone & Belding, which sold it in together to network and has turned into a Center for American Progress 1986 to Hill and Knowlton, a unit of the J. powerful and relevant program for execu- • Especially shocking was the fact that Walter Thompson Co. After several years, tive women in the PR industry.” while the ten largest PR firms, as ranked by only a few Byoir staffers were left. Mandate of the Project is to “build wom- several sources, employ 32,851 worldwide Tribute paid to Plank en’s skills, advocate for an environment of and 12,646 in the U.S., none are headed by Prof. Gower, Director of the Plank Cen- equality regarding gender pay, career op- a woman. ter for Leadership in PR at the University portunities and financial backing/funding, • Women are nearly 70 percent of PR of Alabama, ticked off the highlights of the as well as to create more champions for firm employees but hold only 30 percent of 63-year career of Betsy Plank, who worked women in the PR workforce.” top positions, according to The Holmes Re- at Edelman from 1960-1973, rising to ex- The Museum of PR is at the Newman port. Only 11 percent of ad agency creative ecutive VP and treasurer. Library Archives and Special Collections directors are women. Often referred to as “The First Lady of at Baruch College, 151 East 25th Street. It • Women earn 79 percent of men’s aver- PR,” Plank joined AT&T as Director of PR is open to the public by appointment for age hourly wages, according to the Census planning and later transferred to Illinois tours, guest lectures and research.  Bureau. Bell, now SBC Communications, as head

14 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Want to boost media coverage? Write a book Companies, c-suite executives and entrepreneurs spend billions annually in the hopes of building a brand, garnering media attention and raising their profile. What many don’t realize is there’s no better way to do this than to write a book and promote it. By Brian Feinblum

riting a book isn’t easy, but it’s • Influences the media and consumers. tion rights into any language and build up far easier than lining up media • Generates interest from outlets you nor- a presence in Asia, Latin America, Europe Winterviews for a commercial-like mally would not be associated with, such as and elsewhere. You can then promote your press announcement about an ordinary bookstores and libraries. book in those places. product release or to gain interest in a new • Is a great calling card to get booked for However you publish and regardless of the corporate initiative. Trust me, I know. I’ve speaking gigs in front of organizations, gov- format in which you release your book, the helped scores of company founders, CEOs, ernment agencies, or other companies. key to success comes with promoting the executives and professionals use a book to • Serves as one more legitimizing creden- book, which could eas- gain much-desired media coverage for their tial in an executive’s resume. ily begin four months company and personal brand. • Gives you something to Tweet about and prior to the book’s Getting media coverage for a book al- feed your social media. scheduled release — lows you to: Whereas the media may not always inter- and continue until at • Pitch other journalists and broadcast view a chief marketing officer at a company least three months post- producers you wouldn’t otherwise reach out about a new product, that same radio show, launch date. to, considering they cover books and not the blog, or publication will be much more re- I’m happy to say that usual business and consumer world. ceptive to interviewing an author, accepting our agency has helped • Promote an idea, thought leader, or mes- a guest post or bylined article, or running a promote many business Brian Feinblum sage that is less commercial than promoting book excerpt. experts, professionals, a widget, a service, or a brand initiative. So how does one go about getting a book company founders and executives in the • Tie your client’s message to news of the written, edited, published, distributed, pro- 18 years I’ve been here. Using a PR firm day. moted, and marketed? that specializes not only in book publicity • Make the book the focus of a story, rath- There are many ways to get published, but one that executes great campaigns for er than a company. including: CEOs-turned-authors, is very important. Of course, whatever media coverage you • Self-publishing and print-on-demand. We’ve also helped businesses find the right get for the book will directly and indirectly • Traditional publishing. publisher and distributor so the process can help the company grow. • Hybrid publishing. be smooth and fluid. Favorable media coverage for the book How you determine to publish your Books for companies help not only with allows you to: book could come down to factors that in- getting media coverage, but they also po- • Highlight your company’s story and ac- clude: tentially assist in: complishments in a new light. • Budget availability. • Raising a stock price if the company is • Take control of the conversation. • Deadlines and timing. public. • Showcase the human side and the intel- • What kind of distribution you need. • Generating interest from potential in- lectual capital of your company. • Your desire for a traditional publisher. vestors or partners. • Build up positive press clippings. • Your ability to persuade a publisher or • Retaining and recruiting quality talent. • Not only sell more books, but get book literary agent to publish it. • Helping to foster goodwill and a positive readers to feel more engaged with the brand. The economics and complexities vary image of the company. • Get consumers to click on your web site based on how you publish your book. On • Qualifying you to apply to book awards, or social media. the one hand, self-publishing can be faster possibly furthering and elevating the expo- Many business leaders and companies than the traditional route — plus you keep sure for your company and brand. seek to get media with product launches, the lion’s share of the profits and retain full Writing a book — and promoting it — can contests, charitable partnerships, expan- editorial control of your book — but you be a fun and rewarding experience. Many sion announcements, publicizing the hiring also don’t have the big publishing brand lawyers, financial advisors, and health care of elite talent, huge advertising campaigns, behind your book, your distribution can be professionals — as well as CEOs, entrepre- polls, white papers and other activities. Each limited, and you don’t have the benefit of the neurs, and corporate executives – have dis- can play a role in garnering media exposure. publisher’s team to sell rights or offer profes- covered the true value from such an expe- But a book is like 10 of those things in one. sional guidance. A customized plan will be rience. And the good news is that you don’t A book: needed, as every company and author will have to pen a best-seller to reap the rewards • Has a much longer shelf-life than a new have different needs or goals that need to be of such a venture. hire announcement. addressed. Do you have a book in you? The media • Comes off as being filled with informa- You can release a book — say in hardcover awaits! tion and ideas, not a story about a widget — and then a year later release a paperback Brian Feinblum is Chief Marketing Officer or service. version, perhaps revised, to get a second of New York-based Media Connect, the na- • Is a product in itself but it is a valuable crack at media coverage. You can also create tion’s leading book public relations firm for tool to generate leads for a company. an audiobook and sell it as a digital down- 55 years, a division of Finn Partners. He also • Allows for a longer dialogue with the load. If you think your message would be of blogs about books at www.bookmarketing- media and is not just a brief conversation. interest overseas, you can sell the transla- buzzblog.blogspot.com. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 15 O’Dwyer’s guide to SOCIAL MEDIA PR

5W Public cial and paid as part of every cli- Director BLAZE is the trusted partner ent engagement. The firm was an Gillian Pommerehn, VP, PR & ­Relations of choice for lifestyle contender industry-leader in helping clients Reputation Management brands hungry for a real piece of develop and execute social media Lindsey Goebel, Director, Social 230 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor the marketshare. BLAZE has been and digital strategies. Media & Content Marketing New York, NY 10169 retained by a growing number of Specific capabilities include: The Crosby team is passionate 212/999-5585 savvy clients who want integrated content strategy and marketing; about helping clients Inspire Ac- Fax: 646/328-1711 PR, influencer and social media influencer engagement; social [email protected] tions That Matter™ — actions that www.5wpr.com strategies — and flawless execu- channel development; communi- positively impact people’s lives tion. BLAZE senior level profes- ty management; social campaign and contribute to the greater good. sionals play a hands-on, day-to- execution; video and graphics pro- Crosby helps clients make pow- Ronn D. Torossian, President & day role with clients. With more duction; monitoring and analysis; CEO erful connections with their cus- than two decades of relationships online issues management; paid tomers, constituents and commu- and a solid team founded in stra- content strategy; and more. The 5W PR helps develop, execute nities to shape attitudes, inspire tegic approaches, BLAZE is adroit agency has executed award-win- and manage multi-faceted digi- behavior change, and motivate in advancing client objectives and ning digital work for such clients tal media campaigns that enhance action. The firm's award-winning nimble to the quick-changing pace as Coldwell Banker Real Estate, the visibility for brands and help campaigns, which integrate paid, of media technologies. National Fire Protection Associa- build connections with audiences. earned, shared and owned media, Clients include: Marriott Hotels; tion, Otis Elevator Company, Pet- From the creation of engaging or- have touched the lives of virtually Chronic Tacos; Youtheory; Griffin finder.com, Polar and many more. ganic content across social media every American. Club; and Eat See Hear, a sum- CooperKatz is highly-regarded platforms to analyzing your target The firm has specialized prac- mer-long celebration of movies, for its strong strategic and creative audience and enacting data-driven tices in Healthcare, Government, food and music in LA. credentials. It offers full-service social media advertising strategies, and Nonprofits & Causes. Clients public relations, digital and cre- 5W has an unparalleled under- include the Agency for Healthcare ative services capabilities to a na- standing of social media. We use CooperKatz & Research and Quality (AHRQ), tional client base across multiple social media to help our clients fur- Catholic Relief Services, DAV industry sectors. ther build their businesses. Company, Inc. (Disabled American Veterans), 5W’s digital media division EPA ENERGY STAR program, is comprised of our social me- 205 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor Crosby Kaiser Permanente, Pacific West- New York, NY 10016 ern Bank, Quality Health Strate- dia team, SEO/content specialist www.cooperkatz.com team, and creative services group. gies, Saint Agnes Hospital, Social 705 Melvin Avenue Security Administration, USDA, Whether working on highly fo- Ralph Katz, Principal Annapolis, MD 21401 cused campaigns or integrat- Anne Green, President/CEO 410/626-0805 U.S. Dept. of Health & Human ing across functionality to build www.crosbymarketing.com Services, and The Wallace Foun- over-arching digital programs, our CooperKatz & Company, Inc. dation. team combines the technical exper- takes an integrated digital ap- Raymond Crosby, President Crosby is #39 on O’Dwyer’s tise within their field with the con- proach across earned, owned, so- Joel Machak, Executive Creative national ranking of PR firms and sumer-savvy and business acumen that clients have come to trust from 5W campaigns. Comprised of specialists with- in specific areas of digital media, our social media team is fully in- tegrated with our brand campaigns, ensuring that our digital programs share the same results-driven and hands-on client approach that de- fines 5W’s award-winning - cam paigns. We believe that it is the com- bination of tactical expertise and creativity combined with seamless integration into your PR strategy that makes 5W the right partner for your digital media campaign.

Blaze

1427 Third Street Promenade Suite 201 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310/395-5050 Fax: 310/395-5001 [email protected] www.blazepr.com

Matt Kovacs, President Crosby’s social media team flanks President & CEO Raymond Crosby.

16 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Social Media PR Firms has offices in Annapolis, Md., and relevant to our targeted audiences Washington, D.C. To see case stud- allowing us to meet benchmarks ies, visit www.crosbymarketing. and improve performance. com. By layering social media into clients’ on-going PR and market- ing communications programs, we D S Simon Media help organizations amplify their voice in market, create synergy be- 229 West 36th St., 9th Floor tween multiple media channels and New York, NY 10018 212/736-2727 balance client resources efficiently. Fax: 212/736-7040 If you’re wondering why your [email protected] firm’s social media efforts aren’t Twitter: @DSSimonMedia driving sought-after results, it Facebook: www.facebook.com/DS- might be time for a conversation SimonMedia/ with Feintuch Communications. Instagram: @DSSimonMedia

Doug Simon, CEO & Owner Finn Partners

Influencer marketing is the story 301 East 57th Street, 4th Floor in 2017. D S Simon Media turns New York, NY 10022 your experts and leaders into influ- 212/715-1600 encers. We get spokespeople from Direct: 212/593-5873 leading brands and non-profits on [email protected] television through Influencer Me- www.finnpartners.com dia Tours, Video Series, Media Packages and Junkets and partner Noah Finn, Managing Partner with influencers to extend their Our digital marketing team con- reach through YouTube, Facebook, tinues to grow. With over 80 peo- Instagram, Snapchat and online ple, we’re passionate about build- media using the power of video. ing integrated solutions that are The result, we earn coverage on powered by strong insights and CE Pro, a top trade magazine for home technology professionals, award- TV, online and social media, turn compelling creative, and social ed Legrand Nuvo its 2017 silver Quest for Quality Award for Best Social your client’s leaders into media media is no exception. Media Presence. Feintuch Communications manages PR and social me- stars and influencers and help orga- We build social strategies as an dia for Nuvo, Legrand’s premier product line of whole home music sys- nizations achieve communication extension of user experience, shap- tems. Home tech pros, who sell and install Nuvo products, constitute a goals through content marketing. ing the way consumers engage with key audience for the company. a brand, driving intrigue into action. Feintuch Our work is rooted in research, relations, public affairs and brand NC State University and the In- and we pull those insights through communications agency and the ternational Gemological Institute ­Communications to inform our content, engagement winner of the Holmes Report 2016 (IGI). and channel management strate- Consumer Agency of the Year and Comprised of a team of special- 245 Park Ave., 39th Fl. gies. We regularly refine our work the Bulldog Reporter Communica- ists in consumer insights, content New York, NY 10167 based on performance, evaluating tions Agency of the Year. Founded creation, and paid social, our social 212/808-4901 success against KPIs. in April 1997 by Agency Chairman media experts help clients better [email protected] & CEO Rick French, FWV em- understand, navigate and utilize www.feintuchcommunications.com We’ve worked across industries with clients including: IEEE, Blue ploys 103 public relations, public existing, new and ever-chang- Sharlys Leszczuk, Social Media Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, affairs, social media, advertising ing communications platforms to Manager Hotels.com, Steaz, the Jamaica and digital marketing experts be- reach their goals. Capabilities in- Tourist Board, Allianz Global As- tween its Raleigh, N.C. headquar- clude: research and strategy; me- Companies that partner with sistance, and Rioja Wine USA. ters and New York City, Los Ange- dia planning; video and animation; Feintuch Communications to plan We see our clients as partners, les and Tampa offices. influencer marketing; social media and manage their social media pro- and blend smart, analytical think- FWV is home to one of the na- analytics; conversion tracking; grams are partnering with a team ing with strong strategy and cre- tion’s top digital services practices. campaign optimization; social me- with experience in using social ativity to enhance our clients’ suc- A leader in award-winning, re- dia analytics and attribution. FWV media to establish an online brand cess. sults-driven marketing campaigns, has established and continues to personality; open communications FWV executes multifaceted social maintain authoritative brand pres- channels with desired audiences; media initiatives to drive sales and ences on both mainstay and emerg- engage with relevant influencers, French/West/ marketing objectives including ing social platforms including including media; and support tra- Vaughan brand awareness, consumer en- Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Ins- ditional PR efforts to achieve con- gagement, lead generation, prod- tagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Goo- crete communications and market- 112 East Hargett St. uct trial, conversion and loyalty on gle+, YouTube, Tumblr and more. ing objectives. Raleigh, NC 27601 behalf of some of the world’s fore- FWV has achieved significant re- Our methodology for develop- 919/832-6300 most companies and brands across sults on behalf of its clients, includ- ing, implementing and manag- www.fwv-us.com various practice areas, including: ing establishing companies and ing your company’s social media Wrangler Jeans, Fleet Feet, Riders brands as online and social author- program is a proven blueprint for Rick French, Chairman & CEO by Lee, Moe’s Southwest Grill, ities in their respective industries strategic engagement and compre- David Gwyn, President/Principal Pendleton Whisky, Atlantic Natu- and lifestyles; developing brand Natalie Best, Executive Vice hensive analytics based on metrics ­President/Director of Client ral Foods, Airplus Footcare, Para- loyal communities; maintaining a that best support your company’s ­Services/Principal lyzed Veterans of America, Calli- consistent increase in engagement business objectives. We continu- garis Home Furnishing, Concord ously monitor engagement and au- French/West/Vaughan (FWV) Hotels, Tweetsie Railroad, Wilm- dience shifts to be sure content is is the Southeast’s leading public ington and Beaches CVB (N.C.), _ Continued on page 18

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 17 Profiles of Social Media PR Firms

FRENCH/WEST/VAUGHAN _ Continued from page 17 levels month-over-month and year- over-year; increasing brand affini- ty, reach and purchase intent; cre- ating emotional connections with consumers; and driving online and in-store sales.

HUNTER PUBLIC RELATIONS

41 Madison Avenue, 5th Flr. New York, NY 10010-2202 212/679-6600

Grace Leong, CEO and Agency Partner Donetta Allen, Agency Partner and Social & Digital Media Practice Leader Michael J. Lamp, Senior Vice ­President, Social & Digital Media Contact: Samara Farber Mormar, Executive Vice President, Business Development, smormar@hunterpr. com The ever-evolving social & dig- ital media landscape provides PR practitioners with access to a mod- ern tool kit of platforms, strategies and tactics that elevate owned and paid efforts via an earned ap- proach. Hunter Public Relations — a mid-sized marketing commu- Hunter Public Relations repositioned the Mrs. T’s Pierogies brand on social with sights set on engaging a new nications firm celebrating 28 years consumer target: millennials. The social/digital team at Hunter PR executed its proprietary social media boot in business — utilizes a blend of camp to develop a new social persona and content strategy for the brand. New platform launches on Twitter established and emerging channels and Instagram followed, as well as the debut of a new, pop culture-focused content strategy and partnerships and technologies to secure buzz with influencers and digital media companies. The brand now boasts a robust, cross-channel audience com- around new products, revitalize or promised largely of millennials and consistently obtains above-average engagement rates on all platforms, reintroduce brands through trusted driving both relevant brand awareness and earned consumer conversation. influencers and advocates and en- gage consumers with thumb-stop- ping content that compels amplifi- [email protected] ness forward. Los Angeles cation. Additionally, Hunter PR’s www.lcwa.com Of course, in social media, listen- 310/994-7380 social & digital media practice has facebook.com/LCWATeam ing is just as important as talking. twitter.com/LCWATeam Our reputation management capa- Lindsey Carnett, CEO & President, experience managing every piece [email protected] of the digital ecosystem, including bilities rely on monitoring, measur- Kim Blazek Dahlborn, President ing and minimizing negative chat- Natalie Rucker, Director of content creation, daily community and CEO Business Development, natalie@ management, website develop- Shannon Quinn, Executive Vice ter to keep conversations focused marketingmavenpr.com ment, media buying and content President on the positive. partnerships. Winner of digital me- Our staff is immersed in social Named to Entrepreneur maga- dia awards from PR News, PR Dai- Social media is an integrated part media and considered leaders in zine’s 2016 Entrepreneur 360 List ly, Bulldog Reporter and SABRE­ of almost every public relations the industry, participating in educa- as one of the Most Entrepreneurial Awards, Hunter PR puts its in- and communications plan. It’s es- tional sessions, contributing “how Companies in America, Marketing sights-based approach to social and sential to consider the wide array to” articles to our agency blog and Maven is an expert at developing digital media strategy to work for of social channels as vehicles to managing daily interactions on be- a solid social media strategy that some of the most respected compa- reach a desired audience. half of clients American Academy outlines measurable goals and nies in America, including Diageo, L.C. Williams & Associates of Sleep Medicine, Boise Paper, benchmarks. Content and context McIlhenny and 3M. (LCWA) offers expertise in digital Oster Professional, Snow Joe, Trex are key to successful social me- marketing that makes an impact on and more. dia campaigns and we provide the business goals and objectives. We L.C. WILLIAMS & Call-to-Action to reach your target build customized, well-rounded MARKETING demographic. ASSOCIATES campaigns that utilize paid, owned Successful social media cam- and search to spur audiences into ­MAVEN paigns go beyond strategy. Prop- engagement and action. Our stra- 150 N. Michigan Avenue erly managing the follow-through Suite 3800 tegic content, buzz-building events 37 W. 37th Street, 6th Floor of your social media campaign is Chicago, IL 60601 and influencer outreach combine New York, NY 10018 312/565-3900 to reinforce messages, establish 212/967-5510 Fax: 312/565-1770 brand leadership and drive busi- www.MarketingMaven.com _ Continued on page 20

18 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION

Profiles of Social Media PR Firms

all this to help your bottom-line cial media practice is a huge part of and build your business. So get in how we do this. touch. We’re all ears. Data Based. Consumer Focused. Action Oriented. We use consum- er-centric insights to form an un- RF|Binder derstanding of what drives digital action - using the digital world to 950 Third Ave., 7th flr. get consumers to do something in New York, NY 10022 212/994-7600 the physical one. Our expertise [email protected] includes best-in-class strategists www.rfbinder.com and flawless end-to-end execution and delivery. From copywriting to At RF|Binder, we understand campaign generation, media buy how social media has revolution- to asset generation, influencer re- ized the way people communicate, lations to studio content, we've got create content, and influence one it handled. And, we believe every another. With today’s technology, engagement must drive results creating, sharing, or broadcasting higher with real-time optimization. content is easier than ever, caus- Our clients and projects include ing a new, cluttered landscape to Target, Coca-Cola, DreamWorks, emerge. Now, over 211 million The Weinstein Company, Hasbro, pieces of digital content are cre- GRAMMY Awards, and Universal ated each minute by over 3 billion Studios Hollywood. people, which makes it challeng- ing for brands to break through the clutter, reach relevant audiences, Schneider and ensure communications aren’t ­Associates fragmented. Our team specializes in develop- Member of the Worldcom Public ing campaigns that drive conversa- Relations Group Marketing Maven CEO & President Lindsey Carnett (left) spoke about so- tions. We have brought together a 2 Oliver Street, Suite 402 cial media marketing at the Entrepreneur 360 conference in Long Beach, unique digital team, with talented Boston, MA 02109 CA. professionals that offer a blend of 617/536-3300 creative intuition and analytical [email protected] prowess. Using those creative ide- www.schneiderpr.com Ann Barlow, Partner & President, ation skills, and powerful data, we Joan Schneider, Chief Executive MARKETING MAVEN West Coast dig to find audience insights, craft Officer & Founder Deborah Brown, Partner & _ Continued from page 18 powerful messages, and identify Phil Pennellatore, President ­Managing Director the right platforms to reach — and Jacqueline Kolek, Partner & more importantly, connect with Since 2004, SA has been a leader crucial to building brand ambassa- ­Managing Director key stakeholders. We create digital in social media, digital influence dors. We offer A/B testing, social Maggie O’Neill, Partner & programs that successfully gener- and engagement. We are constantly media advertising, social listening ­Managing Director ate “talk value”, build community, evolving our social advocacy and (identifying competitive share of Peppercomm is an independently and cultivate strong relationships. digital influence practice to help voice, sentiment analysis, and key owned 21-year-old integrated com- With our holistic communications clients navigate the shifting land- influencers), content development, munications and marketing agency approach, we integrate digital and scape and harness the impact of social media customer service, in- headquartered in New York with social media programming into our powerful social networks through fluencer engagement, live-event offices in San Francisco and Lon- client’s overarching communica- paid and organic campaigns. coverage, manage viral campaigns, don. Helping clients see around tions strategies. The result? Stron- At SA, our fully integrated ap- promotions, page development as the corner and determine what’s ger communications programs that proach starts with building listen- well as analytics on demographics, next sets Peppercomm apart from reach your target audience at all ing programs, refining messaging, reach and engagement. other integrated communications touchpoints, build advocacy and curating content, developing au- Marketing Maven is 8(a) certi- and marketing firms. It enables have meaningful impact on your dience personas, identifying and fied by the U.S. Small Business us to push boundaries while miti- business. engaging influencers, designing Administration, Women’s Business gating risk for clients in financial creative and compelling program Enterprise (WBE), has WOSB sta- services, consumer, B-to-B and concepts, and cultivating cam- tus with the government and DBE, multi-industry sectors. Rogers & Cowan paigns that build relationships and CUCP and CPUC certification. Our unique approach and dy- drive results. We help brands stand namic workplace attract the best 1840 Century Park East, 18th Floor out in social media and use digital Peppercomm, talent who, in turn, help us win Los Angeles, CA 90067 technologies to grow businesses and retain the best clients. While 310/854-8161 from start-ups to Fortune 500 com- Inc. we’ve won countless awards, [email protected] www.rogersandcowan.com panies. we’re most proud of being named Schneider Associates is a 470 Park Ave. South Best Place to Work in New York Mark Owens, CEO full-service public relations and 4th Floor North City by Crain’s New York Business integrated marketing communi- New York, NY 10016 and a Best Workplace for Wom- Rogers & Cowan is a leading cations agency specializing in 212/931-6100 en by Great Place to Work® and entertainment marketing com- Launch Public Relations®, a pro- [email protected] ­Fortune. munications agency representing prietary method of launching new www.peppercomm.com Our combined years of deep cat- talent and brands, with offices in and revitalizing iconic products, Steve Cody, Co-CEO & egory experience and love of what Los Angeles, New York, and Lon- services, companies, institutions Co-Founder­ we do shapes our work. We engage don. Our firm is not just on top of and communities to build aware- Ed Moed, Co-CEO & ­Co-Founder your audiences on every level and what's trending, authentic and hot ness, excitement, and sales. Visit Ted Birkhahn, Partner & President set your brand apart. And we do right now-we create it-and our so- www.schneiderpr.com. 

20 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION People in PR

Railroad and Breslin Realty. Network, science policy analyst at the US Gershon Kekst dies at 82 He was a founding member of the PR Pro- Food and Drug Administration, and com- fessionals of Long Island and received its munications chief of the Genome Institute ershon Kekst, Founder and Chair- Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. An at the US National Institutes of Health. man emeritus of corporate, financial Accredited member of PR Society of Amer- Thompson will be based in Spectrum’s Gand M&A communications advisory ica, he was elected to its College of Fellows. D.C. headquarters and report to Mary Con- giant Kekst and Company, died on March Blankman was director of PR for the New way, Executive VP of Media Strategy.  17 in New York. He was 82. York State Joint Legislative Committee on Founded in 1970, Transportation and was Press Secretary to Kekst’s agency became its chair for the late New York State Senator PN taps digital expert a highly-sought com- John Caemmerer, who Garrett munications advisor also chaired the State among senior man- Committee on Trans- orter Novelli has appointed Eddie agement and boards portation. Garrett as Executive VP, Global Dig- of directors of private His civic participa- Pital Strategies. Garrett comes over institutions and pub- tion included service from Weber Shandwick, where he led a licly-traded compa- on North Hempstead’s team of data analysts and digital specialists nies. Headquartered in Gershon Kekst Planning Board and as executive VP, head of strategy. New York — and later, its Housing Authori- Garrett is a PN retread, having served opening a second outpost in San Francisco ty and serving as chair Howard Blankman as Director of its dig- — the agency under Kekst’s leadership was of the Nassau County ital practice in Wash- an industry leader in advising companies Planning Committee and as a member of ington, D.C. This time on mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies the County’s Board of Assessors. Gover- he’ll be based in Chica- and restructurings and litigation support, nor George Pataki named him to the Long go and report to chief as well as crisis communications, media Island Regional Economic Development operating officer and relations and corporate governance issues. Council. chief client officer Nick Kekst played a key role in some of the Blankman was a writer and Associate Propper. largest corporate transactions in U.S. his- Producer of WABC-TV’s “Who Do You Garrett’s background Eddie Garrett tory, including KKR’s takeover of RJR-Na- Trust” starring Johnny Carson. He served includes three years at bisco, Chrysler Corp.’s merger with Daim- as President of the Great Neck Symphony Edelman, serving as ex- ler-Benz AG, Walt Disney’s purchase of Society, vice chair of the Nassau Symphony ecutive GVP in their consumer marketing Capital Cities/ABC, Ron Perelman’s buyout Orchestra, and as a Director of the Long Is- practice and senior VP in the digital strat- of Revlon, Time Inc.’s merger with Warner land Philharmonic. egy group. Highlights of his client expe- Communications and McGraw Hill’s suc- He attended Franklin & Marshall College rience are ConAgra Foods, Jim Beam, the cessful defense of an unsolicited bid from and West Chester State Teachers College IRS Disney Institute and the Federal De- American Express. and during World War II was a member, posit Insurance Corporation.  The agency was sold to French conglom- 514th Airborne Infantry Regiment. erate Publicis Groupe in 2008 for an undis- Survivors include the former Donna closed amount. Mr. Kekst stepped down as Farnsworth Smith, his wife of 50 years; Notre Dame enrolls Gib- Kekst CEO in 2010. Jeremy Fielding now children Deborah, Michael, Diana, Mat- bons for academic PR serves as Kekst president and CEO. thew and Sarah, and her fiancé, David Tr- Before founding the agency that would zaska, and three grandchildren.  atrick Gibbons, who leads commu- bear his name, Kekst was stationed at Ruder nications for the Johns Hopkins Uni- Finn (then Ruder & Finn), which he joined Pversity Applied Physics Laboratory, is in 1959, and worked alongside co-found- WaPo Health Section slated to move to the University of Notre er William Ruder, who would become his Editor Joins Spectrum Dame as executive director of academic mentor. Kekst eventually led the agency's communications next month. West Coast operations. pectrum Science Communications, Gibbons’ appointment comes after a na- He is survived by his wife, Carol Schapiro independent health and science PR tional search. ND Provost Thomas Burish Kekst, sons David and Joseph, and grand- agency in Washington, D.C., has said Gibbons was the  S children. named Larry Thompson Senior VP, me- “overwhelming choice” dia. Most recently, he of a search committee was the Senior Director and praised the veteran Howard Blankman, PR of Communications at communicator’s strate- vet, civic leader, dies Johnson & Johnson’s gic and tactical experi- Office of the Chief ence in higher educa- oward Blankman, 91, a PR counselor Medical Officer. tion, government and who was a leader in community af- Thompson co-found- the non-profit sector. Hfairs and an accomplished composer ed The Washington Gibbons, a former Patrickl Gibbons and musician, died March 17 at his home in Post’s Health section PAO in the US Marine Larry Thompson Port Washington, L.I. and served as the Sci- Corps, directed communications for the He founded The Blankman Group in ence Editor for that part Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality 1968 which he sold in 2004. His many cli- of the paper. Other experience includes before a stint as VP of Communications for ents had included Cablevision, Long Island broadcast correspondent for Medical News the Research Triangle Institute. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 21 FEATURE A new approach to influencer marketing Is the way you’re practicing influencer marketing putting your ­organization at risk? It’s time for a new approach. • Treat third-party influencers like media By Doug Simon instead of a brand rep to amplify your ex- pert’s message without the risk Google search of “What’s Wrong experts to their audiences without the risk. • Invite media and influencers to have a with Influencer Marketing?” gen- These outside influencers can amplify your conversation with your leader via video A erates more than 28 million results. message by interacting with your experts, that can be shared by all parties Influencer Marketing is popular because it via video and sharing the content with • Create custom video content with your works, but clearly there are problems with their audiences on Facebook, Snapchat, experts designed to be distributed by spe- the way it’s currently being practiced. Are Instagram or Twitter as well as tradition- cific influencers you building long term value? Are you put- al broadcast channels. This provides a safe • Create video series ting your brand’s trust and authenticity at harbor for your brand while building the where your experts in- risk? amount of influence your expert or leader teract with influencers As practiced today, we’ll see the law of has — all key factors for growth. • Post video fea- diminishing returns take effect with in- Here are some tactics that work With turing your experts fluencer marketing. As Gary Vaynerchuk, Influencer Media Tours your spokespeo- on your social media CEO of VaynerMedia says “marketers ruin ple will be interviewed by influencers on platforms that can be everything.” As we go from the Kardashians television, radio, online and through social used as a tool to pitch to micro-influencers, what could go wrong? media channels. Influencer Media Packages the media and pro- It’s time to flip the script on the traditional provide custom content with your experts mote initiatives. approach to influencer marketing. Instead directly to influencers in your space. As • Remember you Doug Simon of working with influencers as brand reps, part of an Influencer Video Series, your in- save money using an we need to be promoting our own experts. house expert engages in conversations with in-house expert. Use that to expand reach. We need to redefine influencer marketing. key opinion leaders, business prospects and Something needs to change. We’ve seen According to the 2017 Edelman Trust online influencers to expand your reach. many examples of how influencer market- Barometer, trust for business is 27% higher Some other useful tools are Influencer Jun- ing can go wrong. Take for example Dis- than trust for government and 21% higher kets and Digital Press Conferences that al- ney’s alignment with YouTube megastar than trust for media. NGOs are even more low you to generate media coverage around Pewdiepie. Earlier this year, reports sur- trusted. So, why are we risking our authen- the globe. With any approach authenticity faced of anti-Semitic content in Pewdiepie’s ticity by putting our brand’s reputation in is key and leveraging your internal experts videos and Disney had to quickly distance the hands of outside influencers? Is there a is more cost-effective and ensures your themselves to protect its brand. smarter way to partner with influencers to brand messaging is delivered in the most Bad behavior is not the only risk. grow your brand and your influence with- reliable way possible. Third-party influencers hired by brands out the risk? Leaders at major brands understand the as media spokespeople can be less familiar Andy Polansky, CEO at Weber Shand- power of an authentic spokesperson. We with the story and more prone to error and wick noted “the strong link between corpo- recently worked with the Head of Products misstatements. During a partnership with rate reputation and CEO engagement” in a at Check Point Software Technologies, Mi- Adidas last year, supermodel Naomi Camp- recent press release. This approach builds chael Shaulov, who served as the spokes- bell accidentally copied and pasted an entire long term value for your organization. This person for his company’s recent media out- email from the Adidas marketing team in approach builds authenticity and trust. reach. He had this to say about the benefits the caption of an Instagram post that read: Surprisingly, turning your experts into of using internal leaders as spokespeople: “Naomi, so nice to see you in good spirits!!! influencers also helps to earn media across “Dealing with customers, we are in the Could you put something like: Thanks to platforms. The D S Simon Media Brand field, we are in the ecosystem day and night. my friend @gary.aspden and all at adidas Video Communications Report found, your When we talk about those topics we are way — loving these adidas 350 SPZL from the in-house experts outperform third-party more credible then someone you might adidas Spezial range. @adidaso- spokespeople. In the report, 200 brand com- bring from outside because we can bring riginals” A lack of authenticity in influencer municators were surveyed. 84% of them re- real examples that we’ve experienced over marketing is going to be a growing concern. ported being satisfied or very satisfied with the last couple of weeks, relevant informa- Increasingly, your key audiences value their own expert’s ability to earn media, tion that we’ve captured from our custom- trust and authenticity. Your own experts more than double the level when using out- ers. With the industry today, this goes way and leaders know the story and subject side experts. PR agency people also found better than anything else.” Nicole Hayes, an matter. They need far less training and are in-house experts outperformed outside in-house spokesperson for Toys’R’Us also less likely to be flustered by an unexpected spokespeople. This matches our internal re- said “We truly value what we do in bringing question. By investing in your own people sults when clients feature in-house experts our expert toy opinions and baby opinions instead of outside experts you are position- during Influencer Media Tours. Perhaps it’s to media so you get that inside look and ing your organization for long-term growth. time to remember the forgotten influencer that true expert opinion from us directly.” You can create content that feeds your social inside your organization. D S Simon Media is partnering with equi- media eco-system. You can provide a plat- But do outside influencers still have a ties.com, House Party, Inc, Looksmart and form for your leadership. Your leaders are role? Yes. Instead of working with influ- The DGTL Advisors to amplify messag- the forgotten influencers no more. encers as brand reps, we recommend part- es. Our influencer marketing division has Doug Simon is CEO of D S Simon Media, nering with them as media bringing your these tips to get the best results: an influencer marketing company.

22 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM New media platforms, new options for PSAs Public service campaigns have entered a new age. They can reach mass audiences through tradition- al media like television and radio stations or can be highly targeted through digital channels and other non-traditional media. By Annette Minkalis

ublic Service Announcements have the value of the media time donated by the to accomplish because these digital plat- a lot more to offer today than in past stations). These gift-in-kind donations are forms have captured key information based Pyears when the only option was earned reported on a nonprofit’s financial state- on registration forms completed by the lis- placements on television and radio stations. ment. In doing so, it can help an organi- tener. Gender, age, ethnicity and other key While broadcast is still a main component, zation’s ratio of expenses: how much they information is readily available. Try to reach campaigns now are more integrated by in- spend on their mission versus on overhead moms of a certain age corporating new channels, channels that or fundraising costs. This ratio is important group? We can make offer the ability to reach online audiences to donors because they want to make sure sure your PSA plays as well as precisely deliver messages to spe- their donations are going to be spent help- to women in that age cific audience demographics or in certain ing the cause, rather than salaries or rent. group that have kids. geographies. The one-two punch of broad Charity rating services such as the Better Need to reach a spe- general awareness, coupled with precise Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance or cific geographic? Some audience targeting, is often a good combi- Charity Navigator provide ratings based of these platforms can nation for many campaigns. Traditional? on an organization’s spending ratio, and target message deliv- Non-traditional? Here’s the latest and what potential donors look to these rating ser- ery down to zip code. you need to know. vices to help them evaluate the best place In addition, be- Annette I. Minkalis Traditional media for their dollars. cause these are paid While the FCC long ago stopped requir- Beyond broadcast, the out of home media placements, the PSA creative can push the ing broadcast stations to air PSAs, there companies offer donated space to nonprof- boundaries a bit. Where broadcast cam- will always be a need for them. With all it organizations. Public service campaigns paigns are limited because they can’t have the commercial slots throughout the pro- can be posted in malls, airports, bus shel- commercial ID or directly appeal for dona- gramming day, stations simply can’t sell ters, train interiors and many other places. tions, these digital platforms are more open every single spot. Therefore, PSAs are ac- Non-traditional media to this kind of content. tually needed to fill the gap. And contrary While traditional media embraces public Other targeted non-traditional options in- to a common misconception that spots service campaigns to fill unsold advertising clude a video pre-roll (delivering your PSA only air in the overnight hours, a recent space, the social and digital media channels to a viewer who is online and about to watch analysis of over 1.8 mil- a video with subject in line lion airings generated by with your PSA) or search in- campaigns distributed by tent, behavioral targeting and Connect360 Multimedia, site retargeting campaigns found that 72 percent of reaching consumers whose airings occurred during online behavior indicates they waking day parts, and in would have an interest in the fact, radio had a strong messaging of your PSA. showing of PSA airings in Traditional? Non-tradition- the coveted morning and al? A blend? evening drive times, the PSAs television equivalent of To know what’s right for you, prime time. keep in mind that the most One of the best advan- successful campaigns come tages to broadcast PSAs about when the goals are dis- is the ability to provide cussed in advance. What’s im- sustained coverage over an extended peri- do not have the same need. These channels portant: generating large impressions num- od of time. Once a station accepts a PSA, are so wildly popular with advertisers that bers, targeting specific age groups, driving it can stay in rotation for three months, six there is little or no “free” space available so website traffic, getting audiences to take a months, a year and even longer. That’s a placements generally need to be paid. specific action or generating earned media lot of value from just a single distribution. Where traditional media is about values? Once your campaign’s objectives are Compare this coverage to most non-tradi- reaching masses and extended coverage, identified, the best media distribution plan tional placements, where the placement pe- non-traditional media is all about targeting can easily fall into place. riod is usually for a defined timeframe from and honing in on a specific audience or ge- If you need a visual, the chart on this page one week to a month. ography. helps map campaign goals to the right me- Another key benefit to a broadcast cam- PSAs placed on digital platforms such as dia mix. paign is that it is earned media whereas Pandora, Spotify, Hulu, and iHeart Radio Annette I. Minkalis is a Partner and Exec- most other platforms are paid media. The offer the ability to target a very specific au- utive Vice President with Connect360 Mul- benefit to the earned media is the gift-in- dience so that your message only plays to timedia. She can be reached at aminkalis@ kind contribution that it throws off (this is that audience. The precise targeting is easy c360m.com.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 23 FEATURE Live video content is blowing up Responses from a 2017 survey of more than 1,500 corporate, non-profit and agency communicators ­suggest that live streaming events and platforms including Facebook Live are in demand for 2017, ­second only to video content strategy, creative and production. By Andrew Krause

016 will be remembered as the year this next level, but it is only possible after with the ability to share powerful emotions brands discovered live video stream- the communications team commits to regu- with real people is helping non-profits at- 2ing. Driven by a host of new applica- lar town halls with flawless execution. tract and retain loyal audiences. tions from Facebook Live including Hot Emotional engagement for non-profits Live video content is here to stay, but Topics, Q&A, Breaking News, Interview, And then there’s the emotional element. your execution must Performance, Behind the Scenes, Watch- Live streaming video content can deliver an be flawless. Flawless With and Demo, live video content for emotional human touch. Combined with live execution is just as brands is blowing up in 2017. endless platform-neutral and omni-chan- important as the idea As live video experts with thousands of nel applications, live video content has a behind your commu- high-profile live broadcasts in our port- bright future with non-profits. nications campaign. folio of successful productions, AKA has You can’t be effective helped pioneer the use of live streaming for utilizing one without brands, corporations and non-profits. Here the other. Users, espe- are three ideas for your live streaming ef- cially younger users, forts in 2017. hate buffering more Andrew Krause Brand journalism than anything else. Live video content creates urgency and In 2017, our firm is working with brands, helps build trust in your Brand Journalism corporations and non-profits to produce efforts by breaking down barriers between live video streams anywhere, all the time. consumers and the brands they admire. As live video content blows up this year, Engagement is heightened because of the the possibilities for creative, relation- “anything can happen” nature of the live Source: AKA Customer Feedback Survey 2017 ship-building applications are nearly lim- moment. This transparency is becoming itless. the expected social media experience. As non-profits continue to adopt live Andrew Krause is Founder and CEO of Live video streaming creates urgency. video streaming best practices, building video content, live streaming events and in- When a brand goes live from their Facebook loyal audiences with strategic celebrity and tegrated satellite media tours provider AKA page, users receive a notification. The longer social influencer partnerships, critical en- MEDIA INC This article originally appeared the live stream goes, the more opportunity gagement with key audiences is increasing. on the AKA MEDIA INC blog: www.aka- there is for people to join. Understanding This combination of reach and precision mediainc.com/brandstory  the content as live, with an unforeseen end- ing in the future, a sense of urgency is creat- Digital editors now out-earn print counterparts ed between the user and the brand. Because of this, users engage with a live video three ccording to the annual Editorial Sal- creased in 2016 for editors at the managing times longer than a normal video. ary Survey by magazine-media news and associate levels: 2.3 percent for man- Additionally, about 90 percent of users Asite Folio, editors of all levels working aging editors, and 7.4 percent for associate say video quality is the most important fac- at digital publications are now consistently editors. tor in deciding what to watch. out-earning editors whose publications are The survey also notes that fewer bonuses Global town halls still read mostly in print. among editors in 2016 contributed to stag- Live video content communicates trans- Editors-in-chief working for digital plat- nant wage growth. parency and trust for a brand, and the same forms reported an average annual salary The survey also found a continuing lack is true for internal communication within of $113,000 in 2016, compared to $76,000 of parity along gender lines in the edito- a company. With regular, live, global town for print editors-in-chief. Managing editors rial world, especially among senior-level halls, CEOs can communicate directly and at digital pubs accounted for an average of editors. Male editors-in-chief out-earned intimately with a global audience of em- $83,000 last year, compared to $62,700 for their female counterparts last year by an ployees who naturally appreciate the trans- print managing editors. Associate editors average of more than 17 percent, with an parency. stationed at digital mags received an average average annual salary of $94,000 for males Video streaming town halls is not new. But of $62,000 in 2016, compared to $54,800 for compared to $80,200 for women. The an- in 2017, clients are taking advantage of live print associate editors. nual pay among male managing editors in employee engagement and broadcasts from Overall, the survey found salaries for U.S. 2016 was $75,000, compared to $70,600 for all corners of the globe. This development magazine editors remained consistent with females, and salaries among male associate is flipping the traditional CEO-from-HQ 2015 salary figures. When it comes to po- editors in 2016 was $60,600 while salaries model on its head. Today, innovative global sitions at a senior level, however, earnings among female associate editors with the enterprises are switching up the locations actually dipped: editors-in-chief earned a same job was $48,000. from where they live stream, shrinking bar- median base salary of $86,000 in 2016, a 3.3 The survey noted that a greater share of riers and creating a global experience like percent decrease from what they earned the respondents identify as digital editors each never before. Visionary CEOs understand year prior. On the other hand, salaries in- year. 

24 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Facebook native videos outpace competing formats A recent study reveals that videos directly uploaded to Facebook are now widely outperforming other video content posted to the social media network. By Jon Gingrich

ser video content that’s uploaded formats accounted for an additional seven directly to Facebook now accounts percent. Ufor a much larger share of the video Quintly’s findings suggest that the per- posted, viewed and shared over the so- centage of Facebook users who post Face- cial media network, according to a March book native videos is surging: a compara- study released by San Francisco-based me- ble Quintly study from last year revealed dia analytics company Quintly. that only 65 percent of videos broadcast on Findings from Quintly’s Facebook Video Facebook were Facebook native videos. Study suggest not only that more people Perhaps these findings shouldn’t be sur- and businesses are posting video content prising, considering Facebook’s algorithm to Facebook than ever (which reinforc- gives preference to native video when de- es the urgency for brands to use video in termining what content is shown in users’ their Facebook campaigns), but the fact news feeds. that Facebook native videos are quickly When it comes to the interactions videos becoming the default video format on the on the social media network receive, Face- platform, a format to which social media book native videos were found to outper- marketers may wish to take note. form other video formats. Facebook native The study found that 90 percent of the videos performed 109.67 percent better that 84 percent — or about 5 million vid- Facebook profiles it analyzed featured than YouTube insofar as the total num- eos — were Facebook native videos. You- Facebook native videos, which includes ber of reactions, comments and shares a Tube accounted for a little more than 10 Facebook Live videos. By contrast, the per- post these videos received. When it comes percent, and other formats accounted for centage of Facebook profiles that posted to shares alone, Facebook native videos five percent. Vimeo accounted for only .22 YouTube videos accounted for only about yielded, on average, a 477.8 percent higher percent. a third of this (30 percent). Only two per- share rate than YouTube videos. The Quintly study analyzed 167,000 pro- cent of timelines featured content from However, of all the videos posted to files and more than six million posts be- video-sharing website Vimeo. Other video Facebook, the Quintly study also found tween July and December 2016.  Why and how concept video gets ROI Many successful businesses are still not using professionally scripted and produced video marketing content. Your script and produced video should By John Carter hit the following marks: Grab the viewer’s attention immediate- ideo is expected to make up 80 per- ing to IgnitionOne’s Q4 Digital Marketing ly. This is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposi- cent of all Internet traffic by 2019, Report. Also, mobile interactions in Q4 tion, shoot for your immediate market. Vaccording to a study by information 2016 grew by 25 percent while desktop de- Build trust. If the customer trusts it, technology and networking giant Cisco. creased by 13 percent. Desktop still holds they’re likely to buy/engage. Humans can read on average 200 words a slight lead though at 54 percent of all vis- Build emotion. Re- per minute but can comprehend video at 30 itors. member that buying images per second. More than 60 percent of marketers and decisions are made Try flashing a picture in front of someone small business owners plan to increase in- with emotion. for one second, then show 200 words on a vestment in video marketing in 2017. Explain the win- page for the same amount of time. You can Many successful businesses, however, ning or losing prop- guess how much more information will be are still not using professionally scripted osition. Make it very retained by looking at the picture. and produced video marketing content, re- clear what the viewer Studies have shown that consumers pre- ferred to as concept video. will gain if they buy/ fer to watch a video about a product or ser- Technology has had a big impact on the engage and what will vice by a ratio of four to one. production of engaging video, cutting the be lost if they don’t. John Carter More than 60 percent of initial impres- cost by 50 percent compared to 10 years Make it easy to buy/ sions now occur on mobile devices, often ago. engage. Clearly, ex- plain or show how on a five-inch screen. Would you rather Script and concept are key to success. to buy/engage with you. read or watch on a screen of that size? Don’t hire a video production company, in- John Carter is President of Potomac Digital Mobile spend by digital marketers was up stead hire a marketer/writer that produces Group, a script-to-screen video production 69 percent year-over-year in 2016, accord- commercial video. agency in Alexandria, VA. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 25 O’Dwyer’s guide to VIDEO & BROADCAST FIRMS

AKA MEDIA INC.

142 E. Ontario St., Suite 1600 Chicago, IL 60076 800/996-9432 [email protected] www.akamediainc.com

Andrew Krause, Executive ­Producer & CEO Every company in the world communicates with video, and the world’s most-trusted brands trust AKA. We create strategic video content, live streaming events and integrated media tours sharing the emotions of real people, celebri- ties, athletes and CEOs. Our ability to consult, audit vid- eo content processes and provide cost effective production and syn- dication eliminates waste, reduces costs, and improves business out- comes. We deliberately cultivate our world-class reputation for pre- mium video content strategy, ser- vice and value. Capabilities: video content strat- egy; production and distribution; Toys “R” Us Spokesmom Nicole Hayes during her Influencer Media Tour with D S Simon Media. media tours; brand journalism and video storytelling; branded social media content strategy; that resonates with your audience, Joan Auritt, President D S Simon Media keeps them engaged and brings global internal and external video Auritt Communications Group is communications; corporate so- value to their lives. Our innate understanding of story relevance a full-service broadcast and online 229 West 36th St., 9th Floor cial responsibility documentaries; PR production company provid- New York, NY 10018 and personal relationships with TV 212/736-2727 consumer-facing content; strate- ing creative multi-platform solu- gic b2b content; highlight reels, producers and media influencers Fax: 212/736-7040 throughout the country gets your tions that meet our clients’ specif- [email protected] sizzle reels, award entry videos; ic needs. Whatever industry we video editing, audio, graphics and story heard. We’ll help you deliv- Twitter: @DSSimonMedia er your messages seamlessly and work in — healthcare, food and Facebook: www.facebook.com/ effects; comprehensive earned, nutrition, entertainment, publish- DSSimonMedia/ owned and paid content strategy with style utilizing our high-end production capabilities (including ing, finance, tech — our producers Instagram: @DSSimonMedia production; syndicated distribution partner with you to find the most and metrics. film-style shooters and graphic de- signers). Artisan’s in-studio and effective story to tell. Our close, Doug Simon, CEO & Owner on location satellite junkets include enduring relationships with the Artisan quality bookings that are actually media result in the highest quality Satellite Media Tours have be- seen, spot-on custom craft services bookings. Our creatively designed come Influencer Marketing Tours ­Production and a fresh, modern design aesthet- cost-effective production packages as part of our new Influencer Mar- House ic ... because taste matters. Addi- increase brand awareness, reaching keting Division. Working with tional services include exclusive influencers and targeted audiences partners House Party Inc., The launch event integrations, stunning in prime media markets. Through DGTL ADVISORS, Looksmart 110 East 25th Street and Equities.com, we get spokes- Neuehouse, 2nd Floor branded content food videos, orig- carefully honed strategy and skilled New York, NY 10010 inal book videos and select match- execution, our team of media ex- people from leading brands and 347/351-4804 making between celebrity talent perts and network credentialed pro- non-profits in the media through Vimeo: vimeo.com/ and brands. ducers delivers promised results. Influencer Media Tours, Video Se- artisanproductionhouse What we do: Video Production ries, Media Packages and Junkets. Auritt for Broadcast, Web, Corporate Partnering with influencers, we ex- Erin Lahey Schwitter, Producer/ Events, Training; TV Satellite, Ra- tend their reach through YouTube, Partner ­Communications dio, Online Media Tours; Integrat- Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat [email protected] and online media using the power Kara Leibowitz, Producer/Partner Group ed Media Tours; Partner and Co-op [email protected] Media Tours; Media Training; So- of video. We specialize in signifi- cial Media Campaigns; Webcasts cantly increasing media place- Artisan Production House is 555 8th Ave., Suite 709 and Live Streamed Interactive ments for content cross-platform New York, NY 10018 for client campaigns. The result: a full service production house 212/302-6230 Events; Video, Audio, Multimedia specializing in food & lifestyle [email protected] News Releases; B-Roll Packages; grow your organization and its in- publicity. We create brand content www.auritt.com PSAs. fluence.

26 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Video & Broadcast Firms Goldman tours, B-roll, Internet media tours, tions has worked with PR and mar- Media has the passion, know-how customized media days, radio me- keting professionals to craft clear, and commitment to deliver on its ­McCormick PR dia tours, radio news releases, print engaging messages that get heard promises. media pitching and placement, cor- on air and online to support your Services include: Single & Co- 516/639-0988 porate video, and much more. As brand. 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ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 27 w Profiles of Video & Broadcast Firms edit suites. The team is managed by an experienced creative direc- tor with a career that has spanned traditional, digital and social media advertising; creative, production and post-production work is han- dled by a versatile staff of planners, creative directors, copywriters, digital strategists, designers and editors. The client roster includes the world’s most recognizable and admired consumer brands such as Diageo, P&G, Mercedes-Benz and Allstate. With a diverse network of content creators, production crews and studios, Taylor Digital has strategically placed its resources to handle a wide range of assign- ments, coast-to-coast and world- wide, at marquee events, from ma- jor sports venues to Hollywood red carpets.

WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS, In the fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” slow and steady won the race for the tortoise. In real life, the tortoise was the featured player in another win – this time, for Taylor, when a spot the agency originally created for Inc. social media distribution was selected by long-time client partner Diageo to run as a national television ad on the popular “Jimmy Kimmel Live” program. The spot, which featured two live tortoises used interchangeably 5028 Wisconsin Avenue NW during production, was created to generate excitement and awareness for a series of limited-edition cans for Suite 100 Guinness Draught beer. Washington, DC 20016 202/638-3400 washingtonindependentproduc- tions.com Strauss Media television outlets. We provide a scale events such as the Clinton sue@washingtonindependentpro- complete solution including the Global Initiative and the major ductions.com Strategies, Inc. booking of all of the interviews, auto shows; major companies like Twitter: @SueStolov studio rental and equipment, satel- Google, Capital One, Facebook 529 14th St., N.W., #1163 lite uplink, make-up and catering and General Motors; and we have Susan Stolov, Director/Producer/ Nat’l Press Bldg. Writer Washington, DC 20045 services, and all of the technical worked on dozens of local, state 202/638-0200 and production needs to make your and federal political campaigns. Fax: 202/638-0400 SMT the most successful it can be. The company is also proud to be At Washington Independent Pro- [email protected] Strauss Media also conducts radio on the official GSA Schedule. ductions, we’re passionate about www.straussmedia.com and television ground tours, de- achieving goals and getting re- livering high-level in-studio and sults. Our award-winning films are Richard Strauss, President on-location interviews. Moreover, T aylor found online, in corporate board Celebrating our third decade, we script, produce, and distribute rooms, at fundraising events, Strauss Media Strategies, Inc., targeted Bits and B-Roll packages The Empire State Building shared on Facebook and Twitter, for television; for radio, audio news 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3800 on the big screen at meetings and is the nation’s premier public re- New York, NY 10118 lations, communications, and releases to the nation’s largest ra- conventions and broadcast on TV. 212/714-1280 Whether we are interviewing sen- strategy firm specializing in radio dio networks with the best “guar- www.taylorstrategy.com and television. Not just another anteed-placement” in the industry. ators, CEOs, employees or people “crank it out booking service,” Clients include political groups Jon Resnik, Chief Creative Officer on the street — we can tell their Strauss Media Strategies works such as the DNC and the DLC; ad- Matt Adam, SVP, Productions story. closely with its clients to develop vocacy groups like the Partnership You know a picture is worth a campaign-specific strategies and for a Healthier America (PHA) and Taylor’s full service content thousand words but did you know a tactics that get results. Collective- The Sierra Club; award-winning studio, Taylor Digital, specializes video is worth more than a million; ly, our staff brings more than 175 PR firms like Burson-Marsteller, in the sports, lifestyle, and enter- that viewers retain 65 percent more years of broadcast experience and Edelman, Hill & Knowlton, and tainment space. From commercial from visual material vs. 10 percent judgment to our clients. We spe- Ketchum; non-profit clients like video production and live stream- from text; and that you can learn cialize in booking radio tours with Safe Kids Worldwide, the Ameri- ing to animation and real-time so- which video segments interest your national news networks, nationally can Jewish Committee (AJC) and cial content, Taylor Digital helps viewers the most. syndicated shows, and statewide, MADD; government agencies like brands engage with consumers More than your average video regional, and local radio outlets the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and in creative and unexpected ways, production company, we offer ser- in each of the nation’s nearly 300 CPSC; associations such as the US across a variety of platforms. Con- vices ranging from research and radio markets. Strauss Media can Conference of Mayors, National veniently located in the iconic Em- message development, scriptwrit- also pitch, book and produce top Urban League, and the National pire State Building, Taylor Digital ing, media outreach, distribution tier Satellite Media Tours reach- Law Enforcement Officers Me- offers a state-of-the-art broadcast and analytics analysis, to social ing local, regional and national morial Fund (NLEOMF); large- facility featuring client-friendly media strategy and more. 

28 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION

OPINION Professional Development The Spokesman’s role: Rockefeller v. Trump By Fraser Seitel On the occasion of his death, it seems fit- nalists isn’t part of the Trump playbook. ting to compare my job as spokesman for Help with the “why” or more than four decades, I served as Mr. Rockefeller with that of Sean Spicer as Mr. Rockefeller also understood that jour- public relations “spokesman” for David spokesman for Donald Trump. nalists need to know “why” actions are taken Rockefeller, who died in March at the Here’s how David Rockefeller might define or decisions reached. He recognized, as good age of 101. the task of a spokesman and why Mr. Spicer public relations counselors do, that the “who/ F has a lot tougher road to hoe than I ever did. what/where/when/how” are important but It was my privilege to represent Mr. Rocke- feller with the media, first as Public Affairs Respect the reporter’s role not nearly as critical as understanding the ra- Director at Chase Manhattan, where Mr. Mr. Rockefeller, being a Rockefeller, nev- tionale for statements. Rockefeller served er coveted media coverage. He preferred to Watching Mr. Spicer’s daily contortions, as CEO for a dec­ keep his activities private, but as Rockefeller specifically his failure to explain “why” his ade, and then later and the CEO of a major institution, privacy boss believes his inauguration attendance set as public relations simply wasn’t an option. records or “why” Russians espionage wasn’t counsel to the So, he accepted that reporters have a duty to important in the election or “why” Obama Rockefeller family. keep the public informed. And if that meant spied on him, one can see how elusive ex- He was — despite reporting on problems or scandals or things plaining “why” can be. what you might that might make the institution look bad, Don’t play favorites read from conspir- then so be it. Mr. Rockefeller’s eminent fairness always acy theorists and Reporters, he understood, weren’t in busi- shined through in his dealings with the press. angry tweeters — a ness to kiss the buttocks of a CEO or a per- At Chase, we would accommodate all com- son of wealth or the President of the United ers, from sit-downs with the New York Times Fraser P. Seitel has wonderful man, been a communications hard-working and States, for that matter. They were there to re- editorial board to profiles fromFortune consultant, author and kind to a fault. Had port a story, warts and all. to interviews with college journalists. Mr. teacher for more than David Rockefeller Anyone who drops in on a Sean Spicer dai- Rockefeller treated all equally, whether they 30 years. He is the au- not been born a ly news conference, where he regularly lam- approached him in reverence or revulsion. thor of the Prentice-Hall text, The Practice of billionaire, he still bastes the assembled media for following the With a boss who has openly questioned the Public Relations. would have been the wrong stories and emphasizing the wrong “failing” New York Times or the “fake news” world’s nicest guy. aspects, understands that “respect” for jour- CNN or the enemy mainstream media, Mr. Spicer has been criticized for freezing out more hostile reporters in favor of those more hospitable to the Trump administration. Since journalists have long memories and must publish every day, this policy of favor- itism will prove, over the long-term, suicidal. Don’t second-guess your press secretary Finally, what Mr. Rockefeller never did was question either the answers or the loyalty of his press spokesman. That’s not to say Mr. Rockefeller’s spokes- man never made mistakes. (Occasionally, he made some real doozies, like the time he al- lowed an anti-Rockefeller Lyndon Larouche stooge in to interview his client, believing the man’s story that he was a stringer from Forbes! Ooofa!) But Mr. Rockefeller trusted that while his spokesman may not have answered every question in the most well-crafted and appro- priate manner, he never questioned his loyal- ty or professionalism. And so, his spokesman spoke with confidence. Mr. Spicer, on the other hand, likely en- joys no such inherent trust from his client. Indeed, he appears at his daily briefings oc- casionally to be walking on eggshells, fearful that his employer might be in another room watching his performance on television and critiquing every wrong move. Such daily uncertainty in such a high stress job can’t be pleasant. I feel bad for Sean Spicer, and I’m so glad I worked for a Rockefeller as opposed to a Trump. 

30 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Guest Column

Breaking news: nothing’s changed the network. During a discussion on his February 26 program, about Trump’s at- By Arthur Solomon ic beats requiring them to be knowledgeable tacks on the “opposition media” and “fake and write stories laden with facts — the TV news” and the exclusion of the New York n November, I wrote a column on this cable reporters are mostly generalists. Trav- Times, CNN, Politico and other news or- website highly critical of cable TV’s cov- eling with a candidate and repeating what ganizations from a press briefing, Kurtz let Ierage of the 2016 election, and stated that a candidate says, without educating them- an obvious falsehood by Corey Lewandow­ I was done writing about the lessons learned selves about the details of legislation being ski, Trump’s former campaign manager, go from this event. discussed so an intelligent perspective can uncorrected. Lewandowski said the Times What I didn’t say was that I would stop be provided for viewers, doesn’t make the and WSJ get stories wrong and then bury writing about cable reporter an expert. A parrot can do that. the corrections on “page A 97.” Consider- TV’s failure to un- Perhaps another reason is that many cable ing the context of the topic, this was much cover news instead reporters — especially hosts of the daily and more than an exaggeration. Kurtz and Le- of just talking in Sunday programs — are comrades in arms wandowski certainly had to know that both generalities and with their guests. They go to the same in- publications for years prominently printed freeloading on cov- sider parties, socialize with each other, and corrections on page two until March, when erage from print their kids go to the same schools. It’s diffi- the Times changed its format and began publications for cult to look a guest on a program in the eye printing a notification on page two direct- substantive discus- and say, “You’re not telling the truth,” when ing readers to the corrections. But Kurtz let sions. you’re all part of the same social set. Lewandowski’s fake news comment stand. What we’ve seen Most importantly, political guests are the The bottom line is that cable TV hard- is essentially a backbone of cable TV programming. Put ly ever breaks any news. On the extremely Arthur Solomon was rare occasion that a cable political reporter a senior VP at Bur- string of commer- them on the spot and they’ll refuse to par- son-Marsteller. He now cials interrupted by ticipate in the cable TV game. might truly break a story, there’s cynicism is a contributor to pub- egocentric, most- Cable TV pundits have no shame. The about the “exclusive” claim, because of ca- lic relations and sports ly wrong, self-as- same so-called experts — the pundits whose ble’s untruthful “breaking news” utterances business publications, sured, so-called po- predictions and analysis have been wrong so that occur several times an hour. consults on PR projects and is on the Seoul litical experts who often in the past and in the recent presiden- Print publications detail mistakes they Peace Prize nominating provided malprac- tial election — are telling us what will hap- make in news stories with corrections. Ca- committee. He can be tice-like analysis. pen during the Trump administration and ble TV reporters and pundits should do the reached at arthursolo- It’s now been five will also opine what the Democrats must do same. (But don’t hold your breath waiting [email protected]. months and noth- to become relevant in 2018 and 2020. for them to do so.) ing’s changed. The Instead of repeating what political oper- There is one facet of the 2016 election same crew of reporters who were unable atives tell them and pretending it’s “break- coverage that I’ll miss, and it’s definitely not to ask specific questions and counter what ing news,” cable reporters should do some listening to the same pundits continue to Trump’s surrogates said during interviews enterprise reporting. Years ago, major print confidently think they really know what’s — because they didn’t know the facts — publications did away with the one-source happening. I’ll miss the free concerts featur- and the same “expert” analysts who assured story. TV should do the same. What’s need- ing Beyonce, Bruce, Katy and others. They America of a Hillary Clinton victory are still ed is more hard news political reporting, were definitely more entertaining than the at it. like major print pubs do. cable TV news performers, without provid- The shortcomings about political matters In an effort to make viewers think they’re ing reporting and erroneous analysis that by cable beat reporters are obvious. Spokes- hearing inside news, an oft used phrase of might have determined the outcome of the persons for Trump and the Democratic op- cable reporters is, “our sources tell us,” with- election.  ponents still go largely unchallenged. out investigating the veracity of what those TV pundits still confidentially offer their sources disclose. Do they think their “sourc- PR news brief opinions as if they know what they’re talking es” are going to tell them anything that they Study: balance digital, about, even though a good case can be made don’t want the reporter to use? As someone that they’re responsible for Clinton’s defeat who’s worked on local, state and national po- TV ad spend by lulling her voters to remain at home be- litical campaigns, including the presidential Standard Media Index, which analyzes advertis- cause of their non-stop, “it’s in the bag” for level, I know the only information “sources” ing data, in conjunction with Bill Harvey Consulting, Hillary comments. reveal are what they want the reporters to is set to release new data showing the effects an unbalanced TV and digital advertising mix has on The most thoughtful of all the pundits, as use. Like we do in our business. sales. he has been for years, is David Gergen of Shortly after the election, the hot media The study used major auto, quick service restau- CNN. Of the cable TV political shows, “AM topic was “fake news” and how to control it. rants and consumer packaged goods brands as its Joy” on MSNBC is the most continually hard My suggestion: A good place to begin is by subjects. Results show that not only does increased TV ad- hitting. Joy-Ann Reid’s former colleague, eliminating reports by cable news field re- vertising support sales, but there’s an optimal media Tamron Hall, was also a tough interviewer, porters based on sources from the campaign mix between TV and digital to increase sales. as is occasionally Jake Tapper of CNN. But they’re covering The study notes that industry pundits are begin- for the most part, what is served up by cable Extremely disturbing is Fox’s “Media ning to question the effects of digital advertising political programs is soft-questioning pap. Buzz”, a program that’s supposed to critique and brands like P&G are starting to question their shift away from traditional media. There are a few reasons why tough ques- press coverage but has permitted obvious The most successful advertising methods for CPG tioning occurs so infrequently. Unlike print misstatements by guests to go unchallenged. brands studied were broadcast prime time TV, all political reporters — who are immersed in It’s bad enough that host Howard Kurtz of- other TV, and pure-play digital video. the nitty gritty of legislation and have specif- ten acts like a PR person for other shows on

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 31 WASHINGTON REPORT PETA enlists lobbying help on military training bill

nimal welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has tapped Las Vegas-based political consulting Aand public affairs firm RedRock Strategies for legislation recently introduced in the House that involves the use of animals in military training exercises. The Norfolk, VA-based non-profit has retained RedRock to ad- vocate on behalf of H.R. 1243, the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices (BEST) Act. Introduced in February by Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D- GA), the BEST Practices Act would require the Department of De- Sioux Falls, SD-based POET is the largest U.S. ethanol produc- fense to cease the Armed Forces’ use of live animals for training er in the U.S., operating more than two dozen ethanol plants in first responders in the treatment of combat-related injuries. the country and producing about 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol per Currently, the DoD injures, dismembers and kills more than year.  8,500 goats, pigs and other animals each year as a means of training troops. The BEST Practices Act would force the DoD to phase out Glover Park picks Obama alum the use of animal-based training methods entirely within the next five years, and replace animals with the use of high-tech, lifelike lover Park Group has appointed Obama Administration patient simulators that can mimic everything from severe bleed- alum Liz Allen to serve in the role of senior vice president. ing, breathing difficulties and responses to medications, to death. GShe’ll be stationed in the Washington, D.C.-based WPP unit’s The account will be managed by Michael Lisowski, who was strategic communications practice. a former Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV). Allen joins the Democratic lobbying giant after holding a series of Heck joined RedRock as President in February. senior roles in the Obama Administration. Most Washington political tabloid The Hill reported that PETA had recently, she served as deputy communications not hired an outside lobbying firm since 2003. director and deputy assistant to the President, where she led strategic communications plan- ning for Obama’s policy initiatives and public Fuel groups lobby Capitol Hill appearances. She was previously stationed in the White on RFS program House’s communications office, where she was a director of message planning. She was also a di- il and energy trade association the American Fuel & Pet- Liz Allen rector of public affairs and strategic communica- rochemical Manufacturers has retained government affairs tions at the U.S. Department of State, and a deputy communications shop Capitol Counsel LLC for representation in Washing- O director for VP Joe Biden. ton on energy and environmental issues. She previously worked for the 2008 Democratic National Con- AFPM, which was formerly known as the National Petrochem- vention Committee and the Obama-Biden Presidential Campaign. ical & Refiners Association, represents virtually every gasoline, As senior VP, Allen will provide strategic and media counsel for diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil manufacturer and refiner in the firm’s clients. the U.S. The trade group has hired CC, which is headed by for- mer Democratic lobbyist John Raffaelli, for strategic counsel and lobbying support among legislative and executive branch officials CNN hires ex-Trump adviser on issues including the Renewable Fuel Standard program, the federal initiative established by Congress under the Energy Policy ason Miller is CNN’s newest commentator, thought to be a Act of 2005 that requires transportation fuel sold in the U.S. to nod to appease President Trump, who has called the news contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels. Joutlet “terrible” and “fake news.” That controversial program, which amended the Clean Air Act Miller was tapped to be the White House in a bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the country’s Comms Director in late December last year, but reliance on imported oil, was expanded significantly under the resigned only days after getting the position. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which centered A.J. Delgado, a Trump adviser and member of on increasing the production of renewable fuels and ultimately the transition team, called for Miller to resign achieving greater U.S. energy independence. The Environmental and accused him of having an affair, tweeting on Protection Agency sets RFS’ renewable fuel volume requirements Dec. 22, “Congratulations to the baby-daddy be- Jason Miller for each calendar year. ing named WH Comms Director!” Efforts have been made within Congress and among trade Miller issued a statement saying he couldn’t take the post because groups to either repeal the RFS program or lower its compliance of a second daughter on the way in January, paving the way for requirements. Oil and natural gas trade group the American Pe- current Press Secretary Sean Spicer. troleum Institute in February petitioned the EPA to deny pro- This is the second ex-Trump aide to join CNN. Former Cam- posed requests to further alter fuel obligation requirements under paign Manager Corey Lewandowski was hired by CNN President the RFS program. Jeff Zucker last fall, but the deal went bad quickly because of Le- Meanwhile, U.S. biofuel giant POET LLC has hired government wandowski’s non-disclosure agreement with Trump that limited relations firm Heather Podesta + Partners, also on legislative is- his ability to criticize the presidential candidate. Lewandowski quit sues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard. after the election.

32 APRIL 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM International PR News

BGR advocates for Azerbaijan Alston & Bird to provide strategic advice and counsel regard- ing its relations with the United States Congress and the federal GR Government Affairs has been tapped by the Republic of ­government. Azerbaijan’s embassy in Washington D.C. to provide guidance The scope of the work, according to Foreign Agents Registra- Band counsel in a bid to strengthen relations between the U.S. tion Act documents filed in March, will be divided into four key and that oil-rich country. areas, which include: deepening bilateral cooperation between the The nature of the work will involve government affairs and public Government of Kosovo and the United States; expanding Kosovo’s relations services to be performed entirely within the U.S., which bilateral relations and relations with international institutions; as- may include outreach to U.S. government officials, non-govern- sisting in security and economic development initiatives; and fos- ment organizations, members of the media and other U.S-based in- tering enhanced foreign direct investment and trade opportunities dividuals, according to Foreign Agents Registration Act documents in Kosovo. filed in March. The year-long engagement with Alston & Bird began in February The pro-western, 90 percent Muslim nation, which borders Russia and ends in February 2018, with the possibility of extensions. The and Iran and was formerly a Soviet republic state, is known for its work brings Alston & Bird a fixed monthly fee of €65,000 (approx- “caviar diplomacy” efforts to enhance its image abroad amid claims imately $70,000). of human rights abuses. The country, which holds diplomatic relations and a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S., has inked a number of image-build- Mercury reps Dominica ing pacts in recent years with Podesta Group, Greenberg Traurig, APCO Worldwide, Patton Boggs and Delahunt Group, among aribbean island nation the Commonwealth of Dominica has ­others. retained public affairs and strategy shop Mercury for strategic BGR’s work for Azerbaijan runs from March through December Ccommunication and media relations consulting work. 31 and brings BGR a monthly fee of $50,000. The sparsely populated former British colony, which sits along the Eastern Caribbean archipelago between Guadeloupe and Mar- tinique, is often referred to as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean,” Kosovo Appoints Alston & Bird due to its tropical rainforests, which cover two-thirds of the island. The Omnicom public affairs unit will provide strategic consulting he Republic of Kosovo has hired international law firm Alston and management services specific to issues facing Dominica in the & Bird LLP for a year-long pact to provide a range of lobbying areas of government relations and issues management, according to Tand consultancy services work. Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed in March. The Muslim-dominated partially recognized European state, The pact, which became effective in February and terminates in which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, has hired April, brings Mercury a fee of $90,000. 

FARA News  NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov.

Global Strategies Council, Inc., San Diego, CA, registered Mar. 17, 2017 for Kalifa Bin Fahed Bin Mohd Al-Thani, Doha, Qatar, to retain a security specialist to research the location of missing members of the Royal Family of Qatar currently held in Iraq, and, if appropriate, petition U.S. Department of State to assist in their return.

DiNino Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered Mar. 14, 2017 for Embassy of the Republic of Korea (through Cornerstone Government ­Affairs), Washington, D.C., to work with the Embassy, pursuant to the formal agreement between Cornerstone and DiNino, to promote to members of Con- gress and their staffs an initiative to create a professional visa quota for Korean nationals to work in the U.S.

Advanced Advocacy, Washington, D.C., registered Mar. 10, 2017 for Amsterdam & Partners LLP on behalf of the Republic of Turkey, Washington, D.C., to provide PR, education and advocacy services in support of Amsterdam & Partner’s representation related to potential claims under treaty, U.S. Law, and/or international law held by the Republic of Turkey against individuals and/or entities in the U.S.

Lobbying News G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS

Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

Signal Group Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC, registered Mar. 28, 2017 for Wireless Infrastructure Association, Alexandria, VA, regarding wireless infrastructure deployment and tower marking issues.

Dykema Gossett PLLC, Washington, D.C., registered Mar. 27, 2017 for Asian Republican Coalition, Washington, D.C., regarding territorial taxation system for individuals.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C., registered Mar. 27, 2017 for Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, Washington, D.C., regarding wind production tax credit.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | APRIL 2017 33