Public Relations
6 Ways to Prep Your Business for PR Success
You want to take your business to the next level and think that public relations (PR) can help you get there. First, you’re right! But before you hire a PR firm there’s some prep work you need to do to make sure you get the most out of the relationship and both of your time. Here’s what to do for your business's PR success.
1. Get your story straight
Not your story for the press but rather your brand story. It’s hard for a PR firm to promote your business if your message and brand identity aren’t clear. To do so create a mission and vision statement if you haven’t already. And craft your brand message which is the value proposition that you convey to your target audience. This will help firms like R’s to know how to pitch you to the media.
2. Know your audience
Speaking of your target audience, for your PR to be its most effective, you’ll need to clearly identify them, their characteristics, their pain points, and how they engage with brands. Without this knowledge, you’re shooting blind so to speak in how best to reach and connect with them.
3. Prepare your background materials
Yes, your PR firm could help with these things, but you’ll have to give them the information anyway so put your budget where it will count most - in your PR campaigns – and do this yourself. You’ll need to create a company overview, fact sheet, and executive bios to start.
4. Update your website
This is the most comprehensive reflection of your business, but it’s often the most overlooked aspect of brand identity. Firms like R’s can also help you in this area, but if you’re looking to hire someone that’s exclusively focused on PR, then your website may need to be tackled separately. But it should be updated to reflect your look and message before the PR firm starts sending media and new prospects to it. It can be helpful to add a newsroom to the site as well to make it easy to access your company overview and fact sheet, etc.
5. Get active on social media
You don’t necessarily have to be active on every platform available. Really it depends on the nature of your business whether it makes sense to be active on traditional platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, a combination of these, or a different combination altogether. Ideally, you want to have a least some presence before beginning your PR efforts to make you more credible, but if that’s not the case what’s most important, as your new PR firm will tell you, is that you consistently post and engage on your accounts.
6. Define your goals
Quite simply, you need to give your PR firm some direction. We can do wonders, but we aren’t mind-readers so goals need to be defined upfront. The old adage of throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks is not going to give you the results you want and deserve. Consider whether you’re interested in boosting awareness, increasing credibility, increasing brand engagement, and/or creating a more positive brand reputation. Firms like R’s can then take that direction to create measurable goals.
R team would love to help your business achieve PR success. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
5 Ways PR Will Increase Your ROI
Increasing marketing ROI is paramount for any organization. Yes, it’s true you have to spend money to make money as the old saying goes, but the reality is you have to quantify the impact of those dollars or risk not just losing your marketing budget, but negatively impacting your organization overall. While in some areas of marketing, like advertising, it’s relatively easy to measure ROI, others, like PR, have always been harder to measure. As such the impact of PR often goes overlooked and underfunded. But make no mistake, PR will increase your ROI. Here’s how.
Measuring ROI
In general, ROI or return on investment in marketing is measured by determining how many sales, attendees, donations, etc. happened because of your campaign(s). Using advertising as an example, you could calculate ROI by determining the revenue you gained from a particular ad minus the cost of the ad divided by the expenses and multiplying by 100. It’s a relatively clear-cut formula.
On the other hand, PR has many roles such as boosting awareness, credibility, and engagement with your brand as well as cultivating a positive brand reputation, all of which are more intangible. What’s more, they are what you would typically consider top-of-the-funnel activities in the sales cycle rather than the bottom where the sale is closed. However, you can leverage them in bottom-of-the-funnel activities as well to prove their value in increasing ROI.
How PR Will Increase Your ROI
It’s still important to measure media placements as well as social, website, and search engine metrics, however here are five ways to leverage PR in more easily measured marketing and sales activities as well:
- Use media placements in campaigns – Don’t leave it up to your prospects to come across your media placements, make sure they know about it by including them in your marketing campaigns and/or using them as another reason to reach out. Typically, it takes five to seven touchpoints to ‘hook’ a prospect so to speak.
- Add to sales and marketing materials – Adding award wins, industry accolades, and other media mentions in these materials, especially where they highlight how your brand can help overcome key customer pain points adds tremendous credibility.
- Share on social media – Encourage employees to share media placements on appropriate social media channels to increase not just brand awareness but also sales. For example, Hubspot states that sales professionals with a strong social selling index on LinkedIn have 45% more sales opportunities than those who don’t and are 51% more likely to reach their quota. Make sure you’ve created and trained them on social media guidelines for your brand first though!
- Add accolades to signature lines – Adding clickable links to thought leadership, awards, and other media placements is a subtle way to increase credibility, awareness, and engagement for your brand. And not just in terms of sales, but it can help with recruiting and investor relations as well.
- Create testimonials – The fact that your sales team is closest to your customers and PR is closest to media is actually a beautiful thing. You can work together to create testimonials that benefit your brand overall as well as your individual goals. The ability to share happy customer experiences is priceless!
R team would love to help your organization increase ROI with PR. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
3 Business Mistakes for PR Entrepreneurs to Avoid
Whether you’re starting a public relations business or are a PR entrepreneur already, you likely already know this type of work is not for the faint of heart. Both the PR industry and being an entrepreneur! When success feels like it’s riding on your shoulders alone, getting advice from someone who’s been there, done that can be invaluable. Here are three mistakes to avoid, courtesy of R founder and PR expert, Emily Reynolds Bergh.
- Not thinking of media as a client - PR without the media is like advertising without a headline. It won’t work. The media is essential to your success as a PR entrepreneur, but often we think of them more as a means to an end when we should be thinking of them as another type of client. With your PR clients, the relationship is everything right? The same is true for the media as it’s those relationships that determine whether your pitches are taken into consideration or tossed. Or worse, if you get off on the wrong foot, your press might not be as positive as it could be.
- Leaving leadership to chance - You may start out as a one-person shop, but as you build your business there will come a point where you have to hire. As a PR entrepreneur, you know you’ve got leadership in you, but in this business, it’s not just about delegating. It’s about finding the right people with the right skills and passion and then teaching them the art of our profession. Yes, you can learn PR skills in school but the art comes from experience, right? To start, be clear about your expectations and your vision, not just to potential candidates but to yourself as well. You can’t lead effectively if you don’t truly know what you want and/or don’t believe what you’re selling so to speak with your whole heart. Then focus on the goal, not the process. Too many entrepreneurs, in general, are so used to being ‘in the weeds” every day because they had to be when they started that they don’t know how to let go when they have support. Hire people you can trust to do their job and then stay out of their way so they can do it. You’ll have more time to be strategic and creative, to mentor them in the art of PR. Ultimately you’ll all be better for those things than whether or not they format their media list the same as you would.
- Not honing your contract skills - Can we all just collectively say “Ugh” here? Contracts are the least fun part of the business but they can cost your business the most if they aren’t given the attention they deserve. Never do business without a contract; it will burn you at some point. They are an essential safeguard for your business. But even having one won’t help if you leave out important details like your legal recourse if they don’t pay, for example. You’ll also want to clearly outline your scope of work. Otherwise, you’ll eventually have a client who will add on until the cows come home and you won’t be paid accordingly. It’s worth it to invest in a contract lawyer to advise you on verbiage and make sure you’re covered.
As what I call an “accidental” entrepreneur I have definitely made my fair share of mistakes. I probably could spill some tea about mistakes that I have witnessed too (we can save that for next time). But at the end of the day, they, aka those pesky mistakes, have helped me learn and given me some humility along the way, in addition to giving me the strength to stand up again and keep going. I would hope that if you are reading this and making some busines-owning mistakes of your own, that you will do the same. Keep the momentum going, learn, laugh a little, and move your ego aside so you can get real about the fact that we all make mistakes and we have to in order to really succeed. A woman I heard once at a conference called it “failing forward.” Think of your failures as moving you forward, and before you know it, they will!
San Antonio’s Top Influencers and How They Can Help Your Lifestyle Brand
Influencers have become an essential part of public relations strategy, not just for large brands, but for EVERY brand. In fact, the influencer industry is worth $5 to $10 billion according to Social Media Today which is even more amazing because the word itself was just added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2019. But, regardless of how new, its ‘influence’ should be taken seriously in helping your lifestyle brand to get noticed. Here’s how they can help, along with 10 of San Antonio’s top influencers.
How Influencers Can Help Your Brand
Early on, influencers were primarily celebrities. But celebrity endorsements can be hard to come by and can be expensive. But there are plenty of ‘regular people’ who have built a rapport with their followers as experts on specific topics or in specific categories through their blogs or social media posts, for example. As such they are seen more like trusted friends or peers with credible recommendations on products/services that they actually use. Influencers can help your lifestyle brand by:
- Improving content strategy – With more avenues for fresh content that showcases your brand.
- Improving brand awareness – Through word-of-mouth which still has high engagement even when advertising is too often tuned out.
- Strengthens brand credibility – Because you’re associated with influencers your target audience trusts.
- Creates hype – Influencers are walking-talking endorsements that know how to attract attention.
- Boosts your SEO – With additional links to your targeted keywords.
San Antonio’s Top Influencers
Certainly, you want to find influencers with a strong following, but they don’t need millions to make an impact. Often, it’s those on a smaller scale (less than 500K) who have the most engaged followers which are perfect for lifestyle brands targeting specific niches or locations. Here are our top 10 San Antonio influencers (in no particular order).
1. @s.a.foodie | 274K Followers
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San Antonio native Amanda Spencer has won Best Instagram Influencer in the Current’s “Best of San Antonio” reader poll. She posts about food, travel, and more.
2. @quemeanswhat | 9,023 Followers
A 7th Generation Texan, Melanie Mendez-Gonzales explores Latino identity in and around San Antonio focusing on education, entertainment, and family life.
3. @stine.eats | 6,989 Followers
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Through her gorgeous photos, you can explore local eats and drinks with San Antonio foodie, Christine Wong, who also can’t resist the occasional fur baby shot.
4. @getfitwithashley | 134K Followers
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This fitness guru, Army veteran, and mom of three is here with fitness and food tips to help others get fit and be their best selves.
5. @SATX-Rated | 17.6K Followers
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Self-described “San Antonio’s Food & Fun Ambassadors,” follow them to learn about all the fun things to do in SA along with where to eat and drink.
6. @sanantoniostephanie | 14.1K Followers
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A finalist in MYSA’s "2022 Your SA Readers' Choice Awards" for Local Social Media Influencer, she posts about food, drinks, and fun in San Antonio.
7. @alamofoodie | 36K Followers
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Her bio promises “Experiences, bites, booze,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find on this influencer’s Insta.
8. @flicksandfood | 5,457 Followers
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Johnnie is always up-to-date on the latest goings on in San Antonio and beyond.
9. @liveitupsa | 30K Followers
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This influencer explores all the cool stuff to do in San Antonio, as well as sharing delectable eats and boozy treats with some fashion and art mixed in to boot.
10. @goodtastetv | 14.3K Followers
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Emmy-award-winning journalist and one of our fave clients, Tanji Patton, shares food, wine, and restaurant tips not just in San Antonio but all over Texas.
11. @siempre_sanantonio | 13.9K Followers
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One of the top TikToker’s in Texas (2,200,000 likes!!), you can always tell when she on your FYP sharing the next spot to check out when you hear “Hey, friends”!
12.@sanantoniomunchies |45K Followers
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Come to his page for the tasty food finds and stay for the memes and hot takes.
13. @salovelist |15.2K Followers
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From coffee to cocktails, Gabby’s tried it all and shared it on their page. Sometime their chi-oui-nie, Quebec, makes a guest appearance who has their own Insta too, at @badweenie.
14. @socializesanantonio |25.3K Followers
Jesse’s Instagram is puro San Antonio! Celebrating the city’s events and culture through food and fun, he shares all the exciting things happening around town.
15. @jesselizarraras |10.1K Followers
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The former Food + Nightlife Editor for the Current and now the Executive Producer at MySA, Jessica has her finger on the pulse of all things San Antonio.
16. @christina_coker | 23K Followers
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This mom of four and life and style influencer shares the latest style trends along with tips for staying beautiful and fashionable on a budget.
17. @saraharoundsa | 2,672 Followers
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Some of the best spots and best food photography can be found on Sarah’s feed. The San Antonio native knows where to find the hidden gems and local faves.
18. @jazzexploring | 6,787 Followers
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Looking for some travel or fashion inspiration? Jaslyn shares her journey’s via IG, also while dressing really cute!
19. @letsbinge | 4,365 Followers
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Feel like one of the Castillo sisters with all the shenanigans that goes down on their feed and in Instagram story’s.
20. @twentysomethingsa | 27.2 Followers
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Supporting local is what Twenty Something SA is all about! Through socially impactful content they highlighting businesses, creatives and the city’s unique beauty.
For R help with using influencers as part of your public relations strategy, Click HERE to schedule a FREE Discovery Call Today!
What Is a PR retainer and How Is It Used?
If you’re considering hiring a public relations (PR) firm, it’s important to understand the billing process. No one wants any surprises there, R we right? There’s hourly billing, of course, but you may also have the option of a PR retainer for the services you need. Which is the best fit for you? Let’s find out.
PR Retainers Defined
A PR retainer is a lump sum that you pay to a PR firm each month for the work they provide. The amount you pay depends on how much work you need to meet your PR goals and your budget, so it’s important to be specific about both early on in your communications with the PR firm. Your monthly statement should itemize any work performed as well as expenses that were not included in the retainer if any. You should also be able to request the right to approve any expenses over a certain amount before they are incurred.
Benefits of PR Retainers
There are a number of benefits to PR retainers including:
- Having access to a broad range of services from the PR firm
- Building a relationship with a dedicated team who knows your brand and goals
- Ability to achieve long-term as well as short-term goals with messaging and brand consistency
- Flexibility should you need more of certain services and less of others depending on a project or goal
- Better budget control because you know what your PR costs will be each month
When is a PR Retainer Best?
A PR retainer is an ongoing agreement between you and your PR firm, usually renewable on a yearly basis. Although different PR firms may have different terms. So, if your brand needs ongoing support to increase brand awareness and credibility, keep your target audience engaged, help generate leads, and/or maintain your positive reputation, a PR retainer could just be the way to go.
With a PR retainer, your firm will continually work on your behalf to consistently monitor the media in your target market(s), identify opportunities in which to pitch your products/services and share your announcements and news. R firm also considers it an opportunity to really get to know you, your brand, and your goals so we can work as an extension of your team for better efficiency and success.
This can also be helpful when things come along that you’re not anticipating like perhaps a product recall, customer injury or complaint, employee misconduct, security breach, or any type of negative press. It’s in these circumstances that time is of the essence and having an expert PR team at the ready can be invaluable.
On the other hand, if you have more one-off needs for PR services such as you already have in-house PR staff but have an overflow project that needs outsourcing. Or, perhaps you have a small company with too limited of a budget for ongoing PR. That’s ok too! Luckily, R expert team not only works by PR retainer but also offers a la carte services!
We’d love to see how we could help your brand! Learn more about our public relations services. Or, schedule a FREE Discovery Call Today!
5 Things to Ask When Hiring a Public Relations Agency
Public relations can benefit your organization in a number of ways from elevating brand awareness to enhancing brand credibility to keeping your target audience engaged to generating leads to maintaining your positive reputation and navigating crises, just to start. But what’s the biggest challenge standing between you and those benefits? Finding the right public relations agency to do the job. No pressure, right? Don’t worry, R goal is to make this process much easier. Here’s what you should be asking when hiring a public relations agency.
- What’s your specialty? – This is two-fold in that a public relations agency may not only specialize in certain services but also certain industries. For example, we R a lifestyle public relations agency which means we specialize in brands within industries that include restaurant, hospitality, and retail as well as health and wellness. And while we are full-service, R sweet spots so to speak are media and influencer relations, crisis communications, and social media. Make sure you choose the agency that aligns most closely with your industry and your public relations goals.
- Who will I be working with day-to-day? – It’s often the case, particularly with larger public relations agencies, that they’ll send their senior team to woo potential clients, then once you’ve signed, you’ll find you’re working with junior staff on your campaigns. Not only is this important in terms of experience and expertise, but also when it comes to chemistry because you need to click with your public relations team in order to work most effectively. And you won’t know that until it’s potentially too late (after you’re in a contract) if the team you meet initially isn’t who you’ll work with daily. That’s actually a big advantage of boutique public relations firms, like ours, in that the team you sign with is the team you work with from beginning to end.
- Who are your clients? – This is another two-fold question as here you want to determine the public relations agency’s credibility and you want to know if those clients are similar to your organization. For example, if they primarily work for Fortune 100 companies with large budgets and you’re a start-up with barely any budget to spare that might not be a good fit. Not just from a budget perspective, but also because a successful PR strategy for a Fortune 100 company would likely be very different than the approach that would be most successful for you. Ask for referrals, case studies, and/or examples of their work, too. We R proud of our clients’ successes and love to share our work. If a public relations agency isn’t, that should be a red flag.
- How do you work? – Public relations is all about relationships, and not just with the media, the client-agency relationship is just as important. Not only do you need that chemistry we talked about earlier but you want to be on the same page in terms of working style as well. Have them outline their process from the start of a project or campaign to the end. Find out how often you’ll communicate as well as the primary means of communication. If the agency lives and dies by Slack and you prefer phone calls, there may be an issue. R approach is to be a collaborative partner that is flexible, and adaptable to how the client is most comfortable working. However, often the larger the public relations agency, the more rigid the process. Lastly, make sure you understand how you’re billed for time.
- How do you measure success? – PR is a fluid industry. What works today may not work tomorrow as consumers, the media, and technology are constantly changing. That’s why R public relations agency measures and tweaks relentlessly. It’s the only way to succeed. Not only for the agency to prove their worth but for you to achieve your goals and validate the PR spend. Yes, we know sometimes it’s still like pulling teeth to get the c-suite to allocate budget to public relations. As such find out not only how potential agencies measure success (metrics), but also how often they report results as well as how you can utilize those results collaboratively to make decisions.
R team would love to help your organization achieve all the benefits of PR. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
Celebrating Women’s History Month with 6 PR Women to Know
It’s Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating by sharing our picks for the most influential women in public relations. These are the women who paved the way, the women who are crushing it now, and those who will continue to inspire us going forward. Learn more about these PR women to know.
PR Women Then
1. Muriel Fox
Not only was she the co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), she was also the first woman to join a major agency (Carl Byoir & Associates) as a professional. Describing her experience there she stated, “When I was interviewed at Carl Byoir in 1950, they said sorry, but they don’t hire women except as secretaries, so I went away and took another job. But then I was hired in the radio and television department by a very enlightened man, Bob Davis.
Then a couple of years later, when Bob became the head of all the departments, to everyone’s surprise, I got the job as head of my department even though there was a man making much more money in the department, and I remember the CEO said to me at that time, ‘Well Muriel, you’ve come far, we’ll see if you’ve come too far.’ I remember when I became a vice president in 1957, the CEO said, ‘Well, you’ve come far, but you’ve come as far as you can go because CEOs can’t relate to a woman.’ And it took NOW (National Organization of Women) in 1966 to make it the law that you couldn’t discriminate.”
2. Barbara Hunter
The first woman to buy a major agency (Dudley Anderson Yutzy) in 1967. In 1989 Barbara founded Hunter PR, which she headed until 2000. She was also one of the first in the industry to push for equal pay stating, “When my sister and I took over management of the firm (that they had purchased), we were left with a whole lot of empty real estate because the guys had left. When we looked into the records of the firm, we found that the men were being paid much more than the women in the same positions. So, the very first thing we did was to equalize the pay of the few men we had left with the women. That was very important to us.”
PR Women Now
1. Andy Coville, CEO, Brodeur Partners
She is a 2021 Winner for Changemaker in PRNEWS’ “Top Women in PR” who, during the pandemic, led the creation of BWell, a wellness program focusing on the physical and mental health of employees. Under her leadership, Brodeur also started a Diversity & Inclusion practice, and she started a consulting practice focusing on leadership for women. She oversees Brodeur’s strategic direction, has run Brodeur’s healthcare practice since its inception, and developed Brodeur’s Relevance Methodology which combines behavioral science and digital communications for brand transformation. Coville has also led the creative planning process for three global movements: cancer, hepatitis C, and entrepreneurship.
2. Michelle Olson, PRSA Chair, Managing Partner, Lambert & Co.
A 2021 Winner for Industry Innovators on PRNEWS’ “Top Women in PR” list, she drives the execution of PRSA’s strategic plan with its CEO and is the spokesperson for the organization and its Board of Directors. Olson now leads PRSA’s Voices4Everyone information and resource platform which is designed to help communication professionals address misinformation and disinformation, diversity and inclusion, civility, and civic engagement. She also leads the automotive and mobility practice at Lambert & Co.
PR Women Going Forward
1. Sarah Zets, Account Executive, Poston Communications
This PRNEWS “Top Women in PR” 2021 Winner for Rising Stars started her career with Poston Communications by successfully completing the Precision Curriculum internship program. As the youngest member of the Crisis Management and Litigation Communications team, she was communications counsel to the litigation team in a landmark civil rights and workplace discrimination case before the United States Supreme Court. Zets is also a member of the Young Professionals Board and Marketing Committee for HOPE Atlanta, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness.
2. Jenny Wang, VP, Clyde Group
Another PRNEWS 2021 Winner for Rising Stars, Wang has been a vocal advocate for DEI within the public relations industry pushing for greater representation of people from underrepresented communities and has championed diversity in the workplace. She leads the Clyde Group’s largest account and amplifies its voice on health equity and DEI efforts. In addition, she guides two internal employee resource groups, the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability Group (IDEA) and Clyde Visibility which works to recruit and retain people of color.
To learn more about the amazing women on R PR team, check out our public relations services. Or, schedule your FREE Discovery Call Today!
R Favorite Public Relations Blogs
If you are looking to learn the ins and outs of public relations (PR), following blogs written by experts in the industry is an ideal way to do it. While a quick Google search of “public relations blogs” comes back with 707, 000 results which means there’s enough reading material for the rest of your life, (and the next!), it can be hard to determine which are the most credible and/or are focused on the areas in which you are interested. Not only does it waste your time to sort through blog after blog to find the right ones, but implementing tips that won’t really work could make your PR projects less effective or even damage your career. Yikes! So, we’re here to help with R favorite public relations blogs in no particular order.
PR Daily – This publication features a daily news feed that can be delivered straight to your inbox with content in the PR areas of social media, media relations, crisis PR, writing, and editing.
Spin Sucks – The vision for this resource for PR training, trends and insights is to change the negative perception (we’re not spin doctors, dang it!) of the PR profession. Their blog helps you to stay current on industry trends and insights, business growth, market reports, and more.
Institute for Public Relations – This non-profit organization conducts and publishes research on the factors impacting PR and corporate communications today. Their blog features expert opinion pieces, strategy recommendations, and how new trends and tech will shape the future of the industry.
PRSay – Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner to the PR industry, this blog features content for both ends of the spectrum including how-tos, training, and development as well as diversity and ethics in the PR field.
PR Couture – A blog after our hearts for sure because it focuses on lifestyle PR, R specialty! Some of the content categories include PR strategies, working in PR, freelance PR, agency tips, and an industry roundup of news as well as events.
Edelman Insights – Edelman is a top global communications firm with a blog known as “Insights” which features industry news as well as content written by PR industry leaders on best practices, corporate culture, diversity and inclusion, and even the responsibilities on PR professionals in the “fake news” era.
O’Dwyer’s PR News – Originally a print publication founded in 1968, O’Dwyer’s today is digital but still features breaking agency news and industry trends plus a running ranking of top PR firms. It also helps connect agencies with clients through its RFP service.
Solo PR Pro – For all those freelance or independent PR consultants out there, this blog is for you and the unique challenges you face like promoting your services, building a client base, and balancing clients when working on your own.
PRWeek – If you’re in the industry, you’ve at least heard of PRWeek. Blog content features industry news, trending topics in PR, best practices, and more, and it covers multiple regions including the United States, UK, Asia, and the Middle East.
R Blog – Of course, we can’t mention favorite blogs without plugging R own! We offer R expert opinion on how PR can benefit brands in lifestyle industries that include restaurant, hospitality, and retail as well as health and wellness.
We also happen to have an extensive array of PR services we can offer you as well! For R help with your PR, learn more about our public relations services. Or, schedule your FREE Discovery Call Today!
Case Studies in Cause Marketing: 3 Examples of How To Do It Right
Cause marketing is becoming more and more popular among brands. Yes, because they want to do good in the world, but there are also a number of other benefits as well. However, for maximum impact (for your brand and your cause) there are some things you need to keep in mind. Check out these three case studies for examples of cause marketing done right.
The Benefits of Cause Marketing
By definition, cause marketing is a cooperative effort between a for-profit brand and a non-profit for the mutual benefit of both. The benefits include increased:
- Sales for the brand
- Money contributed to the non-profit
- Connection with consumers
- Awareness of the cause
Keep in mind that cause marketing doesn’t have to focus on just national or global causes. It can and should focus on local causes as well.
Cause Marketing Case Studies
These examples showcase some of the recent cause marketing campaigns we’ve done for R clients.
1. Local Moves Studio’s Partnership with NAMI San Antonio
20-year fitness trainer and endurance athlete, Thomas Roe (T.Roe), whose techniques and expertise have benefitted clients all over Los Angeles, and have been featured in People, LiveStrong and Active, brought his passion for training, teaching, and inspiring change to San Antonio, Texas last fall when he opened Local Moves Studio. As part of the grand opening celebration, R team helped Local Moves partner with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), San Antonio, to donate all proceeds made from classes during that weekend to the organization in addition to a $1,000 donation from the studio. NAMI was also onsite to offer information on mental health as well as their services.
This cause is particularly important to Roe as his life has been affected by mental illness in his immediate family. In fact, his approach to fitness at Local Moves is unlike any other circuit training because it also fosters community in order to support mental health by having clients partner with a buddy to motivate and keep each other accountable during workouts and outside of the studio. Roe encourages stepping out of your comfort zone not only physically, but also socially so you can meet others in the community and create bonds with each other to show support while working out, as well as through everyday life.
2. The Gentle Barn Turkey Guardian Campaign
This past fall as we approached the Thanksgiving holiday, R team helped The Gentle Barn, a national non-profit animal rescue group, with a campaign asking consumers to protect turkeys rather than serving during the holiday season. Their Turkey Guardian program provides the opportunity to sponsor one of five turkeys – Romeo, Sun, Luke Skywalker, Heather, or Smudge -- for a one-time donation of $35. Other options include sponsoring the entire Flock for a one-time $150 donation, or The Flock Plus sponsorship, a $1,000 one-time donation, which includes a special Zoom event with the founders.
These funds support the organization’s efforts to rescue, protect and provide a safe and loving living environment for a range of severely abused animals at their sanctuaries located in California (Santa Clarita), Tennessee (Nashville), and Missouri (St. Louis). Sponsors also receive a Certificate of Turkey Guardianship, which includes the turkey's bio, a beautiful photo, and interesting facts about the turkey or turkeys they have chosen.
The idea behind this program is to generate understanding about what these innocent animals are really like as most people don’t realize that turkeys are affectionate, intelligent, and very social. It’s part of their unique philosophy connecting their animals’ stories of survival and healing to the personal experiences of underserved and special needs children who have suffered physical, mental, or emotional trauma. By interacting with animals in The Gentle Barn’s programs and taking a hands-on role in their welfare, they learn empathy, trust, and forgiveness.
3. Aramark Uniform Services Corporate Giveback After 2020 Nashville Tornadoes
On the night of March 2, 2020, a line of tornadoes struck Nashville, Tennessee wiping out beloved local businesses, family homes, and anchor institutions in the community. In the aftermath of the wreckage, one of the many buildings destroyed was Aramark Uniform Services. As a result, over 2,400 of their loyal customers in the service industry and health care facilities throughout Middle Tennessee were without clean, essential uniforms.
As part of its commitment to the Nashville community, Aramark continued to service these customers even while rebuilding their local facility by diverting 550,000 pounds of laundry to seven neighboring Aramark facilities to ensure they didn’t experience service disruptions during a time of need. Aramark also assisted the Nashville community in planting trees in the neighborhoods that were hardest hit by the tornado.
As a long-standing member of the Nashville community, Aramark wanted to make sure its customers, employees, and neighbors knew they weren’t forgotten and enlisted R team to create awareness. It’s also why they were determined to rebuild in the same location, bringing with it a range of employment opportunities as the new facility opens in March of 2022.
For more information on how R team can help your brand with cause marketing, click HERE to schedule a FREE Discovery Call today!
R Publicists Favorite Things 2021!
As publicists, writers, idea sourcers, word weavers, and people who like to stay ahead of trends, we are all about the season of gifting and making lists. In fact, some may call us experts! Plus, who doesn't love to get some presents?
This year we chose things that are all under $100 and that we think should be on all of our wish lists.
Happy Holidays, from R team to yours!
Emily and the RPR firm crew
Meet Bridget Lewis: R cool as a cucumber content marketing Queen Bee.
1. Puremotion Shoes:
When I am not working I am moving, or want to, so these kicks are on my list! ($56)
2. Stacking Rings:
Because I type all day, I’m always looking at my hands and I heart these stacking rings. ($57)
3. YETI Bottle:
Because...coffee! I need this. ($50)
Meet Ainee Hamza: R incredible, uber-organized cat-loving campaign assistant.
1. Planner Pads:
I still stick with paper for planning as it's always on my work table in front of me and always opt for these organizers. ($18)
2. Mi band 6:
For tracking my activity, I love Mi band 6. ($99)
3. Marble Lazy Susan:
This is another favorite because I love to cook. ($99) I also have my eyes on this Target Electric Griddle! ($26)
Meet Queen Bree: R in-house BBQ expert, punny social media caption creator, and all things clever when it comes to content!
1. Giant Glass Jar Candles:
I’m addicted to these candles from Anthropologie; they’re the perfect mix of berries, cinnamon, and vanilla. They come in beautiful designs and different sizes. I have them throughout my entire apartment. ($68)
2. Cloud Cotton Robe:
As we enter the colder months, the only thing that’s on my mind is being as cozy as possible and I love a good robe to wear when snuggling up on the couch with a hot drink and book. ($99)
3. Fujifilm Instant Camera:
“Shake it like a polaroid picture!” This camera gives you vintage keepsakes in less than a minute, and they come in fun colors. ($79)
Meet Madison Baber: R account manager and media maven.
1. Wild One Harness Walk Kit:
Perfect for the pet-lover in your life, with this dog harness and leash combo, style meets function. The monochrome design is ultra-chic while also being super comfy, lightweight, dirt-resistant, and water-proof. ($98)
2. Sephora Favorites Bestsellers Perfume Sampler Set:
Perfumes are difficult to gift but this sample set from Sephora takes out all the guesswork! Featuring 13 of their top-selling fragrances, there’s something they’re bound to love. I love that once you choose your favorite, you can take the included scent certificate to any Sephora store to redeem for a full size at no extra cost. ($68)
3. Fruit & Veggie Food Huggers:
Better than a plastic bag, these food huggers are an eco-friendly alternative to keeping all your leftover cut fruits and veggies fresh! The fit is snug and airtight, plus they can be used for cans, bowls, and jars! ($14.00 for a set of 5, but on sale now for $9.80)
Meet Colter Bergh: The Dad of the group, the IPA all day meets INTJ and lead tech talent!
1. Bitcoin & Eth:
My choice to protect against inflation and invest in the future. ($100)
2. Ledger Nano S:
This is perfect for storing Crypto securely in an offline wallet. ($59)
3. Audio-Technica Headphones:
Because I like to tune in to tune out and good sounds help me get into a flow state. ($69)
4. CBD:
Because with five kids and a powerhouse of a wife, I need to keep calm in the storm. ($25)
Meet Emily Reynolds Bergh: R fem founder, mom of five, lover of vintage shoes, boutique hotel sleeps, and keeper of R business.
1. Amber KRS Black Onyx + Diamond Ring:
I am a sucker for hand-crafted jewelry. Amber Krs is a new client of ours and I have been eyeing her Black Onyx diamond ring. It screams unique, powerful, and has a touch of femininity; her art is all so clean and thoughtful. This is a bit over the $100 budget but you can make payments, that counts right? ($325)
2. Triangle Diamond Stud Earring From Robin Haley:
Of course, I am also a super fan of Robin Haley Jewels too. The diamond triangle studs have my heart! ($97)
3. Flamingo Estate Tuscan Rosemary Soy Candle:
Recently gifted to me for my birthday by the incredible Julia Hefflefinger, I cannot stop smelling this candle and thinking someone is making me homemade focaccia drizzled in olive oil and crisp rosemary. It’s also one of Oprah’s favorite things too! ($45)
Meet Julia Heffelfinger: R recipe creator, editor of all things that make our hearts melt and crave.
1. Papier Scallop-Rimmed Stationery:
In a time when email and texting are the norms, I love sending and receiving a little personalized note in the mail. It’s even more fun when you have cute, personalized stationery to write it on! ($28/10 cards)
2. Food52 x Green Pan Skillets:
I’ve been eyeing these nonstick skillets from the Food52 x Green Pan collaboration for a long time. I just love the gold handles and fun colors—so much more visual and fun than your typical black skillet. (8-inch & 11-inch skillets/$92)
3. Farmhouse Pottery Paper Towel Holder:
Your paper towels now deserve a spot on the countertop thanks to these boldly-painted wood holders from Farmhouse Pottery. I have my eye on the ochre one! ($68)
4. Piped Edged Hand Towels:
I love the subtle pop of color in these plush bath towels. ($58)
Meet Kat Fleischman: R newest publicist and Miami heat Latina, mama to be is a pizza lover who also lives by the sea (and we’re jealous!).
1. The SIll Plant Subscription:
All I want for Christmas, Hanukkah, and all the things is this Classic Plant Subscription because plants make me happy! ($55-65)
Second on my list is this cute little porta printer, because everything small and cute, and also portable, is just better! ($70)
3. Portable Charcoal Grill:
Grill girl grill! If Santa is in a grilling mood, get mama these coals! ($30)
Meet Holly Cowan: R mom of three, grammar gal, and editor of all things content.
1. Teva Flip Flops:
As a southern girl, I love a good pair of flip flops and these are the best. They’re cute enough to wear anywhere (which I do) and they come in a variety of colors (I may have them all). Plus, they’re made from recycled material and when you’re ready to retire them, send them back so they can be recycled again into running tracks, playgrounds, and more. Pretty cool! ($25)
2. Oversized Super-Soft Plush Throw:
I love to curl up with a good book and this throw is my go-to for coziness. It also comes in all kinds of fun designs to suit your mood, hobbies, or the season! ($22)
3. Kindle Unlimited Subscription:
To make sure I have an unending supply of those good books that I mentioned above, I love my Kindle unlimited subscription. You can use it on any device with the free Kindle app. It makes a great gift and is on sale for the holidays. ($80 for a 12-month subscription)