How Cloud-Based (aka ‘virtual’) Companies Could be a Model of the Future Workforce
The office culture is shifting, driven by a large wave of millennials craving flexibility and, most importantly, purposeful workplaces. The benefits of a cloud-based company go beyond the organization and into a movement toward a model for a future workforce. Gini Dietrich, author of SpinSucks, took her Chicago-based PR company virtual in 2013. “From a business perspective, my team is completely focused on results, not activity or staying at their desk during lunch or after hours just to prove they work more hours than anyone else. Productivity has increased nearly 30 percent.” Founder of...
Read MoreKeep the conversation going
In celebration of Treacy Marketing Group’s 25th anniversary, I wrote this blog post on great story telling strategies that stand the test of time. It’s a new way of life for public relations practitioners, and it is fast-paced. One-way communication was then; two-way, 24/7 dialogue is now. Today, conversation is happening between stakeholders, not at them. What haven’t changed are the most crucial components of any public relations initiative: planning, building a narrative, and telling a compelling story. Five traditional values of great public relations stand the test of time: Know...
Read MorePR Pro as Biz Pro
I strongly believe that a good PR pro is also a business person – understanding it, developing it and quantifying it. Whether you are with an agency or a business, or you are novice or seasoned, good PR pros know their role leaps beyond selling the company story and into credibly selling the company’s products and services with its customers. This post will help connect these dots for why we as PR leaders work hard building relationships and drawing attention to CEOs, companies and industries. No matter the kind of business, when practicing PR, the bottom line always matters....
Read MoreTraditional or Social…What Blend are You?
Today it is very common to hear PR discussed in terms of “traditional” or “social.” There is a big distinction. Yet both tools fit into the PR mix for gaining exposure, for lead generation and for client story telling to various stakeholders. Simplified, I would distinguish traditional PR or media relations from social PR, or word-of-mouth marketing. With social media debuting 10+ years ago and now a serious component of an integrated communications mix, both initiatives play important roles for our clients. Breaking news and news tips are increasingly first being...
Read MoreCustomer-centric PR: letting others tell your story
If you are not using third party, customer-centric PR, there is a high likelihood that your brand’s full potential is not being reached. Whether you run a PR agency, a nonprofit, a small-mid-size business, a 10-person marketing department, or a larger corporation, the size of your brand potential might just depend on the PR philosophy that you apply. How many third parties do you foster to help shape your brand or – big ghast – to collectively become your largest public voice? We call this philosophy customer-centric, or third party PR. Brand advocates can be at work on...
Read MoreWhat is your catalyst?
After spending eight years in the medical technology start-up world, six years in Corporate America’s pharma and consumer products sectors, and two years consulting, I founded the Ballast Group, an integrated communication strategies firm. I believed finally I had enough experience in many areas of industry and business that potential clients could gain insights from them. But I didn’t always have the guts to take such an entrepreneurial risk. My sailing partner and coach, a commercial real estate entrepreneur, was my catalyst. On a slow-to-no-wind race day on Lake Erie for the...
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