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Media Relations: What Works (Part 1)

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

By Tyra Haag

Engaging the media in an appropriate way leads to a stronger working relationship—not to mention gaining fair and positive coverage from time to time. In the constantly evolving media landscape, being a media relations pro means more than just knowing how to write a good news release. Here are a few insights I’ve learned along the way.

-Listen to what they want:

If one media outlet prefers harder news, don’t bother them with purely feature-oriented material.
The most courteous question to ask a reporter, assignment editor or news director is when to contact them—i.e. day of the week, time of day, etc. Daily morning and afternoon meetings are always set in stone, so find out what times those occur so that you can avoid contacting them at an inopportune time.
Several media folks rely on news releases and advisories sent via e-mail. Long gone are the days of faxing a release (although most outlets still allow you to communicate this way). Most also prefer that a release be sent in the body of the e-mail rather than as an attachment to avoid your message getting spammed.
Keep releases one to two pages in length and advisories to a page or less. Create a substantive “hook” for the subject line and make the first paragraph interesting enough to keep them reading. Editors receive hundreds (or more) announcements, pitches, news releases and advisories a day. Make yours grab their attention.

-Find out what frustrates them:

Nothing seems to aggravate newsroom professionals more than a product placement disguised as a news pitch. Advertorials and news releases don’t mix, so don’t confuse the two. Also, include a human element to your pitch or release when possible.
Show sensitivity to media outlets’ competitive concerns relative to other media. Don’t expect the media to care about you or your clients if you aren’t even familiar enough with who they are as a news organization and what kinds of audiences they specifically serve.
Admit if you’ve made a mistake and move on—no sense in dwelling on what might have been.
Any media outlet’s goal is to cover news and generate content that their own audiences will find of keen interest, so if your story isn’t newsworthy, don’t expect them to cover it.
Avoid asking for too much during “sweeps” months—lunch date, station tour, etc.

-Do your homework:

Get on the radar screen of reporters who cover the “beats” or topics from which your clients have their own stories to tell.
Don’t blindly e-mail blast releases. Make well thought-out pitches and send news releases and advisories to the appropriate contact; otherwise, get ready to be “blocked” from their e-mail list or risk your message getting deleted immediately without even being opened.
If an organization is hosting a “Media Training,” make every effort to attend. These forums provide a great way to gain knowledge directly from the source and meet the expert panelists.

Productive media relations require give and take – and it’s critical to take that process seriously. Be sure to check out next week’s blog post for more tips on what works in media relations.

Tags: assignment, coverage, Mary Beth West Consulting, media, media relations, media training, news releases, newsroom, reporter, Tyra Haag
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As Earth Day Approaches, Remember the Environment

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

By Allison Fulmer, Spring Intern—Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC

As I was driving to work this morning, I could not help but notice all of the beautiful purple, green and pink colors that Mother Nature has given us in Maryville, Tenn. The dogwoods and flowers are blooming, and springtime is finally here.

With all of the colors and scenery to be thankful for, we need to remember to take care of our environment. Earth Day is Thursday, April 22, and all of us should think about how to keep our community green for future generations to enjoy.

Since my first day here at Mary Beth West Consulting, I have been shown several ways our agency practices green habits. We recycle our scrap paper, ink cartridges, newspapers and card board boxes. We also turn off the lights when we leave the office for the day. Even though we try to help our environment any way we can, I wanted to learn other ways to support Earth Day and educate myself on even more eco-friendly business practices.

There are many trouble-free tips any business can implement. Visit the ENERGY STAR^® Web site for environmentally and business-savvy tips:

1. Turn off equipment, such as computers and copiers, at the end of the day. This habit can save almost 50 percent more energy.

2. If possible, communicate through e-mail, and do not print if it is unnecessary.

3. Use recycled paper, and print on both sides if you can.

4. Bring a coffee mug to work for your beverages (Styrofoam cups are not eco-friendly, so eliminate the use of them as much as possible)

5. Use ENERGY STAR^® certified equipment; this will ensure that you are using the most cost- and energy-efficient products.

Being environmentally friendly doesn’t require a huge effort; it mostly requires us to think outside the box on what is best for our beautiful community and world. As we step up and do our part, we’ll realize that being eco-friendly not only helps our environment, but it also saves businesses money.

For Earth Day, I am hopeful that we not only practice good habits in April, but that we make these habits permanent. I would love to hear how your business contributes to sustaining our environment. Happy Earth Day!

Tags: Allison Fulmer, business, Earth Day, energy, ENERGY STAR®, environment, Mary Beth West Consulting, Maryville, recycle, spring
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Mary Beth West Consulting Wins Multiple Awards from Public Relations Society of America

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Maryville, Tenn. — Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, a public relations and reputation management firm in Maryville, Tenn., won multiple top honors at the annual awards dinner of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Volunteer Chapter on April 15 at the Clayton Center for the Arts.

The event also honored Mallorie Mendence – senior account service coordinator at Mary Beth West Consulting and a Maryville native – with the PRSA Rising Young Professional Award, which recognizes an outstanding public relations professional in East Tennessee who has worked for six years or less in the field.

The agency won public relations campaign “Award of Excellence” honors in the public service category for its Blount Education Initiative Public Awareness Campaign and in the marketing consumer services—financial category for its LeConte Wealth Management Marketing Campaign.

The firm’s work producing strategic communications tools also received “Award of Excellence” honors in five areas: non-profit media relations for the Blount Education Initiative; consumer services media relations for LeConte Wealth Management; media kit development in the service category for Todd Richesin Interiors; press conference implementation for the Blount Education Initiative; and external web site development for Blount Education Initiative.

The web site award was shared by the agency with Knoxville-based interactive firm Blue Media Boutique, which together with Mary Beth West Consulting launched Interactive Springboard in early 2010 to formalize the firms’ collaboration in online and social media strategy research, reputation management and measurement.

In addition, Mary Beth West Consulting won four “Award of Quality” honors for several news releases and media relations campaigns.

“For me, one of the most rewarding parts of managing this firm has been building a team of professionals who share high values for producing great work that meets clients’ business objectives and also serving the public in meaningful ways,” said agency principal Mary Beth West. “I’m proud of my team, and I’m also appreciative of the clients we’ve been privileged to serve.”

Mendence – a graduate of Maryville High School – joined Mary Beth West Consulting in December 2007, following her graduation with honors from Berry College in Rome, Ga., with a degree in public relations, as well as completion of a summer internship with Mary Beth West and other practicum experience.

In her position with the firm, Mendence works with the account team to coordinate campaigns for agency clients. She serves on the board of directors of Maryville City Schools Foundation and is a past board member of the Community Food Connection.

The firm’s services include integrated brand marketing communications strategies and campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; social and interactive media strategies and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.

Tags: Award of Excellence, Award of Quality, awards, Blount Education Initiative, Blue Media Boutique, Clayton Center, East Tennessee, Interactive Springboard, LeConte Wealth Management, Mallorie Mendence, Mary Beth West Consulting, Mary Beth West. PRSA, PRSA V Awards, Public Relations, Rising Young Professional, Todd Richesin Interiors, Volunteer Chapter
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The PR Impact of “Externalities”

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

By Mary Beth West, APR

The current issue of Harvard Business Review features as its cover article, “The Big Idea: Leadership in the Age of Transparency.” In it, Christopher Meyer and Julia Kirby delve into the issues of managing “externalities,” defined by economists as “the side effects – or, in the positive case, the spillover effects – of a business’s operations.”

An example of an externality as cited in the article: “A smokestack in Akron may send particulates into the air that descend on farmlands downwind, but in the absence of any measurement of those, the factory isn’t charged for ensuing crop damage.”

Of course, we all know that the company may not be charged a monetary fine by a government agency (yet), but if the matter is brought to public attention, there can be an even higher price to pay.

In public relations, we are confronted every day with managing the reputation and relationship impacts of our employers’ and clients’ externalities. In more cases than not, we are called upon to mitigate negative outcomes. And as the Harvard Business Review article title suggests, we operate in an age of transparency wherein every negative externality is in full public view and subject to vast scrutiny – even activism – via social as well as traditional media.

As “In the Profession” focuses on sustainability this month, the issue of externalities in the realm of environmental impact is timely. My firm advocates for the role of public relations to help guide management leaders in not only identifying and managing the outcomes of externalities – but perhaps more importantly, to be proactive by avoiding practices and decision-making that give rise to negative externalities in the first place.

That company with the Akron smokestack, for example, might be counseled to seek out cleaner production processes to cut particulate emissions and then communicate with stakeholders about its efforts. Of course, most decisions are not so clear-cut. Many costs and complications can make the “right” decision difficult, if not nearly impossible, for a company to make and still be profitable – or even be able to exist as an entity.

Managing these complicating factors effectively makes the case that public relations professionals should be at the table, influencing decisions and policy. Our profession seeks out and understands the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of all stakeholders to an organization – particularly relative to externality impacts in the court of public opinion. As such, we’re best prepared to represent those views in the context of decision-making.

Whether an externality is environmental or not, the voice of public relations can enable organizations to balance their business objectives with serving the public good. And this approach can help companies consciously strive for externalities that are positive rather than negative.

Tags: Christopher Meyer, externalities, externality, Harvard Business Review, Julia Kirby, Mary Beth West, Mary Beth West Consulting, Public Relations, relationships, reputation, social media, sustainability, traditional media
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Shelton Helps Clients Keep it Real on Sustainability

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

By Mary Beth West

With April 22 as Earth Day and the green of spring abounding here in East Tennessee, “In the Profession” will focus this month on sustainability as an organizational ethic and how green issues are impacting companies’ reputations.

For the past number of years, we’ve been fortunate to count among our close colleagues Knoxville-based advertising agency Shelton Group, led by entrepreneur and green strategy guru Suzanne Shelton. Suzanne has spearheaded Shelton Group’s focus on understanding the national consumer mindset on sustainability and helping clients motivate mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices.

Tomorrow (April 9), Shelton Group will release Eco Pulse 2010, one of several annual Shelton Group proprietary studies, which will uncover “American consumer perceptions, drivers and knowledge issues for green products.”

One of the major themes Shelton Group identified years ago and relentlessly hammers home to its clients nationwide is the issue of making sustainability real and authentic as an organizational value – as opposed to touting green messages as the flavor of the moment.

From a public relations standpoint, that counsel is critical for all organizations to heed – particularly those in consumer products or with consumer stakeholders. As Suzanne routinely points out, there is indeed something worse than a company failing to craft a strong sustainability message – and that’s crafting a false one. Consumers get wise to phony green claims with even a whiff of contrivance.

And that’s good. It forces companies to get real about what they want to stand for on sustainability, both philosophically and in genuine practice. Complete alignment of organizational messages with motivations makes for the best in public relations outcomes. We tip our hats to Shelton for preaching good gospel on that front.

Tags: Earth Day, Eco Pulse, green, Mary Beth West, Mary Beth West Consulting, Public Relations, Shelton, Shelton Group, sustainability, Suzanne Shelton
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Being True to Your Brand: What Works

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

By Joe Bogardus

Selectivity works.

In this time of instant communication across a myriad of channels, selecting when and how to respond to a brand criticism presents an added challenge to the art of brand management.

There is a growing apprehension among senior managers that one tweet, one blog posting or an unkind brand comment will devastate the brand forever. Helping managers deal with their cyberspace concerns requires thoughtful and selective counsel.

Here are a few quick considerations that should be deliberated or offered to managers when confronted with an uncomplimentary remark:

Consider the source – is a long-time user of the brand complaining?
Seriousness – is what is being reported a really grave matter?
Totality – will this situation make a difference to all of the brand users?
Repetition – has this circumstance been previously reported?
Restoration or Aggravation – will a response be a solution or feed the complaint?
Environment – where was the comment posted? The larger the audience, the greater the potential fallout.

Using these criteria should help the evaluation process and eliminate the majority of the cranks, quacks and minimalists when it comes to unpopular brand comments.

Still, the biggest challenge of all remains selecting when and when not to respond to a brand criticism. It’s a judgment call, but a call that needs to be made nonetheless in order to be true to your brand.

Tags: brand, brand management, Joe Bogardus, Mary Beth West Consulting
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Mendence Promoted to Senior Account Service Coordinator

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Maryville, Tenn. — Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, a public relations and reputation management consulting firm in Maryville, Tenn., announced today the promotion of Mallorie Evans Mendence to senior account service coordinator.

Mendence – a Blount County native and graduate of Maryville High School – joined Mary Beth West in December 2007, following her graduation with honors from Berry College in Rome, Ga., with a degree in public relations, as well as completion of a summer internship with Mary Beth West and other practicum experience.

In her position with the firm, Mendence works with the account team to coordinate campaigns for agency clients, such as Blount Education Initiative and Dominion Virginia Power. Mendence has previously served on the board of the Community Food Connection of Blount County and currently serves on the board of the Maryville City Schools Foundation. She is an associate member of the Public Relations Society of America / Volunteer Chapter.

“Mallorie brings qualities to her work that every young professional in public relations should aspire to, including a focus on ethics and understanding how to manage the process of real relationship-building,” West said. “She has made many valuable contributions to our team.”

Mendence received several recognitions while at Berry College, graduating cum laude and making the academic Dean’s list for four semesters. Other honors included being named to the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and being selected to Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

Mendence lives in Maryville with her husband, Eddie, who teaches English at Maryville High School.

Established in 2003 and located in the Law Building in downtown Maryville, Mary Beth West Consulting works with clients to advance their communications, relationships and reputations to meet business objectives. The firm’s services include integrated brand marketing communications strategies and campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; social and interactive media strategies and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.

Tags: Berry College, communications, Mallorie Evans Mendence, Mallorie Mendence, Mary Beth West Consulting, Maryville High School, Public Relations
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Achieving Work-Life Balance

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

By Amy Schwinge

What is your definition of work-life balance ? I think before you can achieve work-life balance, you have to define what it means to you. Work-life balance is a relative term that can mean different things for different people.

First of all, I would recommend identifying the priorities you want to achieve in both your personal and work activities. Then, focus on those priorities, and plan the rest of your life around those priorities.

Many of you probably are thinking that this is easier said than done, right? Well, it’s a start.

I like to follow the advice of Albert Einstein who said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

I would imagine that most of us are moving rapidly in this day and time, and the balance is more like a juggling act. The key is to channel that movement into your top priorities. Whether your priorities are balancing family, work, volunteer activities, religious activities or school, list your top priorities of each, and attempt to achieve those goals in a manageable schedule.

According to worklifebalance.com, “Work-life balance does not mean an equal balance. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that.

Your best individual work-life balance will vary over time, often on a daily basis. The right balance for you today will probably be different for you tomorrow. The right balance for you when you are single will be different when you marry, or if you have children; when you start a new career versus when you are nearing retirement.”

For me, I strive to exceed the expectations and goals of our clients and my manager at work while spending as much quality time as possible with my family in addition to teaching online classes from time to time.

Recently, I had a Daughter-Mommy day with my five-year-old, and in her words, “It was the best day ever.” We went to lunch together, her gymnastics class, then shopping. While at the mall, she asked if she could get her ears pierced—kind of out of the blue. Whenever the subject of getting her ears pierced had come up in the past, my husband and I always told her it was her decision IF and when she wanted to do it. So, she did get her ears pierced—with no tears surprisingly. She was on top of the world, and so was I. We had a great rest of the evening as a family when my hubby got home from work. I definitely achieved my family balance that day!

What are some examples of your work-life balance?

Tags: Albert Einstein, Amy Schwinge, balance, Mary Beth West Consulting, work, work / life balance
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East Tennessee Firms Launch Interactive Springboard

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Interactive Agency and PR Firm Start Joint Venture

Knoxville and Maryville, Tenn. — Blue Media Boutique, a web development and interactive agency, and Mary Beth West Consulting, a public relations and reputation management consulting firm, announced today the launch of Interactive Springboard, a joint venture that provides an integrated, research-based approach to social media that supports client marketing communications.

The firms, led by Tori Rose of Blue Media Boutique and Mary Beth West, have partnered successfully on several diverse client projects since 2008 involving web strategy and social media and are now formalizing their collaboration under the Interactive Springboard name.

“Our work model is unique to this market in both its collaborative approach between two highly specialized firms and its focus on utilizing market research,” West said. “Many current social media programs suffer two missing links: the effective use of audience research and a content-development process that drives dynamic relationship-building. Our team is prepared to meet those client needs for better online engagement.”

According to West and Rose, the best web development and social media strategies demand client-specific audience research as the foundation. Without that research, companies risk taking a “shotgun” approach and failing to realize the benefits of social and online community-building to their true potential.

In some cases, companies get in over their heads and launch social media applications that they are unable to support with consistent and relevant content for their online audiences, resulting in a loss of credibility with customers and the public alike, Rose said.

“Great social media execution is the ultimate moving target today,” Rose said. “With the constant changes taking place in social media technology development and use by consumers and businesses worldwide, it’s critical for clients to know their own customer base first-hand and how their media-use behaviors are trending.”

Both firms comprising Interactive Springboard offer diverse team backgrounds and have their own histories of extensive work partnering with other third-party agencies and teams, both in the Knoxville market and beyond.

Blue Media Boutique’s design, programming and animation professionals are based across the continent and include a collective 50-plus years of interactive and web development experience.

Rose’s background is extensive and diverse, spanning several marketing disciplines over a period of 16 years at companies in the United States and Canada. Most recently, as vice president, creative director of RIVR Media Interactive (RMI), Rose was responsible for RMI’s creative vision, design, and interactive projects for a wide variety of clients, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Shell, Gibbes Museum of Art, and Duke University. In addition to launching RMI’s first property, Needled.com, Rose developed three award-winning pieces for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) and won a PRSA and IABC award for two Morrison Management Specialists projects.

Prior to RIVR, Rose served as creative director of Edison Schools in New York, Chris Whittle’s entrepreneurial initiative to change public education in America. Rose was a key player in the design and development of Edison’s distance learning initiative—using live video, animation and Internet resources to deliver a K-12 curriculum program and professional development training to the classroom. She holds a master’s degree in media from The New School University and a bachelor of arts degree from Wake Forest University.

The team at Mary Beth West Consulting includes a collective 75-plus years of marketing communications and public relations experience working in-house with such companies as General Motors, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, Eastman Kodak, Corrections Corporation of America and Champion Products.

Accredited in public relations, Mary Beth West’s own 16-year career has included award-winning work producing national media relations campaigns, employee communications programs and crisis preparedness systems in the energy, financial services and corporate sectors.

West has served two appointments on the national board of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals, and is a past president of the Knoxville-based PRSA Volunteer Chapter. She serves on the UT College of Communication and Information Board of Visitors.

Interactive Springboard can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Media Boutique
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Media Boutique provides creative, technology and marketing services, including design, development, animation, video, illustration, branding, print, e-commerce, database, CMS, search optimization, copywriting, promotions, events and campaigns.

About Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC
Based in Maryville, Tenn., Mary Beth West Consulting advances clients’ communications, relationships and reputations to meet business and organizational objectives. The firm’s services include research strategy, integrated marketing communications campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; interactive media strategy and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.

Tags: Blue Media Boutique, interactive agency, Interactive Springboard, marketing communications, Mary Beth West, Mary Beth West Consulting, PR firm, Public Relations, public relations and reputation management consulting firm, social media, Tori Rose
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