How to be media friendly
A great deal of public relations effort still goes into courting media coverage and to maximise your chances you naturally need to be media friendly. So try comparing your organisation against this ten-point checklist and see how you perform. I’ll be very surprised if you can say you’re doing all of this and more! read the full post »
17 May 2013 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : communications strategy, journalists, media coverage, media relations, public relations.
What are the differences between B2B and B2C social media?
The people behind Useful Social Media recently asked me a series of questions for an article about the differences between B2B and B2C social media. The article has just been published and features only some of my answers, so here is the full set of questions with my responses beneath. This should serve as a useful primer for anyone looking to understand the differences. Feel free to use ... read the full post »
28 March 2013 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Does your company have an explanation problem?
I’ve just reviewed a book called The Art of Explanation for the B2B Marketing website. The author is Lee Lefever, co-founder of Common Craft, a US-based provider of video ‘explainers’ for technology firms. Chances are you’re one of the hundreds of millions who’ve already seen one of his distinctively simple videos. If you’ve ever been surprised that your idea, proposal, product or service hasn’t been received in the way ... read the full post »
05 March 2013 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : adding value, communication, communications strategy, public relations, selling.
You ultimately get the reputation you deserve
They say a person or organisation ultimately gets the reputation they deserve. I’d like to think so in the case of Santander UK, whose former chief executive is António Horta-Osório. He’s the one whose enforced absence through ‘overwork’ surprised the City in 2011. At Santander he once presided over the now defunct Abbey and Alliance & Leicester, two formerly staid organisations turned racy retail banks that Santander gobbled ... read the full post »
21 February 2013 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : banks, customer service, marketing, public relations, reputation, trust.
Possibly the best piece of PR advice your company will get this year
A corporate brand doesn’t have to huge to become ubiquitous although a colossal marketing budget is clearly a factor. It also helps if you have an outspoken, maverick chief executive as Ryanair or Pimlico Plumbers do. At a personal level, another tactic is to present yourself (and by extension your company) as the counterpoint to what most others are saying on a trending topic – journalists usually welcome contrarian views ... read the full post »
23 January 2013 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : communications strategy, diversity, marketing, media coverage, reputation.
What’s wrong with this announcement?
Among the usual round of appointments news this week, one stood out for all the wrong reasons. The firm in question is a big, very well known name in the professional services sector. It has a good reputation but it’s hard to see how churning out puffy drivel about a newly created senior level executive post is helpful in that respect. Here’s how it was reported on one PR industry ... read the full post »
06 December 2012 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : corporate announcements, marketing, public relations, writing.
Is Brand Journalism something new or just business as usual?
A lot of people are getting excited about the next big idea that’s happening in public relations and marketing. It goes by various names - brand journalism being the latest – but the central premise behind each of them is that companies will soon all have to become publishers, or face extinction. What I do for a living makes me hyper-sensitive to, well, hyperbole. And this so-called big trend has ... read the full post »
01 November 2012 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | 2 Comments »
Tagged : brand journalism, branding, communications strategy, marketing, public relations.
Media training: outsiders work best with your executive team
No-one doubts the value of hiring an ex-journalist to teach people how to get the best out of media interviews. I’ve done it myself on numerous occasions. After all, who better to help you understand the best techniques, tricks and traps than someone who’s been on the other side of the fence? But not all journalists make great trainers or providers of wise counsel for that matter, and even assuming ... read the full post »
26 October 2012 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : adding value, communications strategy, journalists, media interview training, media relations, media training, PR firms, public relations.
3 Minute Management Briefing: using social media to demonstrate expertise
Social media sites can be a great way of showcasing your personal knowledge and expertise on the subjects you wish to be associated with. The two main social sites for business people are LinkedIn and relative newcomer Quora, but I’ll also cover discussion forums. Starting with LinkedIn, from your personal home page open the drop down menu under the ‘More’ tab. Click on ‘Answers’ to open up the main answers page, ... read the full post »
10 October 2012 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | Comment on this post »
Tagged : expertise, expertise marketing, marketing, reputation, social media, third party endorsement.
Why is mystery shopping such a secret for B2B companies?
Every organisation needs the insight that comes from walking in their customers’ shoes. Only when you see what they experience as they try to buy from you can you really organise your business properly around customers’ needs. This is hardly new, but for B2B companies, take-up of such basic insight management has been surprisingly slow, as an article in this month’s issue of Professional Services Marketing magazine explains. The ... read the full post »
01 October 2012 | Posted by : Andy M Turner | 2 Comments »
Tagged : law firms, marketing, mystery shopping, new business, reputation.