In today’s world, we have an unprecedented number of ways to raise awareness and shape opinions of our clients.
simply stated, pr is the practice of creating goodwill for a brand by managing its reputation. How we get you there, however, is anything but simple.
Arguably one of marketing's most intangible mediums, PR can be so many things. From corporate communications to crisis communications…getting your client in the paper or keeping them out…community relations to investor relations; it’s not surprising that the practice of PR is so often misunderstood. Every agency has their own list of specialties — here's ours:
- Media Relations
- Social Media
- Event Planning & Product Launches
- Cause-Related Initiatives
- Internal Communications
Many confuse the subspecialty of media relations with the umbrella term that is public relations. Perhaps that’s because many people — us included — firmly believe that editorial coverage in a third-party media outlet — whether print, broadcast or digital — is the most valuable marketing tool available. Why? Well, we believe that a strategic public relations effort built around editorial coverage can position a company, build a brand or launch a product in the most cost-effective and impactful way possible.
To break through today’s oversaturated (and understaffed) media marketplace, we are constantly thinking outside-of-the-box to “create” news, form strategic partnerships and develop the necessary angles we need in order to get our clients’ stories placed.
Oh, and we also don’t abide by the common perception that traditional media relations is all about “who you know.” That’s not to say we don’t have contacts — of course we do. But, in our opinion, it’s more about knowing our client’s strengths, carefully targeting a truthful and well-crafted pitch and being respectful — yet persistent — in our outreach.
In today’s world, we have an unprecedented number of ways to raise awareness and shape opinions of our clients. Our social media services can help build your brand’s reputation by engaging directly with the consumer.
Thirty years ago it was easy. There were three TV channels, a few radio stations, a well-respected daily or two and a handful of magazines. Fast forward to today, where there are hundreds of television channels, satellite radio, niche publications and, of course, the Internet.
What does this mean? We have gone from the business of shouting to the business of fostering ongoing conversations about your brand. In a nutshell, it comes down to the fact that engaging consumers is no longer a one-way conversation.
It’s about providing experiences instead of messages, and instilling some kind of value exchange in the process. It’s giving consumers the power to be brand ambassadors, and letting them share the gospel of your beliefs and vision. It’s about transparency, transparency, transparency. Today’s consumers expect to be involved, engaged and invited to participate in the conversation around your brand. Whether we help you develop your company’s blog, monitor your twitter followers or develop a campaign rooted in the social media space, we have the ideas and the resources that can help your brand compete in today’s complex world.
Event Planning & Product Launches
We take everything we do for our clients extremely seriously, and nothing more so than being entrusted to help them create an event or launch a product or service. Anyone can do great work with big budgets (we love the example of a big brand name laundry detergent spending a half-million on a product launch event — $450,000 to hire the celebrity and $50,000 on miscellaneous expenses!); maybe we’re biased, but we think the work we’ve done for our more cost-conscious clients is even more impressive. Creativity doesn’t have to cost a fortune — except when your agency doesn’t have it.
It seems like every company is “giving back” these days. (If we read the cliché “We like to give back to the communities in which we live and work” one more time, we’re gonna scream!) At mm/c, giving back to our communities is not a mandate, it’s just a way of life. On a daily basis, you can find us creating partnerships and programs of every size and scope that are impactful for both our clients and for their aligned partners. After all, you can only be walking the walk if you’re doing more than talking the talk.
Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden that he retreated to the woods “to live deliberately.” That simple phrase speaks to his desire to put a powerful sense of purpose at the heart of everything he did, every day. Smart businesses do the exact same thing.
Most people in the working world fail to recognize that they are communicating constantly, in ways both big and small. Often, a company focuses intensely on the design and language of its ads, but not their email signatures, their annual reports, their press statements, their elevator interactions…you get the point.
At mm/c, we help our clients make the most of their rich internal resources. We focus on all of the ways in which your company communicates — with clients, employees, investors, partners and vendors every step of the way. Then we work with you to establish policies and protocols that transform these interactions into building blocks for your brand.
Thoreau may not have used the phrase "brand equity," but he understood it. Be deliberate.