Welcome to the Escape Blog

While the old adage ‘size matters’ might apply to marketing budgets, when it comes to building a business profile, ‘bigger is better’ holds little truth. In this digital age, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are better placed than ever to get maximum returns from their investment in communications campaigns.

It’s worth remembering that over 99% of UK companies employ less than 250 people and the SMB sector makes a powerful contribution to the economy. At Wildfire we work with many clients who fit the SMB bracket and are generating brand awareness that their bigger competitors cannot match. So we’re happy to share our experience (and even boast a little) together with some tips that can help smaller brands really punch above their weight:

1. Know Your Audience

Small businesses are often targeting a niche industry sector, with a very specific product or service offering. So know who your prospects are, find out how they consume media and spend your marketing budget wisely so you reach the people who are going to buy your product or service. For example, our YourTube video competition for Optoma generated over half a million views in just a few weeks.

2. Think big, act big

Who’s to know that behind your website, email campaign and Facebook page, just a handful of people are keeping the cogs turning?  Engaging in social media can help you build up a legion of enthusiastic and evangelistic supporters, through Twitter accounts or Facebook pages (see our interview with Guy Clapperton for more tips on how to do this).  Our e-waste campaign for charity Computer Aid International used social media to attract 700 signatories for a petition that captured the attention of Downing Street.

3. Be flexible and reactive

The window of opportunity to be included in a timely news piece is often very small.  Big brands are slowed down by cumbersome approval processes, so taking advantage of being first can give a smaller firm valuable coverage where they might otherwise have been overlooked.

Rocela, the world’s fastest growing independent Oracle consultancy, recently made the news in many of the top tier technology publications by commenting on the recent Sun Microsystems takeover by Oracle. Rocela’s CEO Martin Mutch, made himself available before and immediately after Oracle’s press conference with prepared comment on how the takeover will effect end users. This resulted in several interviews and coverage in The Register, Information Age, The New Statesmen, MicroScope and Computer Business Review.

4. Create compelling content and make it accessible

It’s almost becoming a PR cliché, but compelling content really can elevate your PR campaign and your brand.  The key rule here is to make sure that content has real value for your target audience – and that it is in a format that is readily accessible to them.  To support our PR campaign for Tealeaf’s Consumer Behaviour Study, we generated a campaign microsite, a downloadable white paper and a social media-friendly Slideshare presentation.

In addition to generating over 70 pieces of coverage across horizontal and vertical sectors, the Slideshare presentation generated 1,600 views in two weeks and was embedded in over 15 blog posts, the whitepaper was download over 150 times and the micro site recorded over 2,500 page views within a week.

5. Be controversial and make some noise

Finally, as every PR will tell you, the media loves a bit of controversy, so saying something juicy can be very beneficial.  With share prices to worry about, corporates often have to be very careful about what they say and when. Smaller companies rarely have this headache and should take advantage of the fact.

Our Hitting the Mark campaign for dotMailer highlighted the need for best practice in email marketing.  By ‘naming and shaming’ some of the UK’s leading retailers –  as well as giving away a major benchmark study on email marketing effectiveness – we generated strong news angles together with ammunition for sales and marketing efforts. PR coverage was widespread and hits on the website increased by 400% in a week.

picture credit

The last ten years or so have been extremely disruptive for the PR and marketing industry. In 2009, we’ve seen the rise and public acceptance of Twitter, the death of numerous print magazines and a migration online by brands and consumers alike.

But what do we foresee in 2010? What will be the trends that we think will come to fruition? Here’s our top ten:

1. Continued demise (and metamorphosis) of traditional media – there is no doubt that more traditional print media publications will disappear (including some very high profile ones). The media will focus on trying to generate revenues from online content (expect to see a lot more about paywalls…)
2. Creativity will count – because it is so easy to publish content on the internet, being heard amongst all the noise is critical. Getting your message across is both an opportunity and a challenge for us creative PR people. PR agencies will ignore this at their peril
3. More brands becoming publishers – in light of the first prediction, we think more and more brands will publish and distribute their own content, either as a corporate blog  or by supporting and creating a new breed of industry portals
4. Distributed content – following on from this, creating (creative) content that can be distributed across the internet (and even offline) will be important for effective PR. With the rise of the social web, sharing is where it’s at, enabling this (and encouraging it) will pay dividends
5. Real-time – Google’s recent announcement will only increase public interest in real-time content (think Twitter et. al.). Acting and reacting quickly will be vital
6. Video, video and more video – we were amazed to learn recently that Salesforce use YouTube as their primary social media channel, but it makes perfect sense. Video is a fantastic way to simplify complex messages or information, so expect to see a lot more of it in the tech industry in particular
7. Even more “social media gurus” hanging around – not necessarily a welcome one here, but at a time when it’s hard to move for experts in all things social, separating the wheat from the chaff is going to get even more important
8. The PR/customer service dilemma – as more and more brands use social networks for PR and marketing, consumers will respond by making customer service demands via these channels. Finding a way for the two to co-exist will be a challenge
9. Blogging to rise “from the dead” again – the ‘death’ of blogging is currently one of the web’s favourite themes. But, next year, those who were jumping on the blogging bandwagon will stick to the shorter form that is Twitter, while the ‘real’ bloggers, with something to say will take back their prominence and excel
10. Even more stressed-out journos – it’s a tough time being a journalist at the moment. Shrinking numbers of publications and shrinking numbers of jobs are juxtaposed with the ‘real-time’ web and the race to publish online news before anyone else. Don’t expect this to change anytime soon. The days of long boozy PR lunches are well and truly over. Getting quality content to journalists and providing them with all the elements of a great story quickly and efficiently will be vital

What have we missed? What do you expect to see in 2010?

picture credit

For those of you that don’t know, AVE stands for Advertising Value Equivalent. Something that sends shivers down the spine of any PR who was an account executive in the days before the internet.

Rulers and scalpels at the ready for measuring column inches of all coverage, multiplying that by the cost for ad space in said publication and then multiplying that again by a number, of anything between 2 and 7, to show how much more important influential PR was than advertising.

I really thought that AVE was pretty much a Dodo these days, so was amazed to find it was the most common form of measuring of the value of PR, especially consumer campaigns, while presiding as a judge for the 2009 PRCA Awards over the last few weeks.

Shouldn’t the industry have moved on by now?

AVE is so outdated for a number of reasons:

1.    It only works for print media – column inches do not work on the Web

2.    Advertising space is becoming cheaper, so PRs using it are already devaluing their work

3.    But most importantly, it totally ignores business impact.  All it does it give the board a nice big figure of how much it would cost to buy the equivalent amount of space.

We all know that PR is notoriously difficult to measure, and it is clear that there will never be one killer method of measurement.  But what we should be striving for is a blend of measures that are aligned to specific business and campaign objectives.  Things that actually mean something to our clients, like sales, market share, web hits, trials, and referrals.

I’m not saying it’s easy.  But falling back on AVE is no way to win over clients, let alone win awards!

picture credit

Increasing media fragmentation and the challenges this creates in getting the right message to the right people means that knowing your audience and what is happening in their world has become even more critical to delivering effective communications, and generating positive ROI.

Massive shifts in media consumption habits and changes in lifestyle amongst both consumers and business audiences mean many of the established assumptions no longer hold true.

In fact, many household brand names are finding that established models don’t work anymore, and that the difference between what their audience actually thinks and what they assume they think is growing, putting pressure on business results.

To address this, smart businesses and agencies are turning to in-depth audience research to get back under the skin of their audiences.

At Wildfire, we’ve been banging this drum for some time now and running a number of enlightening research projects for clients across a broad range of audiences and business problems. These projects have ranged from the quick and simple, through to more complex techniques – with very useful insights being developed, establishing clear new PR messaging and media recommendations.

But what are the different tools and techniques?  We’ve put together some of the most common research tools and an explanation of what they entail and the value they can deliver.

Vox pops

A simple technique to get the opinions of the ‘person on the street’ by simply stopping and asking a selection of people for their views (often recorded). Vox pops are a great way to understand the thoughts of consumers about every day issues. Whilst this method isn’t necessarily quantitative, it will give quick pointers as to general opinions that can then be explored further.

Personas

This desk research technique involves thinking about the different types of customers for your product or service and where it fits into their lives. This can also be useful for thinking about the best ways of reaching them. Personas are usually the desired outcome of any audience research exercise and can be used to inform marketing, product development and sales teams.

A day in the life

This is an extension of personas and can be executed using multiple techniques, or through desk research. It involves delving deeply into the life of the target customer, and identifying their daily habits and challenges.

Online surveys

Surveys are a great way to get relatively quick answers to simple, closed questions. Recruitment is generally from existing email data, with good reporting capabilities, however completion rates tend to be low, so a large list is required for statistically valid responses. There are of course many market research companies that can help you do this, but the costs can vary depending on who you are trying to reach.

Focus groups

Focus groups are a very effective technique to help you understand the challenges and thoughts of particular audiences.  Focus groups provide a forum to understand customer opinions on propositions, messages and creative options. The challenge, particularly in B2B, is getting the right mix of people to attend, however with sufficient preparation and help [link to interview with Dom], this can be overcome.

In-depth interviews

To gain a deeper insight into the opinions, pressures and day to day life of a target audience, in-depth interviews can be a great vehicle to understand more about their pain-points and motivations.  The interviews are best conducted with several individuals, in order to identify common themes as well as any significant differences. Recruitment can often be easier than for focus groups, however the timeline for completion of the project can be a little longer.

Testing strategies

While research into audiences before you execute any work is key to ensure that your targeting, insights and messages are relevant, it is just as important to observe behaviour either during or after a campaign. The simple technique of split testing (also known as A/B tests) is particularly useful in establishing the impact of changes to messages, targeting or creative. To be statistically robust, 400 responses is ideal, however smaller numbers of responses can give you an indication of the trend, or at least flag up potential issues for further investigation.

Of course, it goes without saying that if any of the above sound of interest, you should get in touch!

image credit

At 10am this morning, freelancer writer Daphna Baram published a shocking real-life account on the Guardian website about a recent heart attack she had.

The focus of the article is that, despite having collapsed right outside a branch of the popular gym Fitness First (where she was a member and had just been running), no one from the gym was willing to help her out or provide assistance.

The official reply from PR Alyson Marlow of the Leepeck Group (owner of Fitness First) was concise and factual but was not really worded in a way that would quickly and easily diffuse the situation.

All-in-all a pretty sad story.

But it is likely to get worse for Fitness First. As of now, four hours after the article was published, there are 182 comments on the article. That’s about one comment every 1.3 minutes! And the Twittersphere is also beginning to wake up to the news as well.

For me there are two major learnings here:

1) Brand reputation issues can stem from anywhere

For all we know, this saga was caused by a few employees in one branch of Fitness First that did or did not offer to help Daphna. But it just goes to show that the actions (or inactions) of anyone in a company can have serious reputation effects for a brand.

2) The social web can very quickly escalate a reputation management issue

It is unfortunate for Fitness First that the individual involved here was a journalist, but even so, this story is made all the more dramatic and poignant because of the instant and vehement reaction of those Guardian readers that were compelled to comment.

As of yet, Fitness First have yet to respond to the article.

[hat tip @alexevansuk]

Infamy is ours at last! Wildfire has featured on tech PR’s notorious gossip blog …the world’s leading….

Our crime? Appearing at the top of the Google rankings for ‘UK Technology PR Agency‘. It may be tongue-in-cheek, but the post makes a valid point: the UK’s larger tech PR agencies (but not just tech) are ignoring the power SEO for their own businesses.

And this begs the question: are they failing to embrace or explore the power of digital as a PR and marketing specialism?

This is a sweeping statement and is perhaps unfair; there are many fine digital-specialists at the leading PR agencies, often cooped up in digital departments, fighting for mind share and budget.

Our focus (and I believe the right focus for our clients) is to weave digital, social media and the Web into everything we do. This means understanding Google, Twitter, SEO and the rest.

The next step is to determine when and when not to use them in campaigns, strategies and projects. Not using social media because that is our ’specialism’ but because it makes sense for a client’s objectives.

We aim to be the ‘world’s leading’ PR agency, and that means learning and using the very latest trends.

For me, there are two wider issues that this post clarifies:

Marketing is changing at a rapid pace – The PR industry is being forced to wake-up and realise that the world is a very different place to column inches, press releases and advertising value equivalents (AVE). Agencies should be the place where these new techniques, tactics and strategies are identified, developed and designed.

The opportunity for smaller businesses is greater than ever – small businesses can use digital marketing to punch above their weight. Blogs and social networks empower businesses to become publishers and content creators themselves, engaging with customers and prospects directly.

If you’re interested in learning more about how PR and marketing are changing and want your business to punch above its weight, then get in touch.

picture credit

A great article (well, I would say that, wouldn’t I!) by Steve McKee in Business Week – Why PR is the Prescription.

In it, he argues that, despite the convergence of different marketing disciplines, PR is a great strategy in this new world we find ourselves in, and especially at the moment when budgets are being cut:

“While it is possible for any publicity campaign to fall flat, the right story told at the right time in the right way can bring powerful and valuable attention to your business far in excess of what you spend to develop it. Especially in light of the second trend forever changing the news business: complexity. ”

He goes on to suggest that with more and more space to fill and ever diminishing newsroom staff, there is a great opportunity out there for businesses have their 30 minutes in the spotlight. And, in theory, he’s correct. However, the reality is in many ways a bit different.

The ‘traditional’ media (e.g. profession journlists), which is what McKee is refering to, is under more pressure than ever to deliver results: hits, traffic, advertising pounds.  This means that, especially online where all this can be tracked more easily, content counts. And not just any content; valuable, insightful and unique content.

In actual fact, this makes his final point all the more valid:

“The key word, of course, is “good.” Put yourself in the shoes of a journalist for a moment. Imagine what it would be like to spend precious time sifting and sorting through inane news releases, annoying e-mails, and calls from pesky publicists while laboring under continually looming deadlines to deliver original, compelling stories.

“The best PR pros will tell you the truth about your stories—more than once I’ve been told that some idea I’ve come up with would appeal to my mother and few others. That’s no fun to hear, but if tough love protects my company’s credibility with the press, it’s worth it.”

And in many ways, the latter comment is exactly why PR, in some cases, has a bad name. As with all marketing, getting the right message to the right audience at the right time is crucial. Of course, we all think that our story, our business, our new product is the best, greatest thing since sliced bread, but its not alway true, or at least, not for everyone.

Its “tough love”, but it has to be done!

picture credit

Chances are, the first place you look to find out about something new that comes along, is the web and, more precisely, Google.

Well, journalists are no different. I remember a national newspaper journo once telling me that he thoroughly Googles every company and spokesperson he comes across before even starting to consider writing about them.

So if a journalist Googles you or your company, what are they likely to find? It’s certainly worth checking out.

And once they are on their website – will they be able to easily find what they want?

Website usability and optimisation is nothing new. We work with a number of clients who have sophisticated skills and technologies to help you push your online visitors towards a conversion point.

The way you treat journalists on your site should be no different.

Usability-guru ‘Jakob Nielsen has written a great post on ‘Press Area Usability‘, looking at some of the key considerations you need to remember when optimising your website for visiting journalists.

For example:

• “Websites must be painfully clear about a company’s purpose, products, and services”
• Avoid buzz-language, marketing-spiel and overly technical jargon
• Don’t use plugins and avoid forcing downloads in order to view specific information
• Don’t use PDFs
• Keep the site ‘clean’ with a clearly defined press or media section
• Make sure search engines know you and know where you are (read: SEO)
• Press section should include: links to supporting (independent) evidence, links to coverage, PR contact information, financial information, images, logos,
• Write in language journalists themselves use – it helps them to imagine how you would ‘fit’ in their publication
• Embrace multi-media (video, webcasts, podcasts), but make it easy to use

As we all know (PRs especially) and as Jakob states, journalists work to very tight-deadlines so making life easy for them is likely to benefit you and your relationship:

“If journalists can’t find what they’re looking for on a website, they might not include that company in their story. Journalists repeatedly said that poor website usability could reduce or completely eliminate their press coverage of a company.”

Jakob concludes:

“Ultimately, PR-related usability comes down to a simple question: Why spend a fortune on outbound PR (trying to pitch journalists) when you neglect simple steps to increase the effectiveness of inbound PR (satisfying journalists who visit your website)?”

The 287-page report on Designing Websites to Maximize Press Relations (3^rd edition) is also available for download.