By Dennis Brown, Vice President

A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to view the final dress rehearsals of an experiential program for NAPA AUTO PARTS created by Fahlgren Live. (One of the benefits of being part of a full-service agency is seeing the great work other groups do before it hits the market.)

Then, last weekend I got the participants’ perspective when I was recruited by the MLB Network for an experience of my own.

Together the two experiences left quite an impression.

The Goodguys Get the Good Stuff

The NAPA program was created for the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association events. The Goodguys put on more than 20 events a year to allow hot rod and custom car owners to show off their vehicles while the rest of us get to check out some of the coolest cars on the planet. Their event here in Columbus, the GoodGuys PPG Nationals in July, is hugely popular and the place to be for local car enthusiasts.

In other words, a great audience for NAPA.

The NAPA program for Goodguys uses a game show format which integrates NAPA brand messages into a fun, fast-paced Jeopardy-like show, called Get the Good Stuff, in which contestants win prizes by showing off their knowledge of auto parts. It is conducted in a way that not only makes it fun for those participating, but typically attracts a large crowd around the branded trailer that serves as the game show stage.

According to Craig Lerner, Fahlgren’s Director of Experiential Marketing, “Our objective is to create an experience that motivates a person to choose to be a part of the brand story. We know that positive experiences lead to action at an aggressive rate. Purchase, trial, store traffic, online visits and spreading the word are examples of desired actions (and measurable objectives) effectively delivered by experiential marketing.”

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By Dennis Brown, Vice President

This post is part one in a series about white papers in business to business public relations.

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network released an interesting report on Maximizing the use of white papers in B2B marketing.

The publisher surveyed 542 IT decision makers regarding their use of white papers. The results confirm that white papers continue to be an important tool in the effort to persuade and engage IT decision makers:

• 76.3 percent of respondents use white papers for general education on a specific technology topic or issue, while 73.8 percent use white papers to investigate possible technology solutions
• 83 percent are using white papers as much or more than they have in the past
• 93 percent pass along some of the white papers they download to colleagues

What Readers Want
The report also provides good feedback on what readers want from a white paper.

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By Melissa Dykstra, Vice President

You can’t manage what you can’t measure.

With traditional media merging and newspapers folding, many employee communicators are probably asking - or being asked - the same thing about their corporate newsletters. Why do we need a newsletter? Should we consider moving to an online version a la the Seattle Post Intelligencer?

Here are some thoughts about employee newsletters to keep in mind when those questions inevitably arise.

The role of your newsletter.

Are your employees or members reading the newsletter? What do they care about? Which sections are they reading the most? How do they want to receive information about the company? How often?

A simple survey can tell you if your objectives are being met and can help you understand several data points surrounding your employee communications outreach including:

• Print vs. online preferences
• Distribution issues

• Content preferences or desires 

Newsletters can serve many purposes. They help communicate corporate vision and strategy. They provide news on customers, or to customers. They help keep membership engaged and they may even  help sell products or services on occasion. But it’s a rare newsletter that can do all of these things. As newsletters evolve, it’s easy to morph them to fit many different needs. Take a step back and define (or redefine) the objectives your newsletter, then ask yourself - and your constituents - if you’re meeting them.

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By Mark Berry, Senior Account Specialist

This is not another blog post about the power of Twitter as a public relations tool.

Relieved? So am I. The angst about Twitter has nuked the fridge for me. If I read one more cyber-person’s lament about “crossing over to the dark side” by joining Twitter, I may Tweet something really nasty - if I can fit anything nasty in 140 characters.

(By the way, has anyone asked why 140? Why not 145? Or 150? These are the things that keep me awake at night. Personally, I would have gone with 33.)

Anyway … don’t get me wrong - social media is great, and we absolutely need to be immersed in it to best serve our clients. But every once in a while we’re reminded that even in the world of Web 2.0 (or is it 3.0 now?), some things never change.

I had just such an experience recently when pitching an especially complex technology topic for a client. I approached the pitch the way most PR professionals would - I studied the targeted outlet, researched potential reporters, reviewed previous stories on similar subjects, and settled on the person I was convinced was the best bet to tackle this tough issue. I personalized the pitch and delivered it just as the reporter requested. In short, I did everything we have been trained to do.

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By Hartley Mikus, Account Executive

Embracing change while we brush up on public relations basics.

As we continue to sink deeper into this strong economic downturn, companies and families alike work hard to stay within their budgets. Layoffs are popping up in all directions. Luxuries are out of style, and bargains are becoming trendy again. So as we embark upon this rugged professional climate, full of bear markets and rising unemployment, how do we illustrate our worth as PR professionals? How do we compete in a world of shrinking news outlets and slashed client budgets?

Though the climate is undoubtedly complex, I am starting to believe that the answer is quite simple. To communicate our value to our clients and duke it out with the elements amid harsh economic times we must do just a few things, BUT we must do them better than we have EVER done them before. We must be adaptable while also being cognizant of the tried and true methods that have always worked in the past.

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