How to Maximize Product Placements

July 20th, 2018 Posted by product placement No Comment yet

Jonathan and Drew Scott: Twin brothers who rule the roost over at HGTV. The duo has numerous shows that air on the channel including Property Brothers, Buying and Selling and several specials throughout the year.

In the past week, we’ve confirmed that two of our clients will be featured on upcoming episodes. While they won’t be mentioned by name, Wolf Gourmet and Robern will be shown on television, and we can still get a lot out of these product placements.

Product placements work similar to traditional media relations in that it starts with a pitch to the production team. Once selected, the product is shipped and then it’s up to the set designers or other staff to find a home for it. Sometimes there’s a fee associated with product placement, but we focus on the true “earned” product placements at The Licursi Group. And, that’s how these two opportunities with Property Brothers netted out.

To maximize the value of a product placement, here are some tips:

  • Promote the opportunity from the beginning.
  • Post updates on social media. Sometimes, the production team can send over sneak peaks. Those photographs make for great fodder on social media!
  • Let your sales staff know. They can loop in their key customers about the high profile opportunity.
  • Merchandise the clip. We’ve previously written about how to maximize impressions with media mentions. And, this is no different. Put a link to the show on your website; remind social media followers about the episode airing date(s); include the relevant information in future pitches.

Represent: Tips for a Successful Blogger Ambassador Program

July 20th, 2018 Posted by ambassadors No Comment yet

In life, it always helps to have someone vouching for you—even better if they have the clout to back it up. The same is true when it comes to marketing CPG products and services. To make your voice heard and your products or services seen, you need a way to make your business’s signal stand out amongst the noise, especially online.

 

We’ve heard the statistics about what makes PR an invaluable tool: editorial media placements drive 3x more purchases than advertising alone. A blog mention takes that number up to 9x. Consider that the average coupon has a 1 percent redemption rate. That would mean a media placement has a 3 percent conversion rate and a blog 9 percent.

 

A positive post from just one well-known, reputable blogger can meet sales goals. While you could just wait for someone to blog about your product eventually, jumping ahead of the game with a brand ambassador program can bring about results much more quickly and efficiently.

 

We manage multiple blog ambassador programs for our clients, including Dryel and Robern. Here are some tips we’ve found effective in launching and maintaining a blogger ambassador programs.

 1.  Develop clear goals

It’s important for any business strategy, and it’s certainly important here. Do you hope to achieve brand awareness, enhanced image or perhaps increased content for social media? By narrowing your focus, you’ll find it much easier to decide who you’d like to represent your brand and what you’d like them to say.

2. Target ambassadors based on goals.

Positive buzz is good no matter where it comes from. To make your brand ambassador program worth the time investment, however, you should target individuals who best fit your goals. For example, if your product is furniture, and you would like to create brand awareness among first-time homeowners, you should target bloggers who fit that demographic, or even better: if they already have a sizeable following in that demographic.

3. Engage through social media.

If you need a starting point for mustering ambassadors, look no further than your timeline or wall. Engage with followers who make good ambassador candidates, and keep close track of individuals who reach out and interact with you. It’s much easier to forge a relationship with people who have come to you in the first place. Which leads us to:

4.  Make them come to you.

There’s a difference between targeting potential ambassadors and directly recruiting them. Sure, you could simply reach out to an individual and ask them to blog about your brand. But if you want to foster organic and enthusiastic word-of-keyboard, you should allow ambassadorship to evolve naturally from regular engagement.

5.  Keep your ambassadors talking.

You’ve established relationships with a decent number of bloggers, gotten them talking, and you’re starting to see results. Now what? Keep up the momentum. Give your ambassadors a reason to stay ambassadors. Don’t stop engaging them once you have them on the hook. Make sure they’re up to date on any new business developments. Incentivize them with early access to new products and exclusive opportunities like facilities tours and interviews.

 

//CONCLUSION

In the end, a blog ambassador program is as simple as engaging the people you want to engage, something essential to marketing and customer service in general. When utilized effectively, however, they can be an extremely powerful tool for building your brand.

 

Who will vouch for you?

Alert the Media!

July 20th, 2018 Posted by PR No Comment yet

“Let’s get a press release out on that!”

When PR professionals hear a client utter this phrase, headaches often follow. Why? Despite the press release’s status as the traditional center of public relations, there’s a misconception about the purpose a press release serves and what results it brings today.

Let’s take a step back. A few years ago, press releases were, in fact, necessary for informing the media: they were the only option. A PR consultant typed a release out, put it in an envelope and mailed it to the newspaper. Then, they faxed it. Or, they put it out over the “wire”, a service that distributed your release to the hundreds of newsrooms across the country.

Today, we have dozens of faster communications tools at our disposal, and a press release isn’t as necessary as it once was. Quite often, another form of media communication gets better results: The Pitch.

What’s the difference between a press release and a pitch? Formality. A press release documents something newsworthy or historical. Because they are fact-based, press releases are also good for SEO. Events that call for a press release could include:

  • Product Launches
  • Executive Hires
  • Partnership Announcements
  • Financial/Annual Report Disclosures

On the other hand, a pitch often provides the color commentary to go alongside the release. Where the press release is factual (“Company X Launches New Ballpoint Pen Ink”), a pitch can be opinionated: “Never buy ink again!”

In short, a press release is primarily quantitative, while a pitch is more qualitative.

I’ve heard a pitch referred to as a cover letter, and while I like the analogy, I think it’s a bit of a misnomer. The pitch doesn’t have to accompany anything: it can stand alone. In fact, regular pitching is a great way to keep clients at the front of media contacts’ minds in between the major milestones. These standalone pitches can range from brief updates on company goings-on to expert commentary on relevant trends or current events.

And what makes a successful pitch? Hint: It’s all about the subject line. Like the headline of a press release or news story, a succinct, engaging subject line is the first impression that helps a pitch rise above the inbox noise to catch a reader’s eye.

Did you know? Pitches can even be sent via tweets!