Traci Stuart is the President of Blattel Communications, a PR Agency which specializes with working with Professional Service Brands, based in San Francisco, CA. Traci discusses best practices for Conquering Media Relations Developing and Implementing Thought Leadership Campaigns.

1. Conquering Media Relations
Developing and Implementing Thought Leadership
Campaigns
Presented to:
Professional Services Marketing Group - North Bay
Ahead of the Curve Marketing: What's Now and
What's Next
October 16, 2014

2. Public Relations Defined
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the communication
between an organization and its target audiences.
 PR gains an organization or individual exposure, using topics of
public interest and news items that provide a third-party
endorsement without requiring direct payment.
 Activities include byline articles, expert commentary in reporter-written
third-party articles, award and list inclusion, press releases,
speaking engagements and social media participation.
 PR is interrelated to marketing and advertising. All three
activities should operate synergistically, maintaining a consistent
message.
©2014 Blattel Communications

3. PR Goal: Thought Leadership
 Thought leaders are “go-to” professionals
in a given subject area.
 Offer specific, although not exclusive, expertise.
 Easy-to-understand/relate to; express defined
viewpoint.
 Often found in a reporter’s (virtual) Rolodex.
 Thought leadership is substantiated by
third-party media activity
 Identifiable and web-searchable.
 Consistent.
©2014 Blattel Communications

4. Benefits of Thought Leadership
 Thought leadership activities:
 Drive business development.
 Create value through content and education.
 Keep you top of mind with targeted audiences.
 Enhance individual and company images.
 Shift or change perceptions.
 Support recruiting efforts.
 Boost search-ability.
 Results build upon themselves – the “snowball
effect.”
©2014 Blattel Communications

5. Elements of Thought Leadership
 Byline Articles
 #1 direct source of real business leads.
 Help educate target audiences and (often “green”) reporters on issues.
 Internal Publishing or Blogging
 With byline articles, offers vehicle to further explore issues and
viewpoints.
 Establishes online evidence of expertise.
 Expert Sourcing
 Identify issues and trends in the news and connect reporters to sources
for quotation.
 Byline articles/blog posts are excellent credentials for outreach.
 Opportunities may come to fruition long after first contact.
 Lists and Rankings
 High value credential.
 Speaking Engagements
 Direct contact opportunity.
 Venues for more-focused and targeted thoughts.
 Outreach supported by byline articles, sourcing, rankings, etc.
 Long lead time.
©2014 Blattel Communications

6. Targeting
Be strategic: avoid “shotgun marketing.”
 Audiences.
 Individuals – C-suite, risk managers, accountants.
 Outlets – newspapers, business journals, online publications,
industry-specific trade journals, newsletters, magazines,
broadcast, social media.
 Beats and Features – editorial calendar, media database
research, real-time research.
©2014 Blattel Communications

7. Byline Articles
 Educational, not self-promotional.
 Editors can adjust, but the author drives the narrative, providing
an opportunity to be strategic.
 Provide implied third-party endorsement.
 Can be leveraged on the website, newsletters, in RFPs, as leave
behinds for speaking gigs, for direct mail, etc.
©2014 Blattel Communications
Featured website content.
Bio and social network updates.
Direct mail and/or personal
correspondence.

8. Content Multiplier Effect
 Focus on leverage.
 Speaking slides = blog post = byline article = newsletter
content.
Content
©2014 Blattel Communications
Content
Speaking
Slides
Speaking
Slides
Blog Post
Byline Article
Newsletter
Content

9. Third-Party “Expert” Commentary
Personal correspondence.
Bio and/or social network updates.
©2014 Blattel Communications
 Outlets include daily
newspapers, industry and
business trades and
broadcast.
 Reach wide audience.
 Bolsters personal brand
and the company brand.
 Opportunities can
snowball.
 Develop relationships with
reporters and publications.
Featured website content.

10. Tips for Getting Quoted
Foundational Activities
 Understand reporters work by “beat.”
 Follow the reporters of interest and reach out as appropriate.
 Send background information or your source’s relevant credentials.
 Relentlessly follow the issues on which you/your sources want to be
quoted.
As News is Happening
 Be available – indicate if your source is in the office, good times for
interviews and the best telephone number for connecting.
 Be up-to-date – before your source speaks with a reporter, review recent
developments and any pertinent articles he/she has written.
 Be interesting – avoid setting your source up to comment on issues
where you don’t have a viewpoint. Colorful comments get quoted.
 Be brief – write out the quote (or two) you’d like to see and share it with
your source in advance of the interview.
©2014 Blattel Communications

11. Awards and Nominations
 Work well ahead of deadlines – most survey annually.
 Extracurricular activity (i.e., community involvement) generally
counts.
 Blend of facts and opinion, meaning submissions can gush
(intelligently).
 When detailing work, paint with broad brushstrokes, avoid getting
bogged down in technical details.
 Ensure all content focuses on impact.
©2014 Blattel Communications
Press release material.
Featured website content.
Bios, social networks, alumni or
organizational newsletters.
Direct mail and personal
correspondence.

12. Speaking Engagements
 Target professional organizations – both regular meetings
and annual conferences.
 Consider leveraging byline articles, newsletter pieces, blog
posts and other existing content.
 Presentations are educational, not self-promotional.
 Be strategic about bio and supporting/marketing materials
provided to attendees.
 Invite your clients and potential clients directly.
 Materials/feedback can be leveraged on the website,
newsletters, in social media, in RFPs, for direct mail, etc.
 Be aware of organizational event promotion and ensure your
company complements it.
©2014 Blattel Communications

13. Press Releases
 Announce news, promote other thought leadership activities,
serve as “FYIs” for journalists, keep the company top-of-mind.
 Fodder includes: key hires; promotions; project milestones;
significant deals; community involvements; awards, honors
and appointments; etc.
 Express and/or reinforce key organization-wide themes (e.g.,
growth, outstanding service, diverse workforce, commitment
to community, etc.).
 Provide sense of transparency and open communications.
©2014 Blattel Communications

14. Questions?
 Call or email…
Traci Stuart
415.413.4522
traci@blattel.com