Our Senior Digital PR Manager, Marina Plummer gave this talk at brightonSEO's Online PR Show. Marina discussed how having a balance of safe & risky campaigns is the best way to drive success.

1. 1
Striking the perfect balance
between safe and risky
campaigns for client and
personal success
MARINA PLUMMER
Kaizen
@marina_plummer

2. HELLO!
Senior Digital PR Manager at Kaizen (big up!)
History grad from the University of Kent
My family are from Greece andYugoslavia
New found love for CrossFit
Over three years experience in all things Digital PR
3+
@MARINA_PLUMMER

3. …on the flipside wanted to do a
more out-there idea but been too
scared to actually do it because
you’re worried it will flop
…found it hard to come up with
innovative ideas, beating
yourself up for thinking of the
same thing and wishing you
could be more creative?
HAVE YOU
EVER…
@MARINA_PLUMMER

4. WE’VE ALL BEEN
THERE
@MARINA_PLUMMER

5. AND THINKING ABOUT IT,
I REALISED THAT DIGITAL
PR CAN SEEM LIKE A
FUCKING PARADOX
@MARINA_PLUMMER

6. WE ALL HAVE PERCEPTIONS THAT SAFE
CAMPAIGNS ARE BORING, AND WHAT WE
SHOULD BE DOING ARE THOSE MORE
RISKY IDEAS THAT ARE COOL, FUN, AND
INNOVATIVE
BUT THINGS REALLY AREN’T THAT
SIMPLE WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING
RESULTS FOR A BRAND. THERE’S A LOT
MORE TO IT.
@MARINA_PLUMMER

7. Safe can be cool and shouldn’t be
underestimated, and whilst risky can
drive amazing results, so can those
safer ideas!
What is important is the current
media landscape, how your client can
add to a conversation, what their
needs are, and the budget you have
to work with
I WANT TO SHOW YOU…
THESE ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF ANY GOOD
IDEA, NO MATTER WHAT THE FORMAT
@MARINA_PLUMMER

8. OVERVIEW
Challenge the stereotypes and perceptions
of these
Show the value in both and highlight how we
should be utilising them to achieve success
Show how using both of these campaigns can
help build our confidence as Digital PRs
Shed light on what we consider safe and
risky campaigns
@MARINA_PLUMMER

9. PLAYING IT SAFE

10. Index
(classic, right?)
The most
Instagrammed X
Dream job Fake product
SAFE PR
CAMPAIGNS
According to Kaizen team members
@MARINA_PLUMMER

11. The most
Googled X
The cost of X
in every X
Campaigns
with obvious
insights/ already
been done
Salary calculators
SAFE PR
CAMPAIGNS
According to Kaizen team members
@MARINA_PLUMMER

12. AND IN
DIGITAL PR,
SOME OF
THESE
FORMATS AND
IDEAS HAVE
BEEN KNOWN
TO HAVE A
BAD REP...
@MARINA_PLUMMER

13. I THEN ASKED PEOPLE HOW
THEY FELT WHEN DOING
THESE TYPES OF CAMPAIGNS.
This is what kept coming up
● Creature of habit
● Not creative
● Not exciting
● Frustration with myself
● Wondering why I can’t come up with anything
more creative
● Scared of doing anything different
?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

14. WHY SAFE CAMPAIGNS
SHOULDN’T BE
UNDERESTIMATED

15. Some of the most successful campaigns
are in these so called ‘safe’ formats

17. They are great for building confidence
with clients and in yourself

18. They are great for people new to the industry
learning about campaigns and ideas that have
worked in the media

19. ATTENTION
PLEASE
Digital PR myth busting ALERT!
@MARINA_PLUMMER

20. “YOU NEED TO BE A
CREATIVE MASTERMIND TO
GET AMAZING COVERAGE.”
@MARINA_PLUMMER
WRONG!
You just need to be smart about the news

21. AND IF YOU
START DOING
THIS, THIS IS
WHERE MAGIC
CAN HAPPEN
@MARINA_PLUMMER

22. REACTIVE PR
HAS BOOMED
SINCE THE
OUTBREAK OF
COVID-19 AND
IT’S ONE OF THE
MOST EXCITING
PARTS OF OUR
ROLES
@MARINA_PLUMMER
@MARINA_PLUMMER

23. TWO TYPES OF REACTIVE THAT WE CAN
UTILISE AS DIGITAL PRS
REACTIVE PROACTIVE
R
P
Seeing something in the news
and jumping off the back of it to
provide a comment or story.
Looking out for key dates,
awareness days, etc. to
produce a story that can add to
the conversation

24. HOW TO UTILISE A SAFE AND SIMPLE
FORMAT TO DRIVE RESULTS

25. LENSTORE’S BEST CITIES FOR A HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE REPORT 2021

26. WHY DID IT
WORK?
LENSTORE’S BEST CITIES FOR A HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE REPORT 2021
The format
A blog (no design budget, 0.5 days research)
The results
225 pieces of coverage + 76 follow links
The angles
The best cities to live a healthy and happy life
Amsterdam named as the healthiest city in the world
@MARINA_PLUMMER

27. LENSTORE’S BEST CITIES FOR A HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE REPORT 2021
@MARINA_PLUMMER

28. ATTENTION
PLEASE
Digital PR myth busting ALERT!
@MARINA_PLUMMER

29. “YOU CAN’T DO A
CAMPAIGN IF IT’S
ALREADY BEEN DONE”
@MARINA_PLUMMER

30. DO NOT BELIEVE
THESE LIES...
But, there are
things you need to
consider
OF COURSE YOU CAN

31. What unique
angle can
you create
for your
client?
How can you
connect with
the current
news?
How can you
make your
idea different?

32. THERE ARE SOME REALLY
EASY WAYS TO DO THIS

33. Using
updated /
unique data
Combining it with
new insights and
research
A new angle
that ties into
the news at the
moment
Expert
comments
New way of
visualising
the data
WAYS YOU
CAN DO THIS
@MARINA_PLUMMER

34. AUDLEY VILLAGES: BEST ACTIVITIES FOR
IMPROVING BRAIN HEALTH
@MARINA_PLUMMER

35. AUDLEY VILLAGES: BEST ACTIVITIES FOR
IMPROVING BRAIN HEALTH
The format
A blog (no design budget, 0.5 days research)
The results
49 pieces of coverage + 18 follow links
The angles
These are the best activities to stay productive at home,
according to psychologists! 🧠
Bank Holiday in Isolation: Psychologists reveals 10 activities
to keep your kids healthy at home
WHY DID IT
WORK?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

36. AUDLEY VILLAGES: BEST ACTIVITIES FOR
IMPROVING BRAIN HEALTH
@MARINA_PLUMMER

37. AUDLEY VILLAGES: BEST ACTIVITIES FOR
IMPROVING BRAIN HEALTH
@MARINA_PLUMMER

38. Why will this
work in the
media now?
UTILISINGSAFE CAMPAIGNS:
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUTOF THEM?
Things to consider:
How can I add to the
conversation and
make it different?
Does this format
tell the story I
want it to
clearly?
What journalists
right now would
take this?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

39. TIME TO GET RISKY

40. A design-orientated
campaign
Campaigns
with less
angles and
niches
Campaigns that
involve big
budget for design
PR stunts
RISKY PR
CAMPAIGNS
According to Kaizen team members
@MARINA_PLUMMER

41. WHEN IT COMES TO TWITTER, WE
ALL IDOLISE RISKY CAMPAIGNS.
BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY FEEL
ABOUT DOING THEM?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

42. AND AGAIN I WANTED TO FIND
OUT WHAT OUR ATTITUDES
ARE TO DOING THEM?
THIS IS WHAT KEPT COMING UP
● Anxious
● Apprehensive
● Excited
● Mixed emotions
● Can’t sleep
● Under pressure to perform
● Pressure when using more budget
● My idea isn’t good enough
● I wish I didn’t do this
?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

43. RISKY
CAMPAIGNS
CAN BE
REALLY
STRESSFUL
AND ANXIETY
INDUCING
@MARINA_PLUMMER

44. REMEMBER
WHAT I WAS
SAYING ABOUT
DIGITAL PR
BEING A
PARADOX?
@MARINA_PLUMMER

45. BUT WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO
CAMPAIGNS OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
AND NOT JUST STICK TO THE NORM?

46. It stops you
getting into a
rut of churning
out campaign
after campaign
You can get
really big
rewards
You can really
build a brand
and add value
outside of just
Digital
PR/SEO
It drives
creativity as
an individual
and agency

47. They can make
you feel good
and excited!
It helps you
cut through
noise in a
journalist’s
inbox
It shows off to
clients and
other agencies
what you can
do
They help you
develop
your skills

48. HOW CAN WE UTILISE THESE TYPES OF
CAMPAIGNS AND GET OURSELVES IN THE HABIT
OF THINKING A BIT MORE CREATIVELY?

49. Change up our ideation
styles and patterns
Think like a PR - the idea
comes first, not the format
or budget
Test the campaign internally
as an agency, or test it on
people that don’t work in the
industry
Once you have an idea, make
sure you can summarise it as a
headline in just a handful of
words - does it work?
Create a safe space for your
team to ideate.
Don’t be scared of
failure...it’s part of the
learning process

50. KEY TAKEAWAYS

51. KEY TAKEAWAYS
FIRST OF ALL –
SAFE CAMPAIGNS
CAN BE COOL TOO
AND CAN DRIVE
GREAT RESULTS
Risky doesn’t always
work
BUT THAT DOESN’T
MEAN WE SHOULD
SHY AWAY FROM
RISKIER IDEAS
EITHER
IT’S ALL ABOUT
APPROACHING
THEM IN THE
RIGHT WAY AND
DOING WHAT IS
BEST FOR THE
CLIENT

52. WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SHY AWAY
FROM THE SO-CALLED SAFE AND
MORE RISKY CAMPAIGNS
● You need both to drive success in a personal and
professional way
● Having a combination will help you keep your
focus on what actually works for your client and
think like a true PR
● It helps you to not only build links but also build a
brand
● It builds client trust, whilst also showing them
what you can do
● It builds confidence
!

53. If the risk doesn't pay off, don’t panic – there’s always so
much
to learn from failed campaigns, which is why it's worth
experimenting with those more out-there campaigns.
However if you can support a risky campaign by consistently
implementing those trusty formats into your strategy, you
don't need to sacrifice those all-important links.
– Abi Bennetts - Digital PR Professional
When it comes to out-there campaigns, there comes a
time when you just have to back yourself, try new things
and give it a go. Otherwise you face the risk of staying
still.
– Shannon McGuirk, Aira
For me, I love doing ‘safe campaigns’ such as city index’s.
There is stigma around them being boring, but I actually
really enjoy making them as you can always find a new
metric to include in your research, giving you new angles
to explore.
– Alex Fiske, Digital PR Manager, Jellyfish
AND SOME
OTHER
PEOPLE IN
THE INDUSTRY
THINK SO TOO

54. BRAND NEEDS BUDGET GOALS
AND IF YOU
PUT THEIR…
You can come up with a bespoke strategy that gets them the results
they want, whilst also making you feel like an absolute PR boss
@MARINA_PLUMMER
NEWS

55. THANK YOU!

56. ANY QUESTIONS?