Topazer Tim Allik (that’s me) will be live blogging, Tweeting and podcasting from The Society of New Communications Research Symposium on Friday, November 14th at the lovely Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, MA. I believe some tickets may still be available. Check out this SNCR website page for details. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!
As 2009 approaches, clients and prospects alike are looking at their marketing communications mix and asking the same question – how do I get my message out WITHIN my new (probably lower)budget?
Options on the table include:
- Scale back big ticket items like print advertising in favor of more targeted online advertising
- Scale back tradeshow activities to limit costs on transportation, drayage, design costs as well as staffing
- Rebalance your communications mix to include more PR activities – more releases, more editorial calls, more articles
- Add Social Media to the mix – blogging, commenting on blogs, podcasts etc.
No doubt, these are challenging times for marketing communications. But for PR, these are exciting times – times when we can push the envelope for our clients to cost-effectively get the word out.
What creative ways are you looking at in 2009 to get the word out for your clients?
Joe Dirt: So your gonna’ tell me that you don’t have no black cats, kick but, or screaming mimis?
Kicking Wing: No.
Joe Dirt: Oh come on man. You got no lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters, zippity do das, or crap flappers?
Kicking Wing: No, I don’t.
Joe Dirt: You’re gonna stand there, owning a fireworks stand, and tell me you don’t have no whistling bungholes, no spleen spliters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker donts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistling kitty chaser?
Kicking Wing: No… because snakes and sparklers are the only ones I like.
Joe Dirt: Well that might be your problem, it’s not what you like, it’s the consumer.
Now, to me, Joe Dirt hit it right on the head. It’s not what you want, it’s what the consumer wants. And, as a PR agency, knowing what the consumer, in our case, the target audience wants, is the key to success.
Using the appropriate mix of tactics – whether it is SEO optimized press releases, podcasts, traditional media tours, etc. – is fundamental to reaching the target audience and getting the message through. This is even more important when focus is limited because of tough times, or other “noise” in the marketplace.
Defaulting to basic blocking and tackling – while appealing when things are hectic or stressed – probably misses the mark when it comes to hitting the audience. Ensuring that you keep your target audience firmly in mind, you can maximize the effect of your PR outreach by using the best tactics for that particular audience. And remember, as Joe Dirt said, it’s not what you like, it’s the consumer.
