2008 PR?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ami Annen on January 7, 2008 at 11:44am

Online networking is an important facet of restaurant PR. While not necessarily a new innovation, this area currently appears to be underutilized by many Midwest restaurateurs. Sites like this and others offer great appeal to GenXers and Millennial age groups, both of which are important sectors of the industry. Bridging the generation gap and approaching these target age groups are essential ingredients for today's marketing and PR strategies.

Permalink Reply by Mark O'Toole on January 7, 2008 at 2:55pm

Is this an issue just in the Midwest, or do other regions see a slow migration to online networking sites?

Permalink Reply by James Dodd on January 9, 2008 at 12:27pm

Here in Florida, especially in coastal areas, we have a lot of older residents who are not heavy internet users. With the anticipated migration of Baby Boomers expected over the next few years, this will change. However, until the housing market stabilizes, we don't see that migration happening as quickly as projected two years ago.

The challenge in Florida is that every market is different. Miami is multicultural, with an amazing array of cuisine, and a population that is everything from the very young to the very old and the very rich to the very poor. Orlando is so saturated with advertising trying to attract tourists that traditional PR is probably the most cost-effective means of reaching local residents who have the potential to dine frequently. Florida's Gulf Coast from Clearwater to Naples is generally an older demographic that also tends to be very seasonal. Unlike many parts of the country, restaurants are flooded in the winter.

While we do see enhancing services to our PR clients--both restaurant and other industries--as a short-term tactic in providing services, what we really do see is a shift in budget allocation from advertising to PR. Traditional advertising has become more and more cost-prohibitive and cluttered.

When I was regional director of marketing for Sega GameWorks, I could always tell a general increase in sales during quarterly radio campaigns. But the bump we saw in sales when a local TV news program broadcast five live segments on great indoor places for familes to hang in the summer, our sales spiked immediately and the entire summer was much better year over year than the previous.

One of the things we have found has been effective, where appropriate, has been a combination of guerilla marketing and implementing advocacy campaigns which involve spokespersons from our restuarant clients doing seminars and speaking engagements with local service organizations on topics such as restaurants. Nothing that will build an immediate sales response, but positions brands as supporters of their local communities and experts in their fields.

Permalink Reply by Mark O'Toole on January 10, 2008 at 10:09am

I am in Boston and social network start-ups abound, some with more success than others. There will never be a magic formula, but I see a trend toward combining paid and earned (PR) media for more substanital, and measurable, client results. Are there any agency models out there now combining both avenues?

Permalink Reply by James Dodd on January 10, 2008 at 10:39am

I think the mix will vary dramatically based on the number of locations a marketing initiative is supporting and the overall budget. I don't know if there are enough large agencies offering advertising (creative), online, PR and media buying services under one roof to set any sort of budget/mix models. I'm sure someone would have said something if they'd found anything close to a silver bullet. I think the important thing, especially for local store operators, is to know their market without making assumptions.

Permalink Reply by Alan Williamson on January 21, 2008 at 6:10am

The growth of online media to cater for the explosion of micro-niche segments will offer new opportunities for PR marketing programmes - particularly online media-focused events aimed at scribes too busy to attend in person.

Here are just a sample of micro-niche segments: Cougars (Older women who date younger men); Sex-Ratio Singles (Abundance of un-attached women): Extreme Commuters (People who travel to work at least three hours or more a day); Home-based Workers; Interracial Families; Moderate Muslims; Protestant Hispanics; Sun-Haters; DIY Doctors; Social Geeks; Late-Breaking Gays; Vegan Children; Home-schooled Kids; and Semi-Attached Couples (who live separate lives).

Here in the UK - Greater London - we're looking at the Semi-Attached Couples micro-segment - there are about 1million or 3 out of every 20 couples aged 16-59. In Holland nearly 1in 4 people aged 55 or older fall into this niche. In Canada it's nearly 10% aged 20 and over. In the US this segment isn't tracked - yet. Even among happily married couples it's becoming more and more common to keep separate bedrooms. So what ever the reason for living separate lives, this micro-trend is worth studying and developing PR-oriented programmes.

For more info on micro-trends please visit www.microtrending.com or click here.

Permalink Reply by Alan Williamson on February 4, 2008 at 6:01am

JeffreyS's comment: "There are way too many marketing plans ...that do not have any PR component at all", triggered the following viewpoints inspired by branding guru - Al Ries - and his daughter Laura Ries - from their book: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR:

Advertising is Brand Maintenance, PR is Brand Building. So PR first, to build your brand in the minds and hearts of your target segment, followed by advertising to ensure the brand stays relevant and to stop the competition from eroding the position that PR built in the first place.

More differences between Advertising and PR:
- Advertising uses the Big Bang. PR uses the Slow Build Up
- Advertising is Visual. PR is Verbal
- Advertising tries to reach Everybody. PR tries to reach Somebody
- Advertising is Expensive. PR is Inexpensive.
- Advertising likes Old Names. PR likes New Names
- Advertising is Incredible. PR is Credible.
and finally...

- Advertising is like the Wind. PR is like the Sun:
In one of Aesop's fables, the wind and the sun had a dispute over who was the stronger of the two.
Seeing a traveller walking down the road, they decided to settle the issue by trying to make the traveller take off his coat. The wind went first, but the harder the wind blew, the more closely the traveller wrapped his coat around him.

Then the sun came out and began to shine. Soon the traveller felt the sun's warmth and took off his coat. The sun had won.

You can't force your way into the prospect's mind. Advertising is perceived as an imposition, an unwelcome intruder that needs to be resisted. The harder the sell, the harder the wind blows, the harder the prospect resists the sales message.

Once in a while prospects drop their guard and the wind will win. But not very often.

PR is the sun. You can't force the media to run your message. It's entirely in their hands. All you can do is make sure your PR material is focused on the media and their subscribers' needs.

Nor does the prospect perceive any force in an editorial message. It's the opposite. Prospects think the media are trying to be helpful by alerting them to a wonderful new product or service.

So let's try and make PR - particularly online PR - the brand-building weapon of choice in 2008!

Permalink Reply by Mark O'Toole on February 6, 2008 at 8:49am

I often gve the Al Ries book to clients who are unclear on the value of PR.

Permalink Reply by Mark O'Toole on February 6, 2008 at 11:14am

Great idea. Has anyone use blurb to create a book that serves as a marketing tool yet?