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BWH Communicator – latest news & views on the world of media

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

BWH_Communicator_Newsletter_April 2012

BWH’s latest edition of BWH Communicator is out now!

In this edition:

• Three new ‘guns’ add firepower to BWH
• Carpentaria Exploration strikes a rich vein of support
• BWH, Plum launch Brisbane Airport into interactive reporting
• Reputation management in a crisis
• Trends for 2012
• Professional services marketing
• Social media revolution

And much more!

Click on the link above to download the newsletter.

We look forward to your feedback.

Posted in Investor Relations, Issues Management, Media Relations, Print, Motion and Web Design, Social Media, Stakeholder and Community Engagement | Tagged Bank of Queensland, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Carpentaria Exploration, crisis management, investor relations, media relations, PRIA, professional services, retail development, social media | Leave a comment

Changing the face of Facebook

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

By Liberty Moore

In case you haven’t logged on recently, Facebook has changed its appearance again. Is the new chronological timeline doom and gloom for business users?

Firstly – chill out! These changes are not a big deal. Embrace them because Facebook is not going to change back to the old format.

To make the most of the new timeline there are a couple of things you need to do as soon as possible, while other changes should be looked at for future Facebook management.

The first priority is to add a cover photo. This needs to be 1800 pixels by 180 pixels and is your first point of contact with anyone that enters your page, so make sure it’s interesting.

Don’t forget you still need a profile picture, so try and use something that complements your cover photo.

After this you can look into the other changes to make the most of your new timeline, including:
• Direct messaging
• Star, pin or delete post
• Feature apps – add apps then customise which ones feature on your page under the cover photo
• Milestones

With these changes to Facebook, businesses no longer have a ‘landing’ page. Keep your page monitored and check your privacy settings as you always want to be displaying your company the best possible way.

For a great way to learn about the timeline and its features go to the Facebook “about” section for timeline http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline

As you scroll through the sample timeline, new features are highlighted and explained.

Business Insider has revealed some good examples of businesses taking best advantage of the new timeline, including designer Oliver Alexander, rock band Pink Floyd, the New York Times, automaker Ford Motor and Microsoft.

For more examples, see http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-timeline-best-uses-so-far-2012-4

Happy Facebook-ing!

Posted in Social Media | Tagged Facebook, Facebook Timeline, marketing, PR, social media | Leave a comment

Social media: 10 tips on engaging your audience

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

By Liberty Moore

Public relations professionals were among the first to harness social media and see the power it possesses for communicating to a vast audience.

Now nearly every company, celebrity, not-for-profit group and politician has its own Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube account. Consumers have the ability to communicate with billions of people from every corner of the globe, as recently seen with the phenomenon of the KONY 2012 video which gained 100 million hits in just 10 days.

Here’s 10 tips for successfully navigating the world of social media:

1. Speed. We can now share information faster then ever before; you see an interesting clip on YouTube, share it on your Facebook page, your friend shares it on their LinkedIn, their friend emails it to a coworker and the cycle continues. This ability to share is what engages the audience with one another and your brand. Include items on your social media platforms people are likely to share and therefore direct their friends to your page. This could be a photo, video or status update.

2. Secure your brand. If you do not have a Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Twitter account set one up today and secure your brand. If you don’t make one someone else will and you could have all sorts of issues reclaiming it.

3. Be topical. Remember you have a potentially global audience, try to capture their attention not only through local matters but world matters. Make your posts count, target them to your audience, make them interesting and then people will engage.

4. Research and get involved with blogs specific for your industry to develop a captive audience. Follow, friend or like other pages relevant to your industry to stay in the loop.

5. Be adaptable. Social media is always changing, as we’ve seen with the latest Facebook timeline upgrade. Learn what has changed and embrace it for your own benefit.

6. Don’t forget it’s all about making, building and fostering relationships.

7. Check your settings. Facebook has some very handy settings, you can disable any comments with vulgar language and lots more by ticking a box. Learn how the settings work on the platforms you use and tailor them to your advantage.

8. Respond! If someone posts on your wall, feed or clip, respond! The biggest mistake companies make in social media is only sending out messages and never responding or engaging with their audience. Answer questions, share knowledge and let the conversation begin.

9. Freebies. There are loads of free apps available for you to make the best of your social media platforms and most importantly, make your life easier and managing social media more effective. Some of these will generate a fan of the week for your page, automate status updates, link your accounts and much more. Research which apps will help you and the promotion of your brand, this is guaranteed to make your life easier.

10. Be prepared. The sad reality is not everyone has something nice to say. Be on the ball and manage your social media platforms, be prepared for a crisis and have protocol of how you will approach certain situations.

Social media is about two-way communication, you can no longer get away with only sending messages out about how fantastic your brand is. You have to legitimately prove it and join in the conversation with your audience.

Remember your audience is smart, they have access to all the world’s knowledge and are quick to pick a fake from any crowd. Be honest, transparent, chatty, topical and ahead of the game and you will be sure to find social media of benefit to your brand.

Posted in Social Media | Tagged communication, Facebook, LinkedIn, PR, Public Relations, social media, Twitter, YouTube | Leave a comment

Why invest in investor relations?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

Companies considering committing time and effort in investor relations (IR) campaigns now have a powerful incentive to do so.

According to research conducted in both the United States and Australia, “superb” IR does have an impact on company valuations, with one survey showing it can affect market value by as much as 25 per cent.

Rivel Research Group surveyed 302 buy-side investors from the United States and Europe in spring 2011 to determine the impact of positive IR on market value.

The results showed that “IR can account for a total variance of 25 per cent in a company’s valuation – ranging from a premium of 10 per cent for ‘superb’ IR to a discount of fully 15 per cent for ‘poor’ IR”.

When asked what they considered to be “superb” IR, respondents cited disclosure, responsiveness to queries and access to senior management, but the key message was the need for transparency.

While companies may provide copious amounts of data on their operations as part of their disclosure obligations, Rivel said transparency in terms of connecting the dots between what the data meant for future performance was often lacking.

The key to transparency is following the same principles as any good communicator – being open, honest and frank.

But what does transparency in IR mean?

One buy-side analyst/portfolio manager explained to Rivel:

“Being candid. I think that is the number-one thing..and not dodging questions. These are tough issues these days, so there are tough questions to be answered. If they are very candid in their answers, for that they get respect. And getting back to me in a timely manner if they can’t answer questions on the spot.”

Rivel said getting the premium of 10 per cent did not mean providing more information, but rather, the right kind of information concerning strategy and how it related to future performance.

According to Ian Matheson of the Australasian Investor Relations Association (AIRA), IR is a two-way process which can ultimately lead to a reduced cost of capital for companies.

“Good IR is like pumping up a football – you have to keep pumping, and it takes time and effort before you see the results,” he says.

“You have to keep communicating during the good times and bad, and you shouldn’t link the share price to a successful IR campaign.”

In July 2011, AIRA released its own survey results which showed that “excellent” IR practices could contribute more than 5 per cent to the valuation premium of Australian listed companies.

An overwhelming 89 per cent of respondents, comprising fund managers and analysts, said IR had an influence on corporate valuations. Importantly, 30 per cent said the discount for poor IR could be greater than 15 per cent.

The effects may be even more pronounced at the smaller end of the market, where competition for attention from the investment community, media and public is greater.

Ultimately, positive IR is based on successful communication. It is about expressing your value proposition with a clear and simple message, and knowing your company and your investors.

By clearly and consistently stating objectives, communicating through the good times and bad and being reliable and consistent in your IR activities, it is possible to be rewarded with a higher market valuation than might otherwise have been achieved.

For more information on this subject, refer to the Rivel research at http://rivel.com/blog/?p=19 or the AIRA website at http://aira.org.au/

Posted in Investor Relations, Media Relations | Tagged AIRA, ASX, communication, investor relations, investors, shareholders | Leave a comment

Professional services marketing: It just got easier

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

 

Ever wondered how business professionals can become media personalities? For those embarking on a career in professional services, it might be reassuring to know that at some stage in their lives, often-quoted experts such as demographer Bernard Salt or economist Chris Richardson were relative unknowns.

Happily, there are now plenty of opportunities in both “old” and “new” media, as well as other forums, to promote yourself and your business. Regardless of your profession, if you plan on building a reputation in your chosen field it’s worth keeping some of the following points in mind:

1) Have a point of view

Let’s start with the basics: who is your audience, what do you want to tell them and how do you want to do it?

If you are a lawyer, then you will likely be comfortable discussing current trends in your particular area of interest, such as resources, real estate or intellectual property. What upcoming legislation is likely to affect your clients and how can you easily explain it to them?

If you’re an accountant, then your clients – and potential clients – will no doubt welcome your input on upcoming tax changes or how to better handle current business issues, whether it is advice on mitigating the impact of the mining tax or preparing for merger and acquisition activity.

What point of opinion can you offer that differentiates yourself from other thought leaders?

2)    Get writing

Whether it’s a blog post, an article for a professional journal or contributing to a client newsletter, writing is a great way to build your profile as an expert in your field. Even better, unlike a media interview, a submitted article can be written to your exact desire, although be aware it is subject to editorial review.

Remember to write the article as advice to others, and not purely as an advertisement for your business. People are looking for your recommendations, not a sales pitch.

There is also no better way of boosting your website’s ranking than having new content published regularly – an obvious form of search engine optimisation.

3)    Get speaking

As well as writing, speaking at industry events, conferences or other networking activities can be an excellent means of raising your personal profile. Why not turn your speech into a short, three to four-minute YouTube clip which you can put on your website or send to clients?

Participating in media interviews will require speaking with confidence. Mastering the television or radio interview is another important skill that requires training and rehearsing.

Public speaking groups such as Toastmasters can help boost confidence in speaking in front of an audience. If all else fails, talk to the mirror until you have hammered home the key points!

4)    Be social

In the current age of social media, there are increasing opportunities to promote your expert skills to a broad audience. For professionals, LinkedIn is perhaps the best starting point – make contacts and start participating in some of the many active groups.

Facebook is still the biggest social media network and it is another way of promoting your articles, blogs or other content, along with Twitter, Google+, YouTube and a host of other networks.

The basic rule of social media is to be authentic – don’t overly promote yourself but actively engage and share with your community.

5)    Be accessible and prepared

Once you have put yourself “out there,” you will have to be prepared to work to editorial deadlines and be available for comment when needed. The media, like any other business, has its own rules and playing by them offers the best chance of success.

Don’t send out a media release at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon – try and make your announcements in the mornings, and make sure they are targeted to the right media. Journalists receive hundreds of media releases each day, so make sure your release or “pitch” stands out from the crowd.

By following the right approach and seeking the appropriate professional public relations support, it is possible to get known in your field – and the clients should follow.

Posted in Media Relations, Social Media | Tagged accountants, accounting, engineering, engineers, law, lawyers, marketing, media, media relations, professional services, Public Relations, social media | Leave a comment

5 top tips for winning investor/media relations campaigns

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

Standing out from the crowd is difficult at the best of times for smaller businesses, particularly in Australia’s crowded resources sector where there are some 800 listed companies. How do you get your company favoured by investors and media in such a competitive environment?

In 2011, BWH Communication won Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) awards at both the national and state levels for its campaign for Brisbane-based minerals explorer Carpentaria Exploration (ASX code: CAP), entitled “Carpentaria Exploration – Striking a Rich Vein of Support”.

Here’s five reasons why the judges liked the campaign – and how you can apply them to your company too:

1)    Do the research. CAP listed in November 2007 at the end of a long bull market for resource stocks, but like the rest of the sector then ran smack into the GFC in 2008/09. Research identified what the priority areas were for coverage, which stockbrokers were paying attention to CAP and the sector, what investors were saying and where the company saw its key targets, including shareholders, potential investors, the media and community. Such information is key in preparing a strategic communication plan specific to the company that reflects the current (and anticipated) environment. This includes determining the key spokesperson(s), workshopping the key messages, undertaking any required media training and identifying the target audience.

2)    Be proactive. Investors and the media aren’t on standby just for you, so be proactive in getting the message across. If the CEO is going interstate for a conference or meeting, organise meetings with media/investor targets in the same city. If a publication is running a current feature on the company’s target industry, check if they will accept editorial ideas and follow up. Be alert to what’s happening in new and traditional media and pursue all opportunities to spread the message. Make sure also that your spokesperson(s) are available to respond quickly when the need arises. In CAP’s case, this has meant doing media interviews and fund manager meetings in remote or overseas locations, and often taking the time to respond directly to investor queries.

3)    Get the message across. When drafting announcements for the stock exchange or a presentation for brokers, ensure the highlights are presented up front and stated simply and concisely. Don’t bury the message in verbose language, or leave it to the reader to wade through pages of jargon before getting to the conclusion. Hit them between the eyes, like a good tabloid headline, and you’ll be halfway there to getting their understanding, and hopefully support. Timing is also important – CAP aims to release its ASX announcements early in the week and close to market opening, where possible. Similarly, media releases are never issued near deadline.

4)    Personality rules, OK? It’s no use having a boring and bland spokesperson, and Carpentaria’s executive chairman, Nick Sheard, is anything but. Every company or brand has its own personality, so find yours and use it to your benefit, to ensure you are different from competitors. What is your unique selling proposition? What aspects of your business make it stand out? Not every CEO can act like Richard Branson, but it helps to have an engaging personality that makes people pay attention.

5)    Use all the tools at your disposal. In the “old” days this might have meant a presentation at a stockbroker’s office or a media release to the local newspaper. These still work, but in the 21st century there is also social media such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Every company has its own varied audience and there are multiple channels to reach them. While some are more effective than others, depending on the type of business, don’t be precious about a particular format or you will be doing the business a disservice. For its part, CAP has used all the above channels to communicate with its audience.

Have any further suggestions? We’d love to hear them.

Posted in Investor Relations, Media Relations, Social Media | Tagged Australia, Carpentaria Exploration, investor relations, media relations, mining, PRIA, resources, social media | Leave a comment

Sticking to the simple point

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Krista

To keep abreast of industry trends, issues, new products, events, training opportunities, learnings, blunders, amusing anecdotes and a smidgen of gossip, I’m subscribed to a number of blogs, news summaries and e-newsletters.

There is a balance to be had, as who has the time to digest much of the information overload that makes its way into the inbox on a daily basis? Often it’s a case of skim reading a headline. Too often, these ‘nice to have but not important’ emails sit in my inbox for a matter of days before I do a mass clear out without opening the said entry and send it straight to the recycle bin.

But I believe keeping an eye open is important to stay up to date with the variety of communication lessons that people around the world are voluntarily sharing instantly by the second. Whatever industry or sector you’re working in, there are tomes of online resources available to subscribe to, comment on, agree or disagree – but it gets you thinking. Some of the content I find is useful to share with my colleagues and generate an internal discussion, hopefully to inspire creativity or new ways of thinking.

Which brings me to an interesting article targeting would be authors listing ‘intensifiers’ that should be avoided in your writing. It lists some gems, including ‘awesome,’ ‘absolute’ ‘fantastic’ and ‘very’.

It got me to thinking about terms that are overused in media relations and too often find their way into a well-meaning press release.

Obvious clichés that come straight to mind are ‘unique’ – is it really? ‘Exciting’, surely this is subjective. ‘Implement’ and other corporate speak – could you simplify it and say ‘start’ or ‘apply’? And, why is everything ‘forward looking’?

Going back to when I was journalist, the most off-putting thing I hated seeing in a press release was ‘one-stop-shop’, but at the time too many marketeers saw it as their unique selling point.

This isn’t a new topic, another blogger has undertaken an analysis looking at the top overused marketing buzzwords polluting press releases – he lists 100 of them, but I thought the top 10 would give pause for thought:

1. Leader (of what?)
2. Leading (how do you know?)
3. Best (according to who?)
4. Top (of what?)
5. Unique (really?)
6. Great (again, according to who?)
7. Solution (this is another term that has become overused)
8. Largest (of what?)
9. Innovative and 10. Innovator (these creep into press releases all the time and therefore becomes meaningless).

I’m sure there are more, but the lesson to be learned with respect to media relations is how would you tell the story to your husband or wife over dinner. What are the facts in simple, plain English, not patronising terms and can you simplify your copy without the ‘intensifiers’?

Achieve this and you will have achieved a small victory not only for media relations, but also for the English language.

 

Posted in Media Relations, Social Media | Tagged creative thinking, new ideas, research | Leave a comment

Every event needs an emergency kit

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Anthony Fensom

Every event needs an emergency kit
By Trudie Parsons, BWH

Irrespective of how meticulously planned your event may be, it always pays to have your event emergency kit close to hand.

Even when you think you have every last detail accommodated, you just can’t know what little hurdle will come your way on the day of an event. Neither can you pack for all your suppliers – someone, somewhere is guaranteed to need something out of your emergency event kit.

In our office we have an emergency kit ready to go that we can just pack up and take to any event. We use a tackle box – it’s the perfect size and has great storage for all your odds and ends.

So what should be in your event kit? While each event may have slightly different requirements, some basics items are listed below.

• Masking tape, double sided tape, sticky tape
• Blu-Tack, stapler, staples, staple gun and glue
• Velcro dots, paper clips, rubber bands, thumb tacks
• Pens, marking pens and pencils
• Rope and string
• Ruler and a tape measure
• Scissors and utility knife
• Post it notes and paper
• Extension cord
• Batteries
• Torch
• Basic tools e.g. hammer nails, screwdrivers and wrench
• Spare name tags holders and cards
• Small sewing kit
• First Aid Kit, sunscreen, water bottle, hand sanitiser and wipes
• Sun hat and umbrella
• Event checklist and all supplier contact phone numbers
• Copies of documents such as speaking notes, run sheets, event permits, supplier quotations and floor plans

What do you have packed in your emergency event kit?

Posted in Media Relations, Stakeholder and Community Engagement | Tagged community engagement, event management, events, Public Relations, stakeholder engagement | 1 Comment

Putting your personality out there

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Krista

I was fortunate enough to visit the Brisbane Writers Festival recently and listen to one of my favourite authors discuss her journey to three internationally acclaimed, bestselling novels.

Kate Morton was living my dream – in addition to being lovely, interesting and intelligent to boot. Travelling the world, meeting enamored fans as part of her books’ marketing regime seems like a great ‘perk’ of the job.

I was therefore curious when Morton said she was uncomfortable with using social media as she claimed that she struggled to find anything interesting to say.

Here I was sitting in a room filled with men and women of all ages and backgrounds hanging on her every word – on the back of a second sold-out session at the week-long festival.

People were questioning Morton on her literary influences, education, family and where she found inspiration to create the characters and the secrets that they had come to love and share. They wanted a sneak preview of the next book and a snapshot of Morton’s plans for the future.

Contrary to Morton’s point of view, this seems to indicate widespread enthusiasm from the ‘market’ in meeting the woman behind their favourite stories.

I think this goes to prove that there is a real appetite among our ‘communities’ to hear more about the ‘real people’ behind our books, products or services – whatever it is the business is offering.

Crucially, social media specifically shouldn’t be another corporate face, but an insight, a point of view, a picture or glimpse of what you stand for, believe, think or are even enjoying at any given point in time. For me it’s currently Morton and her mysteries.

Don’t get me wrong, entries should always be considered and proofread, but they should come from a real person, not from a corporate style guide.

I don’t believe that social media can replace those wonderful hours shared with loyal readers, but the point is that there is an audience – and hunger – out there for news, updates and exploring a little bit of the personality behind ‘the product’.

Now, to go and get Morton’s latest novel and start penning my own bestseller!

Posted in Social Media, Uncategorized | Tagged Audience, communication, social media | Leave a comment

A media release isn’t ‘just’ for journalists

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Krista

All too often there is an expectation that a company’s news release on their new, improved, leading-edge product will prompt a cry from the editor: “Hold the press!”

Unfortunately, the reality is this isn’t usually going to be the end result, with your story competing for attention with products and services from around the world – such is the effect of globalisation.

Journalists receive hundreds of press releases into their email inboxes daily and often complain about PR professionals’ follow up calls hounding them about ‘this’ or ‘that’ product. And, don’t forget the Australian media is pretty small with limited space when compared with other countries’ media industries.

Of course timing is always an issue too. You could have a great news story but the best intentions and forward planning can’t control world events from happening. Your item could lose its space on page three and end up on the cutting room floor in the blink of an eye – never to reappear again.

But don’t despair. Should the media release have a good ‘news angle’ or a point of difference that would appeal to the targeted media’s specific audience then the journalist may be able to start work on your copy – usually as part of a wider story. Don’t expect though to see the release printed verbatim.

However, there are other benefits of the media release apart from getting your company news coverage in the local newspaper.

Putting your point of view across publically assists in building your ‘brand’ as a thought leader. It becomes a useful tool to place on your website and send to stakeholders as part of your attempts to establish your reputation on a particular topic. It starts a dialogue on a subject with your audiences and helps the process of building relationships.

Sending out your release to stakeholders ensures that there is a public record of your opinion and thoughts on a specific issue – mitigating negativity if your comments are eventually printed out of context in a media report.  Politically, you may wish to show your support (or criticism) of an organisation, strategy or movement.

A media release, sent out to journalists and wider stakeholders, as well as posted on your website is a good method to publish your view. Don’t forget to point to your ‘updated news section’ through your other channels such as Twitter, Facebook or even your printed newsletter.

Finally, putting out comment on various issues and news stories ensures that your name is fresh in the reporters’ minds for future articles or broadcasts. And, on a similar topic they may start putting in calls to you for comment if you can start building those relationships early.

The value of media relations is clear and well known. It gives you that third party endorsement that advertising is unable to offer – and without the added expense. However, the humble media release is more than its name suggests and should be considered a bigger PR tool.

Posted in Media Relations, Social Media | Tagged journalism, Public Relations | Leave a comment ← Older posts