My presentation at PRSA ICON 2012 focused on industry trends impacting media relations and how this constant state of change can be more of an opportunity than anything else.

2. Twitter Summary
Changes across content, skills and tech are
confusing PR. Adaptive modeling is key to
working smart(er). #PRSAICON #badpitch

3. Secrets & Lies
» The Bad Truth
» Change
• Content/Behaviors/Technology
• “News” Releases
» Media Relations Lifecycle
» Adaptive Modeling
» Call to Action
• Content/Behaviors/Technology

4. The Truth
GONNa set it
“I’m GONNA SET IT
straight, this
Watergate.”
-- Beastie Boys

5. The Truth

9. The Truth
» Most pitches aren’t bad
• Many aren’t even pitches
» Most offenders don’t care
» Send us good pitches
• Pitch + link to ink
» Better lists, fewer contacts, better results
• Know where machines can help and hurt

10. Worst Pitches. EVER!
Porn (Ew) In-DUH-stry GIRLFriend?
Fleshdrive Brings Press Release Five Best Places to
Movies to the Distribution Find the Guy of
Palm of Your Hand Company Your Dreams
Embraces AP style
Guidelines
Dead Issue Debbie Does Data Sources: MTV, NYT,
Who Died Today? BizWeek, markets
“Tropical Storm
New Website nationwide
Debbie is Going to
Makes Sure You’re F*(k East Coast’s Sinners? PBS, Extra
Always in the Brains Out” – TV, Library of
Know Gawker Congress, BIG
agencies

11. Industry Trends
Change

12. Change: Content
» Media Convergence is our Friend
Media What & Who Action Strength Weakness
Complete
Pushes to Less credible;
Paid Promotions, ads message control
strangers cluttered
Creates richer Brands are
Pulls in connections, finding their
Owned Content marketing
customers brand- way; takes
controlled time
News, blog content; Fuels front of No control;
Engages
Earned drives engagement sales funnel; metrics
with fans
and sharing most credible misapplied

13. Change: Behaviors/Skills
» Trends Drive Need for Broader
Understanding, Collaboration
• Search Marketing
• Graphic Design
• Video/Photography
• Developer
• Media Planner
» One Size Fits (No One At) All
• Broadcast vs. Engagement Platform
• Media vs. Blogger

14. Change: Behaviors/Skills
» Are Media & Bloggers the Same?
• As similar as they are different
• Smarter targeting needed for both
• Different approaches with each
» Confusion
• “Citizen Journalists”
• Disclosure
• Need for better targeting
• Media vs. Blogger Background

15. Change: Behavior & Skills
Media Blogger
Career Passion
Editorial & ads are All-In-One
separate
Deadline-driven Blog competes with life
Short news cycle Longer news cycle
» Home products, fashion categories now
collaborate on new product design/development

16. Change: Technology
» Technology fuels collaboration; content
creation, distribution; engagement and
scale
• Tech/ Collaboration helps bridge skills gap
• Content explosion yields curation opportunity;
requires broader use of search
• Technology fuels frictionless sharing
• Scale technology is being misapplied
• Platforms for audience ID, creation/distribution,
engagement, monitoring, measuring

17. Change? “News” Releases
» Trends have expanded use case.
• News Coverage with Media
• Disclosure with FCC
• Milestone with Site Visitors
• Direct to Consumer
• Search & Sharing with All Audiences

19. Takeaways
Media Relations Lifecycle

20. Media Relations Lifecycle
Prepare/
React
Build Pitch/
Relationship Follow Up
Interview/
Next Steps
Follow Up
Story Runs

21. Media Relations Lifecycle
Narrow Keyword
Universe; Prepare/
Search
Inform React
& Send
Engagement
Build Pitch/
Relationship Follow Up
Interview/
Next Steps
Follow Up
Story Runs

22. Blogger Outreach Lifecycle
Participate/
Engage
Build
Relationship Pitch/ Follow Up
Participate/
Next Steps Engage/
Follow Up
Content

23. Blogger Outreach Lifecycle
Narrow
Participate/ Keyword
Universe;
Engage Search
Inform
& Send
Engagement
Build
Relationship Pitch/ Follow Up
Participate/
Next Steps Engage/
Follow Up
Content

24. Adaptive Modeling
» Annual Planning
• Slow, Reactive, Linear
Research Plan Execute Measure
Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2

25. Adaptive Modeling
» Adaptive Planning
• More Flexible, More Accountable
Test &
Learn
Research
Execute Iterate Execute Iterate
Plan
• Data stream informs iteration

26. Takeaways
Call to Action

27. Action: Content
» Build primary focus, secondary
understanding for paid, owned,
earned
» Create a New Pitch Plan
• Scale effort based on
• story type
• timeline
• content format/technology
• build for iteration via analytics/search/social data

28. Action: Content
» Consider new content types and how
creation, curation and distribution work
with technology
• Geo-local content via Foursquare Lists
• Curated playlists via Spotify
• Visual content based on users’ social
profile; e.g. Intel’s Museum of Me
• All optimized for audience, goals,
consumption and redistribution

29. Action: Behaviors/Skills
» Focus more on human vs. machine
during list development; data/CRM
optimize process
» Reconsider blogger outreach based on a
community model
» Read “Social Media & Public Relations:
Eight New Practices for the PR
Professional”
• Deirdre Breakenridge

30. Action: Behaviors/Skills
What Were Are
Tumblr & Pinterest Popular social sites Curate, redistribute
content drive traffic
Google & Facebook Search/ social sites Major (earned) media
Outlets
Earned Media Broadcast Participate
Generation
Search Engines Organic opportunity; Paid , organic and
based on math content; based on
engagement
The Shiny New Blind faith or Pragmatic test & learn
skepticism opportunities
Other Agencies Competition Collaborative
opportunities

31. Action: Technology
» Data is directional, NOT Definitive
» Break down silos for more powerful insight
streams
» Data reduces need for human, doesn’t
eliminate it

32. Action: Technology
Search Engine
Audience ID
Social Monitoring
Influence
Site
Analysis

33. Action: List Development
• Five-stage, 26-step process; more than
half is human vs. machine
• Identifies bloggers with mix of
• Relevancy: on-topic, sentiment
• Reach: socially active, level of following
• Content: relevancy, frequency
• Engagement: number of comments, links
» Averages 50 percent or higher success

34. Action: Adaptive Modeling
» Audit defines progress and gaps in
process, talent and technology
» 75% to launch
» Always in beta
» Embrace collaboration over competition
» Moves compensation to focus on value
instead of time

35. Twitter Summary
Changes across content, skills and tech are
confusing PR. Adaptive modeling is key to
working smart(er). #PRSAICON #badpitch

37. You Are All Very Smart & Beautiful People
Questions?