Archive for October, 2010

Does your PR agency guarantee you coverage in your target media?

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

The great PR debate about what clients actually get for their PR spend continues to rage – particularly in today’s tough economic climate where, more than ever – every penny understandably counts.

When we are commissioned by our clients for business to business or business to consumer campaigns or projects we agree their target media, guarantee them levels of coverage – as well as ensuring that we adopt the joined up approach by fusing PR and social media.

After all what is the point of achieving coverage – whether in print or broadcast media – if it is not seen read and heard by the people who will help to grow your business?

Here’s Sharon and Sue to explain more about our work – and what we deliver!

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Posted in Quest PR, Social Media | 3 Comments »

Hard Cheese in the Twittersphere – Guest Post by Mervin Straughan, Straughan Consulting

Friday, October 15th, 2010

The Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse sketch in which the duo and friends act out what life would be like for the Beatles 50 years on is one of the hilarious highlights of their BBC 2 show – grey mop tops chased by posses of pensioners and undergoing prostate check-ups.

However, their latest Hard Day’s Night-type parody prompted me to consider the potential outcome of a time-travel test involving the Fab Four in which we pit their reputation against the influence of social media.

This week’s sketch shows the band dropping in at Tarbucks – a tea shop run by comedian Jimmy Tarbuck but resembling a deli with its centrepiece cheese counter.  Lennon, played by Enfield, casts an eye over the Cheddar, Stilton and Wensleydale before proclaiming to a reporter who has followed them into the shop that the Beatles are now “bigger than cheeses”. As Beatles fans will know, this is a skit on the original inflammatory claim that the supergroup was “bigger than Jesus” which led to a storm of protest with public burnings of Beatles records, an unwelcome wave of activity by the Ku Klux Klan and death threats against Lennon.

As well as damaging the band’s standing in God-fearing America, the PR faux pas is believed to have been a key factor in its decision to abandon tours thus depriving the world of any more live performances.

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Terrified or terrific – could you do live TV and radio in front of millions?

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Within hours of the story of Liverpool’s boardroom battle story capturing the media limelight, media training specialist Quest PR had lined up FrontRow Legal client Richard Cramer for a hat trick of interviews.

A 20 minute slot on BBC Radio Leeds was followed closely by a live BBC TV with a six minute live interview on the Talksport breakfast show with Alan Brazil.

Facing the media live can be both daunting and electrifying – especially if you are unaware of techniques which can help you to take – and stay in control. Here’s some TV tips to get you started:

In the studio

  • Do some breathing exercises half an hour beforehand
  • Dress appropriately – plain colours (no fussy patterns, avoid jewellery)
  • Arrive early to get used to the surroundings
  • Meet the interviewer if possible
  • Ask about the line of questioning
  • Ask to see the ‘link’ or ‘cue’. Is it accurate?
  • If you meet opponents before the show, don’t tell them what you’re going to say
  • If you’re offered make-up, take it
  • Remote studios – establish telephone or sound contact, listen hard, look straight at the camera, assume you’re on camera at all times, don’t leave until you’re told it’s ok

During the interview

  • Sit comfortably
  • Be friendly
  • Be courteous, even if the interviewer is rude
  • Be serious. Smiling can be misunderstood
  • Don’t fidget
  • Relax – you might even enjoy it!

For more information on our media training courses contact @sharoncain on Twitter, find her on LinkedIn or email Sharon@quest-pr.com

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Facebook and Twitter – Beware the dangers of (anti) social media – Guest post by Adam Bannister, Editor of BusinessWings.co.uk

Monday, October 4th, 2010

With 25 per cent of our time spent on social networks and blogs – a 9% increase since 2007 – it’s hard to envisage our appetite for virtual voyeurism and sharing the banal minutiae of our life abating any time soon.

Where people gather in large numbers, be it physically or digitally, businesses try to get their voice heard – and the big brands often succeed. For example, on Facebook Nike is ‘liked’ by 2,129,862 acolytes and Aston Martin by 330,579, while on Twitter Marvel Entertainment boasts 78,087 followers and Starbucks 80,943.

However, while social media can give you impressive reach for a negligible investment, for all but the coolest of brands it’s fiendishly difficult to build and sustain an audience through a medium where billions of other websites are a few mouse clicks and keystrokes away.

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Posted in Online PR, Social Media | 4 Comments »

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