Article Roundup

August 30th, 2010

We have come across several articles  in the past couple of weeks worth sharing:

  • How PR Agencies Devalue the Industry, BG Creative Blog – Discussion on importance of valuing the time and intellectual capital it takes to create strategic plans for potential clients.
  • Escape from Jargon Land, Public Relations Tactics – A useful refresher on creating engaging press release content.

Have you come across any must-read industry articles lately? Please feel free to comment and share!

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Tyler Wright – Missing

August 23rd, 2010

Our dear friend and PR colleague Tyler Wright, believed to be hiking Boise Creek Trail, has been reported missing since August 10th. Full information here.

If you have any information on Tyler’s whereabouts since August 10th, please contact the Squamish RCMP +1-604-892-6100 or 911.

If you would like to make a donation to search and rescue efforts, please visit the Missing Tyler Wright blog at: http://missingtylerwright.blogspot.com/

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When life gives you lemons…

August 19th, 2010

The power of media…and karma.

When life throws us lemons (Sara’s yoga bag and possessions stolen from the change room during a yoga class), we generally attempt to make lemonade. In this case it worked! Frustrated by a seemingly slick yoga bandit, we dug into the power of media to help spread the word about the theft. Our friends at The Province and Vancouver Sun heard us out, ran the story and the response has been phenomenal:

  1. The VPD have officially picked up the case, victims are reporting additional similar crimes and many clues have been followed up on. They seem to be hot on the trail.
  2. We received dozens of positive emails and phone calls thanking us for sharing the story.
  3. We are confident that the coverage will result in yoga studios being alerted to the threat level and in turn take steps to protect their students and staff.

The intention in approaching the media to tell this story was to spread the word to the yoga community and alert other studios and students to the fact that they may be an unknowing target. The media coverage we were fortunate enough to receive proved powerful in accomplishing this. As we have learned in our yoga classes, it is not about the bad things that happen to you, but how you react to them that counts. Hopefully, now we can all rest a bit easier on the mat. Namaste.

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Pereira PR in Communication World

August 10th, 2010

The topic of PR measurement is one that comes up often in industry circles. In this month’s Communication World Bulletin, experts offer tips for measuring your next PR campaign, including our very own Tara Padidar and Sara Pereira! In “Beyond Press Clippings: Meaningful PR measurement,” Tara highlights the importance of aligning PR efforts and measurements with client goals.

Most often, PR pros become preoccupied with achieving a certain number of press clippings rather than measuring PR efforts against a client’s actual goals. In order to ensure the most effective results and the likelihood of a happy and successful client, you should ask two simple questions:

  1. What are the client’s overall business goals, and how do they relate to PR?
  2. What kind of PR efforts will be most effective in helping the client reach those goals?

Joining in on the conversation, Sara Pereira:

A client’s expectations of what business objectives media exposure should fulfill can vary dramatically as well. As Sara Pereira, founder and president of Pereira PR in Vancouver, British Columbia, explains, “It’s not only about the amount of coverage we are able to get, but how clients expect that garnered coverage to translate into business results. Do they want media exposure to drive web site traffic? Do they want media coverage to create sales leads?” Pereira goes on to explain, “When we are able to understand client expectations based on business goals, and make them measurable, we create PR strategies that are much more focused, rather than just driving hard to get as many press hits as possible.”

What are your thoughts on PR measurement? What new ways of media measurements are you putting into practice?

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Vancouver PR pros meet for July PRIME Event

July 29th, 2010

Last week, Vancouver PR Group PRIME held an event at Terracotta Modern Chinese with special guest Gillian Shaw of the Vancouver Sun.

In between bites of Szechuan beans and spring rolls, questions and discussions around sustainable PR business models, twittering for clients and seasonal changes in PR were passed around the table. The intimate mixture of PR professionals, media and business owners provided for a dynamic forum to discuss the issues.

Overheard at the July PRIME event:

Twitter is the cocktail party, Facebook is the BBQ and Linked In is the boardroom (via @vlitwin).

Pitch journalists in the summer. Its slower and easier to get noticed (via @gillianshaw).

For those unfamiliar with PRIME, the group was founded by Sara Pereira in 2009 as a means to bring together PR professionals seeking a new approach to the craft. PRIME has now grown to include a wide variety of PR, media and business professionals interested in discussing industry practices. The group meets on bi-monthly basis with different topics and special guests each time.

Check out the new PRIME splash page at www.prime-vancouver.com.

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Pereira PR shares industry insights with a class of PR students

July 27th, 2010

Last week, Pereira PR had the privilege of visiting Blanche Macdonald to speak to a class of PR & Special Events for Fashion Merchandising students. We were invited to provide insight on the PR industry and what it takes to have a successful PR career.

Entering the job market can be a daunting task for any student, so it was a pleasure to meet this group of enthusiastic students and to be able to share our experience and knowledge with them while they consider their career paths.

With so many job options available in the PR industry – agency versus in-house, large firm or small – knowing where to start and how to “get your foot in the door” can be difficult, so our goal was to provide an overview of the opportunities and to give some helpful tips on what they can do to stand out in the interview process and as an intern.

The chance to speak with students that are so excited about starting their careers and genuinely interested in learning about a job that excites us every day was a refreshing experience, and we look forward to the opportunity of visiting Blanche Macdonald again in the future.

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Recent coverage for local radio station

July 19th, 2010

Over the summer months, Pereira PR has been working with local radio station Shore 104.3 FM on various campaigns for Shore’s Sounds of Summer. Amongst the many components of the summer music series, the Song Search Contest has gained attention for its songwriting and performance aspects and support of local, emerging talent. Below are some highlights of the station’s recent coverage:

  1. Times Colonist, June 5 – Island Songwriters Nominated
  2. Vancouver Sun, June 8 – Songwriters, start your pens
  3. Province, June 8 – Sounds of Summer 20
  4. Kitsilano, June 15 – Sounds of Summer 20
  5. Province, June 22 – Byrnes back for VAMS video
  6. TV Week, June 25 – The Matinee and Sounds of Summer
  7. Province, June 29 – SHOREFEST RETURNS
  8. Guttersnipe, July 5 – Shore 104’s Song Search Finalists Announced
  9. Granville Magazine, July 6 – An elitist’s guide to the Shore 104FM Sounds of Summer Song Search
  10. Province, July 6 – Shorefest Song Search Finalists
  11. Vancouver Sun, July 6 – Shore’s Song of Summer narrowed to 10 finalists
  12. Tri City News, July 7 – Locals in radio contest top 10
  13. Miss 604, July 7 – Shore 104 Sounds of Summer Finalists
  14. Times Colonist, July 7 – Victoria Musician in hunt for radio station contest
  15. Burnaby Now,  July 10 – Sounds of Summer winner will play at fest

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Hire a PR firm to help with industry awards

July 12th, 2010

Last month, client Indicee received the Most Promising Start-Up Award at the 2010 Technology Impact Awards. Industry awards like the TIAs offer much more than a shiny object to place on a shelf. Awards can present strategic value to businesses small and large including, third-party recognition, bragging rights,  sales advantage, and talent retention.

Techvibes published an article on the topic last week, outlining the “Top 8 Tips on How to Win an Industry Award”. The #2 tip? Hire a PR firm or professional to help.

2) Hire a PR firm or professional to help – the application process can be tedious and complicated; having experienced people to complete award forms and go through the process with you can make all the difference. Often times they can simplify the process and have a strong grasp on what the judges are looking for.

“Our PR firm (Pereira PR) really helped to narrow down how we presented Indicee. They knew what information was important and what we should omit. Being so close to the product and our work, it was valuable to have someone let us know what was truly relevant to the category, because to us, it is all critical and groundbreaking.” – Mark Cunningham, Indicee (Most Promising Start-Up)

Read the full Techvibes article here.

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Pereira PR is in Marketing Magazine!

July 6th, 2010

Last month, Marketing Magazine published a special report on PR. One of the featured articles, “Measuring the Message,” explores the varying ways the PR industry demonstrates value. Weighing in on the topic, is our very own Sara Pereira! Here is a snapshot of the article below:

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PR in the Summer

June 28th, 2010

Last week marked Summer Solstice, officially indicating that the warm, fun, beach-filled season is upon us (although you would never know it in Vancouver at the moment). The changing seasons have prompted questions from many of our clients and contacts about how PR is affected during the summer. The heat rises, everything slows, gorgeous weather makes it difficult to remain at a desk all day and many of us take off on vacations.

So how does this impact PR? Is it slower? Should you send out pitches or releases? Is it a bad time to start working with a PR firm? The topic certainly warrants some commentary, so here goes our take.

Benefits of public relations in the summer months:

- Based on the notion that everything slows during the summer, many companies hold back on sharing news and stories with the media, clearing the way for you and your company and granting considerable competitive edge.

- The sunny summer workday setting provides opportunity for more casual meetings and occasion to build relationships and trust with the media (think cool drinks on a sun drenched patio).

- The presses still run, pages are printed and blogs updated during the summer. Media outlets rarely decrease their print runs, posting frequency or need for content. The space is available and journalists remain on the hunt for valuable and interesting stories.

- Summer provides the perfect opportunity to partner with a PR firm and buckle down on strategy, messaging and research in addition to regular outreach. It is an ideal time to refresh and enhance your position when it comes to PR.

What to consider:

- Since summer is popular for vacation time, it is important to schedule PR outreach and activity around the planned vacation times of key media contacts. Respect for their time is critical.

- Additionally, prepare for the fact that you could get an unexpected email ‘vacation alert’ from a reporter just as the scoop on a story was sent, and further outreach plans may need to be adjusted as a result. Holding back launch plans or a juicy story to work with a trusted, talented journalist is worth it.

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