360PR Blog

Many brands have been leveraging social media as part of their communications strategy for several years now.  But our thinking about how to use social media has evolved tremendously, especially during the past 12 months.  And it’s not just the digital natives who get it.

The most senior-level marketers, with 20, 30, or more years in the business, see social media for its true potential – as a catalyst, more than a way to keep the conversation going.  Sure it’s that too, but the idea of putting social media first, ahead of other tried-and-true PR tools and strategies, is fairly new.

That changes everything – from how we think about solving a communications challenge to how we hire and staff a campaign.  For me, 2011 will be remembered as the year that social media went from a layer that gets added to a campaign – almost like frosting to a cake – to become a driving communications strategy, the means to the end.

Today a brainstorm starts with online communities.  We understand not just the power of fans, but how to effectively tap into them and how to measure.  This was evident in many of the high-caliber PRWeek award entries I helped judge earlier this month, and reinforced by an AYTM Marker Research study (December 2011) that found more consumers prefer to receive updates from brands via social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, instead of traditional media.

Importantly, social media is not a quick in-out strategy.  Deploy a video and, as Emeril says, BAM!  But a video does not a campaign make.  It can, however, be a compelling tool in a broader, integrated campaign.  And that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it?  The broader campaign platform and strategy:  from there, all else flows.  At 360, we think of it as our “full circle” approach.

But kicking off that campaign may not be your ‘typical’ big splash, physical event. More and more, social media comes first – with a reveal, some other special access, a video that gets passed, the simultaneous take-over of multiple channels, and more.  Heinz’s introduction of its new ketchup with balsamic vinegar is a great example of a brand leading with social media, in Heinz’s case tapping into its more than 800,000 Facebook fans to start the buzz about a new product.  We did something along those lines when revealing the new Disney Baby collection available at Target stores and fans responded enthusiastically, helping us spread the word.  There are countless success stories and more on the way.

What role will social media play for your brand in 2012?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, PR Industry, Social Marketing, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - No Comments →

In 360PR’s 10th year, we are celebrating by sharing some of the things we’ve learned along the way in a “10 minutes with…” series featuring interviews with our practice leaders! Last time we chatted with the Account Director of our Parenting practice, Caroline Pierce.  Now we’ve sat down with Mike Rush, Account Director of our @Home practice, to learn more about him and some of the trends he has spotted!

Nesting has certainly been a pervasive trend the past several years.  What other trends are you leveraging for 360 clients in the home goods space?

Many of 360’s @Home clients are focusing on energy- and cost-savings, helping homeowners build the castle of their dreams while not breaking the bank.  Savings benefits are being communicated in a variety of ways — through tools such as online savings calculators, Facebook coupons and DIY tips.  As a team, we’ve been exploring consumers’ tertiary uses for home products, too, which can help create buzz – like running a humidifier to create white noise and a quieter sleeping environment (in addition to reaping all the other benefits of using a humidifier).

How much have eco-trends affected the home space?

It’s not just about recycling, ENERGY STAR, and eco-friendly packaging anymore.  After what seemed like a green-washing epidemic, there’s been a more meaningful discussion of tangible eco-benefits that hit close to home, like low-VOC paint.  Many 360PR @Home clients are turning to qualitative research to get to the root of eco-trends in their specific industry.  A recent survey Honeywell Air Purifiers, for example, found that only 1/3 of Americans have actually considered how indoor air can be affecting their health.  A scary thought given the EPA has found that VOC levels on average are 2-5 times higher indoors than outdoors.

How have media responded?

HGTV, in particular, has groomed a new generation of home experts and stars.  There’s Mike Holmes from “Holmes on Homes,” David Bromstad from “Color Splash,” and Sabrina Soto from “Get It Sold,” who recently signed as a spokesperson for both Target and Claritin.  Magazine editors at the home magazines have also become the faces of the morning shows – Sarah Humphreys at Real Simple and Elizabeth Mayhew from House Beautiful are two of my favorites who both regularly appear on TODAY.

What are some of your go-to sources for the newest home products and home design trends?

Urban Daddy is my source for off-beat home design trends and products – just last week I was tempted to buy a Merriam Webster Dictionary hollowed out with a flask for whiskey inside and I don’t even like whiskey!  I’m also an avid reader of all the home magazines.  Suzanne Kasler and Thomas Paul are two of my favorite designers.  Top designers are teaming with retailers for exclusive lines – like Suzanne’s collection of furniture and accessories available through Ballard Designs.  And I love the style that Martha Stewart brings to The Home Depot (if you haven’t checked out HD’s upscale spin-off site HomeDecorators.com, you should).

What’s your newest can’t-live-without purchase at home?

Hands down it’s my Cuisinart Griddler. Prosciutto Jarlsberg paninis are the best on it and it’s a life-saver for grilling chicken!

Filed under: 10 Minutes With Our Practice Leaders, 360 Public Relations, Design, Media and Press by Admin - 1 Comment →

By Mark Nolan

One of the gaming industry’s most well-known publications announced they will be closing its doors – both in print and online – this week. GamePro, which has been around since 1989, announced that the November issue of the magazine will be its last and on Monday, December 5. GamePro.com will redirect to its sister publication, PCWorld.com. A notice on the top of GamePro.com thanks their dedicated readers, like myself, with this message:

“Thank you for your loyalty, support, and participation in the GamePro.com community. […] Thank you to the entire GamePro staff for their hard work and dedication.”

The first GamePro I picked up was in 1997, when my shiny new Nintendo64 was begging for the latest games. The magazine always covered the best new releases, and – in the era before the internet – provided invaluable reviews to help gamers (and parents) decide which games were worth the money. In the changing print landscape over the past few years, GamePro struggled, announcing earlier this year that they would be switching to a quarterly format.

While sad, it’s not all bad news for the GamePro brand which will remain as a subsection of PCWorld’s site, and a new entity called GamePro Custom Solutions will provide customized content for vendors and industry events like E3. Publisher Julian Rignall had mixed emotions about the news on his Twitter account:

All is not lost for print outlets in the gaming industry: magazines like Game Informer and Official Xbox Magazine are still going strong, and there are even some new print magazines joining the fray. Best Buy launched their @Gamer magazine in partnership with Future Publishing earlier this year, and another famous gaming mag from the industry’s early years, Electronic Gaming Monthly, was recently reborn.

We will definitely miss GamePro’s fantastic editorial staff and the groundwork they laid for gaming journalists over the past two decades. Farewell, for now, guys! We wish you all the best!

Filed under: Media and Press, Video Games by Admin - 2 Comments →