Getting Granular: The DigitalGrit Blog

Ink for Sale: Evidently, You *Can* Buy That Kind of PR

Two reports this week prove that you don't have to be a PR maven to score headlines and buzz -- you just have to hold enough budget to buy your way in.

Earlier this week, in what you might call a grand statement of the obvious, Nielsen BuzzMetrics reported that marketers can, in fact, buy their way into WOM. According to their press release:

After analyzing blog buzz volume, ad spending, purchase intentions and actual product sales, Nielsen found the best predictor of buzz for newly launched consumer-packaged goods (CPG) is a large advertising budget...

The study evaluated nearly 80 new CPG products across several subcategories, launched in the U.S. between 2005 and 2006. On average, the top 10% of products with the most buzz, spent nearly $20 million on paid media for the launch. In contrast, the companies that generated the next 40% of blog buzz spent an average of $15 million and the companies that generated the bottom 50% spent an average of only $5 million.

In another blow to hard-working PR firms everywhere, PR Week (via MarketingCharts) reports that 17% of senior marketers have bought advertising in exchange for ink. (Shocker.) Others admitted securing their media placements with gifts, or paying for favorable coverage. 

$40 and a Dream -- Cocaine is a WOM Success Story

hI'm a little late with this one, but I just read this MediaPost story about Cocaine, the new energy drink that has 350x the caffeine of Red Bull. (Yum, liquid migraine.)

Regardless of how good or bad the stuff is, they've gained national recognition with a marketing budget of less than $40.

"Our entire marketing and promotional investment in the launch was $37.50," says Jamey Kirby, senior partner and founder of Redux Beverages, Las Vegas, which launched the controversial brand Sept. 9 during Fashion Week in New York "That's what we paid a courier to deliver a case to the New York Post."

Between a contraversial product name, a product that should sit on shelves somewhere between Stacker2 and "Jackass" DVDs, and a brilliant marketing team sporting a serious pair, Cocaine has become a true WOM marketing success.

While not all PR is good PR, Cocaine is basking in the glow of inevitable medical warnings, parental outrage and the prestige of government attention. When you're targeting the cool kids, the more ire you can raise, the better, it seems.

So, although this product is likely to be pulled from shelves (or at least black-boxed) in the very near future, it's going gangbusters during its bi-coastal rollout. Nevermind that it allegedly tastes like sick and is likely to cause a premature death via ventricular fibrilation. It's cool.

Good or bad, when you get mentions in the New York Times, the Daily Mail and pretty much every other major news outlet on $37.50 -- you're doing something right. Most products couldn't withstand the flames fueled by Cocaine, but this product is in a place where the more contraversy it stirs, the better it looks to its target audience.

Read the MediaPost article.

Dutson - 1, Warren Kremer Paino - 0: Ad Agency "Yields Unconditional Surrender" to Maine Blogger

In an unexpected twist, Warren Kremer Paino Advertising has shut its doors as a result of its run-in with blogger Lance Dutson. (UPDATE: WKPA is still alive and kicking -- this was a misunderstanding based on the MediaPost article referenced below, which stated that WKPA had "folded." Thanks, Randy.)

According to a press release titled, "Blogger Case Yields Unconditional Surrender" released just hours ago:

...Warren Kremer Paino Advertising agency voluntarily dismissed its multi-million dollar federal lawsuit against Lance Dutson, a Media Bloggers Association member targeted for the content of his blog's reporting and commentary. Gregory W. Herbert, an attorney with the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, represented Dutson pro bono as lead counsel.

The decision to withdraw the lawsuit comes on the heels of a media campaign orchestrated by the Media Bloggers Association on behalf of MBA Member Lance Dutson. Hundreds of bloggers responded to the MBA's call to arms and were joined by media outlets around the world in highlighting the heavy-handed tactics of the state contractor.

MediaPost reported shortly after that WKPA had been "brought down," although the firm's site makes no such announcement. I can't help but wonder why this has happened. WKPA has a pretty extensive client list...did they all bail over Dutson's blog? (Note that we misintrepreted this statement. The agency is still in business.)

I've expounded upon this extensively elsewhere...but my thought is this: I'm not sure Dutson's claims had merit, necessarily. And while I'll defend to the death his right to post them, I believe WKPA extended every olive branch they could have. A lawsuit seemed their only option.

Hindsight being 20/20 as it is, they most certainly should have ignored Dutson from the get-go. I'm sure every agency under the sun has learned that lesson now.

This may be a victory for the bloggers, but at what cost?

Now agency bloggers like me are scared to death to defend ourselves against bloggers who speak (or blog) against us. Knowing that any action we take in our defense can echo 10,000-fold across the blogosphere, what recourse do we have? It's a conundrum for folks like me who both blog and work in the world of the suits.

WKPA has become the first fable of the blogosphere. Let it be a lesson for both sides.

Dutson - 1, Warren Kremer Paino - 0: Ad Agency "Yields Unconditional Surrender" to Maine Blogger

In an unexpected twist, Warren Kremer Paino Advertising has shut its doors as a result of its run-in with blogger Lance Dutson. (UPDATE: WKPA is still alive and kicking -- this was a misunderstanding based on the MediaPost article referenced below, which stated that WKPA had "folded." Thanks, Randy.)

According to a press release titled, "Blogger Case Yields Unconditional Surrender" released just hours ago:

...Warren Kremer Paino Advertising agency voluntarily dismissed its multi-million dollar federal lawsuit against Lance Dutson, a Media Bloggers Association member targeted for the content of his blog's reporting and commentary. Gregory W. Herbert, an attorney with the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, represented Dutson pro bono as lead counsel.

The decision to withdraw the lawsuit comes on the heels of a media campaign orchestrated by the Media Bloggers Association on behalf of MBA Member Lance Dutson. Hundreds of bloggers responded to the MBA's call to arms and were joined by media outlets around the world in highlighting the heavy-handed tactics of the state contractor.

MediaPost reported shortly after that WKPA had been "brought down," although the firm's site makes no such announcement. I can't help but wonder why this has happened. WKPA has a pretty extensive client list...did they all bail over Dutson's blog? (Note that we misintrepreted this statement. The agency is still in business.)

I've expounded upon this extensively elsewhere...but my thought is this: I'm not sure Dutson's claims had merit, necessarily. And while I'll defend to the death his right to post them, I believe WKPA extended every olive branch they could have. A lawsuit seemed their only option.

Hindsight being 20/20 as it is, they most certainly should have ignored Dutson from the get-go. I'm sure every agency under the sun has learned that lesson now.

This may be a victory for the bloggers, but at what cost?

Now agency bloggers like me are scared to death to defend ourselves against bloggers who speak (or blog) against us. Knowing that any action we take in our defense can echo 10,000-fold across the blogosphere, what recourse do we have? It's a conundrum for folks like me who both blog and work in the world of the suits.

WKPA has become the first fable of the blogosphere. Let it be a lesson for both sides.

Optimizing your Press Releases for Search - from Search Engine Lowdown (and DigitalGrit)

Search Engine Lowdown, one of the best blogs in the space, offers some excellent tips on optimizing your press releases for the search engines. I'll give you a byte, but definitely read the whole post:

Tips for Maximizing Your PR Efforts in Search Engines
• Include company name and your most important keyphrase in the title of the press release.
• Include company name and keyphrases in line with your PR and SE presence goals throughout the release, though not conspicuously and not to the detriment of readability or sense
• If you're publicly traded, include your ticker symbol in the title of the press release.
• Link your keyphrase in the body of the press release to the page on your site that's optimized for this keyphrase.
• Include contact info and a paragraph targeted specifically towards bloggers

Now, I've been writing what I thought were optimized releases for years... and these no-nonsense tips include ideas I hadn't even considered. For example, the idea of specifically targeting bloggers is beyond clever. As the line between consumer-generated and traditional media (i.e. bloggers v. reporters) grows ever blurrier, we PR folks should consider how to best reach bloggers. Fashioning news releases in a way that appeals to both, while it may be challenging, is definitely smart. (I'll have to look for examples of releases that have successfully managed this -- for my own benefit and yours.)

Anyway, I'd like to add some additional suggestions for optimizing your press releases:

First of all, check out PR Web, particularly if you're not using one of the larger PR services at this point. PR Web allows you to keyword optimize your releases by inserting your own keywords into a dialogue box.  It also, for a small fee, guarantees inclusion in Yahoo and Google News.

Secondly, use analytics to track your release. Most wire services offer basic tools. We use our own proprietary tracking tool, InsightGrit. Every link I included in our releases is coded so I can track every visit and conversion that comes in from the release, no matter where it's been picked up.

Third, be sure to keep your release straightforward and relevant. SEO has certainly taken all the joy out of writing press releases -- the challenge has gone from writing a snappy headline to incorporating as many of your important keywords as possible and still keeping it understandable and somewhat eye-catching. But the clear, concise, well-written release catches the search engines AND the reporters, so stay the course.

Finally, post your release -- or a key portion of it -- on your blog. Seems obvious, but even I forget to do that sometimes.

Incidentally, I love SEL's tip about linking the release's keyword phrases to a landing page specific to that page. Very, very smart stuff.

Although it may seem that PR and SEO are counterintuitive, disciplines stemming from different sides of the brain, they really can -- and need to -- work together. Making it happen is a tough exercise, but it's in your company's best interest to give it a shot.

Optimizing your Press Releases for Search - from Search Engine Lowdown (and DigitalGrit)

Search Engine Lowdown, one of the best blogs in the space, offers some excellent tips on optimizing your press releases for the search engines. I'll give you a byte, but definitely read the whole post:

Tips for Maximizing Your PR Efforts in Search Engines
• Include company name and your most important keyphrase in the title of the press release.
• Include company name and keyphrases in line with your PR and SE presence goals throughout the release, though not conspicuously and not to the detriment of readability or sense
• If you're publicly traded, include your ticker symbol in the title of the press release.
• Link your keyphrase in the body of the press release to the page on your site that's optimized for this keyphrase.
• Include contact info and a paragraph targeted specifically towards bloggers

Now, I've been writing what I thought were optimized releases for years... and these no-nonsense tips include ideas I hadn't even considered. For example, the idea of specifically targeting bloggers is beyond clever. As the line between consumer-generated and traditional media (i.e. bloggers v. reporters) grows ever blurrier, we PR folks should consider how to best reach bloggers. Fashioning news releases in a way that appeals to both, while it may be challenging, is definitely smart. (I'll have to look for examples of releases that have successfully managed this -- for my own benefit and yours.)

Anyway, I'd like to add some additional suggestions for optimizing your press releases:

First of all, check out PR Web, particularly if you're not using one of the larger PR services at this point. PR Web allows you to keyword optimize your releases by inserting your own keywords into a dialogue box.  It also, for a small fee, guarantees inclusion in Yahoo and Google News.

Secondly, use analytics to track your release. Most wire services offer basic tools. We use our own proprietary tracking tool, InsightGrit. Every link I included in our releases is coded so I can track every visit and conversion that comes in from the release, no matter where it's been picked up.

Third, be sure to keep your release straightforward and relevant. SEO has certainly taken all the joy out of writing press releases -- the challenge has gone from writing a snappy headline to incorporating as many of your important keywords as possible and still keeping it understandable and somewhat eye-catching. But the clear, concise, well-written release catches the search engines AND the reporters, so stay the course.

Finally, post your release -- or a key portion of it -- on your blog. Seems obvious, but even I forget to do that sometimes.

Incidentally, I love SEL's tip about linking the release's keyword phrases to a landing page specific to that page. Very, very smart stuff.

Although it may seem that PR and SEO are counterintuitive, disciplines stemming from different sides of the brain, they really can -- and need to -- work together. Making it happen is a tough exercise, but it's in your company's best interest to give it a shot.

Free Webinar: Secrets to a Successful Business Blog Strategy

DigitalGrit Webinars are back!  Last year's SEO & Blogs webinar was such a hit, we thought we'd do another one on Business Blogs. So here's the skinny:

"Talking & Listening: Secrets to a Successful Business Blog Strategy"

Wednesday, April 5, 2006
1:00PM Eastern, 10:00AM Pacific

...here's a bit of the marketing shpiel....

By listening to blogs in and around your market, you can learn what others are talking about, what your consumers' key concerns are, and what your competitors are saying in response to those concerns. Armed with this knowledge, you’re informed well enough to offer original and intelligent insight to the conversation — instead of just adding to the noise.

So if you're a marketer wondering whether or not you ought to be concerned with blogs, this is for you. And it's free. And you'll get a free transcript (including all the slides, graphs and charts we use in the webinar).

Come to think of it...can't come up with a single reason why you shouldn't register!

Free Webinar: Secrets to a Successful Business Blog Strategy

DigitalGrit Webinars are back!  Last year's SEO & Blogs webinar was such a hit, we thought we'd do another one on Business Blogs. So here's the skinny:

"Talking & Listening: Secrets to a Successful Business Blog Strategy"

Wednesday, April 5, 2006
1:00PM Eastern, 10:00AM Pacific

...here's a bit of the marketing shpiel....

By listening to blogs in and around your market, you can learn what others are talking about, what your consumers' key concerns are, and what your competitors are saying in response to those concerns. Armed with this knowledge, you’re informed well enough to offer original and intelligent insight to the conversation — instead of just adding to the noise.

So if you're a marketer wondering whether or not you ought to be concerned with blogs, this is for you. And it's free. And you'll get a free transcript (including all the slides, graphs and charts we use in the webinar).

Come to think of it...can't come up with a single reason why you shouldn't register!

SunRocket’s EverydayHogwash: Encouraging You to Bash Bad Companies on Your Blog… And Doing Some Kickass Blog Marketing While They’re At It. (Is That Wrong?)

*The volume is about to increase.*

SunRocket, a VoIP company targeting consumers, is hosting a contest, Everyday Hogwash. The site encourages bloggers to:

….kick back and have some therapeutic yuks at the millions of little ways companies stick it to us.

Check out these recent rants from everyday people about the Everyday Hogwash they’ve endured, and then why not contribute your own posting on your blog or website to our Hogpile? Your family, friends and co-workers will appreciate the calmer, saner you… and you might even win some cash if you catch the judges’ eyes. Our group laugh therapy continues through March 31.

That’s right. The funniest rants about companies on your s*@# list could win you $200 in the daily contest. ($5000 if you’re the big winner at the end of the comeptition).

It’s an interesting idea, and certainly gaining a lot of blog press for SunRocket. It seems bloggers are jumping at the chance to air their gripes. And with judges like uber-bloggers Steve Rubel and BusyMom, SunRocket’s hitting all the right notes in the blog marketing sphere. It’s a pretty brilliant campaign.

…though not everyone agrees that it’s the best thing for blogs. While judge Rubel calls the contest ” an exciting new conversational marketing campaign, MarketingPilgrim’s Andy Beal thinks it’s “terrible.”

Why do we want to encourage just the complainers? Why reinforce the negative image of bloggers? Surely the sponsor SunRocket could get the same publicity by encouraging both negative AND positive comments?

I think this reflects badly on SunRocket, so, ironically, consider this my entry to the contest.

And while I do think that this is a well planned, well executed campaign…I wonder if Beal isn’t a little bit right about the bad press. As Holly GoLightly famously said, “there are certain shades of limelight that do nothing for a girl’s complexion.”

Additionally, I think this campaign is better suited for a company like relevantNOISE than a telephone service. It might have been more appropriate to focus this campaign on something like “everyday adventures” or local gossip or something, rather than business-bashing.

Nonetheless…sure wish it had been my idea!!

//Post duplicated at relevantNOISe.com//

SunRocket’s EverydayHogwash: Encouraging You to Bash Bad Companies on Your Blog… And Doing Some Kickass Blog Marketing While They’re At It. (Is That Wrong?)

*The volume is about to increase.*

SunRocket, a VoIP company targeting consumers, is hosting a contest, Everyday Hogwash. The site encourages bloggers to:

….kick back and have some therapeutic yuks at the millions of little ways companies stick it to us.

Check out these recent rants from everyday people about the Everyday Hogwash they’ve endured, and then why not contribute your own posting on your blog or website to our Hogpile? Your family, friends and co-workers will appreciate the calmer, saner you… and you might even win some cash if you catch the judges’ eyes. Our group laugh therapy continues through March 31.

That’s right. The funniest rants about companies on your s*@# list could win you $200 in the daily contest. ($5000 if you’re the big winner at the end of the comeptition).

It’s an interesting idea, and certainly gaining a lot of blog press for SunRocket. It seems bloggers are jumping at the chance to air their gripes. And with judges like uber-bloggers Steve Rubel and BusyMom, SunRocket’s hitting all the right notes in the blog marketing sphere. It’s a pretty brilliant campaign.

…though not everyone agrees that it’s the best thing for blogs. While judge Rubel calls the contest ” an exciting new conversational marketing campaign, MarketingPilgrim’s Andy Beal thinks it’s “terrible.”

Why do we want to encourage just the complainers? Why reinforce the negative image of bloggers? Surely the sponsor SunRocket could get the same publicity by encouraging both negative AND positive comments?

I think this reflects badly on SunRocket, so, ironically, consider this my entry to the contest.

And while I do think that this is a well planned, well executed campaign…I wonder if Beal isn’t a little bit right about the bad press. As Holly GoLightly famously said, “there are certain shades of limelight that do nothing for a girl’s complexion.”

Additionally, I think this campaign is better suited for a company like relevantNOISE than a telephone service. It might have been more appropriate to focus this campaign on something like “everyday adventures” or local gossip or something, rather than business-bashing.

Nonetheless…sure wish it had been my idea!!

//Post duplicated at relevantNOISe.com//