Marketing Craftmanship

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Blog posts or press releases extolling the features and benefits of your firm’s whiz-bang new product or service are more likely to be read by competitors than by prospects. Here’s why: Most firms still don’t understand that marketing content is NOT about sales.

Marketing AI 147

Marketing AI Paid Search Agency Copywriting Thought Leadership 147

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 20, 2017

With good intentions, but given no budget or time to perform proper market research, we interviewed a total of 6 corporate CEOs and board members to provide some validation to the underlying premise of our press release. The headline read: “Most Corporate Directors & Officers Believe They Are Not Adequately Protected from Legal Risk.”.

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency High Quality Lead Content Press 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 30, 2013

It also means that you must provide your agency with the time and guidance necessary for them to deliver something more than a pile of useless press clippings. If you’re unwilling to make that commitment, or if they’re incapable of delivering on your expectations, then it’s time to stop the insanity. Fire your PR firm in 2014.

PR 100

PR Advertorials Merchandising Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Craftmanship

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

here are two fundamental PR lessons from this brand debacle: Assume the press will always learn about a problem, and plan an offensive strategy (well ahead of time) to minimize the damage. If the press is on your damaging story, or is likely to be very soon, sometimes it’s better to keep your powder dry if you haven’t planned ahead.

Public Relations 100

Public Relations PR Press Class 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Regardless of how well a company communicates with the press, it stands a good chance of being “burned” on occasion. Unfortunately, no standard methodology exists for redress of grievances with the press. Que Sera, Sera.

Media 100

Media Press Paid Search Agency Mobile Advertising 100

Marketing Craftmanship

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

A new spotlight has been cast on the issue, with writer Michael Lewis’ acknowledgment that he’d agreed to quote approval for his Vanity Fair profile on Barack Obama, and the new policy issued by the New York Times , which forbids their reporters from agreeing to “after-the-fact quote approval by sources and their press aides.”.

PR 100

PR Media Press Blogger 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 16, 2012

This effort requires that a company either engage an outside PR agency or employ dedicated staff members who are skilled at pitching stories and nurturing press coverage. So, if media placement is both an inefficient and costly marketing tactic, then why do large, sophisticated companies continue to use it?

Merchandising 100

Merchandising PR Press SEM 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JULY 15, 2011

I drafted a press release entitled “Irate BMW Owner Places Ads in New York Times and Wall Street Journal After 27 Problems With 318i,” that detailed the car’s various issues. I FedExed the letter, the advertisement, the press release, and the editor list to BMW headquarters in New Jersey. I’ve got 27 Good Ones for you.”. He laughed.

Classified Ads 100

Classified Ads Press Ideal Customer Profiles PR 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 19, 2012

They understood the difference between a sheet-fed and web offset printing press, could distinguish between thermography and engraving, and spent hours studying paper stock samples, typefaces and PMS color charts. Graphic designers used drafting boards, rulers and glue.

Paper 100

Paper Press Sample Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Craftmanship

NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Unlike law, medicine, accounting or engineering, it’s difficult to define or validate expertise in public relations – as evidenced, for example, by the volume of information and disagreement on issues as fundamental as press release protocol.

Public Relations 100

Public Relations Work Management PR Cost per Acquisition 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 19, 2011

If you’re not a habitual rubbernecker of battles between companies and the press, here’s a condensed version of a recent incident that can provide some lessons for all those subject to public scrutiny…which includes just about every individual, institution and company, public or private. Journalistic ideals espoused by Edward R.

PR 100

PR Ad brokers Opinions Ethics 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 8, 2011

The standard marketing approach – particularly among B2B firms – is to create a brochureware-esque “Who We Are / What We Do / Why You Should Select Us” web presence, which forever serves as a handy repository for press releases, case studies, white papers and other expressions of thought leadership.

B2B Thought Leadership 100

B2B Thought Leadership Content Case Studies Case Study 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 19, 2011

As a result, website visitors might see…a company blog with only 3 posts over the past year; no press releases issued since 2009; a “Coming Soon” graphic for the In the News section; an archive of quarterly newsletters with many issues skipped; a 2 year-old white paper that’s no longer relevant; and zero upcoming events scheduled.

Thought Leadership 100

Thought Leadership Paper Press Case Studies 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 10, 2015

This past September, the well-respected marketing firm, Peppercom, conducted in-depth research involving nearly 300 of the hedge fund industry’s largest firms, to measure how those funds are currently applying standard marketing tools & tactics including websites, social media, the financial press and advertising, one year after the JOBS Act.

Practices 100

Practices Planning Enterprise Management Transparency 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 22, 2015

When pressed to explain why their company has a blog, many CEOs will admit they were either pushed by marketing counsel to create one, or believed they needed a blog because their competitors have them.

Allocation 100

Allocation Terms and Conditions Paid Search Agency Enterprise Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MAY 7, 2015

Even if your fund generates piles of press clippings, however, there are too many distractions within print, broadcast, and digital media channels to ensure that target audiences will ever notice, or be influenced by, any of those mentions.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management Broadcasting Press Linkedin 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JULY 13, 2011

Simply issuing a press release, or posting the event’s slide presentation on a website, will not adequately address the opportunity. What’s done to promote the firm’s endorsement from the sponsoring organization—in advance of and following the event—can be more important than what occurs at the event itself.

Work Management 100

Work Management CPA Cost per Acquisition B2B Marketing 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 12, 2011

This is never encouraging news for a company paying a fat monthly retainer in exchange for a pile of press clippings that get hung like trophies on its website. Media placement is “credibility tool” generation.

Merchandising 100

Merchandising Verticals Press Marketing Prospects 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 2, 2011

Stop the presses: we’ve got ourselves a sexy story that’s ready for prime time.

PR 100

PR Twitter Guidelines Press 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 13, 2015

LinkedIn has become an important due diligence tool for investors, intermediaries and the financial press. Manage press exposure selectively. A hedge fund’s intellectual capital represents its most powerful market differentiator, and can be showcased without giving away any proprietary information or methodologies.

Transparency 100

Transparency Thought Leadership Planning Enterprise Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 8, 2018

Social media postings on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook referencing the publicity; A permanent “As seen in (name of media source)” banner on the home page of the client’s website; Surgical removal of the client’s quote from the story, coupled with the publication’s logo, hung like a hunting trophy in the client website’s News section.

SME 100

SME PR Ideal Customer Profiles Banners 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 12, 2020

Most marketing content is distributed through pull tactics, in which blog posts, social media posts, press releases, etc., Great content can build brand stature and increase market awareness, but in my experience, neither of those achievements necessarily delivers the type of market engagement that results in new accounts or revenue growth.

Work Management 130

Work Management Marketing Management Content Marketing Blast Campaigns 130

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 16, 2013

If your website has not been refreshed and updated in the last 3 years (which means more than simply sticking press releases in the “News” section), then your company is due for an overhaul. Don’t bother with social media tactics unless this tool is all that it can be. Blog Correctly, or Don’t Have One.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Merchandising B2B 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 16, 2013

Press releases and related media exposure is a good example of marketing activity that is often overrated in terms of effort vs. tangible outcome. Be ruthless in your tactical assessment and focus on marketing initiatives that demonstrate a direct correlation between activity and a measurable business outcomes.

Tactics 100

Tactics B2B Marketing Cost per Acquisition CPA 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 7, 2011

This does not simply mean pumping out a press release every time your company introduces a product, wins an industry award, or appoints a new vice president. The most effective way to reduce and offset brand sabotage is to consistently generate online content that positions your company in a positive manner.

Branding 100

Branding Brand Identity Viral Marketing Opinions 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 18, 2017

For decades, the ONLY way to produce any type of printed material – ranging from sales & marketing brochures, to annual reports and informational flyers – involved a multi-step, time / people-intensive, costly process requiring a copywriter, graphic designer, a typesetter and a printing press.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Sales Qualified Leads Marketing Automation High Quality Lead 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 20, 2012

A Compromised Value Proposition? If the biggest loser in disgruntled employee Greg Smith’s recent OpEd piece was Goldman Sachs, then the apparent winner in this high-profile media sideshow was The New York Times. Rarely has an opinion piece on any topic, published in any major newspaper or periodical, attracted so much attention and controversy.

Opinions 100

Opinions Viral Marketing Profiling Advertisements 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 19, 2012

Everything Counts in Brand Management. LinkedIn has become an important business channel, not only for individuals to showcase their professional credentials, but also for companies seeking to promote their value proposition and to establish or manage brand awareness.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management Work Management Marketing Management Ideal Customer Profiles 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 9, 2012

Did Jere Kill Lolo’s Mojo? On August 4 th , New York Times sportswriter Jére Longman – who has been covering the Olympics under an “Inside the Rings” column – wrote an article on American hurdler Lolo Jones that was considered by many readers to be overly harsh and entirely unnecessary.

PR 100

PR Opinions High Quality Lead Tactics 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JULY 5, 2013

Uncategorized #brand management #brand risk #press release #thought leadership #wallstreetjournal 1970s oil crisis advertorials advocacy advertising affinity marketing Columbia University creative confrontation ExxonMobil Herb Schmertz issues advocacy Jr.

Public Relations 100

Public Relations Advertorials Mobile Advertising PR 100

Marketing Craftmanship

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

A communications strategy largely consisting of press releases or cryptic statements from management falls far short of what is required to protect an enterprise’s most valuable asset — its brand. However, in our digital age, rumor and misinformation can incur permanent damage to a company’s reputation with lightning speed.

Branding 100

Branding Brand Identity Urgency Marketing Enterprise Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 11, 2014

So is there a price to be paid for the loss of a free and independent press?

Advertorials 100

Advertorials Pricing Price Branding 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

Extreme examples of this error include companies that issue a press release, or generate Twitter and Facebook postings to announce, for example, that their CEO has been profiled in Inc.

Merchandising 100

Merchandising Lead Ranking Lead Scoring Public Relations 100