Cat and Mouse Strategy – How it applies to PR

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Mark Macias

Why does the cat always catch the mouse? When you think of how agile and quick a mouse can be, it should easily outmaneuver the cat. Yet, most of the time, the cat will catch the mouse.

That’s not just a fun question. It’s actually a way of thinking that applies to PR and business.

First off, I’m not an expert on mice or cats. I’m allergic to cats and I hate mice. But as a person who lives in Brooklyn, and every New Yorker will tell you – “if you have mice, get a cat and the problem will go away.”

I got to thinking about that concept when watching of all things – Tom and Jerry – with my son. It got me thinking of the relationship between cat and mice, and the reporter and publicist. Here’s a closer look at what the classic cat and mouse game can teach us about media strategy.

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Value Working with Boutique PR Agencies

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Mark Macias

I read this confessional last night from a publicist who described the state of the public relations industry. It’s a candid look at how large PR agencies are lowering their standards and putting the dollar above relationships. The writer also lays out an argument for boutique PR agencies, and why they have a larger advantage.

To paraphrase the article, “There’s a lot of desperation. Not only to keep the lights on, but to keep people, to keep employees.

And what are the challenges? She writes, “[B2B tech brands] don’t often have stories. They’re unable to talk about themselves outside of product features and benefits. There’s zero or very little value based messaging. And too many PR firms will take them on as clients. The reason why they take on these clients is to keep the lights on.“

The article got me thinking about MACIAS PR and the value we bring as a boutique PR agency.

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Case Study – Media Campaign for Nutrition App

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Mark Macias

When MACIAS PR started working with Lifesum in the summer of 2019, the nutrition app was nowhere on the national radar. Their US office in Los Angeles had only 3 people – and no one was in PR or marketing.

This lean US operation enabled us to run as a PR firm, especially as their leadership team in Sweden gave us the green light to pursue creative ideas.

Our first media placement for the nutrition app was on Channel 11 in New York City. The TV segment compared the price and offerings of Lifesum versus their bigger, more expensive competitors. It was an objective look at what the various health apps offer and which provided the best value. Lifesum scored at the top of this analysis. Our TV segment also featured a Lifesum user who talked about how she lost weight and got healthier with the app.

Bringing more exposure to this story, MACIAS PR worked to get this story syndicated with the Tribune network. It’s an insider strategy we used based on our founder’s experience with the NBC, ABC and CBS affiliate feeds. The TV segment introduced Lifesum to a national audience.

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Client Case Study – Health Tech Wearable

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Mark Macias

In September 2018, the founder of a Korean-based health tech startup approached MACIAS PR for help promoting his smart belt wearable.

The founder had hired a different PR agency earlier in the year to promote their wearable at CES 2018 but didn’t get any traction. He was hoping our agency could promote the exact same wearable at CES 2019. He heard about our agency from another Korean entrepreneur who had worked with us.

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Client Case Study – Media Campaign for Physicians

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Mark Macias

MACIAS PR has run media campaigns for many hospital and health care organizations, including Columbia University Medical Center, Burke Rehabilitation Center, and Meru Health.

But we’ve also run targeted media campaigns for practicing physicians too. I never realized this before working with Columbia University Medical Center, but physicians and hospital groups need to develop new business too.

In July 2021, a physician reached out to MACIAS PR, asking for help promoting his medical practice built around the microbiome. He explained to me over the phone how the gut has healthy and bad bacteria, which has a direct impact on how we feel, and our health.

I hadn’t really heard of the gut microbiome movement before our conversation, but I quickly realized this was an area of practice that was going to spread to the larger population quickly. When I asked the physician why I hadn’t heard of it, he was very candid.

“No one is talking about how the gut impacts our health but it’s real.”

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