In the future, brands will not look anything like they do today. Yes, we will have names like Coke, Netflix and Starbucks but their upstart competitors will have a huge advantage when it comes to the world of digital competition.
In the 1990s and earlier, it took years to build a brand. But today, you can build a brand in days with strategic help from search engines.
Think about it: when you’re looking for a restaurant near you, you probably go right to your phone. We don’t need to remember brands anymore. Instead, we search for “best restaurants near me” — and Google provides the list.
And you thought Millennials were hard to target as customers? It’s even more challenging with Generation Z.
But there is insight on the best tactics for targeting these younger generations. MACIAS PR conducted a survey for an online news portal, trying to gather more insight on their readers. The data and insight can be helpful for any business trying to get their products and services in front of these consumers.
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One size does not fit all when it comes to pitching a story idea to the media. In many cases, you will have more success by targeting the proper news medium and reporter through unconventional ways. Newspapers can be a microcosm for this analysis.
Let’s say you want to get publicity for a woman’s clothing designer.
Most publicists would probably take the conventional approach and pitch their story idea to the style section. They wouldn’t think of pitching their designer to the sports editors or reporters.
And in a similar fashion, most publicists would pitch a profile story on a high school football coach to the sports writers, rather than a religion writer.
Those methods are predictable and safe. But in many cases, you can identify overlooked reporters and pitch them with an unconventional approach.
Unconventional Story Pitches
Take the example of the profile story on the high school football coach. What if that high school coach had leadership rules that applied to business? What if that high school coach was extremely religious and based his coaching philosophy on Biblical principles? Suddenly, this story has a new angle that hasn’t been heard.
A story on a football coach with leadership principles could run in many sections of the local paper: sports, business or metro sections. Add in the faith element, and that coach suddenly becomes intriguing to the newspaper’s religious editors.
Likewise, in the case of the aspiring woman’s clothing designer, she becomes unique to the sports pages if her fashion is geared towards women. Sports writers are always pitched ideas on high school coaches. But they are rarely pitched angles around athletic fashion trends for women.
Of course you should always concentrate your pitch on the desired audience. Your story idea or client will stand out if you can find that unconventional angle that others haven’t pursued. You should apply this same-targeted approach when choosing which news outlet to pitch.
Many people make the mistake of pitching to the largest pie rather than focusing on a news outlet that reaches their desired demographics. If your story involves a niche, focus your time and energy on pitching the news outlet that reaches those targeted viewers and readers.
And remember, there is nothing wrong with pitching a conventional story the conventional way. But if you find reporters are ignoring you, take a moment to review your story from a different angle. You might find unconventional is the new conventional.
ABOUT MACIAS PR
Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017-2021 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the Financial PR Firm of the Year. Our founder is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named Mark Macias a Top 50 PR Political Power Player in 2021.
TV newsrooms are much different than newsrooms for magazines and newspapers. Over my career, I’ve worked inside newsrooms in print and TV, pitching story ideas and approving stories in TV.
I always tell my team, you can have the best idea but if the wrong reporter is pitched, we fail. Securing media coverage is largely influenced by the initial research that identifies the right media contact.
Here’s an abridged version of the different titles in TV newsrooms and what they mean. If you’re short on time, you can just watch the video we put together on newsroom titles.
Every once in a while, I’ll get a request from a potential client asking if my PR agency would work off a performance-based structure.
It happened again recently and inspired this thought leadership article I wrote for Forbes.
In theory, a performance-based model sounds like a great idea. The client doesn’t pay for anything unless the PR agency succeeds. Of course, as most entrepreneurs learn, if any deal is too one-sided, you lose money.
I don’t think many entrepreneurs really understand the depth, strategy and resources required to run a successful media campaign that leads to earned media — and I’m not talking about a press release. I’m talking about a bonafide news story or feature in a publication that you read.
You can read my analysis in Forbes here. If you’re short on time, here’s an abridged version of my thoughts on performance based PR.
If you do any research on the different PR newswires, it’s very easy to believe that their distribution lists will lead to media coverage. Unfortunately, it’s a bit misleading.
These days, Google is picking up fewer of these press releases. Even more challenging, many news publications are now burying their press releases on their websites.
I recently wrote a story for Forbes – Do press releases lead to media coverage? You can read my article here to get a deeper assessment on when press releases are most effective. If you’re short on time, you can get some quick advice by reading on.
The top tech and healthcare PR agency — MACIAS PR— has released its annual media report, detailing the coverage secured in 2020. The list of prominent media includes Forbes, TechCrunch, CNBC, San Francisco Chronicle, Business Insider, New York Times, Politico.
MACIAS PR also secured targeted TV segments with CBS News, Fox News in Detroit, NBC Los Angeles, ABC Washington, News 12 in New York, NY 1 and NJ TV.
“It was a great year for our clients. We got their stories told with some of the most influential publications in 2020, even with the pandemic dominating the news,” said Mark Macias, founder of MACIAS PR. “As we look ahead, our media strategy and creative approach will continue to expand as we keep talking to reporters and producers.”
Marketing peers also named MACIAS PR the 2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. The ACQ5 Awards recognized MACIAS PR as an industry leader based on expertise, media deliverables and innovation. Macias also became a PR and branding contributor for Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine in 2020.
Companies interested in receiving a free PR quote can click here to get an estimate and proposal.
There are several rules that MACIAS PR applies to every campaign we launch. I can’t elaborate on every critical factor but I will elaborate on the one rule from our playbook that delivers results.
News editorial. Our editorial strategy comes straight from the newsroom. As an Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS, I had a close-up leadership role in determining news placements. Our team – regardless of role – always applies these principals to our strategy and execution.
Here’s a closer look at the Top 10 Reasons why your business will get better results by turning to MACIAS PR. This list isn’t a sales pitch. If you read closely, you’ll see it’s an objective approach, just like the news media requires.
NEW YORK, September 29, 2020 – The top tech and healthcare PR agency — MACIAS PR — has released its Q3 media report, detailing the media coverage it secured for clients from July to September 2020.
In the third quarter, MACIAS PR secured national news stories, several local TV segments and online features that reached some of the biggest news organizations across the globe, including the New York Times, Politico, The Independent, The Hill, San Francisco Chronicle, and the UK Daily Express.
In September, MACIAS PR secured a front page story with the New York Times that featured an artist and political activist who is using his art to empower voters. The international newspapers, The Independent and the Daily Express in the UK, also ran several features on the activist who secretly recorded President-elect Trump during a meeting with civil rights leaders in January 2017.
Mark Macias, the founder of the firm, says all of these media placements came during COVID when traditional news stories were harder to place.
“Much of the media is hyper focused on the upcoming elections and COVID, yet we were able to find creative ways to help our clients stand out,” said Macias. “This media exposure is even more influential for our clients where consumers are constantly searching for updates. This is a captivated consumer during COVID, so news is even more powerful.”
New York, New York , August 31, 2020 (Newswire.com) – The top tech and healthcare PR agency, MACIAS PR, is celebrating 11 years of growth in the competitive NYC public relations market.
Over the years, MACIAS PR has grown from a small cubicle with no clients into an award-winning strategic PR and digital marketing firm that works with clients across the healthcare, finance, tech and the nonprofit sectors. It’s also won numerous awards and accolades from both journalists and industry peers.
Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017, 2018 and 2019 “Strategic PR Firm of the Year,” honoring it with the ACQ5 Global Awards. The award is based on the firm’s media and marketing strategy. In 2017 and 2016, journalists with Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the “Financial PR Firm of the Year” based on the firm’s media strategy, deliverables, expertise and innovation in PR. In 2015, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the “PR Consultant Firm of the Year.”
The History of MACIAS PR
MACIAS PR was founded on June 1st, 2009 by Mark Macias, a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He founded the firm during the Great Recession when many businesses were failing.
Since then, the agency’s clients have appeared in the biggest news publications in the world, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Good Morning America, The Daily Mail in the UK, The Financial Times and USA Today. MACIAS PR has also secured media placements in other languages, including Spanish, Korean, Portuguese and Russian news publications.
Today, Macias is a frequent contributor with Forbes, giving readers advice on business, strategy and messaging. You can read some of his thought leadership here. Macias is also a popular PR and branding expert with major media publications, including CNBC, the Washington Post and entertainment publications.
The Editorial and Strategy Behind MACIAS PR
At MACIAS PR, every client works directly with the founder of the firm. Macias says it’s like having an Executive Producer on your team, Identifying the best news angles for your business.
“The owner of every business always treat his clients and customers better than any sales guy,” said Macias. “It’s no different with MACIAS PR. We put our clients’ goals first and out-think the competition when it comes to strategy and execution. Our competitive streak shows when it comes to selling stories to the media. We fight for stories and don’t give up.”
Macias predicts his firm will continue to grow but will never lose the personal touch that makes every client personal.
“MACIAS PR is not quite a teenager, and that’s a good thing” said Macias. “We’re not lazy or worried about how we look, like most teens. We just want to make our clients proud. This PR firm will grow based on our media deliverables but our personal interaction with clients and reporters will never change.”
