Tag: nonprofit pr firms

Case Study for Nonprofit Organization

Posted on by Mark Macias

Nonprofit organizations require a different media strategy when it comes to generating publicity with news organizations. You have to throw out the marketing playbook and put on a news editorial hat if you want to get featured with the largest TV and news organizations. 

Unfortunately, they don’t want to publish a commercial on your nonprofit as much as you might think they should. This is why you need to dig deeper into the storyline to get your nonprofit noticed.

This case study looks at how MACIAS PR helped a NYC nonprofit expand into a national nonprofit over the course of 7+ years. 

Continue reading “Case Study for Nonprofit Organization” →

Paid Sponsored Posts – Are they worth it?

Posted on by Mark Macias

There’s a digital marketing trend taking place that involves sponsored posts.

More brands are buying sponsored stories or posts with targeted news outlets, like Men’s Health, hoping to give the allusion that the media is writing about them.

On the surface, the intent is to fool consumers into believing the publication is endorsing your product or service with a favorable story. But does it work?

First off, a sponsored post, also known as a promoted post or promoted story is essentially an advertisement. There is no independent journalist writing the story from an objective perspective. Instead, the company approves the story copy and message.

But how good is a story – sponsored or not – if no one sees it?

Continue reading “Paid Sponsored Posts – Are they worth it?” →

Communications Crisis: How to Release Bad News

Posted on by Mark Macias

It’s the perennial crisis communications question: how do you control negative news once it’s out? And when you know more bad news is coming, how do you release it?

The end-game strategy of crisis communications is to get your business out of the news as quickly as possible. You don’t want a story to linger, or new developments to unfold because it keeps your story in the news cycle.

News is always about advancing a story. During my time as Executive Producer with NBC, we would frequently see a story in the morning’s New York Post or Daily News – and try to figure out how to advance it. No one wants to read old news. It’s why the phrase is a cliche.

Every day new information unfolds about your scandal, the more heavily favored your story is to remain in the news.

How do you Release Bad News?

If your business is in the headlines with negative news – and more bad news is still buried away – make sure you get it out as quickly as possible. All of it.

You don’t want a drip, drip, drip because it gives reporters new elements to advance their story. Every new release of more negative information gives your story another element to gain traction.

The challenge with managing negative news is you must provide a solution that demonstrates why the problem won’t happen again. Without that element, the story is still unresolved. The public also wants to know why this bad incident won’t happen again.

And it’s more than just issuing an apology. Many politicians wrongly believe an apology will lead to forgiveness with voters. Yes – Americans are very forgiving, but they don’t won’t support a hypocrite. Yet, another reason to reinforce why this pattern for negative behavior won’t return.

MACIAS PR has run crisis campaigns for politicians, nonprofits and financial organizations. If you’re facing a difficult situation and need private consultation, feel free to email us and we’ll coordinate a time to speak.

Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017 and 2018 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the Financial PR Firm of the Year. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He’s also a frequent contributor with CNBC and author of the books, Beat the Press: Your Guide to Managing the Media and the Tao of PR.

MACIAS PR – Why We Deliver Better Results

Posted on by Mark Macias

                      

MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. Journalists and marketing peers consistently rank MACIAS PR as one of the best PR Agencies based on our results.

Over the years, MACIAS PR has launched publicity, media and branding campaigns for companies from all industries. We’ve worked with boot-strapped startups as well as established international brands, securing publicity with the most influential news publications. We have client case studies in several industries, detailing these campaigns.

Our clients always work with an experienced media strategist. We don’t pawn you off to a junior account executive. And as a boutique PR firm, our communications process is streamlined, while our execution is hyper-focused.

PR Awards – Earned by MACIAS PR

Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the Strategic PR Firm of the Year from 2017-2021. As part of the selection process, marketing and PR professionals reviewed media campaigns promoted by our agency.

Finance Monthly also named MACIAS PR the 2015-2017 Financial PR Firm of the Year. And in 2022, City & State Magazine named our founder, Mark Macias, a Top 50 Political PR Power player in New York.

MACIAS PR has run B2B and B2C media and branding campaigns in healthcare, tech startups, financial services, asset management, nonprofits and service sector industries. We’ve secured big stories in the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, People Magazine, CNN and others. (Here’s a closer look at our Annual Report ). We have case studies for all of these industries, backing up our consistent track record.

Message Mark at the bottom of this screen (green button on the right) if you would like to schedule a call. You can also get a free PR estimate by clicking here.

Can you sell a story in 30 Seconds?

Posted on by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias

Before I launched this PR firm in 2009, I lived inside morning news meetings at both the local and national level. It’s the place where stories are killed or made – in a matter of minutes.

At the Arizona Republic and the local TV station, Channel 3, we had to pitch story ideas in front of editors, producers and other reporters. In New York, I pitched stories for a nationally syndicated TV program, American Journal. I also approved story ideas as the Executive Producer for Special Projects with NBC.

I don’t want to bore you with my journalism background. (You can read more of my background on LinkedIn).

Here’s why that experience inside the newsroom matters: you only have seconds to pitch a story and that background is the center-point of MACIAS PR.

As the above video demonstrates, if you can’t identify the narrative, communicate the story and angle within 30 seconds, your PR firms in tech and healthcare won’t succeed.

Before anyone on our team pitches a reporter, we practice and perfect our pitch. To outsiders, that might seem a bit childish or even less productive. It’s not.

Continue reading “Can you sell a story in 30 Seconds?” →

The Power of Local TV – Driving Targeted Leads and Exposure

Posted on by Mark Macias

Local TV is still by far one of the most targeted ways to get your story in front of consumers. It is especially effective when you want to sell a product or service to a community.

A recent report from Nielsen found consumers spend an average 4.3 billion minutes watching content on their laptop, tablet, phones and TV. And when it comes to consuming information on the community, those viewers turn to their local news.

MACIAS PR recently ran a campaign in Baltimore for a nonprofit that needed to raise awareness for their community programs. The nonprofit wanted people in the community to learn about their free tech work training programs that could help them launch a career in tech.

This TV segment, which you can see above, was far more effective than any 30-second commercial. The segment told the story through an actual student, which was much more persuasive and emotional than any canned commercial message.

Continue reading “The Power of Local TV – Driving Targeted Leads and Exposure” →

When are Press Releases worth the Money?

Posted on by Mark Macias

 

When are press releases worth the money? Paid press releases with the PR newswires can be an element of a larger media strategy, but if you are thinking of spending the few hundred dollars for the placement, make sure you ask yourself a few questions first to ensure you are pursuing the right strategy.

Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself before you invest the money.

Continue reading “When are Press Releases worth the Money?” →

Discover your PR Gimmick – Best PR Practices

Posted on by Mark Macias

Everyone needs a gimmick, especially in New York City.

If you want to stand out at a cocktail party or crowded lounge, you need something to push you above the crowd. Some people call that personality; others call it charisma. I call it a gimmick.

It’s no different with branding a product, business, or service. You need to discover what your gimmick is to get noticed, regardless of what you are selling.

Now before the critics start mincing words and breaking down my statement with comments like, “That is shallow,” or “Execution beats style,” or “Hype loses to substance,” ……yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it.

And I agree with you.

But let’s take off that analytical, argumentative cap for a second and discuss this idea in the gray world we live in today.

Continue reading “Discover your PR Gimmick – Best PR Practices” →

Week in the Life of PR – Our Media Placements

Posted on by Mark Macias

by Mark Macias

I run a business, so I understand the pressures of your business. Publicity is likely a crucial component of your business growth, and the entire MACIAS PR takes that responsibility to heart.

As I tell our team, our clients are relying on us to get the message out. Just like our business has to grow, we need to help their business grow.

MACIAS PR publishes quarterly media reports that detail the publicity we continually secure for our clients. I do that because I want to be transparent with all potential clients.

PR firms frequently get a bad rap of operating under a cloud of mystique. It’s not like that with MACIAS PR. We put our record out there for everyone to see and scrutinize.

Continue reading “Week in the Life of PR – Our Media Placements” →

Client in the Sunday New York Post

Posted on by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias

The New York Post is one of the most influential newspapers in New York City. It traditionally sets the agenda for local news.

During my time with CBS and NBC in New York, the New York Post was the newspaper read in the morning meetings. Yes, producers and reporters read the New York Times, Daily News, Newsday, Wall Street Journal. But in the morning meeting, they mostly discussed stories in the New York Post.

A few months ago, I discussed a story with a formal colleague at CBS. She quickly asked me, “has it been in the Post? You know these people. They won’t like the story unless it’s been in the Post.” Continue reading “Client in the Sunday New York Post” →