HarrisCom Presents: “Branding for Biz” Dec. 9, 2010-Free!
December 6, 2010
The Harris Communications Group is pleased to present:
Branding for Startups and Emerging Companies: What, How, and Why for Busy Entrepreneurs.
A nuts and bolts workshop with Julianne Zimmerman, strategic consultant.
Moderated by Anita Harris, President, Harris Communications Group, and hosted by the Cambridge Innovation Center.
4 pm Thursday, December 9
Cambridge Innovation Center
1 Broadway 4th floor, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
Followed by networking at the Venture Cafe
The first in a series of workshop/seminars sponsored by the Harris Communications Group at the Cambridge Innovation Center
RSVP http://brandingforbusiness-harriscom.eventbrite.com/
Pre-registrants attending the workshop will be entered in a drawing to receive a complimentary hour of consulting with Julianne Zimmerman or Anita Harris.
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Julianne Zimmerman provides high-value strategic guidance to entrepreneurs and executives of small and early-stage organizations. She is an accomplished veteran of boutique and startup companies, with more than 20 years’ experience in technical, strategic, and communications leadership roles,www.juliannezimmerman.com or www.linkedin.com/in/juliannezimmerman .
Anita Harris, president of the Harris Communications Group, is an award-winning strategic communications consultant specializing in marketing communications, media relations and social media for emerging and established companies. www.harriscom.com.
Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) is the largest flexible office facility for growing technology and life sciences companies in the Greater Boston area.
The Venture Café, currently in its alpha stage, is in session each Thursday from 3-8pm. The cafe is a resource for the Boston entrepreneurial and innovation communities with the mission of creating fresh and useful conversations. As the Venture Cafe prepares to enter its permanent home in Kendall Square, the founders project that the marriage of innovation and creativity with a European-style cafe space will facilitate collaboration and build a greater sense of community in Kendall Square. www.venturecafe.net. Information: Carrie Stalder, Founding Manager for The Venture Café, 617-329-1324, carrie@venturecafe.net
Paying for PR in shifting media landscape
October 28, 2010
Explaining how agencies charge for media outreach is always an interesting challenge. Most work on retainer (receiving a monthly fee in return for promised services). Some operate on a project basis, or charge an hourly fee. The other day, someone wrote in to Harvard-Startups, a list-serve to which I subscribe, asking if some public relations firms work on a “results” basis–that is, get paid only for coverage they obtain, not just hours.
I was impressed with a response from Sylvia Scott, who has worked in public relations and is now Creator & Director of Realizing A Vision Conference, Girl’s CEO Connection. She said it would be fine for me to share it, so here goes:
By “hours” do you mean paid by the hour? Most good ones are not paid on an hourly basis as the norm may be a specific number of hours devoted to you per month and the fee is determined by many variables.
Paid by results –well let’s see-an article in the New York Times may be valued at $10,000 for some companies. For others it may be more- if your PR firm gets you on Larry King vs. say GMA how would you differentiate. I got a client on Fox Morning show in San Diego-now
what would be the difference in fee from San Diego and say Chicago or Dallas? AND if you get editorial in the Tulsa World that is picked up by AP and then the article or or let’s say you get a call to be interviewed by the New York Times how do you pay for that?
Some results may take 3 months and then others 6 months-also, if the pitches are going on and accepted yet there is another scandal in the White House like it happened with Bill Clinton and the scheduled interview or placement is moved or forgotten-which is not the fault of the PR firm-are you going to not pay them for their work?
I know I did not answer you directly-just wanted you to see that “results” may not always be the same and some times one result leads to another even though no extra hours were put into place.
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I chimed in that the Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics frowns on promising results that can’t be guaranteed, so most PR consultants won’t work with clients on a straight contingency basis. Because it can take three-to-six months to build relationships with reporters on clients’ behalf, I prefer to work on retainer. But I have occasionally worked on a project basis–charging a minimum fee to cover time and effort with a bonus for major media “hits”.
Media relations is a tricky business–especially in today’s shifting media landscape. If you’re hiring, I’d advise paying more attention to a PR consultant’s track record than to promises, plan on a six month minimum and, for that period, at least, keep the faith.
—Anita M. Harris
Anita M. Harris is President of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA.
Building 19: Copy to be emulated?
October 8, 2010
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I am a secret admirer of Building 19′s copywriters–whomever s/he/ they may be.
I have friends who won’t set foot in the bargain stores–which, according to the latest circular, were founded in 1964, when a ship originally sailed by Christopher Columbus finally arrived in Hingham. (That does make you wonder how long some of their merchandise-aka “good stuff cheap”–has been lying around). And I admit–that even I, the penultimate bargain shopper–have been known to remark that you need to take a shower after you experience shopping there.
But how can you not be drawn in to a come-on like this:
WOULD YOU LIKE A HIGH POWERED CAREER IN ADVERTISING?
And not laugh when it goes on to say, “If so, this is not for you.”
(The ad, on the front page of Building 19′s October 8 flier, continues: …but if you want to work on the Building #19 circular in a fun atmosphere, rework a few pages from this circular and send them along with a resume (preferably yours) to Human Resources or email: hr@building19.com).
And how ’bout the ad for “Hat’s entertainment–(featuring Halloween hats such as Fuzzy Brim the Pirate, the Don Corleone Straw, the Linda Blair special–featuring devil’s horns)?
And the one for Liz Claiborne II, a second and ”brand new shipment” of Liz Claiborne shoes? It includes pictures of “the ACTUAL stickers from the boxes ” and a warning to “Hurry in to beat the madness, this time around.”
My point is that in writing copy, you need to understand your audience and what will motivate them to get out there and buy your stuff. Building 19 certainly does have the knack: its home page even features a link to its “Classic Ads.“ But enough of this. Life is short and I gotta go–those shoes won’t be there forever.
–Anita M. Harris
Anita M. Harris is president of the Harris Communications Group, a marketing communications and public relations firm in Cambridge, MA.
