Top tips for social media management during Covid-19 and beyond As New Zealand, along with the rest of the world, comes to terms with the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s never been a more pertinent time to harness the power of social media for your business.
QUEENSTOWN WINTER CONTENT 2019 The countdown to Queenstown’s 2019 ski season is on so we’ve compiled our five top tips for Queenstown Winter Content 2019. Destination Queenstown launched its winter 2019 campaign into the Australian market earlier than ever in 2018 to ensure our destination remained top of mind for travellers booking their next epic…
Best photography and videography apps of 2018 We attended a Business Building Block session with Chris Gillman Gable last week to unlock the power of our smartphones. After the session, SPR’s Carlie was inspired to try them out for herself so here’s a summary of the best photography and videography apps 2018. Smartphone cameras continue…
So you’ve developed a successful business and got yourself a brand. But as that business has evolved and grown, whether you’ve been going for two years or twenty, are you effectively communicating your brand story to your audience? You might be thinking “why do I need to do that?”.
Because brand storytelling is pretty much the most important tool in your toolbox when it comes to telling the full story about your business – who you are, what you do and why people should care.
If you’re a start-up it can help shape your culture, and if you’ve been in business a while, your marketing team should use it to help attract long-term consumer engagement and drive buying behaviour.
For starters you need to understand some branding basics, like the difference between a logo, a brand identity and a brand — all very different things, but equally important when maintaining a successful business.
Think about it in terms of YOU.
Your logo is your name, or nickname.
Your clothes, how you walk and talk – that’s your identity.
Your personality (how people talk about you) is your brand.
Once you’re sure you have your ‘brand-self’ down pat, think about how you’re going to convey your personality in such a way that your target market (your customers) buy into you and your brand.
If you want to share your brand story on the local, national or world stage, you need to:
Ask yourself what’s special and unique about your business. How do you craft your story and tailor it to different customers and target markets? Think about ways to tell a story around how your customers will benefit by using your product or having your experience.
That’s why Coke makes ads about family bonding and happiness rather than the taste of their drinks because they’re emotionally engaging their viewers.
Find your own ‘clean air’, a niche topic or line of conversation or advice no-one else owns, or a new angle on something no-one else has said.
In a nutshell, be more interesting. And more appealing.
It’s all very well to have a business strategy that’s all about the dollars and cents, but what does your ‘creative’ plan look like?
When planning your strategy ask yourself what makes you authentic, unique and in demand?
Start by defining your story, core values and point of difference and use them as a foundation to build your strategy and key messages from the ground up.
Think about creating or finding your brand ambassadors — it may take time, but reaps huge rewards, simply because it’s someone else telling your story and advocating for your business rather than you giving your audience the hard sell.
Your creative strategy should work in tandem with any marketing or business development plans in terms of language, tone and timing.
Case Study: The Southern PR re-brand
Last year we ‘took stock’ of our own company and decided we needed a brand re-fresh that came with an injection of colour and creativity.
We’re a well-established, 24-year-old brand known throughout New Zealand, so we weren’t about to throw the baby out with the bath water.
After starting out with a brand that was strongly connected to the first two directors, a few years ago we stepped away from the ‘names on the door’ approach and re-branded as Southern PR.
Southern PR’s brand proudly reflects our place in the South Island, and in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2017 we decided our brand needed a younger, fresher approach to talk to our target audience. We asked ourselves a range of questions to determine what we wanted, our target market, the purpose of our website, our social channels and our priorities and how our storytelling was going to change accordingly.
We love our new brand and so do our clients. We like nothing better than to ‘tell the stories’ of our people, our clients and our business success through a wider range of channels.
We do that in a much more visual way – through Instagram Stories, Pinterest, videos and the like, because that’s how people absorb content these days.
So if you’d like a download on how brand storytelling might help your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We’re thrilled to introduce our newest creative to Southern PR HQ! Carlie Welsh has come to us from across the Tasman and is delighted to call Queenstown her new home. After completing her degree in Professional Communications at one of Australia’s leading universities, Carlie was determined to combine her love of the mountains with her…
We’ve asked her all the hard questions so you don’t have to…
Carlie Welsh, Account Executive at Southern PR with a focus on digital communications and social media strategy.
Every day is a new adventure. There’s always a new story, opportunity or event happening – no day is a boring day in PR! I love keeping on top of economic, political and social updates, crafting stories and keeping my clients in the news (for all the right reasons of course).
It’s such an exciting time to be in communications, when there’s new technologies and new opportunities for development every day. I’m truly lucky to work with a broad range of clients that I’m genuinely passionate about, helping them shape their stories and personality from within.
We are always ‘on’ in PR! There’s no ‘downtime’ for a PR professional, so you’d better love your job if you want to succeed. PR is a 24/7 job and our clients’ needs are always our first priority. Luckily, I absolutely love the industry and it has always been my goal to find a job that becomes an integral part of my lifestyle.
Out and about (with a good coffee in hand)! I’m an active person and love nothing more than hiking, biking, eating and drinking my way through Queenstown. In the winter I’m a snowboarder (sorry mum and dad, I’ve gone to the dark side), so you’ll most likely find me up The Remarkables hanging out in Outward or Homeward with my fellow boarders. In summer I’ll be out brunching before embarking on a half-day hike or a tikki-tour tour through our stunning wine country.
“A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are made for.”
This is such a great quote that my Grandpa once told me and it’s stuck ever since. We as humans often don’t like new things and pushing our boundaries, but we don’t grow and learn if all we do is stay in the safety of our comfort zone. Never become complacent and always push your limits – you’ll be surprised how exciting life can be!
Want to know more? Get in touch with Carlie.
Aaaaaaaaand…. that’s a wrap. Our cosy office in the heart of Frankton is all locked up and ready for some peace and quiet this silly season! With 2018 just around the corner, we thought it was timely to summarise what we loved most about 2017. It’s been a big year – a year of change,…
1 > Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
For her stringent citizen test and love of pineapple lumps. Oh and girl power. The fact she loves cats. For inspiring our daughters. For showing Gareth Morgan that voters can, indeed, “be that thick”. And look what happened to him, eh? (Image: ZM Online)
2 > Rebranding Southern PR
Our clients rely on us to protect their reputations and build their brands, and 2017 was our year for the brand revamp. Practice what you preach!
So we took the leap, and what came next was truly spectacular, thanks to the creative team at Whitelaw Mitchell.
We said hello to our new bright Pantone colours (mixed with a healthy balance of black), geometric shapes, and fonts to match. We love it. Hope you do too.
3 > Launching our savvy new website
With our cool new look, the next step was a website to match. We came out of the dark ages and transitioned into the digital imperatives of a responsive and mobile-friendly website, with visitor experience top of mind.
Missed it? Here’s 6 ‘must-know’ facts about our website launch.
4 > Coffee
It simply gets our creative juices flowing. Thanks to our new KeepCups we’re saving the planet one coffee at a time.
We feel good, anyway.
5 > Kiwi golfer Michael Hendry – king of the course
Hendry was the first New Zealander in 14 years to win the Brodie Breeze trophy, and what a celebration it was!
He’s back to defend his crown for the 99th ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 1 to 4 March 2018. See you there! (Image: New Zealand Open)
6 > Planet Earth
A tribute to Sir David Attenborough.
He’s taken us closer to nature than we’ve ever been before and if the Hans Zimmer sound track isn’t enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, the penguins jumping off the cliff will tug at your heart strings…
7 > Award-winning us
Back in August, we were named top public relations agency in Australasia at the Australasian Leisure Management Communications and Marketing Awards.
It was incredibly exciting to be recognised for the work we do throughout Australasia in the tourism and leisure sectors.
8 > Our family of clients making a world of difference
Our clients? They’re awesome. Do we need to say anything else? Highlights of the year, as always.
9 > Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir Rosé and peonies!
Pass the pink stuff! This heavenly pink is our favourite rosé for 2017, and spring is our favourite season for the simple fact that extravagantly beautiful peonies become a must-have in our office.
10 > Hello Christchurch
Our savvy little company branched out into Christchurch this year. Starting with a bang, we worked on the PR launch for the new Crowne Plaza Christchurch. (Image: Designworks)
11 > Moving Mountains
Back in March we secured a 12-page spread for our client Southern Landmarx in NZ House and Garden. Yes, 12 pages. A fantastic result off the back of a double medal trifecta award win.
12 > Brain Food
With an unstoppable energy for delivering morning to night experiences, the Yonder team is rightfully winning the hearts of locals by offering something new in Queenstown.
Our favourite on the menu – the Kimchi Bowl. (Image: Whitelaw Mitchell)
13 > Networking
There’s nothing we love more than connecting with Queenstown’s vibrant business community. We’re lucky to have so many inspiring people and entrepreneurial masterminds on our doorstep.
Every event or breakfast meeting is an opportunity to ‘wow’ people with our snazzy square business cards. Who said print was dead? Make an impact.
14 > Upskilling
Don’t get left behind. Invest in your business and your people.
We’re delighted to be working with Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) to help bring more communications-based courses to Queenstown.
Our little resort town can sometimes be ‘off the radar’ due to our ‘remote’ location, so join us for a two-day course early next year to learn how to master communication and gain skills for the digital era. View course details here.
15 > Supporting culture in Queenstown
Yes we love all our clients. But we love LUMA differently because they don’t pay us. That’s because they put all the money they DO get into this awesome event that’s growing bigger by the year. We’re OK with that. (Image: Esther Small)
16 > Reputation management
Reputation is key. Knowing what to do when things go wrong (and they do) is all about having a plan. We sincerely hope you never have to use your plan. But when the s**t hits the proverbial you better have one. Talk to us.
17 > Clay Target Shooting
There’s something really, really satisfying about shooting stuff (bad day at the office, anyone?). That’s shooting clays and rabbits (clay discs of course)! We just channelled our inner sharpshooter thanks to the wonderful team at Break One Clay Target Shooting.
Amidst the stunning landscape on the private Queenstown Hill Station, Fiona revealed her ‘wild side’ and took home top score at our office Christmas party! (Image: Break One)
And there you have it, happy holidays and see you in 2018.
We’re looking into two of our favourite W’s – the what and why – in our latest blog to inspire you to think outside the box when creating content marketing strategy for 2018. Whatever the channel, it’s all about curating timely, well thought-out and attention-grabbing stories that tick all the boxes for the editor or…
We’ve attended a number of seminars since September including the Auckland-based Social Media Conference NZ and Destination Queenstown’s (DQ) Queenstown Week Insights Programme. Huge thanks to DQ for bringing international speakers to Queenstown for an exciting week of inspirational presentations on how businesses can ‘talk’ to the Australian market.
A key message that comes up time and time again, one that resonates strongly with us and ‘what we do’ is…
Think beyond your product and tell your story.
So we’ve compiled some top tips to help you on your way.
In short, it’s a description of a connected series of events. Storytelling’s an age-old craft, enabling people and businesses to transform perceptions and share experiences.
We’re ALL human, and stories help show you’re human.
New Zealand Story’s Marketing Manager Gary O’Neil shared this in a recent presentation – ‘stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts’*.
So, let’s think how you can turn your (potentially dry) product or company fact sheet into a series of stories. Can these facts be broken down? Is there a news hook or angle about your history, a ‘day in your life’ or the one thing that makes you different to any comparative business? What’s your USP’s?
Our question to you is how are you planning on capturing attention and what is your Kiwi story?
Are you a 25-year-old tourism business which started off as a one-man-band or the oldest winery in Central Otago with stories to tell about your land, people and wine?
In today’s fragmented media landscape, journalists are being asked to produce double the content but with less resources. As a PR agency, we’re producing increasing numbers of editorial pieces for clients (in addition to traditional media releases) so we can pitch to journalists with content they can pick up and run ‘as is’.
For this to work, you need to know who you’re writing for (what stories have they previously covered?), what’s of interest to them and their readers, and have a basic understanding of what’s ‘media-worthy’.
If your strategy is to create your own editorial content, you’ll need to ensure you’re curating and delivering high quality pieces, written in a journalistic-style and voice to suit your desired publication. Maybe think about hiring a writer for your team or outsourcing to a PR or content agency.
An angle is the specific emphasis you choose for a story that you’ll use as your pitch to media.
We’ve compiled a list of ideas to help you ‘dig deep’ so you can ‘wow and wonder’ in interesting and emotional (adds the human element) ways in 2018.
While brainstorming these content ideas, you should apply Lauren Quaintance’s (Storyation co-founder) ‘so what’ test.
“Great stories pass the ‘so what test,” she said at a recent presentation on storytelling.
“Journalists want quirky or unique stories that generate talkability or ‘water-cooler’ conversation. Ideas that will grab attention in the social feed.
“Ask yourself, is it surprising, different or eye-catching. Or is it a case of so what?”
It’s our business to communicate client messages accurately to their audiences through relevant channels. Do you need help telling your story? Get in touch.
*Jennifer Aaker, Social Psychologist. Professor of Marketing at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
We all do it. The days when your inbox is so overloaded you get the greatest satisfaction from a mass ‘delete’. Or you fervently unsubscribe to all your sign ups at the start of the New Year – it’s so cleansing, right? But then something catches your eye when you’re trolling the interweb. You read…
Email marketing continues to be a vital communications channel for all businesses in the days when inbox competition for attention from email subscribers remains fierce. There’s plenty of newsletters that don’t hit the mark, that’s for sure. But every now and then, we get a newsletter that’s so good, not only do we read it, but we click it, share it, and recommend it to our friends.
SMB’s are stepping up their game in the email marketing world. Focus on email marketing should be in your content marketing strategy for 2018 because it’s such an important strand in your multi-layered business growth strategy.
Think about it. You’ve got a potential or existing client who has already engaged with you to the extent that you’ve got their contact details. They’re willing for you to send them stuff they want or need to know, or want or need to buy (you get the drift).
So don’t stuff it up. Planning and good quality content is KEY to success. You want this to be a long-term relationship not a quick fling.
Take ‘How to Dad’. He’s built a trusted brand by saying it like it is, with a good dose of Kiwi humour. He’s real. He’s so real and trusted a local electricity company has brought him on board as their brand ambassador to peddle a ‘good cause’.
So, back to your ‘how to’ newsletter.
Keep it real. Don’t be one of those automated email newsletters that just give us another morning task – deleting or marking as read (not read).
Exceptional newsletters or email marketing campaigns need to be cleverly written to attract attention. They should be personalised, filled with interesting graphics or images, and designed for mobile and desktop.
Above all, newsletters must contain a meaningful call-to-action. Every message must have a point to it.
Try awesome subject lines and preview text. They’re always short and punchy, and they’re consistent and logical. BuzzFeed does this exceptionally well – they know their market.
Keep it simple. If you’ve got a deal or promo on the table, give it a brief initial description paired with a very clear call-to-action. The ‘skimmer’ subscribers can get the basics in a matter of seconds, while those who want to learn more are treated to a more detailed (still pleasingly simple), step-by-step explanation of how the deal works. Uber is a master at this.
Be consistent with your branding. Look at your website, social media photos, your app or other parts of your visual branding, and make sure your newsletter’s singing from that same songsheet. All communications and marketing assets should tell your brand’s story, and it makes your newsletter stand out from the inbox crowd.
There’s a few ways to measure what’s working and what’s not. Use your analytics, look at clicks etc. For relatively straightforward newsletter templates and measurable campaigns use something like Mailchimp to see how you’re going. Try sending out newsletters on different days of the week, different times, then look at which gets the most opens or clicks. Which parts of your newsletter are being read? Ask for feedback on content or timing – you can easily incentivise that. Keep changing and evolving and most of all, keep it real.
Regular, consistent and relevant communication with current clients is a crucial tool. Know the importance but stuck for words? Let us help, we’re wordsmiths after all.
Delighted to announce that we’ve introduced yet another creative to the Southern PR team! Amy Forsyth hails from Christchurch as she joins us to expand SPR’s communication services to her beloved hometown. After working in one of Auckland’s biggest PR agencies, she’s back and fizzing that she gets to get work within a busy agency…
We’ve asked her all the hard questions here so you don’t have to…
Amy Forsyth, Account Executive and the first SPR ambassador for the Christchurch region.
Keeping up to date with businesses and industries, listening to people’s stories of their objectives and issues and getting their identity to where they want to be. The level of problem solving and strategic thinking that goes into PR planning is not something that’s taught at University. It’s all about intuition, keeping up with affairs, knowing who’s who, and following the forever changing digital and communications landscape.
Christchurch is my home! I’ve lived here all my life so I’m very aware of the changes and the opportunities that are in motion. After returning from work experience in Auckland, I’m also now working part-time at Crowne Plaza Christchurch as their Marketing Coordinator. Being so familiar with the city and media industry means I’m up-to-speed with the number of new businesses and inspiring individuals with fantastic new services, products or events on offer as the city springs back to life. I’m working on helping some of them get their key messages and branding across to the right audience.
I’m admittedly a bit of a book nerd, so I have to say it would be Roald Dahl. His imaginative stories always resonate with me, even as an adult. His own life stretched over some significant historical events and happenings, so listening to his life stories would be unreal.
Every morning with breakfast I check all major news platforms, regularly watch the news, and my Sunday ritual is to have breakfast with the Sunday paper whether I’m out for brunch, or at home I enjoy taking it all in in print. I also follow local online business directories like Neat Places, POA and CHCHcentral, and of course love to keep up with all the latest society trends through publications like Cityscape, Metropol, Style Mag and naturally also via social media.
It’s all about checking into the right sources and creating routine for enabling time to keep as updated as possible.
My most important piece of advice thus far in my career would be understanding that when you are on your client’s time it’s as though you work for the company directly yourself. You want to listen and absorb the feeling of their identity, gather a full picture of their background operations and understand how they want others to hear them; the real essence of their business.
Want to know more? Get in touch with Amy.
Public relations has never been more relevant. In today’s 365/24/7 news cycle, public relations has never been more relevant. The PR landscape has changed, but so has the focus of traditional agencies and in-house PR departments. Everything you (a business or brand) say and do as a business is PR, whether it’s through traditional media…
We’re living in an ever-changing world of cross-channel integration, blending PR and media relations, social media and digital to successfully deliver campaigns across multiple channels. We’re engaging with our chosen audiences at the right time to inspire consumers to take notice, and take action.
We firmly believe the traditional media release still has an important role to play for newsworthy content to reach editors of newspapers, magazines, online channels and bloggers. In fact, it’s one of the most beneficial tools if accompanied with creative visuals or video.
In this day and age, it’s imperative for companies and brands to produce shareworthy visuals to help increase exposure. Media are hungry for newsworthy content and they’re disseminating those visuals or the latest news (and remember the definition of news is ‘new’) through print, online and social media channels to engage their readers in conversation.
We live in a social media-obsessed culture so as part of your campaign strategy it’s essential to think about how your content can be reused or repurposed for different platforms to reach your audience. It’s a bit of an art form, but hey, that’s where PR companies come in!
[Image: Conversation Prism]
Social media channels provide amazing opportunities to chat daily to customers, share stories and learn about each other, adding that human face to your company. Whether you’re collaborating with today’s public figures, thought leaders, bloggers and influencers or targeting your audience through traditional media channels, there are now more opportunities than ever to successfully tell your story.
As an agency, we help our clients get their ‘ducks in a row’ to develop content for each channel that accurately delivers key messages and is consistent with brand vision and values. We often align our campaigns with a ‘four C’s’ approach to ensure every piece of content is best placed to generate the results it deserves.
Coherence – different communications are logically connected
Consistency – multiple messages support and reinforce, and are not contradictory
Continuity – communications are connected and consistent through time
Complementary – synergistic (sum of the parts is greater than the whole)
Have you got a story to tell? We can help develop a PR and marketing strategy that delivers on your business goals, or help your marketing team deliver your next PR campaign. Get in touch today. We’re listening.
What’s the real value of PR? PR can work for any and every industry, from tourism jet boat companies, to wineries to commercial developments. A company with a message to deliver or a goal to achieve can benefit from PR. All you need is a creative idea that’s newsworthy and communicates your marketing message.
Why do PR? It’s a question that a lot of people ask, and it’s the least understood of all marketing tools. But while it’s possible to operate a business with little or no PR spend, it’s unlikely that your company will gain traction in your industry.
PR is about building strong relationships, media exposure and maintaining a good reputation.
1. You’re a little fish in a big pond
Beating someone else’s ad campaign with your own paid advertising can be difficult if your competitor can afford to outspend you. PR levels the playing field.
In advertising, money buys you more media space. In PR, creative thinking wins you media space. As a small to mid-sized business you often have the advantage here as you can often move quickly on creative ideas, while bigger businesses can run into a hamstring of sign off processes.
If you’re creative, most PR ideas can be done on a shoestring budget. If you craft a good pitch and media release for your desired outlets, your return can result in a primetime TV interview, a front cover feature on your local paper, or a national business story.
2. Effectively deliver your key messages
Communicating with your target audience is not always an easy task, particularly if your inexperienced in talking to the media.
Key messages are the core messages you want your target audience to hear and remember. They allow you to control communications, enhance relationships with your target audiences and are an important feature of a PR campaign.
A carefully crafted public relations strategy produces clarity about your company’s key messages and brand identity. Make sure it’s in sync across all of your marketing communications channels.
3. PR builds credibility
As Jean-Louis Gassée once said – “Advertising is saying you’re good. PR is getting someone else to say you’re good.”
People are often sceptical of advertising however as PR is promotion in the form of news, editorial or a feature people so your audience believes it. PR professionals build relationships with the media and liaise with editors to publish and distribute news that promotes clients’ goals.
3. Prepare for a PR Crisis
When things go wrong, you need to manage the media storm and protect your well-earned reputation. A crisis can strike any company at any time, so planning for possible crises helps employees know what to do should a crisis hit.
Handled incorrectly, a crisis can cause far-reaching damage. We’re experts in guiding you through the dark days and helping you get back on your feet so get in touch if you’d like to be proactive about crisis planning.
At Southern PR, we help your business shine whether you’re a start-up or established business.
We do that by developing a tailored and relevant PR and marketing strategy that delivers on your business goals. We’ll help develop that content or fine-tune that story so you talk to your audience at the right time, with the right message, through the right channels.
To find out more about the services we offer, head to our services.
Boilerplate – a short company description used at the end of a media release
Embargo – the sharing of unannounced, relevant information from a PR to the media that cannot be published before an agreed time and date
Exclusive – Offering first-look information to your desired media outlet. In offering a media outlet an exclusive the information can’t be shared between other outlets until the story is published
Hook/angle – a specific emphasis you choose for a story that you’ll pitch to the media
Launch – The official announcement of your new product or service. This is usually crafted in a media release
Lead time – The amount of time needed by reporters to gather information for their story. An online story is instant while most magazines have a long lead time (sometimes even three months!)
Pitch – A crafted note to a particular editor to gauge their interest in your client, in addition to a media release