It seems that with every new communications trend, people want to declare the death of PR. Today we’re seeing it again with the proliferation of social, digital and mobile channels — “this is how people get their information today. PR is dead.” Once again, reports of PR’s death are vastly overrated and people who truly believe that, do so at their own peril. In this webinar, Andy Murphy, Head of PR at LEWIS, will examine the state of PR, how its value proposition has changed in today’s digital world, and what companies need to do to transform their PR programs so they deliver maximum return on investment.

1. Reality Check:
PR is Dead! (Oh No, Not Again!)

2. About LEWIS
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING
Our Services
CONTENT RESEARCH
Wholly owned
international
network of 27 offices
27
Over 600+ staff, fast-
growing,
employee-owned
600+
Founded by a
journalist 20 years
ago
20
Award-winning
global
communications
Inventive campaigns
that drive awareness,
demand, adoption,
advocacy

3. WARNING
3
THE CONTENT CONTAINED HEREIN WAS DEVELOPED IN
THE CONTEXT OF THE B2B TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY.
(Although the basic principles are relevant across a wide
berth of industries…)

4. The Many Deaths of PR
4
“DOT.COM BUBBLE
IMPLODES!”
“CEOs CALL FOR AN END
TO THE MARKETING
‘BLACK HOLE’”
“2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS
SPELLS DOOM FOR THE
MEDIA”
“EVERYONE GETS THEIR
INFO FROM FACEBOOK”

5. Irrefutable Proof that PR is Not Dead
5

6. Why are People Constantly Killing PR?
6
It’s the ultimate “what
have you done for me
lately” discipline.
You can’t practically
measure ROI like you
can with other
marketing programs.
It seems like it should
be easy, but it’s
extremely hard to do
well.

7. Where PR Programs Fall Down
7
A “transactional”
approach to PR
Shiny object
syndrome
Treating PR as
a silo
PR IS A LIVING, EVOLVING, STRATEGIC DISCIPLINE

8. A Transactional Approach to PR
8
“We need to crank
out more press
releases.”
PR IS NOT A COLLECTION OF TACTICS; IT’S STRATEGIC “PERCEPTION SETTING”
“Give me news
and I’ll get you
coverage.”
“Get me analyst
briefings and
speaking opps.”
“I want to know the
value of each
media placement.”

9. Shiny Object Syndrome
9
“We’re moving 100% to
inbound marketing.”
“Why bother with the media
when I can go straight to
people with social?”
“PR doesn’t generate
leads like Google
AdWords does.”
MARKETING IS A TOOL CHEST

10. Treating PR like a Silo
10
MARKETING STRATEGY
PRODUCT MARKETING
MARKETING COMMS
FIELD MARKETING
CHANNEL MARKETING
CREATIVE
CORPORATE
COMMS
PR
IR
ANALYSTS
Fragmented story
Underutilized
resources
Limited career
paths

11. PR as a “Tool in the Chest”
11
YOUR STORY
 Website
 SEO
 SEM/PPC
 Organic and
paid social
media
 Community
development
and
management
 Video and
interactive
DIGITAL DIRECT ADVERTISING EVENTS CONTENT PR
 Direct
marketing
 Email
campaigns
 Surveys
 Customer
programs
 Target account
campaigns
 Print
 Online
 Outdoor
 Broadcast /
underwriting
 Sponsorships
 Mobile
 Content
syndication
 Conference and
trade show
participation
 Association
sponsorships
 Roadshows
 Local events
 Webcasts
 Speaking
engagements
 Thought
leadership
 Presentations
 Videos
 Blog posts
 Infographics
 Animations
 e-Books
 Collateral
 Industry briefs
 Media/analyst
relations
 Influencers/
bloggers
 Press releases
 Contributed
articles and
bylines
 Award
submissions
 Proactive
pitching
YOUR CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS, PARTNERS, EMPLOYEES, ETC.

12. Why PR Always Matters
PR IS THE ENGINE DRIVING PERCEPTION
It is the “tip of the
spear” for major
corporate initiatives
It is the driving force
behind advancing the
company story
It remains the single most
impactful source of validated
content

13. If PR Ain’t Dead, Bring it to Life!
Perform “judgment free”
program evaluation
Identify strengths,
weaknesses and
root causes
Evaluate your
corporate story
Evaluate marketing
department structure
Set a baseline
and grow

14. Judgment-free Evaluation
Collect 360-degree feedback – don’t agree or disagree, just collect
Put your own perceptions aside
Compare your results with peers’ results

15. Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Root Causes
 Are we a “usual suspect” in our market, or are we not getting
our fair share?
 If we’re not getting our fair share, why not?
 What types of articles/reports are we not showing up in?
 Why are we not showing up? Do we really belong in them? Are
we dull? Do we lack content?
 How much of our coverage is “transactional,” and how much is
creative?
 Transactional = arms and legs; creative = brains
 How are we managing the agency? Are we giving them what
they need? Do they have time to be creative?
Look at the things
that matter:

16.  Why should anyone be interested in your company? (Sorry…your product features just aren’t that
interesting.)
 What’s a drop-dead-easy way to explain how you’re different from everyone else? (Does Mom
understand what you do?)
 What is the “big thing” going on in the world that creates a massive opportunity for you?
 Can you prove your story?
Evaluate your Corporate Story
Who owns your story?
And does the story drive your communications strategy?

17.  Is PR fully integrated with the rest of marketing?
 Are there seamless flows of ideas, content, programs across functional areas?
 Do you hold collective brainstorms and planning sessions?
Evaluate your Structure
ANY INITIATIVE
DIGITAL DIRECT ADVERTISING EVENTS CONTENT PR
YOUR CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS, PARTNERS, EMPLOYEES, ETC.

18. Set a New Baseline and Grow
You can’t change the past.
MAKE IT YOUR BASELINE.
• Set new goals and expectations for your PR program
• Include the agency on this initiative – and jointly own goals
• Goals should include inputs as well as outputs

19. About PR Measurement
Don’t confuse measurement with ROI
 Measurement is a way to “instrument” the program to identify
anomalies and diagnose issues
 Measurement is a way to understand program trends
 Set goals that map to real-world conditions
 E.g., coverage volume is usually dependent on availability of
assets
 Avoid assigning automatic “annual increases” without
understanding whether such increases are warranted

20. Traps
Doing the same things
and expecting different
results
Becoming distracted with
requests that take you off
story and off track
Paralysis by analysis
Confusing activity with
results
Trying to get it perfect –
PERFECT IS THE
ENEMY OF GOOD
But the biggest trap is…

21. PR on Autopilot!
“ACME is the leading provider of
Roadrunner eradication systems…”
“ACME’s Roadrunner Blaster is a disruptive
and revolutionary technology that…”
“I’m delighted that Wile E. Coyote has joined
ACME as our CTO,” said CEO Chuck Jones.
Creative Autopilot
Hyperbole replaces thought
Doing what everyone else
does
Meaningless quotes

22. PR on Autopilot!
“No news = no coverage”
“We can’t get ACME business coverage
without household-name customer
references.”
“We’ll blast the news to our list.”
Execution Autopilot
Onus avoidance
Slave to conventional wisdom
Robotic tactics
“We’re just doing what you
asked us to do…”
Expertise forfeiture

23. CASE STUDY
Reviving a ProgramEncryption
Situation:
The “data encryption story” is old and known. SafeNet needed a way
to make it interesting again. The company also needed to change the
perception that database encryption is complex and expensive.
Strategy:
LEWIS developed the concept of a “Secure Breach” – an oxymoron
designed to articulate that even if perimeter defenses are
compromised, your data can remain secure – and authored a
manifesto to share with customers, the public and media influencers.
This term became the basis for SafeNet's “Secure the Breach”
corporate marketing initiative.
LEWIS also enlisted the help of an analyst to create a formula for
calculating breach severity, to demonstrate that not all breaches are
created equal. The Breach Level Index (BLI) became a tool for the
entire industry to use when trying to determine the significance of
each breach. LEWIS and SafeNet produced a quarterly BLI report,
which we used to drive major media coverage.
Results:
The first annual report was released in February 2015, and yielded
more than 450 media mentions globally, making it one of the most
successful announcements in company history.
✔️ Thought leadership
✔️ Analyst relations
✔️ Research/Index

24. We’re Here to Help
We help companies all over the world with their public relations challenges, and we’re
here to do the same for you.
Andy Murphy
Head of U.S. Public Relations
Email: andy.murphy@teamlewis.com

25. Questions

26. Webcast Recaps
MARKETING AT MILE 13:
Are You on Track for a Strong Finish in 2016?
Learn more: www.lws.co/mile13