Newsweek turned to our Founder & CEO, Christine Perkett, for her professional analysis of Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde’s nanny drama and public statement.
Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde‘s nanny drama could positively affect their careers, a brand strategist tells Newsweek.
Read the full story here.
Our CEO, Christine Perkett, was interviewed by PRWeek about whether or not Reuters News’ decision to convert Reuters.com to a subscription-based product will deter PR pitches.
Christine Perkett, the CEO of Mindfull Marketing + PR told PRWeek that a paywall may mean less overall eyeballs but could also lead to higher quality in views. She emphasized that even in today’s age of focusing on the numbers of followers and social media “likes,” there’s a premium on having the right followers and engaged readers.
Read the full story here.
Our CEO, Christine Perkett, was one of 28 global marketing leaders to contribute a chapter for this new book by Kathryn Lancioni.
“Simply put, PR professionals generate awareness of a product and marketers build demand for it. Today, the crossover between these two areas of communication is even more apparent.”Simply put, PR professionals generate awareness of a product and marketers build demand for it. Today, the crossover between these two areas of communication is even more apparent.”
The book covers many global marketing, PR, and communications issues including:
“We looked to professionals in the global PR and digital marketing industries to share their insights. Between February 2020 and December 2020, we spoke to practitioners around the globe and asked them to share their insights on the evolving nature of their industry. The professionals come from all facets and sectors of the PR and digital marketing arenas. Their expertise range from technology and health care to crisis management, corporate branding, and digital marketing. Some are industry veterans with nearly three decades of experience, while others are newer entrants.”
Get your copy here.
What does a “Great America” mean to you?
A generic political slogan like Trump’s “Make America Great Again” can be so appealing because you get to define it for yourself, vs. a politician telling you very specifically what to think. It opens up possibilities for everyone. Trump fan or not, like many celebrities and artists, he’s a great marketer.
Take, for example some of these less generic presidential campaign slogans. They don’t leave a lot of room for interpretation:
It may be surprising that Trump did not use his name in his slogan like many candidates. Meanwhile, his 2020 presidential campaign slogans used to-date are not as open but do play on the successes he’s had:
What can your brand learn from examining these political slogans? We extract several lessons to keep in mind when branding your next marketing campaign:
Marketing inspiration is all around us. Today’s political climate is no exception and can offer a lot of lessons – and raise some questions – about how to best connect with your audience. Examine them in the light of what you need to accomplish and you may breathe some fresh air into your messaging.
According to PRNewser, “The PR Industry Has a Big Problem“. Guest columnist, Colin Jordan reports there are roughly 5.7 PR professionals for every one journalist, according to recent Labor reports in the U.S. He offers insight on how the PR industry must change.
Mashable reports on what we will see from content marketers in 2016. This article called “10 content marketing game changers to look for in 2016“, authored by Shafqat Islam, shares tips on what brands should do in 2016 to stay on top, including the rise of new platforms such as WeChat, Line and others.
Brent Gleeson, a Forbes contributor, pens a piece on social media marketing in 2016. “5 Things You Should Be Doing In Social Media Marketing In 2016” focuses on the top five things brands should be doing to better engage customers. He encourages the use of live streaming and engaging more with key influencers.
As Thanksgiving approaches each year, we all take a hard look at our lives and what we are thankful for. In the busy PR world, we often are too busy to take the time to ponder as to what we are thankful for in terms of our careers. Here at PerkettPR, we took a moment to write down what we hold near and dear to our hearts and why we love our jobs so much.
PerkettPR wants to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Christine Perkett, CEO and Founder:
I am grateful for the variety of clients that I have had the fortune to work with. It has been an exciting career learning about new technologies that impact consumers and businesses around the world, across many different industries.
I love that I get to know about so many cool things before the rest of the world, and help shape the way they are presented to the market.
I’m grateful that I get to write for a living.
I’m grateful for an amazingly diverse, intelligent and helpful network. I am connected to some of the most innovative brands and individuals in the world.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to live and work in Boston – love that dirty water!
I’m grateful to the organizations who have allowed me to get up on stage and share my insights – it’s always nerve wracking but fun.
I’m thankful for so many wonderful employees that have worked with me over the years at both PerkettPR and at SeeDepth. Most have been positive experiences and many led to lifelong friendships.
I’m so grateful for the belief and trust that many, many people have put in me to brand their business, promote their work, give them a career opportunity or be a quality partner.
I’m grateful for the lessons learned from the difficult times, like managing a business through two recessions. Not fun at all … but that which does not kill you, makes you stronger.
Kim Kennedy, Senior Account Strategist:
Thankful for regular engagement with many media contacts over 20+ years that have turned into years-long relationships – love seeing who’s beats have changed and how the PR landscape is changing and how we can continue to be part of it, adding to the conversation with our many contacts who can contribute to it.
Thankful for being in Boston and as a result, sitting in one of the hubs of major innovation in the country. Feeling proud of that!
Thankful for happy clients who continue to see the value in PR amidst a changing landscape.
Thankful for learning each day things I didn’t know the day before that I can apply to each client and experience.
Thankful for amazing colleagues who I have worked with for many years – teamwork is a major value-add to PR goals.
Personally thankful for my family who supports me in my career; every day is different.
Thankful for my beautiful family who I could not do this for each day without a lot of juggling and respect of a woman in her career – my 3 boys will hopefully be better for it when they have their own families and see the demonstrated value of women in the workplace. Not sure I lean in, but rather, I sit up straight and balance career and family spheres.
Thankful for how hard my family works each day, inspiring me to do the same. I may work with CEOs each day, but my hats off to my boys who deliver the same results with the equally same goal of doing your best.
Susan Sweenie, Director of Operations:
I’m sincerely grateful for my decision to join PerkettPR over a decade ago!
I’m thankful that I have a career that is ever-evolving. Each day is different and met with new challenges and successes. Never a dull moment.
I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the top PR/marketing minds in the world.
I am very thankful to have a job that has allowed me the flexibility to raise my 3 young children and be there for them when they need me.
I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned throughout my career.
I am thankful for the longevity of PerkettPR and thankful for our “team”.
Ever wish PR stereotypes would vanish? Ned Ellison does in his PRWeek article called “Death to the PR stereotype“. His article talks about how gaining trust with your clients should help diminish the current stereotype.
“The Five Marketing Trends CMOs Can No Longer Ignore In 2016” is another insightful piece by Jennifer Rooney, Staff Writer at Forbes. This piece includes a list of the five top trends that will strengthen next year and beyond.
Image credit: NASA on The Commons
Entrepreneur published an intriguing article authored by Rebecca Hasulak. This article called “It’s Not Rocket Science: 4 Secrets Behind Good PR for Startups” focuses on goals and how you should commit your time, not your money behind a strategy. It also includes tips on pitching and how to keep things simple.
PerkettPR is excited to share our latest interview with Steve Barrett who leads the US edition of PRWeek, a premier PR publication. Steve Barrett has been editor-in-chief of PRWeek US since April 2010, managing a team of 12 journalists. PRWeek is the premier global media brand for the communications and PR industries, publishing monthly in print, a weekly online edition, daily online news briefings, weekly sector bulletins, audio, video, blogs, and other regular digital content. Steve shares insight on his role as editor-in-chief of a busy publication, how he transitioned to the US from the UK and how much he loves the city of New York.
Tell us a bit about what your role encompasses as editor-in-chief of PRWeek US?
The editor-in-chief’s role on PRWeek is to lead the brand across all its content platforms, live events, brand extensions, and partnerships. It involves leading and managing a team of journalists and liaising with many departments internally at our holding company Haymarket, including the regional global branches of PRWeek, in the UK and Asia. It also means being the front person for the brand and building great contacts in the industry we cover, across the client, agency, media, and products and services categories. It means being generally supportive of the PR industry, while also challenging it to excel and update its practice, and helping it to advance.
You have been with PRWeek US for over 5 years now. What is the biggest lesson you have learned?
Having transitioned over to the US office of our holding company Haymarket Media from England, I quickly learned that you have to adapt your strategy and style to the local market in which you are operating, without losing the universal skills and experience you have in your locker.
Nobody is interested in hearing about “how you used to do things in the old country,” just as an American in England would get similarly short shrift if they approached the job in such a fashion. That doesn’t mean you can’t offer fresh perspectives and ideas, you just have to present them in the right way.
I also had to tone down my newsroom style a little in the US, as it is generally more “robust” in the UK and certain things don’t go down well here. In the UK you can be in a shouting match with someone one minute and having a pint in the pub with them the next.
However, I was pleased to see the generally high regard in which the media is held in the US and the voracious appetite for quality content. I also learned that over here “The Times” means The New York Times and not The London Times.
What do you find most challenging as editor?
It’s the most exciting time to be in media, but also the most frightening. The landscape is evolving so fast and traditional business models and ways of doing things are changing every day. Standing still is going backwards, so you have to constantly try to infuse your brand and your team with the energy to move forward. That has always been the case by the way, but it is even more so now.
Having come from the UK, what do you miss about it? What do you love about NY?
I miss silly things like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, proper fish and chips, The Grand National (England’s most famous horse race), good-quality lamb (you can tell I am not a vegetarian), a pint of good bitter, cynicism, and other such English specialties.
New York is the most amazing city in the world. Unlike London, it is a genuine 24-hour city that never sleeps. And, also unlike London, it is a place where people actually live in the center of the city, which makes it super-vibrant and exciting. London has so totally out-priced its native population that it becomes a ghost town in the evenings because nobody can afford to live in the center, and that has had a seriously diminishing effect on my hometown, which I regret. Don’t get me wrong, Manhattan is an expensive place to live, but people have not been completely priced out of the center yet.
If you had not taken the path of journalism for your career, what do you envision you would be doing?
Actually, I came to journalism quite late, having worked in sales, marketing, and at a digital agency before taking a year out, doing a masters degree in journalism, and landing at Haymarket soon after, in 1999, where I have been ever since in various roles.
Funnily enough, despite the traditional tension between editorial and commercial departments on media outlets, in my view some of the skills required are very similar across both – such as the ability to listen, ask open questions, build relationships, negotiate, and go in hard where necessary.
How does PRWeek do such a good job of reporting on timely topics?
Between our US, UK, and Asian editorial operations we have full 24/7 coverage of the PR and communications sectors and we work together very effectively as a team. This is a tribute to the senior and section editors in each region, who have totally bought in to the new global imperative of business. Our journalists are all experts in their beats and tenacious and intelligent in the way they go about their jobs.
We have also stopped thinking about channels and concentrate on content, which is then delivered in the most effective fashion across the most relevant platforms, whether that be mobile (which it increasingly is), online, face to face at events, or in print.
Biggest pet peeve with PR people?
I am in the interesting position of editing the trade publication for PR professionals, so I’m not going to wheel out the usual journalistic gripes about PR people.
The PR profession gets a bad rep from many quarters, including mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times and niche publications such as Advertising Age. Our job at PRWeek is to reflect the transformation going on in PR that makes it fundamental to businesses and organizations of all types and much more respected and valued than it used to be by C-suite level executives.
What keeps you up at night?
When I have a gym session in the morning I always wake up early, which is really annoying. But if I waited until the evening to go to the gym I would never get in there.
I started worrying about geopolitics, war, poverty, terrorism, and the general unsettled state of the world, but I got too depressed, so now I try and think about nice things.
What are you passionate about outside of work? Favorite sport?
As an Englishman born and bred, football is my sport – or soccer as you call it over here. I’ve been a passionate Manchester United fan almost since birth and their results still have far too much of an impact on my mood and disposition.
My other sporting passion is chess – yes, it is a sport. I recently played for my English club team in the European Club Cup in Macedonia and managed to pull off my best win ever, against a strong Azerbaijani Grandmaster. I also love cricket, horseracing, snooker, and boxing.
Apart from sport, I love many types of music, including northern soul, reggae, jazz, ska, and, as I was a teenager in the late-70s, punk. And, I love New York City.
What is next for you for the remainder of 2015?
I have just taken on an additional role at PRWeek as global editorial director, in addition to my duties as EIC of PRWeek US, so my brief has been widened to oversee the development of PRWeek’s collaborative, global editorial products, and to pursue opportunities and partnerships to bring the brand to new regions.
In honor of Veterans Day, PRNewser shared an intriguing piece called “5 PR Lessons to Learn From Veterans Day“. This article, authored by Shawn Paul Wood, offers lessons that PR people can learn including focusing on the cause, not the client and daring to be different.
The Holmes Report asks a thought provoking question to the PR World – “Are After-Hour Email Bans Realistic At PR Agencies?“. This article, authored by Aarti Shah, discusses the controversial topic of banning email after-hours to create a better work-life balance.
The Next Web covers the ever-popular topic of social media in an article called “4 tools for building a social media empire“. This thorough piece, authored by Mackensie Graham, gives practical advice and directs you towards the latest tools available to help increase your social media presence.
“Chipotle’s E. Coli Crisis: P.R. Experts Say It’s Handling It Right” in a Forbes article authored by Geoff Williams. This article shares thoughts on how this brand can weather the storm of PR by making the right choices, which it appears to be doing.
PRWeek contributor, Nicky Imrie of The PR Network, pens an opinion piece about moving from full-time PR work to freelance PR work and how this type of flexibility is the key to the future of PR for women specifically. This article called “Why the PR industry needs to flex its muscles and support its women” talks about job shares, a topic covered at a panel discussion in May with Women in PR.
Product marketing is the focus of a Business2Community article this week, highlighting what not to do as you market your product. This article called “The 3 Deadly Sins of Product Marketing” offers 3 don’ts as they apply to your marketing plan, including how you should not decrease your marketing budget by relying on your sales team to pick up the slack.