The Cascade Effect

The Cascade Effect Has Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 17:18:00 +0000

Get the latest advice on PR for startups and small businesses at the new "Cascade Effect" on our blog.

You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook:

@SmallBizPRXpert and @Cascade_PR

PR Stunts: Expect the Unexpected

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:30:00 +0000

(As originally published on NBCChicago.com's Inc. Well)

PR Stunts. Everyone wants to do them and hopes they trigger massive media attention. From the World's Largest Roll of Toilet Paper to tying small promotional banners to flies and setting them loose in a crowd (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100731632/page/7), PR Stunts are becoming a more and more desired avenue for small business. Why? Because a little creativity doesn't cost much.

While your creativity can pay off dividends with media exposure, some are good, some are bad and some....well, they just have an unexpected outcome. You have to be prepared for it all.

Take the 2013 Blackhawks Stanley Cup Game One Ticket Giveaway by Chicago-based BaconSports.com. Their intention was to create an ad on Craigslist "from" the most obnoxious character ever. Someone the average person would deem ridiculous, clearly not real and not something anyone would find believable. The company would collect the responses and later distribute as a pitch to local media with the Top 10 responses of what Blackhawks fans would do for tickets.

The only problem is that Blackhawks fans believed it to be true and proved they would do anything to get their hands on some tickets. Word spread and it went viral.

Within 48 hours of hitting DeadSpin.com it hit USA TODAY, Chicago magazine, Complex Sports and others. They didn't even know until WLS-AM called wanting to talk to them.

Another issue: because they did not expect it to go viral, they didn't put their name on it. What could have been great exposure for their company was a missed opportunity.

I spoke to Rob Cressy at BaconSports.com who had some great "lessons learned" to share with other small businesses:

You can't make something go viral. We had no intention of it getting picked up. We put no effort into making it to viral. It was just a crazy idea we came up over a ping pong game that happened to generate a lot of attention.

Always expect the unexpected. We created this idea with zero expectation that anything would happen and missed a PR opportunity. We've created other content, spent less time on this and it went further than any other idea we've had. Be prepared if something does happen.

Own it. Since our name wasn't attached, we are still going back to our original idea to get media interested in sharing those Top 10 Finalist videos and show exactly what people would do for tickets (To date: Yardbarker.com picked it up) to generate some PR.

Put your money where your mouth is. We had no tickets. We had no intention of giving them away, but we realized that the integrity of our company and website were at stake. We didn't want people putting out negative messages, so we ponied up, bought the tickets and selected a very deserving winner.

Put a positive spin on a light-hearted situation. It was completely worth it to give away the tickets. Our mission is to help people achieve their dreams through the love of sports, and we did that. We chose the right winner and were thrilled to give her an awesome experience, which she shared on social media, and we got to share with her.

Cressy said the experience has inspired them to do similar things in the future, but they will definitely take the outcome of this stunt into consideration as they continue to create innovative ideas and content for their site. It's also provided insight into how they market to and engage with fans and followers in the future.

12 Great ways to encourage engagement on Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:38:00 +0000

The number one rule of social media success is engagement. You can have a huge list of connections but if you aren’t engaging in conversation with them the effort is wasted. The key to making your social media efforts work is to build relationships with people … there’s more to it then just being social … you need to be engaging with your target market and building meaningful relationships of trust. In today’s market “Trust” builds businesses and creating an effective social media strategy using engagement with your customers and clients is the first step!

Here are 12 great ways to encourage your Fans and Followers to respond and engage with your posts. Use these ideas to start the conversation and start building relationships that will grow your business!

Click here to read more

SpikeTV and SCORE Offer New Resource for Food Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:20:00 +0000

SpikeTV -- which just launched its Sunday night series "Bar Rescue" -- and SCORE the non-profit small business mentoring association, have customized a toolkit called "Serve Up Success" available free of charge at http://www.score.org/restaurants/spike-tv-serve-up-success in order to help aspiring entrepreneurs and struggling businesses find success despite this challenging economic climate. The toolkit is particularly timely as unemployment figures continue to rise. The goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed in the food service industry! Whether you're deciding if opening your own bar or restaurant is right for you or if you're a food service veteran, use this great toolkit filled with SCORE resources to help you succeed.

Worth reading: "Bar Rescue: and food industry expert Jon Taffer's interview on his mission to help fix struggling bars and small business owners get back on their feet.

Note: Some good overall advice for all small business owners whether you're in food or not!

Check it out!

Businessweek Seeks America's Best Young Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Bloomberg Businessweek is seeking your suggestions for America’s best young entrepreneurs roundup for 2011. For the seventh year, we’re asking readers to scour the startup world for the most promising companies run by entrepreneurs 25 or younger. Suggest companies for us to look into using the form below through July 31. Then our reporters and editors will choose 25 to profile, and ask readers to vote for the ones they think hold the most promise. We’ll announce the five companies that got the most votes in the fall.

To qualify, companies must:

1) be based in the United States.

2) have no co-founders older than 25 on July 31, 2011. (That means if any one of a company’s founders was born before July 31, 1985, the company doesn’t qualify.)

3) disclose revenue for 2010 and projected revenue for 2011 (we won’t consider companies without this).

Suggest companies using the form below through July 31, and watch for our roundup in the fall.

Click here for more information.

Six Things Entrepreneurs Know That Are Dead Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:43:00 +0000

A great article from the Forbes blog. It may just change your the way you, as an entrepreneur, think about your business.

Things Entrepreneurs Know That Are Dead Wrong
Martin Zwilling, Startup Professional's Musings
June 26, 2011

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. These are represented by sayings like “You never get anywhere unless you take a chance” and “Passion and persistence are the keys to success,” Unfortunately, there are still other old, reliable tenets that don’t work anymore.

In a new book by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “Designing for Growth,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers. I assert that designers have a lot in common with entrepreneurs, since both must innovate and start a deep understanding of what their customer really wants (“customer-centered”).

In most other respects, design thinking is the opposite of business thinking. For example, businesses must deal with reality as fixed and quantifiable, whereas design deals with subjective experience and a social constructs. Entrepreneurs need to bridge both these worlds, and the authors outline key business management myths that usually limit startup thinking:

Myth: Think big. There are always pressures to be sure an opportunity is big enough, but most really big solutions began small and built momentum. To seize really new opportunities, it is better to start small and find a deep, underlying human need to connect with. A better maxim for entrepreneurs is: Focus on meeting genuine human needs.

Quick Assessment for Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:53:00 +0000

This is great! If you're an entrepreneur you should definitely take this quick assessment to calibrate where you are in the business-building process. Thanks to One Million by One Million for alerting us!

http://1m1m.sramanamitra.com/free-public-roundtables/the-1m1m-self-assessment/

Mega Media Week

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:39:00 +0000

It's been one of those few weeks where we've been doing a lot of pitching, and I mean A LOT. We've had some terrific stories run for our clients. Check them out and see what we can do for you! A special thanks to others we achieved as well but did not include here.

Real Naked Food - Chicago Tribune

City may put a lid on latest eco-trend
Chicago health officials frown on consumers reusing containers at stores and restaurants, citing contamination concerns

(José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

June 12, 2011|By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter

Just as Chicago consumers get the hang of reusable grocery bags, a new movement has sprouted to make local grocery shopping even greener: reusable containers.

Called BYOC — bring your own container — by its fans, the process involves carrying glass jars and bottles, plastic tubs, and even cloth bags to the market to fill with bulk foods. To eco-conscious consumers, who can already shop this way elsewhere in the U.S., the practice reduces waste, avoids advertising, reuses resources, facilitates the purchase of whole foods and saves money.

Chicago Small Biz PR Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:43:00 +0000

If you're a small business, entrepreneur or getting ready to launch your business and you're in Chicago, I invite you to join me for my PR Workshop at the SCORE Chicago office, which is part of the Small Business Administration. Register TODAY!

https://s08.123signup.com/servlet/SignUp?PG=1522055182300&Info=&P=15220551911422461500

In this workshop, you'll learn everything you need to know about public relations and how it can grow your business. I'm a 15+ year veteran with lots of knowledge to share and this is a rare opportunity to learn from someone like myself. You'll walk out armed with all the tools you need to start/launch a PR campaign on your own, or with a professional.

See you there!

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week – “Start It Up”

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:11:00 +0000

What: The Idea Village’s Third Annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week When: March 19-25

Heeding President Obama’s call to ‘Startup America,’ the nation’s greatest entrepreneurial minds will gather in New Orleans for the 3rd annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), March 19-25, 2011. The event, unveiled today, will serve as a manifestation of a movement that is sweeping the globe.

Driven by the entrepreneurial momentum that has fueled the city’s rebirth, NOEW, an initiative of The Idea Village, will feature a unique program of world-class activities including over 45 business workshops, investment pitches, networking events, keynote speeches and interactive discussion sessions. This high-impact week of service, networking and collaboration redefines New Orleans as a laboratory of innovation and a model for national best practices by connecting students, entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

“I am thrilled about the potential of the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. The New Orleans community has come together to sustain a movement to support and grow entrepreneurial talent,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Honorary Chair of NOEW 2011. “NOEW illustrates that New Orleans is a model city for innovation and entrepreneurship. With smart investments in innovation and partnerships like the one we have with The Idea Village, we can set the course for growth and renewal in America.”

Joining The Idea Village as Premier Partners for NOEW are Penny & Jim Coulter, Downtown Development District of New Orleans, Economic Development Administration, Goldman Sachs, Google, Greater New Orleans Foundation, HP, Jones Walker, Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Louisiana Recovery Authority, Kevin Clifford Family, NakedPizza, and Tulane University.

“NOEW is a physical manifestation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that has evolved over the last 10 years in New Orleans,” said Tim Williamson, co-founder and CEO of The Idea Village. “During this week, New Orleans will engage a global community of change makers to provide direct resources to the local entrepreneurial community and in doing so position New Orleans at the forefront of what is becoming a national movement.”

The idea behind NOEW was hatched in 2006 when ambitious MBA students seized the opportunity to spend their spring break in New Orleans working with early-stage, high-growth entrepreneurs. In 2009, led by investment from the Economic Development Administration, The Idea Village decided to scale the impact for the community by engaging national and local corporations, universities, investors, and individuals to spend a week in New Orleans providing direct support to local entrepreneurs surrounded by the City’s unique cultural assets in food, music and vanguard entrepreneur leaders. NOEW 2010 brought over 150 of the nation’s top MBA students and corporate volunteers together with 329 local entrepreneurs to provide over 9,121 hours of direct service to entrepreneurs at 37 events throughout downtown New Orleans.

“What initially started as a philanthropic partnership in the wake of Katrina has evolved into a more strategic initiative for the company,” says Tara Canobbio of Google’s Talent and Outreach Programs, K-12. “We have found it invaluable to be surrounded by so many driven people that share the same passion for entrepreneurship and New Orleans and it’s amazing to see the tangible impact that energy is having on the city.”

“The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative is honored to partner with Mayor Landrieu and The Idea Village to unlock the growth and job-creation potential of New Orleans’ small business owners. We are pleased to partner with NOEW to provide local entrepreneurs access business skills, capital, mentors and networks,” said Dina Habib Powell, President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

Google and Goldman Sachs, along with other global corporations such as Cisco will join a network of professional service providers to host public educational sessions for the local entrepreneurial community on an array of topics critical to start ups and entrepreneurs including, alternative and traditional financing, communications and social media strategy, franchising, and legal issues. There are 1,000 slots available to local entrepreneurs on a first come – first serve basis. For more information on all the events, please visit www.noew.org.

“It is inspiring to interact with the kind of talent that The Idea Village assembles together for NOEW. Not only are Cisco employees able to support local entrepreneurs, but they walk away having learned something too,” said Luke Stewart of Cisco.

NOEW 2011 will feature MBA IDEAcorps teams from Berkeley, Cornell, University of Chicago Booth, Stanford, Northwestern Kellogg, Tulane and Loyola (New Orleans). Each student team will work closely with entrepreneurs Bideo, The Durationator Company, NOLA Brewing Company, Rare Cuts, Rebirth Financial, Spa Workshop and SensPac, from The Idea Village’s 2011 Entrepreneur Challenge (IVEC) class, to provide strategic consulting on a catalytic business challenge.

Additionally, NOEW 2011 offers a world-class investment pitch opportunity called IDEApitch led by Jim Coulter, founding partner of TPG Capital. IDEApitch will offer 5 local entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their ventures to leading investors from TPG, Bain Venture Capital, Redpoint, Prism, IBM Ventures, and American Funds

“This is a special and important moment for the city of New Orleans,” said Jim Coulter, “The Coulter Challenge IDEApitch specifically identifies five of Louisiana’s most scalable ventures and gives them the opportunity to pitch their plans to some of the world’s leading growth capital firms.”

2011 IDEApitch entrepreneurs include Federated Sample, Naked Pizza, Spa Workshop, Mini Vax and NOvate Medical Technologies, LLC.

Additionally, NOEW will feature a $50,000 ‘Water Challenge’ to promote innovative water management solutions through entrepreneurship. Interested entrepreneurs can through midnight CST on February, 21, 2011 at http://www.ideavillage.org/waterchallenge.

NOEW 2011 will offer interactive roundtable discussions on seeding and growing entrepreneur ecosystems led by national luminaries such as Jim Coulter, Senator Mary Landrieu D-La, James Carville, Mary Matalin, Amy Cosper, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, and leading business entities such as McKinsey & Company, Bain Venture Capital and IBM.

Featured Speakers and Panelists for NOEW 2011:

* Jim Coulter, Founding Partner, TPG Capital
* John Turner, President , Whitney Bank
* Dr. Patti Greene, President’s Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, Babson College
* Rick Aubry, Founder, New Foundry Ventures/Associate Provost, Tulane University
* Kris Licht and Eric Harmon, Partners, McKinsey & Co.
* Amy Cosper, Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Magazine
* Jeff Schwartz, Managing Director, Bain Capital
* Kevin Clifford, President and CEO, American Funds
* Wendy Lung, Partner, IBM Venture Capital
* Jeff Brody, Founding Partner, Redpoint Ventures
* Jim Counihan, Partner, Prism Venture Works
* Gene Zelazny, Director of Visual Communications, McKinsey & Co.
* Jennifer Aaker, General Atlantic Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business
* Chris Gergen , Executive Director, Bull City Forward, Life Entrepreneurs
* Jessica Jackley, Founder, Kiva and Profounder
* Robbie Vitrano, Naked Pizza
* David Waggonner, FAIA, Waggoner & Ball Architects
* Mark Davis, Director, Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy

For more information, including a full schedule of events, please visit www.NOEW.org.
For a full list of NOEW 2011 sponsors, please visit http://noew.org/about_us/sponsors.

About the Idea Village
The Idea Village was founded in 2000 as an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to identify, support and retain entrepreneurial talent in New Orleans by providing business resources to high-impact ventures. To date, The Idea Village has supported over 590 local entrepreneurs by engaging 890 professionals and allocating over 56,000 consulting hours and $2.5 million in capital. This portfolio generates over $87 million in annual revenue and has created 1,000 jobs for the community.

A Bad PR Move for Walmart

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:11:00 +0000

In crisis communications, I advise clients to always put a plan in place which will help them deal with any negative situation that could possibly occur. It's called thinking ahead and can prevent additional backlash from media of delayed comments or lack of action taken on the part of the company.

One of the worst things a company, really any organization, can experience is an armed robber or angry person out for revenge. Sadly, it's becoming more and more common and something that cannot be overlooked at any level.

Recently four employees at a Walmart store in Utah were fired, not honored for their bravery, after noticing and subduing an armed robber. Their actions were courageous, no doubt, and deserve to be recognized. However, the company says that they have an employee policy in place that states that employees are not to confront an armed robber, but rather let them go...possibly on a shooting rampage, injuring or even killing employees and customers.

As a PR professional, I believe that Walmart has gotten this one all wrong. Sure, I agree that should employees take on this situation, they may be injured. But, in thinking what would be the worst of two evils, I would salute these employees for their actions in protecting the greater good and numerous people within the store. It's easy to imagine just what might have occurred if these three men and woman had not taken steps into their own hands. It was four against one. The odds were more than on their side.

As a consumer, I believe and trust that those who work in stores like this should be adequately trained and encouraged to keep me, and other consumers, safe from danger while I am on their property. The people of Layton, Utah should feel good about their local heroes as well as Walmart for hiring such courageous individuals.

Wal-Mart Misses the PR Mark:
Ironically, since this happened it has been gaining national media attention, and it hasn't been so positive for Walmart. These four individuals were fired, straight out. Not because they failed in their positions or received bad reviews for their work, but because they saw the need to take action to keep themselves, other employees and their customers safe.

Remember that Walmart has positioned itself as part of every community. They are a community "center", if you will, where you are warmly welcomed each time you walk in the door. Their commitment to consumers and affordability has set the tone for competition and the marketplace, in general. It is more than disappointing that they failed to realize the potential backlash from the media and professionals, like myself, in this situation. It is even more disappointing that instead of feeling safe with heroes at their local market looking out and keeping them safe, the people of Layton may just feel the opposite. Sales will decline in the store, for a period, possibly leading to the loss of other jobs.

What Walmart should do is get modify the policy and train staff to adequately deal with crisis situations like this. They should honor these four employees, most of them managers who are now out looking for jobs. This should have been a moment of pride for the Walmart organization, now it's just another stain on a reputation that a number of consumers have questioned for years - whether the store is convenient and prices pleasing. They may shop your store, but not respect your business. Now they have just another reason to look down their nose at the reputation of Waart.

This morning, three of the four employees were on CNN, their story told and allowed to give a 30 second pitch to anyone viewing who might like to hire them. They seemed to have great credentials, valuable work experience and have already proven their worth and commitment to a company. That's rare to find, I know!

Sometimes you have to take every situation on an individual basis to determine the best outcome. In this instance, Walmart's customers are safe but their brave employees are not, and now they are facing a negative PR situation that will be difficult to overcome since the strategy they should have taken is now too late to implement. It's just too late now...

My hope is that companies will be smart, take hold of these three individuals and thumb their nose at Walmart.

What do you think? Leave a comment!

Cascade Celebrates 10 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:39:00 +0000

In 2001, I got a lot of advice about opening Cascade Communications and I was fully prepared for the hard work, determination, frustration, patience and planning it would require. However, the one thing no one told me about going into business was that time will fly!

Like every business there are the ups and downs, but even despite the economy, things feel different for us. It's almost as if we're entering a new phase and what it has in store none of us really know, but...it kind of feels like a beginning.

Over the last 10 years, we've done some pretty cool stuff and helped raise the profiles and sales of many small business brands. We've even run celebrity red carpet events and managed more than 60 local media for one of the biggest political party campaigns embracing the next generation of voters. We've seen small companies grow into million dollar businesses in just a few years or quadruple their current business in 18 months. It's crazy and exciting. While it can be frustrating to never get your client on the phone, we also know that they are busy growing and loving it.

And, we have had those that didn't fare so well. It happens. One's batting average can't always be .500 and the ones we haven't won for have mostly been an issue of bad timing. That's the trick. While we understand what media is looking for sometimes they just aren't ready for us, or someone else beat us to the punch. We hate that. I hate that. But, we can honestly say we've had more wins than not and met some incredible people along the way.

As I reflect back on the last 10 years, I know that I, personally, have learned a lot about myself and what I want my business to be. Is it what it started out to be? Are my goals for it the same? Where are we headed now? Like all business owners, these are the questions we should ask ourselves annually and where we need help, we ask for it - much like our clients have done.

Everyone says 10 years is a milestone, and they're right, for sure, but our modesty keeps us from getting too wrapped up in it all. This year, I want that to change. There are so many cool opportunities with social media and using it to help grow our client's business, it's fun, it's different and it's here to stay. The beauty is that one mom and pop in small town Kansas has the chance to be more than local. They can become international, and I just love that idea.

So while we're taking our heads out of the sand and finally taking a bow (well just for a minute), we're also looking forward to working with amazing small businesses. I will continue teaching PR to small businesses around the area at SCORE Chicago. We'll launch our new website soon (pardon the dust) and starting some new things of our own to benefit clients. It's going to be....exciting. Listen, when you've been through two economic down times while in business, you learn to float through it and keep the faith; to see the exciting possibilities and to, well, get excited.

This is our hope for all of you on our Anniversary - get excited! Opportunities abound. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are reaching out to help one another and that's what I love about what we do so much.

Cheers!

Pro Bono Client Lighting Up the Media

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:13:00 +0000

Our pro bono client Kendall Ciesemier of Kids Caring 4 Kids on FOX Chicago after being named Glamour magazine's Woman of the Year, Reader's Choice 2010:

Twitter the New CNN

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:54:00 +0000

When you’re in PR you have one eye or ear on the news while conducting work for clients. It’s tricky but I suppose it’s a good thing I’m a multi-tasker.

Using social media has made it even easier for me to keep up on the news. I literally get all my headlines on Twitter and click to read the stories I want to read. In fact, my Twitter account looks like a CNN ticker of latest news. And…the best part of it is that I can see how people react and comment on the breaking stories.

That’s why I found this so interesting – sent by @GuyKawaski on Twitter.

Twitter isn’t a social network anymore

Can I say, “I told you so?” Lance Ulanoff reports that “Twitter Is the New CNN.” He summarized a study done by Haewoon Kwak, Changhyun Lee, Hosung Park, and Sue Moon from the Department of Computer Science, KAIST (Korea). This is a presentation of the results of the study:

Staying on top of the news is key for my business, for obvious reasons. When I see something relative to a client I can easily craft a follow up story pitch idea and send it out immediately – while it’s still timely. More importantly, I can keep up on media and what stories they’re working on. In PR this is huge! I don’t have to read every site every day (which could be a full-time job in and of itself!).

If you’re looking to achieve PR, follow the news outlets and blogs that target your customers/audience and interact with them. Not only can you improve odds of catching a journalist’s attention, you can also listen to what people on Twitter are saying about your industry online. It’s brilliant!

We’ve already had great success in achieving media coverage for clients through….Twitter! It does take time to build relationships – like any you might build in life, but it pays off. Yes, we continue to take a traditional approach to media, but today Twitter is where news is happening and….breaking.

Follow me @SmallBizPRXpert or @MyStorySource

7 Stupid Reasons to Hire a PR Firm

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:14:00 +0000

This is a must read for anyone considering hiring a PR firm for their business. I always say that you have to be really educated before you make the investment, and that's what I attempt to do on Cascade Effect and also on Small Business Daily blog, if you haven't checked it out, you should!

The reality that this article poses is that you not only have to educate yourself on how PR works, how firms work, but you also have to find the right partner for your business.

7 Stupid Reasons to Hire a PR Agency
A capable agency should provide visibility and increased brand awareness while keeping your end-game in focus.
By Aaron Kwittken The PR Post Entrepreneur.com | April 20, 2010

Brand awareness, thought leadership, increased executive visibility, crisis communications preparedness . . . the laundry list of reasons companies should hire PR representation goes on and on, and a capable agency should provide all this and more. The decision to hire an agency should not be taken lightly and there are some common are pitfalls that should be avoided to ensure success. From unscrupulous agencies to recognizing your own misguided preconceptions; here are seven reasons you should not hire a PR agency.

Read more...

Need Funding? Story Offers Hope, Ideas for Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:52:00 +0000

So, you have an idea or you are looking to expand your business but banks aren't favorable to lending....anything at the moment and you could mortgage yourself to the hilt, and most entrepreneurs do - the risk is worth it, right?

Have no fear! You can get funding without appealing, or begging, VC's or angel investors. There are organizations, and even individuals, out there willing to lend you money whether it's $50 or $15,000, but you have to think outside the box.

This great CNNMoney story will turn your frustrations into hope when it comes to funding your new business concept/idea or grow an existing business. Corporate banks might not believe in small business but these organizations (many made up of individual investors) do believe and they're helping businesses just like yours take off!

There are plenty of options out there....go find them. They're waiting for you!

Where to get startup cash now
By Tina Peng, contributing writer, CNNMoney.com March 24, 2010

Bank credit is scarce and investors are skittish, but that didn't stop these six startups. They found creative ways to raise cash during the downturn.

Fortney Gives Answers to Burning Marketing Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Want to see what I really believe about our company Cascade Communications and the current and future states of marketing? Here's your chance.

WhoHub.com has created a social networking space connecting people through Q&A interviews - warning....it's LONG! They really should shorten it some, but if you really want to know my take on marketing, especially PR and the digital/social media age this is the place to go.

I cover everything from the truth about PR, what makes our company so different, the "PRetend PR people", social and digital marketing, the importance of quality customer service and the future of marketing....one guess...the Internet.

You can read my Q&A for free, but it's also a great place to look for job listings.

Love your feedback and thoughts...remember, we can and should all learn from one another.

Born to be a Billionaire?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:52:00 +0000

From Forbes, Helen Coster, 03.11.10,

It takes more than smarts. Here is an honest guide for assessing your ability to go big.

Fifty-three billion smackers. That's how much telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, the wealthiest human on the planet, is worth by Forbes' latest exhaustive count. (Actually, the tally was $53.5 billion--when you're dealing in 10 digits, every decimal place counts.)

Those kinds of numbers can't help but make you think: What exactly does it take to amass that kind of wealth? More important, do you have it?

13 questions to ask yourself before giving up the regular paycheck and benefits to gamble for billions.

The Changing World of PR and Your Role as Client

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Today, I came across an interesting article by Grant Cardone of Huffington Post (be sure to read the comments), and, of course, it sparked a blog post - one I believe will be a must read for anyone doing PR (professional, small business, client of any kind).

The world of media has changed rapidly, and continues to do so daily. Some of us got on the train immediately and have seen how technology/Internet can help us do our jobs better, while a lot of people simply failed to get on at their stop. Now they're running around trying to catch up telling clients "we're experts" when they really aren't.

In today's Internet-driven world, anyone can be "an expert"
Just take a minute to think of all those you've seen saying those exact words!
So, how do you decipher which ones really are experts?

The truth is that huge scores of PR people failed to catch on to social media and how the Internet can really help them be more successful for clients. They still work under the adage that if a story happens they must take credit for it (whether they achieved it or not) to look good for the client. Or worse.....they just don't know what they're doing, and sadly, there are a lot of people out there who say they do PR and really have no clue.

Back to Cardone's post: What got me on this post isn't his comment about PR dying, but that the fact that the transition hasn't happened with a majority of PR people yet; they're scrambling and not in a good way. They're trying to translate traditional PR in a non-traditional media market and they haven't quite figured out the new strategies. That's why Cardone was failing to achieve the results he wanted with his three PR firms. I agree with him that many agencies have yet to come to the new PR table, causing them to be sloppy and miss opportunities. Simply put, there's a new way of doing things these days.

Anyone can talk a big game, but can they play and win?
It's not always easy and requires patience, but you should find out
quickly whether your PR firm knows what it's doing, or not.

Here are some things to consider as a client:

A great story ALWAYS achieves PR. This is a fact!
Review your agency's press release. Is it really newsworthy or just fluff? Is it well-written and timely?
I feel strongly that a PR firm's staff should all either have a degree in journalism or worked in the media writing news (PR is news! duh)
They should know that, now, the other part of PR is a conversation, which is happening online everyday, where customers, not media, provide the third-party endorsement of your product/service to one another. Very valuable!
Your PR firm should know that the Internet can only help their efforts, increase odds
They should understand that the media environment today has created more freelancers, who are harder to track, and must make sure your online presence (online press room) is in top shape, should media find you while conducting a search
SEO only helps PR
That PR is no longer ego-centric, meaning it's not all about the agency. It's about teamwork. Today agencies can contribute to media finding your business, but the journalist may contact you directly. It's about "getting you out there" and, some may argue with me, it doesn't matter who gets the credit but rather that it happened.
It's more than understanding how traditional media work (and the changes they're making) but the fact that PR has become slightly more complex with the Internet. They should be able to advise you on using video, blogging, social media and more from your end to help their efforts
They should be experts on all fronts - traditional and nontraditional; marketing and Internet
Marketing is more integrated now than ever before - I will toot my own horn and say that I did predict this in journalism school and so happy that I followed a career in general marketing (brand, advertising, promotions, PR, web and more) because the Internet has brought it all together. They work hand-in-hand
Again, it's about teamwork and your PR professional/agency should be prepared to play fair and share one common goal with you - achieve media stories to grow your business -and they should think about being part of the team long-term
Finally, PR is a patient process that clients must be sensitive to. Just because you put out a press release doesn't mean media are going to drop what they're working on at that very moment to cover your story. Any good publicist will communicate this, set expectations, maintain open communications and regular progress reports, know how to target pitches to media, rather than blanket pitches and even be able to walk away on their own if they don't feel they're getting anywhere.

It is a serious thing to find marketing professionals that are right for you and your business. I always tell potential clients to listen to their intuition, look for someone they like and trust, check out the agency's references, be thorough and feel good about it.

Thanks for the blogging inspiration, Grant, and good luck to you!

How Journalists Use Search & Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:47:00 +0000

A great blog post and the reason you should have an online pressroom!

Posted by Lee Odden on Feb 24th, 2010 in Online Marketing, Online PR, SEO, Social Media

TopRank ran a survey of journalists, reporters and editors on their use of search and social media in 2008. We found 91% use search engines like Google to do their job. 64% use social networks. Published in Jan 2010, a George Washington University and Cision survey of journalists reports 89% use blogs and 65% use social networks to research stories.

As prep for a presentation I’m giving Thursday at Online Marketing Summit on the intersection of SEO, Social Media and PR, I reached out to a few local journalists and industry news contacts and asked for examples of how they used search engines or social media to do story research.

Newsrooms are cutting staff and reporters and editors are hard pressed to do more with less. Tools like search engines and social media make available a tremendous amount of information in real-time. The news world is a world of deadlines and it would seem the use of search and social networks to source experts or people/companies that fit a story angle would be ideal. Even respected news organizations like the BBC are encouraging their journalists to embrace social media .

A Negative Attitude is Bad for Business

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Last month, I was interviewed to comment in a story on an unlikely industry - horse racing.

The industry has certainly seen its ups and downs. Consumers get revved for the Triple Crown races (aired nationally, internationally), but local tracks are seeing fewer and fewer ticket sales. Maybe this because young people aren't interacting with the sport like their parents and, more likely, grandparents. They are seeking alternative entertainment venues and the sport has lost its "sex appeal". Or maybe the industry has failed to capture the new audience by picking up the same entertainment models the NBA, NHL and MLB have in the last 10 years.

Well, anyway, a few key industry players have sought government funding to keep horse racing alive, that combined with a few stunts. They were hoping to catch the attention of media and customers, and force an uprising amongst fans to fight for the industry, but their negative approach may have cost them more. Now it seems the only way out is to ban together in a united front, pool their money and promote the lifestyle of horse racing nationwide with a number of events to attract young adults. This demographic has to be given a reason to come - and the race isn't enough. But that's just my two cents on saving the industry - an American past time. It would, truly, be a shame, to have only three races a year worth anything to anyone.

What these executives don't realize, and most small business owners don't either, is that the attitude you present to the world, to your customers, can actually dictate whether or not you will be successful. If you're struggling now and acting like its Doomsday, chances are the outcome will only continue to be bad, or get worse. Call me crazy but people don't want to support or buy from grouches, or something far more devious. This is the worst customer service and marketing program you can implement and it continues to perplex me why these people believe that this attitude will take them somewhere.

Call it the Law of Attraction, the power of the universe evening itself out, or you get what you give, all of it is relevant in running and growing a successful business. What you put out, you will get in return.

As I mention in this article, business owners (you) are the most powerful, credible and reliable source for communicating about your business. If you tell people it's failing, it probably will. And I know first hand that the reverse is true as well. So the next time you feel like telling the whole world how bad your problems are, think twice. You just might dissuade customers from supporting your business!

Read more in this article by Vic Zast on HorseracingInsider .com.

The Power of One Targeted Media Story

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:15:00 +0000

In truth, it is very rare that your marketing strategies work immediately, including PR. Why is this? Simply put sometimes the most targeted media story you can get may happen to be in a magazine, and national pubs work up to six months out. So, while you've secured the opportunity, you still have to wait six months for it to hit. This can be true for a lot of media. But then again, you realize that marketing, in general, is a long-term process that needs nurturing and requires patience.

There are those few precious times when a journalist can take interest in your story and change the face of your business overnight. The best way to explain this is to give you examples of two of our clients.

About two years ago my friend, Dr. Michele Kehrer came to me and said "I'm one of few people in the country who treats chronic dizziness and balance issues, which 90% of Americans will suffer from at one point, and doctors don't know about me". It was a great story and was immediately picked up by the local ABC affiliate's HealthBeat. They came out the next week, taped and ran the story not just once but four times over the next several days - mostly appearing late night. Her business, Lifestyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center got more than a shot in the arm - she picked up over 100 patients and it transformed her clinic, literally, overnight. Two years later she has doubled her staff, again, and is enjoying less work and more management of the business.

More recently, as in this week, our pro bono client Kendall Ciesemier of Kids Caring 4 Kids, and I, finally saw the fruits of our labor. Roughly three months ago, Channel One, a news resource for six million kids across the country that is fed directly into classrooms, called and said they were in from New York for a story and wanted to cover Kendall's interesting story - and it is interesting (read more). Her primary goal: to distribute her "i care 2" kit and encourage American kids to support AIDS orphans in Africa. It took a few months to edit (and breaking for the holidays) and finally aired January 11, 2010 on Channel One. The result - within just a few days hundreds of kits were requested, donation pages set up on her website and....to date those numbers are still growing.

Why did these work to produce so much for these two organizations? Because the story truly hit their target demographics. Other key ingredients for success are two great stories, something the public would be interested in as well as learning about, they differentiated themselves from anyone else and both are extremely passionate about what they want to accomplishment.

This is what one truly targeted story can do for your business

This isn't to say that you aren't passionate about your business, it's about locating your story, writing and presenting it in a compelling way (Make it News!) and finding the one media outlet that reaches the particular audience you desire most.

Look, there are a lot of people out there who practice the "Bowl of Spaghetti" theory to PR - take a bowl of spaghetti, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks. In this case, write a press release, SPAM it to every journalist on the list and see who shows interest. Our particular approach was hands on, meaning our clients gave us their media wish list of about 10-15 and we went out and got them interested. It was more than just "sending an email", we crafted our story to each particular media and audience and....gasp....we even called them on the phone over just distributing by email.

Yes, generating PR, and marketing in general, takes time. Valuable time out of your day when you could be doing other things to run your business, but isn't it worth it to you and your business to focus on it for a week and see what develops? It could change your business and make your dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur come true.

In both cases, it took one person to stand out from the crowd with a great story to impart success. There is only one way to success.....go out and find your amazing story and if you're struggling, then it's worth it to find an experience news/PR professional to write it for you.

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource or subscribe to MyStorySource.com for FREE to pitch your story to media.

Positive PR for Great Nonprofit

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:42:00 +0000

In 2009, my involvement with I Should Be in The News, a nonprofit with a national network of PR people helping other nonprofits achieve positive PR, led me to Kendall Ciesemier and her organization Kids Caring 4 Kids (www.KidsCaring4Kids.com). We shared her vision and she became Cascade Communications' pro bono client for the year.

We rarely toot our own horns but this one story is a great example of what PR can do...for any organization. Her amazing story drew attention from Channel One news (about 6 million viewers in schools across the country) and resulted in the largest number of requests for her "i care 2" kit since she was on Oprah a few years ago.

http://www.channelone.com/onair/finding_strength_archive/

Kendall's story has inspired all of us to do more for AIDS orphans in Africa, and around the world - providing them with school uniforms, education, meals, bicycles and clean water. Many of these young kids walk miles to school and to get water while at the same time taking care of their younger siblings. No 11, 12, 13+ year old child should have this kind of responsibility. As a journalist and PR professional, it is these unique stories that make our jobs worthwhile and we're thrilled that the opportunity came our way.

Congratulations, Kendall! We hope the request for kits continue to pour in!

Do You Really Value Your Company, Customers?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:39:00 +0000

In light of times like we’ve been through it’s easy to see why so many companies have been pushing major sales promotions – a. to move product and inventory to prepare for new and b. to just make the sale.

While this is not typically a bad thing, and something most businesses do regularly, it can become a problem when you do it just to make money; a quick sale. These business owners are focused on making money and lots of it, not nurturing the value of their brand, company, products and services, let alone their customers (who, I might remind you, are the reason you’re making money).

What I mean is that sometimes we can get so focused on “the money” that we fail to zero in on what is making that money. Obviously your customers, and their buying because they see value in what you’re offering. When you cheapen it with incredibly deep discounts or sales promotions that you can’t possibly fulfill just for a quick shot in the arm of cash, you are devaluing your brand, products and services.
Why do some people do this? Well, because they don’t see their own value.

When you don’t or stop seeing value in your offerings you become nothing more than annoying sales people and your customers will leave – you will always be chasing money (customers) rather than focusing on keeping existing customers happy and growing that base for real success.

Now, don’t get me wrong, a business always needs to think about its sales process, but what it can’t do is become so centered (to get tunnel vision) on that one element. It will fail you over time. Why? Because today’s consumers are smarter than they’ve ever been before. They want customer service. They want to feel valued by you and your business. They want to feel good about buying from you and part of a unique community supporting your business. Trust me, if they don’t receive any of this then they will leave and buy from your competitor.

Sometimes customer service can be the difference between you making the sale or your competitor. It’s time that we all remember who drives this economy, the consumer, and start:

Developing customer service plans (even if it’s only one sheet)
Planning special promotions in advance
Stop working in “crisis” mode to making money
Develop open and customized communications plans specifically for customers
Focus on the long-term, keeping the customers you have and let them be part of the marketing process by giving valuable referrals
Stop being a sales company and be good at what you really do. If you do it well and right the sales and success will come to you.

Here’s to a New Year with a new focus on how we run and grow our businesses and get back to what’s important – the customer.
Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communications
Follow me on Twitter: @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource

The Best FREE Resources for Getting PR

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Fortney) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:19:00 +0000

In the past, as a PR professional there were a multitude of great resources we used to help generate news stories for our clients. Back then many were pay services that came by fax or even mail! Can you imagine how far ahead journalists had to plan to get a query posted on that one!

Well those days are mostly gone, thanks to the Internet and many service, while still pay are offering part of their service for free (promotionally) and others are just FREE.

Now my cohorts would ask me why I’m giving these away, but the reality is that if you really wanted to find them online, you will and I would rather have you visit Small Business Daily and save yourself some serious time.

Help a Reporter Out – sign up to receive this free email distribution three times daily with the latest queries from journalists looking for sources. Be ware. Participation has rules so best to read them before you get booted from the list.

Pitch Rate – also an email distribution that’s focus is on industry experts

Reporter’s Source – free email distribution with leads but you don’t have the chance to pitch the reporter yourself. Actually, you send in your pitch, it’s evaluated by the publishers and they pitch it for you. If the journalist is interested they put you in touch.

My Story Source – just launched. Free email distribution to media that allows you to pitch your news in the email and journalists contact you at their convenience. Also a good place to build community with other small businesses and nonprofits.

The Publicity Hound – a great place to get tips on improving your ability to generate positive PR for your organization.

Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – another great resource for entrepreneurs of every shape and size. A wealth of knowledge and information. Read the blog daily!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communciations

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert