Even Ice Can Differentiate Your Company

A recent post was about the importance of identifying your point(s) of differentiation (POD) to your competitors and, if they didn't exist, to create them. 

You have to stand out these days in order for your company to get noticed.  It's a tough market but with just a bit of creativity and lateral thinking you can develop specific differences about your business.

What if your are a run of the mill company that really just doesn't have a POD?  Well you better develop something unique, something unusual about your company.  Add on a special service, new product, something to make you stand out.

Here's an article about a bar in the US which has been really clever in differentiating itself against it's many close competitors.  An upmarket bar, just like the many bars in its neighbourhood, it was smart in promoting it's three types of ice.  Yes three types of ice.

Not many people know about the different types of ice that bars use, I do as during uni I worked in bars.  

But even knowing about this I have never heard of any bar using this as its POD.  Clever? Brilliant! 

Here's the article by Jonah Berger, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Cheers.

http://jonahberger.com/how-to-make-your-personal-brand-sizzle/#more-1834

Key Messages and How to Use Them

You have your key messages worked out, what do you do with them now?

And, importantly, as you're seeking editorial, not paid advertising, how do you get them included in stories on your company?

Afterall, it's editorial and, hence, you can not dictate what a journalist includes in their story.

You can not control what the media reports about you, that's a fact. If you want to control the content of a story or when it runs, the answer is simple, book an ad.

Running an ad gives you complete control over what is written and when it is run. But ads do not have the power of editorial because with the latter the reader/viewer/listener knows that a journalist has reviewed the company and objectively reported on it. They know that it's believable - credible.

It's the significant strength of this credibility that makes editorial so valuable. 

Think about when you read a magazine, do you bother with the ads? Not usually but an interesting article will get your attention and possibly action.

Whilst you can not dictate to a publication or journalist what is included in a story on your company you can do your best to get your key messages into it by: 

• In all media material ie; media release, biography, fact sheet, make sure that the key messages are included and clear.  

• When you are interviewed by the journalist know what key messages you need to convey for that particular media (depending on the publication).

For your different business objectives you will have different key messages. And you will be targeting different audiences and media.  For example for your business objective of attracting new staff you will be targeting very different media than for your objective of increasing sales. 
You will most likely be targeting the employment section of your newspaper and your key message will be that your company is looking for smart, ambitious new staff members.  

So that is the key message you will convey in the media interview with the career section of the newspaper, whereas you probably would not be using that key message in an interview to increase sales.

Before the media interview work out what your key messages are and have them on a piece of paper.  You can refer to them during the interview which will either be via phone (most common) or in person.  The journalist will not mind you referring to your notes so have them handy.

Key Messages are Vital

It's great getting media coverage but, unless the media you secure conveys what you want your target audiences to know about your company, you are wasting a major opportunity. 

Before any media is contacted you need to develop the really important key points, known as key messages, of your product/service. 

What do you want/need your target audiences to know about your company?

What will make them look up your company, after reading an article, and importantly buy? 

These key messages will be strongly based on your business objectives.  So if, for example, a business objective is to attract new staff then one of your key messages will be "We're an expanding company and are looking for new team members".

Don't just use cliches or standard descriptions such as "it's a great product" or "it's quality" that is not sufficient and will not make an impact.

Work out what will really make your product/service stand out and make people want it. 


Limit your key messages to around five, maximum six. 

So back to our Pet food online company - it could be that you deliver all around Australia including regional areas within 24 hours. 

Even better could be (if it's true) is that you are the only company in Australia that does this. Or that for every ten bags of food that is sold you donate one bag to the local pet shelter because you are committed to giving back to the pet welfare industry.


Your key messages are very important so take the time to develop them properly.

Selecting Media to Target

Now that you have established your target audiences you need to research what media each of them read (newspapers/magazines), listen to (radio), watch (television), visit (websites/blogs).  

Then once you have established a target media list thoroughly familiarise yourself with these media.

If it's a magazine try to secure at least one copy, even better a few.  A radio program, listen to it for the week.  Television program, watch it.

For magazine or newspaper look at what type of articles they have? Do they cover products/services similar to yours? 

Who is the journalist that writes these articles? Read the journalists previous articles so when you're speaking with them they know that you're familiar with their work.

It is detrimental to contact a magazine, for example, which has no interest in the product/service you are pitching. Sound obvious?  Well, sadly this happens all the time, even by PR professionals, and is a major bug bear for journos understandably. 

Do your research. Ensure that the media you are targeting is the right media for your product/service. Otherwise you're wasting your time and the journalists and they, naturally, will not appreciate you doing this.

Also look at the style of the articles, are they lengthy or in question and answer style? Do they do profiles on people in the industry? Maybe you could be a suitable profile for them?
 
Look for opportunities to place your company and yourself.

If you want to get into the local paper get a few copies and look for articles that you think are similar to your company and note who is the journalist is.  You're looking for a journo who writes about lifestyle, pets, the local community or business.  Steer clear of journalists that, for example, write on restaurants, politics etc.  

Media to Reach Target Audiences

So you've identified your audiences, next  is researching what media directly reaches them. 

As nice as it may be to secure a media program, it is futile unless you're identified target audiences is reached by that media.

So whilst you might think it's a coup getting on morning television, unless your target audiences watch it, it's a complete waste of time.

Too often focus is, wrongly, placed on getting all and any media.  This is not strategic and it is not smart. Securing media coverage is very time consuming so it is crucial that you only focus on that media which reach your audiences.

 

Pet PR Lesson 1 - Target Audiences

Who are your target audiences? Let's pretend your company is an online pet food service. It will have a number of audiences depending on your business objectives.

In media campaigns you should establish your business objectives first so that you are maximising the results of the campaign.  Never go into any media campaign without first establishing your business objectives or, otherwise, you will be wasting opportunities. 

Of course in most campaigns the primary objective is to increase awareness and sales.  However, if your business also needs new staff or increased distribution, or maybe investors than you should include these in the campaign.

I will assume, because you're a smart pet company you have already developed your business objectives.   Your audiences will most likely be:

1. Mothers - because the main carer of pets is guess who?! Women! Of course they are. Mothers are flat out so you can make their lives easier by delivering the pet food.
2. Seniors - they find it difficult to lug around heavy bags of pet food.
   Rural residents - people who live in areas where it's difficult to get to stores.
3. Busy executives - who have no time to go pet food shopping
4. Other - so industry members for the distribution objective; potential suitable employees; and for investors maybe the finance and business community.