What level of support should you expect from EOTM?
That’s difficult to answer since each client’s needs and program goals are different. However, there are some basic levels of support you should expect from EOTM, regardless of your situation or goal.
First of all, you should expect objective counsel and recommendations, not “yes” persons. When you’re wrong, we strongly disagree with you and when you’re right, we agree just as strongly.
Next, you should have counsel that is continually prodding you into action, not vice versa. Nothing is worse than continually having to go to the agency to ask whether or not you should be doing something in this or that area. Your public relations counsel at EOTM will be continually searching for opportunities for you to promote your image and industry position.
At EOTM, you will be provided with a public relations program that includes objectives and accountable benchmarks. Writing and placing an agreed upon number of major industry trend, technical, technology or op-ed articles, carrying out a similar schedule of one-on-one editorial or market research interviews during the month, producing a marketplace newsletter on a monthly or bimonthly basis and similar programs are means to achieving your objectives. Objectives are detailed and measurable goals. And whether your objective is to increase your share in a particular market segment, open a new market or position yourself a certain way within the industry, your public relations counsel should be able to show you how tasks completed on your behalf have moved you closer to your predetermined goal.
What does a good public relations program include ?
EOTM recommends and use what we call an intermedia mix because regardless of whether you’re using advertising, public relations or marketing/sales support, you’re communicating. And all of your communication has one ultimate objective…to sell something (the company, a product or service) to someone.
The EOTM Intermedia Mix Chart
A good public relations plan includes a broad range of efforts and activities which must work in conjunction with your advertising and marketing/sales support programs. All of these tools have to work together to achieve a common corporate and marketing goal. They all have to be working in the same direction and with the proper mixture and timing. If they don’t, time, money and effort are wasted.
Chart of PR Activities
Too often public relations activities are thought of in terms of news releases and product announcements. Both of these activities are important to the company’s programs but are relatively minor in terms of the overall efforts and plans.
Public relations and publicity go far beyond the simple news release. If public relations activities are carried out efficiently and effectively for the company there can be some dramatic results.
How much editorial exposure should a new product receive?
That depends on the merits of the product and the amount of time alloted the agency. There are essentially two classes of products that should be considered here. The first is a major new product which your organization has spent considerable time, money and effort in developing. The second category is products less significant to the marketplace and your firm.
Given sufficient time, we like to gain maximum and extended press coverage for a major new product. This includes:
- Major new product article ( including cover treatment if possible) with one publication on an exclusive basis
- Major technical article on the product and the company’s innovations written by the agency and bylined by a senior engineer in an industry-specific publication
- Featurette coverage with 2-3 industry publications immediately after the cover feature appears
- Series of management and technical interviews with key local editors immediately prior to feature and featurette coverage in business, financial, trade and user press arenas
- Product/service release and backgrounder written and distributed by the agency to all pertinent media with appropriate quality photography
- Industry trend articles written by the agency and bylined by senior management
- User case study articles, researched, written and placed by the agency
This kind of publicity can give a new product six to nine months worth of solid press coverage.
For a secondary new product, which will neither warrant nor receive major new product or technology coverage, we recommend starting at the featurette level. This squeezes as much quality editorial coverage as possible out of the new product.
How involved should the company be in the new product and other public relations activities?
This is about a 50/50 proposition.
You have to provide all of the input, including documentation and any applicable interviews, etc. With that information and insight, EOTM can write quality articles that properly project your company, the products, the programs, the technology and your perception of industry trends. Our goal is to ensure your key message comes across.
What kind of editorial activity should an agency carry out for movie premieres or stage plays?
In many instances, a theatrical play or movie premiere is the deadline management needs to get a product out of development and into production.
This process starts with a comprehensive and attractive press kit that includes:
- Stock and user photos
- Summary news releases
- Production/technology backgrounders
- Location backgrounders
- Company backgrounder
After the written materials are produced, we generally focus on setting up a series of interviews.
What kind of guarantees should a client expect from EOTM on article placements, releases or interviews?
If you believe any agency that guarantees the placement of articles, releases or interviews, then you will be in for a major let down.
You don’t get a guarantee from your lawyer that he’s going to win a case, from a salesperson that they are going to double your sales or from an engineer that he or she is going to develop the next quantum leap forward in technology.
A reputable agency though will only plan and carry out those activities they are highly confident they can achieve. That means they won’t recommend the development of an article they don’t feel they can place or an activity they don’t feel will have a positive impact on your sales and profits.
EOTM will only recommend those things that will achieve mutually agreed upon objectives. We do not practice at our client’s expense; part of our satisfaction is seeing positive results for our client.
How much should a sound public relations program cost a company?
First of all, sound public relations efforts don’t cost a company, they are an investment in the firm’s market position and image and this will translate into increased sales. We’ve seen one too many organization invest $500,000 to develop a product that they think will sell itself.
The investment in a sound public relations program varies; EOTM uses two different compensation schedules. They include:
- A base counseling fee with all activities/projects billed at an hourly or project fee rate plus out-of-pocket expenses billed at cost
- Flat fee for all agency time and activities plus out-of-pocket expenses billed at cost
Over the years, we have evolved to the flat fee approach since it doesn’t produce any financial surprises to management or their accounting when special opportunities arise that we want to take advantage of for the client. And since we only work with companies we can be partners with we don’t mark-up outside purchases. Our goal is to consistently do the best job at the lowest possible cost, free of any consideration of additional compensation from agency mark-up.
Certainly, the fee is based on time and activity. But it also means we focus on results, not how long the meter has been running. A program will generally include:
- Research and writing any number of news releases a month
- All special issue/special report activities including interviews and articles
- Development and placement of one or more major articles a month (technical, technology, industry trend, end user case study)
- Setting up, coordinating and following up on local editorial meetings throughout the month
- Complete support at major trade shows, theatrical events, seminars, etc
- Unlimited counsel
- At least one annual editorial tour
- External newsletter/magazine research, writing and production coordination
- And similar activities/efforts
We look forward to helping to create long term success in all your companies endeavors!
Carla Barnes
Program Director/Head of Marketing & Branding
Queens of Internet Radio Show
(A broadcast of EOTM Radio & Media, LLC)
Direct (678)548-9466
Fax (678)705-7065
carlab@eotmradio.com
EOTM Press Room
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