For many small-to-medium sized B2B organizations we work with, we recommend a very targeted PR effort that maximizes limited resources through consistent product and company news, ideally on a bi-monthly to quarterly basis to start.

When we lead PR efforts for our clients, we remind them of two myths and follow ten rules to make sure outreach is done effectively and is a win-win-win…for our client, for the editor, and for TREW’s long-term relationship with both!

Houston Chronicle coverage of TREW client TAMEST K-12 STEM Education report.

2 Myths

1. PR is “free” – on the contrary, PR is probably one of the most expensive types of marketing there is. Why? It takes time, patience and a consistent drumbeat over months and years to achieve lasting, impactful coverage. While advertising has hard costs – you place an ad, pay your bill, and poof, your company is in print or on a website – for PR, you can pitch many times before you finally achieve coverage. There are no guarantees, but either way, you have spent your time and resources.

1. PR drives sales – have you ever thought to yourself “My product was covered in the press, but my sales not rising, so PR does not work.”  Well, let me ask you, when was the last time you read an small blurb, or better yet a page-long article, about a product you hadn’t heard of before and then got your credit card out and bought it? Likely, the answer is not very often, if never. Getting coverage should be the first “touch” in a series of touches that are needed to drive someone to give their name as a lead, much less place an order. PR is just the first step, and it requires consistent coverage over time combined with other types of marketing to see the collective payoff in leads and sales.

Quote from MoviMED product launch coverage, led by TREW.

10 Tips

1. EDITORS and reporters have very little time, and very little patience. They also receive, on average, over 200 releases a day from companies all over the world. CONCLUSION: They will probably not read your release.
2. EDITORS are very specialized, and they change their specialty quite often. CONCLUSION: Make sure that each editor receives the information that relates to his/her specialty.
3. EDITORS, REPORTERS AND THE PRESS IN GENERAL know their jobs. They do not need to submit their stories to you, they do not need your help in writing them and they will not give you a preview of the story. CONCLUSION: Either take over the publication, or don’t ask to help.
4. EDITORS are human AND always on deadline. They have a need to get their job done quickly and efficiently. CONCLUSION: The quicker you meet their needs, the quicker you get into print. Ensure that you know those needs before you meet (e.g., what’s the best/worst day to contact them), and make sure that you can meet them.
5. EDITORS are not interested in advertising. CONCLUSION: Do not mention advertising to editors.
6. STORIES are whatever the editor chooses to make out of your information. CONCLUSION: Once the story is written, there is no call back, no complaining and no post editorializing. The only exception is if there is a factual inaccuracy, which may warrant a followup and correction. Otherwise, it’s done.
7. STORIES can be placed into very simple categories, but the editor does the placing. CONCLUSION: Determine what type of story you are presenting, and accept that the editor will do the categorizing.
8. STORIES are, by order of interest- fast-breaking disasters, slow-breaking disasters, people of importance doing important things, new break-through products in new categories, older products doing new things, new versions of old products. [Then there are] the trash news stories that will only be placed by being a nuisance. These include: strategic alliances between two unimportant companies, me-too stories, design wins, personnel changes (unless the president shoots a VP), following major trend, obscure technical factoids, etc. CONCLUSION: Be realistic when pitching coverage, and place your story in its true category.  If you don’t, the editor will.
9. STORIES become obsolete the moment they appear anywhere. CONCLUSION: For maximum effect, do not leak your story to a favorite editor, keep it for a complete roll out.
10. OFF THE RECORD never is. CONCLUSION: Don’t ask, and never, ever assume.

To read more about our work in PR, read the TAMEST or MoviMED case studies. To read more about PR and securing coverage for your product or company, visit our blog post  TREW Top 9 List to Increase Your Product Launch Coverage.

Last weekend, we were very honored to accept two PR awards for our work in K-12 education at the annual Texas Public Relations Association conference, the Best of the Southwest Communicators Conference. The awards recognized our marketing work for  The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and two of Texas’ Nobel Laureates.

TAMEST is comprised of Texas’ 10 Nobel Laureates and 200+ Texas members of the National Academies. These leading scientists and engineers issued a report, The Next Frontier: Worldclass Math and Science Education for Texas, that outlined four findings and recommendations to improve K-12 math and science education in Texas.

As Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Committee Co-Chair, stated, “If we, as Texans, don’t roll up our sleeves and work together to begin providing our children with the science and math knowledge they need today – starting with training, supporting and paying great teachers – then our kids and our state will not succeed tomorrow.”

We couldn’t say it better ourselves.

We also appreciated the kudos from TAMEST members, including from Dr. James Truchard, President and CEO of National Instruments, who said, “TREW Marketing’s work on the marketing program for TAMEST’s education initiative was outstanding.”

A team effort indeed! Congrats to TAMEST and TREW for a job well-done, and more importantly, for a critical effort for K-12 students in Texas.

One of the wonderful benefits of working at TREW Marketing is the opportunities we have to venture to new places and meet and collaborate with new organizations and people, from Texas’ nobel laureates to local entrepreneurs to our most promising young students through our work in education.

Last week, TREW co-founder Rebecca Geier had just this kind of opportunity when she attended an event at KIPP Austin Public Schools to hear from Washington Post education columnist and creator of Newsweek’s Best High Schools in America list, Jay Mathews, and KIPP co-founder Mike Steinberg. Both gentlemen spoke about and signed Mr. Mathews new book, Work Hard. Be Nice.: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America.

The most inspiring moment for Rebecca, as she shared on Twitter at the time it happenened, was when, at the beginning of Q&A, a KIPP mom stood up, began walking toward Mr. Steinberg and said, “Thank you for giving my son a future.” She then embraced Mr. Steinberg with all her heart as she explained the hardships of their low-income, minority family and their belief that her son attending KIPP has given him the future he might not have had. Her son now plans to go on to college, in line with a key requirement that all KIPPsters be accepted to college in order to graduate high school . Wow – what a moment!

Other highlights:

• Mr. Mathews described the four characteristics he believes makes schools successful: having 1. high expectations, 2. more time in the school day, 3. authentic assessments, and 4. team spirit
• Mr. Feinberg shared the four traits they look for in KIPP teachers: 1. smart and passionate in the topic they teach, 2. ability to connect with kids, 3. the heart to do whatever it takes, and 4. shared core beliefs and values

TREW Marketing is proud to call KIPP Austin our friends. We’re working on our client page where we can share more about the work we’ve done in education in this first year of business with clients such as KIPP. Until then, you can check out our PR work with KIPP on FOX News as well as on The Next Frontier math and science education report by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas.

In other education news, we are excited that Rebecca will be attending the E3 Alliance Leaders Summit for TREW later this month. One of the key elements of our approach at TREW is collaboration, and there is nearly no better example of collaboration than E3. You can check out more about their impact on Central Texas education at their website, and their unwavering and passionate leader, Susan Dawson, who has dedicated so much time and talent to improving the education of all students in Central Texas.

At TREW Marketing, we are passionate about education. As parents, business owners and citizens, we know world-class education is THE key to our state and country’s economic future. TREW co-founder Rebecca Geier is a proud FIRST LEGO League coach at Murchison MIddle School and Davis Elementary, and TREW has been pleased to work with several clients in this important area.

That is why we were so excited, and honored, to work for The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) whose members are Texas’ Nobel Laureates and National Academies members, on the launch of their Texas K-12 math and science education report, The Next Frontier.

The challenge TAMEST faced was to put a comprehensive marketing plan together – from the overall look and feel to finalizing the report and materials to web and e-marketing and a full-on PR launch – and execute it in on a tight timeline. The TREW staff rolled up their sleeves and got to work, and on December 9, we were proud to watch as all the elements came together. From coverage in the major Texas daily newspapers, including editorial and news features in the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, and KUT News, to direct marketing open and clickthrough results that exceeded industry standards, the project was a resounding success.

We can be proud in Texas that our state’s top technical and scientific minds care so much to contribute their time and passion to such a critical cause. Our students, our state, and our country will benefit from their generous and critical contributions.