26
Jul

How to prepare for a broadcast interview (even when you’re dreading it)

July 26, 2024
by: in Law , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

“This isn’t going to be on TV, is it?”

I can’t count the number of times I heard that question from someone I was about to interview — even though I was holding my clearly branded TV news microphone up to their face and my photojournalist colleague was pointing a professional-quality video camera lens at them. Sometimes I felt like saying, “Um, yeah. What else would we be doing here?” (But I didn’t.)

It speaks to some people’s deep-seated, all-encompassing fear of speaking in front of the camera (or a webcam or a podcast microphone). I’m here to tell you: you can do it — even if you don’t think you can at first. As a former broadcast news anchor and reporter with two decades of experience, I’ve got some thoughts on how to make that dreaded on-cam interview easier for yourself.

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12
Jul

July AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

July 12, 2024
by: in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

In my neck of the woods, it is back-to-school season. 

I know!

This heat begs for pool days and popsicles. But alas.

I’ve always loved back-to-school vibes. The freshly sharpened pencils, the rainbow of highlighters, the color-coded binders standing at attention. It’s no wonder that, in adulthood, I found my way to a role that allows me to treat each month as a fresh start.

At Rep Ink, we keep monthly tabs on the brightest opportunities we think are worth your architecture, engineering and construction firm’s time. And while things tend to slow down in the summer, rest assured that we will continue to send all relevant awards and rankings your way. 

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09
Jul

Maximizing visibility and impact: how to effectively promote your AEC firm’s projects

July 9, 2024
by: in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

Effectively showcasing your architecture, engineering, and construction firm’s projects is essential for attracting clients, skilled project partners, and top talent. But no one likes a show pony. If you’re going to draw attention to yourself, it better be worth it, and you need to know how to capitalize on your audience’s curiosity in a way that leads to new business opportunities.

From innovative designs to sustainable solutions, each project represents your firm’s expertise and creativity. However, promoting these projects requires a strategic approach to ensure maximum visibility and impact. After all, you don’t want to spam potential clients with fluff. 

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13
Jun

June AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

June 13, 2024
by: in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

The temperature isn’t the only thing rising these days.

Many of our architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) clients are experiencing busy seasons. Whether your team is working to attract talent, generate proposals or pursue new business opportunities, it can feel like proactive PR efforts are something you just don’t have time for.

We know someone who can help (gentle wink).

Below are a few proactive initiatives we keep our eyes on year over year. We know your inbox is filled with promises of fame and fortune by pay-to-play options, but these are the few we think are worth your valuable time this month:

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05
Jun

Interacting with reporters at conferences: a guide for legal and AEC professionals

June 5, 2024
by: in Law , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

With your program in hand and trusty lanyard around your neck, you’ve exchanged business cards and enthusiastically nodded along to the keynote speaker’s most compelling points. You’ve nibbled the finger sandwiches, raided the coffee carafes and spent an obscene amount of time looking for “Ballroom 3F.” Hopefully, you’ve also remembered to bring a good jacket for those frigid caverns they call meeting rooms. 

But there’s one other thing you might have overlooked.

You know those writer types who report on the issues and trends affecting your industry? Maybe they’ve even covered your firm before. Well, conferences are a fantastic place to spot them out in the wild. 

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23
Oct

Looking for a marketing and PR agency? Consider niche AEC specialists

October 23, 2023
by: in Marketing strategy , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

If your company or firm’s marketing team needs a little extra help, or you’re starting from scratch and want to build brand awareness and credibility for your business, hiring a marketing and public relations agency can be a game-changer. 

Maybe you’ve already decided to hire an agency and have begun your search, but how do you find one that is right for your firm? Instead of turning to a jack of all trades who reinvents the wheel with every new client, consider hiring an industry specialist agency. 

This kind of agency (you may already know one!) focuses on one or a few particular sectors, such as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry (we work with legal clients, too). Because these agencies typically represent clients in only a few focused industries, they offer a level of insider knowledge and experience compared to one representing a grab bag of clients with various needs and nuances. 

So, what are the benefits? 

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28
Mar

Why AEC firms need to know about the ‘excess share of voice’ rule

March 28, 2023
by: in Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

There’s a well-known principle in business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing: Brands that have a higher “share of voice” than their “share of market” will grow. This is called the “excess share of voice” (ESOV) rule. 

While market share is a widely known metric, share of voice (SOV) isn’t as clear. It’s defined a number of ways depending on the source, but it essentially means the number of conversations about a brand, divided by the number of conversations about a topic, industry or niche (i.e., whatever “market” you are measuring). 

Every time a brand is mentioned in the media, authors an article, posts on social media or runs a series of ads, a conversation is happening. The conversation is amplified when the audience engages by sharing the article, commenting on the social media post or clicking on the ads. All of this activity results in a certain share of voice. 

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31
Jan

Why editorial calendars are a must for AEC PR in 2023

January 31, 2023
by: in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

Sometimes working with the media can be like trying to predict all the change orders an owner will have on a project before construction even gets started.

“If only reporters and editors would just tell us what they’re covering next.”

How often does this thought run through your head as an architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) PR professional or marketer? Weekly? Daily? Hourly? Does it haunt your dreams? Your nightmares? Do you wake up in a cold sweat each morning, worried you missed getting your subject matter experts (SMEs) into the next Big Story? 

Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but if you’ve thought this before, you are not alone. Most of us spend way too much time obsessed with what’s going to catch the media’s attention. Some days I wish I had some kind of crystal ball that could help me peer into the future and see the stories to be written that need my clients as sources. 

And then I remember that, while there isn’t a Magic 8 Ball to read your client’s mind and anticipate every change order request (yet!), there is a similar tool for media outlets, and I can access it anytime I want. It’s the humble editorial calendar (also known as an edcal, if you’re into lingo). What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s only the best way to predict some of what a target media outlet will cover in the next 12 months. If this is news to you — or if it’s a reminder of a tool you once used but have forgotten while pursuing shiny new whizbangs — have I got a blog post for you.

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