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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29
Jun

Media exclusives: how and when to use them

June 29, 2023
by: in Law , B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction Comment (1)  

Media exclusives: how and when to use them

When I was working at a television station, the first question the news director would ask after a reporter came in with a juicy story was, “Is it exclusive?”

She wanted to know if her station was the only place viewers could find the story or if they would at least be the first to break the news. In a time when just about everyone has 24/7 access to information at their fingertips, regardless of when the 5 o’clock newscast airs, media outlets are looking for any edge they can get over their competitors.

For PR purposes, exclusives can help you squeeze all of the “juice” you can get out of a story and make sure it’s placed with an outlet that will give it the coverage you think it deserves.

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27
Jan

Reprint Rights 101: How AEC firms can promote media hits without getting sued

January 27, 2022
by: in Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  
Reprint Rights 101: How AEC firms can promote media hits without getting sued

Great news! You or one of your architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) subject matter experts published an article or got quoted in an industry trade magazine, and you want everyone to know — particularly potential clients. So, you post the full text of the article to your company’s website, send it to your email lists and schedule some social media posts that link to it for good measure.

Good marketing, right?

While promoting your media coverage is important (and kudos to you for recognizing that), unfortunately you’ve left yourself open to legal action from the media outlet because you’ve just violated their copyright. 

The good news is that there are ways to leverage your media hits while staying on the right side of the law — and in the good books of the media outlets that cover your projects.

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13
Jul

Who does what in the newsroom? A guide to media roles

July 13, 2020
by: in Law , B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction Comments (2)   

Who does what in the newsroom? A guide to media roles

Pitching to the right person at a media outlet can make the difference between having your company make the front page or helplessly watching it slip through the cracks of someone’s inbox. Even small newsrooms exchange thousands of emails every day, and a fraction of the staff is tasked with screening and collecting stories to go to broadcast, print or online. 

You must stand out and connect with the gatekeepers to enjoy the benefits of media coverage.

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17
Jul

What to do when the media gets it wrong

July 17, 2019
by: in Law , B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

What to do when the media gets it wrong

You carefully craft a press release. You go through rounds of internal edits and approvals. The quote is massaged more than LeBron James’ ego. You send it out to the media… and the published story has errors.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, this scenario is becoming all too common. In today’s web-driven, social media-centric news landscape, some journalists can prioritize being first more than being accurate. The reality is that reporters are forced to do more with less and crank out stories faster than ever before.

At the same time, misinformation now spreads faster than measles at an anti-vaxxers convention. And, once people are exposed to misinformation, it’s incredibly difficult to remove its influence. As the saying goes, mud sticks. So what can you do if the media gets your facts wrong?

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02
Apr

How a former journalist can take your PR strategy to the next level

April 2, 2019
by: in Law , B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

How a former journalist can take your PR strategy to the next level

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Journalists and public relations professionals don’t always get along. But, both camps play an important role in the world of communications, and oftentimes one’s job can depend on the other.

If your business is looking to grow its presence and revenue through earned media and public relations, who better to help than someone who’s played for both teams?

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05
Mar

6 ways to get the most from your public relations agency [updated]

March 5, 2019
by: in Law , B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

If you’ve ever worked with a public relations agency — or any consulting firm or professional services provider for that matter — you know that the outcomes can widely differ. There are many, many PR firms out there, and their level of expertise, experience and ability to consistently deliver results varies greatly.

But let’s say you lucked out and hired a high-quality public relations agency (yes, that hyperlink is to us… wink, wink). What’s your role in ensuring the success of the relationship?

It’s pretty significant.

As with most things in life, you get back what you put in. A successful PR initiative requires investment — not just the cost of the PR agency, but your own time and expertise.

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08
May

3 PR takeaways from Cision’s 2018 ‘Global State of the Media’ report

May 8, 2018
by: in B2B , Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

RepInk-blog-CisionReport

Nowadays, the media is the news. With a president who calls the media “fake news” and an overwhelming supply of competing vendita gonfiabili content online, the news industry has been under rapid transformation and intense scrutiny like no other profession in past years.

However, the media — and the public relations profession — are winning.

One stunning proof point: The digital paywall business of “the failing New York Times” is growing as fast as Facebook and faster than Google. Its online subscription sales jumped 46 percent in 2017 to $340 million, and digital ad sales rose 14 percent to $238 million. Subscriptions now make up 60 percent of the news organization’s total revenue.

It’s an interesting time to be in PR.

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30
Mar

Crisis PR and the FIU bridge collapse: 8 ways to prepare your AEC firm for the worst

March 30, 2018
by: in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction No comments  

8 crisis PR tips

“By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build the ark.” —Unknown

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare in the architecture, engineering and construction industry: a catastrophic incident with multiple fatalities, and your company is on the line.

That’s the reality right now for FIGG Bridge Engineers and MCM — the designer and builder, respectively, of the pedestrian bridge at Florida International University that collapsed March 15, killing six and injuring 10 others.

The focus now is on honoring the lives vendita gonfiabile percorso ad ostacoli lost, determining what led to the collapse and ultimately holding anyone negligent accountable. However, the incident is a reminder of how incredibly important it is for AEC public relations professionals to prepare to respond to such worst-case scenarios.

While every situation is unique, and the experience of a crisis PR professional is invaluable during an event, here are eight ways you can prepare now to protect your firm’s reputation as much as possible in the event the worst happens.

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