Media Matters Spring 2009

With winter now finally coming to an end (we hope!) and the first signs of spring in the air, it is the perfect time for all of us to look towards a brighter future, and for CBC to review how to best promote our clients in the busy weeks and months ahead. Although everyone in the UK (and beyond) is well aware of the tough economic climate at the moment, Chaz decided to go straight to The Top for some answers, and last month spoke personally to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was enjoying an otherwise quiet ride with Southwest Trains!

Chaz presented Mr. Brown with a list of questions on behalf of some of our clients and the Guildford Chamber of Commerce, asking what the Government was doing to support SMEs during these challenging times. Chaz was delighted to get a very detailed response - hand-signed by Mr. Brown - just a few days later.

So it's true what they say: it's good to have friends (or at least fellow passengers) in high places! Both the Chamber and the clients involved were delighted with the result of Chaz's efforts, and they are currently reviewing Mr. Brown's responses.

Impromptu meetings with the Prime Minister aside, all of us at CBC are completely focused on the task ahead, which is to make sure that our clients remain firmly in the public eye and well-placed to weather this economic storm. Fortunately, we have a lot of good material - and clients - to work with! On the very same day that one of our clients went public with news about an important partnership with Kodak, another client confirmed that its newest high-profile customer is King's College London. At the same time, Gloria, a Director at one of the companies that we represent, revealed that she has raised more than £4000 for charity by completing a 700km cycle ride through Vietnam.

CBC has news of its own to announce, as well. Andrew has just returned from a very productive visit to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, and Uli back from CeBIT where she was supporting a number of clients who were attending the show . CBC has also agreed to participate in this year's Grow Your Business seminar programme, in order to support local businesses in Surrey.

You'll find details of all of these stories - and more - below.

CBC Client News

We were delighted to hear that Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, the charity that offers Specialist Palliative Care to those suffering from life limiting illnesses, as well as support for those who love and care for them, is celebrating its 30th birthday this year.

The Farnham-based was recently honoured to welcome a representative from the Japanese Ministry of Health & Welfare. Mr. Natsuki Furukawa, the organisation's Director, visited the Hospice to ask questions and exchange
views on hospices and home hospice care.

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, as my visit was very informative," Mr. Furukawa said. "There is a Japanese proverb that says, 'to see once is equal to hearing 100 times', and that certainly described my experience of visiting the front line of hospice care. Your explanations were very persuasive, and I will certainly make use of the information that I received in terms of how it can be applied to hospice care in Japan."

Meanwhile, another CBC client - a company that is a world leader in the development of bioinformatics software - announced that the Genomics Centre, a core research facility at King's College London, has chosen to use its software for advanced data analysis on a wide range of research projects. King's College selected this intuitive bioinformatics application following an in-depth demonstration of the product's data analysis capabilities, followed by a rigorous evaluation period.

With this software now in place, researchers at the Genomics Centre can expect to shorten analysis time and improve research quality, thanks to the software's ability to provide instant results that are delivered more than 100 times faster than with similar tools.

Over at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, another CBC client - a company that specialises in a mobile imaging software solutions for fast and memory efficient image processing - announced that its new software is to feature on all future SOC image sensors supplied by Kodak Image Sensor Solutions.

Our client's leading edge technology will now be integrated with all of the components being used by Kodak in the manufacture of its SOC sensors. As a result, end users can expect to see a significant improvement in overall JPEG image handling performance in mobile devices, such as camera phones and PDAs, and soon in digital still cameras as well.

And some more good news

Gloria, a Director at another of the companies that we represent, completed a grueling 700Km bike ride through Vietnam, raising more than £4000 for BUFFER (Breast Unit for Funding Education Research) in the process . . . well done Gloria!

"I trained very hard, but nothing could have prepared me for the heat and terrain in Vietnam," Gloria says. "Still, it was definitely worth the ride in the heat and the dust and negotiating traffic and the unmade roads. Completing the challenge was an amazing reward for me, and being able to help others through BUFFER was the icing on the cake, so a big thank you to all who sponsored me!"

For more client news, feel free to visit the News section of our web site at www.chazb.com anytime! And for our own clients, remember: we want your news! Encourage all of your employees to send any company news, story ideas, or other developments to chazb@chazb.com so that we can include them in our next newsletter.

PR Spotlight this month: Learn how to revitalise your PR materials with some simple 'spring cleaning'

Many companies, especially those who don't employ the services of a specialist PR agency, can become quickly frustrated by a lack of press coverage. However, there are steps that you can take to give your media coverage a boost, and get the phones ringing as a result! Here are our Top Ten "Do's and Don'ts" when it comes to breathing new life into your PR efforts this spring:

DO remember that what may seem inconsequential to you may be news to others - you don't think anyone cares about your new HR Director? Think again. With the right PR push behind them, senior level appointments can be used to show the industry that your company is thriving.

DO NOT stop sending out press releases. More than any other medium, press releases really do work on the 'drip-drip' principle: the fourth or fifth press release that you send out is much more likely to be published than the first or second. Not only does your company name sound more familiar to editors and reporters over time, but an ongoing stream of varied announcements also helps to build credibility.

DO invest in some decent photography. You may not mind that you've been sending out the same head-and-shoulder snapshot of your managing director since 2001, but the Art Editors out there might. Strong, interesting photography can often tip the balance between a story getting published or not.

DO NOT rely on out-of-date directories or lists to find the contact details of key press contacts. You'd be amazed at how often these details change - that is why PR agencies subscribe to comprehensive web-based databases that are updated daily.

DO encourage the whole team to get involved in PR. Your newest salesperson might have some interesting details about a project, whereas you may be more focused on the bottom line. Ask your PR agency to supply you with an email address that can be distributed to your whole team, and then encourage them to use it.

DO NOT forget about internal PR. You need your staff to 'buy in' to what the company is doing in the same way as anyone else. Either put together an internal newsletter to keep everyone up to date - or better still, ask your PR agency if they provide this service. At the very least, make time during company meetings to discuss the latest results and/or plans for your PR and marketing, so that everyone stays in the loop.

DO make sure that you set up - and pay attention to - a regularly updated media calendar. A sound PR strategy requires an unwavering focus on submission deadlines, upcoming features, dates of key trade shows, magazine 'press days' and any advertising activity. Ignore these deadlines at your peril!

DO NOT think you can leave your website unchanged forever. An up-to-date website is the mark of a strategic, well-organised and dynamic company. At least be sure to update your "News" section regularly, so that your PR efforts are seen by the widest possible audience.

DO ask your customers if they would be willing to take part in your PR efforts. After all, a positive story for your company should be a good story for your customers as well. Plus, nothing builds credibility as quickly as a customer who is willing to endorse your product or service publicly.

DO NOT underestimate how much time PR takes! It is not just a question of sending out press materials and hoping that they get noticed. With PR, follow-up is King, so find a PR agency with good press contacts, and save your internal resources to handle the additional sales enquiries that you'll receive!

If you are in doubt or have questions about any of these tips, you can always contact a professional PR agency for their advice and ideas. Chaz, in particular, is always happy to give general advice over the phone, so don't hesitate to get in touch with him with any questions.

Industry News: GSMA Celebrates Success of 2009 Mobile World Congress

The GSMA today reported that more than 47,000 visitors from 189 countries attended the GSMA Mobile World Congress, the leading event for the mobile communications industry, this year. The four-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the world's largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies and media and entertainment organisations, as well as government delegations.

"We're extremely pleased with the turnout that we've seen this week. The strong level of attendance demonstrates that Mobile World Congress continues to be the place where the industry comes to do business," commented John Hoffman, CEO, GSMC Limited. "The mobile industry stands out as one of the few vibrant sectors in a tumultuous world economy, and this week's Congress emphasises the important role that mobile has in creating new opportunities that will drive future growth."

Most PR firms maintain headcount

The majority of PR companies do not plan to cut staffing, a new survey claims. The survey, from PR search and selection firm VMA, shows that almost three-quarters of respondents will not cut headcount, while almost 25% of communications directors plan to increase employee numbers.

Julia Meighan, Chief Executive at VMA, says: "During the last recession, the knee-jerk reaction of many organisations was to cut their PR and communications spend or team as the function was considered a 'nice to have' rather than a business necessity."

However, VMA Search's recent 'State of the Market' survey indicates that modern businesses recognise the importance of PR and Communications and, as a result, are not expecting to downsize in 2009. An impressive 72% of respondents claimed they had no plans to cut headcount and a further 23% are actually planning to grow their communications teams.

CBC News:

We have also been taking applications for our annual Student Summer Placement, as well, which is essentially an internship for anyone who is studying PR and/or considering this sector for a future career. We have a good list of applicants at this point and will be making a selection over the next few months.

Despite the economic challenges that everyone is facing at the moment, we have recently managed to add some diversity to our client list. Since the end of last year, we've been working to promote a new book for one of our clients, as well. This exciting non-fiction book manages to capture all of the most exciting details of the writer's latest quest, an intriguing and dynamic adventure that strikes at the heart of the cuisine and people along the Mekong River. This exciting journey took the author from the low-lying delta in Vietnam, 4184 kilometers north to the mystical source in Tibet. It is a very exciting project for us, and we look forward to work with even more authors in 2009!

Last but not least, in more local news, CBC has agreed to participate in the Grow Your Business seminar programme this year. CBC is scheduled to deliver its presentation on 13th May 2009 at the Spectrum Leisure Centre in Guildford, in Surrey, and admission is free. If you would like to attend, please visit the programme's official website (www.growyourbusinessevent.co.uk) to register online.

We hope that you have found our newsletter to be of interest. Of course, do not hesitate to contact us on 01483 537890 with any questions or for any assistance you may need. You can also email me at chazb@chazb.com

In the meantime, we wish you all the best for a busy spring!

With kind regards,

Chaz Brooks