Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

To Reach Next Level PR, Go Beyond News Writing Basics

This public relations how-to article explains how to push the limits of news.

In the rush to get out that next news release, blog post or tweet it’s easy to ignore the fundamentals of journalism.

That’s okay, but only if all you want are PRNewswire mentions, web content and, hopefully, some inbound links.

But if you aspire to Next Level PR—the kind of public relations that generates exposure in A-List traditional and online media, establishes your CEO as a thought leader, influences stakeholders, builds brand equity and generates qualified leads, then you must push the parameters of journalistic fundamentals to their limits.

MediaCollege.com lists the five basics of a news story to which Pirozzolo Company has added an additional five to help you get your client to Next Level PR. 

Let’s consider each one and how they can turn a ho-hum public relations campaign into a news-making powerhouse.

 Timing – people want to know what’s happening now as in “what’s new?”

As Media College states, “A story with only average interest needs to be told quickly.”

However, the enemy of corporate public relations timeliness is a multi-level review requirement for every routine release, tweet and blog post. It is far better to establish corporate guidelines for news releases as well as Social Media behavior, than having to review every bit of external communication. Sure mistakes will be made, but for the most part they can be corrected. Overall the campaign will be more effective if the C-Suite empowers employees serve as ambassadors of the brand and communicate with the best interests of their organization in mind.

Significance – A plane falls from the sky and everyone is killed; now that’s news. If everyone walks away, as they did in Miracle on the Hudson, that’s really big news. Walk away from a car crash in the Vons parking lot and it’s a snore.

Significance. though is in the eye of  the beholder. Let’s say you’re promoting a new app. Think about who the product matters to and focus on its significance for that audience. Too many news releases tout new technology as a state-of-the-art world-changer and a disrupter. Overreaching is counter productive, reduces creditability and will turn off editors and your target market.  

Dick Pirozzolo and Ted Kennedy, Jr. at American Polyfilm Grand Opening

Likewise, don’t think about significance only in terms of the market and investors. How does the new product impact employees and their families, does the new technology make the company a more progressive employer and thus more attractive to job seekers, does it open up opportunities for speaking engagements, how does the new product square with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility culture and goals?

In the case of American Polyfilm's grand opening of its new manufacturing facility in Branford, Connecticut we capitalized on the national effort to encourage "Made in America" and hit all the notes in terms of significance to the local community, market reliability, and underscored the company's commitment to being a good corporate citizen, thus epitomizing the future of American manufacturing. CEO Victor Cassella underscored the importance of government-business cooperation in his remarks at the event. 

Cassella told well-wishers, “We have received ongoing support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Community Investment Corporation as well as The Guilford Savings Bank.

"The cooperation we experienced between our business and government agencies, clearly demonstrates the role government can play by encouraging forward-looking, energy-efficient, clean industries that support well paying jobs to locate and expand in the U.S.”

Proximity – Proximity isn’t only geographic. Media College advises that proximity can also describe a cultural, historical or social bond. Australians care about events in Singapore, because of its geographic proximity and the UK because of its cultural and historical proximity. Similarly, an event occurring in Israel will have more of an impact on Americans than one in Iceland.

Prominence – Pirozzolo Company has represented clients that are international household names. We have also established our clients’ prominence within geographic proximity or a community of interest such as the financial services,  foreign exchange, cybersecurity, or medical electronics sectors. 

Human Interest ­– Human interest stories, says Media College, “… often disregard the rules of newsworthiness; for example, they don't date as quickly, they need not effect a large number of people, and it may not matter where the story takes
place…”

For example, when Boston business leader Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO of J/Brice Design, was about to lose a valued employee whose visa had run out, he  launched not only a legal battle, but retained Pirozzolo Company to fight her case in the court of public opinion. Ornstein won and the employee, a talented young designer, remained working in the US, thanks in-part to a number of media outlets that underscored her value to the American economy including Wicked Local.

In addition, to these news fundamentals, consider Pirozzolo Company’s Next Level PR Basics: Controversy, Humor, Story, Consistency and Simplicity.

Controversy –  More than anything, the media love controversy, something the President of the United States has mastered to control nearly every news cycle.

We constantly scan the media for current events and issues. More recently we capitalized on the controversy involving Russia hacking our elections and tied it to the Republican National Convention to generate coverage for Stealthcare, a cybersecurity consulting company. The firm's CEO appeared on CBS-TV Cleveland and other national business and professional media outlets where he commented on the foreign involvement. 

Humor – There are times when funny will get you a lot more positive exposure than deadpan.

Washington Post humorist and syndicated columnist Gene Weingarten once interviewed our client Hilla Ovil-Brenner, founder of WhiteSmoke, a turbocharged writing engine that includes advanced editing and spellchecking.  

Columnist Weingarten quipped that Ovil-Brenner probably didn’t like it when people learned to spell because it would hurt her business.

She quipped back, “If I sold plus-size fashions, that would not mean I want women to be fat, it means I want them to feel good, look good and be successful in their lives. Just like WhiteSmoke helps people with become more successful communicators….”

The WhiteSmoke-Weingarten interview was hilarious and got picked up by newspapers nationwide. Product sales soared. 

Story – Too often organizations forget that their CEO is a real life person whose heart, skills, challenges, obstacles and conflicts make for far more interesting reading than canned quotes about how, “Delighted we are to announce Rebecca as the new VP engineering at Techno Pants Corp.”

Stop sanitizing CEOs. Let them be human, let them talk about how they resolve conflicts with the board of directors, investors or the government and include information about their personal relationships and activities. Make them come alive. We love knowing about Ben and Jerry, Jobs and Wosniak, Bill and Melinda and Richard Branson because we see them as real people with exciting, committed lives. Few people know anything about the CEO of Dell or American Airlines and their PR suffers.

Consistency – While representing institutional investment managers, a journalist once mused, “How come 75% of all money managers are in the top quartile when it comes to their performance releases?” That’s because the poor performers hide in the weeds when their numbers are down and emerge only when their numbers are up.

Want to win the respect of journalists, build credibility and generate positive press over the long haul? Be accessible when the news is bad. Get it out, get it done and move on. When it’s time to deliver good news, you will be far more credible and will have a trusting relationship with the editors and reporters. They will credit your for your candor and their coverage will be more positive and prominent when the news is good.

Simplicity – Keep it simple. How many times do we use jargon like OEM, FX or Q4 without thinking that the journalist who makes the first cut on a news release might be new to manufacturing or finance to say nothing of the reader. Journalism critics note that The Wall Street Journal, whose readers are supposed to be mostly business types, does better job of explaining business and financial terms than a The New York Times, whose readership is more general.

Kim Wallace of the market research firm Wallace & Washburn in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and author of “Why People Don’t Buy Things,” puts it this way: “Liken new concepts to what we already know. If you want to reach customers who had never seen snow tires before and need to explain their benefit say: They are like snowshoes for your car. Everyone will understand the concept instantly." 

Try to incorporate these news-making criteria into your next public relations foray—if you want to establishes your company’s CEO as an influencer, maximizes awareness and build brand equity.

That’s Next Level PR!

Dick Pirozzolo is Managing Director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston, whose PR campaigns have helped startups become publicly traded companies or be acquired by major public corporations. Dick lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

How the Russian Bear outfoxes Unwary American Business Execs Using Cyber Hacks and Spycraft

Business Travelers: Don’t drop your cyber guard in Russia or China and Iran

Beware Russian Meddling, Kremlin agents are cunning and uncompromising

Your host kindly greets you the minute you arrive at your hotel, casually directing the bellhop to take your bags to your room”including the one containing your laptop that is mysteriously delayed on its way to your floor.

He generously puts his luxury sedan at your disposal, with a driver whose English language skills appear to be limited so that you feel free to discuss your negotiating stance for an upcoming meeting in his presence.

Your smartphone runs out of juice, but fortunately your hotel and the local airport are conveniently equipped with charging stations. Unfortunately, the devices exchange a little bit of electricity for all of your data.
 
When FBI Special Agent James Corbett, a counterintelligence specialist, spoke to members of the New EnglandCanada Business Council NECBC, he told the group of business and financial executives that foreign governments and businesses will stop at nothing to get a competitive edge. He regularly warns Americans who travel internationally on business that seemingly innocent gestures should raise a red flag.

Agent Corbett put it this way: “In many countries respect for and an expectation of privacy is simply a foreign notion. Cleverness is respected far more than fair play,” which includes enticing executives into compromising positions.

Check out the FBI’s Cyber Security Travel Tips.

Jubin Pejman, managing director of FCM360, an internet service provider specializing in financial transactions and cybersecurity counter measures concurs. “Tablets, laptops and smart phones are so convenient and powerful that it’s easy to become complacent when it comes to securing the vast amounts of data they store—especially overseas where corporate and government spies will go to extremes to gather any information they can to gain an advantage.”

Foreign governments will piece together information from several travelers from the same company or government agency to create a composite picture that will provide competitors with your intellectual property, customer lists, passwords and more. “The bad actors are no surprise with Russia, China and Iran heading the list.” Says Pejman an Iranian native who left the country when the Shah was deposed in 1979.

To combat corporate espionage, “Sanitize all your devices before you go. Erase the memory, leaving only the operating systems and bare-bones applications. If this is too inconvenient buy a spare smart phone for foreign travel. While overseas, keep all contact information, notes, plans and documents that you need on a thumb drive and keep it in your possession at all times throughout your trip.

Do not rely on the guestroom safe for security,” says Agent Corbett, adding “When you return, have your company’s Information Security Officer examine your devices for suspicious access and spyware installations.”

  Agent Corbett warns business executives to suspect any delay—when government customs officers see a potentially high-value target they often coordinate an eavesdropping effort with covert agents at local hotels before they let you pass.

In addition to electronic surveillance and cyber theft, one can also encounter old-fashioned tradecraft when overseas. Agent Corbett confirms that there is plenty of truth to the dramatic FX TV series, The Americans in which actors Keri Russell and Mathew Rhys portray KGB agents masquerading as The Jennings, a typical American family next door. Agent Corbett emphasizes, “Beware of friendly strangers and compromising situations.”

 

FBI Special Agent Corbett's Cyber Safety Rules for Business Travel in Russia

Before you go, sanitize all electronic devices leaving only the operating system and basic applications in memory.

Keep all personal and company data on a thumb drive and keep it in your pocket.

Beware of undue delay when entering the country and when arriving at your hotel. Missing bags or your room not being ready are tip-offs that spies are at work.

Keep rechargeable power sources on hand. When you need to charge your phone, or tablet, charge up the power source first and then charge your device from the battery pack. Charge cords plugged directly into electric wall outlets are safe.

Do not use your host’s company computer to log into you’re your corporate offices back in the US; it’s an invitation to install spyware.

Cyber spies can turn on the mic in your smartphone remotely. Keep smartphones turned off when not in use and do not discuss confidential information via phone.

Clear your Internet browser after each session, deleting history, caches, cookies and temporary Internet files.

Discard thumb drives given out as advertising premiums at trade shows as they often contain malware that can automatically copy your data and transmit it the next time you log onto your company system.

Be aware that the expectation of privacy is not the same overseas as it is in the US. Expect cabdrivers, waiters, customs officials and others to relay anything you talk about to your hosts or their government.

Clean out voice mail immediately, as passcodes can become compromised when retrieving messages.

Change your passwords as soon as you return home.

By Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, an international marketing communication firm headquartered in Boston.

The New Face of Immigration Needs a Makeover

When politicians say they want to staple H1B visas to foreign students' diplomas when they graduate from American universities, most folks think:

Grads from MIT or Stanford with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.

But it's not all about STEM when it comes to Boston’s international base of talented and highly qualified professionals.
 
Take Iranian hotel designer Afrooz Sahraei Esfahani who was just named an “Up-and-Coming Designer” by Boutique Design for her work with J/Brice Design International, based in Boston’s Seaport District.

Ironically her culture and national origin—which will get her kicked out—is what makes her so valuable. Afrooze is able to drive business to her employer’s Boston hotel design firm and thus contributes to our economy.

Sadly, her parents and siblings are all here in the US, studying and working here legally — she is the only member of her family who is in danger of being sent out of the country and thus separated from her family. 

Afrooz Sahraei Esfahani and Jeffrey Ornstein 

Her employer has launched a time-consuming and costly legal challenge to get her a green card.  One barrier: the law says J/Brice has to replace Afrooz if the firm can find even a single U.S. citizen with design credentials that remotely match hers. 

On paper that’s one thing but the reality is quite different
 
An accomplished professional in Iran, Afrooz brought her talent to the U.S. in 2013 as a student and earned a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture from Suffolk University last year. The 30 years-old designer also holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Technology and Engineering from Azad University in Esfahan, Iran. 

Esfahani puts it this way:  My passion for Architecture was developed partly due to the fact that I was born and grew up in Esfahan, a city with historical architecture dating back 600 years or more. I was fascinated every time I looked at arcs of the Khajoo bridge, by the harmony and details of its design. The beautiful colors of tiles and proportion of dimensions in Naghshe Jahan square made me more interested in architecture. I was craving to learn how these huge buildings were designed and built so I chose architecture for my career.
 
“I’m afraid her degrees and all she has to offer will slip between the chairs of government policy making.” says J/Brice founder and CEO Jeffrey Ornstein.

According to a recent article in The Arlington Advocate by Bram Berkowitz:

The fact that someone as impressive as Sahraei-Esfahani is still not a guarantee to get a visa is worrisome to Ornstein and her attorney Shane Parker, a US immigration law specialist. “I’m afraid her degrees and all she has to offer will slip between the chairs of government policy-making,” said Ornstein.

Added Parker, “There is a lot of talk lately about how the US should be run like a business. If this is the case, shouldn’t we be trying to recruit top talent and individuals?”

Her firm needs people who undertand Middle Eastern esthetics. “J/Brice Design specializes in designing luxury interiors for hotels in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai and North Africa as well as the U.S. This makes Afrooz uniquely qualified to not only serve our clients in that region but to contribute to Boston’s economic growth and workplace diversity,” adds Ornstein whose staff of 15 employees herald from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Korea, China, Haiti, and Montserrat.
 
Esfahani continues, “I know the culture and customs of the Arabian Peninsula—including the business culture— and, as an Iranian, I have an esthetic and color sense that is unique to the culture and region as well It’s something one can learn about if you come from Wisconsin or Massachusetts but it won’t be steeped in your bones.”
 
Boutique Design magazine (BD) is the authority on the boutique hotel, spa and restaurant industry. 

Afrooz's story runs counter to the  current heavy-handed, get-tough Immigration Policy that especially targets people from the Middle East.

by Dick Pirozzolo

Managing Director 

Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

Boston, Massachusetts