PR and marketing

So you’ve sent out a pitch or a media release to journalists and have received no reply. What now? What should you do to find out if the journalist received your email or if they are interested? An essential skill for all PR professionals is to learn how to follow up with the media over the phone.

The best way to follow up with a journalist is by calling them. An appropriate time to follow-up is usually two to three days after the email pitch or release has been sent.

Never wait more than a week to follow up as waiting too long may result in the journalist deleting your email, the story being covered by another person or the story becoming (quite literally) yesterday’s news.

When it comes to following-up journalists the best advice would be to go with your gut instinct – listen to their tone of voice and the way they phrase their answers and make decisions based on that.

However, sometimes that can be a bit hard to do, so here are a few tips you should always take into account when following-up with a journalist.

Be very specific about the media pitch or release you sent them. Don’t just say “I sent you a release and wanted to know if you were interested”.

• Be polite and speak clearly
  When calling a journalist speak clearly and be very direct and to the point. Try to sound interested and enthusiastic to make the call interesting for the journalist.
• Don’t be afraid of journalists
  Don’t be intimidated by journalists, they are people too. If you contact them at a bad time apologise once and move on, apologising more than that can become annoying.
• Choose your questions wisely
  When calling a journalist don’t ask them if they are going to publish the media release. Instead, tell them the date you sent the media release on and what it was regarding. Simply ask if they received the release and if they would like further information or high resolution images.
• Be ready to respond to their requests
  You should be ready to supply the journalist with relevant images, additional information, event details or the contact details of your spokesperson. You can also line up interviews for the journalist to make it easier for them to cover your story/client.

Now that you have the journalist on the phone, how do you react to their responses? One way to calm your nerves and sound more confident on the phone would be to plan out what you want to get across – your pitch or key points.

However, any phone conversation can be unpredictable especially when dealing with a journalist. The best way to tackle any response from a journalist is to be flexible and prepared for anything. You may need to resend the release or answer detailed questions on the spot. More than likely you will need to leave a voice message, so be prepared for that.

Remember after every follow-up to make a note of the outcome to ensure you remember who you have called and who was interested.

The most important thing to remember when conducting a media follow-up is to remain confident and try to provide the most appropriate and interesting information for the journalist. With a little bit of preparation beforehand, you can then hang up the phone feeling like you’ve achieved your goal and maintained a good relationship with the journalist.

* One of Sydney’s most respected PR Agencies
* Work on PR and social media.
* Get noticed in a small team!

The opportunity exists for a PR Consultant ideally with around 3 years PR experience. You will be doing both PR and social media for global and local brands.

Pioneers in PR and social media strategies, we’re one of Sydney’s most respected and innovative boutique PR agencies.

People who work with us describe us as “absolute professionals” who are “always on the lookout for new ideas and points of difference.” We work in a proactive way, so our clients can achieve the exposure that’s right for their business goals. Many have remained loyal for almost ten years.

We’re looking for an PR Consultant who will be a key team member and:
* Manage with PR and social media campaigns
* Manage client relationships
* Be responsible for media liaison and story ideas
* Writing so much more than just boring media releases!

You will have:
- Completed degree qualifications in Public Relations, Journalism, Business Marketing/Advertising, or a related field
- High level of written and verbal communication
- Be flexible, adaptable and ready to learn quickly

In return we can offer you a fun place to work with a team of like-minded professionals plus the creative stimulation that comes from working with one of the most highly regarded names in the business.

We are based in Crows Nest, 5 mins walk from St Leonard's train station and buses.

To find out more about what makes us tick read our blog www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au and read our client testimonials at www.cpcommunications.com.au

Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics International Governance and Performance Research Centre Director, Professor Nonna Martinov-Bennie, has been appointed to the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.

Before becoming an academic, she was a Senior Audit Manager with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, managing audit teams for major corporate audit clients. Prof. Martinov-Bennie is a FCPA and FCA and continues to be involved with the profession as a member of several advisory committees.

“It is a great honour, as the only academic member, to be appointed to such a prestigious and important regulatory body. I look forward to contributing my expertise and experience to the Board and its standard-setting activities”, she said.

The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board is an independent statutory agency of the Australian Government, responsible for developing standards and related guidance for auditors and providers of other assurance services.

About Macquarie University Faculty of Business & Economics (FBE)
Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in addition to strong academic research in the fields of accounting and finance, actuarial studies, business, economics, marketing and management.

Reputation matters- Klout, Kred, and the growth of the social recommendation economy with Kate Carruthers.

How do you measure reputation on social media? It’s so much more than the number of followers you have.

Both Klout and Kred measure influence based on your ability to drive action. The Klout Score uses data from social networks to measure true reach, amplification and network impact. Kred analyses billions of tweets from the last 1,000 days to calculate your Kred. Every interaction you have made in that time is part of your score. It measures Influence and Outreach level.

But are they accurate? Kate will explain the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters. She will discuss how to make the new social recommendation economy work for you.

About Kate:

Kate Carruthers is an expert and forecaster in online collaboration, social media, digital integration, unified communication, email and search marketing.

With extensive experience in senior executive roles for diverse organisations such as GE, AMP, Westfield and State Government she currently works in business strategy and implementation roles. Kate has also lectured in postgraduate business at Macquarie University and taught TAFE level courses in business and management.

She is Co-Founder of Social Innovation Sydney and was a long standing member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers and is a Senior Member of the Australian Computer Society. She is on the Advisory Board for the　Schools of Computer Science & Software Engineering and Information Systems & Technology at the University of Wollongong.

Kate is currently studying law part time as an external student with Queensland University of Technology.

Twitter: @kcarruthers 
Blog: http://katecarruthers.com/blog/

Please note: This month's Social Media Women is being held on the FIRST Tuesday of the month as the second Tuesday falls on Valentines Day.

A not to be missed event- learn about the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters.

Register now for our February event at

http://socialmediawomenfebruary.eventbrite.com

Date: Tuesday 7 February 2012 (First week in February)
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford st, Darlinghurst.

(Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

 

 

Rural and regional Australians are unprepared for the impact a faster internet service will have on their businesses and everyday lives when the National Broadband Network (NBN) is introduced – with many seeming confused about what the changes will mean for them.

These are the findings of a recent survey of 1030 rural and regional Australians conducted by FatCow.com.au, an online business directory servicing the Australian farming, agricultural and horticultural sectors. The survey revealed confusion over the NBN with contradictory opinions surfacing about whether any impact will even be noticeable, especially to their businesses.

Over a third of rural and regional business owners said they would not take advantage of the NBN to promote their business even though over half of all the business owners surveyed claim to be found by customers via the internet.

Commercial Manager for FatCow.com.au, Paul Ryan, said, “Regional and rural Australians don’t seem to understand the incredible potential of the NBN. Many business owners don’t believe their customer numbers will increase and the majority believes competition will stay the same, which shows a real lack of education about what the NBN can actually lead to.”

When business owners were asked about the NBN and possible increases in competition and customer numbers and orders:
· Almost 54 percent stated they did not think their business would be negatively impacted by customers buying products from overseas online stores.
· 71 percent did not believe the NBN would create more competition for their business.
· Over half believed the NBN would not help to deliver more customers or orders.

Although more than 70 per cent believe owning a business website is important and 85 per cent will continue to engage online, 60 per cent of regional and rural Australians are worried about the cost of the NBN.

“The NBN will bring fantastic opportunities for all regional and rural Australians. It will bring forth the potential for increased revenue in business, faster internet which will improve productivity and a much wider scope for business services. Yet many Australians are unwilling to pay for it,” said Mr Ryan.

While almost 96 per cent of non business owners believed the internet was a viable channel for buying and selling agricultural products online, 72 per cent would not consider starting a business regardless of faster internet access.

Rural and regional Australians were surveyed about the effects of major issues on their town including the economy, environmental issues and cost of resources.

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For more information please contact:
Lauren Milne
CP Communications
P: 02 9922 1063

About FatCow.com.au and the survey
FatCow.com.au is an online business directory servicing the Australian farming, agricultural and horticultural sectors. Owned and operated by Catch, an online division of Reed Business Information Australia, FatCow.com.au provides a comprehensive central online source containing the latest product, company and industry news updates.

The survey of 1030 rural and regional Australians over the age of 18 years was carried out over the months of August, September and beginning of October, covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics.
 www.fatcow.com.au

Christmas is on its way and Social Media Women are celebrating the end of another fantastic year filled with a range of amazing speakers who have contributed to the success of Social Media Women.

As a thank you to everyone who has attended and contributed to our Social Media Women events we would like to invite you to help us to celebrate its success on the last Social Media Women night for 2011.

Feel free to join us anytime from 7pm on the 13th December at The Oxford Street Hotel. We would love to see you there!

Register now for our December event at http://socialmediawomendecember.eventbrite.com

Date:    Tuesday 13 December 2011

Time:    7:00pm-8:30pm

Venue:  The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel, 134 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

Meet amazing women as well as discussing the ever changing world of social media.

The open discussion about social media is one of the best parts of the event. So bring your social media questions for the group to answer.

GOLD COAST, Australia (16 November, 2011) – The Hilton Surfers Paradise complex on Queensland's Gold Coast will be officially launched tonight and is central in the revitalisation of the Hilton portfolio in Queensland and Hilton’s expansion in Australasia.

Development in the region has been an important source of expansion for Hilton over the past decade, and the revitalisation of the Hilton brand in Queensland has been a major part of the company’s growth plans.

Vice President Operations Hilton Worldwide Australasia, Ashley Spencer said, “development in Queensland has been central to our growth strategy across Australasia, our new flagship property in Surfers Paradise is the first new upper upscale international hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in over 10 years.”

While the prevailing view is that Surfers Paradise is a predominantly leisure market, the hotel has been multipurpose built with growth in business travel in mind.

The Gold Coast caters to half of the business travel expenditure in Queensland, with the new Hilton Surfers Paradise being an instrumental addition to support growth in this market.

“About half of the investment spent on business travel in Queensland is on the Gold Coast, and this is only expected to rise following the introduction of new business class flights and returning business confidence,” said Mr Spencer.

Initially the project stalled, but was re-commenced in 2009 when ANZ and Brookfield Multiplex put together a financing and development management structure that saw the recommencement of the $700 million project, including a retail complex, apartments as well as a Hilton managed hotel.

Brookfield Multiplex Australasia managing director George Kostas said the innovative, world-class design of Hilton Surfers Paradise catered for a wide range of markets.

“Hilton Surfers Paradise is one of the first projects of its kind of this scale in Australia. It’s a landmark for the Gold Coast, featuring both a dedicated hotel and residences with access to hotel services,” he said.

“We have achieved more than $430 million of apartment sales in a particularly tough market and, as a result, we believe Hilton Surfers Paradise will be a catalyst for more of this style of development across Australia, catering to visitors, residents and investors alike.

“The development was delivered ahead of time and on budget, providing two new signature towers on the Gold Coast skyline and a significant boost for its economy. It will continue to have a positive impact on the community well into the future.”

Stage one, Boulevard Tower opened last December, and the second and final stage, Orchid Tower opened this month. The 32 and 57 level properties include a signature restaurant by Luke Mangan, Salt Grill, executive lounge, fitness centre, pool and the highly anticipated eforea: Spa.

Hilton Surfers Paradise General Manager David Kelly said the complex had been specifically designed in response to the demand for more flexible and spacious holiday options in the area.

“This is an absolutely striking addition to our portfolio, with state of the art design, optimised technology and impeccable service standards for which our company is founded on,” said Mr Kelly.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the Hilton Surfers Paradise was an instant icon on the Surfers Paradise stage.

“What a spectacular addition to the famous Surfers Paradise experience, this is an iconic venue with a world class offering and a globally renowned brand right in the revitalised heart of Australia’s most popular tourist destination.”

Catering to both business and leisure travel markets, the two towers feature a combined 410 one, two and three bedroom residences, and a 169 room Hilton hotel. Purchasers of the residential apartments also have the option of placing them under the management of the Hilton.

About Hilton Surfers Paradise
Hilton Surfers Paradise is the first leisure-focused hotel and residences from Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Australia. It is also the first global upscale hotel to be built on the Gold Coast since 2000. The development consists of two spectacular curved towers rising above the city skyline, with the Boulevard Tower opening its doors to both residents and guests in late 2010 and the Orchid Tower which welcomed its first guests in September 2011. The complete project offers Hilton guests a combination of 250 one, two and three bedroom residences, and 169 guest rooms and suites.

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, forward thinking global leader in hospitality. From inaugural balls and Hollywood award galas to business events and days to remember, Hilton is where the world makes history, closes the deal, toasts special occasions and gets away from it all. The flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide continues to build upon its legacy of innovation by developing products and services to meet the needs of tomorrow's savvy global travelers while more than 144,000 Team Members shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued and respected. Today, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes more than 540 hotels in 78 countries and the brand remains synonymous with "hotel." Access the latest Hilton news at www.hiltonglobalmediacenter.com or begin your journey at www.hilton.com. Social media users can engage with Hilton at www.twitter.com/hiltononline, www.facebook.com/hilton and www.youtube.com/hilton. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands. 

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,750 hotels and timeshare properties, with 615,000 rooms in 85 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, visit www.HiltonWorldwide.com or connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.HiltonWorldwide.com/Media.

About Brookfield Multiplex
Brookfield Multiplex is a leader in global contracting and development management – we build, engineer and maintain property and infrastructure assets.
Delivering major projects on behalf of landowners across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Canada, Brookfield Multiplex is one of the few international contracting businesses that offer expertise across the entire design, development and construction life cycle of a project. 
Brookfield Multiplex was established in Australia in 1962 and over nearly five decades Brookfield Multiplex has completed more than 723 projects across the globe with a combined value of AUD$ 47.7 billion.
The Brookfield Multiplex contracting business currently has an AUD$ 8.1 billion global workbook across 38 projects spanning a variety of sectors including residential, entertainment, health, retail, commercial and education.
Brookfield Multiplex is known for its industry expertise and award-winning approach having won over 410 awards for innovation and setting standards across all sectors.

Contact:          
Charlotte Seymour
Hilton Worldwide
+61 447 710 099           
charlotte.seymour@hilton.com

CP Communications
+61 2 9922 1063
catriona@cpcommunications.com.au

Aprimo today announced the appointment of Jason Bargent as Sales Director for Aprimo Australia and New Zealand.

In this position Mr Bargent will be responsible for growing the Aprimo business within the Australia and New Zealand regions. He will be the driving force behind Aprimo, leading the Australia and New Zealand teams in helping many more businesses in the region to grow and enhance their marketing activities.

“As B2B and B2C businesses in this region continue to look for new ways to grow and be more competitive, I’m excited to be joining Aprimo, an industry leader in understanding the radical changes happening within marketing and sales teams,” Mr Bargent said.

Mr Bargent brings with him more than 19 years experience in business applications, technology sales and consulting experience across all industry sectors within the USA, UK, Europe and Asia Pacific. “I believe in the value that an integrated marketing platform provides to all aspects of a business to drive growth into new channels whilst focusing on the investment and alignment to return.”

“As a sales leader accountable for growth, Jason is well aware of the challenges facing Aprimo’s customer base,” Says Dennis Samuel, Vice President of Aprimo Asia Pacific and Japan. “We strongly believe his expertise and leadership skills will further strengthen the Aprimo Australia and New Zealand teams.”

Prior to Aprimo, Mr Bargent held the position of Victorian State Manager for Optus Business, responsible for driving the growth and customer satisfaction of the communications and cloud offerings within the Business sector of Optus in Victoria.

Mr Bargent has worked across several companies in Australia and New Zealand, including MYOB, Oracle’s Technology Consulting Group, Lotus Development and IBM.

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For further information or interviews please contact:
Lauren Milne
CP Communications
Phone: 02 9922 1063

About Aprimo
Aprimo, a Teradata company, is a leading global provider of marketing software and services that enhance the productivity and performance of marketing organisations. Through the use of Aprimo’s Integrated Marketing Management (IMM) software for B2B and B2C, marketers can integrate their organisations, get control of budget and spends, eliminate internal silos with streamlined workflows, and execute innovative multi-channel campaigns to drive measurable return on investment. Hundreds of thousands of marketers trust Aprimo to revolutionise their marketing. Aprimo customers include over one third of Fortune 100 companies, and nearly one quarter of Global 100 companies. Founded in 1998, Aprimo is headquartered in Indianapolis with offices worldwide. For more information, call + 61 (0)2 9951 8015 or visit www.aprimo.com.

Teradata Corporation (NYSE: TDC), Aprimo’s parent company, is the world's leader in data warehousing and integrated marketing management through its database software, enterprise data warehousing, data warehouse appliances, and enterprise analytics. Teradata acquired Aprimo in January 2011. For more information, visit www.teradata.com.