2. About Accolades
• Accolades Public Relations is a results-oriented
communications firm committed to progressive
strategies in public relations and marketing. It is a
new breed of PR firm where the client’s needs drive
solutions, whether in media exposure or news online.
• The firm’s mission is to set the standard in what
carefully executed public relations and communication
strategies can do for sales, lead generation and the
bottom line of ROI. Accolades’ team of public relations
specialists practice a blend of traditional public
relations along with optimized PR and social
media.

3. Trust is Key
• According to the 2009 Edelman Trust
Barometer
– 29% of people have connected with a brand
through a social networking site
– 79% of people said that recommendations
from family and friends was very important
to them
– 91% of people said that a company that
communicates frequently and honestly on
the current state of the business is an
important factor to the overall reputation of
the company

4. Convergence of Media

5. Google Rules
• Lessons from the McNuggets story and
Jackie Huba
• You are not in complete control of your
brand
• “The sum of your brand is Google
search results”
• What is the impact on reputation
management?

6. Rising above …
• Enterprise, Media & UGC
Image courtesy of Converseon

7. Too much chatter …. not enough
listening

8. Process of Engagement
Setting KPIs -
Image courtesy of Converseon

9. The Performers
Strategic integrated communications
campaigns
• Sustain visibility
• Drive home clients’ core messaging
• Dominate niche markets
• Elevate thought leadership
• Open doors and… of course …
• Get ink

10. The “Force-Multiplier Effect”
• The goal is to do a good job in Social Media and in
Traditional Media. Success in BOTH arenas creates a
force-multiplier effect. The trick is understanding that you
need to craft custom approaches to these varying
audiences.
• Social Media demands 24/7 presence, frequently updated
and relevant content, a diplomatic and distinct voice.
• Traditional Media requires careful timing, a differentiated
story, a proud voice, a tightly-packaged and closely-held
assembly of content, verifiable proof and articulate
defenders.
• Understand the difference. Do both.
- Todd Defren

11. Case Studies

12. Interactive Austin 2009
Objective
– Increase IA09 conference visibility
and attendance
Strategy
– Use traditional online marketing and
social media tools, including Twitter,
LinkedIn and Facebook
Result
– Gained visibility by over 2.4
million Twitter followers
– Increased event attendance by 100
new attendees

13. Mercury Mambo Business Development
Objective
– Hispanic marketing firm wants to
demonstrate expertise in Hispanic
markets
Strategy
– Accolades PR assisted with technical
set-up, content and strategies of their
company blog
Result
– Firm’s blog gained top 5 Hispanic
marketing blog status
– Blog helped establish agency’s
credibility; gained speaking
opportunities to provide Hispanic
marketing training to PR firms.

14. Flamingo-a-Go-Go for Planet Cancer
Objective
– Increase community support,
attendance at the annual
fundraiser
Strategy
– Use a combined social media &
PR campaign, which could be
duplicated in other cities
Result
– In 2 mos., Facebook community
grew from 0 to 712 members;
80,000 Twitter followers
– Met fundraising goals w/ overall
40% decrease in donations
– System for duplicating

15. Objective
– Deepen relationships with commercial interior designers
– Build community with art enthusiasts online
Strategy
– Develop integrated communications strategies for target
audiences that build fans of the company. Build community
with art enthusiasts online
– Improve lead generation and ROI

16. Integrated Communications
Strategy – Social Media/PR
E
ch venue E
as its own
cultural
rms which
should be
ept in mind
Image courtesy of Converseon

17. Mushland
– The lines are blurring between
internet marketing, social
media marketing, search
engine marketing, WOM
marketing, inbound marketing
companies and public
relations firms.
– There is an overlap of
functions and yet not all of
them provide an overall
comprehensive
communications plan that
integrates the marketing,
blogging and social media
along with the public
relations efforts.
Artist Kujisha – http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/archive/index.php?t-850.html

18. Arrows in Quiver
PR 2.0 Firms – Integrated Strategy
• Messaging for Key Audiences
• Optimized PR/SEO/SEM
• Reporters/Influencers
• Online Newsrooms/SMPRs
• Blogging/Micro-blogging
• Social Media
• Monitoring/Measuring

19. Cynthia A. Baker, President & Founder
 512.586.8278 (cell)
 512.795.2353 (office)