1. Why Won’t Forbes
Write About Me?
Place Marketing in a New
Media Landscape

2. Your Guide
Steve Duncan
Account Director, DCI
• 9 Years at DCI
• Rankings & PR Specialist
steve.duncan@aboutdci.com
#PRchange

3. Join the Conversation
We’ll be tweeting today @aboutdci and invite
you to as well.
#PRchange
(and as always, #econdev)
#PRchange

4. #PRchange

5. Business 2.0
Conde naste
portfolio
#PRchange
U.s. News &
world report
Pc magazine
Newsweek

6. The Trickle-Down Effect
At national media outlets…
• News staffs are shrinking
• Politics are dominating
• “Info-tainment” is rising
• Online discussion is expanding
#PRchange

7. The Trickle-Down Effect
At national media outlets…
• News staffs are shrinking
• Politics are dominating
• “Info-tainment” is rising
• Online discussion is expanding
#PRchange

8. The Trickle-Down Effect
At national media outlets…
• News staffs are shrinking
• Politics are dominating
• “Info-tainment” is rising
• Online discussion is expanding
#PRchange

9. #PRchange

10. So, What’s the Deal
•
•
•
•
•
Death to the Evergreen
SEx Sells
Think Like the New York Post
Who’s Your Cover Girl (or Guy)?
The Unlikely Marriage of PR and Advertising
#PRchange

11. 1. Death to the Evergreen
• Staffs are stretched, so
breaking news wins
• In the Internet age, it’s
about instancy and
quantity
• What little is left over
have become rankings
#PRchange

12. 1. Death to the Evergreen
• Staffs are stretched, so
breaking news wins
• In the Internet age,
page views win
(instancy, quantity,
sensational)
• What little is left over
have become rankings
#PRchange

13. 1. Death to the Evergreen
• Staffs are stretched, so
breaking news wins
• In the Internet age,
page views win
(instancy, quantity,
sensational)
• What little is left over
have become rankings
#PRchange

14. 1. Death to the Evergreen
• Staffs are stretched, so
breaking news wins
• In the Internet age,
page views win
(instancy, quantity,
sensational)
• What little is left over
have become rankings
#PRchange

15. • Investigative, less
urgent stories
farmed out
• More open to your
story (content = $$)
• Maybe not a full
feature, but
roundups are
common
• Multiple outlets
#PRchange

16. Where Do We Find Them?
#PRchange

17. The Online Game
The first one to 100K
wins…
• Now, now, now
• More, more, more
• Juicy, sexy, divisive
“If it bleeds, it leads.”
#PRchange

18. #PRchange

19. 2. SEx Sells
Hey there, will you
listen to my pitch
about our city’s
really cool startup
scene?
#PRchange

20. What Does “Simply Extroadinary”
Mean?
What works:
• first
• greatest
• largest
• only
• unprecedented
*must be verifiable, put
in context
#PRchange
What doesn’t:
• one of….
• just like…
• nearly the most…
• second ever
• really good
• best in state
• Silicon _______

21. #PRchange

23. How Do You Find These?
Who’s your…
• top philanthropist(s)?
• top corporation?
• most exciting entrepreneur?
• best celebrity or (former) athlete?
What’s your…
• most mind-boggling statistic?
• most aspirational goal?
• coolest, geekiest, oddest asset?
#PRchange

24. You and 82 others don’t really care.

25. 3. Think Like the New York Post
#PRchange

26. 3. Think Like the New York Post
#PRchange

27. Why Is This So Important?
Which email would you read?
“Reno, NV Candy Company Reshores Operations
from Asia”
“Small Candy Manufacturer Returns Production
to the U.S. from Korea”
“A Modern Day Willy Wonka Brings Back
Operations to U.S.”
#PRchange

28. #PRchange

29. Let’s Try Another
“Urban Park Earns National Recognition for
Design, Downtown Resurgence”
“Birmingham’s Downtown Renaissance Sparked
by New Urban Park”
“A Railroad Runs Through It: A City's Embrace of
a Rail Line as a ‘River’”
#PRchange

30. #PRchange

31. Things to Consider
• Does this sound like a press release?
• Does it show relevance to the writer’s beat
(keywords)? Maybe even reference a recent
story?
• Does it combine intrigue with insight?
• Is there uncertainty, conflict, or enormity that
is suggested?
#PRchange

32. 4. Who’s Your Cover Girl (or Guy)?
#PRchange

33. #PRchange

34. How Are People Changing Your
Community?
The media wants power-players who are
investing…
…in your community, generating change and
optimism.
#PRchange

35. #PRchange

36. 5. The Unlikely Marriage of
PR & Advertising
PR, I want to
market with you the
rest of my life!
#PRchange

38. Native Advertising Is…
• Advertising loosely disguised as editorial
(think the “advertorial” for the digital age)
• A chance to communicate directly with
business leaders
• Still evolving—cost structure, style,
regulations
• An opportunity with greater potential than
banner ads

39. A Story Yet To Be Written…
Native advertising in EconDev:
• Partner with a local corporation that has the
marketing budget to tell your community’s
story.
• City & state cooperation for industry branding
effort.

40. To Sum Up…
•
•
•
•
•
Death to the Evergreen
SEx Sells
Think Like the New York Post
Who’s Your Cover Girl (or Guy)?
The Unlikely Marriage of PR and Advertising

41. #PRchange

42. Thank You For Joining!
For a copy of this presentation or questions on
media relations, please email Steve Duncan
steve.duncan@aboutdci.com
For regular commentary on media relations and
other economic development topics
www.aboutdci.com/blog
#PRchange