Today, we visited FUGU PR, a boutique PR firm that caters to a range of clients from Doc Martens to TEDx Brighton to the Patient Safety Congress which garnered press in the BBC and Daily Mail. FUGU PR's owner, Vicki Hughes, has over 20 years of PR experience and has seen the industry evolve drastically. From Vickie's vast experience and wisdom, she shared the one aspect of PR that has not changed is the practitioner's ability to tell a story. PR is about content. The goal is to develop interesting content that is relevant for the client. Interesting content lends well to getting the publics of Vicki's clients focused on an issue, product or service. A compelling narrative (i.e., story) leads to a change in attitude and/or behavior. People are interested in stories which capture the minds, hearts and ultimately brand loyalty of the consumer. Although the client may have a compelling story, the PR agency must carry the story above the din of other "great" stories. This is done by meeting publics where they are and meeting them there often. Seven touches Vicki mentioned the rule of seven touches by Dr. Jeffrey Lant which states that "to penetrate the buyer’s consciousness and make significant penetration in a given market, you have to touch the prospect a minimum of seven times within an 18-month period." Each touch is an opportunity to establish, build and manage the relationship between the clients and its publics. FUGU PR manages the public relations aspects of her clients relationships with their publics. Compelling narratives created by Vicki's team and engaging relationships through multiple touches lead to the establishment of a reputation. A reputation is what an organization does, what it says and what others say about the organization. As an analogy, pretend you're at a bar. John begins talking to you saying he's kind, polite and has a great sense of humor. How you feel about that? It may seem self-serving on John's part. Now, Derek walks up to you and tells you John visited his grandmother for an afternoon because she was lonely. At the end of the visit, Derek's grandmother was smiling, laughing and could not stop talking about the great time she had with John. Now, how do you feel about John? John's words seem to have more credibility after hearing from Derek. That's the essence of PR and analogous to what Vicki's firm does for its clients.
By Hunter7Taylor (Inger Eberhart)
We have completed our tour of Dublin and it's time to go. We have been here six days and bonded over sushi, traditional Irish fare and our collective wanderlust (ok, we got lost). Taking this journey as a group has allowed us to have some wonderful experiences, meet the locals and share taxis with drivers protesting about everything from the smart water meters to Michelle Obama vacations to historical places in Dublin. Oh, and we also visited the US Embassy, RTE Radio & TV, Failte Ireland & Guinness :-) I'm from the government & I'm here to help These words were spoken by Ronald Reagan and he stated those are nine of the most terrifying words in the English language. However, in this instance, this is not the case. At the US Embassy, we spoke with Jen McAndrews about her career as a cultural attache in Israel, Pakistan and now Ireland. She provided very straightforward, in-depth information about her career and duties in the State Department. Her overall duties in each assignment were to create events that supported the US's policy directives for the area. For example, in Pakistan, Jen coordinated a music concert in a place where music is generally forbidden and musicians' work is not protected under copyright; in addition to the ongoing terrorism threats and general security issues.
Public-private partnership
At RTE, we spoke with Killian McCrae. RTE is a nationally-funded television and radio organization. They acquire funding from a broadcast fee attached to each household (180 euros/year) and through advertising. The variety of programming includes news, soap operas, dramas, politics and a myriad of other shows. The overarching goal of the agency is to engage diverse audiences through a variety of programming delivered effectively, efficiently and economically across the audience's choice of platform (digital, television, etc.) Although the station is a government entity, they operate as if they were a private, non-profit organization with the needs of the viewers at the forefront of their corporate strategy.
Breathtaking
That was one word that Failte Ireland used to lure businesses, tourists and residents to Ireland. Tourism is one of Ireland's biggest industries and Failte Ireland wants you to fall in love with everything Ireland. Whether you are a great escaper fleeing the rat race, culturally curious about what makes Ireland the place that it is or a social energizer emboldened by the night life, there is always a place for you in Ireland. Energize at Temple Bar, track your heritage at the National Library or have your breath taken away at the Cliffs of Moher. Danielle and Alex are two of Ireland's best ambassadors who have replicated their energy and enthusiasm to thousands of business owners throughout Ireland. The team of over 400 employees serve one purpose and send one message: Failte (Welcome to) Ireland.
Guinness: The Brand Experience
Ireland's number one visitor attraction (1.2M/year) is not just a beer company but a brand experience. 93% of their visitors are from countries worldwide and the majority of those visitors are new. Instead of just drinking a beer, Guinness markets itself as a must see attraction which has rocketed it to one of the top five paid experiences in the world, think Coca-Cola in Atlanta, VW in Germany & Hershey's in Pennsylvania. Just a few elements of the brand experience: Guinness Academy (learn to present the perfect pint), marketing (whistling oysters & a fish on a bicycle), Gravity Bar (Dublin 360). Each interaction is to foster & deepen brand love by creating unique & shareable moments.
Saturday was such a fun day! I attended the Pow Wow Indian Festival. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Native American culture through, not only vendors, but dance and a celebration of the Native American heritage. Thank you Rolling Thunder.
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