Dave Menzies -- PR Coach, Consultant and Trainer

by Dave Menzies Responsible business professionals should conduct regular audits of publicity and branding initiatives to ensure they are effectively reaching prospects, customers and stakeholders. There are three main areas of focus when it comes to examining how you are spreading the word about your business or organization: marketing, advertising and public relations. These three pillars of publicity and branding all work together, with much cross-pollination when it comes to explaining your value proposition to prospects and customers. All three are important, with each one bringing unique aspects to the table. Marketing Marketing collateral pieces such as direct mailers, business cards, event exhibiting/sponsorship, brochures, information packets, print and electronic newsletters, and perhaps most important social media marketing tools (website, Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn profiles) need to be reviewed annually to ensure they are on message and reflect any overarching corpor

by Dave Menzies Is bad news ever good news in the business world? It can be, at least in the realm of public relations. The trick is knowing how to approach situations when things don’t go as planned to turn crisis situations into respectable outreach opportunities. The bad publicity myth You may have heard the phrase, “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” uttered in relation to making the best out of a bad situation. Well, of course there is such a thing as bad publicity, and nine times out of ten it’s because it’s handled incorrectly.

by Dave Menzies For entrepreneurs, especially for those bootstrapping their startups, getting a huge return on investment for every effort is essential to success. Most new business owners keep this in mind for the vast majority of their business operations. But what about maximizing your R.O.I. for being in public? Your public persona is your brand, and how you promote and manage your brand can make or break you with important stakeholders like prospects, customers, investors, employees, strategic partners and others. Each and every time you step out of the office and head into a public setting, you are representing your business. With this visibility brings opportunities.

by Dave Menzies Placing ads in magazines, newspapers, and online outlets that your prospects and customers (i.e. your target audience) frequent is a way to enhance branding and drive awareness of your business name, logo, etc. However, today’s consumer has continued to insulate his or herself from the onslaught of advertising messages both mentally and through technology such as pausing live TV and fast-forwarding through commercials, and closing or outright blocking online pop-up ads. If a target audience is actively avoiding advertising messages, the challenge then becomes how to get in front of them to initiate a desire to buy. In print and electronic media outlets, what is surrounded by ads? The answer is  editorial content  — this is the area to target with strategic messaging.

by Dave Menzies At a recent event in Raleigh, North Carolina — the annual two-day 2017 CED Life Science Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center, presented each year by  CED  in partnership with  NCBiotech  and  NCBio  — there were numerous opportunities to network. Some involved your basic hallway interactions, others at exhibit booths, still more at tables or in the next chair over at panel discussions and lectures. It was interesting to watch how people connected, and still more interesting to watch missed opportunities. The common thread in both cases was the ability of people to master the art of interpersonal communication.