C.E.L.’s Kari Logan recently returned from traveling in Delaware and Virginia with CNN International News reporter Natalie Allen and photojournalist Rich Rumppe. The crew shot video and conducted interviews with two successful Nexstar® Network member businesses for a special program entitled, Top Shops – A Nexstar Network Report.
The program with run at Nexstar’s upcoming Super Meeting in Austin Texas. Logan secured Natalie Allen to host the show. “The video segments will be produced in news story format,” said Logan.
“They will share the secrets of these successful companies.”
Kari Logan, Co-owner & Media Relations Specialist at C.E.L., is headed to Denver, Colorado to attend the Applewood Peer Group Meeting on behalf of Nexstar® Network. Logan will write an article on the event for Contractor Magazine, a leading trade publication for plumbing, heating and cooling home service contractors.
Nexstar conducts peer group meetings so members have the opportunity to see and learn from the best-run companies. Meetings are hosted by members who open their business, their books and their secrets to fellow members; owners and managers of independent plumbing, HVAC and electrical contracting companies. It’s three days of intense mentoring and participants walk away with tangible strategies that have led to documented success. Peer Group meetings set the standard and raise the bar for other professionals to live and work by.
“I’m looking forward to capturing the essence of this event within the pages of Contractor,” said Logan. “It’s always inspiring to visit the shops of successful Nexstar members with a strong commitment to mentoring and learning from other members through Nexstar’s incredible peer connections.”
I was reading my daily issue of Ragan’s PR Daily Dog this morning, it’s a daily newsletter of sorts for public relations professions. I try to keep up on what’s new in the industry, especially when it comes to attracting media attention towards my clients.
There was a story in there on a study that was released Monday from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. It indicated that 95 percent of media reporting comes from old media, a.k.a. old press releases. The study also said press releases are replacing originally reported stories at major newspapers. So basically, because of social media, reporters and editors are circulating and utilizing press releases for more than a one time report.
Doug Bedell writes for a publication called “Flack Me” (flack is a not-so-nice term sometimes used by the media to describe PR professionals) and he says, ” While enterprising news coverage seems to be waning,”, “the utility of well-written press releases may be increasing.” That finding led another blogger, Adam Sherk, to conclude “companies can increase the likelihood of their press releases being used by bloggers and local news sources by giving them a more news-like tone and dialing down the marketing hype.”
So, the next time you’re wondering if writing and distributing a good press release is worth the time and money, consider the new rules of engagement and potential return on investment!
~ Kari Logan
