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.

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

Convergence of Media

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?

Rising above …• Enterprise, Media & UGC

Image courtesy of Converseon

Too much chatter …. not enough listening

Process of EngagementSetting KPIs -

Image courtesy of Converseon

The PerformersStrategic integrated communications

campaigns

• Sustain visibility

• Drive home clients’ core messaging

• Dominate niche markets

• Elevate thought leadership

• Open doors and… of course …

• Get ink

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

Case Studies

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

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.

Flamingo-a-Go-Go for Planet CancerObjective

– 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

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

Integrated Communications Strategy – Social Media/PR

E

ach venue

has its own

cultural

norms which

should be

kept in mind

Image courtesy of Converseon

E

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

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

Cynthia A. Baker, President & Founder 512.586.8278 (cell)

512.795.2353 (office)