AkzoNobel, an international paint and coating company, has hired KemperLesnik to manage public relations for the North American region. AkzoNobel is made up of 40 different trusted brands and products operating in 150 different countries. The KemperLesnik team will provide expertise in corporate communications, social media engagement and digital marketing.
Category: Culture & News
New Business: ESP Gaming
ESP Gaming, a leading competitive gaming content company, has partnered with KemperLesnik for public relations and content marketing. ESP Gaming brings production, expertise and turnkey solutions to esports organizations and game developers on a global scale.
Four Strategies for Producing Effective Thought Leadership
Thought leadership is at the core of all that we do in business-focused public relations and marketing. By definition, thought leadership is an area of expertise that a person or a company owns. It offers a solution to a problem that is challenging an industry. Often, thought leadership is what sets a brand apart in a crowded marketplace. That is, if the brand’s thought leadership is strong, reliable and engaging.
Here are a few statistics to paint the picture of the uphill battle we are facing when it comes to thought leadership:
- 56% of executives said that thought leadership is of no value
- 95% of executives said that poor thought leadership lowers their opinion of a brand, and they will be less likely to hire that company
- Only 66% of c-suite executives are proponents of thought leadership marketing
With this in mind, how can thought leadership content play a driving role in the bottom line of an organization? I recently attended the Profiting from Thought Leadership workshop in Boston, where some of the world’s leading thought leadership practitioners at firms such as McKinsey, Accenture and Fidelity Investments answered this question for a room full of PR practitioners and marketers. In simple terms, it is timely, relevant and substantive thought leadership that will move the needle, and it is the PR professional and the marketer that need to dig deep to uncover this content. This takes precision and skill.
In some organizations, this means the PR practitioner and marketer need to probe their experts and encourage thinking. In other organizations, it is important to be contrarian and push the boundaries. No matter the company, it is important for PR and marketing to use these strategies to find effective thought leadership that will push the company’s brand to the forefront:
- Be a gatekeeper. When every expert thinks his/her thought leadership needs to be promoted, it is essential for PR and marketing professionals to identify the thought leadership that will support and drive the company’s brand. One approach is to establish content guidelines or develop a content assessment tool, which can be an objective way to examine thought leadership for its effectiveness.
- Be an argument shaper. Often times, it is weighing in on industry hot topics that will put the spotlight on an organization. When a crisis strikes or an impactful event happens, encourage your experts to create and deliver thought leadership that takes a stand, takes a side and says something meaningful.
- Be an evidence gatherer. Sixty-six percent of executives agree that research studies are the most successful part of PR and marketing campaigns. Tap into company research and/or recent data findings when building content. Make it substantive. Dig deep to find the data points that will give your thought leader and organization a clear platform on a specific issue.
- Be an expert. Most importantly, all thought leaders throughout the organization should respect the direction of the PR professional and marketer. To earn respect, come prepared to your discussions with thought leaders, show them you know about their industry and provide feedback about why and how their thought leadership will or will not be effective. You are the content expert. You should be trusted to make the decisions that will drive the brand forward.
In sum, it takes planning, preparation and precision to build a meaningful thought leadership program that drives results for your company’s bottom line. With your initiative, you can change executives’ perspectives on the value of thought leadership and be the driver of your brand’s success.
New Business: Hammock Dunes Club
Hammock Dunes Club, a private oceanfront golf community in Palm Coast, Florida, has partnered with KemperLesnik for public relations, social media and lead generation efforts. Hammock Dunes Club is home to two championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and Tom Fazio. Hammock Dunes Creek course hosted the 2018 Florida Cup and will host the 2019 Florida Open.
2019 IS THE YEAR OF THE SMALL TO MID-SIZED AGENCY
It’s the same story now as it was then. Clients are tired of the politics, bureaucracy, nickels and dimes of big agencies. They are tired of the bait and switch. They want senior PR counsel, true relationships, ease of use and better results. That’s what niche agencies provide.
In its recently published “The Road Ahead” article, PR Week says: “At the holding company level it’s about building scale and simplifying the way they go to market, on the behest of clients that are sick of spending as much time mediating the politics between their multitudes of different agency brands as constructing great brand campaigns.
Small and medium-sized firms are seeing opportunities born of clients’ desires to deal with the senior staffers at agencies rather than seeing them once a quarter and when account review time rolls around.
It was telling that Procter & Gamble added niche firms … to its PR roster, noting that “the media landscape requires greater breadth and speed of content and … different agencies may have capabilities we need at different times.””
This is the story we tell to our clients every day, and it’s the reason we have deep relationships with many major brands. High touch. True service. Deep passion for results. Entrepreneurial spirit. 2019 is the year of the niche agency, and it’s great to be at one of the best. We are KemperLesnik.
New Business: Snapsheet
Snapsheet, a fast-growing insurtech company, has partnered with KemperLesnik for public relations, social media and content marketing. Snapsheet provides an automated claims service allowing customers to file claims directly on their smartphones. KemperLesnik has already assisted Snapsheet in announcing an innovative global collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group.
Three reasons PR and sports marketing can drive the esports industry
Esports has gained recognition in the media and in the public over the past few years. As awareness grows, so does the need for public relations and sports marketing professionals to use their unique skills to help bring esports into the mainstream.
KemperLesnik’s expertise in promoting and building experiences for high-profile sports clients such as the PGA, NFL, NBA and CBS Sports created a natural foundation for entry into the esports industry in public relations and sports marketing. The agency’s esports team sat down to discuss how these two disciplines are impacting the esports industry.
- What sets the esports industry apart from other current trends?
The esports industry is at a unique turning point. It embodies the next era of sports, technology, fandom and global engagement all in one. Viewership numbers will soon grow to more than one billion globally. And, most of those viewers are between ages 18-35. Similar to the sport of soccer (“football”), the esports fan base is global. It has a deep passion for the games, the teams and the athletes. In addition, with cosplay – short for costume play – the fandom around esports events is highly engaging, creative and energetic – very similar to the fandom in traditional sports.
- Where do public relations and sports marketing fit in the esports conversation?
While there is a passionate fan base among gaming enthusiasts, the general public still knows very little about esports. This is where public relations and sports marketing come in. These disciplines can bridge the gap between traditional sports fans and esports fans. They can help to take esports to the mainstream.
The PR and content divisions at KemperLesnik are working right now to bring esports to the masses. They are creating deep and meaningful story angles about esports, the athletes, teams, strategies, investors, trends, competitions and more. They are driving interest in esports among sports media, business press, consumer news and local market media, and using content marketing to spark conversations nationally and globally. These strategies are opening new doors to new audiences for the esports industry.
- From a public relations perspective, what is your advice for those in the esports industry?
Remain authentic, not insular. Those not directly involved in the esports industry may not understand the larger vision or what drives the passion behind game developers, leagues, team organizations, owners, coaches, players and fans. And, that’s ok. It’s time to show them. Open what has been a niche industry to people of many different walks of life. Shake off old stereotypes and welcome newbies. The more we can create emotional connections to esports, the more opportunity will be created for everyone – from developers and players to sponsors and fans.
It is an exciting time to be in esports. Public relations and sports marketing professionals are helping to engage new audiences and spread the esports fever. It’s time we all catch it.
KemperLesnik promotes emerging content marketing, public relations and esports pros from internships to full-time positions
KemperLesnik is pleased to announce the promotion of Erin Law, Maddi Henry, Erin Parro and Mykolas Saulis. Law, Henry, Parro and Saulis were selected for KemperLesnik’s 2018 summer internship program and have transitioned into full-time positions at the agency.
Law joins KemperLesnik with a Master’s Degree in Digital Storytelling from Loyola University. She will serve as Associate Manager of Creative Services in KemperLesnik’s Content Marketing Division.
Henry, who interned with KemperLesnik twice during college, will serve as Assistant Account Executive supporting consumer PR clients.
Parro joins KemperLesnik after graduating from Iowa State University with degrees in Public Relations/Image Management and International Studies. Erin will serve as Assistant Account Executive for KemperLesnik’s corporate and technology clients.
Saulis joins KemperLesnik as Esports Coordinator after working as part of the esports team over the summer and while completing his degree at Robert Morris University. Saulis was a member of the University’s collegiate esports team. Saulis will serve as Assistant Account Executive with a focus on esports.
For Sports Marketers the 24/7 news cycle ranks supreme
KemperLesnik manages many high-profile sporting events, including the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, McDonald’s All American Games and CBS Sports Classic. In the age of social media, digital advertising and the 24-hour news cycle, major events like these require year-round promotion to garner the attention of fans.
With that, we have taken the liberty to outline three factors to consider when promoting a sporting event in the digital/social age:
- Digestible Content
Having a successful promotional campaign begins with understanding your desired audience and how to properly reach those within it. Knowing your audience likes, hobbies, interests, etc. will allow you to better react to key moments in time and provide your audience with desirable content.
In today’s day and age, fans want more content, much faster and in more digestible formats than ever before. Understanding different platforms, the key audiences for each and spending time learning about what types they will consume is crucial.
As PR and event professionals, we need to adjust the way information is disseminated and be more strategic with the types of content being distributed across certain platforms. Shortening messages, developing strategic headlines and utilizing visual elements to tell the story are all strategies that we use internally here at KemperLesnik to alter the way different messages are distributed across the variety of channels.
- Influencers
Now that we know the importance of understanding your audience, we look to influencers as a great way to access that desired audience. Utilizing visuals and original content in conjunction with influencers is a phenomenal way to not only reach a very specific, targeted audience, but also a great way for your key demographic to interact with your brand in an organic way.
During the 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Bracket Announcement this past July, each of the above elements was in play. We created a 30 second video announcing the matchups and partnered with ESPN personalities to create unique content that provided an early preview of the Tournament. The announcement yielded some of the best overall media coverage, social media engagement, website traffic and general awareness results we’ve seen for that announcement.
- Big window of opportunity, smaller window to execute
When finding the ideal times to promote your event across the year, taking advantage of your industry’s key moments in time gives you only a few small windows to maximize exposure. Associating your event with key personalities, influencers, happenings and topics are invaluable to achieving your promotional goals.
Although the Maui Jim Maui Invitational takes place for three days during Thanksgiving Week, we take advantage of campus surfboard presentations, the NCAA Tournament and the NBA Draft, for example, to highlight the teams and the competition in the Tournament to not only position the Maui Jim Maui Invitational as the preeminent event in the college basketball scene, but also to encourage fans to join their favorite team in Maui.
As our society continues to evolve into the mobile-first, digital age, public relations and event professionals need to work around the year and around the clock to keep their event and/or client top of mind. Social media is an extension of your brand or event, treat it that way. Creating original content, videos, graphics and working with influencers are all part of giving your fans/followers/customers the best experience you can offer.
Promotion: Allyson Marcus
KemperLesnik, Chicago
KemperLesnik is pleased to share the promotion of Allyson Marcus from Account Supervisor to Senior Account Supervisor. Throughout her time at KemperLesnik Marcus has been instrumental in providing results for major KemperLesnik business-to-business clients, including Aon, PFS and PwC. Marcus recently celebrated her 10 year anniversary with KemperLesnik.