Trees for Tomorrow

First we raced to the news stand to get our fill of stories, then we all hovered over a wireless to hear the latest info, before the more compelling visual medium of television gave us our fix!

From a PR perspective, we have constantly cultivated communication material to appeal to the varying media hierarchy and ensure our story told properly relayed.

Then voila, the Internet was born!

Not only can we now maintain full control of the editorial, we can also ensure its publication and circulation to an audience far beyond our wildest expectations.

And if you’re concerned about the importance of third party endorsement, don’t be.  Video editorials are often posted – in full – on credible third party websites.   It’s a PR dream!

Think link value, think exposure, think video sharing, think online buzz!

Our latest video editorial is a great a case study…

Anthony Janssen is a dynamic young businessperson down here in Margaret River, with a really compelling story to tell.  He recently won himself a coveted WA Telstra Business Award for Regional and Small Business, which followed his Finalist position in the WA Business News 40Under40.  Amazing stuff from someone who isn’t yet 30 years old!

Anthony wanted to use the Award to leverage a broader message that demonstrates to young people what can be achieved and to change the perception of the hospitality industry.

Totally unprepared for his win, Anthony did not write a speech for the Award ceremony, nor did he explain to the room full of business people why he was selected over them (much to the judges dismay).

To rectify this, we conducted a video interview, edited the footage to succinctly tell the incredible story, posted it on YouTube, and forwarded it to the WA Telstra Award judges, to his business Facebook and email database, the local tourism portals, key region promoters and attached it to a media release to key industry media.

Already some …. More people know more about his journey and will recognize him, and is business, for his efforts.

Video editorial does require some editorial expertise, but can bring a target market closer to a product, service or personality.

And its all in our hands …

Soon I’ll be addressing the opportunities of making an announcement through web casting and online media conferencing.   Stay tuned!

The AFAY Team just weren’t comfortable – or convinced – that diving into cyberspace feet first was necessarily the best tactic to maintain the level of credibility we enjoy from our client-base.

We didn’t want to mindlessly post information on Facebook – or suggest this tactic to clients – if there wasn’t a legitimate and measurable reward!  We wanted to develop a real base of understanding for online mechanics and fully appreciate where we, as practitioners, fit in the game.  It’s just not our style to come out half baked like so many  before us.

While delving into the online magic over eighteen months ago, we took up formal studies at a reputable US institution and have dedicated hours of reference, discussion and forums to the area.

Yes, we are now Certified Practitioners in several fields!

What we have learnt, amongst a host of other things, is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ model.  All online activity requires a strong and unique strategy behind it!

We have learnt that there are specialist areas of online media, and amongst them communications and public relations plays an integral role in generating genuine activity – it is highly unlikely one practitioner can provide the full gamut of services (trust us on that!).

We have analysed many success stories – as well as failures – from around the world and can confidently come to the table with solid advice based on experience and an overriding and effective strategy.

Finally, and ultimately, we are constantly amazed at the opportunities that exist in cyberspace, and know the only challenge is to help our clients get their heads around the massive shift in consumer behaviour and to get on board in a calculated, thoughtful and cost effective way.

These are amazing times!  ….  And we can now say that with authority!