Happy New Year! During 2011 we had the opportunity to work on many exciting, creative video projects with clients in a wide array of industries, from high tech to consumer products. Each project had unique technical and creative challenges, and this video gives just a taste of that work. Matter is a results-focused agency and our video production services help our clients reach their goals – and that makes us pretty proud. Please enjoy this short highlight video:

Words by Andy Meltzer

Since 2004, Matter has participated in the PDN PhotoPlus Expo in New York, a gathering of the Who’s Who in photography.  We’re (exhaustedly) getting back into the office following this year’s fantastic event and I wanted to use this space to express some thanks to the many who made our presence at PPE a major success:

-     Our clients: SIGMA, Unified Color, Spider Holster, ILFORD, Gary Fong, Camera Bits, Datacolor, DxO Labs, Lowepro and Acme Made, and, of course, our booth neighbors at Lexar.  All of these brands came out strong at PhotoPlus and trusted Matter to help make their investments in PPE that much more effective.  Additional thanks to our client, Pinhole Press, who sat this one out but helped provide collateral that was incredibly well received!

-     The media: It never ceases to amaze me how Matter staff and members of the photography trade media interact at this and other events – almost as if we were seeing old friends at a reunion.  The photo community is a very tight group, even as it grows on a yearly basis.  We are honored to consider ourselves a part of this network and it is our relationship with the media that help make that a reality.  We staffed about 125 press meetings at this show and we can’t thank those who took time out to meet with our clients enough.

-     The team at Matter – in no particular order: Zachary Heath, Tobi Young, Greg Wind, Chrissy Kinch, Kristin Amico, Colleen McCarthy, Andrew Rodger, Sheena Guide, Tim Bradley and, of course, the Boss, Scott Signore.  At home in PVD, Theresa Freeman and Julie Sellew did serious grunt work and held down the fort.  Thank you for your incredible and diligent work before, during and after this show, for making a naturally chaotic experience run like clockwork, for trudging through rain, snow and cold and still keeping up your enthusiasm for your work and for sacrificing the treads on your shoes to the Javits Center floor.  You guys are the best.

I will let Tim’s sweet video (that’s only fault is that it contains my visage) give you a sense of what it all looked like, but to all who were there and made this year a rousing success for Matter and our partners, my sincere thanks and see you at the next show!

When our clients enjoy a significant milestone, we like to note the fact, especially when that milestone is part of the public relations program. Our clients at Pinhole Press had products featured on the Martha Stewart Show, and our team got together to enjoy the segment and take a moment to savor the sweet taste of success! 

Congratulations to Pinhole Press and the Matter team dedicated to their PR well-being.

Sometimes we come across those clients who are only interested in receiving coverage in national print publications and are reluctant to see the value in online coverage. Because social media has become integrated in everyday public relations in such a major way, we PR professionals must help our clients see the impact of online coverage and social media mentions, in addition to the benefits of secured print coverage. I recently shared an interesting article from the New York Times discussing the powerful impact mom bloggers have on the social media space with two of my clients.

The article, “Harnessing the Power of the Mom Blogger,” discusses how the mother blogger niche is active, loyal and deeply involved with spreading brand messages through different mediums.  It also stresses the importance of starting conversations with users and to engage users on social media, rather than pushing out a generic brand message.  

The impacts of a brand discussed on these mom blogger sites and on their social media outlets vary from customer retention, and trust to brand recognition and lead generation. Once your client is able to see the benefits of working with these bloggers, you can work to build your relationships with a group of loyal, enthusiastic, mom bloggers.

Do your clients appreciate the power of the Mom Blogger?

Liem Nguyen, Director of Corporate Communications for Compellent Technologies, and the rest of the Compellent Corporate PR team were recently honored by PRSourceCode as a Top Tech Communicator for their exceptional corporate communications skills.

The award was based on the results of a survey of more than 800 journalists and bloggers from IT and business publications, including eWeek, PC World, Wired and SC Magazine. The survey asked contacts to name which companies they enjoy working with most in a PR capacity, taking into consideration responsiveness, knowledge of the industry, outreach methods and more – a huge honor for any PR department. We’re proud that we were able to support the efforts of the Compellent corporate communications team, and congratulate Liem on his win.

Cole Smith, national account director for PRSourceCode says of the winners, “this year’s Top Tech Communicators have really embraced the change, staying on top of the media’s trends, working to adapt with the journalists, and learning how to best match their clients and organizations’ expectations and needs with journalists’ changing realities and methods.”

Recently, I listened in on a webinar outlining some of the top technology communication practices, presented by other winners of the Top Tech Communicator awards. While the focus of the webinar was technology communications, I found that many of their suggestions were applicable to the industry in general.  Additionally, many of these tips were things I see daily at Matter, both from my client contacts and my team members.

Because of the fast pace and constantly changing landscape of the PR industry, I’ve found it’s increasingly important to be constantly reading and learning about new trends – whether it be in social media, tips for pitching reporters or understanding the way people actually receive their news.  In fact, this culture of constantly learning and seeking out information is exactly why the Compellent team won the award, and we strive to achieve this same level of excellence for all our teams. How do you stay up-to-date in the industry?

Launching into Q4, many of our clients are already looking ahead to 2011. That means we at Matter will be spending plenty of time brainstorming creative ways to out-shine our 2010 campaigns and results (who knew it was possible?). And while some of those creative ideas sound great during our brainstorm sessions, sitting down to tactically plan their execution can be rather sobering.

But, it’s that process of poking holes in our own ideas – asking ourselves how and why this makes sense for our client’s business – that make our plans concrete, actionable and focused on PR and business results. If we ourselves aren’t sold on how our ideas connect with the client’s ultimate PR and business goals, then we shouldn’t be recommending them.

So as 2011 planning meetings come into full swing, let’s not be afraid to get those creative juices flowing. But at the end of the day, if that great idea can’t be tied to your client’s business goals, then maybe it shouldn’t make it out of the brainstorm and into the plan.

It’s nice when things come together.

Clients call on us to help them do something. Maybe they want media coverage to raise awareness, or to help position them a certain way to a certain audience. Maybe they want awards or speaking opportunities to help differentiate and elevate them in a crowded market. Maybe they want assistance navigating the waters of social media to help them manage their reputation and connect more meaningfully with customers, press and other key constituents. Some of our clients invest in PR because they need help establishing who they are to investors or to make them appealing enough to get acquired. Whatever the reason our clients enlist our services, they’re doing so because they want a partner that will work with them, counsel them and help them do something that will translate into leads, sales or other tangible business results.

In PR, it’s all too rare that the PR team gets to see or hear about those tangible results. It happens, just not as often as we all would like. So when a client is profiled in PR Week for having a creative, successful PR campaign, is quoted saying things like “the campaign was successful beyond our wildest dreams,” and then goes on to detail the web traffic and impact on sales our collective efforts have yielded, it’s incredibly gratifying. Reading the story, we have two things to celebrate: the praise for a campaign we’re proud to be a part of, and the actual results being reported in the first place. Because this is why we do what we do – to help our clients uncover leads, drive sales, grow, establish themselves, leap ahead of their competition. Our objective is not just to execute PR for PR’s sake, but to actually deliver PR support that matters to their business.

It’s nice when things come together.

Our hometown newspaper, the Newburyport Daily News, was kind enough to include information about our continued growth and success in yesterday’s edition, pointing to our recent announcement that we’ve doubled our office space in Newburyport and Providence and are looking to add more incredible PR professionals to our team.

Of course, as Matter continues to grow, our client roster has diversified quite a bit, allowing us to work with a truly remarkable and varied list of businesses and organizations. This week, we’re happy to confirm, as reported in the Gloucester Daily Times, the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has enlisted us to help raise Gloucester’s profile as a premier tourist and business destination. The Innkeepers of Cape Ann have a nice write-up about our new relationship and, as they note, we’re just as excited as they are to get the word out about this amazing New England community.

Here’s the full text of the Daily Times piece:

Chamber hires PR firm to raise Gloucester’s profile
The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has hired Matter Communications, a Newburyport-based award-winning North Shore public relations firm, to boost Gloucester’s profile as a premier tourist and business destination.

Gloucester residents John Mcelhenny and Ariane Doud will lead Matter’s PR campaign for Gloucester. “Gloucester is the most authentic seaport in America,” said Mcelhenny, “and those of us who live here know there is no shortage of fascinating, positive Gloucester stories to tell. There’s an untapped, nationwide market for Gloucester’s entrepreneurial businesses, scenic beauty, cultural richness and maritime identity. PR will give Gloucester a megaphone to tell its stories, attract new visitors and power the local economy.”

 ”Attracting more leisure and business travelers will strengthen all of our businesses,” said Bob Hastings, executive director of Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, “from tourist-based along the Back Shore and harbor to the city shops and restaurants.”

The PR effort was launched by Gloucester hotel owners Tracey Muller of Bass Rocks Ocean Inn, Mona Faherty of the Sea Lion Motel and Jan Bordinaro of the Atlantis Oceanfront Inn, and may expand to include other Cape Ann communities.

Whether teaming up with local, New England-based organizations or national businesses based elsewhere, we consider ourselves an extension of our clients’ internal PR and marketing teams. Their success is our success, and as we add new names to our client list and bring new team members on board, this mantra will continue to play a big part in how we all conduct business on a day-to-day basis. It’s an exhilerating time, and we’re thankful to all who have helped us get to where we are, and who will help us get to where we’re going.

And with that…cheers! Lots to celebrate. And by the way…have you visited Gloucester yet?

Let me put it out there right away. I GET why industry awards are important for those of us in the PR business.

They’re a stamp of approval from people who know a lot about PR. An honor that separates us from other agencies. Proof that somebody appreciates all those long hours and skipped lunches. A signal to prospective clients that those people at Matter know what they’re doing when it comes to PR.

I get all of that. But I’ll be honest: award submissions for Matter’s own work aren’t my favorite part of the job.

Here’s what I’d rather be doing. I’d rather be brainstorming story ideas that’ll yield coverage for a client. I’d rather be providing advice about the direction a client’s PR program should take. I’d rather be talking to a prospect about how Matter’s approach to PR could boost their business and sell more of their stuff.

My favorite “awards” aren’t given out at black-tie dinners. 

I prefer the office high-five when a great New York Times article hits for a client. The excited shout from across the hall when a colleague lands an NPR interview. The celebratory beer when an interesting company decides to trust us with their business.

I like the banter on a client update call – the talk about the Red Sox or the lighthearted back-and-forth – that comes only with a comfort level achieved when the client is really satisfied with our work for them.

No framed certificate can bring the satisfaction of being part of a PR agency that’s growing quickly because of the good work we do for clients.

Awards?

I think of the clients who served as enthusiastic references last week when I asked them to speak with a prospect.

“I’ll gladly be a reference any time. You guys are doing a great job,” said one.

“We LOVE Matter,” wrote another.

THOSE are the “awards” that make my job fun.

The Photo Marketing Association conference and trade show kicks off next Friday and, like everyone else in the industry who will be in attendance, I’m eager to see how things pan out. Much has been said about the success of the show and the future of this event since last fall, when Canon announced that it would not be exhibiting and several companies followed suit.

Their reasoning? Canon reps told PDN Gear Guide that it was a combination of the show’s timing, its move to Anaheim, and the need for a larger, broader audience. What didn’t factor into their decision, the Canon reps said, was the money.

For many companies whose pockets aren’t as deep as Canon’s, the money probably was a factor. There are a lot of events to consider and trade show budgets certainly aren’t what they used to be, regardless of who you are. And, as the Canon folks duly noted, the convergence of technologies is attracting more people to events like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Heck, in addition to the fancy gadgetry on display, half the appeal is Vegas itself. Without the roulette tables and showgirls, PMA already seems, as Alice Cooper would say, like a shadow of itself.

All joking aside, though, what will become of PMA? I’m a glass half-full gal (depending on when you catch me and who you ask) and to me, the outlook is not that bad. I received an updated press list with 300-plus names on it this week and I’ve booked meetings for my client with all the major players. Sure, I’ve heard from a few media folks who will not be attending or who are sending fewer writers, but it’s certainly not the letdown that I was expecting.

I think the exhibition hall will speak for itself – and news of the turnout will likely get more press than any gear announcement, but I also think the conference’s organizers have something up their sleeves. It’s hard to imagine that they’ve sat back and listened to all this scuttlebutt without devising some plans for 2011’s show. We look forward to hearing what they have in store for us in the years to come and, in the meantime, we plan to sit back and enjoy the show!