This past year at Fineman PR was marked by the onboarding of new and diverse clients and partnerships. Our work included the planning and content development for startup distilleries, driving the continuing rise in popularity for the San Francisco Marathon, expanding our work in the public sector with two leading-edge public agencies, productizing our media training offering, increasing growth in our healthcare practice, and forming significant new alliances.

Strategic Partnership with Hearst Corporation-backed 46Mile

For the last year-and-a-half, Fineman PR has partnered with the Hearst-backed 46Mile, a full-service marketing and advertising agency, to develop integrated campaigns for clients including Meritage Medical Network, Leading Age California, Loch & Union Distilling, and C-5 Children’s School, among others. Our two agencies develop business together, both independently and as a cohesive, integrated communications unit, and there is discussion on new and enhanced ways of working together for greater client solutions. Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy: 46Mile

Public Sector

Fineman PR is working with the San Francisco Department of the Environment on several initiatives that continue to position San Francisco as a global leader of the green movement. Additionally, along with our partner, D&A Communications, we are providing media relations strategy and counsel to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for the inauguration of the highly anticipated, new Salesforce Transit Center & Salesforce Park. D&A is a top-notch San Francisco public affairs firm specializing in the areas of infrastructure, public health, transportation, environment and community revitalization, and our joint efforts offer clients a powerful combo.

Photo courtesy: Pelli Architects

San Francisco Marathon

The 2017 San Francisco Marathon celebrated its 40^th anniversary. The race sold out at record pace – two months ahead of schedule. We generated a 70 percent increase in media impressions over 2016 with expanded coverage by Bay Area media outlets and in major national media including the New York Times, Bleacher Report and MSN. The San Francisco Marathon was also named by ESPN among the “World’s Best Marathons.”  

Photo courtesy: The San Francisco Marathon

Foster Farms

Our promotional, crisis management and issues management work remained steady for longtime client, West Coast poultry producer Foster Farms. Our team initiated influencer marketer campaigns with fitness and lifestyle bloggers to promote Foster Farms’ Organic turkey products. We were grateful to help support our client’s wildfire relief efforts in Santa Rosa and surrounding Northern California communities as well as in Ventura following the devastating Southern California wildfires.

Our work to promote the company’s partnership with West Coast food banks – and longstanding holiday turkey donations program – resulted in a 69 percent jump in broadcast news coverage over 2016 that helped raise awareness of food insecurity from Seattle to San Diego. Finally, we wrapped up the year at Levi’s Stadium for the Foster Farms Bowl, a game dedicated to fighting hunger, pitting the Purdue Boilermakers against the Arizona Wildcats.

Photo courtesy: Foster Farms

Dunkin’ Donuts

In 2017, we continued work with Dunkin’ Donuts to support the brand’s introduction and expansion in Northern California with new restaurants throughout the region. Last year, we successfully hosted four grand opening celebrations in South San Francisco, Fremont, Santa Cruz, and Hanford, the brand’s first location in the Central Valley.

In each market, we worked with the local business community, government leaders and charities – all hyperlocal – to promote Dunkin’s commitment to the area. In addition, we supported regional promotion of national initiatives, including Free Donut Friday, Freeze the Day with $1K, National Coffee Day, and National Donut Day.

Photo courtesy: Dunkin’ Donuts

HNTB

HNTB, a national infrastructure solutions firm, experienced a year of wins in 2017, both for its projects as well as its leadership team. HNTB Northern California District Leader Darlene Gee was recognized as Woman of the Year by Women’s Transportation Seminar, a non-profit dedicated to advancing women in transportation, and one of its local project managers received coverage as a rising star in the rail industry.

A major project win, the BART Warm Springs/South Fremont Station, received praise across the Bay Area for its innovative design. HNTB was consistently cited among top-tier regional and trade media, including San Francisco Business Times, Progressive Railroading, ENR California, Mass Transit Magazine, Silicon Valley Business Journal and Curbed, for its growing role as an industry thought leader with experts who are shaping the discussion around infrastructure solutions in the Bay Area.

Photo courtesy: HNTB

Wine Practice

Quintessa, was again featured in Wine Spectator’s biennial Napa issue as a must-visit winery. Napa Valley’s Faust celebrated its 13th anniversary vintage by partnering with noted graffiti artist, known only as “Faust,” from New York City. Faust’s limited release 2015 vintage magnum features the tag which graffiti artist Faust uses internationally.

For Materra І Cunat Family Vineyards, Fineman PR planned and executed a successful 10-year-anniversary media event at the winery which showcased the brand’s range of estate merlots. We also conducted several media training sessions for wineries, including Rodney Strong Vineyards.

Additionally, we continued to assist with crisis and issues management preparedness for Wine Institute, the advocate for California wine and more than 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses.

HealthRIGHT 360

In our third year with HealthRIGHT 360, one of California’s largest community health care providers, we helped mark significant milestones, including a merger with San Francisco-based Women’s Community Clinic and the opening of the organization’s new headquarters and outpatient clinic, the Integrated Care Center. We also created the organization’s first outdoor marketing campaign with the City’s public transit system. Among the year’s big media wins was a national NPR story, a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed, and a New York Times – California Today story. 

Photo courtesy: Drew Altizer Photography

With 2018 underway, the agency is seeing continued growth with new clients and expanded projects for existing clients. We have made several new agency hires, increased our digital and marketing capabilities internally, and look forward to providing the trusted, strategic counsel our clients have come to expect from Fineman PR.

The post Fineman PR State-Of-The-Agency, 2017 appeared first on Fineman PR.

In recent conversations with our agency’s clients, more food and beverage communicators are embracing artificial intelligence technology, specialized influencer marketing and increasingly sophisticated social media content to increase brand authenticity and improve the overall consumer experience.

Artificial Intelligence? Wine Not?

For many food and beverage artisans, the environment in which a product is grown or made is a vital part of the overall product experience. Quintessa is a renowned 280-acre wine estate in Rutherford, one of Napa Valley’s most distinctive properties, with five soil types, hills, valleys, a lake and a river. The diverse estate inspires the impressive wines for which it is known.

“At Quintessa, our strongest asset and differentiator is the world-class estate from which we source our wine,” said Leslie Sullivan, DWS, Napa Estates Director of Huneeus Vintners, who manages communications for Quintessa.

“For those consumers and trade who are able to visit the estate, we are able to build ambassadors; however, our reach is limited. As a result, we’ve begun to better utilize technology to connect with our consumers and trade. For instance, we’ve used video, drone footage, 360 video and virtual reality to allow our consumers and trade to engage with our property. While nothing compares to the full sensory experience of enjoying a glass of Quintessa at the estate, we are able to better express and share what Quintessa is all about.”

Photos courtesy of Quintessa Instagram

Community, Convenience, Quality

With a 68-year heritage and nearly 12,000 locations worldwide, Dunkin’ Donuts continues to evolve while keeping its focus on fast, friendly service and community involvement.

According to Public Relations Senior Manager, Justin Drake, Dunkin’ Donuts maintains its focus on fast, friendly service while delivering innovations that today’s consumer expects from sophisticated food brands:

“As Dunkin’ Donuts continues to grow and evolve, remaining authentic to the core of our brand is very important. Dunkin’ Donuts was founded as a brand offering high-quality coffee and baked goods to our guests, all served with fast, friendly service and at a great value, and we remain true to this mission to this day.”

“We’ve expanded our coffee and espresso menu in recent years to include options like Cold Brew, Rainforest Alliance Certified Dark Roast Coffee, and Macchiatos. These menu additions remain true to our 68-year heritage as a coffee company, while also staying on trend in terms of what customers are looking for today from a coffee brand. We’ve launched On-the-Go Mobile Ordering for DD Perks members through the Dunkin’ Donuts mobile app, where guests can place their order in advance and then speed past the line in-store to pick-up their order. This innovation remains true to our mission of offering fast service and unparalleled convenience to our guests.”

Photos courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts Instagram

Community giving is a core value for Dunkin’ Donuts that empowers franchisees around the world to give back and strengthen their own communities:

Continued Drake, “At Dunkin’, we feel fortunate that our restaurants are part of the fabric of so many communities and neighborhoods around the globe, and our franchisees value the role they can play in strengthening their communities. Our franchisees donate millions of dollars annually to local non-profits. Additionally, our organization collectively supports our national foundation, The Joy in Childhood Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing joy to sick and hungry children.”

Consumers Seek, Expect Info Online

For family-owned poultry producer Foster Farms, a robust social media presence is required to address the questions and provide the reassurance that consumers actively seek.

“Increasingly consumers are asking more and more questions about where their food comes from and how it is made,” said Ira Brill, Foster Farms’ Director of Communications. “Our commitment to product quality is at the heart of authenticity, and Foster Farms is one of the west’s true authentic brands — having been founded in 1939 on the values of locally grown, and continuing as a family owned company today — has continuously evolved to include digital and social media tools to enhance our consumer engagement and contribute substantively to consumer conversation. From engaging influencer programs, to enticing recipes and social media content, Foster Farms aims to be a part of the discussion at every touchpoint.”

Photos courtesy of Foster Farms Instagram

Building Authenticity with Influencers

Social marketing strategists at Collectively understand how deeply consumer brands and consumers value authenticity.

“Influencer marketing works best when creators are empowered to make decisions about how best to present a brand story to their audiences,” said Natalie Silverstein, Collectively Vice President of Brand, Marketing and Culture.

“Creators are truly the experts in understanding what resonates with the people they’re in dialogue with every day. Authenticity shines through when an influencer actually believes in the product and has integrated it into their content in a way that feels almost effortless.”

Photos courtesy of Collectively Instagram

“For our food and beverage clients, we’re bringing opportunities to a wider set of creators beyond the more expected food and cooking influencers — lifestyle, health and wellness, parenting, photography, and more.”

Silverstein agrees authenticity is a higher priority now for food and beverage brands: “‘Authenticity’ has been the most-used buzzword of the industry for quite some time, and it continues to be a key goal for most brands. We believe this is a direct result of the broader cultural transformation around trust in institutions and other traditional gatekeepers of information.”

The post As Food Goes Global and High Tech, U.S. Brands Boost Authenticity appeared first on Fineman PR.

For PR and communications professionals, our role is becoming more essential – and challenging. Sure, we’ve traditionally served as liaisons between the media and clients, but we are now bridging a quickly widening and more contentious divide. War has been declared: on media, on fake news, on press briefings, on magazine cover authenticity, on facts. And, there are more questions than ever for all involved, from journalists and media executives, to corporate spokespersons and political strategists, as well as public relations counselors:

What are the facts? Who can we trust? Where is the backup? What is the actual impact? Who is listening/reading/watching/reacting/posting? What next?

But before we rush out for emergency disaster kits and tackle each other for the last loaf of bread at the gas station, let’s get a grip. There may not be quick resolutions to the conflict at the national level. But, there are still core certainties to how we do business as PR professionals. Our approach still has a strong bearing on how our organizations and clients are perceived and positioned in the public eye. While techniques and vehicles for communications may be changing, and while tones may be shifting nationally, our professional rules of engagement remain rooted in good faith and good sense:

7 Core Rules of Engagement for PR Professionals:

1. Prioritize Substance and Strategy:

Don’t cave to the pressures of instant news or a 24/7 content cycle. Keep messages informed, backed by the facts, and guided by a long term strategy.

2. Be Credible and Stick to the Facts

Assume that any message or sound bite will be fact checked in real time and plan accordingly. Provide media backup and third party resources for facts or figures. Validate the credibility of any contributing sources.

3. Correct Misinformation Quickly

Humans make mistakes. Most (reasonable) people will correct them. If news coverage or public discussion requires correction, pursue it in a timely, reasonable and politely persistent manner.

4. Save the Flame Wars and Theatrics for the Other Guy

Your credibility (and your client’s) is worth more than a fleeting moment of instant stardom. Resist the temptation to throw a verbal punch for the sake of short term attention or emotional gratification. If you do choose a brazen approach, be armed with the facts and prepare for ensuing attention. Don’t shrink from the spotlight you’ve created.

5. Manage Expectations for Media Engagement, Set the Tone

It’s easy (and dangerous) to assume that your audience shares your understanding of the desired outcome for media relations. Give clients and journalists a clear understanding of the context for your engagement and discuss in advance how the process will work to avoid potentially, derailing surprises.

6. Engage Creatively

Social media content drives news and personal engagement. Period.  While traditional media dukes this one out, new media and social content are driving messages home on a personal level for most Americans. Use creative content development to your advantage, and target your audience and message for higher impact.

7. Embrace Diplomacy

It’s easy to engulf ourselves in heated debate, especially when traditional rules of public engagement seem to have gone extinct.  Keep your personal and political assumptions at bay. Set aside conspiracy theories for your personal fans. Journalists, clients, detractors and allies will listen far more intently to a calm, objective tone than a projectile verbal assault.

Now, to diplomatically resolve who devours that last loaf of bread…

The post Put the Popcorn Away, Today’s Media War Means Good PR Matters appeared first on Fineman PR.

1. Myth: “Reserve” wines are better

Fact: The term “reserve” is meaningless, and consumers should know this. In fact, there are no rules or regulations whatsoever regarding the use of “reserve” on a wine label. Its meaning is up to the customer’s interpretation. Many wineries do put their best wines in the “reserve” tier, but make sure that’s the case. If you’re visiting a winery, ask the tasting room team. Trust your local wine retailer’s input as well. Don’t spend more money, or believe you’re getting a better wine, just because the label says “reserve.” Here’s a more detailed explanation from Wine Folly.

2. Myth: If a wine costs more it must be better

Fact: While this is oftentimes true, it’s not always the case. Sometimes a wine is priced based upon where it comes from, its pedigree or scores from critics it has received for past vintages – none of which are a guarantee of quality in the wine you’re considering to purchase. There are many low- to moderately-priced wines, both domestic and imported, that are sure to please if you take the time to do a bit of research and trial. Utilize online resources that specialize in reviewing and recommending affordable wines that over-deliver on quality. Check out cheapwineratings.com.

3. Myth: Large corporate wine companies don’t make great wine

Fact: Many well-known and highly-regarded wineries are commonly owned by large wine conglomerates, and they continue to produce outstanding wines. In many instances, the founding winemakers stay on board continuing to craft the same wines that made them successful in the first place. This is the case with Jackson Family Wines recent purchases of boutique producers Copain and Brewer-Clifton.  If anything, being part of a larger company affords many wineries more funding to improve winemaking facilities and, in many cases, benefits the consumer by offering wider distribution opportunities.

4. Myth: Single-vineyard and “small block” wines are always better

Fact: Certainly there are many acclaimed vineyards that all but guarantee quality, and the resulting wines bearing these vineyard names on the label command high prices. Likely the most well-known vineyard, Napa’s To Kalon, is a great example.  Sonoma County’s Ritchie Vineyard and Heintz Vineyard are known for outstanding Chardonnay, both selling their fruit to many A-list producers, who also know they can charge a premium for these wines. However, many wineries produce single-vineyard wines or “small block” wines that aren’t necessarily of any higher quality (of course this is subjective) than their other wines. The “standard” wines are blended from several blocks within one vineyard or are sourced from several different vineyards. Look no further than Lynmar Estate’s Quail Vineyard Chardonnay, blended from numerous blocks (or parcels) throughout the estate’s 45-acre vineyard. The Quail Vineyard Chardonnay happens to be my personal favorite among the Lynmar Chardonnays.

The post 4 Myths About Wine Marketing Every Consumer Should Know appeared first on Fineman PR.

My presentation centered on the way social media is leveling the playing field of mass communication for nearly everyone about virtually anything. In 2017, we’re experiencing capabilities in communications far beyond anything available even 10 years ago. Brand supporters and trolls can disseminate messages as broadly as top tier companies with the most experienced brand managers. Through various communication platforms, individual opinions—popular or obscure, insightful or ignorant, owned or anonymous—can be published for all to see.

In today’s highly connected, postmodern world, easy access by consumers and critics to brand narratives can certainly provide influence. Over 500 years ago, Gutenberg’s printing press inspired the masses to read and write. People eventually learned to teach themselves and others; one major effect was religious revolution in which clergy were essentially undermined by individual capabilities made possible by the printing press. Spirituality changed forever. In at least one way, the effect of social media is behaving similarly to that of the printing press: participants of the new medium are enabled with immediate access and engagement to information. Consumers today can interpret brand identities, disperse information and influence consumer-buyer decisions like they never could before.

In addition to traditional business communications strategies, professional organizations must now also master social media and its various platforms in order to be heard popularly and to retain control of their brand. Part of that includes learning the language of social media with sufficient fluency to relate to the world online; recognizing trending pop-culture phenomena, hashtags, emoji and internet memes gives brands social credibility in an age when many consumers live online.

Findings from the recent Sprout Social Index show data on what consumers like in a brand identity

During the Q & A portion of my presentation, a professor asked why large organizations don’t just use social media in the same sarcastic and humorous way by which many internet memes gain virality. I answered that aside from target market and image strategies, brand integrity may be at stake. My response was unsatisfying to many of the academics in the hall. When a brand is on the receiving end of prominent, image-damaging social media posts, the natural tendency is to draft a response meant to defend reputation or correct misconceptions and gain millions of impressions and popular approval at the same time. If such communication, however, lies too far outside the organization’s brand identity and communication strategy, it is often preferable to indirectly address the issue by bolstering approved communications and brand messaging—acting in accordance with brand integrity and dignity to contradict social media hearsay.

Without a robust digital communications plan, brands are susceptible to the fickle influences and opinions shared on social. Brand managers can be prepared for this by knowing how and how not to participate; otherwise they might allow digital influencers to shape their messaging.

Developing a strong and active social media presence helps in controlling brand identity. Many brands are on social media but few develop the voice and outline the plan for an effective, well-managed social media agenda that allows them to extend brand recognition and bolster brand identity. It’s easy to be reactive on social, giving in to trolls’ negative remarks or adapting brand responses to meet the demands of others. Establishing a proactive and equanimous presence like Wendy’s and Bay Area Rapid Transit’s, which leverage trending issues in a consistent voice that invites positive engagement, is more likely to maintain brand integrity and gain positive attention.

My presentation concluded that social media not only provides value to brands by increasing exposure and engagement, it can be a very real method of solidifying brand identity and even defending it from external influences. Today this medium is as commonplace as print, radio and television, but it’s infinitely more accessible to consumers. Independent parties on social can affect brands and organizations by what they praise and protest. Recognizing that individuals can easily express these influential opinions and planning for it by maintaining a strong social media presence founded on brand integrity allows brands to retain control and further establish their values and credibility, even considering consumers’ heightened communications capabilities today.

The post Brand Identity in the Age of Social Media appeared first on Fineman PR.

First, it was the leggings. Now, United Airlines faces the far more troubling charge of passenger abuse after the horrific video of a paying customer unwillingly dragged down an airplane runway by two security officers went viral. (The passenger refused his fate as one of four unlucky passengers randomly selected to give up their seats on an oversold flight.) Yesterday’s news is a glaring example of why companies cannot lean on corporate policy to defend actions seen as insensitive and even inhumane to the general public. Not only because the whole world is watching. Good PR (and corporate reputation) requires a company-wide system that upholds critical values –  for public safety, for consumer trust, for product quality – guided by company policy.

@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here’s how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW

— Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017&0″ /a>

In both cases, United’s actions (dress code enforcement for non-revenue travelers and random selection of passengers to deplane on an oversold flight) were supported by corporate policy. But to the viewing public and the media, the justification for disturbing behavior is irrelevant. No corporate policy can explain away the visceral footage of a grown man on the floor, disheveled, visibly injured and tugged down the aisle to the screams and distress of other passengers. Public safety is a non-negotiable. That includes avoiding potential physical harm of an individual and preventing the escalation of customer service issues into public safety risks.

Let’s not forget that the U.S. airline industry was founded and branded as a luxury travel service, not an automated people mover or public transit in the sky. When a company’s offering to the marketplace is customer service or hospitality, highly visible customer service failures should be seen as potentially damaging as a major product recall, equipment failure or facilities disaster. Crisis planning, such as tabletop scenarios or risk management operations drills should include customer service interactions across company operations.

So what should United and other businesses facing viral scrutiny over company policy do next?

In the case of United’s immediate strategy, Fineman PR President Michael Fineman emphasizes: “A doctor wouldn’t prescribe a cure without seeing a patient and knowing that patient’s history. Similarly, there are many factors that are only known to the client, which must be considered to determine the appropriate response. However, in this case, based on what has been made public, the following would be recommended if this were my agency’s client:

Prepare a full report of the incident, identify where the situation escalated beyond reason (where it got away from them), and take full responsibility.

The report should demonstrate how the airline will make good on this with the affected passenger and, perhaps, all passengers who witnessed this brutal “act of commerce.”

Include new guidelines and policies, and new employee training programs to ensure something like this will never happen again.

Publicize the full report and plan on the United Airlines website and distribute it to the media.

Aim for genuine progress and track that progress through independent audits of the airline’s customer service, with special attention paid to on-the-ground passenger experiences.”

For airlines and other companies facing potentially high profile customer interaction:

• Evaluate public-facing policies and enforcement guidelines with an eye toward risk management, customer service and of course, public safety. Review customer service response data and employee conflict reports for a better understanding of what is working and what is increasingly raising controversy.
• Identify policy administrators for on-the-ground transactions: ensure that they are specially trained and periodically re-trained in conflict resolution and hospitality. If outside authorities must be brought in to physically manage a situation, understand that their actions will be associated with your company’s response.
• Have tough conversations internally with management and with on-the-ground policy administrators to navigate the gray area of policy enforcement. Does company policy allow specially-trained on-the-ground policy enforcers to exercise their best judgment in the case of high conflict events? If a situation escalates, who has the final say on the visible action?  How can policy enforcers minimize controversial attention to a potentially-flammable situation?
• Take a look at policy enforcement visually, just as the public or media might: Does a policy that sounds reasonable on paper look reasonable in action?

The post Good PR: Know When You Can’t Lean on Corporate Policy appeared first on Fineman PR.

Because of our high profile crisis communications work, reporters looking for insight into complex organizational or reputation issues sometimes call on us as resource for commentary.

When I receive an inquiry from a reporter, I typically open the conversation with an important disclaimer: I do not propose counsel on situations that I know only from what I gather in media reports. A doctor wouldn’t prescribe a cure without seeing a patient and knowing that patient’s history. Similarly, for any difficult business or dicey public exposure situation and negative media attention, there are many factors that are only known to the client, and those factors often determine their responses. I know too well that there’s a rush to judgment without enough substantive understanding behind it.

I explained that to Paul Farhi at the Washington Post who was doing a story on how Fox News is handling or mishandling the O’Reilly news. Farhi wondered why Fox was keeping so silent about it and wanted my views on what I would counsel Fox if it were a client. Was silence the right thing?

Perhaps it was my comment that organizations should, “not get caught with their pants down” in a crisis that seemed so apropos to O’Reilly. Read Paul Farhi’s  full story here: Washington Post: At Fox News, a wall of silence surrounds Bill O’Reilly

To elaborate more on my counsel, below is PANTCHEK, our handy-dandy acronym of general principles to keep in mind when managing communications in a crisis – and not get caught with your pants down. The caveat here is that this somewhat generic (yet critically important) checklist does not necessarily apply to all crisis ills.

• Public welfare is the first priority
• Assemble the facts. Once they are verified, Announce All bad news at once
• No blame, No speculation, No repetition of negative charges or questions
• Tell your side of the story or Take responsibility
• Care and Concern for those affected – express it sincerely and right at the outset
• High-level organization spokesperson – let the public see the crisis has top-level attention
• Ensure that it will not happen again with a solid plan that will generate confidence
• Keep a separate plan for moving daily business ahead

Then there is reputation recovery. Merely managing your way through is not aiming high enough. You need to rebuild or reinforce your reputation and respect for your brand, and keep your relationships intact. Diligent reputation-building is essential. Depending on the nature and duration of the crisis, success may require a long-term effort.

• Maintain open communications with media, community members, customers, consumers, investors, employees, governing bodies and affiliates via all communications channels, including social media.
• Employ awareness-raising tactics
• Differentiate your organization from the pack – did the crisis make you better and/or stronger?
• Become a category expert among your peers
• Conduct “post mortem” analysis and incorporate what you learn into future scenario planning

The post Fineman Opines on Crises in the Washington Post appeared first on Fineman PR.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, yet many CPR-trained bystanders forget what to do and panic when they could be providing life-saving support. Having a plan in place is the first step in preparing for a crisis, but it’s worthless if you don’t use it.

See 10 issues you need to address to help ensure your crisis response safeguards your organization’s reputation on O’Dwyer’s.

The post Unseen risk: troubleshooting a crisis plan appeared first on Fineman PR.

With the legalization of recreational cannabis, competition in an already competitive state is going to skyrocket. Cannabis growers and retailers looking to build their brand and turn trial into repeat purchases must be able to explain and effectively promote the reasons of their brand’s trustworthiness to consumers, at the risk of seeing customers go elsewhere. At the top of the list for successful brands will be the development and implementation of a branding strategy that allows them to rise above the noise.

See 10 tips to help your brand prosper over the long term in our column on Cannabis Business Times.

The post Brand-Building for California’s ‘Green Rush’ appeared first on Fineman PR.

For consumer lifestyle brands, these platforms can be an especially effective tool for connecting with audiences on an emotional level by tapping into the social identities people create through musical preferences.

Before Spotify announced in May that brands can create sponsored playlists on its platform, companies like Jose Cuervo, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Coca-Cola, and even our very own client, Dunkin’ Donuts, have successfully capitalized on the appeal of music streaming services by creating playlists which reflected their brand personalities and/or target demographics they intended to reach.

Music streaming platforms also create a unique opportunity for brands to experiment with fluidity of voice and psychographic targeting.

For example, General Mills used a fresh approach to native placement in the music hosting space, when it dropped a surprisingly well-produced rap mixtape for Hamburger Helper on SoundCloud. Using laughable lyrics and club-worthy beats, the mixtape elevated Hamburger Helper’s product by showing that the brand was endearing, relevant and in-touch with its audience of internet-trolling Millennials and college-age males that often look to the product for an easy, budget-friendly meal. The project generated viral success and widespread praise from Twitter users and industry experts alike.

This tactic may present some dissonance with brands that lack a consumer-centric approach to marketing. As the General Mills example illustrates, outstanding results are achieved when brands put themselves in the psychology of their target consumer, and create resonant content in order to connect with a listener’s lifestyle choices.

For brands looking to break into this creative concept, it’s important to remember the emotional, entertaining and subjective role music plays as the soundtrack to people’s lives and lifestyles. The best content emerges when brands relinquish a firm grip on their guidebooks in order to break through to relevant audiences.

The post Striking the right note with consumers through music streaming platforms appeared first on Fineman PR.