[Editor’s Note: Live events rarely get coverage in these pages. We’ve made an exception for a fireside chat held late last month with former Hearst exec Joanna Coles during PRSA’s corporate communications conference in NYC.
Coles was Hearst Magazines’ first chief content officer. Previous to that she was editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan (2012-2016). PRNEWS’ senior content manager Sophie Maerowitz, who attended the session, writes, “Coles’ fireside chats are a journalist’s dream. She responds to questions with vivid anecdotes and closes out each answer with takeaways that are concisely stated. Point to her when you’re coaching an executive for their next live Q&A.” Below are Coles’ most potent PR tips and tactics from the chat.]
On Marketing and Habit-stacking
Former Hearst Executive
Speed and brevity are at the top of Coles’ thoughts regarding marketing. We’re getting close to being able to market to people in real time, she said, at the point of purchase.
”Informal brand ambassadors are how you thrive,” Coles said. Gen Z and millennials no longer buy celebrity endorsements. Her advice: find real, regular people who love your products and who post about them.
And those posts should be brief. We’ve gone from 30-second ads to 2-second posts, she said. “What people want is a short, sharp image of how you will feel” using a product.
For these reasons, Coles was impressed with Arianna Huffington’s mention of habit-stacking during Cannes Lions. Habit-stacking essentially is doing two things simultaneously. For Coles, the potential is stacking a product or service onto something people do every day. For example, while you brush your teeth, can you meditate?
Media Haves vs Have-Nots and Pitching
Coles acknowledges the changes in media consumption. Gen X saw every piece of news top-down, she says. Millennials have taken control of the news cycle, while Gen Z feels its voice is as important as those in mainstream media.
Coles is concerned, though, that “the world will divide into those who can afford a subscription fee” and people who only have access to less-reliable information. “Quality information is going to become a luxury good.”
Regarding pitching, “nobody reads press releases,” Coles says. She sees good pitches as those that “understand the nature of a partnership.” In other words, a good pitcher knows the ‘what’s in it for me’ message is critical. A poor pitch says, ‘We’ve got a new product.’ Show that you understand the brand and the person you’re talking to, she advised.
Storytelling and Images
Saying she constantly has “a narrative going on in my head,” Coles emphasized storytelling. Brands must think first about what evokes emotions in consumers, she said.
And use images. Speak with images and “at the speed at which images can provoke emotion. “Brands must think first about what evokes emotions in consumers.” How do you reinforce trust? By telling authentic stories.”
Crisis Communications
Coles is nothing if not direct. Hence, her crisis communications advice is blunt. Make sure a communications person is present with the CEO as much as possible, she told the PRSA audience. “Any CEO who doesn’t keep a comms person in the room is insane.” Brands are “one customer or employee tweet away from total chaos.”
Once the crisis hits, acknowledge it and apologize immediately, she counseled. Clarity and tone count in your apology. “People hate when you obfuscate,” she said.
Persistence is key when dealing with a CEO who’s procrastinating during a crisis. Coles mentioned a crisis that hit one of her publications. She called the CEO twice to no avail. Ultimately she burst through the CEO’s office door.
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