Manager, Corporate
Communications, The Conference Board
[ Editor’s Note: This feature asks communicators to spot trends and discuss their reactions to them. In this edition we hear from Joseph DiBlasi, manager, corporate communications, The Conference Board.]
The Trend: It’s become harder to gain media coverage. Likewise, securing coverage in down months like December and January can challenge even the most committed PR pros. Some may have little to no fresh content to pitch. But if you want your brand to remain relevant, you must be active in the public conversation.
The Reaction: Traditionally slow news months, such as December and January, are the perfect time to write about the year ahead. Along with their timeliness, blogs and op-eds that center on this theme stand a strong chance of placement due to their value. From an editor’s standpoint, insights about what may occur in the year ahead will interest readers. And because editors receive fewer pitches during this period, your submission will have the added benefit of facing less competition.
While the overarching theme should focus on the year ahead, incorporating micro-themes will sharpen your message and increase possible topics. Here are some ways to do it.
New Year’s Resolutions.The resolve to improve extends beyond people to the issues organizations advocate. As such, a Conference Board executive penned an article urging corporations to increase women in leadership. This led to CNBC publishing A New Year’s Resolution for Boardrooms. A similar tactic: pledges to better innovate and position public messages.
Turbulent Events. Slow news periods include long stretches where few events allow for live, happening-now commentary. In the meantime, generate coverage with predictions about future occurrences, the consequences, twists and turns. For those involved in economics, look no further than the shot heard around the world: Brexit. While negotiations around the U.K.’s departure start months from now, that didn’t stop one of our economists from taking to the op-ed page of EurActiv. She detailed the possible impact in Three Trends That Will Continue Hurting the Eurozone in 2017.
Causes for Celebration. Along with documenting the turbulence, consider detailing what warrants celebration. We injected a dose of optimism into the opinion section of GreenBiz with Four Reasons to be Excited About Sustainability in 2017. While every industry faces challenges, shine a light on the good—your tireless colleagues will thank you for it!