Hacks And Flacks

Gawker.com is gone. Some people are upset, some people are dancing on its grave. Is there a right or a wrong perspective on Gawker's demise? Was its fate deserved because of its controversial and confrontational editorial style, or was Peter Thiel's cash-fueled vendetta an ugly harbinger of what could happen to the state of media if the powerful choose to litigate the free press into non-existence? The hot Gawker takes have been flying left and right, and on this week's Hacks and Flacks, Andrew Grzywacz and I try to dig through it all. We acknowledge the contrasting reactions of the media and the general public toward Gawker's end, and discuss the possible implications for other publications.  SHOW NOTES: Nick Denton on Gawker: "How Things Work" Max Read on Gawker: "Did I Kill Gawker?" Peter Thiel editorial: "The Online Privacy Debate Won't End With Gawker" Other billionaires suing the press: Poynter LINKS: Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram:@hacksflacks

The relationships between PR pros and journalists can be... complicated, to say the least. But, it's not all form pitches and frustration - in the best case scenario, PR folks and reporters can establish mutually beneficial relationships that result in great stories and reliable sources. On this week's Hacks and Flacks, Manny Veiga and Paul Davenport talk to HealthITSecurity's Elizabeth Snell about her preferred rules of engagement when it comes to PR pitching and outreach. We also talk about the unique experience of finding compelling angles and navigating PR relationships when writing and editing for a vertical publication like HealthITSecurity. LINKS: Visit HealthITSecurity.com Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks Join our Facebook Group: Hacks and Flacks Podcast Follow March Communications on Twitter: @MarchComms Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchComms.com/blog Subscribe to Hacks and Flacks on iTunes, Stitcher or Podbay today. The show's m

When big news breaks, it's tempting to check if there's a chance to add your company's voice to the issue (how's your Pokemon Go pitch coming along, by the way?). As March Senior Account Executive Alex Jafarzadeh recently wrote, the recent Brexit story provided interesting examples of what works and what can go wrong when you try to offer your spokesperson to reporters as an expert on a major timely news story. "Newsjacking," as this PR strategy is called, can pay off when you have a legitimate angle or comment to offer a journalist. However, a poorly conceived pitch might come off as trivial, clueless and even tasteless depending on the story and timing. On this week's Hacks and Flacks, we ask Alex and March Account Director Courtney Allen: when does this type of pitching cross the line, and how can PR pros ensure that their pitch actually benefits both the reporter and their client? LINKS: Read Alex's blog post on Brexit PR lessons Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks o

Whether you're hiring for a PR agency or an in-house marketing team, it's helpful to know as much as possible about the capabilities, expectations and possibilities of your potential future employees. That's why Hacks and Flacks brought in Amy Shanler, Associate Professor of Public Relations at Boston University and the head of BU's PRLab, for a glimpse into how tomorrow's professionals are being trained for a PR career. The student-staffed PRLab is the nation's oldest student-run PR agency and supports real-world clients, with access to BU's state-of-the-art resources (including a Communication Research Center with a faux living room outfitted with bio-metric sensors). PRLab has worked on a number of compelling, creative and inspiring campaigns - including a partnership with March Communications to support the nonprofit Adaptive Sports New England. March Vice President Liz Swenton Hosman oversaw that project, and she also joins the conversation with Amy to talk about PR training and hiring today, career expe

Data can tell a great story, and research campaigns are how you find that data. In this week's episode we talk to March Research Manager Jeremy Guterl, Account Manager Steph Jackman and Senior Account Executive Samantha Bell about their recent work developing, distributing and promoting a successful PR research campaign. Jeremy defines the difference between media-genic and strategic research, and walks us through every step of the research process. Steph provides a blueprint for conducting media outreach for a campaign, and Sam explains why clear, impactful data points help you capture the interest of readers and the media.  LINKS: Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks Join our Facebook Group: Hacks and Flacks Podcast Follow March Communications on Twitter: @MarchComms Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchComms.com/blog Subscribe to Hacks and Flacks on iTunes, Stitcher or Podbay today. The show's music is provided by Job Creators. Check them out

Want to host an event? You better be organized. Organizing an industry event or trade show takes careful planning, collaboration, support from sponsors, great content and much more, as we learned in this week's interview with Erin Callanan, co-chair of PRXNE16, the annual conference for PRSA's North East district. Erin is one of the chief organizers for PRXNE16 - held this year in our hometown of Boston - and we talked to her to get her expert tips on event organization. She also previews the PRXNE16 lineup, which features a keynote discussion on the media coverage surrounding this year's presidential election, plus a session on client messaging from March Managing Director Cheryl Gale. SHOW NOTES: 5:53 - The importance of sponsors 11:10 - Why put on your own event? 12:07 - Content is everything 12:30 Preparing for the unexpected 15:20 - Social media sessions at PRXNE16 16:20 PRXNE16 keynote topics 18:44 - Transitioning from communications to education panel 19:45 - PRXNE16 spotlight sessions 20:50 How do yo

When they think about a business social media strategy, most marketers probably think platform-first: where's my audience most active, and how can I spend the most time on that channel engaging with them? But is that actually the right strategy? Is it better to be hyper-focused on one platform, try to build quality engagement on every channel, or do something in between? On this week's Hacks and Flacks we cover those questions and many more with March Senior Account Executive Alex Jafarzadeh (@ajafarzadehPR) and Digital Strategist Kristin McNulty (@beautyandbean). We're talking the intersection of social media, digital strategy and PR, and offering our take on the recent doom and gloom headlines prophesying Twitter's demise. Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks Join our Facebook Group: Hacks and Flacks Podcast Follow March Communications on Twitter: @MarchComms Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchComms.com/blog Subscribe to Hacks and Flacks on i

What's new in the world of digital media? Some publications are launching on new platforms to get their content in front of readers, while others are experimenting with social and mobile channels to improve reader engagement. And no one can figure out what's going on with Twitter.  We cover it all on this week's Hacks and Flacks, in our first monthly roundtable featuring March's own Andrew Grzywacz and Paul Davenport, plus Hacks and Flacks alum Jim Young. We muse about the BBC's use of Yik Yak to engage readers, the launch of Quartz's new messaging-based mobile app and the increased decoupling of the news from native sites as publications turn to platforms like Facebook Instant Articles, Medium, Snapchat Discover and Google AMP. We also cover Twitter's algorithm update, Bill Simmons' new media venture, and share our thoughts on how marketers and businesses can similarly experiment with digital media channels to reach their audience.  Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on

Numbers can be a little scary. Marketing and PR are results-driven industries, and demonstrating why the work you do every day meet key businesses objectives can seem daunting if you don't have the right tools, processes or perspective. Even worse, you might be reluctant to measure your results in the first place, out of fear of what cold, hard facts might reveal about your every day work. On this week's Hacks and Flacks we talk to Katie Delahaye Paine, also known as The Measurement Queen, who has spent years helping businesses and PR pros fearlessly and confidently put hard numbers behind their communications campaigns. Katie explains how to create a culture of measurement within a PR agency or internal marketing department, and also shares her perspective on the tech businesses use to monitor and measure their work. We also chat with March Digital Strategist Kristin McNulty and Content Manager Paul Davenport to get their tips on how to leverage measurement to tell a story and put context behind your campaig

It's one of the biggest trade shows in the world, and it can be a complete nightmare for the woebegone PR pro who hasn't adequately prepared. But, the Consumer Electronics Show - better known as CES - is also a great opportunity to connect your client or business with a huge number of journalists and influencers in one fell swoop. So, how do you avoid the chaos and make the most of your time at CES? This week we talk to March Vice President Erica Frank, Account Director Courtney Allen and Account Manager James Gerber, three hardened CES veterans, who share their impressions of this year's event and other tips and tricks for PR professionals heading to this or any other big show. Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks Join our Facebook Group: Hacks and Flacks Podcast Follow March Communications on Twitter: @MarchComms Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchComms.com/blog Subscribe to Hacks and Flacks on iTunes, Stitcher or Podbay today. The show's musi

Is there anything more frustrating about the Internet than advertisements? Pop-ups, banners, videos – they interrupt the browsing experience and may even grind your page load times to a halt (and drain your monthly mobile data plan, by the way). At the same time, online advertisements are a valuable source of revenue for publishers, who have seen revenue from print advertisements largely dry up. Enter ad blocking software. These controversial tools are common among Internet users, and they're sure to become even more popular after Apple permitted the use of ad blocking software on its devices, as part of its most recent iOS update. This leads to a number of questions. What are the ramifications for publishers if blocked ads suppress revenue opportunities? Are paywalls and contributed content viable alternatives? What about other collateral damage of ad blocking (goodbye Google Analytics tracking)? We explore all the ins and outs of ad blocking on this week's episode. Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hack

HubSpot's INBOUND isn't quite like other business events and conferences. Yes, it attracts thousands of attendees (15,000+ this year), is hosted by a world-class city, features show-stealing keynote addresses (Aziz Ansari, Seth Godin, Brené Brown and Chelsea Clinton) and provides educational sessions – not unlike, say, Dreamforce. What's different about INBOUND, and what's been proven over six annual events, is that HubSpot's ambition is to create a movement. To get an inside look at INBOUND 2015, we sent two correspondents (and former guests of Hacks and Flacks), drew Wallace (Episode 2 and Episode 12) and Matt Moretti (Episode 7). In this episode, drew and Matt report back, explaining how INBOUND manages to serve up "brain fuel for marketers" that goes well beyond tactical marketing strategies and right to the heart of  human emotion. Follow drew on Twitter: @anotherdrew Follow Matt on Twitter: @Matt_Moretti Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how valuable is video? Visual storytelling can be a powerful medium, as it often allows you to convey messages, invoke emotions and inspire action far more effectively than the written word alone. Brendan Reilly is a believer in the power of visual storytelling for B2B marketers. He should be, considering he is, after all, the Director of Video Services here at March Communications. In this week's episode, he sat down with us to share some of his favorite examples of corporate video marketing, covering the good (Chipotle, GoPro) and the questionable (lookin' at you, Wrangler). Brendan also breaks down the types of videos you can use to bring new life to your marketing, answers technical questions around equipment investment and proper aspect ratios, and offers tips on how to avoid creating boring corporate videos. Follow Brendan on Instagram: @reelreilly Follow Brendan on Twitter: @breilly82 Learn more about video marketing from March Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter

The last time you went shopping, did you actually drive to a store, or did you just stroll over to your couch and log into your computer or phone? If you bought online because the cost was lower, did you wish you had an opportunity to pick up and preview whatever it was you purchased? Even though websites and mobile apps have taken some traffic away from brick-and-mortar retailers, customers still crave an engaging in-store experience, and that desire has helped some of these stores undergo a renaissance of sorts. This week, we were joined by Marcus LaRobardiere, Assistant Marketing Manager at Bouncepad. Marcus explains how he tells Bouncepad's story, in part by sharing how some of its marquee customers – from McDonalds to Tommy Hilfiger – use its tablet enclosures to create captivating in-store experiences for customers. Follow Marcus on Twitter: @marcusdl Follow Bouncepad on Twitter: @bouncepad Learn more about Bouncepad: Bouncepad.com Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flack

It's been a busy summer in the world of media and journalism. The "New York Times" made some news of its own, after topping 1 million digital-only subscribers and rolling out its "live journalism" program. Bill Simmons left behind writing for ESPN in favor of a multi-platform gig with HBO. Digital media companies continued to trend toward unionization, and Gawker in particular experienced some of the greatest growing pains, following an editorial controversy that split its newsroom. On this episode, we finally do come summer catch-up, working our way through these stories and more. Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram: @hacksflacks Join the discussion in our Facebook Group: Hacks and Flacks Podcast Follow Manny and Jim on Twitter: @zmveiga and @JW_Young Follow March Communications on Twitter: @marchpr Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchPR.com/blog Show Notes: Here's What the New York Times' 1 Million Subscriber Number Means (Fortune) As Print Fades, Part I:

It's like a success story you'd read in a business book. Less than four years after launching your startup, you've built a dedicated community of supporters, expanded well beyond your core product offering, and received coverage from the likes of Buzzfeed, TechCrunch and Mashable. And you've done it with only a handful of employees. Jack Neary, Head of Community at Litographs, is living this story. In this role, he's has helped bring exposure to the popular Boston-based company, known for its stunning collection of posters, t-shirts and tote bags, with designs comprising the full text of novels. Jack stopped by to explain how he's blended media relations and social media marketing to bring exposure to Litographs, how the Boston startup community has lent a hand, and how his own interest in literature has helped him to authentically market and sell to "the Bookternet." Follow Jack on Twitter: @J_Neary Read the Litographs Blog: Litographs.Tumblr.com Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Hacks

When thinking about how social media analytics and reporting has evolved, it's helpful to borrow an example from the world of sports. In baseball, traditional statistics like batting average and runs batted in are equivalent to retweets, likes and favorites on social media − they provide some insights, but they don't tell the whole story. In his work with Crimson Hexagon, customer success manager (and baseball fanatic) Justin Gagnon uses social listening tools to dig deeper than surface-level analytics and help companies understand trends on social media. On this episode, Justin pulls back the curtain on the social data Crimson Hexagon provides, by showing us how podcasts are perceived on social media, and specifically how social media reacted to President Obama's recent appearance on Marc Maron's show. Justin also explains how social listening is a new, modern form of market research, and why the successes of prominent brands like Always and Uber show that hashtags may still matter. Follow Justin on Twitter

So, we have a podcast. We want to promote it. A social media strategy was in order, and we figured why not give you, our listeners, an inside look at its development. Step 1 was to meet with drew Wallace, Hacks and Flacks alumnus (Episode 2) and digital marketing guru. On this episode, you'll hear our first conversation with drew, as we work with him to identify our audience, brainstorm content for our target social platforms, and assign metrics. We also experimented with live broadcasting through Periscope and Google Hangouts on Air, and even posed for our first Hacks and Flacks Instagram pictures. Be sure to check out our new Hacks and Flacks accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We'll have drew on again in three months to update our progress. Follow drew on Twitter: @anotherdrew Follow drew on Medium: Medium.com/@anotherdrew Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks Follow Manny and Jim on Twitter: @zmveiga and @JW_Young Follow March Communications on Twitter: @marchpr Visit the M+PR Nonsens

Whether as Employee No. 11 at HubSpot or in her current role as VP of Marketing for Toast, Ellie Mirman has always taken a data-driven approach to marketing. By measuring everything they do, marketers can better communicate results – what Ellie calls the "universal language" across the entire business. Ellie joins us this week to chat about the differences in marketing for HubSpot and Toast, how she uses agile marketing and "sprints" to align with the goals of the sales department, and what she looks for in resumés when hiring for marketing positions (hint: it involves data). Follow Ellie on Twitter: 

Attracting attention on the Internet today is an artform. Sometimes, a compelling story alone isn't enough to break through the noise. You may need a "clickbait" headline, a timely topic, and the right means of distribution. For Blaise Lucey, Content Marketing Manager at Movable Ink, email has become his distribution channel of choice. Just back from Las Vegas for Content Marketing Conference 2015, Blaise joins us this week to explain how email marketing, when coupled with excellent stories and other means of distribution like social media, can help marketers reach and grow their audiences. He also chats through the value of "content unicorns," why good marketers can spend up to 80 percent of their time on research, and why marketers are increasingly acting like journalists. We also bring in March Account Executive Jenna Burpee, who just returned from Nashville, where she provided photography support for client SiriusDecisions (and keynote speaker Magic Johnson) during Summit 2015. Follow Blaise on Twitter: