It’s the day before Thanksgiving which means tomorrow the holidays have “officially” begun. This however, is not true for publicists. The holidays actually started for us back in May when editors at all of our favorite magazines began working on their “Gift Guides”. Since the beginning of November these guides have slowly started to roll out and have been bringing tears of happiness (or sadness depending on how clever editor’s found your pitch “unique gifts for the fill-in-the-blank”) to publicists everywhere.

Since the wrath of the Holiday Gift Guide may seem daunting, I have taken it upon myself to ask some of Konnect Public Relation’s reigning Queens of the “Guide” so you too can be a gift guide guru.

1.  “The Power of the Follow up” – Kim Le, Winner of the 2013 Konnect Public Relations Holiday Gift Guide Competition  and currently in first place for the 2014 title

 

1. “Speak to the editor realistically. Talk about the product as if it is something you want” – Brandy Stone, Winner of 2012 Konnect Public Relations Holiday Gift Guide Competition, 1^st Runner-up in the 2013 competition (this is up for debate) and leader of the current 2014 competition

 

1. “Find the gatekeeper of the publication you are pitching and make pals with this person,” Erin O’Brien, Gift Guide Terminator with high honors in the 2013 Konnect Public Relations Holiday Gift Guide Competition and on the winning team of the current 2014 competition

 

1. “Start early. These editors are working on their gift guides before you can even think about swimsuit season. Email, call, send a pigeon with a press kit. Whatever it takes. Take it from me, nothing is worse than being the one person amongst your peers with no gift guide’s booked.” – Caitlin Armstrong, winner of 0 gift guide competitions (do as I say not as I do).

 

And there you have it! If you want to be a Gift Guide Ninja, follow these 4 easy steps. I invite any other Gift Guide Ninjas to sound off in the comment section for any additional advice!

 

XO,

Caitlin

Hello world –

It’s this time of the year again – Thanksgiving! We are always looking for gadgets that can make our Thanksgiving cooking life easier. This LA Public Relations Agency’s amazing clients have some classic tools that makes the perfect “Thanksgiving Essentials”.

•  Viking^® 3-Ply Roasting Pan’s unique design ensures maximum heat transfer and reduces energy usage to deliver superior cooking performance. The Viking^® 3-Ply Roasting Pan makes holiday cooking a breeze as this special feature will allow for easy deglazing and capturing the extra trimmings that are essential for making gravy or sauces. (http://www.vikingculinaryproducts.com/) 

• Mastrad deluxe standing baster with accessories is double sided and made with silicone brush for sauces and marinades. There is a sauce injected syringe and a caddy for storing brush and accessories. (http://www.shopmastrad.com/)
• Curtis Stone Cutting Boards are made of eco-sustainable bamboo and are damage resistant to knives. The cutting board is completed with multiple compartments for waste and storage to make cooking preparations clean and professional. This saves the cook from the hassle of bringing the board to and from the trash when cutting the turkey. (http://www.curtisstone.com/kitchen-solutions)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,

Nancy 🙂

When it comes to food holidays, this PR Agency knows what’s up. So with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s no surprise that we did the biggest food holiday of the year up right, just check out our spread!

Of course we had a juicy turkey with all the traditional sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy but we had some fantastic entrees from our home cooks too! Think mac and Cheese pizza, pork fried rice, kugel, cauliflower mash, green beans, cornbread, salad and so much more…this Public Relations firm got its fill and then some for sure!

 

And it’s never a complete KPR-style buffet without a smorgasbord of desserts!

I’m still full and our potluck was 8 hours ago…

Your Fatty Foodie Forever,

Andrew

 

 

If there is one thing we love doing at this PR Agency besides booking amazing press, it’s Instagramming. November 20-21,  the Konnect team will be taking over our client Capriotti’s Instagram to show just how much we love their sandwiches!

Make sure to follow along as we take over – you’ll find as at @capriottis!

Yours Truly,

Daniele

And no, I’m not talking dollar bills (though I like them, too!)

I’m talking media. Newspapers and magazines, to be exact. Though many people think that printed media is going the way of the dinosaur, here’s why those paper copies hold value in this increasingly digital world:

1.       Printed media provides in-depth stories.

Though I have seen a handful of long-form stories online, the majority of online content is written in short chunks. Though you may get the basic facts of a particular story, you’ll never get the full scoop that you can get from a long-form piece in Vanity Fair or the Wall Street Journal. Some of the most fascinating pieces I’ve read have been serial news stories, which you don’t tend to find on Buzzfeed. From a PR perspective, long-form stories give readers a chance to learn much more about your client than a short blurb would. In-depth stories about key executives or new products make readers more fully informed—and in turn, more likely to turn to your product or service.

2.       Printed media has a longer shelf life

With the 24/7, “gotta-read-it now” environment of digital news, it’s easy for a story to be buried in a matter of days. With printed media, your client’s story stays on the front page for at least a day-if not a couple months! Additionally, magazines and newspapers remain on coffee tables and front desks for long periods of time (I’ve seen two-year-old magazines at many doctors offices!) This is great for PR professionals, because it makes it easier to brag about that great PR print hit you secured. (Not that we would ever brag at this public relations agency…we are too busy pitching!)

3.       Printed media gives us a way to disconnect from the digital world

Because I’m constantly absorbed in phones, tablets and other gadgets, I find that it helps my mental state to disconnect from all electronics from time to time. It’s so hard to keep my attention focused when reading online articles, especially when my phone is buzzing and my email inbox keeps filling up! By relaxing with a magazine or newspaper, you get to learn about the world around you and give your eyes a break from all that glare!

 

That’s it for now-I’m off to read my magazines! What are your thoughts on the world of print?

 

-Kylie