Publicist Los Angeles Archives

Pushing Through Burnout To Finish The Year Strong

September 25, 2020 by Becca Campbell

If you told me in March that the world would still be shut down in May, I’d have said you were crazy. If you told me in May that the world would not reopen before the end of summer, I’d have said “no chance in heck!“ And yet, here we are wrapping up September with no light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.

As human beings, we like routines, social interaction, and knowing what comes next; all of which are impossibly challenging in our pandemic-fueled world. When we are left in isolation, with uncertainty and no clear vision for the future, it can lead to a host of feelings like anxiety, depression, and for many of us, burnout. And while these unwelcomed feelings are understandable in today’s climate, they are often detrimental to our overall productivity. In fact, several major employers quoted in this New York Times article fear that long-term remote work is causing employee burnout and that the short-term productivity bump we saw at the beginning of COVID is not sustainable.

As a brand strategy agency, this isn’t exactly great news. Much like many other businesses, our busiest time of the year is just getting started with the need to develop public relations plans, social media strategies, creative content, digital marketing plans, and other creative services & solutions for our clients for 2021. Fortunately, there are several tried-and-true tactics to help us all push through the burnout when sabbatical is off the table.

Get your body moving

Google any article on managing burnout and they all say the same thing. Get out and exercise. Why? Because endorphins are pure magic. They make everything better. It is way too easy in this work-from-home environment to substitute good habits of exercise, hydration, and proper nutrition with a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle. Frustrated by a client call that went awry? Instead of mulling in anger (and the snack cabinet), go outside and take a jog around the building. I guarantee you will come back to your computer with a clearer mind, a fresh perspective, and a smile on your face.

Tune back into your “why”

As human beings, we are not motivated by tasks alone. Rather, we are motivated by purpose. When we start to feel burnout and loss of interest in what we are doing, it can often be attributed to no longer “seeing the forest through the trees.” In other words, we get so bogged down in the day-to-day tasks that we lose sight of why we are doing them in the first place. It is important to remind yourself often why your work matters to you and why the tasks in front of you connect to a larger, personal goal.

Take a social media detox

This one has been infinitely helpful for me in managing anxiety and burnout. 2020 has been tense in the digital world, to say the least. Social media platforms that were once used to share family photos, fashion inspiration, cooking adventures, and more turned into heated social justice and political movements overnight. While the messages being shared are important, it can become overwhelming and exhausting to be bombarded constantly with anger and passion. What once was a source for distraction and mindless scrolling (aka rest) is now another trigger of stress in an already uncertain world. Do yourself a big favor and log out of your social media accounts for a few days or weeks. It will do wonders for your sanity, and may even open your eyes to how often you welcome the intensity into your life every day.

Make space for downtime

This is equally as important as taking a social detox. Particularly right now while we are encouraged to stay home and socially distance from friends, family, and our communities, there are seemingly no boundaries between the workday and time off. So what do we do to fill the time? Tend to work emails, get a jumpstart on the next project, and ultimately work ourselves into the ground. One of the best things you can do for yourself to avoid burnout is to designate your “STOP” time for the night and put your phone, laptop, and email out of reach and sight. This applies to the weekend as well. Re-train yourself to leave anything non-urgent until Monday.

Challenge yourself to something new and interesting

While humans love routine, we do not love the mundane! For many of us, we feel drained after chugging along at the same tasks week over week. One of the best ways to “refill the cup” is to schedule something you really enjoy and/or try something new that piques your interest. Studies have shown that engaging in something exciting, even if it is more challenging, can be more beneficial than rest alone. Always wanted to try mountain biking? Make it happen! Not only will it lift your mood and well-being for that day, but will also boost your future productivity and stave off burnout.

Restructure your workspace and habits

Prior to COVID-19 and opening our Denver office, I worked remotely for almost four years. In that time, I learned a lot about myself and how I work best. For starters, I learned that I couldn’t stay in one place for too long before I’d start to get antsy. So every few months, I moved my workspace from one place to another to have somewhere new and exciting to look forward to, and a much-needed change of scenery. I also started to take inventory of which tasks I really enjoyed, and which tasks were always the thorn in my side. From there, I figured out what time of day I was most engaged, and when I was most often “checked out.” I found that restructuring my day to settle some of the daunting tasks during optimum brain time helped my productivity skyrocket. I urge you to try the same tactics if you struggle with keeping on task or lack the motivation to get your work done.

Here’s to finishing out this doozy of a year on a high note! What other methods have you found to be successful in pushing through burnout?

-Brandy Shuman

How To Continue To Elevate Your Brand Strategy & Stay Relevant In This New Normal

September 2, 2020 by konnectprdaily

As we continue to navigate this new normal, from outdoor dining, to distance learning to mastering Zoom calls – one thing is clear, COVID-19 has changed many of our day to day routines. It also has changed how people buy and behave, as well as how they listen. Consumers have become accustomed to insincere messaging and certain buzzwords, as brands continue to tailor their messaging due to what is going on in the world around us. Brands need to continue to adapt, be creative, but also remember that their true and loyal consumers that have stuck around for the long haul have stuck around due to their authenticity. Brand Strategy has never been more important than now. According to market research from Twitter, 64 percent of respondents said brands should continue advertising products as normal in COVID-19. Consumers look to the brands they love to find a sense of familiarity they once were accustomed to. As we continue to pivot – brands need to remember to stay relevant in this new normal we are living in.

As a Top PR Agency in Los Angeles, we have quite an extensive background when it comes to offering creative services & solutions, social media marketing, to crisis communications. We are always strategically building the story, finding white space, and of course continuing to help brands succeed in elevating their brand messaging across a variety of platforms.

Below are just a few ways brands can continue to deliver, be relevant and stay true to themselves as we brace for what else 2020 has in store.

Creative stunts & campaigns that keep you top of mind

The media landscape has been chock-full of noise and negative impact stories, that it’s been tougher than usual to seek out a glimmer of positivity. It’s important to remember as a brand it is your duty to remind the consumer they are not alone. Recently, Bud Light rolled out their latest hiring tactic “seeking a CMO” – not just any CMO, but a “Chief Meme Officer.” Bud Light did a swimmingly great job at breaking through the noise and finding a way for their consumers to relate & laugh. This Chief Meme Officer would be paid a $5,000 a month and put you in the running for a three-month supply of the brand’s newest hard seltzer. They stayed true to their witty humor as a brand, and used it as a strategic tactic to continue to get their Bud Light Seltzer product out there – I don’t know about you, but I for one, might just be converted to a Bud Light Seltzer drinker now.

Additionally, with the NFL season underway starting on September 10^th, a true game day experience is going to look quite different this year. The Pepsi team got creative and launched their latest sweepstakes that will deliver “Tailgate in a Box” to football fans who are looking to keep the football culture alive despite restrictions on gatherings related to the pandemic. Pepsi is a brand that is always pushing out PR campaigns that make you feel like you need the product, and they continue to do just that with their latest stunt. With their over-the-top (but truly on brand) stunt, the package included a 16-square-foot tailgating box that comes equipped with an outdoor projector, custom cornhole sets and a variety of Pepsi products.

As a public relations firm that specializes in digital & brand strategy, it is our duty to continue to help our clients thrive in this current state of the word and show their consumers they care. Over the last few months, we have strategically worked with our clients to push out campaigns that will resonate on a bigger level so they can continue to tell their story. Back when the pandemic struck, Sky Zone, the indoor trampoline park that’s home to dozens of kids’ birthday parties per day, wanted to continue to give back to families who still wanted a party while staying at home, so they shifted their focus to virtual birthday parties. This move not only offered parents the benefit of a hassle-free party, but it also gave Sky Zone a way to keep employees working during business closures. We have also seen quite the influx of Zoom users, so we have held more “virtual” cooking classes, desk side meetings with editors and more for our clients so that they continue to build an authentic relationship with their consumers.

Use empathetic language & humanize your brand

How you say things is everything – whether virtually, in-person, through a text message, it truly matters. Nothing is more frustrating than communicating with a robot and that same scenario applies to your everyday consumers. Everyone is experiencing heightened anxiety, hardship, and a greater sense of mistrust due to the pandemic. Don’t be the brand who puts out the same statement as every other brand out there and opt for cliché messaging – it won’t land with your audience and will be an epic fail. Acknowledge the new conditions that pop-up in your own brand words, as that is what your consumers need from you right now.

Take Ben & Jerry’s for example. Through the ups and downs that 2020 has brought they have stayed true to their mission and brand goals to continue to educate their consumers through their social media channels. Everything they put out there whether through a media statement, an Instagram post, their message is cohesive and empathetic to their audience. They choose to speak person-to-person to establish a rapport with their consumers rather than a blanket statement that would read tone-deaf. It’s all about continuing a dialogue.

Continue to solve day-to-day needs for your consumer

The business landscape has clearly seen better days, however, brands need to remember that their experiences, successes and learnings are still valuable for their everyday consumer. Consumers tend to use a product or service repeatedly because it solves a “problem” for them. If the problem does not exist, then your product will not be used. From the content that is pushed out on your social channels to the media stories that you are placed in, make sure you are positioning your brand as the solution. Whether that means being a healthy snack that is convenient for busy parents – tap into the landscape & current headlines. With kid’s distance learning and being at home with their working parents more than ever, convenience is something we all need. If you are a brand that has solely operated as a remote brand, tap into that. Offer valuable resources that your team has implemented to continue to thrive in this work from home setting. Never forget about your brands core messaging & solution you bring to the table.

While staying relevant as a brand is no easy task in this day and age, sticking by your consumers sides is a piece of cake.

-Robin LaConde

7 Trends We’ll See This Holiday Season

August 25, 2020 by konnectprdaily

The early bird gets the worm. At least, that’s what many businesses are banking on this holiday season now more than ever.

This year’s back-to-school season – different as that may look – is in full swing. For many consumers, back-to-school truly signals the kick-off to the holiday season. As folks move fluidly from back-to-school shopping to Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa to the New Year to Valentine’s Day to… it’s a mad dash for most industries including those in lifestyle, family brands, food and beverage, franchise and more as businesses compete for impressions and sales. In a COVID-19 landscape, this year’s competition will be especially stiff as consumers’ new lifestyles will shape holiday purchases.

The aisles and online retail sites are already filling with this holiday season’s latest and greatest. As the holiday season kickoff seems to creep earlier and earlier each year, iconic candy corn company Brach’s, has launched their newest flavor: Turkey Dinner. And yes, flavors include roasted turkey, green beans, ginger-glazed carrot, sweet potato pie and cranberry sauce. Love it or leave it? Online chatter shows mixed reactions. But, then again, it’s still summer…

And, Brach’s isn’t alone – in these late days of summer, brands like Starbucks and Dunkin and craft beer breweries like Four Peaks Brewing Company race to the market. The pumpkin spice everything vibe has already started flowing: coffee and muffins and beer and hand sanitizer, oh my! Oh, and these pumpkin-spice scented face masks, because it’s 2020 and all bets seem to be off.

Here are 7 trends we can expect to shape this year’s holiday season and how you can prepare your brand strategy:

Comfort/Homebody

With the travel industry essentially at a halt and social distancing anticipated to continue through the holiday season, we should expect to continue to see an uptick in products aligning with the homebody. From leggings to laptops, remote learning tools to work-from-home gadgets, consumers will continue to focus on a hybrid of necessities and comfort items, and this is likely to be a trend in holidays shopping as well. If online purchasing is (or should be) part of your business strategy, finalize a holistic marketing strategy now; ramp up messaging around online purchasing, quick delivery and convenient options. And, if you will promise consumers quick delivery and convenience, now is the time to ensure that operational and technical measures are in place to support a potential increase in traffic.

Curbside pick-up and delivery options

And, speaking of quick delivery and convenient options, these along with safety, will be absolutely essential for this year’s consumer who will not be satisfied with less. From groceries to retail to restaurants, put a plan in place now to staff up on shopping assistants and delivery persons. Coupled with the current unemployment rate, expect to see both a hiring surge for roles like these and an influx of potential candidates. Finding qualified people is crucial to ensuring you’re able to provide the best curbside, delivery and/or shipping options this holiday season.

Deals you can’t say no to

With spending trends of consumers having abruptly shifted in the COVID-19 landscape, shoppers are already more selective than usual when making the purchasing decision on how and where to spend their dollars. With heightened competition in the Q4 marketplace, there is no doubt that consumers will be on the hunt for the very best deals of the season. Now is the time to determine what compelling deals you can offer to customers and how to drive awareness to your brand differentiators so that you can ultimately activate them to convert. And, consider putting additional monitoring in place to closely watch what your competitors are offering

Mission-based shopping

By this we mean optimize your in-store space so that your consumer can get in and out quickly and safely. You’ve likely done this over the past few months, but now is the time to reevaluate how your processes are performing. Evaluating the current process is not a task for a staffer or junior employee – rather, ensure that a key stakeholder owns this process as ease, convenience and safety of shopping are the expectation and crucial to the sales process.

Groceries and holiday meals

The grocery industry has seen a massive uptick in sales as many people are cooking at home. However, holiday food shopping is likely to be down as folks won’t likely be gathering for large holiday meals and parties.

Restaurants and holiday meals

On the flipside, for restaurants including quick service and fast casual, this may provide the opportunity to amplify messaging around safe and convenient options – your consumers can still treat themselves this holiday season with special take-out, 3rd party delivery, family meals and catering options.

Retail and returns

With online purchasing trending up, purchases made sight unseen are likely to mean increased buyer’s remorse, wrong size, etc., leading to higher rate of return. Ensure to implement messaging so that your customer understands your policy on returns. And, now is the time to evaluate an existing or create a new plan to address the sanitizing of returns.

The takeaway

To compete in the marketplace, now is the time to put your plan in place. This year’s consumers will seek nothing short of convenient, safer, affordable deals. Consumers will continue to spend more time online, meaning 3rd party validation via earned media and influencer partnerships, along with sponsored content and digital advertising spend are a crucial part of your marketing mix. The savviest of brands will implement an aggressive 360˚ marketing strategy to amplify messaging, build awareness and convert to sales. What your strategy?

-Beth M.

The Publicist’s Guide to Twitter

May 12, 2020 by konnectprdaily

Twitter is not just for the irrational all-hours ramblings of the world’s loose cannon personalities; it can be a very resourceful tool for your public brand and for PR professionals.

Twitter, at its most basic, is a tool that helps people stay on top of the latest news and “follow” sources of instant information. As a publicist, you can use the social media platform to stay in touch with journalists, share your work, reach out to sources and build your community of clients (both existing and potential), media and peers.

During this time of distancing and isolation, people are increasingly turning to a wide variety of social media sites and apps to seek comfort and a sense of connection. On Twitter in particular, where conversations are boiled down into 280 characters of bite-size information, you’ll find celebrities, journalists, editors, business moguls, the President, your neighbor…you get the idea…eager to share their thoughts and opinions with the world. So join the conversation and make Twitter work for you!

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Build an Online Relationship with Journalists
Twitter can be a great way to reach out to a reporter, build a relationship and keep track of his or her beat. A simple scroll through a reporter’s feed will give you a feel for his or her interests and coverage. Pay attention to headlines, learn who they are and build your rapport from there. Along the way, you’ll likely glean some valuable insights into what they’re working on at the moment and how they preferred to be pitched.

The following editors took to Twitter to share their thoughts on receiving pitches about CBD in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — something that some reporters are very open to, but others apparently aren’t. As soon as you come across this kind of tweet, you quickly learn who you should and should not reach out to about a particular topic.

2. Follow Relevant Hashtags
Just as you can follow someone on Twitter, you can (and should!) also follow hashtags. Hashtags allow users to scan topics and see all the latest social media chatter on the subject. Journalists often search hashtags while seeking story ideas. Effective use of a hashtag linking your news to a larger trend might just result in a media placement. (Tip: Keep it simple — don’t use more than two hashtags.)

3. Join the Conversation
Whether you’re connecting with your peers, clients or journalists get in there and strike up a conversation. By responding to someone’s post, you show them that their feedback is important and that you’re listening.
Most media outlets have a presence on Twitter, so be sure to follow those that are relevant to your industry to stay updated on news and trending stories. Find something interesting to comment on? “Retweet with comment” to share the tweet and become a resource yourself.

Funnel some of the same energy you use to interact with other people’s posts into creating your own content. Tweet about your latest updates, blog posts and news, and integrate images, videos, and links to add visual components to your post. This will also help boost your social engagement. Make sure to use relevant hashtags to catch more eyes and target the people who are involved and interested in the topic. When relevant, tag the people and organizations that may take interest in and retweet your post.

5. Use Twitter Lists
Avoid getting overwhelmed with all of the latest tweets rolling in at once. Instead, create and organize lists to see the latest tweets from everyone you follow, and prioritize them. These can be private or available for the public to view and can help you monitor the chatter on specific people/companies/industries. Some helpful lists include celebrities to seed products, influencers to engage, customers or VIPs, media outlets, etc.

For more tips on using Twitter for PR, check out these do’s and don’ts of Twitter. Konnect is also hosting a live Q&A on Instagram this Friday, May 8th with our digital marketing team — stop by to ask your questions and gain some additional insights.

Happy Tweeting!

Cheers to a Progress-Filled 2020

December 23, 2019 by konnectprdaily

I have the privilege to write the last blog of the year for Konnect; an honor I don’t take lightly. Not only is it the last blog to close out our memorable 10^th year in business as a leading public relations agency, but it is the last blog of this decade in our Konnect Agency blogosphere. The end of anything usually prompts a pause for reflection. Konnect has certainly grown in the past year and decade and often in ways we couldn’t have expected. But always in the ways we needed.

Our team has grown and we’ve set down roots in other states. Our agency practice areas have expanded to include digital marketing, full social platform services, content creation, and so much more. Our leadership team has expanded and I feel confident in saying we truly have the best and most dedicated leaders helping to grow the next era of communications and marketing specialists.

Of course, none of this growth and innovation would have been possible if we didn’t have a creator, disruptor, and believer in all that can be done (never what cannot be accomplished) in our fearless CEO, Sabina. She pushes us all to imagine the impossible is just an arm’s reach away. Her dedication to our brands sets the standard by which we all operate. Sabina hates the word, “no,” which fuels her drive to figure out how to get to “yes.” One of the most remarkable things about Sabina and the example she has set for our leadership team is that she is always willing to take a chance.

Whether it be a new office location or technology. A new hire or emerging brand. She is willing to take the chance, provide guidance and space for learning and ultimately, for progress to be made.

As we head into a brand new decade, I’m so inspired by this pursuit of progress. We all have personal and professional goals, but we might be better served in reflecting on how we can take a chance in our own lives as a way to move closer to how we define positive progression. We won’t always achieve progress in the way we imagined. But always in the way that is meant to be.

Happy Holidays and Cheers to a Progress-filled 2020!

–AB

Preparing for Success in 2020

December 20, 2019 by konnectprdaily

Now that you know how to end the year right, let’s talk about PReparing for success in 2020…

Who is ever really ready to go into a new year or in this case a new decade? No one. However, it’s coming! In our last post we shared tips about ending the year right by making a 2019 business checklist and checking it twice. Now let’s soar into 2020 like the PRos we are.

December is the month where let’s face it, we all are scrambling to get to the finish line, whether it is in our end of year reporting, closing Q4 projects or securing those last pieces of coverage among a thousand other things including shopping and prepping for the holidays. On top of that, many of us are also thinking about that new year, new me resolutions. I stopped making resolutions years ago for many reasons but after reading a recent blog post by a colleague and dear friend (4 PR Resolutions to Make Now) I’ve learned that resolutions in the workplace can be productive, unlike my personal ones where I say I am going to eat healthily and work out every day. In my recent years as a publicist, I’ve learned that focusing on what is coming is equally as important because let’s face it, January a.k.a Q1 and the start of a new year, and in this case a new decade, is only days away.

Planning for months ahead can be daunting for some, a fun task for others (me) and a challenge for most for a ton of reasons. Instead of going over why this can be a challenge I want to put out good energy so that when you think of January and 2020, in general, you also feel prepared for what is in the very near future. Here a few things to consider when preparing for the new year.

Get a Planner Started

Getting that new year planner is such a simple thing that in my opinion comes as extremely helpful in both a professional and personal setting. Thinking ahead and getting that 2020 planner started whether it is a virtual one or a physical one (my personal preference) can make a major difference in feeling prepared. Beginning with filling in important dates whether it is vacations, birthdays, client meetings, important benchmarks or anniversaries, having an idea of where those dates fall will allow you to feel more prepared when the weeks sneak up on you, so don’t wait until February to rush to Target and get the last planner on the shelf, do it now and fill in those important dates.

Go Into The New Year With a PR Plan

Mapping out your PR plan with your team is another crucial element in preparing for what is on its way. As a PR Agency in Los Angeles, we work with our teams and clients to execute campaigns in the food & beverage, franchise, lifestyle and family industries with expectations and key elements that focus on ROI and solutions. At Konnect, the key to a successful PR plan is to put our clients at the top-of-mind from checking in on the brand’s target audience, distinguishing key messages and identifying newsworthy opportunities to crafting a plan specific for each brand and recommending other valuable services such as social media and digital marketing to enhance the brand’s reach. Work with your teams and devote a significant amount of time to develop a plan to ensuring everyone involved is on the same page will make for a successful 2020.

Reevaluate Your Values

Going into a new decade can also be a perfect opportunity to reevaluate your values. In a previous blog post by our CEO Sabina Gault, Defining and Living by Company Values she references a great point to comprehend how as an agency Konnect has refined its values throughout the years to ensure they continue to align with the overall brand. The core values that we breathe, sleep and work within mind daily are a passion, collaboration, positivity, integrity, excellence, and flexibility. When was the last time you refined your values as a brand or personally? I understand that time is of the essence but I encourage you to spend an hour to look at your values to determine if they still align with your vision whether it be personal or as a brand.

Set S.M.A.R.T Goals

After a recent all-staff training at our agency, we examined how to craft S.M.A.R.T. goals and why they are an important factor in achieving any goal. Goals are designed to help us identify if what we want to achieve and whether the deadline is realistic. When crafting goals we should use concise language that includes relevant information including the who, what, why, when where, which and why. These types of goals are designed to focus on effort, be productive and successfully achieve your goals. Take a look at what a S.M.A.R.T. goal should include and learn more here:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

Stay Positive

Letting go of the past and looking ahead to the future with positivity in mind will make for a prosperous start into the new year. We’ve all heard the phrase “Positive mind, positive vibes positive life” applying that to our life and professional career will make a major difference in everything that is yet to come.

Did you have a successful year? Congrats! Keep the momentum going. Donald Miller from Business Made Simple shares some words to live by on What Not to Do When you Succeed – define your next win to keep the momentum going. Write down your win and then the next one and the next, don’t let your story end with one win, just keep it going.

Ultimately, having an idea of what to expect, having a PR plan in place, identifying your values, embodying positivity and setting smart goals will contribute to success in 2020.

Cheers to 2020!
-Abigail