Page 46 - FINAT Yearbook 2015

KEEPING FINAT ON THE MEDIA MAP
THE NEW AND WONDERFUL
WORLD OF CONTENT PR...
FINAT and pr partner duomedia are in their fifth year of successful collaboration in the development and execution of a PR programme, and the results continue to break records. In the rapidly evolving environment that we find ourselves in today, associations – and in fact, all organisations – must be both proactive and reactive with their communications strategies. This need has resulted in the emergence of a new role – Content PR- chitect. Between FINAT and duomedia, we have been making the most of the opportunities offered by a good Content PR strategy combined with deployment of excellent and relevant content. Content PR-chitect Anja D’Hondt, Managing Director at duomedia, explains how FINAT’s experiences and best practices may benefit FINAT Members as well.
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THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
The boundaries between earned, owned and paid media continue to dissolve at an exponential rate as consumer preferences and communication dynamics constantly change. We are moving into an ‘on-demand’ society with more critical audiences who will not just swallow any commercial message. Organisations are using multichannel media techniques to capture their stakeholders’ fragmented and short attention spans and to nurture them on an ongoing basis. FINAT is no exception here. We believe that Content PR is especially important for associations as members look to them to be thought
leaders and help identify trends, techniques and issues within their specific domain.
DEFINING CONTENT PR AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
At duomedia, we approach content from a PR perspective, which means we first develop a strategy geared toward channels most likely to reach stakeholders and engage communities. We then apply successful PR-principles to various strategies and tactics, including third-party validation, ambassadorship and thought leadership, tailoring content to specific or local markets.
DEVELOPING A CONTENT
PR STRATEGY
We begin with an audit, researching an organisation’s image perception and positioning via customer or member surveys, share of voice and competitive analysis. Then we develop the messaging framework, in line with the organisational and marketing strategy. Finally, we set out a Content PR strategy that includes a tactical plan with objectives and measurement parameters, content matrix, media channels and tools.
The thought leadership aspect of this is based on the premise that an organisation’s leaders are sharing their expertise, knowledge and ‘thoughts’ on their businesses and industries in an educational and informative manner. This includes discussing issues and challenges within a specific industry or market and offering solutions to deal with them. Thought Leadership pieces must not be commercial, but rather, should build an organisation’s reputation, strengthen relationships and garner respect amongst target audiences.
GETTING IT DONE
Depending on the targeted channels and audiences, content is produced in different formats: white papers, news releases, feature articles, blogs,
FINAT YEARBOOK 2015 |