Publicists: The Chameleons of Communication
By Tammy Marino, Publicist
Oftentimes, when a company is seriously considering adding public relations outreach to its marketing toolkit, decision-makers will begin their search adamantly to find publicists who have niche experience in a specific industry. Widget Maker will want a publicist who already has all of the widget industry media contacts in place, while Doohickeys Unlimited wants a publicist with extensive doohickey knowhow. And that is a logical first step.
But some companies are so niche or so new and different that they may struggle to find a practitioner with industry-specific credentials. Additionally, companies rarely want to have a publicist who is also working with/for a close competitor. That’s where agencies like Orca Communications come in. Agency publicists are chameleons of the trade.
Public relations professionals, especially those who have extensive agency experience versus working in-house, truly become industry experts for each and every client. We have to. Publicists must know the client’s selling points inside and out. They must have a solid understanding of any relevant competition in order to properly sell the story and maximize media results.
We are the chameleons of communication. We work incredibly closely with clients to ensure we are crafting the absolute best version of their stories. We do our research and find the right contacts at the right publications to ensure we hit the target audience. And we do it beautifully, successfully and eagerly.
Examples: for a musical accessory I had to put myself in a musician’s shoes to learn the best pitch angles that ultimately secured them multiple press mentions in top-tier outlets of the trade. We do the same for novelty pet products, fashion accessories, specialty foods, health/wellness brands, and even b2b products like financial software.
We enjoy working with clients who are doing something truly innovative because it gives us the opportunity to stretch ourselves even further – to expand on our ever-growing list of areas of expertise.
The beauty of an agency like Orca Communications is that you don’t just get your assigned chameleon publicist. You get an entire chameleon army of PR experts ready to provide input based on their own unique experiences. We are constantly consulting our colleagues to keep one another up-to-date on industry trends, media turnover, specific opportunities and sometimes just to put fresh eyes and ears on our pitches. When a client opts for a unique agency experience like that of Orca Communications, you are not just getting one seasoned publicist. You will truly benefit from a combined half a century or more of proven PR success, knowledge and skill from an entire team of professional publicists.
As people find new ways to get their news – evolving from print newspapers and magazines, to online publications and influencers – Orca Communications publicists are also evolving. We stay on top of what is happening in the media to ensure that our outreach is aligned with client goals. We carefully investigate any opportunity that we secure or that crosses our desks before we present it to our clients because we don’t want to waste anyone’s time. And we always let each other know when unsavory characters who pose as media are truly only seeking samples.
When I think of chameleons, I think of creatures who are small and colorful – but who can easily and seamlessly blend in and adapt to any environment. Regardless of your product, we are here, equipped and ready to dig in and do the work to fully understand your company and your goals so that we can share it with the people who will care. We will take on your colors and make them shine.