Where Innovation Meets Awareness

May 1, 2008 | Posted by: Ben Merritt

Boy I love public relations. The thrill of the hunt. Getting into the zone. Watching a CEO or a VP of marketing's eyes light up as they get excited about their innovations. It's their baby. You can see the passion, the excitement. And then their company makes headlines - that's where innovation meets awareness.

Yet...how best to tell the story? What makes it unique and compelling and different, and, more importantly, why should anybody care?

That's what journalists ask, and that's what we at the Merritt Group try to answer for our clients everyday. PR is fun because we get to think like journalists - and to be successful we should think like journalists. Because there are hundreds of products, hundreds of good ideas competing for attention, and reporters and bloggers are inundated with them every day. How does a company rise above the fray? What's the best way to reach your customer, to drive awareness for your innovations? So many choices, from eWeek to TechCrunch to Business Week, there are literally hundreds of ways to reach your customer. PR has always been an art, but today it's becoming more of a science. What is the right media mix? Shooting at the side of the barn is not an option. Focus, target, aim.

But where does innovation meet awareness? Having the right strategy is important, but nailing the right game plan for executing it is equally as important. A strategy doesn't mean much if you can't execute it. And remember, it's less about the technology and more about how your company solves the customer problem. Companies that know their customers, know their issues better than anyone, they own the story and the minds of the media. That's called credibility. Mindlessly touting the latest and fastest and most "seamless" is not.

And communicating in simple, understandable terms. This is not the dotcom era anymore. It's about being able to clearly articulate your company's vision and strategy and business model. That's how you are going to make money, that's why your innovations are going to make a difference, and that's the compelling reason to buy.

At Merritt Group we get to work everyday with some of best and brightest minds in the industry. They are today's and tomorrow's thought leaders, from global market leaders to early-to mid-stage organizations. We also have some of the sharpest minds in the public relations industry right here at our firm. We have created a culture that is a learning organization. We always challenge ourselves, thinking differently, challenge the status quo, to think not only outside the box but from every angle of it. In today's market our clients themselves think that way, and they expect the same from us -- even more so from us. There is no room for complacency in this business. Success today does not necessarily mean success tomorrow. Not if we are going to truly help our clients make their mark.

Smart CEOs and Marketing VPs in the high-tech industry understand the value of top-notch public relations. In our firm we believe that fundamental to great PR is great research, strategy, execution and measurement. That's our business process here at Merritt Group. We do research into who your customer really is, we target the purchasing decision-makers. We uncover how your company segments your market. Ultimately, PR is about strategically framing the discussion and creating a compelling message to take to your customers. And that translates into successful business for you and for us, a win-win.

Execution is also where innovation meets awareness: getting from point A to point B, owning the customer relationship. And if you can't measure PR, it's of little value. Is your message resonating? Is your story prominent? Is the tone positive? Are your executives being viewed as thought leaders? Those are just a few benchmarks we look at when measuring a successful PR campaign.

PR is entering a new era. It's the wild, wild west all over again. With the rise of social networking and new media, the ground rules have all changed. Rupert Murdoch knows this at the Wall Street Journal, and we as company make it our business to know it too. Yet as we all sort it out, it still comes down to one goal: creating awareness for your innovations. These are exciting times, and at Merritt Group we are in the business of delivering value to our clients. We are where innovation meets awareness.