A lot of folks struggle to understand the difference. I’ve seen many a PR pro, and not just newbies, flummoxed when asked to explain the process.

PR Goals

Say you’re a consumer company that wants a public relations agency to “move the needle” on sales for your new line of scented hair care products (with notes of cotton candy, cinnamon, cherry, and the like). Some PR goals might be:

• Gain inclusion in X stories in top tier consumer publications discussing trendy/innovative hair care products (Seventeen, Cosmo, etc)
• Drive X number of people to the website selling the product (access to the client’s analytics is key here)
• Secure X top tier fashion/lifestyle bloggers to write about the products
• Increase Facebook likes and Twitter followers & retweets by X

PR Strategy

Okay, so now we have some goals. What’s the strategy here? There are a number of different ways to come at this, but strategy tends to encompass a group of actions aimed at achieving the previously defined goals.

• For the example we’re using, one strategy could be to implement a celebrity endorsement program (with folks like Miley Cyrus, Sarah Hyland, etc.) as the hook to gain coverage across media channels. If “current” celebs are known to be rocking a hot new product, PR work gets a whole lot simpler.
• Obviously most budgets aren’t sufficient for this kind of approach, so another strategy might be to position – and pitch – the products as “Not Safe For Work,” which suggests that the fragrances are irresistible and therefore potentially scandalous. Or maybe this stuff is “for single women only.” You get the idea, and a solid brainstorming session with a good PR firm should yield numerous options for consideration.

PR Tactics

A lot of people confuse strategy for tactics, but tactics are really just the strategy on wheels.

Generic tactics in this case might be to:

• “Verticalize” pitching platforms to tailor specific messages to specific audiences.
• Create edgy 30-second videos of guys acting stupid around women wearing the scented hair gel; sniff tests in which guys prefer the smell of the hair gel over bacon; a child asking dad to buy a woman’s hair instead of the cotton candy at the circus; etc.
• Product give-aways to bloggers
• Facebook and twitter contesting
• Stage “Hair product challenges” in key metros
• Celebrity video pitches personalized to top tier writers at fashion mags
• Develop a contest where consumers vote on the next new scent for the hair care products
• Etc.

Does this help explain the difference between goals, strategies and tactics? Hope so.

If not, I’ll make it crystal clear with a crass example:

A gold-digging woman has the following goal: get rich at any cost.

Strategy: attend many events where the elite single men are available and approachable.

Tactics: Have interesting stories to tell, dress semi-provocatively, flirt without appearing untoward, learn who will be in attendance and read their back stories, find out who she knows in common with her target men, ask mutual friends for introductions, etc.

Get it now?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you find this useful.

Don’t get too excited for me; the bag was not the kind you get at the Oscars—just a normal assortment of small stuff as a nice way of saying, “Thanks for attending; now please go buy something at our silent auction,” and offering the business sponsors yet one more way to present their brand to an appreciative audience.

Why is this opportunity so often missed by sponsors as a chance to really shine and attract business? Budget is always an issue, of course, but let’s take a look at my goodies and see if we could have done better. Note: all names have been protected because I don’t want to discourage companies from supporting good organizations.

From one of the largest banks in the country I received a classic giveaway item, a basic pen with their logo which unfortunately came wrapped in a plastic sleeve with “made in China” printed almost as large as the sponsor’s name on the pen—literally, the “China” covered over the “America.” Suffice it to say the environmentalist and the patriot in me shuddered.

Another bank gave us all mints—those peppermint ones in the crinkly white paper. Appreciated for sure, but ordinary, gone in a bite, and never thought of again. Neither mints nor pens are going to get someone to consider switching banks…which is, of course, the point of marketing.

A local seafood joint gave us a package of lobster-themed napkins. Cute tie to what they do, but the only branding was on the sticker on the front of the package, and once that is ripped open, will my feeble mind remember who gave me the fun picnic accessory? Probably not.

I also got tons of samples—this rocks, right?! An assortment of little jams, lipsticks, candy, skin products…all great but, curiously, no indication of where to buy them. I loved the samples, but there was nothing with them to encourage me to seek the products out to buy more, and that is the behavior you want to elicit.

So how do we “do better?” All product samples need to come with a coupon and some ideas for easy purchase. The jam and candy market is super competitive and it all tastes pretty good, so even if I thought your product was the best, I am more likely to buy what I normally do at my typical stores without an incentive.

With a ribbon and a tag you can tell me that when I buy more of the skin care sample at Suzie’s store I get $1 off and the nonprofit (whose event I am supporting with my presence) also gets a buck.  Pair a coupon to the restaurant with the napkins, and when I redeem it, thank me for supporting the charity. Bring it full circle and make me feel like we are aligned in this cause. With a little extra effort, the pens and mints could be taped to a card with directions to come to a branch and do something to engage with the bank about, well, anything—but the goal is to get your pen and mint recipients to interact with your brand.

The best item, in my humble opinion, was a keychain flashlight from a local utility company. It was branded with both logo and colors, was tied to their service—powering light through energy distribution. It’s very useful (I put it on my keychain to help get me inside on those dark non-super-moon nights), and it didn’t break the bank for the company. Of course, I can’t go buy more electricity from them as they are not my electric company, but I do feel warmly about  the company because they put the flashlight in the bag just to be nice corporate citizens.

So I say to all marketing folks stuck with a small budget and the big responsibility of goodie bag stuffing: be respectful to the environment, favor items Made in America, and, most of all be, sensitive to what your brand stands for and how your small offering can contribute to sales with just a bit of cleverness.

Calypso Communications, one of the only truly integrated, full-service public relations, marketing, and graphic design firms in Northern New England, is partnering with the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. to co-sponsor the 11^th PechaKucha Night (PKN) Portsmouth on Thursday, June 14, from 7-9 p.m. This free community event offers attendees a chance to network and share conversation, inspiration, and their passions.

Second in a series of four 2012 PKN Portsmouth events focusing on the four elements, PKN #11 will feature the famous PechaKucha six-minute, 40-second creative presentations focusing on the element of “Air.” A Fire-themed night was held at Flatbread Company in April, and Earth and Water PKNs will occur later this year. Local artist Alfonso Fabrega is designing the poster series artwork for each of the 2012 events.

“As a society, we know we can access ideas and information online, but we’re still craving the in-person interaction,” said Calypso Senior Creative Director Mike Teixeira. “We want to be inspired by people and feel their energy, and that’s what PechaKucha is all about.”

Eight local speakers from varied backgrounds will give short presentations at the June 14 event, with each topic uniquely connected to the “Air” theme. Presenters will have just over six minutes to share their subject following the PechaKucha format of 20 PowerPoint slides shown for 20 seconds each.

Devised and shared by Klein Dytham Architecture in 2003, PechaKucha began as an event where young designers could meet, network, and show their work. The unique creative structure distinguishes PechaKecha from business and linear networking events, creating an opportunity for different communities to share ideas openly.

The Portsmouth Gas Light’s third floor will open for PKN #11 at 6 p.m. with presentations beginning promptly at 7 p.m. To keep up with presenters and other special announcements, check out PKN Portsmouth’s Facebook page or follow @nhpk on Twitter. To present at a future PechaKucha Portsmouth event, contact Calypso at 603.431.0816 or email Pamela Schmuhl at pschmuhl@calypsocom.com.

About PechaKucha

PechaKucha (Japanese for “the sound of conversation”) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown. The concept has grown into global demand—without any pushing—as PechaKucha Night has spread virally to more than 525 cities across the world. For more information, visit www.pecha-kucha.org.

About Calypso Communications

Based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and active in Washington, D.C., Calypso Communications is a premier, award-winning strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy. Highly sought after for its seasoned insight and perspective, Calypso effectively engages stakeholders crucial to driving business and value for clients in the energy, healthcare, and technology industries. For more information on how Calypso can focus your communications to maximize your bottom line, visit www.calypsocom.com.

About Portsmouth Gas Light Co.

The Portsmouth Gas Light Co. offers traditional pub items, entrees, locally brewed draft beer, and a boutique-style wine selection. Appointed with rich textures of wood, copper, and brick, the restaurant pays homage to the Gas Light Company’s role in Portsmouth’s storied history. The downstairs Downtown Brick Oven Pizza Pub burns New England hard woods that give the pizza a unique smoke flavor, while The Deck offers lunch and dinner outdoors seasonally. Upstairs, the third-floor nightclub is the Seacoast’s leader in premiere nightlife entertainment. For more information, visit www.portsmouthgaslight.com.

Portsmouth, N.H., May 10, 2012 – Calypso Communications, one of the only truly integrated, full-service public relations, marketing, and graphic design firms in Northern New England, recently expanded its communications department with the appointment of Sarah Flaherty as the firm’s Strategic Communications Writer. Flaherty will work closely with Calypso’s communications, marketing, and public relations teams to write dynamic copy, reports, and collateral for a diverse roster of consumer and energy clients.

“Calypso is growing at a steady clip, and it’s critical to add strong communications talent as we scale our portfolio of creative services offerings,” said Kevin Stickney, Calypso’s founder. “Sarah’s strong writing skills and background in various types of communications channels will serve our clients well. We are thrilled to welcome her to our team.”

Flaherty brings more than seven years of experience writing research reports, blogs, and creative content for various media platforms and clients. She specializes in crafting targeted messages to meet a variety of strategic corporate needs.

Prior to joining Calypso Communications, Flaherty worked in Timberland’s corporate social responsibility department, supporting the company’s community service engagements and sharing stories of impact. She spent four years in the market research industry, writing and editing qualitative and quantitative research reports for Time Inc. and Ticketmaster, among others. Flaherty has also worked at Dare Mighty Things in Portsmouth, developing training plans and educational materials for nonprofits, foundations, and government groups, including the Department of Defense and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program.

Flaherty is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a B.A. in English. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University.

About Calypso Communications 

Based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and active in Washington, D.C., Calypso Communications is a premier, award-winning strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy. Highly sought after for its seasoned insight and perspective, Calypso effectively engages stakeholders crucial to driving business and value for clients in the energy, environmental, healthcare, and technology industries. For more information on how Calypso can focus your communications to maximize your bottom line, visit http://www.calypsocom.com.

I’m willing to bet it’s happened to you. You get a LinkedIn connection request in your email and don’t recognize the sender’s name. Maybe you have a few connections in common, or you work in the same industry—but, to your knowledge, you haven’t met. You open the message to look for clues, only to be met with this sterile line: “I’d like to add you to my professional network.”

Is it me, or is this a very ineffective way to network?

Here’s my problem with so much social media content these days: it’s about constant output with very little tailoring to a target audience. Everyone wants to be heard. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the phrase “breaking through the clutter” in proposals, posts, and social strategy articles. I get it. The landscape is busy. We need to shout to be heard, and for many of us, that means making as many connections as possible to create a broader audience. But throwing a thread out and just hoping someone will pick up the other end doesn’t work.

I’ve recently received several requests to connect from people I don’t know personally. LinkedIn, of course, offers you a small space to write a personal note before you send a connection request to another user. You can say anything here! “Hi Sarah, we’ve never met personally but it looks like we both know Joe Schmo and work at PR agencies” works perfectly well. As does something like: “Hi Sarah, as a potential client, I’d love to chat sometime about Calypso’s social media strategies” (in fact, that message is especially welcome!). But if there’s no explanation—and we’re not already friends or colleagues—expect that I probably won’t accept your request.

I’m not trying to be mean. I’m happy to connect with you on LinkedIn, especially if we have friends or colleagues in common or we do similar work. But, please, take the time to tell me who you are. When your brand is yourself, it’s just good marketing.

If you’ve been on the Internet this week, you’ve likely watched (or heard about) the latest trailer for “The Dark Knight Rises,” the newest addition to the re-boot of the Batman franchise.

It’s dark. It’s subdued. It’s collapsing bridges and simple, muted piano notes. It’s fear and terror with the briefest glimpse of a hero’s wavering courage.

And I’m not even a superhero-movie kind of person.

But there’s something about Batman that the Spiderman and Superman legends lack, and the marketing team behind “The Dark Knight Rises” knows it. They’ve harnessed the mystery and darkness of the Batman legend and offered fans the chance to live in it.

When “The Dark Knight” came out a few years ago, the film’s marketers introduced it not just through posters and teaser trailers, but through a fan-driven scavenger hunt that began almost a year before the film even hit theaters. It was 2007—Facebook had only recently opened up to non-college students; the iPhone was just a baby. But hardcore Batman fans were chasing the Joker (both virtually and in real life) around Manhattan/Gotham City, going after…what? Another new trailer? Plot hints? They didn’t even know what they were playing for; they just knew they wanted to be a part of it.

There’s a larger discussion here on using games and interactive storytelling as a marketing tactic. Frank Rose has written a fascinating book on this subject called “The Art of Immersion.” Rose describes these campaigns as “immersive narratives” that blur the lines between fiction and reality, inviting the most hardcore fans to dive deeper while still existing as standalone experiences for casual fans who just want a good summer flick.

We’re more attuned to these guerilla marketing tactics than we were in 2007, but what still fascinates me about “The Dark Knight Rises” is the way in which the promoters have played so well to the franchise brand. The darkness, the lack of faith, the ever-present evil—it’s all there. The film will, no-doubt, earn millions and break summer records regardless of whether a niche audience of hardcore fans is involved in a virtual treasure hunt. But this campaign isn’t about just making money. It’s about creating hype and buzz and generating enough interest to sell out midnight IMAX showings in major cities more than six months prior to the film’s release. It’s about getting fans engaged enough to tweet real-world graffiti locations in exchange for the release of one still frame from a new trailer.

We’ve come a long way from Adam West in tights. And as a storyteller, a marketer, and (okay, I admit) a Batman fan…I’m in.

You hit the alarm and pull on your gym clothes and grab a health bar or a yogurt and wolf it down before getting in the car and hopping on the treadmill and quickly devouring a magazine and then you shower and put on work clothes and then go through the drive-through on the way to work where you check all your emails and Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn and listen to your messages and map out your to-dos and then go to back-to-back-to-back meetings and then heat up a Lean Cuisine that you choke down at your desk while on a conference call about a meeting next week where you’ll present the findings of the marketing research you need to get done and analyze and stuff into a presentation between now and then and, Christ, it’s only noon on Monday.

All writing is writing. Investigative, creative, Web, narrative, prose; words marshaled into messages give us the art of writing at its elemental best and, sometimes, worse. My eight-year-old, a death grip on a gnawed pencil, writes every day, punctuation optional. And while her scripts go straight into the Homework Folder, business writers generally have the chance to proofread, edit, or rewrite client words before they hit the street, the send button, or shareholder eyes. It’s a good thing, especially for technical and science-based businesses that lean on non-technical readers for funding, political, community, and media support.

Despite the illusion that technical writing is sparse on diction and long on data, it may be the most challenging type of all. Why? Because engineers and technologists generally want a lot of words; they don’t want to get them from the Marketing Dept.; and they need them wedged into every available Web pixel and page space. Oh, and supplemented by as many drawings and graphs as possible. For a PR and design agency such as Calypso, it’s honest work to guide this information blitz in a productive direction.

It’s also plain fun, because technical writing is the ultimate tabula rasa – a chance to erase tradition and make complex products clear, to re-wire hardwired business jargon with fewer circuits, and to excite the typically least excitable type of client. We can craft technical documents that make their sponsors overlook the way we neglected to mention all the details, like the ‘diameter of the redundant four-phase antilock fuel sensor’ or the ‘nylon thread count in an acid gas control Teflon-coated fabric filter.’ Or how we replaced a few unnecessary product details on a finished Fact Sheet with (refreshingly) rogue white space.

As part of Calypso’s work in strategic PR, branding, and reputation management we have the enviable task to write for global multi-industry clients – from core energy, environmental, and technology partners to hospitals, software firms, non-profits, and startups. Sometimes even attorneys, politicians, or other professional elocutionists ask for help transforming their oft-elegant oratory into words that normal people use. Okay, they don’t call that often, but when they do, they really need help. (Texas governors, dial the number below.)

Writing is always inspiring for our editorial team – a learned, some say motley assortment of English majors, former journalists, communications specialists, and bleary-eyed bloggers. Like the Lost Generation in Paris (only in Portsmouth and without the wine and typewriters …okay, without the typewriters), writing is what keeps them going, weaving semantic strategies into durable story fabrics. They shepherd their work through the process, seeing it dyed in graphic designs, sculpted by digital and interactive tools, checked and signed by clients, and delivered to multiple customer galleries for brand approval.

So when a nuclear engineer or marine scientist walks in, orders a “slick” sales brochure, and submits a large collection of tables, charts, CAD drawings, and construction site photos, there’s no time for coffee. The tapestry we envisioned is a crumpled blueprint on the conference table with an impossible deadline for its renaissance. It’s time for technical writing at Calypso. We love it. Bring it on.

Good business writing is the ability to infuse personality, accuracy, and motivation into words that speak directly to your clients’ customers. Sometimes this invokes calm indignation for clients in crisis, knowing optimism for new entrepreneurs, or thinly veiled satire for campaigns and complainants.

A lot of our technology partners are solid writers; their work goes right into the Homework Folder. Others need a little help. Whether the end result sounds like Hemingway or Larry the Cable Guy, it’s a much-needed art form.

A new internship can be a nerve-wracking experience. There are so many new challenges and experiences being thrown at you every day that sometimes it can be hard to focus on what you’re really there to do—learn! Now that I have completed a public relations and marketing internship at Calypso Communications, I have a few tips for the next group of interns on how to succeed:

1. Relax. Calm your mind and keep reminding yourself that everyone was new at some point. When you’re nervous, your mind can get cluttered with doubts, leaving you frazzled instead of fearless.  Take deep breaths and focus on one task at a time. And if you make a mistake, just find out what went wrong and learn from it so you don’t repeat it next time. There were times when I felt too nervous to ask a question, but I learned that if you have any questions, it is always better to ask than to wait until too much time has passed.
2. Observe. One of the best things about an internship is the opportunity to observe other people in action. Strategy meetings, networking events, and client calls are all chances to learn how to handle common professional situations. Mentors are extremely important, so when you do come across someone you admire, don’t be afraid to ask them questions and pay extra attention to how they handle themselves in professional situations. Observing the actions of those around me when a client walks through the door has opened my eyes and made me more professionally aware.
3. Explore.  Give yourself permission to explore different career possibilities. When you have a creative mind and varied professional interests, don’t limit your choices in a career path. Try out new things, test your skills, and ask to be involved in projects that excite you. By the end of your internship you may have discovered potential new careers that you didn’t even know existed. I’ve become interested in different elements of public relations, including the creative design portion, without which many projects would not be complete.

To tie this all together, my advice is to simply be yourself and don’t be afraid to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Success is within reach—you just need to stretch a little to get there!

Calypso Communications, one of the only truly integrated, full-service public relations, marketing, and graphic design firms in Northern New England, today announced it has been selected to provide an array of public relations and creative services to the Ogunquit Playhouse, a not-for-profit, historic theatre in southern Maine. For 80 years, the Ogunquit Playhouse has produced award-winning musical theater for audiences on the seacoast.

Since the 1930s, the Ogunquit Playhouse has created Broadway-caliber shows featuring the best talent from theater, television and film. Each show is produced and rehearsed onsite, and performed in a unique National Historic Register building. The 80^th Anniversary Season offers a mix of Broadway’s greatest musical classics, retrospectives of the Playhouse’s biggest hits and exciting new shows including Damn Yankees (the new Boston Red Sox version) starring Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley, Always, Patsy Cline, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story and 9 To 5: The Musical.“As we celebrate our milestone anniversary in 2012, we are confident that Calypso’s marketing and PR expertise will help introduce our spectacular shows to an even wider audience and attract the next generation of fans to the Playhouse,” said Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director of the Ogunquit Playhouse.

“The Ogunquit Playhouse is an icon in the performing arts community,” said Kevin Stickney, Founder of Calypso. “We are delighted to help tell the story of one of the country’s most beloved entertainment venues.”

About Calypso Communications 

Based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and active in Washington D.C., Calypso Communications is a premier, award-winning strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy. Highly sought after for its seasoned insight and perspective, Calypso effectively engages stakeholders crucial to driving business and value for clients in the energy, environmental, healthcare, and technology industries. For more information on how Calypso can focus your communications to maximize your bottom line, visit http://www.calypsocom.com.

 About the Ogunquit Playhouse

The Ogunquit Playhouse is America’s Foremost Summer Theatre, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, producing the finest Broadway musicals each season. Follow the Ogunquit Playhouse on Twitter (@OgunquitPH) and become our fan on Facebook (facebook.com/OgunquitPlayhouse) for behind-the-scenes info, photos and fun throughout the season. For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org.