Few things can put a startup on the map more effectively than earned media from a concerted PR program. In today’s competitive business environment, new startups fail because not enough people know about them and their products. Finding the right public relations partner can help a startup build press-worthy news to increase their visibility among many key audiences, distinguish their …
An Opportunity to Elevate National Dialogue
The partisan rancor that characterized U.S. politics in 2018 picked up right where it left off as the new year kicked in. Democrats have taken charge of the House of Representatives and are likely to make President Trump’s life more difficult via subpoenas and, quite possibly, calls for his impeachment. What’s more, there are 17 separate and ongoing Trump-related investigations …
How to Increase Your B-to-B Event and Conference Attendance
‘Tis the season. Holiday work parties are a time for folks to catch their breath from the daily grind and have a few cocktails along with assorted canapés. But, considering it’s a social occasion, it’s also a good time for brands and organizations to think about more effective ways to communicate with their constituents via live events and conferences. Despite …
Healthcare sector requires holistic remedies to bolster crisis communications
Originally published on Becker’s Health IT and CIO Report It’s enough to make hospitals and health care companies sick. Consumers are more worried than ever about their protected health information (PHI) being compromised, thanks to high-profile breaches like Anthem and Allscripts. The recent RSA Data Privacy Report, which surveyed 7,500 consumers in the U.S. and Europe, showed that 59 percent …
Is your physician effectively conveying your message?
Establishing a “paper trail,” or writing articles on a regular basis for medical journals and healthcare publications, is an effective way for physicians to boost their credibility and increase their visibility with their constituents. But there’s another way for physicians to separate themselves from the pack: Taking on the role as executive spokesperson for their practice, hospital or medical provider …
PR for Physician Leaders
A long-term PR strategy can reap huge dividends for healthcare brands and organizations in a crowded marketplace. Consumer trust is key – and it requires consistent messaging across all platforms – from print and broadcast media to social channels. Harden Partners has maintained success for its healthcare clients through a keen understanding of the media – crafting “stories that matter” …
Standing Out From The Crowd
A good way to improve your thought leadership visibility is to frame your arguments from a contrarian or unexpected perspective. Rather than competing with 50 people saying the same things about a given trend, finding a counterintuitive stance will draw better engagement from the people you’re trying to reach. Here are three tips to help your voice stand out from …
Research Can Build Brands, If It’s Done Right
What can your company do to gain visibility when: You have a new product and you want more than trade publicity? There isn’t anything to announce? You want to show your customers how informed you are about their needs and challenges? Sponsored surveys can provide an excellent way to stand out in front of customers, investors, employees and other audiences. …
Keeping Up With Evolving Audience Behaviors
PyeongChang, South Korea will step into the spotlight as host of the 23rd Winter Olympic Games. Millions will watch in awe as the world’s top athletes compete in snow and ice sports and North and South Korea march under one flag and take a public step toward reconciliation. Eyes will be peeled to see how Russian athletes fare as they …
How To Deliver Bad Financial News
Not everything always goes the way we planned. Companies aren’t perfect, and neither are their results. Even when businesses do everything right, losses beyond their control can be incurred. Products may be defective, a major customer might go under, or the cost of raw materials could increase. From time to time, even great companies—public and private—will face the challenge of …
Climate Crises And Communications
How should you communicate with your employees, clients and the media when these natural disasters hit? While you hope you never have to use it, having a crisis communications plan in place in case of emergencies and natural disasters is vital to ensure the safety of your employees and the reputation of your company. Here are some key issues to …
The Unsung Heroes Of The Gender Wars
Oprah put a fork in it with her speech at the Golden Globes. We are experiencing a tectonic shift in attitudes about sexual harassment. Every woman I know in business and the professions is celebrating the dawn of zero tolerance. In conversations at the gym, over lunch and dinner we share our personal stories. And breathe sighs of relief that …
Being An Effective Media Spokesperson
Fear of media interviews comes from the anxiety and fear of answering a question incorrectly or in a way that can be taken out of context, reflecting poorly on yourself and your organization. The best way to get around this fear is to prepare for interviews in advance. Working with a public relations agency can help you better prepare for …
Mistakes Companies Make In Crisis Communications: Seven Deadly Sins In The Digital Age
Business crises have dominated the headlines this year for some of the largest businesses in America. From the drip-drip of ongoing coverage of Wells Fargo’s travails to United’s shocking treatment of a passenger and the missteps of Uber’s CEO, we’ve seen major companies struggle to deal effectively with crisis communications. Most observers agree that despite their massive resources, these organizations …
Harden’s Ten Rules For Strong Client Relationships
At Harden, we have 10 rules to create strong client relationships, which is probably why our client engagements tend to last for many years. Results matter, but they are not the entire story by any means. As business partners, we go above and beyond to deliver excellent results and take our relationships equally seriously. Here are some of our agency’s …
Getting John Muir Health Noticed For Their Great Community Work To Fight Colorectal Cancer
One of the great things about doing healthcare public relations is that there’s always something interesting to talk about. These are the very organizations who handle our health and wellness—who wouldn’t be interested in all they have to offer? There’s so much we can turn into news or social media content for them, including interesting case studies, doctors who are …
Getting Press Attention—Can’t Deny Media Loves to Cover Lies
Press attention is what our clients want. But ethics matter—and all publicity is NOT good publicity. Lying hurts everyone, including the liar. Think of it on a personal level. Once you’ve been lied to, it shatters your faith and the next time around you find it harder to trust—and you may not want to have anything to do with the …
Self-Promotion Versus Corporate Branding: A Dilemma For Women CEOs
In today’s media-saturated business world, a company’s image is inextricably linked to the reputation of the CEO. Wall Street analysts, marketers and corporate communicators understand the importance of a CEO’s personal brand and how it affects demand for a company’s products or services and its market value. The “personal brand” of Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com or Tesla’s Elon Musk is …
A Symbiotic Relationship: News And Public Relations
With the advent of the digital age brought a new challenge to media outlets: the constant need for content. Before the Internet was created, people had limited access to information via scheduled television newscasts, daily print newspapers, and word of mouth. In contrast, today’s audience always has access to content. Weather it is your smart phone, laptop, or tablet you always …
Unleashing The Power Of Your Press Coverage
Garnering press coverage for our clients is an honorable goal in itself, but what if, rather than media hits being the end goal, media hits were actually thought of as the beginning of something even bigger? So many companies are focused on using public relations to get press coverage. It’s smart and well proven that when they actively engage in …
Harness The Power Of PR: Keys To Building Your Professional Reputation
The power of reputation has endured from time immemorial, as illustrated by these quotes from the Old Testament to the present. Whether you call it your brand, your image, or your reputation, being known for your strengths and skills is an essential component of marketing. Thankfully today, businesses and professionals have more tools and resources than ever before to strategically …
Keeping It Real. Getting The Most From Your PR Partner Is All About Setting Expectations
So you want to be in TechCrunch, the Huffington Post, Mashable, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the New York Times? You, and everyone else. We have placed plenty of clients in those publications and more, but such expectations at the get go can set you up for disappointment. Most often getting into these publications is less about reaching …
The Evolution Of Public Relations
The term “public relations” might be relatively new, but the idea of shaping public opinion has been around for a long time. Edward Bernays, one of the pioneers of PR said, “The three main elements of public relations are practically as old as society: informing people, persuading people, or integrating people with people.” In 50 B.C., Julius Caesar publicized his …
Best Tips To Improve Your Crisis Communications
In the current age of instant communications, it is more important than ever for an organization to have the communications mechanisms in place to control and effectively respond to a crisis or potential crisis situation as quickly as possible. You should work with a PR team that has extensive experience with both preparing for and dealing with crisis communications situations. …
My Life As An Intern
The Intern Horror Story is typically met with sympathetic nods and diverted eyes aimed to the floor when the topic comes up in conversation. We’ve all heard scenarios of determined students eager to get their foot in the door of the industry of their dreams, clinging to the idea that a few months of hard labor will make their resume …
The Golden Age Of Communications
We’ve had the Golden Age of television, of movies, of trade, of exploration. But what about communications? I would argue that now is the Golden Age of Communications — change is happening daily and we are able to reach and influence more people than at any point in our history. Never before have we had so many outlets and options …