Tech Image Ltd. Intelligence Reports

These Report summaries provide an overview into our philosophy of media relations. Many of the key tactics in a communications plan are presented, along with our perspectives on their merits and roles. You can request the complete Report via email by clicking after the summary you’re interested in. We welcome any feedback on our Intelligence, since we are always looking to learn more.

Intelligence Report #605
Making PR Measurement Meaningful
A Qualified Approach to Publicity Metrics
By Dennis Collins, COO, Tech Image Ltd.

In the world of marketing research, there are two established types of information – qualitative and quantitative. Each one has its specific value, since they provide different types of data as listed below.

Quantitative research uses fixed numerical values like a 1-5 scale to determine and quantify information that is desired. These are most notorious as the polls that drive so much policy in the US these days – as our elected officials revert to sheer numerical guidance as the rationale for their decisions and actions.

Qualitative research includes surveys, focus groups and other means of dialog that provide insight rather than mathematic certainty, and are ideal for determining ‘softer’ attributes like brand positioning, reasons for actions, and other intrinsic values that can’t be easily measured.

>> Click here for the complete Intelligence Report #605

Intelligence Report #302
The Keys to Strong Messaging Are Balance, Discipline and Focus
By Dennis Collins, COO, Tech Image Ltd.

Tech Image often conducts strategic messaging sessions with its clients early in the relationship, in order to build the foundation for all communications activity. In these sessions, top executives are gathered together into a room, and asked a series of fairly straightforward questions about their business, their competitors, the marketplace and other key factors. The result of the session is to turn several hours’ worth of discussion into concise messages that quickly tell the company’s story in a consistent manner across many diverse audiences.

It’s a very focused, effective technique that serves as a launching pad for media relations efforts that garner results. But there are misperceptions regarding just what messaging is, why it is important and how it improves communications. People often confuse strategic messaging with branding slogans or other commercial applications. Tech Image believes there is a hierarchy to these messages, and they need to reflect the company’s business plans to all constituents. In this document, we’ll examine the key elements of a strategic messaging platform.

>> Click here for the complete Intelligence Report #302

Intelligence Report #305
Integrating PR, Marketing, and Lead Generation Activities
Results in Sales Acceleration Success
By Mike Nikolich, CEO, Tech Image Ltd.

For shortwave radio listeners, few things are more exciting than a fantastic gray line opening. As the earth rotates around the sun, a gray line delineates the areas that are in sunlight and darkness. This line moves 24 hours a day from east to west and reception of distant signals is often best when the path traveled by the radio waves is entirely in darkness.

When the sun is rising in Tanzania, the gray line periodically makes it possible to hear Radio Tanzania and other shortwave stations from southern Africa around 10 p.m. in Chicago. These stations will be audible for several weeks until the darkness path makes its way west and the stations disappear until the next time the earth and sun are in alignment.

While this phenomenon doesn’t guarantee you’ll hear a particular station, using the gray line technique will definitely increase your odds.

>> Click here for the complete Intelligence Report #305

Intelligence Report #399
Is Trade Show Public Relations Worth the Effort? Here's What the Top Editors Think
By Mike Nikolich, President, Tech Image Ltd.

Your CEO just issued the mandate to schedule a press conference at the upcoming trade show to announce a hot new product. There’s only one problem – the trade show is just four days away! The PR team is in a frenzy, scrambling to prepare press kits, duplicate slides and schedule a press conference that your company decided to host just two days ago.

While some people strive on stress, is this last-minute mad-dash really worth the effort or a waste of time? Will it make a difference in determining whether your product succeeds? Or does a planned attack make more sense? Tech Image posed these questions and more to some of the computer and video industry's most respected reporters. Their consensus?

>> Click here for the complete Intelligence Report #399

Intelligence Report # 502
Strong Analyst Relationships Require an Understanding of Audiences, Analysts and Needs
By Dennis Collins, Chief Operating Officer, Tech Image Ltd.

Almost every technology company that Tech Image encounters tells us that they desire two things: they want to be featured in the Wall Street Journal, and they want to get great coverage with the influential industry analysts who track their space. We’ll delve into the issue of the Wall Street Journal and strategic publicity coverage in a future newsletter, but today I want to address the analysts and their relationship with technology companies. There’s no doubt that analysts continue to hold influence in the tech community, but there are many ways to use them as a tool for successful and impactful sales and marketing.

Any business communications medium is a good analogy to an analyst firm. You have two distinct groups within the organization; with the media it’s editorial and advertising, with analyst firms, it’s the researcher/analysts and the subscription services. Just as the myth that buying an ad will get you a story has been exploded over the years, except with non-credible publications, it isn’t necessary to buy an analyst firm’s services to gain access to their researchers. Why? Simply put, the researchers need to stay on top of a marketplace in order to maintain the value that their subscribers want. And each analyst is under pressure to get the insider view on breakthrough technologies, so it’s in their best interests to meet with companies outside their own clients.

>> Click here for the complete Intelligence Report #502

Intelligence Report #599
Rave Reviews Through Relentless Tracking
By Mike Nikolich, CEO, Tech Image Ltd.

What’s a great product review worth to your company? According to the VP of marketing at one of the country’s leading PC manufacturers, an “Editor’s Choice Award from PC Magazine adds $3 million to our company’s bottom line.” In the digital video industry, NewMedia Magazine’s Awesome Award is worth at least $2 million in sales, according to the president of one hardware manufacturer.

If great reviews have such an impact on a company’s sales, how does a negative review affect a product’s success or failure? And, if the stakes are so high, why do so many companies approach product reviews with a casual attitude? For many companies, the review process consists of simply responding to an editor’s request for a loaner product and then waiting for the results to appear in print. This type of approach to a product review may spell disaster.

>> Click here to receive the complete Intelligence Report #599

Intelligence Report #701
What Does It Cost? How to Budget Your PR Program by the Numbers
By Mike Nikolich, CEO, Tech Image Ltd.

Your goal is to select a public relations agency to handle a new product launch. The RFP nets four respondents; their proposed budgets range from $50,000 to $200,000. How do you evaluate their plans? While it’s true that you usually get what you pay for, should you automatically discount the lowest budget (or the highest for that matter)? Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a tool to determine which proposals are priced fairly?

To help compare agencies, you need benchmarks to determine what firms charge for various tasks. Although hourly rates for agency talent may range from $75 to $350, rates alone don’t tell you the complete story. The key to establishing a reasonable public relations budget is to determine what an agency charges for typical projects and how many hours of creative time it takes to complete these projects.

>> Click here to receive the complete Intelligence Report #701

Intelligence Report # 1201
Successful Lead Management Strategies for B2B Marketers
By Mike Nikolich, CEO, Tech Image Ltd.

One of the oldest debates in the marketing arena is how to measure results. It’s not easy, but there is a way for B2B marketers to accurately measure the effectiveness of advertising, PR and other marketing programs. It's called lead management. With a good lead management program, marketers won't have to guess whether their program is working — they'll know. More importantly, they’ll have a steady flow of qualified sales prospects.
Unfortunately, most companies don't realize the value of their sales leads.

According to McGraw Hill, here's what happens to most leads:

• 18% of the people who request information never receive it.
• 43% of prospects receive information too late to make a decision.
• 59% of prospects receive the wrong information.
• As many as 90% of people who request product or service information never receive a follow-up call from a sales person.

>> Click here to receive the complete Intelligence Report #1201

Top