Jim Knapp

🏈 End Zone Excellence: How to Score Big Communication Wins with Policymakers and Leadership 🏈 Attending CAPIO’s Annual Conference next week? Join Our Upcoming Session! I'm excited to be moderating this panel discussion. Unlock the secrets to masterful communication in the public sector, just like orchestrating a game-winning drive in football! Securing the support of policymakers and C-suite executives can be a game-changer for communications professionals. Learn from seasoned leaders how to make your communication efforts count as much as a touchdown in the final seconds! Featuring MVP Panelists: - Nathan Hamburger, City of Agoura Hills City Manager - Ramiro S. Adeva III, City of Agoura HillsAssistant City Manager - Christina Byrne, Orange County Transportation Authority Public Outreach Department Manager Session Highlights: ·     Communicating Needs with Leadership: Master the art of conveying your strategic needs and priorities, aligning them with your agency's broader goals. ·     Insights from the Top: Dive into the minds of C-suite professionals to understand what they expect from a stellar communications program. ·     Getting More Buy-In: Tackle the challenges of gaining support from the top; discover new strategies to pitch your ideas effectively. ·     Strengthening Your Toolbox: Equip yourself with practical tools and techniques to amplify your communications efforts. ·     Bridging the Understanding Gap: Address misconceptions and close the knowledge gap within your agency. #WeAreCAPIO #CAPIOConference #PublicReations #PublicSector #Communications #Leadership #PolicyMaking #ProfessionalDevelopment #PublicOutreach #GovernmentCommunications RMG Communications https://lnkd.in/g3rX2KD8

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MSR Communications celebrates its 25th anniversary with an infographic that looks back on what’s changed in the last four years—from the pandemic to shifting consumer behavior and a greater emphasis on authenticity and combatting misinformation; PR pros have much to navigate. Looking to the future, we must be agile and strategic, leveraging a mix of secured media coverage and integrated activities from all media types to tell compelling stories that connect with consumers and prospective buyers on a much deeper level.  Full infographic here https://bit.ly/3ZoQfPv #PR #PublicRelations

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Let’s dive into this week’s Association Insights video, tackling one of the evergreen questions association communicators always have: How do I get more reporters to attend our event? 🎤 Make It Newsworthy: Highlight unique angles, exclusive access or significant industry developments that resonate with your audience. The more relevant your event, the more likely reporters will see value in attending. 📧 Personalize Your Outreach: Skip the generic press releases. Tailor your invitations to individual reporters, referencing their past work and explaining why your event is relevant to them. ⏰ Time It Right: Send out invitations well in advance, but not too early. Follow up closer to the event with additional details or exclusive opportunities. 🎁 Offer Unique Incentives: Consider one-on-one interviews with key speakers, access to exclusive content or behind-the-scenes tours. Unique offerings can make your event more appealing. 🤝 Build Relationships: Share valuable insights and be a reliable resource year-round. Strong relationships increase the likelihood that reporters will prioritize your event. By focusing on these strategies, you can boost your chances of getting reporters to attend and cover your event. 💬 How do you get reporters to attend your events? Share your tips in the comments! #AssociationInsights #EventPR #MediaRelations #OnWrdUpWrd #Communications

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I appreciate PRWeek’s recent stories on agency Q3 earnings. According to the reports, agencies experienced low single-digit growth at best, and most anticipate a continued challenging operating environment ahead. As Big Valley Marketing’s Founder and CEO Tim Marklein put it, Q3 was “lumpy and bumpy.” While we were able to achieve double-digital growth, it was definitely hard work. When organizations are not performing as expected, it is rarely a “math problem.” It is usually an operation and/or a leadership problem. Most successful agencies have a deliberate business strategy that deploys several approaches to enable growth. Developed annually and visited regularly, this strategy has to include how to drive organic and inorganic growth and lines of action to minimize client churn. Here are five simple things agencies can consider to not just survive but thrive: ✅ set a long-view plan early, ✅ manage your practices and client portfolios with discipline and agility, ✅ mobilize your team vertically and horizontally, ✅ activate your collective network, and ✅ not lose sight of what your clients need and what you are good at. Client needs will evolve, markets will shift, and securing the desired budget or scope will always take work. For meaningful growth creation, it is simply not enough to have a “chief growth officer,” an "agency growth driver," or a "head of business development." As agency leaders, we all need to be more intentional or skilled in orchestrating a growth strategy. What do you think? #agency #holdingcompany #publicrelations #PR

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In the last couple weeks, we’ve been hearing directly from journalists about what makes them tick – first from a Meet the Media event by State House News Service, then from 1:1’s with professionals like talented senior CNN producer Ashley Davis, then from new research by Muck Rack on the 2024 State of Journalism, and much more. Some of these points may not align with what you already have in mind about how PR – or more importantly, how journalism – works. But if you’re thinking about PR for your brand, or even your career, here’s six things YOU NEED TO KNOW, direct from the people doing the writing: 🪓 More than 30% of journalists have reported layoffs or buyouts at their organizations in the last year, leading to smaller newsrooms with fewer writers. ⏰ Almost 25% of journalists publish 11 stories or more each week, and 34% are working after hours most days of that week. They are BUSY. Give them TIME. Speaking of time: embargoed pitches are intriguing, and exclusives extra so – but they have to arrive 1-2 weeks before the news is actually live to be considered. 📊 Journalists need sources that can think and speak beyond the scope of their own news. That means data, studies and connections to bigger issues. And customers are often more interesting or helpful than a spokesperson. 🗣 No customer? Subject matter experts first, researchers second, and CEOs as a distant third are journalists’ most preferred sources for stories and commentary. 📳 Pitches need to be kept short (less than 200 words), simple and personalized. Think about what they can read on their phone screen WITHOUT scrolling. And if it doesn’t tie to their beat, or demonstrate a real knowledge of the broader industry, or only contains promotional information, it ain’t getting read. 🤝 Relationship building is what convinces journalists that you're a resource, not a one-off. For every interaction that produces a story, there should be many more than simply reinforce your interest in their work and relevance to their beat. In brief: treat them like people. Busy, busy people. Address them as individuals, don’t make them fight for the information they need to write their stories, and build a PR strategy that works in months or years – not days. Then everybody wins. #pr101 #publicrelations #stateofjournalism #strategiccommunications [ Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash ]

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Your company update may not be newsworthy enough to merit a news release. 📰 If your communications team or agency pushes back on issuing a release, trust us 🙌 – we are the protectors of your corporate reputation. 💼 Issuing news releases that lack news value damages our relationship with journalists. 🛑 What we are good at is finding creative ways to generate coverage—or other ways to communicate company news. 💡✨ Trust and listen to our counsel. 🤝 #PublicRelations #CorporateCommunications #ReputationManagement #PRStrategy #TrustYourTeam #MediaRelations #PRStrategy #TrustYourTeam

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Thanks to Tressa Robbins, our VP of Customer Success, for summarizing the importance of reviewing your service providers in Q4. A very good read for anybody!

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💡 From the fediverse to the Kamala Harris election campaign, SEO, and more: Insights in FIR 425. In this episode of our For Immediate Release podcast, Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I explore six key topics that are shaping the future of business, communication, and technology: 🔹 Fediverse and Digital Sovereignty: We discuss the growing disillusionment with platforms like X and the potential for governments to establish their own instances on the fediverse to maintain digital sovereignty and control over public discourse. 🔹 The Decline of Individuality: A recent study shows a significant decline in people’s desire to stand out over the past 20 years, which has implications for society and how businesses engage with their audiences. 🔹 Corporate DEI Backlash: With growing political and social backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, some companies are scaling back their efforts. But are they abandoning these goals or just changing how they communicate them? 🔹 Impact of Disabling Social Media Comments: Research reveals that disabling comments on social media can harm the perception of influencers and public figures, making them appear less sincere and likeable. 🔹 Kamala Harris’s Gen Z Campaign Strategy: We delve into how Kamala Harris’s campaign successfully engages Gen Z voters by mastering platforms like TikTok and leveraging influencers to drive massive engagement. 🔹 AI and the Future of SEO: The rise of generative AI and concepts like 'zero-click search' are changing the SEO landscape, with new strategies needed to maintain visibility in an increasingly AI-driven search environment. 🔊 For a deeper dive, listen to episode 425 of the podcast - check out the full blog post with audio player here: ⬇️ #Podcast #BusinessTrends #AI #DEI #DigitalMarketing #SEO https://lnkd.in/eCM9mj9d

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Reflections on the U.S. Election Results As the results came in, with Donald Trump emerging as the winner, the 2024 U.S. election has underscored both the intensity of the democratic process and the power of communication in modern campaigns. For communication and PR professionals, this election offers significant insights into messaging, perception management, and the role of media in shaping public opinion. From targeted messaging and relentless social media engagement to mastering digital platforms and addressing diverse demographics, Trump’s campaign demonstrated a keen understanding of data-driven outreach and direct communication with his base. His ability to resonate with core supporters while sparking conversations across media channels highlights the importance of clear, consistent messaging, even in polarizing times. This election also reflects the power of authenticity in public perception. Regardless of political stance, Trump’s direct, unfiltered communication style continued to attract supporters, showcasing a trend where authenticity—perceived or real—can outweigh traditional political decorum. For brands and professionals, the key takeaway here is the power of knowing your audience and speaking directly to them, staying consistent, and harnessing the potential of data and digital platforms. The election results remind us of the need to remain agile, responsive, and mindful of public sentiment. As we digest these results, let’s consider how we can apply these lessons in our own fields to engage meaningfully and authentically with our audiences. #USElectionResults #CommunicationInsights #DataDrivenMarketing #AudienceEngagement

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I always say that if I had to do my career in TV news over again, I'd be a producer. At Cleary Strategies, we think like producers every day as we develop pitches on behalf of our clients. Take a listen to why this is so important on this recent episode of PR's Top Pros Talk with Doug Simon. #ClearyStrategies #DontMissTheMoment

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Fewer than one in five members of the Public Relations Society of America have attained APR accreditation. The process emphasizes the strategic acronym RPIE, crucial for effective communication strategies. While the APR designation may be even rarer in sports PR, it doesn't inherently define a great communications professional or leader. Process does. What truly matters is ensuring your comms department prioritizes Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation as the foundation of your strategy. By backing your approach with data, you can confidently deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. 💡 Try / think about this instead: -             Invest dollars and time into secondary and primary research to be able to understand baseline awareness and attitudes of your target audience -             Determine your key audiences first, then set audience-specific objectives that are focused on outcomes (like percent increase of awareness [survey] or requests for more information noting interest/preference [web traffic/conversion] rather than vanity output metrics (like number of press releases issued) -             Leverage meaningful strategies and tactics and make sure your team can articulate the difference between the two. -             Determine what and how you will evaluate the success of your objectives and focus on how you can learn from organizational impact to set-up research for your next campaign. But this won’t happen if you’re jumping straight into tactics, or seeking to measure how many pitches you sent to media or hoping pray-and-spray mass communications efforts equate reaching ‘the general public.’ The goal is to create a repeatable process that drives your business forward, not be an assembly line shop of press releases and outputs that we do because that’s how it’s always been done (even if you’re successfully putting butts in seats). #PR #CommunicationStrategy #DataDrivenCommunications

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We are launching an innovative, new NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) program for those directors who are in the early stages of their board career. Sign up now at the advanced rate for our special Symposium in #Nashville on June 10 and 11. You will learn from experienced board leaders and governance experts: 1) how to make the critical shift in mindset from executive/operational to board leadership; 2) employ strategies for maximizing the value of your onboarding, including understanding the unwritten norms of your board; 3) avoid pitfalls and secure early wins in your first two years as a director; 4) and prepare for the difficult moments that make or break a boardroom. I will be moderating a session with Christi Korzekwa, NACD.DC and Ed Magee on learning agility in the boardroom and what investment and approach it takes to continuously learn as a director #boardgovernance #corporatedirectors #directoreducation #boardculture #leadershiptransitions #learninganddevelopment #executiveeducation #generalcounsel #corporatesecretary https://bit.ly/3OWWfLa

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Nominations for the Corridor Business Journal's annual Fastest Growing Companies awards are due April 19. Here's a link: https://lnkd.in/dPV_AE6T The awards event, which will be held at 5:30 pm on June 11, highlights the region's fastest growing companies and the entrepreneurship and perseverance that it takes to build and grow these companies. Please note we are unable to accept nominations past the deadline. #fastest #corridor #entrepreneurship #small business

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RIP Bob Newhart. I used to show this clip in media training sessions... Sometimes, especially when subject matter experts do media interviews, they don't do the important part - preparation (i.e., understanding the assignment), spending time watching previous interviews, asking for interview questions in advance and the other parts of media relations that can prove to be more fruitful than the actual interview itself. Of course, this clip is funny and the comedic timing of Bob Newhart will always be one of my favorite things. #mediatraining

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What's possible when a strong purpose intersects with a powerful story? In my recent Presidio Graduate School talk, I spoke about how storytelling can turn missions into movements. Which begs another question: why are you still investing in brand comms and content with no shelf life? Contact me to find out how our LOUPE impact storytelling process can engage audiences and drive growth for your impact-driven brands, products, or programs: [email protected] #sustainability #storytelling #sdgs #esg #brandstorytelling #upcycled #purposedriven #changemakers #documentary #filmmaking #storytelling #sustainablepackaging #climatesolutions #sustinablebusiness #sustainablebrands #businessforgood #triplebottomline #purpose

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In our world of chaos and uncertainty, we’re obsessed with getting an inside line into the future—preferably ahead of everyone else. Sportscasters weigh in on plays and outcomes before the athletes have suited up. Pundits fill the airwaves with prognostications on everything from how weather conditions will affect voter turnout to how sales of Halloween costumes presage winter holiday spending. Meanwhile, reasoned analysis of events past seems scant. We all get it. Online commentators and media outlets need to fill their time slots, and creating cycles of anticipation and speculation tends to attract eyeballs. And we all know that businesses live or die by their ability to forecast the future—whether regarding quarterly results, supply chain issues, market shifts, or consumer preferences. Having built my career in large part on such insights, I can attest to the value of spotting trends before competitors do. And yet … as a culture, what price do we pay for our preoccupation with the next? As Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert has noted, “We are not only impatient; we are impatient about our impatience.” We’re living in the TL;RL, or, worse, the TL;DR era—a time when perceived delays are anathema. (Does that small business e-tailer really expect me to wait THREE DAYS for a package?) We’re so resentful of what we see as unacceptable intrusions on our time that we fail to recognize how much of our days we deliberately fill with time wasters. (Let me just check my X feed for the fourth time this hour to be sure I’m not missing out on anything.) My too-early-in-the-year resolution for 2025 is to work with my team to ensure we spend at least as much time looking backward as we do gazing into our crystal balls. Life is moving so fast that we too often forget to catch our breaths and distill lessons from our experiences. That’s what allows us to build long-term strategies that fortify us against changes to come—whatever they may be. #Leadership #InstantGratification #Predictions #BusinessStrategy #Future

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Each year #theARF tracks questions posed by the industry and releases a report on the FAQs received. In 2023, industry members were most interested in marketing issues, media issues & platforms and creative issues. The ARF discusses those questions, and the answers, in a new report available to all members. #advertising #marketing #media #publishing #broadcasting #research #advertisingresearch

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Worth reading from TimelyCare VP Katie Neal: 13 Leadership Lessons for PR Pros (Taylor’s Version). Let’s face it. Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated album, The Tortured Poets Department (out April 19), sounds like it should be about a corporate communications team. While most PR professionals will never win any Grammys, we share more in common with the megastar than you might think. We are creators, storytellers and writers. We find inspiration in life, work and relationships. And we are influential to our teams, across our organizations and in our communities — demonstrating daily how smart, strategic communications can advance your brand, even in times of crisis. In addition to Swift’s mastery of public relations, have you noticed that her catalog of leadership lessons is almost as extensive as her collection of songs? I curated 13 key Tay-keaways for comms pros — each paired with an album or song — to inspire your leadership style as well as your playlist. Are you ready for it?

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Navigating Activism in 2024: A closer look at rising stakeholder expectations. As societal movements gain momentum, businesses must decide whether to lead change or stand on the sidelines. But how far is too far? And what are the risks of inaction? Here is my commentary on the role of corporate activism.

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