We at Finn Partners are Inspired by many things: A photo, a song, a news story, our clients - and each other. This blog is an opportunity to tell our story and to share our challenges, successes and motivations with you.

Social Media Week in Review

by anush davtian on May 18, 2012 in Digital Media

Facebook has the third largest IPO behind Visa and Enel. (Photo courtesy of mashable.com)

Welcome to another Friday social media recap! Before you run off to strategize your investment in the Facebook IPO, take a look at what’s going on in the world of social media.

The Year of Facebook (and Social Media)

With a $16 billion IPO, Facebook is set to have the third largest IPO in history (only behind Visa and Enel). Not only does this establish the caliber of Mark Zuckerberg’s impact on the social media world, but also on the financial world. Facebook has fast-tracked, if not launched, a completely new take on the online social world and with the right acquisitions it will continue to dominate the social media space. If you’re wondering how the Facebook IPO will affect brands and brand pages, check out the full article.

Google+ Launches Spiffy New Updates to iPhone App

Have you tried out the latest version of the Google+ app for your iPhone? The update takes the app up a notch and features a visual experience unlike the previous version. Other tweaks on the app include configuration for a better app experience instead of making the desktop version compatible on the iPhone.

Twitter Allows Users to Control Privacy

Having a hard time trusting the information social media networks such as Twitter can get from you? Worry no more. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Twitter is participating in “Do Not Track”, an Internet privacy feature for Firefox users. DNT gives users the option to block third-party cookies, little nuggets of information used to track users’ online habits, activities, and even personal information.

Pinterest’s Going International

The two-year-old social bookmarking project is planning on expanding internationally with a $100 million round of investments. The startup is looking to expand into the French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish markets.

The 101 on Embargos vs. Exclusives

by Jeff Seedman on May 15, 2012

I’m Jeff Seedman, an associate partner in the San Francisco office, writing today on a topic that is sure to incite debate. The pressure on journalists to break news first is at an all-time high in today’s fast-paced world of online media. As such, we receive quite a few questions from clients regarding how best to implement and manage embargo and exclusive outreach strategies. It’s a worthy debate – one that the managers at Finn Partners often discuss.

First, it’s important to understand the differences between the two approaches. Exclusives represent an age-old strategy in which one select reporter receives an opportunity to break a particular news item. An embargo strategy differs in that multiple journalists are given access to information and spokespersons in advance of a press release being issued, with the understanding that they are all free to run their story at a predetermined time along with other outlets that were briefed on the news. This strategy is designed to ensure a level playing field, where no single outlet breaks the news first.

At Finn Partners, we often guide our clients toward embargo strategies except for rare exceptions:

We’ve pinpointed a reporter that covers a nuanced topic more in depth than any others, and the benefits of this reporter getting the story right outweigh the benefit of receiving widespread coverage
We need a breakthrough strategy with a particular outlet, typically because their audience aligns more than others with the story our client is telling
The journalist has made certain guarantees that would otherwise not be possible in an embargoed scenario, such as the article becoming a cover story in the print version of a prominent outlet
A news item may not be geared for widespread traction, but a specific journalist has agreed to run it only in the case that it is exclusive to their outlet

While there are exceptions to every rule, we typically recommend the embargo strategy. Journalists are given the same information as their competitors, and they are free to develop their own unique angle or spin on the news that can set them apart. The journalists we speak to day-in and day-out tell us they tend to like this approach.

Of course there are risks involved. If a journalist breaks the embargo (and we go to great lengths to ensure they don’t), then it becomes open season in a sense, and other journalists are typically free to run their version of the story immediately. While it’s very rare that this happens, we manage it swiftly and with certainty.

In respect to exclusives and embargoes being used in tandem, that’s typically a recipe for disaster. For instance, giving one outlet an exclusive time that’s even 20 minutes ahead of the embargo time other outlets receive will often lead to a flurry of negative emails from upset journalists, the loss of trust between the agency/client and their “go to” media contacts, and, perhaps most damaging, a flurry of negative comments across social channels that will be detrimental to the business and openly scrutinized by the public. If a client insists on mixing the strategies, it’s extremely important to be transparent with all the reporters involved, letting them decide whether or not they still want to run their story.

When in doubt, embargo strategies rarely fail. More times than not, receiving mass traction is the goal, and embargoes help clients achieve the success they are looking for. Considering the media world is so fast paced that news is often considered old the minute it crosses the wire, embargo strategies become critical to achieving PR success.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Please share any stories below.

Celebrating at the Sabre Awards

by rose maciejewski on May 9, 2012

The PR stars were out in force at the annual Sabre Awards, held at Cipriani 42^nd Street last evening. Paul Holmes and his team did a great job keeping the program moving (who knew Snoop Dogg made great awards dinner music?). For the team from Finn Partners that joined in the revelry, our highlight was certainly seeing Peter and Richard accept the award for Best New Agency of the Year. Congratulations to all the award winners and finalists.

Our video spotlight.

Table 30 celebrates the win.

Amy Terpeluk, Helen Ames and Mark Singer await the next course.

David Hahn, Gail Moaney and Michelle Horn enjoy the atmosphere.

Table 31 even color-coordinated their outfits for the evening!

On stage! Paul Holmes congratulates Peter Finn.

HR in PR: The Finn Partners Way

by Allison Manus on May 7, 2012

Finn Partners Human Resources Director Allison Manus

Finn Partners values and supports risk-taking and loyalty. I’ve never been one to follow the rules, and I never want to look back on my career saying, “I wish I had done this” or “I should have been that.” That’s not a problem we have here.

But retaining talent and developing careers needs to start with the people themselves and our managers. From the day our junior associates step in the door, they are given responsibilities that will challenge them. Finn Partners celebrates individuality and collaboration. Whether your specialty is social media or publicity, each and every interest and skill is recognized and utilized. It is remarkable to see how so many different skill-sets can join forces on assignments, creating richer results.

To promote this culture from the ground-up, I am very happy to announce the official launch of our new FINNstitute program. Led by our Partner in Training program, FINNstitute is designed to prepare our entry-level colleagues for the challenges they face on a daily basis. Read more on our FINNstitute page.

Our future is bright, as is evidenced by our recent Best New Agency Win, and I am confident that the people I work with every day will continue to make brilliant work. When I joined Finn Partners, Founding Partner Peter Finn told me he wanted the company to be the “Best Place to Work” in the industry. This is no easy task, but we already have what it takes to get there – our team. I look forward to working with this outstanding group of people to pursue this goal in the coming months.

Social Media Week in Review

by Emily Gilbert on May 4, 2012 in Social Media

Facebook is facing the largest IPO in Internet history. (Photo courtesy of newsjunkiepost.com)

It’s no secret. This week, Facebook takes the cake, as details of its upcoming IPO steal headlines. However, there was more that happened in the social world…Facebook just overshadows it by…a lot.

Take a look at the below and get up to speed!

TWITTER

Personal Customer Service

According to a new report from American Express, consumers who have resolved a customer service issue via social media at least once in the last year are willing to buy “significantly more” from a company than those who routed complaints through the more traditional phone or email channels.

It’s reported that experts attribute the finding to the fact that consumers may feel loyalty toward a company when they receive positive customer service. It’s easier for a company to grow good feelings over social media, than through email/phone.

Leon Widrich with SocialMediaExaminer.com says that Twitter can create a more personalized experience, because companies incorporate names and individual photos of the company reps, making the experience seem “more approachable and human.”

All the more reason to encourage positive, speedy and personal social relationships with your clients’ fanbase. It really has a positive impact! http://huff.to/IpidLY

Twitter Improving Personalized Experience

On Tuesday, Twitter announced that they are beginning to roll out a new version of its Discover tab, making it even more personalized for the users. The company has improved its personalized algorithms to better understand users and display stories that are relevant to people in real time.

Things you find on the Discover tab will be driven by the data Twitter finds from the people users follow. For me, I follow about 1,000 (I exaggerate) tech journalists, so this Discover tab, may actually give me even more targeted tech news than my traditional feed gives me. I can’t believe that could even be possible! http://bit.ly/IQgoYZ

FACEBOOK

$$$$$$

On Thursday, it was reported that Facebook set its shares at $28 to $35 each for its upcoming IPO. That translates to be around a $95 billion value. Facebook’s IPO is expected in a couple weeks and would be the biggest IPO for an Internet company in history. It goes unsaid, but this will be the most anticipated stock debut for Silicon Valley in several years and is expected to set records for funds raised and valuation for an Internet company. As of now, Google currently holds the largest IPO.

This will definitely be an exciting month ahead for tech and Wall St. http://on.wsj.com/K4NPK9

Organ Donor Awareness

This week, Facebook unveiled an organ donor option for Timeline. This is another recent move Facebook has made to be more socially conscious. The company recently rolled out an anti-bullying initiative and a referral system for friends expressing suicidal thoughts.

The organ donor option was designed to help more than 114,000 people in the U.S. and millions more around the worlds that are waiting for a life-saving heart, kidney or liver transplant. Designating yourself as an organ donor is fairly simple. You go to Timeline, click on “Life Event” and then “Health & Wellness.”

Mashable reports that a driving force for this feature was Mark Zuckerberg’s friendship with Steve Jobs, whose life was extended following a liver transplant. http://on.mash.to/Im4pXE

GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA

Signed, FPRockStar2012

Nielsen reported a release last Friday that shows that women are more likely to engage with social media than men. In addition, women are eight percent more likely than the average online adult to build or update a personal blog. Women are also 18 percent more likely than the average American to follow a brand on social sites.

Is it just me, or is this completely obvious? I don’t intend to be stereotypical, but come on; women are known for being more social. Therefore, the more social gender will obviously be more social online. At least this report gives solid results for that conclusion, perhaps encouraging us to potentially aim our online content more toward women, in some cases… http://on.mash.to/KkZsKk

The Best Walk in SF

by Gaby Asmus on May 1, 2012

San Francisco is known for many things, but within Finn Partners we’re known for our spectacular conference room view. We have a postcard-perfect overlook of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island, anchored by San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building. It’s actually one of the first things that won me over when I interviewed three years ago.

A view from Finn Partners San Francisco office.

Some of my best times at the company have been spent walking to and from the Ferry Building with colleagues. The walk is just a few blocks, and crosses through the heart of the Financial District, past tourists at the cable car turnaround, through the craft vendors in Justin Herman Plaza (plus the seasonal zip line/ice rink) and down to the Embarcadero.

Walking to the Ferry Building is a ritual, and I’ve enjoyed many chilly mornings walking to the Blue Bottle cart with members of our storied bullpen, catching up on roommate dramas and hilariously embarrassing work stories. I’ve bonded with clients en route to salon dinners and had heartfelt discussions with my managers about career and life goals. I’ve initiated junior staff into our office Happy Hour tradition by helping them select the finest meats and cheeses from the Ferry Building kiosks (a serious moment for new team members—our office knows cheese and Charcuterie).

The walk to the Ferry Building has also given me many a quick dose of inspiration (San Francisco-style) whenever I’ve needed it, and most importantly, the opportunity make a connection with my colleagues beyond email and client work. At the end of the day, these relationships are the most valuable thing I’ve gained at Finn Partners, and they keep me coming back to work each day.

Finn Partners Named Best New Agency

by peter finn on Apr 27, 2012

Since formally launching Finn Partners last year we’ve been busy: Busy providing the highest quality service to our client-partners; busy landing interesting new pieces of business; busy winning industry awards across our specialty areas; busy making sure our team feels valued and, in general, quickly settling into a productive rhythm!

At first, we were surprised to learn that Paul Holmes named us “Best New PR Agency of the Year.” But as I’ve reflected on the year that’s been, I’ve realized this is no fluke. As we put forth the original vision for Finn Partners—one of collaboration and true partnership—we’ve spent a great deal of time and effort to ensure that our vision permeates every aspect of our business. We are extremely gratified to see the industry take notice of our progress.

While we appreciate that Paul Holmes and his team value what we are bringing to the industry, what makes me proudest is the way our team at Finn Partners is responding to this vision. We recently conducted an internal survey that found 84 percent of our team members applaud the positive team spirit Finn Partners has engendered. This award is a true testament to all that our team members are doing, on a daily basis, to make Finn Partners a force to be reckoned with.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of my valued colleagues for their contributions and congratulate them on this achievement.

Paul Holmes stopped by our office in New York this week, and we did a quick interview with him – check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBtAdX-30qs.

1Digital Publishing: Rise of the eBook

by Alexandra Kirsch on Apr 23, 2012

I’m Alexandra Kirsch, head of interactive at MEDIA CONNECT. Long before the rise of the eBook, the publishing industry faced the challenge of needing to adapt to an increasingly digital pool of consumers. I’ve been involved with the industry for more than five years, and while the settings have changed—from a university press to a small independent trade publisher, and now, to a book publicity division of a larger PR firm in midtown Manhattan—the challenges have remained a constant.

As to be expected, statistics show that eBooks are more popular now than ever. MEDIA CONNECT is witnessing this first-hand in our work with Chicago-based Tribune Media Services (TMS). We had the pleasure of working with TMS on the launch of their eBook imprint last year with two titles by pet columnist and radio host Steve Dale. Both titles (Good Cat! and Good Dog!) featured interactive versions complete with helpful videos, as well as standard editions.

Forwarded by animal lover Betty White, and full of helpful behavioral information about dogs and cats, the TMS eBooks competed well against similar titles across the eBook marketplace and marked a strong beginning to TMS’s entry into the world of downloadable content.

Our work with eBooks is not restricted to our online services. In fact, many of the radio and TV producers with whom we book authors regularly have responded favorably to the idea of receiving an eBook versus printed content. Naturally, across media (including with bloggers), there are requests for hardcopies, but they’re few and far between these days.

In addition to Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble making eBook access quick and user-friendly, platforms like Netgalley make the process of sending advanced copies equally as painless.

There’s still plenty of debate in the world of eBooks—including pricing, spelling (e-book? eBook? E-Book? ebook?), and platforms—but it’s safe to say that at the rate with which eBooks have evolved and continue to gain popularity, they’re here to stay.

Social Media Week in Review

by Brian Perry on Apr 20, 2012 in Social Media

With new changes in social media every day, the future is here. (Photo courtesy of media2mrw.com)

If you remember my last social media roundup, I like to take a momentary step back and provide a bit of context around why new social media news is so cool. In the digital world, things move at the speed of light. There’s an incessant re-evolution, re-design, re-branding, re-pivoting, re-[insert clever action word] every day. Amazing new innovations are sometimes glossed over as part of the steady drumbeat of these constant updates. Sometimes it takes that moment of reflection to come to the realization that: “Wow! We live in the future.”

So below are a few of those stories from the past week that prove that we already live in the future. If you know any other stories or want to share your own thoughts on the stories I listed below, tweet us @FinnPartners.

TV “Likes” Social Media

A new survey came out this week showing one out of every three people have interacted with social media after seeing a social media symbol on their TV screen. It means that people are actually interested when they see a Facebook icon, Twitter hashtag or QR code appear during one of their shows. Read more: http://goo.gl/AOeyc

Why it’s from the future: This has been gestating for a while for sure; television programs have been trying a number of methods to further engage with fans outside of the show. But it’s amazing to see how many people are already receptive to this. We have finally begun to see the valued approach to integrating social media in your watching experience.

Social Media Integral to the Political Process

We saw in the 2008 presidential elections an explosion of use and experimentation with various social media channels, so it makes sense social media will be just as important in 2012. But its integration this year dwarfs that of four years ago. Both political parties have developed strong partnerships with Google to broadcast conventions and are now looking at other partnerships with the likes of Twitter and Facebook. Read more: http://goo.gl/VgDYF

Why it’s from the future: Social media is no longer just another channel to disseminate political messages; it is actually becoming ingrained in the political process. This is a lot bigger than a candidate having a Twitter account. This is more along the lines of an entire political party being measured on how many partnerships they can make with social media providers. Also Google is involved in the social media strategy planning on both sides of the aisle.

Advertising Coming for Tumblr

Every social media channel has its own advertising platform. And starting on May 2, Tumblr will too. But these ads, under the platform titled “Radar,” appear to be something different. They’re evocative and rely on creative ingenuity. These new ads are meant to follow along with the current ad unit on Tumblr dashboards. Read more: http://goo.gl/yP4Cb

Why it’s from the future: If Radar lives up to the promise, these ads will be very different from what we’ve seen before. In fact, they’ll be ads that won’t even seem like ads. This is advertising 3.0, or maybe 4.0.

Facebook: the New Wall Street

Starting in June, thanks to the San Francisco-based company Loyal3, Facebook users will be able to buy and sell stock of their favorite companies directly on Facebook. That’s right. All you need to do is go to the Facebook page of one of your companies. No fees, no brokers and in as little as $10 increments. It takes three clicks on Facebook to start investing. Read more: http://goo.gl/Bfprm

Why it’s from the future: There’s something almost sci-fi about buying stocks on Facebook. And I, for one, am excited to see how this thing plays out when it launches in June.