We hear it time and time again…a business needs a quick, cheap, easy, effective way to reach out to customers. One solution is doing an email blast, or eblast, which is an email message that is sent to a mass recipient list. An eblast can be sent once-in-a-while or regularly, such as a monthly e-newsletter. We recommend doing eblasts via online email marketing companies, such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response. These companies allow you to upload and maintain your contact list on their websites, and their programs have the ability to send your email to hundreds or thousands of people safely and effectively. In some cases, if an individual sent an email to a lengthy list of recipients from their own email account, their recipients email servers could automatically block the message as spam, or junk mail. With Constant Contact or Vertical Response, you can rest assured that all the hard work that you put in your email message was worth it and your email will get to your customer. Let’s delve more into the reasons that eblasts are quick, cheap, easy and effective. (more…)
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The Email Blast – Quick, Cheap, Easy, Effective PR
Thursday, January 20th, 2011Happy Anniversary
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
A few weeks ago, Fujita & Miura Public Relations celebrated its 10th anniversary. We can’t believe 10 years passed so quickly. We’d like to extend a big mahalo to all of our clients, `ohana, friends, and mentors who helped us survive and thrive through the years. We’d also like to consider the PR opportunities that anniversaries offer.
Public Relations: Holiday Style
Friday, December 17th, 2010
The holidays are not only a time for food and festivities, but they also present excellent public relations (PR) opportunities for businesses. Now is the perfect time to focus on your business relationships with employees, customers, shareholders, vendors, legislators or other local businesses; thank those who’ve helped your company run smoothly throughout the year; and spread the holiday cheer.
The following are a few ways to put a little PR spice into your business’ holiday strategy: (more…)
Say “Thank you”
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
You know that saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Well it’s not true. There’s a phrase that comes in handy for most any occasion or incident when something not-so-nice has been said: “Thank you.” Here are a few examples. (more…)
Keep Your Current Customers
Friday, October 1st, 2010
We’ve all seen those promotions that companies use to try and attract new customers – gifts, cut rates, special offers, etc. Those kinds of efforts are great and there is a place for recruiting new business, for sure. But what about your current customers, those folks that have stuck with you through all the economic ups and downs, those donors who give a little each year? They are your most valuable assets, and they deserve stewarding and attention. (more…)
Did You Hear About…
Saturday, September 4th, 2010The following scenario and script is part of our ongoing series about how to respond in difficult situations. One of these days, when you find yourself in an awkward situation, you just might be able to hearken back to one of these scripts and use the right words that will help smooth out the situation. After all, that’s the basis of public relations: having good relationships no matter what the scenario. So here goes.
Scenario: Jean is busy at work in her cubicle and her office mate, Dan, peeks around from his workspace and says, “Did you hear?” Taking the bait, Jean asks, “Hear what?” Dan rolls his eyes, “You know, Teri, in Customer Service, she’s messing around with Harry Beefe.”
Script for Jean: Jean furrows her eyebrows and says, “Gosh, I hope they don’t get married because then her name would be Teri Beefe. Jean and Dan laugh uproariously. And, Jean adds, “Seriously, I once knew a woman who got married and her new name was “Candy Korn.”
And, the conversation continues about funny names.
Jean could have been righteous and exclaimed that she doesn’t engage in rumor mongering at work, making Dan feel like a jerk for bringing up the rumor in the first place. Or, she could’ve been pensive and said nothing, leaving them both in a state of discomfort. But what she chose to do was respond with a bit of diplomatic humor, which diffused the gossip session. Then, she immediately bridged the conversation to funny names, which took the focus off Teri and Harry. Handling the conversation this way left her and Dan friends, and yet sent the message that she wasn’t going to run in the rumor mill.
If you have a difficult situation for which you’d like us to produce a script in our column, send it to us at info@fmpr.net. Of course we’ll tweak the wording so that you and your business remain anonymous.
Keeping it Positive
Friday, July 30th, 2010
We recently had the good fortune to attend a scholarship luncheon where we met scholarship recipients and their parents. It was interesting to hear the stories of how parents raised these achievers, and what the students’ future plans were. We made some striking observations.
The students were all unique individuals and it was clear by meeting all of them that you really can’t judge books by their covers. You might see them around town but you might never guess that one is going to an Ivy League university, or that one comes from a single-parent home, or that one has never traveled away from Hawai`i. All the same, these kids were ambitious and focused. Their parents were all very supportive of their children and had obviously provided them with guidance over the years. The thing that struck us though was that the students and parents alike had an unfailing positive attitude. They had big, clear dreams, they felt great about the future, they believed that what was ahead would be fun and good, and though many of them had struggled one way or another in the past, they learned from those challenges and used the lessons to fortify themselves. None of them were daunted in any way. And none of them had anything that you and I don’t have, except maybe the right attitude.
In these times, when we’re facing economic challenges, environmental disasters, war, and day-to-day personal trials, the positive attitude displayed by the scholarship recipients and their families is something that can only help matters. Likewise, when you consider your business dealings and how you think and speak about your business, do so in a way that displays your optimism. That kind of positive energy is very attractive to consumers and the public in general. It’s also contagious, and we could all use a shot of optimism now. So dissipate any negative thoughts of fear and loathing and replace them with the bright side. You will become a business magnet. Or magnate as the case may be.
Twitter as a News Source
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
If you want to know what’s really going on in the world, log on to Twitter. News topics are popular Twitter subjects; tweets are full of headlines. As news should be, Twitter posts are timely and in real-time, plus those involved first-hand in the news are often the ones tweeting about it, so there’s the potential to get information firsthand. If you’d like to know more about Twitter as a news source, check out this PCMAG.COM article by Lance Ulanoff about why “Twitter is the New CNN.” To benefit from Twitter as a news source, you have to pay attention to the tweets and follow the individuals who report news in the areas of your interest and make sure that they’re credible sources.
What to Say in Uncomfortable Situations
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Sometimes in difficult situations, we don’t know what to say. We just don’t have the right words. Thoughtful verbal discretion is an art, for sure, but it’s something we can all learn with some good examples and practice. So, as part of an ongoing series, we’re going to give you a scenario along with our recommended script. One of these days, when you find yourself in an awkward situation, you just might be able to hearken back to one of these scripts and use the right words that will help smooth out the situation. After all, that’s the basis of public relations: having good relationships no matter what the scenario. So here goes. (more…)
Complete Your Census 2010 Form
Monday, March 29th, 2010
We wanted to take this time to encourage all of you to complete your Census 2010 form. Here are a few important notes on Census 2010:
• It’s EASY. 10 questions in just 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
• It’s IMPORTANT. Each person not counted reduces Federal funding by $1,200 per year. From the very youngest to the very oldest, everyone is affected.
• It’s SAFE. Your information is secure for 72 years. It is not shared with any other federal entity.
Check out this informational piece for more details and FAQs on Census 2010: US Census 10 Minutes
For more information, visit www.Census2010.gov.
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