The PR Maven Podcast

How does research relate to PR? Find out in this episode as Scott Bahr explains how research and PR go together, and how data can help multiple aspects of an industry. Scott explains the importance of data and research and how it can be used to help the decision-making process, better communication and aid in product development. In addition, Scott addresses the risks associated with research, and how to minimize the risk in order to use the valuable tool of data.  

3:41 – Scott shares how his career started in the academic world but shifted when a professor recommended the private sector.  

6:31 – Scott talks about working in a niche and how that makes it easy to speak a shared language with clients. 

7:50 – Scott describes why research and PR go well together. 

10:05 – Scott explains how data drives decision-making. 

14:55 – Scott defines how reporting is used at every level of an industry. 

18:26 – Scott explains how data helps with public opinion and policymaking, seeing where people stand on different issues. 

21:10 – Scott talks about how data helps product development. 

24:36 – Scott lists some resources that have been helpful to him. 

Quote  

“One of the things we know from our own research is that messaging that comes from PR is much more credible than many other sources. Even though sometimes you don’t have the same reach, the ones you do reach have more credibility, and research brings that to the table. It enhances all those efforts.” – Scott Bahr, president of Cairn Consulting Group. 

Links:  

“Method 20/20/20”: https://www.amazon.com/Method-20-Reflect-successful-Journal/dp/B08VYD6SK3  

“Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making-ebook/dp/B01HCGYTH4  

“The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod: https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Not-So-Obvious-Guaranteed-Transform/dp/0979019710  

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About the guest:     

Scott Bahr has over 25 years of market research experience in marketing and advertising (including PR), product development and strategic planning. One of his focuses has been on the outdoor sector which has included researching both the outdoor products and hospitality sectors. In particular, he has been the research partner with KOA for the North American Camping Report over the past eight years and has worked with the organization for 19 years. He has also worked with organizations in the RV (manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, associations) and outdoor recreation sectors in their marketing and branding efforts, strategic planning, customer experience, corporate social responsibility, services/amenities and employee development.

For the past several years, he has worked with organizations in both indoor and outdoor hospitality, including the gaming/casino areas, food services/restaurant space, accommodations, travel/tourism and the products and services that are a part of the hospitality industry. The organization also serves clients in branding/brand positioning efforts, evaluating consumer behavior, public opinion and policy, and product development. 

Living in Western Maine, he is an avid outdoor recreation participant, whether it’s skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, backpacking, canoeing/kayaking or fly fishing.  

Looking to connect:            

Email: [email protected]  

Website: https://cairnconsultinggroup.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottabahr/ 

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/cairn-consulting-group  

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/CairnConsulting 

Twitter: @CCGResearch 

Instagram: @cairnconsultinggroup 

Whether you’re a college student presenting a group project or a CEO addressing key shareholders, public speaking isn’t easy. It can intimidate even the most confident among us. 

In fact, it’s estimated that as many as 75% of Americans have some level of anxiety related to public speaking. Glossophobia — the fear of public speaking — is more common than you think. But don’t despair! You can overcome even the most deep-seated fears and anxieties. 

Continue reading here for ten simple tips. 

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in January 2020. 

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In today’s world, brands are constantly competing to spread their respective messages to millions of global consumers. Any brand hopes to distinguish itself from competitors, breaking through the noise and reaching those consumers with a message that resonates. 

The ultimate goal, of course, is to persuade the customer to buy, buy, buy. 

And today’s consumers aren’t always the easiest to persuade. According to the 2019 “Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report,” barely one-third of customers (34%) trust most of the brands that receive their hard-earned dollars. Edelman’s survey found that brand trust is a deal-breaker for more than 80% of consumers when they’re considering a purchase. 

This sounds like common sense: Trust the brand, and people will buy. But it’s not so straightforward to establish that trust. 

Brand trust is also increasingly valuable currency, given the rising purchasing power of a millennial generation that is traditionally skeptical of big business. Nearly 85% of millennials don’t appreciate traditional advertising because they don’t trust the messengers. 

So how do you establish trust? 

Continue reading here.  

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in February 2020. 

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I’m writing this on what would have been my father’s 92nd birthday (he passed away in 2006). It’s one day that I’ll never forget. It brings up all kinds of bittersweet memories. 

Oddly enough, it also reminds me of just how much shopping has changed. When I was growing up, my frugal father would spend at least a month looking for a new car, driving to every Ford or Chevrolet dealership in the state, talking to dozens of salespeople and deciding whether he liked and trusted them — all in person. He would then wait to see what kind of a deal they would offer him. 

My father was never in a hurry. He had lots of time. He never had a cellphone, much less a smartphone. He relied on face-to-face relationships when making a buying decision. Once he liked and trusted a salesperson, he would do business with them for years. 

Today, salespeople often don’t even know that someone is looking at their product or reviewing their service until the decision has been made. We can buy millions of items without ever interacting face-to-face. Online shopping is here to stay — and growing rapidly. 

Continue reading here.  

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in March 2020. 

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In this podcast episode, Andrew Butcher talks about his work in broadband in Maine and the development of the new Maine Connectivity Authority. Andrew shares some helpful tips to bring broadband to small communities and emphasizes the importance of connectivity for work, health and education. Nancy and Andrew connect about their love of post offices and the postal service, relating the movement of mail to broadband.  

3:33 – Andrew explains how he got his start in broadband.  

5:40 – Andrew talks more about stitching together the quilt of broadband infrastructure in Maine.   

8:28 – Andrew describes the advancements in internet connectivity for communities including Blue Hill and Isle au Haut. 

10:27 – Nancy and Andrew discuss their affection for post offices.  

17:07 – Andrew explains how President Obama was an inspiration to him as a community organizer.  

19:52 – Andrew describes the purpose of the Maine Connectivity Authority. 

25:47 – Andrew lists what your community needs to be ready for broadband. 

31:53 – Andrew shares what happens to communities when they do not have adequate connectivity. 

36:12 – Andrew provides a checklist of things a community needs to do to be eligible to receive grant funds.  

46:40 – Andrew shares some books that have been helpful to him.  

Quote  

“Maine is still a place with a significant amount of space and not a lot of humans. People will come and if we want to be proactive about that, if we want to manage that kind of growth, we're going to have to allow people to be able to work from home, to visit with their doctors and to be able to learn remotely.” – Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority. 

Links:  

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): https://www.ntia.doc.gov/  

ConnectMaine: https://www.maine.gov/connectme/home  

Maine Broadband Coalition: https://www.mainebroadbandcoalition.org/  

Greater Franklin Development Council: https://greaterfranklin.org/  

AARP Maine: https://states.aarp.org/maine/  

MaineDOT: https://www.maine.gov/mdot/  

Tubes by Andrew Blum: https://www.amazon.com/Tubes-Journey-Internet-Andrew-Blum/dp/0061994952  

Fiber by Susan Crawford: https://www.amazon.com/Fiber-Coming-Revolution_and-America-Might/dp/0300228503  

Farm Fresh Broadband by Christopher Ali: https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Fresh-Broadband-Connectivity-Information/dp/0262543060  

Listen to Karl Strand’s episode to learn more about Sugarloaf.  

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About the guest:     

Andrew Butcher is the president of the Maine Connectivity Authority, a new quasi-governmental agency created in 2021 to serve as the primary organization to plan, develop and invest in broadband infrastructure in Maine. Andrew formerly served as the director of the Maine Broadband Coalition and director of innovation and resilience at the Greater Portland Council of Governments. He has a background in community and economic development, social entrepreneurship and public policy. He believes the more connected we are, the more resilient we will be in the face of a rapidly changing world. He lives in Portland, is a father of two and husband of the 2022 Maine Business Leader of the Year, Julie Butcher Pezzino. 

Looking to connect:            

Email: [email protected]  

Website: www.maineconnectivity.org  

Over the last two years, our entire system of communications changed. (Yes, it’s been two years since the onset of the pandemic.) 

In-person, face-to-face interaction seems to have largely become a relic of the past—personally and in business. Zoom calls, emails and phone calls have taken over. Even when we do see others in person, face masks present a literal barrier between people, making it difficult to read facial expressions and gauge how others are feeling. 

As human beings, we were not born to be in isolation. It’s not natural. It certainly isn’t for me. 

In addition to the pandemic’s devastating health effects, there have been countless residual impacts on businesspeople, the elderly, health care workers, teachers, students, children and the list goes on. My own mother is 88 years old and in assisted living, and she has spent a lot of time—too much time—isolated from others. It’s extremely challenging for people like her, who need social contact to keep their brains functioning at an optimal level. 

Fortunately, mental health is now a prevalent topic of discussion. It’s no longer taboo or “off-limits” to discuss mental health struggles, even if you’re famous. Olympians like skier Mikaela Shiffrin and gymnast Simone Biles—world-class athletes— have come out publicly as vulnerable people. And that’s okay. It’s no surprise that such people suffer from the pressures of greatness, and they are brave enough to admit it. 

Of course, celebrities aren’t alone. Millions of everyday folks deal with mental health challenges too. Life is just plain hard oftentimes. As business leaders, we need to recognize that: Life is hard. I think the pandemic has taught us that we need to be more compassionate and empathetic than ever before, even in company meetings. 

Continue reading here.  

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in March 2022. 

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In 2018, Rachel Sagiroglu moved back to Maine to share the experiences she loved having grown up in Maine. Rachel founded Experience Maine and recently opened the Maker’s Galley, a restaurant and marketplace in Portland. In this episode, Rachel explains how she uses public relations and experiential marketing to share what she loves about Maine. Rachel also talks about scaling your business, something she had to work hard at during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

3:37 – Rachel describes how she got her start, falling in love with public relations and experiential marketing.  

6:18 – Rachel explains what the Maker’s Galley is, calling it an “experiential Maine marketplace.”  

10:45 – Rachel shares how she is using PR today after finding value in it early on. 

13:22 – Rachel talks about her personal brand compared to her company brand.  

19:43 – Rachel and Nancy discuss the Google Economic Impact Report, in which Experience Maine was included, and how to scale your business.  

23:44 – Rachel describes what it was like to become a certified meeting professional (CMP). 

28:50 – Rachel talks about her mom and her connection with Nancy.  

Quote  

“The millennials are aging into the workforce and they are more concerned with the collection of experiences versus the tangible. The baby boomers are aging out and wanting to go out and experience things, so you have these two generations that are helping regenerate the experience economy.” – Rachel Sagiroglu, owner and chief experience officer at Experience Maine 

Links:  

Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/  

Certified Meeting Professional: https://www.pcma.org/products/cmp-prep/ 

Google Economic Impact Report: https://economicimpact.google.com/state/me/#experience-maine. 

The Maker’s Galley: https://themakersgalley.com/  

Listen to Colleen Craig’s episode to hear more about experiential marketing.  

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About the guest:     

Rachel Sagiroglu has over 20 years of experience planning meetings, travel and events and experiential marketing campaigns, and has an innate love for Maine, its culture and its natural beauty. 

She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), an internationally recognized certification program designated by the Events Industry Council (EIC). There are more than 11,000 meeting professionals in 55 countries around the globe holding the CMP designation. Rachel represents the standard of excellence in today’s meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. 

In 2015, Rachel was asked to join the Customer Advisory Board for Maritz Global Events, one of the largest, most respected leaders in the meetings and events industry worldwide. She has been an active member of Meeting Planners International (MPI), New England Chapter for the past 10 years. 

Rachel’s professional background includes seven years overseeing marketing and events for Clean Harbors, a $3.5-billion environmental, energy, and industrial services company, where she planned and executed over 50 corporate meetings, trade shows, experiential marketing campaigns and customer events annually. Prior to this, she worked in various marketing and event planning roles, including Marketing Manager at WEX in Portland; Director of Sales & Marketing at 33 Management Group in Boston; Promotions Manager for Time Warner in Portland; and Marketing & Events Coordinator for Vreeland Marketing & Design in Yarmouth. 

Rachel has lived in and experienced Maine for most of her life, she grew up on Great Pond in the picturesque Belgrade Lakes region, where she mastered boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking and hanging out with friends. She lived for 10 years in Portland’s Old Port, where she discovered her love for food and wine, live music and the working waterfront. Rachel has an intrinsic love for the ocean. To this day, you can find her walking along low tide at one of Maine’s many beaches, collecting shells, broken sand dollars and sea glass for her collection. She’s even enlisted her five-year-old daughter to start her own treasure chest of tidal pool discoveries. Rachel most recently lived in Boston for the last 10 years, but moved her family home in 2018…back to the way life should be…to launch Experience Maine! 

Looking to connect:            

Email: [email protected]  

Website: https://experiencemaine.com/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelsagiroglu/  

If you specialize in any field, the goal is to become a thought leader. You don’t want to just be good or even great — you’re striving for mastery. That’s how people will remember you. And that’s how they will know, like and trust you, so they want to do business with you. Being a thought leader is a path to success. 

Whether you run a PR agency or you’re a leading astrophysicist, thought leadership can make you stand out from the crowd. Ideally, clients and customers will feel a sense of pride to be affiliated with you, and prospective clients and customers will seek you out. 

So, how do you become a thinker and a leader? It’s a two-step process: You need to actually master your field and then convey your mastery to the general public. To be considered a thought leader, simply being one isn’t enough — people need to know about it! 

Look at it this way: When it comes down to being “the one” who is chosen for a job or a promotion, the person whom others have heard of will always be chosen over the unknown name. It’s just human nature. 

That’s where content creation comes into play. From writing op-ed columns to publishing books and producing YouTube videos, creating content enables thought leaders to convince others that they have indeed mastered their particular subject matter. Creating the right content ultimately establishes credibility in the eyes of the beholder. Those who seek out a thought leader’s content inherently trust him or her to provide educational material that is worth consuming. 

Continue reading here.  

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in May 2020. 

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I recently dislocated my shoulder while skiing. If you’ve had this happen to you before, you know that it’s about as painful as any injury can be. Not only is the injury itself painful, but it also brought my own ski season to a halt, which isn’t that long for starters. As a Mainer, skiing has always been one of my favorite activities, so any obstacle barring me from the slopes is a major bummer. Plus, you can’t ride the Peloton or attend Pure Barre classes with a dislocated shoulder. But enough about me. The injury recently opened my eyes to a social faux pas that needs to stop. It has to do with the throwaway “how are you?” line. 

When I see people in passing now, their first instinct is to ask, “How are you?” (In truth, it could be better.) But most people don’t actually mean it. They only ask to check a box, and you can tell easily. More often than not, people don’t even listen to the response and respond accordingly. Their stare goes blank. Their attention immediately wanders as soon as I begin to answer the question. This needs to stop. If you don’t actually care or have the time to listen, don’t even ask the question in the first place. Checking the box is more disrespectful than not asking at all, at least in my view. 

The “how are you?” doesn’t have to be a throwaway line. On the contrary, it can be used effectively to convey care and compassion. It may even demonstrate the basic level of respect that turns strangers into acquaintances, and acquaintances into friends. If someone looks me in the eye and genuinely asks, “How are you?” listening to the tale of woe, it is always appreciated. It is greatly appreciated, which is why I do the same for others. The simple act of listening instantly makes me more interested in the other person since social interaction is a two-way street. It’s a matter of memorability. I remember that they listened and expressed concern. They don’t have to fix my shoulder; they just have to care. Compassion matters. 

Continue reading here.  

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in February 2022. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we know it. The world of marketing was no different: Our new normal was a challenging one for marketers to navigate.

According to one survey from the World Federation of Advertisers, more than 80% of large advertisers deferred their advertising campaigns. And nearly 60% of survey respondents had decreased their budgets “somewhat” or “greatly.”

From Airbnb to Coca-Cola and Visa, some of America’s most recognizable brands showed that even they were not immune to a pandemic.

But it was not the time to give up. Where there is crisis, there is also opportunity. The most innovative, forward-thinking companies still found ways to promote their brands to consumers.

Especially because sales representatives had less face time with prospective clients and customers, the onus was on marketers to fill that void and add value. Take your local car dealerships: Due to showroom closures, the traditional salesperson had been replaced by the online marketer, who leveraged email newsletters and social media outreach to reach consumers. Jack Hollis, who markets Toyota cars in North America, said early on in the pandemic, "If you currently have a dealership that's been selling maybe 10% of its sales through an online system, maybe now it goes to a third."

Continue reading here.

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in June 2020.

Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. 

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