Communications Week 2019 Theme Announced: VALUE!

Communications Week 2019 is returning to New York, London and Hamburg October 14-18, 2019. This year’s conference will take on VALUE in PR, marketing and media.

Now, more than ever, the PR, media and marketing industries are being called into question by key stakeholders. The value of each practice has been challenged over time and as we head towards 2020, a new approach is expected. As a result of increasing pressure and marketplace demand, we need to prove the value of our work in new ways.

At Communications Week 2019, we'll bring together the biggest movers and shakers within these industries. We'll dive deeper into topics that help to prove value in today's PR, media and marketing roles including:

• New PR metrics

• Measurement solutions

• Data-driven thinking   

• Integrated marketing

• Value-centric case studies

Join us from October 14-18, 2019 in New York, London and Hamburg to discuss these topics and more, and look out for more details coming soon, including speaker and venue announcements.

Be sure to stay connected for more exciting updates on additional locations, speakers and more. If you’re interested in getting involved as a speaker or sponsor, contact us at CommsWeek@KiteHillPR.com.

Interested in speaking?

This year’s speaking selections will be invite-only. You can suggest a speaker or session directly by emailing CommsWeek@KiteHillPR.com.

Interested in sponsoring?

There are multiple sponsorship opportunities created to help you engage directly with and provide value to the Communications Week audience. Email CommsWeek@KiteHillPR.com for our sponsorship packages.

International Women’s Day 2019

While we should celebrate women everyday, International Women’s Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, think about how we can continue to empower women today, and pave the way for women in the future. This year’s International Women’s Day comes at a time when women are pushing for change and equality through policy, regulations and societal movements. Women have come so far, but there is still work to be done. Now is the time to drive more action and conversations to ensure we reach a balanced future.

International Women’s Day was created to celebrate "the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women." #BalanceBetter is the hashtag dominating this year’s celebration, highlighting the push for a gender balanced society and eliminating bias on all fronts.

In order to continually move forward, it’s important to remember the extraordinary female leaders who have pushed for a balanced world, in both our professional and personal lives. As women who work in the media world, we look to women like Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the first to use the media, along with her status and platform, to promote social causes, and Dorothy Thompson, who impacted journalism by being one of the first women journalists to travel abroad. We also look to the women we’re working alongside of everyday, recognizing the work we’re all doing to move forward in the world.

As women continue to advance in their careers and all aspects of their lives, we’ll continue to see positive impacts in the media industry and business world overall. Everyday is a celebration of women and it’s a pivotal time to recognize the progress we’ve made and the progress to come.

Pitching in 2019 & Beyond: A Call Out to PR Professionals

One of the most important jobs of a communications professional is being able to “cut through the noise” and connect with the appropriate journalist at the right outlet at the right time. With thousands of emails flooding journalists’ inboxes each day, how can PR pros increase their chances of reaching the right contact? Propel, the PR productivity platform, recently published a study that gives PR professionals insights on how to be more effective when pitching. Results show that reporters are more likely to open a pitch sent to them between 12 -1 PM or 6 - 7 PM. While many feel that pitches that go out first thing in the morning are the most successful, results show that it can be beneficial to wait until midday. Pitches that are sent a little later into the workday are surprisingly 90 percent more likely to be successfully received.

Do specific days of the week have an impact, too? It’s an industry-wide trend to pitch on Thursday, for some unknown reason, with almost 25 percent of the week’s pitches being sent out. However, it’s time to rethink that habit. Research shows Monday through Wednesday are almost twice as likely to elicit responses from reporters than Thursday or Friday.

Separately, don’t hesitate to follow up. The Propel Study shows that, while only 48 percent of pitches get opened at all, the first 24 hours are critical for response rates. 50 percent of pitches get opened within the first hour, then plummets to less than 10 percent after the first day, without any follow ups.

“Following the data and pitching during the most engaged days and times can significantly increase the effectiveness of media relations efforts,” shared Zach Cutler, CEO and co-founder, Propel.

As an easy way to monitor your media relations effectiveness, below is a breakdown of the daily open rate of pitches sent:

• Monday: 43 percent of pitches sent are opened

• Tuesday: 62 percent of pitches sent are opened

• Wednesday: 59 percent of pitches sent are opened

• Thursday: 39 percent of pitches sent are opened

• Friday: 35 percent of pitches sent are opened

Of course, these insights are helpful in getting your note noticed. It’s up to each PR pro to craft compelling content and reach the appropriate reporter based on their beat. Happy pitching!

The Propel pitching effectiveness study is based on 2,150 unique PR pitches emailed to reporters in 2019, including various users across dozens of agencies.