As Halloween approaches, some scary PR crises have jumped out from the hedgerow. We can turn and run, or confront them. Or, as those young adults did in that humorous Geico commercial, we can hide behind the chainsaws. As a crisis PR counselor, I choose confrontation. The crises that have popped up this fall require us to fight back even if those creating the crises don’t seem to have learned from their previous missteps. …
This month, I got to do one of my favorite things at work: offer a promotion to a hard-working and super-bright employee. Congratulations to Sarah Schmidt, who started as a fellow (our immersive six-month program for recent college graduates ) and has been promoted three times and is now an account executive. Schmidt, as we call her, has had a particularly fast growth trajectory. My view has always been: if someone is ready for the next job, there is no reason to wait. …
The Wilbert Group is excited to launch the application process for the Winter 2023 Wilbert Fellowship, an immersive, six-month program for recent college graduates with a focus on (1) media relations or (2) social media.…
Commercial real estate developers early in the process (e.g. they are still trying to get zoning approval) often pose these kinds of questions: Is it too early for PR? Should we wait on social media, since we don’t have anything “real” to post yet? We don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver, so maybe we wait to talk publicly? …
For most of our clients, media relations is an important piece of an integrated PR program. Coverage in well-respected media outlets has credibility. Plus, many outlets have large and relevant audiences. We’ve built relationships with local, regional and national journalists, which helps us effectively pitch stories about our clients. …
In 2018 we created a program for our team to enhance our commercial real estate subject matter expertise. The first “CRE Stars” program launched that spring, and it covered topics such as multifamily, mixed-use, office (development and brokerage), residential, retail and construction. We invited clients and friends of the firm to come to our office or lead tours around their properties to immerse our team into the world of real estate. The program has been going strong ever since – including a virtual program in 2020 – and we now have graduates able to discuss real estate details with clients, media and partners. Being an agency with 70% of our clients in the real estate industry ...…
In the social media world, everyone is talking about Instagram Reels and for good reason - Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed, despite backlash from the likes of the Kardashian sisters, Instagram is shifting toward a format that prioritizes video content. We are increasingly recommending Reels programs to our clients, as we’ve seen great results across different industries and markets when we create these short, engaging videos, and it seems to be the future of the app, which began as a photo-sharing platform. …
There are many public relations agencies that advertise their “real estate expertise”, but oftentimes that statement is just cover for a surface-level understanding of one or two CRE verticals. Now more than ever, developers, brokers and other key project stakeholders need communication experts who understand both the inner workings and language of their industry and can translate critical, timely messages into unique story angles that resonate with today’s journalists. …
In May, three representatives from The Wilbert Group attended ICSC Las Vegas 2022, the largest retail real estate conference in the world. After a two-year hiatus following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were ready to hit the ground running this year. And so were our clients! We represented nine clients on the conference floor, arranged meetings with top retail real estate journalists and executed a variety of PR strategies to support our clients’ business goals. …
For most of our clients, media relations is an important piece of an integrated PR program. Coverage in well-respected media outlets has credibility. Plus, many outlets have large and relevant audiences. We’ve built relationships with local, regional and national journalists, which helps us effectively pitch stories about our clients. …