Public Relations stands as one of the most misunderstood, misinterpreted areas of business and organizational management. With Fletcher Marketing PR Founder and CEO Kelly Fletcher and Senior Strategist Mary Beth West, we’re here to turn around PR’s own bad PRess, cut through the nomenclature, and demystify public relations as the best pathway to create, grow and amplify the roots of positive management, communications, culture and careers -- for success that matters.
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September 23, 2019Episode 118 min
Introducing #MsInterPReted
About Kelly Fletcher & Mary Beth WestSince 2008, Kelly Fletcher has built her Fletcher Marketing PR into a thriving marketing and PR team whose vision is to influence positive social change. She is a sought-after national speaker on the topic of marketing to women. Working with regional, national and Fortune 500 companies, Fletcher has 25 years’ experience in the full spectrum of integrated communications. Mary Beth West’s experience also spans 25 years and includes in-house and consulting posts for a range of publicly traded and privately held corporations as well as government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. Show NotesSo what’s in a name? Download our “Intro” episode of #MsInterPReted and learn from Kelly and Mary Beth why they’re turning the conversation on its head about public relations’ impact points for diverse businesses, organizations and society.In the #MsInterPReted podcast, Kelly and Mary Beth talk about Public Relations’ “MsInterPRetations,” as well as why their being Southern is a positive point of differentiation, what agency entrepreneurship means, and how women’s voices carry influence. Linkshttps://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Follow Fletcher PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @MaryBethWest Use the hashtag #MsInterPReted to join the conversation!
September 25, 2019Episode 224 min
Where Is the PR Profession on the Issue of #PRethics?
About Kelly Fletcher & Mary Beth WestSince 2008, Kelly Fletcher has built Fletcher Marketing PR into a thriving marketing and PR team whose vision is to influence positive social change. She is a sought-after national speaker on the topic of marketing to women. Working with regional, national and Fortune 500 companies, Fletcher has 25 years’ experience in the full spectrum of integrated communications. Mary Beth West’s experience also spans 25 years and includes in-house and consulting posts for a range of publicly traded and privately held corporations as well as government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. She has gained prominence in recent years as an outspoken advocate for ethical compliance and accountability in the public relations profession and in the U.S.-based professional association.Show NotesKelly and Mary Beth will reveal why #PR is so misunderstood in large part because of ethical missteps, how reactionary communicators shoot ethical strategy in the foot, how journalism now faces a credibility crisis, the wisdom of industry legend (and Tennessee native) Harold Burson, why working in collaboration with legal teams is essential, and how the London-based Public Relations and Communications Association (@PRCA_UK) is now leading the global profession with an accountability-driven ethical compliance model. https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Follow the PRCA on Twitter: @PRCA_UKFollow Fletcher PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @MaryBethWest Use the hashtag #MsInterPReted to join the conversation!
October 2, 2019Episode 323 min
Marketing to Women: Segmentation on the Edg(y)
About Kelly Fletcher & Mary Beth West: Fletcher Marketing PR Founder and CEO Kelly Fletcher has built Fletcher Marketing PR into a thriving marketing and PR team whose vision is to influence positive social change. She is a sought-after national speaker on the topic of marketing to women. Working with regional, national and Fortune 500 companies, Fletcher has 25 years’ experience in the full spectrum of integrated communications. Fletcher has offices in Knoxville, TN, and Atlanta, GA. Fletcher Senior Strategist Mary Beth West, MPRCA, offers experience spanning 25 years, with in-house and consulting posts for a range of publicly traded and privately held corporations as well as government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. She founded, grew and later sold her 15-year PR firm to Fletcher Marketing PR in 2018. West is an authority on the topic of public relations ethics. In this episode, Kelly Fletcher reveals:Her approach to Marketing to Women and how she arrived at her fundamentals of one-concept-never-fits-all and why #PRdiversity is so important;Her favorite national niche campaign developed by Fletcher PR for spermicide brand Conceptrol®, with an edgy flair that won two Gold ADDYs (and spurs Mary Beth’s nervous laugh); Why advance test-marketing of more risky campaign concepts should never be overlooked; The essential role of market research;How risky waters should be navigated with research taking the lead, particularly when delving into socially or politically oriented campaign messaging;How #MeToo marketing arguably has been exploited for commercial gain . . . and why it’s never a smart move to pander or insult women’s (or anyone’s) intelligence.Links:Follow the "Ms. InterPReted" conversation via the Hashtag: #MsInterPReted Follow Fletcher PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @MaryBethWest Website: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Learn more about the Fletcher Team Process: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/about-us/process/
October 9, 2019Episode 443 min
Tennessee Tourism PR: It’s All That & A Sip of Whiskey
In the Tourism World, effective public relations, marketing and brand-storytelling make the world go ‘round to drive visitor interest, overnight-stays, destination ticket sales and positive economic outcomes. And that reality is only amplified across the Volunteer State: Tennessee, where tourism is a major driver of statewide as well as local economies. Join Fletcher Marketing PR Founder and CEO Kelly Fletcher and Senior Strategist Mary Beth West, as they take #MsInterPReted on a tour of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, with special guests Chris Fletcher (Assistant Master Distiller of famed global brand Jack Daniel Distillery of Lynchburg, TN); Alexandra Castle (Master Distiller – and the first female master distiller in Tennessee – of Memphis-based Old Dominick Distillery); and “Peaceful Side of the Smokies” Tourism Director of the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority, Kim Mitchell (Fletcher Marketing PR client). Together, Alex, Chris and Kim explain “whiskey mystique” and share with Kelly and Mary Beth the finer points of brand storytelling with whiskey’s unique identity as part of Tennessee culture and Southern lore – and how the female market segment is such a growing part of Tennessee tourism as well as the spirits industry. Don’t miss the Tennessee Whiskey Trail’s “Grains and Grits” Festival in partnership with the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, 6:00-9:00 p.m., in Townsend, TN. In this episode, Kelly Fletcher and Mary Beth West uncover:Why their home state of Tennessee is a must-see on the global tourism map . . . and how PR, marketing and brand storytelling are essential parts of generating tourism’s economic impactThe competitive impact of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail (in friendly competition with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail What makes distillers like Chris Fletcher (Jack Daniel Distillery) and Alex Castle (Old Dominick Distillery) excited about going to work every day as part of Tennessee’s growing and dynamic distilling communityThe role of events like the upcoming Nov. 2, 2019, Grains and Grits Festival on the Tennessee spirits scene (watch for upcoming coverage in Wine Spectator!)How visitors to Tennessee can immerse themselves in rich, diverse experiences on the culinary, music, cultural and social scenes LinksKim Mitchell, Director of Tourism, Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority (@PeacefulSmokies): https://smokymountains.org/ Alex Castle, Master Distiller, Old Dominick Distillery (@OldDominick901): https://olddominick.com/ Chris Fletcher, Assistant Master Distiller, Jack Daniel Distillery (@JackDaniels_US) https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/visit-distillery Visit Knoxville: https://www.visitknoxville.com/ Tennessee Vacations: https://www.tnvacation.com/ (https://twitter.com/TNVacation) Tennessee Whiskey Trail: https://www.tnwhiskeytrail.com/ (https://twitter.com/TNWhiskeyTrail) Grains and Grits Festival: https://grainsandgritsfest.com/#info https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Follow Fletcher Marketing & PR on Twitter: @FletcherPRLearn more about the Fletcher Team Process: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/about-us/process/ Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @MaryBethWest Use the hashtag #MsInterPReted to join the conversation!
October 16, 2019Episode 539 min
#BrandsTakingStands? Or #GetWokeGoBroke?... Brand Activism's Toxic Risks
Brand and CEO activism exists as a so-called strategic extension of brand awareness and engagement campaigns, often targeting younger audiences in particular and seeking to score loyalty points with consumers in general. But is the #BrandsTakingStands advocacy trend a consistently reliable strategy in the marketing toolbox, with big pay-off potential? After all, major and minor brands alike now are sinking big money into activist stances for the almighty marketing campaign. Or is #GetWokeGoBroke another trending hashtag for a valid reason . . . with cautionary tales littering the marketing and reputation-management scene, given that too many brands are “stepping in it” and getting CEO activism irreversibly wrong – with disastrous financial results? At what point is the commercialization of activism an inauthentic enterprise . . . only ratcheting up public divisiveness and other side-show issues (such as children / youth being used as campaign pawns) in our already divisive and hostile society, news media and social media environment? Mary Beth peels back the actual data of two fairly recent, highly publicized studies sponsored by well-known global PR agencies that tout CEO activism as a categorical “Must-Do” item in strategic communications . . . And as Mary Beth and Kelly reveal, there is undisclosed fine print as well as hidden asterisks to each study’s publicly reported data, telling an entirely different story than the one being promoted in agency news release headlines and Tweets favoring aggressive corporate activist stances. Kelly and Mary Beth offer cautionary points and expose how some PR firms may overtly promoting their own revenue-generating bottom lines instead of clients’ best interests. In this episode, Kelly Fletcher and Mary Beth West uncover:Does it make sense to go political with your brand?What are the risks… or the rewards… and what should be the ethics of PR firms as they guide their clients?Does corporate activism position client companies in a contrived manner as “The Hero” – when more modern storytelling techniques eschew this approach as a brand-development best practice?How do you make this approach successful in today’s era of echo chambers and tunnel vision?Are there “safe” issues – like equal pay or women’s rights? Or does ANY sociopolitical issue pose a risk of unintended rabbit holes, misinterpretations and consequences?Might social activism ideas and tactics actually fly in the face of #PRdiversity values?How did the University of Tennessee recently hit a major PR home-run using activism in a non-political and highly effective way?LinksMary Beth West’s published articles on this topic:“Spin Cycle: #PR Firms Push #CEO #Activism with Selective Data”:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spin-cycle-pr-firms-push-ceo-activism-selective-data-mary-beth/ “Rise of 'Do-Gooder' Marketing Can Pose Reputational Risks”:https://www.knoxnews.com/story/money/business/2019/04/11/public-relations-nikes-corporate-social-responsibility-has-risks/3069953002/ Follow the "Ms. InterPReted" conversation via the Hashtag: #MsInterPReted Follow Fletcher PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher Follow Mary Beth West, MPRCA, on Twitter: @MaryBethWest Website: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Learn more about the Fletcher Team Process: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/about-us/process/
October 23, 2019Episode 626 min
The State of Influencer Marketing
About Mark WeaverMark Weaver started his marketing career as a blogger, photographer and social media influencer in the motorcycle industry. He moved to Knoxville, TN, from Louisville, KY, where he created digital marketing content for GE Appliances. He has a BA from Purdue University in Communications with Minors in Computer Technology and Organizational Leadership & Supervision. Now as content marketing manager for Radio Systems Corporation in Knoxville, TN (home of the Invisible Fence®, PetSafe® and SportDOG® brands), Mark has dreamed of living in Knoxville to be in a city full of personality and surrounded by so many opportunities for outdoor adventures and activities. Mark loves exploring nature with his wife and two kids. He loves to travel and experience new cultures, snowboarding, mountain biking, and of course dogs! Fun fact: Mark won the Showcase Showdown on the nationally televised game show “The Price is Right” and sold the two cars he won to live in Uganda, Africa to help out orphanages. Show NotesKelly Fletcher and Mary Beth West explore Mark Weaver’s insights about why influencer marketing “isn’t just the future; it’s the NOW.” Mark explains:What “influencer marketing” is by definitionHow he started on his pathway as an influencer himself for the motorcycle industryHow influencers tap into the trust factor that impacts the buyer’s journeyHow Mark is managing the influencer strategy and selection process at Radio Systems (which includes the PetSafe®, Invisible Fence®, and SportDOG® brands) with specific tools that all strategic communicators might consider for their technology toolboxWhy Instagram commands a lead roleWhy huge budgets may not be required to achieve significant resultsKelly also discusses the Julius / Lippe Taylor “State of Influencers Report 2019” Report; the role of macro-, micro- and nano-influencers; and the ethics / Federal Trade Commission legalities of influencer marketing transparency.LinksFollow the #MsInterPReted hashtagFletcher Marketing PR: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest Follow Radio Systems Corp on Twitter: @RadioSystemsCor Follow Mark Weaver on Instagram: @markrweaver Find Radio Systems online: https://www.radiosystemscorporation.com/ Learn more about the Julius (@JuliusWorks) / Lippe Taylor (LippeTaylorPR) “State of Influencers Report 2019”: https://blog.juliusworks.com/state-of-influencers-report-2019-julius https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/influencer-marketing-is-maturing-heres-what-you-need-to-know-300867546.html?tc=socialpost
October 30, 2019Episode 723 min
Differentiating True PR Strategy from Mere Tactics
In this episode, Kelly Fletcher and Mary Beth West warn against a tactics-centric marketing / PR plan, which generally yields money ill-spent, piecemeal results and little cohesiveness with overarching business goals . . . hardly a formula for success. Strong, strategic systems of promotional communications and brand reputation-building require marketers, the C-Suite team and boards of directors to engage in a meaningful, data-driven process. Kelly and Mary Beth reveal the critical elements. Kelly and Mary Beth explain:How Marketing / PR RFPs go wrong with prescriptive tactics seeking a price list, rather than seeking agencies that offer a research-based, strategic approachHow to avoid misspending marketing dollarsWays that social media methodology requires special treatment, given how fast-moving it’s changingWhy “the process is the product” in strategic communications developmentTiming considerations to bear in mind when seeking to develop a strategy ahead of the necessary execution timelineHow competitive and situational analyses must factor in and how to engage input from the larger teamWhat a strategic mindset looks like through the marketing / PR lens and how it can be cultivated – and making sure the PR / marketing agency delivers the goods strategically with a “fiduciary” level of care for the marketing budget LinksFollow the #MsInterPReted hashtagFletcher Marketing PR: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest
November 6, 2019Episode 839 min
Crafting the Entrepreneurial Story: Marcus Hall
Links:Follow the #MsInterPReted hashtagMarc Nelson Denim: https://marcnelsondenim.com/ Follow Marc Nelson Denim on Twitter: @MarcNelsonDenim Find Marc Nelson Denim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcNelsonDenim/ Fletcher Marketing PR: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest
November 13, 2019Episode 935 min
Leading from the Front: A Chat with PRCA’s Francis Ingham (Part 1 of 2)
In Episode 9 (Part 1 of this two-part interview), Kelly Fletcher, MPRCA, and Mary Beth West, MPRCA, welcome Francis Ingham, MPRCA – global leader of PRCA and Chief Executive of ICCO – who explains many issues of critical importance to the global public relations profession... like the importance of non-partisanship in professional associations, ethics in strategic communications, mental well-being among professionals working in high-pressure PR jobs, diversity & inclusion (and how D&I must factor into meaningful workforce development strategies to go beyond mere lip service in the PR field). Watch for Part 2 of this interview in the next episode of #MsInterPReted, when Francis delves into the topic of ethics and PRCA's most world-renowned case study of accountability standards for ethical compliance -- the expulsion of Bell-Pottinger. In Part 1: Francis discusses:How PRCA’s explosive growth is impacting the industry, in service to the highest standards of public relations practice;Why having an international outlook in the public relations profession is essential today, to help tackle the global industry’s shared issues and challenges;Why “taking a stand on issues that matter” is one of PRCA’s most important tasks… and how PRCA most recently helped forge a positive reversal-of-decision by an elected member of the Scottish Parliament who planned to serve part-time for a lobbying firm (an overt conflict of interest);Why professional membership associations that use their platforms toward overtly political or divisive ends have “lost their way”; How PRCA is undertaking the issue of mental / emotional well-being for public relations professionals, conducting its own research on this topic and providing tools to help agencies and employers to address these matters for their teams;How PRCA’s Apprenticeship Program and its just-announced Schools Outreach Programme (to younger ages) seeks to bring diverse communities into the PR workforce;Why the U.K. Government tasked PRCA-UK with assisting in Brexit preparations (and how PRCA is undertaking this task in a non-partisan manner). Listen for Part 2 of this Interview with Episode 10 of #MsInterPReted, when Francis explains the tough realities – and shocking repercussions – of taking a stand in the Bell-Pottinger ethics-violation case in 2017. Links:Follow the #MsInterPReted hashtagJoin PRCA today:Information about International Individual Membership Information about International Corporate Membership The link to join PRCA Discover Fletcher Marketing PR: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Follow Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR https://twitter.com/fletcherpr Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher https://twitter.com/kdfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest https://twitter.com/MaryBethWest Follow PRCA-UK on Twitter: @PRCA_UK https://twitter.com/PRCA_UK Follow Francis Ingham on Twitter: @Ingers1975 https://twitter.com/Ingers1975 Follow PRCA’s #PRcast podcast: https://lnkfi.re/prcast Find out more about PRCA’s new Schools Outreach Programme: http://news.prca.org.uk/prca-launches-schools-outreach-programme/ Visit PRCA’s Newsroom to learn more about PRCA’s consistent, effective advocacy for the public relations profession: http://news.prca.org.uk/home/
November 20, 2019Episode 1018 min
Leading from the Front: A Chat with PRCA’s Francis Ingham (Part 2 of 2)
In Episode 10 (Part 2 of 2) of this interview with PRCA Director General Francis Ingham, Francis explains the tough realities – and shocking repercussions – of taking a stand in the Bell-Pottinger ethics-violation case in 2017. Links:Learn more about the PRCA Bell Pottinger case study: https://www.prca.org.uk/campaigns/ethics/bell-pottinger-case-studyFollow the #MsInterPReted hashtagJoin PRCA today:Information about International Individual Membership Information about International Corporate Membership The link to join PRCA Discover Fletcher Marketing PR: https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/ Follow Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR https://twitter.com/fletcherpr Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher https://twitter.com/kdfletcher Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest https://twitter.com/MaryBethWest Follow PRCA-UK on Twitter: @PRCA_UK https://twitter.com/PRCA_UK Follow Francis Ingham on Twitter: @Ingers1975 https://twitter.com/Ingers1975 Follow PRCA’s #PRcast podcast: https://lnkfi.re/prcast Find out more about PRCA’s new Schools Outreach Programme: http://news.prca.org.uk/prca-launches-schools-outreach-programme/ Visit PRCA’s Newsroom to learn more about PRCA’s consistent, effective advocacy for the public relations profession: http://news.prca.org.uk/home/
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