Knowledgeable Insights On B2B Public Relations — Kite Hill PR

How to Maintain Professional Development While Working from Home

In recent years, most agencies and tech companies have implemented flexible work from home (WFH) plans. While it’s common practice, at least among my peers, to take a few WFH days per month or quarter, I don’t think any of us were expecting to be WFH for such a long period of time because of COVID-19. Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy to have some extra time at home. But there are aspects of office life that I miss.

As someone who is newer to the industry, I try to make as much time for professional development as I can. Now that the novelty of working from home for weeks on end has worn off, I find myself missing networking events or meeting new reporters. I’ve taken the last week and a half to think about how I could continue my own professional development - while remote. To my surprise, it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. Here are my recommendations.

Subscribe to new podcasts.

Morning Brew’s Business Casual

I’ve been a fan of Kite Hill PR client Morning Brew since I was in college and became even more obsessed when the media brand launched its weekly podcast, Business Casual. Morning Brew has been releasing bonus episodes amidst COVID-19, further feeding my obsession. The podcast dives deep into the biggest issues in today’s business world and features executives from Lemonade, Classpass, Bombas and most recently, entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

Modern Mentor

While I have a mentor at Kite Hill, I started listening to this podcast recently and it’s been a great resource for additional support. Now, only two years into my career and I have seen continued growth as a communicator and leader. With nearly 600 episodes that range from 5-20 minutes, it’s a great add on for those looking to get a little bit more guidance on their professional development.

AdExchanger’s Social Distancing with Friends

Similar to Business Casual, AdExchanger released additional podcasts during COVID-19, breaking cabin fever by talking with the top thought leaders and practitioners in digital and data-driven advertising – all while under social isolation. Hearing candid takes on the industry from different executives has helped me look at the advertising and adtech industry with a more critical lens.

Attend virtual events.

Adweek Webinars

Pre-pandemic, I would get emails to join these webinars and never felt like I had the time, but the other day one of these emails stuck out so I decided to give it a try. I tuned into an Adweek Webinar on ‘Leveling Up Your Adtech’ which discussed how brands can deliver the perfect experience. It was great listening in and hearing industry experts breakdown how marketers and advertisers can deliver authentic and personal messages. It also made the complex adtech industry a bit more digestible, further allowing me to grow in my understanding.

Ad Age Webcasts

This week, I registered for a webcast that I’m really looking forward to. On April 14, Ad Age’s ‘TV is Changing: Learn What Creative Formats Are Working in This New Landscape’, will cover how the TV landscape is changing, how CTV and OTT audiences differ and how the ad industry needs to approach these audiences. I now find myself more aware of these opportunities to get a deeper understanding of the inner workings of my clients’ industries and am seeing the value of having conversations like these.

Additionally, a lot of companies and business leaders have been hosting AMAs or LinkedIn Q&As, like Tea with Gary Vee. I recommend looking at your favorite brands and companies and see what content they are creating and listen in!

Reignite your passion and register for online classes.

I always said that I’d go back to school and nearly two years out of college I still haven’t made it happen. With the encouragement of my manager, a few weeks before the pandemic, I signed up for an online writing course. I already can see myself catching edits that my managers and supervisors would previously make, as well as writing more succinctly. There is a variety of writing courses out there, depending on what you’d like to tackle.

I am looking forward to being back in the office and going to networking or industry events like I’ve done in the past - but it’s comforting to know that I can still find ways to grow professionally right from my home office.

- Will Vogel, Account Executive

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Agile Communications in a COVID-19 Environment

Communicating during a time of crisis is critically important. The wrong approach can derail a brand and leave a lasting negative impression. To help organizations navigate these unprecedented times, Kite Hill conducted a webinar to address both external and internal communications during COVID-19.

In regards to external communications, we addressed pressing questions like: 

  • What are the immediate impacts on the media and communications industry?

  • Should companies freeze external communications? 

  • How should external communications be altered? 

These communications need to adapt to the news cycle and be extra sensitive to the timing of announcements, bylines, blog posts and social posts. An agile adaptation of messaging is key. For media relations specifically, reporters are looking for data and insights around COVID-19, as well as expert advice on how to navigate the data and the new unfolding situation. 

For internal communications, the right tone is everything. Conveying strong leadership, high emotional intelligence and authenticity are critical during this time. Even for the mundane announcements, the right tone is crucial to provide employees with clear, concise information in a way that is considerate of the challenges they’re facing. 

To learn more, watch the full webinar here. 

- Margot Sikorski, Event Manager

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Keeping Company Culture Alive in a Time of Social Distancing

With the unprecedented changes COVID-19 has brought to the world, it’s old news that millions of people have made the transition to remote work over the past few weeks. Social distancing has caused Americans and people all over the world to abandon their desks and hunker down in their homes. 

If you’re one of those people, you’ve likely set up your devices, picked your new desk-away-from-work, and started moving on your tasks. One day passes, and another, and a third. All seems fine, until one day your coworkers’ faces in the corner of your screen aren't enough to make you feel like you’re still part of the workplace. Did you know that the second-most reported challenge of remote work was loneliness? Digital discussions cannot replace face-to-face interaction and put us at risk of depleting company culture. 

So, how can we revive company culture and boost morale when we are rooms, buildings, and maybe even states apart? If you’re lucky enough to have an office manager dedicated to culture, this may be easier said than done. After some brainstorming and collaboration across our own team, here are some of the best ways we’re initiating discussion and interaction. 

Utilize Slack for Open-Ended Conversations

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Talia and 11 others joined #wfhdistractions

The votes start pouring in and “several people typing” appears at the bottom of your screen. Slack is arguably the backbone of both in-office and remote work communications. The platform fosters discussion and creativity and offers an open-door policy style of communication. There’s the option for various channels with dedicated themes, private messaging, and much more. 

One useful tip to help capitalize on remote work is to create dedicated channels for different elements of interaction. A “Daily Poll” could offer a siloed space for a quick break to answer some fun questions but can be easily muted and ignored when heads-down on a big assignment. Keyword: muted. Slack also offers the option to disconnect from any non-essential communication, something that cannot be as easily done physically in an office. 

Slack conversations can be kept fairly simple. Maybe you ask your team channel to share a fun fact about themselves. This allows for engagement between coworkers, but also a way to get to know one another better. It’s no surprise that some people prefer to communicate behind a screen rather than face-to-face. Use this to boost interaction and foster employee relationships. 

Face-Timing In Place of Face Time 

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Kite Hill has invited you to join a meeting

You’ve been working from home for a week now. How many times have you asked your work best friend to get on the phone with you, just to get some face time? Or to show off each other’s incredible views and adorable pets? While Zoom is an extremely helpful tool that is utilized each and every day by people all over the world, it doesn’t have to be strictly for client communications. 

Try hosting a water-cooler conversation session with your coworkers. Utilize the time to decompress, to brainstorm, to share some audible, authentic laughs. We’re no longer able to congregate at the kitchen island for light-hearted conversations, so it’s vital to still get that verbal interaction in any form. 

Don’t Forget to Stretch 

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Screens down, arms up 

Have you gotten up and walked around during the day yet? Have you gone outside to get some fresh air? It’s puzzling to think we sometimes forget the basic need for movement even when we aren’t glued to our desks. Remember that midday coffee run you normally take with your seatmate? Now, it’s time to do it on your own, even if it’s turned into a walk around the block. 

One of the best things you can do for your employees is to invite everyone to take a few minutes and get up, walk away from their screens and just stretch. This can be critical to productivity and motivation levels. This is another place to utilize Zoom - get everyone on camera, standing up and stretching away their mid-morning stress. 

Don’t let a computer screen separate you from your employees and coworkers. Make those digital connections and use the technology available to you at your fingertips to ensure morale stays high and your employees stay safe. 

- Talia Firenze, Account Associate

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How Format Can Change the Impact of a B2B Webinar

Now more than ever, we’ve seen an increase in investment in virtual events. Virtual events can get stale when B2B companies are executing the same format over and over again. The content is the most important drive for attendees to join a virtual event. It’s imperative to have the right format to convey your message. 

Here are four formats to consider for your next virtual event: 

An Engaging Fireside Chat

Speaking with a client or industry expert in an intimate setting like a fireside chat allows you to dig deep into the topic at hand. It creates a close setting for you to truly interact with your audience since there are a limited number of speakers. This is best used when content is targeted for an audience of experts that can dig deep into a subject without much upfront explaining. 

A Live Thought Leadership Panel 

Panels are a great way to present differing opinions on a general topic. This is the best format when you’d like to exhibit viewpoints from different industries or professional levels and how they handle the topic. This requires a bit more coordinating of the panelists, finding a captivating moderator and ensuring that everyone has a voice during the panel. Panels are used very frequently for webinars so ensure the content is engaging for the audience and the moderator has a clear vision on the flow of conversation. 

An Interactive Product Launch

When you have a product or feature launch, it is great to display the product immediately to your clients or prospects. They want to see how they can use this new product and how it will make their job easier. The content should be very specific to your different customer personas and targeted to them appropriately. 

An Internal Town Hall

If you need to connect with your team, a virtual town hall is a great way to make them feel heard while you’re remote. This will allow individuals to ask questions and hear from your executives while still feeling like you’re all in the same room. 

No matter what the virtual event may be, you must ensure the format of the webinar fits the content. The message needs to be clearly given and received by the audience to truly have a successful virtual event. This will create a community that wants to attend your webinars over and over again. 

- Margot Sikorski, Event Manager

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Live Blog: Major Industry Event Cancellations from Coronavirus

The spread of COVID-19 has raised travel concerns, and major industry events are being canceled within the marketing, media, advertising and tech industries. 

To help professionals stay informed on cancellations, Kite Hill PR is monitoring the industry for confirmed cancellations or rescheduling of events. We’ll update the blog in real-time with future cancellations as a result of this global outbreak.

AdTech + Advertising + Marketing Events

Video + Entertainment + Publishing Events

Upfronts + Newfronts

Retail Events

  • Shopify Unite: Canceled. Shopify will host a virtual event, scheduled for May 6 - 8, 2020.

  • Shoptalk: Rescheduled for September 14 - 17, 2020.

Tech Events


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Women in Media Meetup: Creating loyalty for the modern reader

Last week, our team hosted the Women in Media Meetup, sponsored by Dailymotion and AdColony. The event centered around creating loyalty for the modern reader and highlighted how publishers are finding innovative ways to attract advertising dollars while staying loyal to their core audiences. The panel was moderated by Sarah Sluis, Senior Editor from AdExchanger and featured speakers Erika Velazquez Alpern, SVP, Head of Brand and Product Marketing from Morning Brew, Gabriella Aversa, Director of Strategy and Planning from AdColony, and Ronak Patel, SVP of Marketing, PR, Research, Creative Services & Digital Revenue Operations from Trusted Media Brands.

I had the privilege of hearing for myself how these women are taking these challenges head-on and adapting to the changing media climate. Here are some of the key takeaways from the event.

Listen to your audience

Publishers have one goal: create content their audience loves. If your audience is offering feedback, listen to it. As publishers, Patel suggests you ask yourself if you are providing the right content for your audience based on their feedback. When the audience offers positive feedback on a certain topic or theme, work to find new and creative ways of delivering similar content. Finding new angles or mediums to deliver your content, such as newsletters or podcasts, keeps the reader coming back to your publication. Repeat readers create a larger and more engaged audience, which attracts advertisers.

Create engagement

Engagement is a key element in creating loyalty among modern consumers, while also attracting advertising dollars. Readers seek engaging content because it creates a sense of community between the publication and the audience. When a reader responds to an ad throughout a newsletter, they are creating a dialogue. In order to create engagement, ads should be organic in the space that they are occupying. They should not be invasive or take away from the content of the publication but rather, enhance it. As Aversa expressed, they create ads that are organic to the app in which they are appearing in. If the app is a game, then the ad will feature elements of a “game” environment. 

Loyalty can create sustainability

In order to create something that can last, publishers need to shift their focus from short-term growth to long-term loyalty. When evaluating metrics, focus on what is really important: subscribers. It should be on how aware people are of your brand and how they engage with your content. Evolve with your consumers by prioritizing what matters to them at the moment. Consider becoming a part of their community through live events that are centered around the content they enjoy.

Podcasts are key

Podcasts are a new medium emerging in the digital sector that is becoming increasingly more popular. As Velazquez Alpern shared, “Podcasts require people to engage. They are immersive, and the audience has to commit to listening to the podcast.” In order to get your audience to commit, make that podcast stand out among competitors. Find your niche, as Patel advises, and make the podcast your own. Most importantly, find the right podcast strategy that works for your audience and your company. 

- Kerriann Becker, Spring 2020 Intern

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