Highlighting Client Expertise with Bylined Articles

At LCWA, we're all about providing superior client service — so, of course, we're not satisfied until our clients are rightfully positioned and maintained as industry leaders. We’re also always looking for effective ways to increase brand awareness among their target audiences, One of the most effective ways to do this is by securing opportunities for clients, whether B2B or B2C, to contribute bylined articles in publications that reach those audiences.

Bylined articles, usually attributed to clients' expert spokespersons or brand ambassadors, establish thought leadership and go beyond a simple product or brand mention in terms of enhancing credibility and reputations by providing helpful content to their audiences while also their goods or services. By representing the brand through the insights of an expert in the field, placing bylined articles is one of the more organic ways to promote clients. Additionally, with many media outlets short-staffed, providing quality editorial content is often welcomed by editors.

Recently, LCWA placed a bylined thought leadership article on behalf of client Staging Concepts — a leader in custom modular staging — in an issue of Productions Magazine. Productions, which is a trade magazine reaching show choir professionals and enthusiasts, was an ideal outlet in which to highlight Staging Concepts' unique projects and top products. Perhaps more notably, we had the opportunity to develop the article in conjunction with one of the company’s expert team members — who is just one of Staging Concepts’ talented employees who worked "in the field" in the performing arts industry before joining the company.

Productions readers, including those in charge of staging purchases, were exposed to a breadth and depth of knowledge about the keys to maximizing staging functionality and flexibility and undoubtedly came away with the conclusion that the team behind Staging Concepts’ designs and customer support genuinely know their stuff and care about being the best in the industry.

Another example of a successful byline was a piece we developed on behalf of LCWA client Trex Commercial Products for inclusion in Construction Specifier Magazine. Construction Specifier targets professionals who select, recommend and influence buying decisions in the construction industry, so this was a perfect opportunity to position Trex Commercial Products as a go-to resource when it comes to specifying architectural railing systems. For this particular byline, we worked with the VP of Engineering at Trex Commercial Products to discuss how to specify for windscreen railing systems designed for commercial exterior use. The timing was also strategic as Trex Commercial Products had just launched its own innovative windscreen product.

These are just a couple of examples of LCWA’s emphasis on incorporating thought leadership as part of well-rounded client programming. For more information and insight on effective thought leadership strategies, we encourage you to check out LCWA team member Ben Arens’ post on the "Keys to Establishing Effective Thought Leadership."

PFF Position Becomes Front-Page News

Last year, our client, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), issued a position statement warning patients and providers against the dangers of unregulated stem cell therapies that often promise miraculous results but come with significant health risks. We pitched the statement to national media, and were happy to connect PFF’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gregory Cosgrove, with a Washington Post reporter investigating the topic. Several months and conversations later, a front-page Washington Post article ran to educate readers of the hazards of unproven stem cell therapies, alongside an investigation into one organization offering these dangerous treatments.

While some stem cell treatments have been approved for other disease states, we hope this high-profile placement will drive awareness of the potential dangers of stem cell therapies for PF that are not part of regulated clinical trials.

First Alert Assists Departments in Community Risk Reduction Efforts

Community risk reduction (CRR) is an important part of fire safety education from the fire service. The inaugural Community Risk Reduction Week, occurring January 20-26, 2020, allows departments across the country to improve their community’s safety.

In honor of this event, First Alert and LCWA held a week-long alarm giveaway for departments participating in these efforts. As a result of industry relationships, LCWA received nearly 800 entries from across the country. Out of the hundreds who entered, five lucky fire departments were randomly chosen to each receive 50 carbon monoxide alarms.

The winning fire departments represent a wide array of entries from both career and volunteer departments across the country:

• Elmwood Park Fire Department (Elmwood Park, Ill.)
• Fillmore Fire Department (Fillmore, Wis.)
• Flint Fire Department (Flint, Mich.)
• New Boston Volunteer Fire Department (New Boston, Texas)
• Plympton Fire Department (Plympton, Mass.)

First Alert’s support to improve carbon monoxide safety comes at a crucial time. The risk for CO poisoning significantly increases during the winter months, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50,000 emergency room visits and over 430 deaths are attributed to CO poisoning in the U.S. each year, making it the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the country.

To learn more about CO safety and how to keep your loved ones safe, visit FirstAlert.com.

Bold and Beautiful: The Right Celebrity Cache Can Catapult Your Story

Celebrities are the ultimate influencers and can play an impactful role in a brand’s marketing strategy, elevating messages and reaching new audiences. But like Cinderella’s glass slipper, the right celebrity fit is vital to the story and there are many considerations as you develop the partnership:

• Time and Placement. First, outline all the potential services you’d like to use the celebrity for and how you’d like to amplify them. Do you want to shoot a video or six? Host an event? Turn a production day into multiple videos and images to be used across your broadcast and digital marketing plan.
• Multiple Personalities: Celebrities take on the personas of their characters, so make sure to vet the storyline of their character(s), as well as their personal behavior to avoid any embarrassing controversies.
• Script Permissions. As far in advance as possible, map out even basic key messages, location and scripting. This will come in handy during negotiations and will highlight any content that may need to be approved in advance by their studio. 
• Amplify. Amplify. Amplify. Celebrities are pricey, so incorporate as much amplification as possible in order to get the most out of your budget.

From crafting DIY content for Trex with Kate Campbell to delivering fire safety messages for First Alert with Taylor Kinney, our focus is on maximizing the potential of these influencers to tell the best brand story to as many people as possible.

AASM Highlights Prevalence of Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving is a serious public health concern. Each year in the U.S., drowsy driving causes an average of 328,000 motor vehicle accidents, including 6,400 fatal crashes, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) conducted a consumer survey to determine the prevalence of drowsy driving among adults. The new survey found that 45% of adults have struggled to stay awake while driving.

In light of the survey results, LCWA conducted media outreach highlight the prevalence of drowsy driving and sharing tips from the AASM on how to prevent it.

LCWA secured drowsy driving coverage with numerous outlets, including The Washington Post, Seattle Times, SFGate, WebMD, HealthDay and U.S. News & World Report. Overall, this outreach increased awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving among consumers nationwide and earned more than 32.9 million impressions.