Worldcom EMEA Survey on PR trends reveals that traditional media still plays a key role

Barcelona, March 1, 2011– Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world’s leading network of independently owned public relations counseling firms, has announced the results of its first survey on PR trends in Europe.

The study shows several similarities between European countries. For example, when a new client is launching a product for the first time in a specific market, all agencies have said that dailies are still very important. Nevertheless, they’ve all agreed on the fact that newswires, magazines, TV/radio and bloggers should also be invited. For a fashion and cosmetics announcement, bloggers can be more relevant than dailies.

If the client is visiting the agency’s country for the first time and has no local offices, the most recommended events are one-to-one interviews, or a breakfast / lunch meeting with a group of local media. But then sub-regions show different preferences towards this: Southern Europe agencies would still organize a press conferences in one city but do not recommend social events, while in Central Europe visits to editors are well received. Northern European PR Pros would organize either a breakfast / lunch or a social event, and only Eastern Europe agencies recommend to cover more than one city when organizing a press conference.

Across Europe, consumer goods’ press conferences are the ones that can expect the biggest number of attendees (about 24), while Pharmaceutical events are the ones with less quantity of attendees (less than 10). There are also significant differences depending on the country. For example, the number of people attending a press conference in the technology industry is around 20 in Southern and Eastern Europe while in Northern and Central Europe this will be less than 10. In the consumer goods industry we can find as much as 40 attendees in Southern Europe and as less as 5 in Northern Europe.

Concerning meetings and tradeshows that imply travelling, Southern European agencies explain that in their region journalists will not travel if their expenses are not covered, while in Northern Europe 4 out of 10 journalists would still travel on their own expenses. Most countries have said that they need press releases to be translated into their local language in order to distribute them to the press, except for Portugal: here journalists would prefer to receive press releases in English instead of Brazilian Portuguese.

Overall, 29,4% of agencies would recommend Facebook for a B2B campaign. This practice is more popular in Eastern Europe, where 75% of agencies encourage this, and totally unpopular in Northern Europe, where nobody recommended it. Concerning Twitter, most agencies (70,6%) have said that less of 25% of the journalists in their country use it as a professional tool.

“This is a very interesting survey, as it allows us to learn more about common PR trends in Europe, and also about key differences. Each country counts with specific local characteristics that make it unique. In consequence, the way of doing a same announcement even in neighbour countries can vary significantly”, said Imma Folch, Worldcom EMEA Marketing Chair.

The purpose of this survey was to identify differences between regions when dealing with media. Worldcom PR Group has analyzed media trends across Europe in the following market sectors: Tourism; Public Affairs; Pharmaceutical; IT, Technology and Electronics; Health; Fashion and Cosmetics; Food and Beverage and Consumer Goods.

This survey was done in December 2010, and counted with the participation of 17 agencies based in Central Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria), Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovenia and Turkey), Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom) and Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain and Portugal).

About Worldcom PR Group

Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations counseling firms, with some 109 offices in 95 cities worldwide. Established in 1988, it was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent public relations firms could serve national, international and multi-national clients while retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent agencies. Through The Worldcom Group, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they operate. Visit www.worldcomgroup.com for more information.

Worldcom EMEA currently comprises 34 agencies with strong expertise in consumer, healthcare, travel & tourism, technology, energy & environment, financial services, investor relations, public affairs and crisis & issues management. Clients include Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Panasonic, Sony Ericson, LG Electronics, the EU Anti-Tobacco Campaign, Verbatim and Palm. Visit www.worldcomprgroupemea.com for more information.

Press Information:

Press Office Worldcom PR Group EMEA:

LF Channel
Flor Calveiro
Email: fcalveiro@lfchannel.com
Twitter:@WorldcomEMEA
Tel: +34 93 418 81 51
http://www.lfchannel.com

Worldcom EMEA Survey on PR trends reveals that traditional media still plays a key role (189)

LF Channel will manage ATEN’s communication strategy in the Spanish market

Barcelona, March 1, 2011 – LF Channel, full-service marketing and communication agency, has been selected by ATEN multinational company, a leading manufacturer of advanced connectivity solutions and KVM Switches, to develop a communication strategy for its brand in Spain.

In MATELEC, an International Exhibition of Electrical and Electronic materials held last October, the agency developed a pilot project promoting the family of solutions ALTUSEN for the management of servers. LF Channel’s methodology and extensive media knowledge generated very positive results for ATEN. This experience was decisive in the signature of the current annual arrangement for 2011.

After months of preparations to re-launch its brand in Spain, ATEN has decided to promote its brand image and products in Spain on a regular basis. To do this, ATEN will utilize the proven experience of LF Channel to take full advantage of the coordinated work between local dealers and the customer’s team located in Belgium. LF Channel will also provide support in producing content that will educate the market about the key role of connectivity technologies in high-impact sectors, such as data centers, broadcasting, and storage in general.

Founded in 1979, ATEN International Co. Ltd. specialized in connectivity solutions and systems management of information technology. Today, it is considered the leading manufacturer of KVM Switches worldwide. ATEN offers a wide range of solutions designed to meet the expectations of consumers, SMBs, and large corporations.

For more information about the online services offered by LF Channel, please visit: www.lfchannel.com

About LF Channel

LF Channel is a marketing and communications agency with 15 years of industry experience, specializing in developing and implementing comprehensive plans that suit the different needs of each client and market.The company’s main objective is to serve its clients with a number of vital tools to enhance the quality and quantity of their sales, market share, and image, allowing them to grow and evolve in an increasingly competitive and dynamic sector.

LF Channel has more than 40 specialists working, who are distributed among the various corporate communication disciplines: public relations and communications, marketing and event management.

LF Channel is part of Worldcom Public Relations Group, an international network of independent agencies, and is an active member of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

LF Channel
Raúl García
Director of Communications
Email: rgarcia@lfchannel.com
Tel: +93 418 81 51
http://www.lfchannel.com

LF Channel will manage ATEN’s communication strategy in the Spanish market (190)

LF Channel celebrates its fifteenth anniversary and faces new projects in 2011

Barcelona, February 23, 2011 – LF Channel, a full-service agency with added value in communications and marketing, is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary enhancing its services and strengthening its presence in new markets.

Founded in February 1996, the agency’s main goal was and still is using the formula of combining and creating synergies between the areas of marketing and communications, to communicate, educate, and inform through their passion for service. LF Channel has spent 15 years creating, developing, and implementing successful strategies in order to increase the quality of sales, image, and market share of its customers, mainly in sectors such as technology and consumer products.

LF Channel, which has a long experience in the technology market, has now expanded its services to the pharmaceutical and consumer health markets, as part of its process of opening up new market segments.

Among the main services LF Channel offers these include strengthening:

• Communication and Events. Using 2.0 tools that complement the plans and comprehensive communication strategies of their clients
• Online Marketing. Through the in-house training courses:

1. Development of a basic plan for online marketing: Develop and define a plan for optimizing online marketing investment with clear objectives that can range from the capture leads to direct sales.
2. Joomla Web Development workshop course: Create, manage and optimize one of the most used web content manager.
3. The keys to a successful website: Get the most out of investment, usability and SEO.
4. Management of Social Networks in the company: Managing social networks as tools for brand placement on the Internet.
5. Social Media Reputation Program: Take the best decision on where to be present as a company or what communication channels create a higher level of recognition to obtain the best return on investment (ROI)

• Strategic market consulting. Offering support in negotiations with wholesalers and distributors, or by quantitative and qualitative studies ad hoc designed for each specific customer and market.
• Field Marketing. Using innovative tools that adapt to the times at the moment of a sale or merchandising.

Since 2009, LF Channel has been the head of the EMEA marketing area for Worldcom Public Relations Group. The Spanish agency has been a member of this professional association of public relations and communications since 2007, which has allowed the management of communication strategies for Spanish companies in different countries and expanded its influence in various international markets such as Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, France, United Kingdom or Russia.

“We are very proud of the quality level achieved by the work of the LF Channel team during this stage of the company. Our line of action is to keep improving with and for our customers, expanding our range of services with the same professionalism and involvement that characterizes us,” said Imma Folch, General Manager of LF Channel and Marketing Chair of Worldcom EMEA.

For more information about the online services offered by LF Channel, please visit: www.lfchannel.com

About LF Channel

LF Channel is a marketing and communications agency with 15 years of industry experience, specializing in developing and implementing comprehensive plans that suit the different needs of each client and market.The company’s main objective is to serve its clients with a number of vital tools to enhance the quality and quantity of their sales, market share, and image, allowing them to grow and evolve in an increasingly competitive and dynamic sector.

LF Channel has more than 40 specialists working, who are distributed among the various corporate communication disciplines: public relations and communications, marketing and event management.

LF Channel is part of Worldcom Public Relations Group, an international network of independent agencies, and is an active member of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

LF Channel
Raúl García
Email: rgarcia@lfchannel.com
Tel: +93 418 81 51
http://www.lfchannel.com

LF Channel celebrates its fifteenth anniversary and faces new projects in 2011 (180)