The art of the pivot

Windy + 79 degrees, Thursday, March 28, 2024

First, it was podcasting platform Odeo. When it caught wind of the impending launch of iTunes, it transitioned to a communications platform that helped dispatch systems connect with people needing rides. Then, it became the real-time, microblogging platform we all grew to know.

Twitter’s evolution is just one example of the art of the pivot. But the need for pivoting is all across business. In PR, we pivot daily (hourly?).

Here’s how we most see pivoting play out in PR:

??Client/brand pivoting. Sometimes, it’s a brand relaunch; other times, it’s a new audience niche, distribution strategy, or a switch in the product release lineup. Changes happen, and brands need partners that can roll with those changes.?We’ve found that it’s even more important to serve as calm waters in those moments – bring the “we’ve got you covered” mentality to the table. And then move quickly to meet what’s new.

??Pivoting a pitch. A pitch isn’t working. The reporter we’ve been working with for weeks just left the publication. Even worse, the outlet just laid off a bunch of journalists, including the one who had just committed to a series of stories. The media world is nothing if not unstable these days.?What should remain stable is how we deal with the instability. If a pitch isn’t working, try a new subject line, a follow-up that adds something, or a different reporter, or workshop the pitch to get to a better version. If the journalist left, take it to the editor to see if the piece can find a new home. (More on “How to Stay Focused During This Period of Tech Media Disruption” in PR News.)

??Pivoting because you’ve reached a new phase in your media strategy. Sometimes, you can reach a near saturation point with one angle in one set of outlets, but there’s always another angle and another set of outlets. For our smart lock client, Lockly, we established a strong presence in consumer magazines. We then pivoted to focus on the commercial side of the business and encourage large-scale orders.?For another client, we realized our thought leadership efforts got us ahead of the market (great ? ? ?), but then also understood that we needed more here-and-now media to drive sales ( pivot ? ? ?). It’s all about intentionally balancing business needs with the media’s wants to drive coverage.

??Pivoting capabilities. Despite how much the industry has changed since I started in it more than 25 years ago, PR is still very much a game of great pitch + great targeting and follow-up = coverage. But it’s far from the only play if you want a sustainable presence.?

You can’t rely only on the media to tell your story. That’s why we’ve pivoted our capabilities to Advocacy Relations and Executive Thought Leadership in recent years. And the media themselves have pivoted into the world of affiliate links to drive revenue. Hence, our affiliate marketing capabilities. (You know what they say about “those who stand still,” right?)

Look, there’s more where this came from – I’m sure you have plenty of examples of pivoting to share. (If you want to do that, reply to this email!)?

Maybe I’m giving it too much credit, but sometimes I think the ones who can master the pivot – with the right partners – are the ones who build legacies. Thanks for reading,?

- DB

SHOULD YOU FIRE YOUR PR AGENCY?

Brands hire PR agencies because they want results. Once the contract is signed and the first round of placements come?in, it feels like a match made in heaven. But what happens when you stop seeing results and start seeing red flags? Carver Scott Goldberg?broke down the red flags that signal when it may be?time to pivot.

PR Agency Red Flags ??

HOW TO SELF-EDIT LIKE A PRO

Editing isn't just about fixing typos and grammar mistakes. It's about transforming your work into something that captivates your audience and leaves them wanting more. But, editing yourself can be a bit daunting?— it can be difficult to get out of your head. Carver Rylie Miller?tapped into the minds of pros in the writing community and shares their tips and tricks to becoming a better self-editor.?

Get the Self-Editing Scoop

CARVE'S CULTURE IN INC.

In 2020, Carve CEO David Barkoe?decided to ditch the traditional office space and go fully remote. Since then, he's never looked back and has been able to grow new lines of business, make smart hiring decisions, and empower employees to build a ground-up culture through in-person meet-ups and virtual shenanigans. Take a deeper dive into what it's like at Carve.

Carve in the News

MORE ON THE ART OF THE PIVOT HERE...

• Sometimes midpoint pivots give you an advantage. Jonah Berger and Devin Pope analyzed a whole bunch of NBA games and found that trailing slightly at half-time led to a much better win rate. It’s because of the adjustments they made when they were trailing. (via Admired Leadership)??
• “If I had to pick the most universally admired character trait, I’d bet on grit…But we largely neglect the important flip side of grit: knowing when it’s time to quit.” Justine and Olivia Moore summarize a framework for quitting based on Annie Moore’s book. (via Accelerated)
• A tear down of why we value people who stick to their guns and some alternatives to that approach. "The bravest souls are the ones who stand up and share their evolution, despite everything telling them not to." (via Deb Liu's Perspectives)

HOW ARE WE DOING?

We love feedback! Is there anything you're dying to learn? Something you want to see less of or think we can do better??Let us know how we're doing by commenting at the bottom of this newsletter!

Get to know Carve.

We believe in sustainable PR.

We believe in delivering results.

We believe in measuring the impact of our work.

We believe in experimenting where we see opportunity.

We believe in the team.

We believe in being a partner, not just another agency.