Elevate Your Brand: Essential PR Tips and Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios, it’s time for Women in Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Women in Motion. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Women in Motion, we have Allison Monette Cordova, founder and CEO of Cordova Creative. Welcome.

Allison Monette Cordova: Hi, Lee. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Cordova Creative. How are you serving folks?

Allison Monette Cordova: Sure. Yes. So, Cordova Creative is a marketing, public relations, and digital consulting agency, and we work with folks who are looking to grow their brand, reach new audiences, and really find a strategic and cost-effective way to do this through marketing and digital efforts.

Lee Kantor: So, what’s your backstory? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Allison Monette Cordova: Sure. Well, I have been, you know, doing marketing communications and public relations in this space for about 20 years. I started my career out as a news reporter. I was working at the NBC station in eastern Washington. It’s where I got my start in reporting. At the time, I was a one-man band. That’s one – I guess one-woman band is what they call it. So, you edit, write, report your own stories, you shoot your own video. So it really is an interesting way to get into that storytelling mindset, which I think has really grown with me through the business. But that’s kind of how I got my start.

Allison Monette Cordova: And then after doing that for a couple of years, I transitioned into the world of public relations and marketing, primarily working with nonprofits. But it has grown since then to other industries.

Allison Monette Cordova: But during my time as a reporter, I should highlight, you know, I got to do some really cool stuff. I got to interview President Obama while he was campaigning in Oregon during his first term in office. And then also got to interview, you know, Reverend Jesse Jackson and a few other folks in entertainment. So, you know, all in all, it was an amazing experience. That kind of set the foundation for eventually going off on my own and having my own business.

Lee Kantor: Now, can you talk a little bit about how kind of that pre-work you do when you’re interviewing somebody like a president comes in handy when you’re interviewing maybe your client, who might be a CEO of a company? Are there some lessons learned from that journalistic lens that translate into the public relations advocacy lens?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes. That’s a great question. There is a lot of prep that goes into it. I think the number one thing is just trying to make the interviewee feel comfortable. And, you know, sometimes when there’s someone in front of you with a microphone and a camera, you know, people tend to get a little nervous, right? And certainly, someone like President Obama has a team of people who preps him with media training. But, you know, as someone who is maybe the CEO of a business or even a small business person needs a little bit more preparation. So I think just letting kind of helping folks understand that they can let their guard down and starting off with some basic questions, something to make them feel comfortable, and then maybe getting a little bit into the the meat of it.

Allison Monette Cordova: I also think it’s interesting that you asked that because I definitely, when I do video production, for some of my clients, they tell me, you know, oh, you’ve definitely done this before because they can hear me asking, you know, putting my Barbara Walters hat on and asking those poignant questions because I’m looking for a soundbite. So I think that’s something that you also learn, right? You’re looking for the soundbite. I know kind of what I want this person to tell me so that I can do the storytelling bit and then we can create the full story. So I kind of know what I’m looking for, if that makes sense.

Lee Kantor: Having worked in this space for as long as you have, can you talk a little bit about the evolution of PR and how it’s changed over the years? You know, at one point there was scarcity that it was difficult to get in front of, quote-unquote, the media. But now where pretty much everybody is the media, you know, that’s less difficult, but you still have to, like you said, kind of have the talking points and have the ability to communicate and articulate your message.

Allison Monette Cordova: Yeah, it’s definitely evolved a lot over the years. Public relations, you know, in and of itself, I guess used to be print, TV, radio, you know, those staple outlets. And now with social media, it really feels that PR and social media are intrinsically tied. I mean, even if you go on TV for a news interview, you’re going to post about it on your Facebook and your Instagram to extend your reach because you never know who’s following you on Instagram, right? And Instagram, for example, allows that collaboration, right? So you can collab now with the TV station and the TV station’s Instagram account. And that account might have, you know, 50,000 to 100,000 followers. So that’s more eyeballs to your product.

Allison Monette Cordova: So, I do feel that with the onset, I guess, if you will, of social media, you know, 20-plus years ago, you know, I think it’s really evolved in that sense. And also just pitching has also taken on a different form. It feels nowadays that reporters are looking for more juicy things. I mean, reporters have always looked for things that sell. Right? But really that storytelling thing, they typically ask for video now. Whereas before you used to be able to just send the photo, and now they really want that video along with that press release, you know, a video news release, or “Do you have anything that you can share?” so that they can make it easier for them to share the story and get that publicity.

Lee Kantor: Now, are there any tips you can share because you’ve kind of been on both sides of the camera here? What are some kind of do’s and don’ts when it comes to pitching traditional media or even kind of influencer medium?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yeah, I think we – I think what people struggle with sometimes is thinking about it visually. And sometimes it’s not the CEO that should be the person being interviewed. You know, the reporters and the news, they want to hear from whoever the recipient is of what you’re doing, right?

Allison Monette Cordova: If you have a bank, they don’t want to hear from the bank president necessarily or an official representative. They want to hear from the business owner working with the bank, and they want to hear their experience with, you know, the people angle. I think that’s the big thing. Making sure that there’s always a people angle that is applicable to the masses. I think that’s the thing with PR, right?

Allison Monette Cordova: If I’m sending a press release out or a media alert for something, is that event open to the public? If it’s not open to the public, then the public is not going to be interested so why would I put it on channel, you know, 5 o’clock news? So there always has to be a people angle, again, telling the story. I think that’s a big one when it comes to pitching. Again, something visual.

Allison Monette Cordova: And you can, you know, make it – make a small thing visual. Right? If there’s a check presentation, like, yes, does it make sense to spend a little bit of extra money to get a big check and make a big presentation and have a photo moment, a photo op? Absolutely. I mean, those things still go a long way, again, from that visual side. Show and tell was like one of the biggest things that you learn in reporting at the very onset, right? Show and tell. Like, you know, I’m holding this, this deposition or this affidavit right here from whatever, you know, court case is going on. Like, people still want to see that show and tell. So that’s still really big in life shots that you see in, like, any morning show, you know.

Lee Kantor: Now, are there any opportunities for folks who maybe don’t have a PR team as part of kind of their team on how to leverage like maybe their traditional media’s editorial calendars, or kind of understanding what that media outlet is looking for at any given time? Are there any kind of tips you can share on how to become more aware of that, and maybe cater to that and create content on their behalf that would fill those needs that they have throughout the year?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes. I mean, a lot of the outlets out there offer a couple of different things. So, news stations and even magazines still offer a community calendar so you can easily put your event in the community calendar that will get to the magazine, you know, as long as the deadlines are online typically. As long as it’s by the deadline, your event will get on there.

Allison Monette Cordova: Magazines are always looking for post-coverage, too. Like, if your organization is having a big event or a gala and you’re going to hire a photographer for the gala to take photos, always send those photos to the magazine because sometimes they will do recaps, right? Like last month, it was like, you know, XYZ gala and here’s some photos. So those are always good.

Allison Monette Cordova: Also, I’ve encountered – editorial calendars are typically also online, honestly. A lot of the publications will have their media kits and that includes an editorial calendar. So you kind of know ahead of time, especially for print, what they’re working on. Right? Hispanic Heritage Month is coming up in September, October. Arts Month is coming up in October. You know, Alzheimer’s Awareness is in November. So some of these things are always kind of there. And a lot of the times you could do it through a quick Google search, but an editorial calendar is typically going to be online. So I think just a quick search or maybe dedicating some time from your own team if you don’t have a PR person to do a little bit of research goes a long way.

Lee Kantor: Now, can you share a little bit about maybe the importance of awards and recognition in kind of elevating a business’s brand and reputation?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes, that’s a really, really – a really good one and another way that I think people sometimes forget. I went to one of my clients who just received an award from a local publication here in Las Vegas, and I showed up to the event, which was a big to do. And that somebody said, “Was this you? Did you nominate us for this?” And I just thought that was so funny because I think people forget sometimes that there is someone, you know, working on the publicity, right, and kind of making those things come to light.

Allison Monette Cordova: Sure. I mean, word of mouth is great, but sometimes you have to toot your own horn, right? And that’s what PR is about. So when you have somebody working with you, you know, like a publicist or a company, like, they can seek out those opportunities that maybe are sometimes forgotten, right? So recognition for the leadership but also recognition as an organization as a whole, and there are quite a few opportunities that you can seek out that sometimes people just forget. And I think it is really important to, again, toot your own horn, because who else is going to do it for you other than you, right? I think sometimes people forget that.

Lee Kantor: So, how would you recommend somebody go about deciding which award is the one that they should nominate for, or which one is maybe, you know, that wouldn’t be the right fit? Like, how do you align whatever that award is with a kind of mission purpose and something that would be in long term beneficial for your organization?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yeah, I think doing a little research on the publications themselves. I think that would go a long way. You know, there are a slew of publications. I mean, there’s, you know, the regular magazines, for example, that go out on a monthly basis or a weekly basis in your market, but there’s also trade publications, right? If you’re in real estate, there’s going to be maybe, like, a realtor magazine or realtor-specific award or nonprofit-specific awards, you know, healthcare-specific awards. So I think there are, you know, lots of publications and lots of different outlets that you can seek out that you might not know about.

Allison Monette Cordova: You know, locally in every market there’s also always the chambers of commerce. I mean, that’s also something. Like a local chamber organization, a Rotary club, I mean, they’re giving awards out. So there’s, you know, lots of opportunity. I think it’s just, like you said, a matter of aligning, kind of like what your goals are, and which areas do you want to grow in as far as audience. Right? Which audience are you trying to reach? And again, to that point of making it an integrated marketing plan, which is essentially like you’re putting that recognition and making sure that that goes out on your newsletter, that that recognition goes out on your social media. Put it on your website so that folks are knowing and seeing it multiple times.

Lee Kantor: Now, when it comes to awards, is it something that is it a better idea to kind of start at maybe a lower level award and then work your way up to a more prestigious award, or should you just kind of go for it like it doesn’t matter?

Allison Monette Cordova: I think any opportunity is a good opportunity, right? There’s no such thing as bad PR. I think, again, depending on the publication, I think that’s important to kind of like dole out I will say. I think most people know and maybe they don’t know, but there are some that will come across your desk that are like, “Hey, they’re kind of a paid opportunity so they want you to place an ad in this magazine and as such, you will be named in this list.” So I would caution folks on those paid opportunities. I think there are still a lot of opportunities out there that are earned media.

Allison Monette Cordova: So earned media means it doesn’t cost you anything. It’s just literally there. You’re nominating someone and they will earn it, you know, based on their merit, if you will, and not so much a paid opportunity. So I would definitely caution on those ones that are a little bit paid. But overall, I don’t think that there’s a bad one to apply for, you know, as long as again it makes sense for your brand and it’s an alignment.

Lee Kantor: And then, like this is like you mentioned, you can get a lot of mileage out of this. So if you get nominated, then that’s something you might be able to pitch to the media. Or if you win, you could pitch that to the media as a media opportunity. Like, you can kind of get more bang for your buck for the effort.

Allison Monette Cordova: Absolutely, absolutely. Like, once you’re in and you get that award, then, you know, again, like back to my client who just received this award, I mean, we’re getting her on a one-on-one interview show that goes out on a weekly basis on a local TV station. Through that award, I think he was picked up by a national, you know, kind of a trade publication as well. So that recognition then just starts to make waves, right, I think over social media. I mean, we placed it on LinkedIn and it just blew up. And the same thing on Instagram; it’s like the most liked post that month because people just like that, you know. They like to see when folks are recognized and they’re like, “Great job. You know, you’re doing a -” so I think overall it’s a really good strategy.

Lee Kantor: Now, earlier you mentioned media training. Is there any advice on do’s and don’ts when it comes to doing interviews with the media that you can share?

Allison Monette Cordova: Oh, there’s so many. I don’t think we could cover all of them here. But yes, I mean, media training is something and coaching is something that I think teams and, you know, leadership should absolutely have. There’s, you know – you never know when you’re going to encounter a reporter that is going to give you a gotcha question either.

Allison Monette Cordova: And I think folks sometimes think that’s happened to me in experience where I’m representing a client, showing up, and reporters sometimes can be sneaky. Not all of them, but some of them. Right? You show up and you think the interview is going to be about this topic and the fundraiser, and then they kind of come at you at a left field with like, “Well, what about this?” And it’s like a gotcha thing, you know. And so, I think it is important to be prepared for that. And there are tools. There are absolutely tools and things. There’s things that you can do to block it, you know, block the question and try to, you know, rephrase the answer or rephrase the question.

Allison Monette Cordova: There’s lots of tools and things that, you know, I offer folks in my media training. But I think media training is a key thing that folks should really consider. And sometimes, you know, you think you’re like, “Oh, well, how hard can it be,” a live interview, which is only going to be three minutes, but then the camera goes in front of you and then you kind of freeze and you’re like, “Oh, goodness. I forgot everything I had to say.” You know, so talking points, I mean, having the talking points. There’s no shame in having a little note card. Even if it’s just a live interview, you can have some notes with you. Talking points are key.

Allison Monette Cordova: Certainly, when an interview is not live, you can, you know, say, “Oh, can I start over again?” Right? “Oh, let me start, let me start again,” because you get confused or you just – you didn’t quite get started like you wanted. So that’s the benefit of not doing a live interview. But I mean, there’s lots of things that people can do.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Something that when people ask me when they’re preparing for an interview with me on the show, I say always have like an anecdote at the ready that kind of illustrates whatever it is, the point, you’re trying to make, or what makes you unique and special. So, stories to me are a great way for somebody to convey expertise and authority when they’re doing an interview.

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes, I love that. See, Lee, you’re a pro. Like, you know what – you know you already know, right? You could probably give media training advice to folks. I love it.

Lee Kantor: Well, when you do something a few thousand times, you start figuring things out. Now, can you talk a little bit about why it was important for you to get involved with WEBC-West?

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes. So, you know, I’ve thought about opening up my own business for a couple of years now, and, you know, it all just kind of happened, and I think I’ve been really blessed to be connected with some great people. I think overall there are so many great resources out in there, in the community for women entrepreneurs.

Allison Monette Cordova: And I came connected – I got connected with WBEC-West through Chase. Chase has made a very conscious effort to support diverse businesses and minority businesses. And as part of that commitment, I was connected to somebody at Chase and one of the first things they said was, “You have to, you know, become certified.” Like, “This is one of those things that is going to be great for your business.”

Allison Monette Cordova: And honestly, so far it’s been amazing. I’ve made some really great connections with other folks and other women business owners and advice, right? Getting advice, getting some lessons learned right off the bat. And even locally here in Las Vegas, like there’s two or three other WBEs that I connect with, and I see them and I go, “Oh, are you a WBE? I’m a WBE.” “Oh, great. This is such a great connection.” And you immediately have that connection and someone to go to. So, it’s been really valuable.

Lee Kantor: Now, can you share a story about your work at Cordova regarding an impact you made with a client? Maybe share the problem they had. Obviously, don’t name the name of the client. But maybe share what they were going through and how you were able to help them get to a new level through your work.

Allison Monette Cordova: Yeah. I think storytelling is a big piece for folks. You know, a lot of the times, like, I had one client who came to me and they were like, “Okay, well, we have our website and we have all of our materials and we have our brand, but now we feel like we’re still not resonating like people are not getting us. They’re still not understanding what we do or what we’re trying to do.” So something that I worked with them on was putting together some storytelling pieces. Video was part of that. But also, you know, I specifically asked them, I said, “Do you want a highly produced video or do you want something that’s more organic?” And they specifically said, “No, we want something that’s more organic. We want a social media-type video.” So, that is really big these days.

Allison Monette Cordova: Like again, think about how we consume information. A lot of folks are on Facebook; a lot of folks are on their phones. And that’s just how people are consuming the info. So we did something that was like storytelling specifically for social. But then we also went to another step, a step further, and took that onto like a blogging-type thing. So we’re doing storytelling via blog and we put that on our website and then they put that on their newsletters.

Allison Monette Cordova: So again, like – but really telling the story of, again, like I was saying at the beginning, the recipient of the services, and this particular client is an education. So, it’s like hearing from teachers, hearing from principals, hearing from administrators, students, youth, folks that are involved in these curriculum things and the projects that they’re doing. But it’s not so much the head. Right? Because the State Superintendent of Education in Nevada is involved with this project. And so, yes, we hear from her, but we also hear from the folks that are involved in other areas.

Lee Kantor: So who is your ideal client? You mentioned early on nonprofits. Can you – do you have an ideal client at this point?

Allison Monette Cordova: You know, our ideal client is really anyone that is a mission-driven company. I mean, a lot of the times we do work with nonprofits. And I would say, you know, a lot of my experience has been with working with nonprofits in Nevada, you know, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Girl Scouts, United Way. I mean, these are folks that I’ve worked with for many years, but, you know, in general, we do have other clients. We have real estate clients. We have some healthcare clients. So there are other – I think everyone needs help with their brand, right, again, trying to reach new audiences, trying to grow your brand. So, you know, our ideal client is essentially anyone with, you know, a mission, a mission-driven organization. And that really could be anybody.

Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Allison Monette Cordova: Oh, man. Well, that’s a great question. You know, I’m really looking forward to going to the conference. It’s actually here in Las Vegas, the WBEC-West Conference in September, and I cannot wait for the connections that I’m going to make there. I think the connections. Like, there’s going to be a – I think there’s a connection with Blue Cross Blue Shield that I’m looking forward to there, and the networking will be key.

Allison Monette Cordova: I think, you know, my business is, you know, we talked a little bit more about PR throughout this, but we do so much more. I mean, we do social media. We do marketing strategy altogether, branding. I also have a web team within my team. So, we help folks with websites and developing their websites because I think that is a big struggle, too. Lots of folks’ websites are, you know, very heavy, copy-heavy. And revamping those areas and websites is something that I’ve worked on for a long time in my career as well. So, I mean, you name it, I’ve done it. And so really trying to help folks with their overall marketing.

Allison Monette Cordova: And yeah, so, I mean, I think, you know, those are the biggest things. I’m always looking for more followers on social media. So more – connect with me on LinkedIn. You know, Cordova Creative has a LinkedIn page and an Instagram account as well. So if you want to know what we’re up to, that’s where we are.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Please share your website and any of the socials. That’d be great.

Allison Monette Cordova: Yes. So our website is cordovacreative.com, and our Instagram is @cordovacreativ, without an E at the end. So it’s creativ with just the V. And then on LinkedIn, you can just find me, you know, Allison Monette Cordova. And you’ll be able to find Cordova Creative on LinkedIn also.

Lee Kantor: Well, Allison, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Allison Monette Cordova: Thank you, Lee.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women in Motion.