If you want to communicate your message to others in this world, you only have four channels to choose from. Paid, Owned, Shared and Earned. If we expect to get some attention through shared and earned media, we should be prepared to face resistance, because we’re competing with the biggest and most attention-grabbing stories out there.
My guest Phil Gaudreau is a former journalist, who has turned his talents to serving the communication needs of other businesses. He does this through Make it Matter Media, the agency which he runs jointly with his wife Catherine. From their base in Kingston Ontario, they work with a diverse range of clients, including small and medium businesses, politicians, and not for profit organizations.Phil has also been actively engaged in the academic realm. He has worked with educational institutions such as Queens University, St. Lawrence College & Algonquin College, starting with communications roles and progressing to become a part-time professor of the subject.
An area where Phil loves to apply his writing and podcasting skills is generating awareness for businesses in less-populated regions. Ever since he teamed up with an Ottawa-based publisher in 2019, he has been the front-facing piece of several media properties focused on Eastern Ontario, which is as large as, and is as sparsely populated as the State of Maine. His profiles convey how these companies bet their future on the local labour force, and how much is at stake for the community where the company chooses to locate.
If your brand, or your client’s brand, shares any commonality with the ones Phil works for, then you’ll agree with me that it’s really tough to get media coverage for organizations like yours. That’s why we need to hear from Phil, because he employs the scrappy, entrepreneurial tactics that you will need in order to get your message out there.
People/Products/Concepts Mentioned in Show
Phil on LinkedIn
Phil’s company Make it Matter Media
Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point
The Conversation Weekly podcast
The Weekly Planet by Mr Sunday Movies
