There are approximately 40 trade publications covering the financial services industry. Based mainly in New York and London, these outlets include Financial News, Waters magazine, Institutional Investor, The Banker, Wall Street & Technology, Securities Industry News, Traders magazine and more. Steph's media relations services extend far beyond sending out press releases. Editorial outreach must be diverse - ranging from product announcements to independent customer endorsements and authored articles that examine end-user challenges and offer solutions. Her media campaigns result in feature-length company profiles, coverage in industry round-ups, product reviews, executive spotlights and trend pieces.

Financial services industry analysts are responsible for making vendor recommendations to hedge funds, investment banks and other financial firms. The Tabb Group, Gartner Group, TowerGroup, Celent, Aite and Financial Insights are several of the more visible firms in this marketplace. They offer valuable third party endorsements through research reports, industry speaking engagements and commentary to the trade press. It is important to maintain close ties with these analysts and there are several ways to build rapport outside of a typical paid relationship. Interaction can be sustained through telephone briefings, in-person meetings and participation in industry reports. Steph works with these analyst groups on a regular basis.

Practiced delivery of a cohesive theme and targeted talking points can mean the difference between negative and positive press coverage. The closest a company can come to controlling the outcome of their articles is to stay on message and tailor their comments to each publication's readership. This becomes especially important when a company has multiple divisions, subsidiary companies and/or more than one company spokesperson. Steph has media-trained executives from large and small companies to help spokespeople sharpen their delivery, define their messages and convey their company's "true north" to the desired audience. These sessions can help executives prepare for editorial roundtables, industry or trade show speaking engagements and telephone briefings.

Industry events are a necessary evil. A thoughtful public relations effort can mean the difference between an exhausting waste of resources and a runaway success. The process starts early with the selection of floor space and the creation of a compelling booth. Additional elements can also include offsite parties, speaking opportunities, briefings with press & analysts and hospitality suites. It's important to have a track record with the management behind these shows and an understanding of the executives who attend. This will ensure that your marketing resources are laser-focused on achieving qualified leads. Steph has managed client participation at SIA and BAI shows for more than ten years as well as several other industry associations.

If the written words behind a public relations campaign aren't succinct, relevant and technically correct, even the most enthusiastic efforts will go awry. Steph has spent 11 years writing and editing for clients in the financial technology space. During that time she has written website text, press releases, case studies, authored articles, sales sheets, analyst & media presentations, letters to employees and more. These writing assignments can be a collaborative assignment shared by Steph and the client or she can manage the entire process from rough notes to final product.

Private events are an important audience builder and lead generation tool. It's crucial that they reflect the overall goals of the public relations campaign. By pooling resources with a partner in the industry, a company can create a forum to announce recent news, showcase their products and strengthen brand identity. These events should focus heavily on trends in the industry and provide an opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership on a specific topic. By examining the challenges of end-users and offering creative solutions and new technologies, your company can brand themselves as an industry leader. The cost of holding an event like this is often less than participating in a public trade show. You can control the invitee list exclusively to ensure you're not expending resources on targets that aren't a good match for your products. Steph has managed partner activities for companies as diverse as the Toronto Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, BT, Kx Systems, Nexa Technologies and Hewlett Packard.