Wonders & Blunders: Trust Me, I’m in Public Relations

What a week. Between the sweeping executive orders, widespread protests, deliberately fake news, and alarming PR surveys released at swanky alpine economic conferences, you might be led to believe that no one trusts anyone anymore. But we’re here for you guys, if only to provide the latest updates on AI, cybersecurity and tech IPOs. It’s honestly the least we can do.

trust in fintech

Fake News, Real Problem

KCD PR confused emojiEdelman communications released the results of its annual “Trust Barometer,” and newsflash: the results were … not good. Quartz reports that the public’s confidence in key institutions including business, government, NGOs and the media showed the largest-ever trust-drop in the survey’s 20-year history. The results were released during last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where corporate CEOs in attendance were (presumably) displeased to find that only 37 percent of the 33,000 respondents trust them, 12 percentage points lower than last year. But the media suffered the most, hitting an all-time-low trust level in 17 of 28 countries surveyed. The culprit? Fake news, largely distributed via social media platforms. But if you can’t rely on your friends’ Facebook newsfeeds anymore, who can you trust?

virtual reality

The Next Frontier for Cybersecurity

KCD PR hair on fire emojiAmong other things, 2016 was a crazy year for cybersecurity. Hacked consumer accounts have become mainstream news (it takes a billion compromised users to make major headlines these days). Nation-state-sponsored breaches are all the rage lately, since they allegedly influenced the outcome of the U.S. Presidential Election. Meanwhile, Forbes reports that some of these same meddling countries have become front runners in legislation aimed at curbing cyber crime. Will the U.S. toughen cyber laws in 2017? And at what cost to freedom of information?

Cisco

We Support the (IPO) Pipeline

KCD PR sad emojiWho will disrupt the stagnant flow in the current IPO pipeline? We had high hopes for VC-backed, San Francisco-based AppDynamics. As the first predicted tech IPO of 2017, the application-intelligence software platform provider was looking to have a strong start out the gate, leaving many hopeful that it would incite a stampede of similar offerings. We were excited! But not anymore. PitchBook reports that networking colossus Cisco intervened “at the last second,” just a day before AppDynamics was set to price its IPO, to announce the company’s acquisition for $3.7 billion in cash and assumed equity rewards. I guess we’ll just put this champagne back on ice, then…

robot emotions

Brain Trust

KCD PR tech emojiSo what exactly causes one human to trust another? VentureBeat sums it up nicely: “questions of competence and warmth are answered intuitively and naturally, but only through an extraordinary feat of logic, emotion, information processing, and judgment involving verbal, nonverbal, and other visual cues. We come to our conclusions quickly, but they serve as an important scale by which we’ll interact with that individual — and often others like him or her — from that moment forward (even as we continue to revisit the questions throughout our interactions).” These same processes are the “bedrock of UX for AI,” and with scientists striving to create the “highest humanity” in our robotic counterparts, many are turning to psychology to figure out exactly how to engineer artificial intelligence that instills faith in the user. After this week, bring on the robot overlords.

In the News

2017 Set to Be a Good Year for M&A
by Toppan Vite New York

Economic recovery has been slow but steady since the Great Recession began in 2008. Like many aspects of the global market, mergers & acquisitions (M&A) have had trouble reaching their former heights. Companies are still prone to banding together for security during trying fiscal years, but the M&A market continues playing catchup, experiencing start-and-stop growth. Fortunately, experts believe 2017 will be a strong year for the practice. Despite unexpected election results in both the United States and Europe casting future economic progress into doubt, global M&A is set to exceed $3.4 trillion in 2017.

 

Events

RSA Conference
In the digital world in which we now live, information is a very highly valued commodity. Safeguarding that information, therefore, has become a top priority. RSA Conference’s mission is to connect you with the people and insights that will empower you to stay ahead of cyber threats. We do this through our events in the US, the EMEA region and the Asia-Pacific region and through our digital outreach. However you access our community, RSA Conference is your best resource for exchanging ideas, learning the latest trends and finding the answers you are looking for.

When: February 13-17, 2017
Where: San Francisco, CA

 

The Bottom Line Blog 

M&A Success Comes Down to YOU, Boss

Corporate boards played “let’s make a deal” in 2016, as the average merger or acquisition came in at $104.2 million, higher than the yearly average of $77.1 million since 2000. And considering our own firm’s acquisition of Wall & Broadway, and the (slightly larger) announcement of our neighbor Qualcomm’s acquisition of Dutch manufacturer NXP Semiconductors, this San Diego comms firm has got mergers on the mind.

PR Assistant

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.

PR Assistant 2

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.

PR Assistant 3

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.