More
and more people now understand that public relations is about managing
a reputation and communicating a brand message through various forms of
media. Gone are the days when PR was seen to be all ‘champagne and
lunches’ although occasional exuberance never hurt anyone! Companies
now demand more, expect results, and want tangibles. And quite rightly
so.
PR has a real bearing on the day to day running
of a business, but investing in something that has no guaranteed return
on investment and often no immediate reward - is enough to put anyone
off. Getting it right can be extremely cost effective in terms of
increasing business, and can influence shareholders and share prices,
improve staff retention and differentiate a company from its
competitors.
The way in which a company is presented
to the outside world is critical to its success. PR has to be an
integrated part of an organisation’s overall marketing strategy,
designed to improve and maintain audience awareness and add value to
the brand. Good PR campaigns can provide extensive coverage at a
fraction of the cost that is often spent in other areas such as
advertising and mailshots.
Through effective PR you
can improve and maintain audience awareness and perception of a brand.
Conversely without a supporting PR programme the effectiveness of many
stunning ad campaigns is greatly diminished. A prime example is the use
of PR to support general media advertising such as Richard Branson’s
extensive national press exposure when he sported a wedding dress to
launch his Virgin Bridal Stores. Although this may be considered by
many to be just a crass publicity stunt it was carefully planned by his
PR advisors to provide the maximum amount of free exposure to support
his costly ad campaign.
David Blaine, and his well
trained team, the controversial, overtly extreme publicity junkies,
obtained extensive and intense coverage and attention throughout their
stunts. Sometimes a short punchy stunt does work, but it will appeal to
a very different audience and create a very different
impact.
Knowing what’s appropriate is vital, getting
it right is imperative.
If your organisation is keen
to explore using the services of an external PR resource here are a few
key areas you need to consider before making the
appointment.
- Do you like the people – you
need to get on if it’s going to work.
- Can they
deliver added commercial value or are they just good at self
promotion
- Do they know what they’re
doing?
- How many accounts do they handle - will you
be just another of many clients
- What are their
costs - do they provide value for money – do they
evaluate?
- And finally, do they provide the
occasional glass of
champagne.
It was Sex
Pistol’s manager Malcolm Mclaren who created the title of this article
and he is a fine example of how the effective use of PR can achieve a
commercial goal. In his case he started a music revolution just so he
could pocket the royalties from his group’s success. And it
worked.
PR is not just about having the right brand
and the right image it’s also about representing yourself in the right
way to the right people, and choosing to do it at the right
time.
For more information, please
contact Real PR on 01223 492130 or email info@realpublicrelations.com
