Making PR work for your business

Many clients do not get PR. They neither understand how it operates or what it can do for their business. The ignorance even extends to some marketing people. One company chairman seeking savings told me that he would cut PR for 3 months and not expect to notice any difference. On the other hand the same people will merrily buy advertising space and exhibit at trade shows with little thought or concern about their investment.

Successful PR demands a continuous partnership between client and agency. The client's primary role is to identify possible news stories. PR agencies are not investigative reporters, they rely on clients identifying stories in the first place and to provide contact details for follow up and approval. New or improved products, important contract wins, staff appointments, financial results, special events, new technologies or processes ... there is a considerable list, but not all, in fact not many, will be newsworthy. This is where the PR agency side of the partnership identifies a 'hook' on which to build an interesting story, one that an editor will pick up. Often a good picture or a striking image will help promote an otherwise ordinary story and gain attention. Good PR is about managing the reputation of the business in good times and bad. There should be clear strategic objectives and a consistent message or theme should run through all communications. It takes time to set up the smooth running of news to the media and switching it off and on will be noticed. Of course there is much more to PR, this blog has merely touched on the client relationship. But a word on media. For most small to medium size businesses it will be the trade press and industry web sites rather than television and radio in the main. One final word and that is not to forget news on the company web site both as a publishing opportunity, client and prospect information and a resource to journalists. It is the company web site where most research starts, so current news and background information can prove of great value. This is where a Virtual News Office can prove of immense value.

On a final note, the partnership between client and agency is vital to a successful PR programme. It also demands a reasonable degree of openess, how often do clients refuse to publish important stories for fear of alerting a competitor - they probably bid on the job unsuccessfully anyway.