Context Public Relations

If you are considering using a PR agency one of the key things we recommend is that you have a clear set of objectives. This means that when you put together the initial brief the agency cannot be under any misconception about what their role is and they are also able to put together a plan that will best suit your business objectives.

For example, I recently met a client who clearly stated they wanted to sell their business in two years time but to achieve this they needed to double their turnover and profitability every year.

When we sat down to plan the PR this enabled us to look at each stage of the media communications chain and advise the best way in which we can help the company achieve this objective. The final plan encompassed a number of steps including:

• Developing awareness of the business with key vertical market media
• Establishing the company and staff as experts
• Profiling the directors and business with likely investors for the future

We are now implementing the programme with a very clear strategy that reduces time wasted in the early stages of awareness building and will mean that the PR programme is cost effective going forwards.

So what does this mean for you?

By setting clear objectives you get a plan that is best suited to your needs. Your public relations agency will know the best way to achieve the objectives and will guide you along every step reducing costs and also helping you develop your business without wasting your time.

Next time you are looking for an agency remember - What are your objectives? - An open approach at the start can help you save money and get the results you are after.

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It may be the countdown to the summer holidays, but there seem to be a growing number of opportunities for business out there.  The June sunshine seems to have got us all in the spirit for barbecues, picnics and Pimm’s, and perhaps this feel good factor is rubbing off on our approach to work.

I’ve spoken to several freelance journalists recently, all of who have said they are seeing commissions pick up.  While newspapers and magazines were holding back to see what the recession would hold for them, they now seem to be ready to commit to new story ideas and features.

As a result we’re getting some great opportunities for clients – everything from national TV competitions to lead feature interviews and marketing tie-ups.  Companies who were maintaining a limited profile are now looking to up it, and we’ve been busy developing new ideas for them.

We’re hoping it’s the start of a cheerier summer than the economic gloom of winter – why not let us know your experiences?

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Ok, so I might be going back a couple of years to when I was a carefree, procrastinating student, but during breaks for ‘This Morning’ and ‘Loose Women’ there was certainly no shortage of ‘Consolidate your debts’ adverts. And bearing in mind the current climate - and if you are fortunate to catch a spot of daytime TV - I’m sure these low-budget treats still have the monopoly on ad-breaks.

I suppose it makes sense, a single payment a month rather than forking out to five different companies. Agreed, these are often pretty dodgy companies to trust your money with but the concept is a good idea.

What I’m finding hard to get my head round is, if they can avoid it, why do businesses choose to pay out to multiple service providers when they could get a lot more - and for a lot less - by exploring current relationships first?

For example, if you’re thinking about doing a series of e-shots or would like some advice on how to improve business strategy it is always worth asking your current agencies if they can help you first.

There may be an additional cost yes but expanding existing partnerships will certainly be a lot cheaper than hiring a whole new company to do a simple task that a current provider could offer for a days work.

Of course, shop around and make sure you’ve got the right deal but if you could consolidate payments to fewer companies, at a lower cost and receive increased and improved services – surely that’s worth looking into.

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National newspaper preference is a funny old thing. Some may choose their paper because it has the biggest sports section, others might be more of a fan of the detailed TV guide that’s included on a Saturday, while quite often you might just be intrigued by a headline. But whatever your reason for choosing a national paper, one thing is for certain – those of us who have time to religiously read daily issues from cover to cover, are few and far between.

I tend to read whatever I can get my hands on in the office. However, one paper I always read is the local paper. Not because it has the latest breaking news on the political situation in Iraq, but because it is local news that is relevant to me, talking about places, and sometimes people, that I know.

My point being is that despite whatever preference people may have for a national newspaper, one title that people always tend to read is their ‘local rag’.

Never underestimate regional coverage – these newspapers have a very loyal following and you’d be surprised at how many people you are actually reaching.

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You may have heard the news the other week that The Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham had closed for a couple of days because of a chemical leak. This led to  angry reactions from shoppers, shop owners and market traders as they weren’t initially told why they were being evacuated. The general consensus seems to be that more could have been done to keep them informed of what was happening and why it was happening.

Communication is key for any business looking to keep their customers, partners and staff happy. Unavoidably bad things can and do happen, but if handled correctly a bad thing doesn’t have to turn into a disaster. 

Crisis management is one of the things we talk to our clients about when discussing PR, and it’s something all businesses need to think about and prepare for when things don’t quite go to plan.

Many businesses may feel that opening up could mean exposing the business, but this needn’t be the case. On the contrary, by using PR effectively businesses can turn a negative into a neutral and a neutral into a positive.  To help keep the channels of communication open your PR agency can work with you to draft statements and news releases to distribute internally and to the press.

By keeping them in the loop with a steady stream of updates and news stories you can demonstrate to your customers, partners and staff that as well as taking measures to resolve the issue, you are also thinking of their interests. This not only helps to keep the people you work and do business with, in the know, but also helps build confidence in you and your company!

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New business does not just fall out of the sky. You’ve got to work for it and one of the most important sources could be the people and businesses you deal with on a day to day basis.

Here at Context we regularly ask our clients and suppliers if there is anyone they think we should approach. It may sound a bit cheeky but if you don’t ask you don’t get. Our existing clients regularly refer business to us and more often than not the prospect will of been already told what we do and what we have done for the refer. This means that the sales process is often much shorter and we can get down to doing the job much quicker.

So what should you do?

Before jumping in and asking everyone for leads follow a few steps that can help save time and also effort:

• Who do you want to work with? - Try and identify people that you really want to work for and you have the skills that will really benefit their business.
• Look at your contacts - Ask yourself who may know the key decision maker in the business that you need to talk too. (Don’t forget personal as well as business contacts!)
• Ask your contact directly - By naming the company you want to work with they may tell you a little extra detail that you may not know (e.g. who they work with now or the problems they are having)
• Be cheeky - ask for an email introduction, your contact can always say no if they are not happy about it.

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I’ve just come back from holiday in Turkey – back to the grey skies of the UK! – but while I was there spoke to a number of estate agents all of whom said the same thing – property sales over the last year have been slow.  But, every cloud has a silver lining, and what they are seeing is that the rental market this year is stronger than it’s ever been.

While Turkish tourism is benefiting from being outside the Euro Zone, this demand for rental properties is reflected elsewhere – travellers are more money conscious, and what could be better than combining a cheap flight with self-catering accommodation? 

Companies working in the property market and in the tourism industry need to be sure to take advantage of any opportunities that are open to them in the current environment.  This is where PR is helping them, offering a cost-effective way to communicate their messages and raise their profile among targeted audiences.

If you’re offering property rentals you need to be shouting about it, and if you’re in the travel industry and you’ve not been promoting your product over the last five months you need to focus on it now.  And don’t forget to plan for the future – a press trip now will pay dividends for 2010.

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The classic martini is widely accepted to be four parts gin, to one part dry vermouth. Whether the cocktail is shaken or stirred is a moot point, depending on who you ask. The important thing is getting the mix right.

Getting the mix right is just as important in the PR and communications game, and broadening your channels of communications will help to ensure you get seen and heard by prospects, existing customers and partners.

With the rise in digital media, an online strategy is essential if you are to compete successfully in your marketplace. An estimated 87% of all Internet journeys start with a search – Google makes up 90% of these searches – so it’s important to include search engine optimisation in your PR campaign.

A digital PR campaign can help you to identify the keywords that make a real difference to your business, and that drive traffic to your site, and crucially can help to significantly boost your Google rankings in these areas, without having to simply resort to the costly pay-per-click option.

Of course, digital PR is only part of the answer. Getting into the hallowed pages of the nationals or gold standard trade press will get you in front of your target audience and potential customers, and is a valuable endorsement of your business credentials, but again it’s part of the mix.

The more you communicate, and the broader your channels, then the more effective you will be in reaching your target audience, and growing your business.

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Recently, I was at the giant Infosecurity exhibition for the 9th year in succession.  As is often the case with industry trade shows, they’re always changing (new vendors, new logos, new stand designs), yet always the same (you get to meet your friends, peers and rivals from the industry again).

What made this show different for me was, my clients at the show had already made big news announcements earlier in the year.  They didn’t have any news events that they were saving for the show itself.  And as nothing irritates the press like an interview with no news value, I made no appointments to meet with journalists.

Instead, I spent time in the press office, just chatting and catching up with my contacts, without the usual pressures of organising a round of interviews.  And this informal approach was far more productive in terms of updating the press on what my clients were doing, and in terms of refreshing relationships.

That’s not to say that interviews at shows are a waste of time.  Far from it.  But if a press interview is to be successful, there’s GOT to be some hard news behind it, otherwise it’s wasting the journalist’s time.  And shows are no exception to this rule.

So if you don’t have any real news at a trade show, don’t worry.  By all means, meet the journalists.  But do it on their terms — don’t tug at their sleeves and interrupt if they are busy, but do stop and chat if they have a few minutes.  That’s where the real relationship-building work is done.

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OK, so the glitz and glamour of the Oscars might be pushing it a little, but awards are definitely a hot topic at this time of year and entering your business into any relevant awards could be a great opportunity for some fantastic exposure.

We’ve entered several of our clients into various different awards this year – some for the first time and some as regular contenders. And the reason we encourage clients to enter is because if they win, their business will benefit from the added credibility of external verification, which can then be used in all marketing material. In fact, even if you don’t win, you’re likely to see some good coverage simply by entering.

However, if you are going to enter any awards, make sure you find out your options and pick the ones that suit you best. Read through the entry requirements carefully and see what’s involved, as these can vary significantly when it comes to things like the length of the entry form, entry costs and any different rounds or stages that may be involved.

Also, make sure you don’t leave your entry to the last minute – take the time to prepare properly and try and be creative. The judges will be reading through a lot of entry forms and you need to give them a reason to focus on yours….that’s if you want to see a nice shiny trophy sitting in your office.

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