Context Public Relations

While the ‘Brangelina’ headlines and shockingly skinny celebrity photos no doubt help significantly boost a magazine’s sales, the interest in real life stories is equally high. The reason for this is that it is easier for people to relate to people from Bedford than from Beverley Hills and a strong real life case study can be given just as much prominence as the latest celebrity makeover.

Journalists are always on the look out for real life case studies because readers are more likely to feel a connection to them .This is why case studies are so beneficial when used as part of a PR strategy, as a good case study will endorse your product or service to a captive audience – without you having to breathe a word.

An example of some recent case study coverage for our client After Adoption can be seen here in The Guardian’s G2 magazine. After Adoption is one of the UK’s leading adoption charities and specialises in helping everyone affected by adoption – so who better to speak about the charity’s work than those who have been helped by it?

Identifying case studies isn’t always easy and obviously you need to know that what they are going to say about you is going to be positive, but if you do have someone who is happy to talk to the media then there is the potential for some fantastic coverage. 

Tags: Public Relations by Debbie
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For the past decade of summers Big Brother has dominated our TV screens, magazines and newspapers. Even those with no interest in the show found it almost impossible to avoid the characters and goings on in the house, but this year seems to be different.

Normally, I fit in to the category of those pretending they aren’t interested, but once I hear Davina’s shrill cries, I am hooked – but even I’ve managed to avoid the gossip and news surrounding the series this year.

The normal tabloid headlines just aren’t as prominent as they were and I get the feeling that this is the newspapers’ way of listening to their readers’ interest, which in the media is so important.

Knowing what your audience wants to hear about is a big part of PR. Linking features into current issues and commenting on real time news raises company awareness and can place a chosen spokesperson as an expert in their industry.

The lack of PR surrounding Big Brother is perhaps a sign that the current model has seen its day and promoters should either listen to their audience and move with the times or close the diary room door for the last time.

Tags: Public Relations, Uncategorized by Megan
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I’ve just got back from an adventure-packed holiday in deepest, darkest Peru.

Cut off from Internet and TV in some pretty remote jungle, the news of Jacko’s untimely demise still somehow made it down the Amazon and quickly spread round our group.

Sheltering under a palm tree amid tropical downpours on day two, news also somehow reached us that England was enjoying a heatwave.

Certain news has a habit of travelling fast, wherever you are in the world.

The remoteness of my location reinforced the importance of word of mouth, the original form of communication. Good and bad news alike can spread like wild fire.

It’s worth bearing this basic principle in mind when developing your corporate communications. Good news needs to be capitalised upon, that’s a given, but it’s equally important to manage less positive news effectively.

Focusing on the good news for now, getting your customers to talk about how great your products and services are and making them your strongest advocates is one of the best forms of marketing.

People set great store by personal recommendations and word of mouth, so case studies, references and getting your customer to speak about your product at seminars and conferences will reinforce and add value to your business proposition.

And the very act of your customers talking about your business proposition will mean they are more likely to recommend you to partners and customers, through good old-fashioned word-of-mouth.

Customer endorsements will help make you the talk of the town, for all the right reasons.

Tags: Public Relations by Luke
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One of the first places the Michael Jackson story broke was on a celebrity gossip site. And since then events surrounding the King of Pop’s death has been filtered through to the world via the Internet. By giving a day-by-day account of the goings on, the Internet has been a great resource for those who’ve wanted to know the ins and outs - on demand.

For many the Internet is a primary source of news and information as it’s an ideal way for people to get information quickly and instantly, and many use it extensively to get the day’s headlines or to search for business news instead of trawling through newspapers and magazines. This is why the Internet can be an incredibly powerful and effective PR tool.

So when pitching to the press make sure you target online media as well as print, because very often if a magazine or newspaper doesn’t run your story in print they may still use it on their website.

True, your news stories and articles may look prettier in print, but online coverage gives your business the chance to reach a wider audience and gain greater exposure, driving a greater number of potential customers your way.

Tags: Public Relations by Priya
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