Why PR should be taken seriously

David Gent argues that, despite a questionable image, PR is a great way to tell people about your business successes and developments.

How do you communicate with customers and prospects? Undoubtedly, you produce brochures and leaflets, probably make them available online, mail them out to your database, hand them out at meetings and events.

But have you tried simply reporting on your business successes and developments? Many trade titles, web magazines and local newspapers would be interested in your news and if you are not publicising your activities, perhaps you should.

It's called PR, or press relations, or even public relations.

Strangely for a marketing technique that's all about image building, it has a surprisingly poor image itself.

It could be that everyone knows someone, who knows someone else who tried PR - and it didn't work.

Or it may be that you once used a PR company and ended up writing all the copy or paying for every meeting, phone call and mile travelled.

But that's not PR; in my view that is bad PR.

Good PR can reach the places other marketing strategies cannot.

PR is different, because it is filtered through a third party.

An editor receives your story, subs it, changes it to fit editorial style, builds in into a feature, or simply spikes it.

That means there's never any guarantee of coverage, but when your story does appear, the whole filtering process makes it more worthwhile.

But, one might say, 'we don't have enough stories'.

Given publishing cycles, however, one story a month and the occasional feature article constitutes a productive PR programme and most organisations can summon up a dozen items of interest.

They don't have to be earth shattering.

Your news may not make the front page, but if you've won a notable contract or successfully implemented a noteworthy project, then that's news in your market sector.

There is also the conviction that PR is all lies anyway.

True, many tawdry stories that make the red tops may be 'economical with the truth', but in the more prosaic world of trade and B2B PR the material should be factual and true.

Editors familiar with the marketplace will soon spot inappropriate hype or superlatives.

That's not to say you shouldn't trumpet your 'firsts', 'biggests' and 'bests' or claim your rightful market status, because PR is, after all, a promotional tool and you should employ it as such.

If you've got it, flaunt it - spell out your USPs and tell the world you're good at what you do (presuming you are).

So, who should write the press releases? You could do it yourself, but to be frank are you proficient enough at creative writing and do you have the time? I've known many erudite and articulate people who take ages to construct a business letter or report.

Besides, even if you were a master or mistress of prose, undertaking an extra unpaid role means that something is bound to suffer - and that will inevitably be the PR programme.

Employing an in-house PR person is an option, but really only if yours is a large organisation with a sufficient wealth of material to justify a full-time role.

You could also lose the independent perspective that helps to identify newsworthy angles and highlight market strengths, which an outside consultant can provide.

Which leaves you to consider hiring an external PR consultant.

But at what cost? PR agencies usually charge something mysterious called 'a monthly consultancy fee' and this often raises hackles in accounts departments and board meetings.

But really it's a straightforward way of charging for services, where there is no paid-advertising commission or design cost.

It covers meetings, writing, campaign management, press release distribution and a whole lot more.

But what does it cost? Well, a typical monthly fee for a trade or B2B PR account could be in the region of GBP750 - GBP2,000, depending on output, complexity, content and, let's face it, where you're based.

You'd probably pay more for consumer, financial and corporate PR, involving media briefings, press calls and creative stunts.

If you pay a lot less, then you are probably getting the sort of service many clients complain about, where you do all the work, leaving the agency to just retype and circulate.

In my experience, properly researching and originating a story, which involves studying contracts and other documentation, interviewing third parties, then actually writing the text, can take several days.

So the fee needs to recognise that and all the associated admin work.

As to where you should send your stories, then it's here that a PR specialist can help justify the fee.

There are regularly updated online and printed directories of media titles and contacts that can be used to compile distribution lists and most PR agencies will subscribe to these.

They will tailor each list to include those who might possibly be interested in that particular story, which will vary according to content and any third parties featured.

With regard to how to circulate material, most journalists now prefer to receive copy and images digitally, although some still want hard copy and prints in the post.

To recap then, PR can be a distinctive addition to the marketing mix and, if you've never tried it properly, then you owe it to yourself and your business objectives to set aside some budget for a trial.

Over the years, many of my clients have become quite evangelical about the power of PR, although admittedly there are some products and services that are virtually impossible to publicise.

However, you won't know if your brand has PR potential unless you take a deep breath and jump in.

David Gent is MD of David Gent Creative, which has offices in Lancashire and Essex.

Back to top