The Changing Face of PR: Why PR has never been more important for business

Public Relations: the professional maintenance of a favourable public image

Media Relations: the relationship developed with journalists / publications

PR and Media Relations have long been intertwined; one leaning on the other to impact the masses with meaningful messages that resonate with the public.  However, as the media landscape has altered, so too has the role of PR.

  

As the lines between advertising and editorial content in traditional media blur, so does editorial integrity suffer.  PR can therefore no longer afford to be confined to media relations alone; the traditional, coverage-generating, ‘production line’.  Instead, PR is at its best when focussing on the exciting and demanding space between an organisation and its public: Listening. Responding. Engaging. Debating. Agreeing. Disagreeing.

The evolution of the digital age has also been a major contributing factor to this changing face of PR. With worldwide, 24/7 access, available through a multitude of digital devices, the ability to consume information has never been so easy.  We’re no longer limited to daily newspapers to read the latest news; we’re bombarded by snippets of news from multiple sources, from the minute we awake to the minute we lay our head down to sleep.  In fact, only last June, Ofcom reported online media consumption had, for the first time, overtaken that of traditional print consumption.  The growth of social media and consumer journalism (blogging, vlogging) have been huge propellants to this ever-changing landscape, and PR has never been more important in this digital media age!

*2014 Survey of 4000 Consumers in UK and US

What does this mean for business?

PR is now at the epicentre of a brand’s marketing ecosystem; it’s the discipline that most closely aligns with creating and maintaining dialogue and conversation with the public.

As we touched on in our post Creating Conversation - the role of PR has become more than pitching news, it’s about generating communication that influences brand perception and awareness. To do this effectively, PR needs to be authentic, distinctive and engaging. 

We're entering an age of savvy consumers and 'truth-telling' is key.  PR is, without doubt, in the best position to strengthen the bonds between consumer and brand.  

How? Through the very pillars of PR: by creating compelling and creative content and making stories contagious, through the utilisation of the PR mix: social media, traditional media (print, radio, TV), digital media and bloggers.

If you would like to find out more about how your business can successfully integrate the PR mix into its marketing strategy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Lil’ Spin:

t. +44 (0) 330 223 1409
e. pr@lilspin.co.uk

PR: Creating Conversation

Businesses have long been guilty of relying on the somewhat antiquated product PR model to attract consumers.  It’s time to step-up the game! 

PR is more than simply pitching product news; it’s about generating communication that influences brand perception and awareness.

To be a successful business, it’s necessary to review your PR stance; you can no longer place all the emphasis on product to attain consumer loyalty, it’s about creating an emotional connection with your consumer.

We live in an age dominated by sophisticated consumers that seek more than mere product.  To succeed in this marketplace, the need exists for a business to act as a conduit through which ideas flow.  It’s about creating conversation.

While products still remain at the heart of the ‘conversation’, they do not and most certainly should not, form the basis of the PR effort.

It’s about leveraging the power of integrated media to conduct the conversation.  Such communication initiatives should not be seen as a side effect of the PR effort, but should be assumed the very point of them.

Public Relations provides the means to encourage dialogue, form opinion, and spur change.  Used well it should also act to defy the oft’ faceless company doing random deeds just to ‘look good’.  It’s all about forming genuine emotional connections, on a human level, to create a more authentic brand with a high level of consumer loyalty and commitment.

By becoming a conduit for communication about bigger messages, businesses can heighten the aspirations of their consumers.  When a business acts in its customers’ emotional interests, it builds a far stronger and more resilient business.

The key is honesty.  The conversation must relate specifically to your company and come from within.  A manufactured cause won’t work.  If you’re able to identify ideas and issues that are true to the business and its founders, they’ll be real to your consumers too; you’ll find common ground and the interactions that follow will become powerful tools to secure your brand’s market position and longevity.

Brands such as Dove successfully tapped into a core section of their market, with a message not about deodorant or soap, but a drive on positive body image, the 'Self Esteem Project'.  It’s something their target market could associate with and discuss.   It was the conversation starter; the conduit. The campaign has since driven much interaction between consumer and brand, and thus generated an alliance that is far stronger than a product alone could ever achieve.

PR done well can’t be measured purely on the number of press clippings, but are best represented by the opportunities provided to converse with your consumer.

It can be all too easy to become reliant on new products to aid the PR initiative but it’s becoming increasingly necessary to develop this, and ensure that the product is the secondary focus.

An Integrated Approach to PR

The communications landscape has never before seen the level of diversity that exists today.  What began as an ‘experiment’ back in 1981 (see below), has led to a revolution in how we attain and consume news.  With worldwide, 24/7 access, available through a multitude of digital devices, the ability to consume information has never been so easy.  But with this, comes an increased pressure on modern PRs to deliver an integrated approach.

As the internet becomes the ‘go to’ for sourcing information, products and suppliers – and none more so than within the family marketplace, where mothers are still amongst the main consumers of digital media - so too, does PR become as much about populating the web with compelling content, as it does about generating traditional press coverage; managing reputation and image through all available platforms. 

Lil’ Spin works across media platforms, encompassing traditional, digital and social media, to ensure messages are delivered to those that need to hear it, and here’s why:

Online image

Gone are the days where one could afford to be complacent with their online presence.  Now, every credible company needs to be on-top of their website and adopting social media or else risk looking out of touch and, worse still, lose custom.  Where once the realms of the internet sat strictly in the hands of HTML coders, now PR  plays a fundamental role: developing strong SEO-led copy for web-pages and engaging content for social media.

Social value

If you’ve ever had any doubts about social media, it’s time to reconsider.  According to research, 40% of social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after interacting on a social network i.e. Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.  At least 50% of those purchases have been made within a week of that interaction.  Indeed, it’s reported that a majority of social media users now prefer to connect with brands through Facebook, and over half of Twitter users recommend companies or products via Tweets.

Credibility

Traditional media outlets still have a big advantage over their digital media rivals - the value of the tangible, printed hard-copy still outranks that of digital media, even if only in perception alone.  Whilst the readership figures of traditional media might be half that of a digital counterpart, their readers are invested into that media, especially if they’ve paid to receive copies; generating a more loyal readership, thus adding credibility to their editorial content.

Visibility

Digital exposure can work on multiple levels, not only increasing awareness and exposure for the brand but also with aiding search-engine visibility and organic results.  Digital stories also have longevity and can remain on servers for far longer than a print copy might stay on a desk or coffee table - it should be remembered that this will be the case with both positive and negative stories. 

Consumer Journalism

Blogs now reign dominant in the realms of consumer journalism, and none more so than within the nursery sector, where there are currently in excess of 6k active parent bloggers.  Existing media outlets have already integrated consumers into news reporting. The Huffington Post is amongst the pioneers, regularly publishing bloggers’ posts since its inception back in 2005, whilst other media outlets allow consumers to comment and add to news reports.  This interactive form of consumer journalism is the modern day answer to traditional Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) and it can be one of the most effective methods of gaining traction for specific PR messages.   For further information about the value of blogs why not revisit our post: The Importance of Mummy Blogs: Mummy Blog Savvy

If you require assistance or advice with the best way to implement an integrated approach to your PR, why not get in touch with Lisa at Lil' Spin for a free consultation. t. 0845 257 1479 e. pr@lilspin.co.uk