Public relations can be very powerful for a business as it places you in front of your target audience and gets your voice heard amongst the rabble of a crowded market.
The job of a PR agency involves educating the media, key journalists, influencers and potential consumers on the USPs (the unique selling points) behind your brand or product so that they will then ultimately recommend it to their readers, followers or friends and tempt your chosen demographic to use your brand, product or service.
PR is important for numerous reasons; here are just a few to consider…
Tailor your brand message.
Consumers love brands that have a compelling or relatable story and your brand message is the reason that people will remember you, like you, and then choose you over the competition. Every good brand needs to harness a message that is retold at every opportunity. From press releases to media meetings – your PR team will ensure that your brand message is always present.
How we did it…
The market was incredibly saturated when we launched Conker Spirit’s Dorset Dry Gin to national press and we needed it to stand out amongst the competition. This was achieved through a consistent brand message that highlighted the brand’s Dorset heritage and hand-foraged botanicals. This gave it a stand-out point of difference and enabled us to secure key coverage within the Telegraph Food & Drink section, heralding Conker Spirit as ‘Dorset’s first ever gin distillery’.
Raise awareness.
People trust established brands and one way to make your brand or business known is to send out your message via a trusted third party such as a popular magazine, a high-traffic website or on the blog of a respected blogger or influencer to ensure that your brand comes into contact with your chosen demographic in a positive way.
How we did it…
Bliss is a woman’s only sanctuary in Bali and our aim was to encourage UK consumers to choose Bliss when it came to booking their next holiday. To ensure that Bliss came into contact with the correct demographic, we invited journalists from key titles to come to Bliss first-hand and review the sanctuary. This activity resulted in 12 reviews that were read by the target demographic and built awareness for a company that was relatively unknown in the UK.
Build credibility.
Unlike advertising, a magazine mention of your product or a product review is not a direct sell so it works as a recommendation from a person that could be an authority in your chosen industry. Many consumers ‘see through’ advertising and it’s important to be seen in a more authentic way to build credibility and consumer trust.
How we did it…
Consumer trust can often be a purchasing hurdle for a new unknown brand. Natural hair regrowth product Regrowz needed to build consumer trust in advance of their UK launch so we sourced appropriate bloggers and got them to trial the product and then leave authentic Trustpilot reviews on the website. We were then able to collate the feedback and use the bloggers as successful case studies to secure additional PR coverage. This activity created over 60 case studies who successfully trialled the product as well as 48 Trustpilot reviews on the Regrowz website.
Support your online presence.
Chances are the last time you made a purchase you used a search engine to do some online research. Public relations can help you capitalise on this process. An article within an online news outlet, a broadcast clip posted online, or a news release distributed to web outlets – all of these provide valuable inbound links to your website that increase your Google ranking. A press release can also be further optimized for search engine visibility by utilizing keywords.
How we did it…
Ramsay Health Care wants to increase its website traffic and ranking. In each PR campaign we always ensure that there is a reason for the journalist to include a backlink to their website so that Ramsay Health Care can capitalise on the website’s traffic. A great example of this is the project we ran for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month where the secured backlinks increased their website traffic by 208%.
Boost your visibility in the media.
Appearing in an advert once or your product appearing in a sponsored social media post often isn’t enough to entice someone to purchase or invest in your services. ‘Early adopters’ and impulse buyers exist but with information at people’s fingertips potential customers will often visit multiple websites, read reviews and price check options before purchasing. It can often take people a minimum of three times to see a brand before they lower their defences and consider taking your brand message on board. It may take a positive review on a blog, a great google review on your website and a recommendation in their favourite magazine before they succumb to your brand message.
How we did it…
Card company thortful needed to stand out amongst the other online card retailers. We achieved this by securing coverage in multiple print and online publications (supplements, national newspapers and glossy magazines) and by securing online blogger reviews that were read and trusted by their target demographic. This then ran alongside their social media campaign and TV advertisement, boosting the chances of their target consumer coming into contact with the brand multiple times and increasing the chances of them using thortful.
Managing your reputation.
Your brand may encounter some difficulty at some point during your business journey that may affect the reputation of the company. Great PR relationships are key when it comes to minimising the damage to a company’s reputation and your PR team will be experienced in addressing difficult issues – whether that may be an advertising campaign gone wrong or angry customers on social media. A poor response or no response whatsoever is not an option and can ruin any brand trust that has been built up.
How we did it…
One of the projects that we worked on for thortful tackled the difficult and sensitive subject of Breast Cancer. To counteract any negativity, we ensured that all key speakers were fully prepped and media trained before conducting any radio or TV interviews and made sure all quotes used within the media were from an ex-cancer sufferer who had first-hand experience of the condition. This ensured that the topic was handled sensitively.
PR is time intensive and takes a lot of leg work, but once relationships have been built it does get easier as your brand recognition grows. PR truly is an essential way to get your brand message to the correct audience. For further information or an informal chat, give us a call on 01202 293095 or drop us an email at hello@sunnybirdpr.com to see how PR can benefit your company.