Where does PR fit in?

1. PR is about managing reputation –the result of everything you do, everything you say and what others say about you. PR earns understanding and support for your business by influencing opinion and behaviour. PR establishes and nurtures relationships, on your behalf, with the media, key stakeholders and influencers, your target audiences. Good PR tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear and recognizes that the best “PR strategy” needs to be followed-up with the client’s good services.

2. Where does PR fit in? You’ve heard from Graham what marketing is and how to do it well. And he’s explained the difference between branding, marketing and sales. So, where does PR fit in? Tactics might include: • speaker opportunities at public events • press releases • feature editorials, opinion pieces • round-table debates with media partner(s) • newsletters sent directly to the target audience to share news and general information rather than simply promoting products/services • blogging & microblogging - creates and maintains a relationship with the target audience and establishes a two-way communication • social media networks

3. Look what you’re up against We asked a few of our journalist colleagues how many approaches they receive in a week and of those how many they progress. The point? You need to know what’s news, what’s interesting and what’s not; you need to speak plain English; you have to be persistent, resilient and above all polite! We spend 50% of our time talking, day in day out, to the industry’s media, stakeholders and influencers – we have to understand what interests them, what’s “trending,” what’s likely to inspire them. We have to steer a course through the white noise and create an audible, credible voice for our clients’ businesses. This takes time, intelligence, creativity, persistence.

4. Richard Waite, news editor, The Architects’ Journal “I get at least 1,000 PR related emails a week and of those, only 100 are relevant. About a fifth might get an email back and not all of those will be progressed. I rarely receive a good feature idea. They are usually too client specific I.e. Do you want to hear about a practice in the north west which is doing lots of healthcare projects?  Increasingly people are submitting comments after a big event - which may catch our attention.” Theresa Dowling, editor, FX Magazine “I get around 200 emails a day (not all from prs) - there are only 6 prs that I'd rate. These are the ones that bother with relationship building and ring me first. It's always important for an editor to be in touch with their readers - and prs, or at least the very good ones, are an invaluable way of facilitating this.” Steve Oxley, Editor, Sustain Magazine “I get about 202 emails per day and in terms of take-up, of the news releases that is , well... the answer is 'not many' about 30%... ill-conceived, generic press releases and phone calls – some so wide of the mark it beggars belief – have become the nemesis of editorial teams.”

5. So what do the journalists want? Richard Waite, news editor, The Architects’ Journal “I’d like to see the very best boundary-pushing projects, with stunning images and coherent, legible plans & elevations which the rest of the profession could learn from. I'd also like to know what issues, such as funding streams, are impacting on these developments and whether this is a widespread matter which has more universal ramifications .” Steve Oxley, Editor, Sustain Magazine  “A bespoke, well-honed, well-researched approach – along with expertly written copy – will ensure an editor sits up and could well turn-out to be the missing piece of the jigsaw that helps them complete their magazine to deadline and the high standards to which they aspire.”

6. A strong and efficient front line will only protect you for so long. If the troops in the trenches are in chaos, you might as well resign yourself to defeat. Your external PR can only do so much – you must get your in house comms in order, on message and up to speed. Social media has given employees the chance to voice opinions and concerns in an open forum, which could ultimately damage your brand’s reputation. Ensure your staff are ambassadors for your business. Recruit well , do your research and once you’ve made your selection, nurture them – ensure they get the vision and are advocates of it, across all their networks. Good PR is proactive in idea generation and responsive in a crisis. Good PR finds the balance.

7. Internal team vs external agency? If you’re going to do it, do it properly. Your staff should sleep, eat and breathe your brand – should be entrusted and encouraged to be exponents of the business. Empower your people, media train them and if you’ve recruited well, they will “step up to the plate.” An in house, senior manager, responsible for the interface between the business and your external PR agency will ensure staff are up to speed and engaged – he/she will be responsible for motivating the team to build the reputation of the business through word and deed. He/she will ensure the external PR strategy, key messages, tone of voice, issues etc are communicated across the business, and that staff are briefed, engaged with and encouraged, empowered to be ambassadors for the cause. The pace at which we are all having to work and compete has never been greater and both your and your PR agency’s reputation is at risk if there’s a cock up SO get with the programme.

8. Engage! •Communicate relevant news, good and bad. Listen and address concerns. Don’t let them read about it in the paper first. • Encourage your people to spread good news. Communicating positive developments is a fantastic way to boost staff morale. Encourage them to also spread the good news via their own social feeds. • For larger organisations, a regular newsletter or news update via e-mail will be enough to keep staff engaged with what is happening in the wider organisation. However, don't merely rely on e-mails to communicate with staff. Conduct regular face-to-face meetings to ensure staff are being listened to and are well informed. This will encourage better relationships between managers and employees.

9. • Welcome employee feedback. Encouraging employee ideas is a fantastic way of gaining constructive feedback from the people on the shop floor. Putting in place a formal employee feedback system is a positive way of ensuring ideas are taken into account, as well as raising morale as employees will feel their opinion is valued. • • Don't bombard employees with irrelevant communication. Whilst it's important to keep staff abreast of the news about the organisation, it is also essential not to over-communicate with them. Bombarding them with company news that may not be relevant will mean employees are more likely to switch off and will miss updates that are important to them. • We all want employees who are motivated, committed and productive – engage!

10. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln Do your research. Choose the right agency. Consult the Public Relations Consultants Association & the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Brief the agency accurately and honestly. Good PR is measurable.  Define your KPI’s.

11. Be Considered , Considerate and Authentic. We are in the age of reference, not deference. Don’t court media attention IF you can’t cope with the scrutiny. Think and Listen First. Good PR leverages pre-existing relationships with influential people — relationships built on trust and credibility earned over years of service.

12. Be honest Be in it for the long haul Not everyone will like you Proactive and reactive – be prepared for both Good relationships are earned A strong story will run Good PR doesn’t need to know anyone in particular in the media. Good PR almost always “gets ink” because a good story has been well-told to the right people.

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