Yes PR is important for your brand, now more than ever

Table of Contents

By Cathy-Anne O’Brien

 

Literally speaking, public relations is about relating to the public. Some companies insist that their PR program delivers bottom line results such as increasing sales and website traffic, but it’s actually more meaningful than that. In fact, it’s about communicating to various stakeholders based on your objectives and target audience. This could be anything from raising your business’ profile among investors to building your reputation through thought leadership. It’s about establishing a sustainable, loyal relationship with customers where your brand is seen as trustworthy, credible and engaging. The authority or narrative that a PR approach weaves around your brand is where the true value lives.

 

While sales and customer acquisition is the ultimate goal for most businesses, correlating sales data directly to a PR campaign is challenging, short sighted and actually undervalues the benefits. Sales depend on everything from your marketing strategy and your paid media investment, to your direct sales approach and SEO performance. Public relations complements these sales efforts by focusing on building your relationship with the public. Like any relationship, it takes time and commitment.

 

A well-executed, steady investment in a PR program makes your brand part of the conversation. Whether your spokesperson is a recognized expert in their field and is regularly quoted in the press, or you have an engaged social media community, or influencer marketing is introducing your brand to new audiences – this all contributes to sales. And measuring the real ROI should take a number of factors into consideration.

 

Measurement of the earned media results is the easy part; the number of media stories, impressions and reach is all easy to determine. But did those media stories and impressions matter to the bottom line, and how do we know?

 

From a quantifiable perspective, new customers who made a purchase as a result of a media story they read isn’t easily assessed. But frankly, direct sales from a media mention isn’t a realistic goal. Media coverage is about building brand recognition and trust, and can help influence the perception of your brand. Companies that regularly secure earned media opportunities become top-of-mind for consumers. Whether that company has the leading product in their category, their spokesperson is a go-to expert or an online community tried and loved the product — this credible, unbiased brand mention can go a long way for your business.

 

Many successful companies prioritized a PR strategy over traditional marketing efforts, including the Body Shop, Hugo Boss and Häagen-Dazs to name a few. Savvy business magnate Bill Gates is known to have said that if he “had $2 left he would spend $1 on PR”. And Richard Branson of Virgin Media, who ensured that product launches were supported by sometimes death-defying stunts, said,  “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad.”

 

As you assess your marketing budget and ad spend, perhaps take a longer term view of what a well-executed PR program could do for your brand. Instead of PR being an afterthought and a small component of a larger communications strategy, invest time and resources into a relationship-building approach – with media, influencers, partners, government, consumers, employees, the community and other stakeholders – that is based on trust and connection. In a competitive environment these connections will help you thrive.

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Content Development

Effective, creative content is at the core of what we do. From B2B and B2C, our expertise spans article writing and storytelling, editorial planning, key messaging, video production and more. And we help ensure that your content gets seen. We amplify your brand’s story through an integrated, custom content strategy across digital, print, social and broadcast channels. We maximize owned, earned and paid media to amplify your message, making sure it gets in front of the right audience to drive the results you want.

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Corporate Communications

An integral part of any business, your brand reputation and corporate communication sets the tone with the public, your clients, employees and stakeholders – and we make sure you get the tone right. BlueSky helps you understand what matters to your audiences – both external and internal – and develops meaningful programs that resonate. We help clients with crisis and issues management, employee and executive communications, community relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Whether it’s a workplace fundraiser event, an annual report, infographics, HR video or speechwriting, we help you share your message with relevant stakeholders.

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Social Media

Social media demands an always on, two-way communication, transparency, and authentic interaction. More importantly, it demands strategy. We’ve managed social communities, developed social media guidelines and created engaging, impactful content, whether a short Instagram caption or long-form executive-published posts on LinkedIn. Through social listening tools and insights, we can make sure you’re talking about what matters most to your audience, and that your online and traditional PR efforts are integrated seamlessly and effectively.

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Public Affairs & Advocacy

Our in-depth experience providing integrated government relations, public affairs and strategic communications tailored to your needs helps our clients navigate the public policy process in order to successfully achieve central objectives. We work with you to better position your priorities within the current political landscape to ensure you’re able to gain the ear of key decision-makers and reach your goals.

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Influencer Marketing

When it comes to social influencers it’s not about who has the biggest audience, but about engagement, trust and authentic connection. We leverage valued relationships with nano- to celebrity-level creators, working collaboratively to ensure they deliver quality content that resonates with your target audience and is on-point with your brand messaging. Our winning formula requires a thoughtful approach that combines the right people, the right content and the right distribution to maximize engagement and drive impact at scale. You’ll see the results in our campaign evaluations – supported by numbers that exceed industry average performance.

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Media Relations & Media Training

In an environment that is increasingly pay-to-play, earned media remains the holy grail of coverage for brand credibility. Over the years we’ve developed solid relationships with traditional and online media, and we know the elements of success for securing interest from trusted journalists at top-notch publications. We excel at crafting tailored, compelling stories that help keep your brand top-of-mind across print, broadcast and digital channels. You’ll see the results through our media measurement and reporting and assess your share of voice (SOV) among competitors.

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