This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
Public relations (PR) is the conscience of the organisation. Incorrectly pigeon-holed by many as simply media relations, embedding PR correctly in your company helps you hit your business goals.
Giving your PR agency or in-house team a place on the senior leadership team allows them to align activity with your overall objectives or challenges, for example recruitment, seeking investment, or targeting new markets.
PR practitioners are the link to your stakeholders such as employees, clients, local residents, shareholders, investors, politicians and councillors. They understand their wants, needs, expectations, and worries, and tell your brand’s story to them. Stories that resonate, build trust, and change or reinforce opinions and behaviours.
Your PR expert will also know the target audiences’ preferred methods of communication, whether it’s written, visual, or audio.
From a tactical communications perspective, yes media relations, covering regional, national, and trade print, online and broadcast outlets will play a role alongside the popular channels of social media, email marketing and video, but a modern-day PR professional will think outside of the box.
For example, are they seeking and securing speaking opportunities, whether at your own event or at industry shows and exhibitions? Are they exploring emerging avenues such as podcasting?
Have they placed your own website at the heart of activities? You publish content, which makes you a media outlet. Are you serving your audience with the news and information that they’re interested in?
Critically, in a world where everyone is vying for the attention of your stakeholders, how are you standing out?
PR brings creativity to the conversation whether it’s attending a jobs fair or exhibiting at a key industry conference.
In addition, standing out could be going above and beyond. For example, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities are high on the radar for many of your stakeholders who have certain expectations of you as a brand.
While ESG reports are not a legal requirement for the majority of firms, producing one to showcase your journey illustrates how you have a genuine interest in the topic.
Relationship building continues to be vital for successful PR, and the ability to create partnerships are crucial. Ensure your PR team is talking to their counterparts on mutual projects e.g. the client or the supply chain to devise a comms plan that benefits all parties.
Finally, a solid PR strategy will include a robust crisis communications and online reputation management approach to minimise risks and protect reputations in the offline as well as the digital space.