96- What’s the value of public relations?

I like to address some of the questions that clients ask us, because I’m sure that many of you have the same questions about public relations.

Some clients, who aren’t familiar with public relations, ask us if the fees they pay us every month are worth it.

Underneath this old favourite lies the next question: “Should I be using this money in another way – like an advertising campaign?” I often answer them by joking that companies haven’t been paying us for the past 22 years for our looks, nor so that they can slip into a conversation that they’ve retained a PR agency – but simply because we produce measurable results.

Still, the executives who ask us this question are often running companies that: have grown online and across social media have run massive online ad campaigns Some of them have had great success in terms of sales, but they haven’t yet managed to create their brand.

They’re not that familiar to the public, or even to potential local clients.

Mistakenly believing that public relations will generate immediate sales, when that doesn’t happen, they’re sorely tempted to put their PR budget toward ad campaigns instead.

The main goal of public relations isn’t to generate sales.

No, for us, our main goal is making you known and getting you talked about.

Obviously, this goal will help increase your sales and, more importantly, make you stand out from the competition.

How can you be seen as interesting or appealing if you only do advertising campaigns?

It’s a safe bet that a competing brand will start eating into your market shares one day.

A “trendier" brand that knows how to make headlines without buying ad space and, more importantly, knows how to win people over.

No brand has a 100% upward trajectory.

What can you do to prepare for this future where another brand wins over your clients?

Make yourself known other than by advertising, give your company and your products a certain soul, by telling your story.

You can do that with public relations.

Create a plan to share your achievements on a regular basis, such as talking about your innovations, your new ideas, what you’re doing to protect the environment or your initiatives for protecting pollinators.

Do it on a regular basis – but only when you have something to say.

So, when one of these newer, younger, more dynamic companies comes along, you’ll already have won the hearts of your consumers, and many of them will stay loyal to you.

As you know, I like to illustrate my points with the success of the big names.

Take Gucci, Yves Saint-Laurent, Dior or Fendi.

What are they doing to stay in their consumers’ minds?

They’re telling their story constantly, on the runway, at the product launch, whenever they introduce a new art director.

They all have brand ambassadors who are celebrities or influencers.

They’re all staying alive with a communications and public relations plan, to get themselves talked about.

So that’s the big question: why would anyone talk about you or your products?

I hope that you enjoyed and were inspired by this little public relations break.

Join me and sign up to our lists and training sessions where I show you step-by-step public relations tactics that you can implement immediately.

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