Understanding PR

Public Relations commonly known as PR is unarguably one of the oldest professions in the world, setting up ones’ image to generate favo- rable responses has always come to mankind as an innate desire. For eons the art remained in the hands of selfless few, who chose to make common stories – legends.

Since, PR is now considered an integral part of the entire communication process across the world, and is also being favored as the career of choice with a rapid rate of growth globally, therefore for the benefit and understanding of the young ‘blah-gen’, here is a list down as to what PR pros do:

1.  We shape the debate.
By winning the heart and minds of public through identifying the knowledge level of the consumers, understanding strengths and weaknesses, and using public relations channels to inform through a variety of means and communicate the message across to the public of the brand. This also encompasses image management of brands and clients, where we mould consumer perceptions towards a brand by generating a positive outlook regarding it.

2. We research. 
Knowing how to design and execute a research plan is a crucial element of the job, inferring valuable consumer insights through the raw data, helps us develop the right content and also build a perfect strategy to execute. Research also includes monitoring competitor brands, creating media monitoring reports with regards to your clientele brand exposure, as well as the frequency with which your client, as compared to the competitor, is being showcased through various mediums.

3. We write.
After identifying the key messages, we develop fact sheets, news releases, media pitches, position papers, PowerPoint presentations, op-ed pieces, web copy, blog posts, etc. Another crucial aspect is writing client advertorials, reviews, research driven testimonials, CSR articles and event based releases.

4. We find advocates.
It is our job to reach out to friends and form alliances for our clients, and figure out ways they could work together. We also find and train advocates to build a good rapport of our clients’ brands/products/services in the target market segments. PR has a lot to do with connection building and even peer networking, be it through word of mouth or a traditional communication channel; our responsibility includes constantly creating and sustaining advocates who are always present in different situations/surroundings, and who will help in creating a positive buzz about the brand they are advocating.

5. We talk to the media.
Our job is to interact with the media, form long-lasting bonds, and to think of as many angles as possible for promotion, we usually end up trying to pitch our stories to our friends in the media according to the respective beats and interests. The main idea is to explore as many media opportunities as possible for extensive image building and publicity.

6. We plan special events.
To pitch to reporters and local & national media, we plan and execute media events, product launches, press conferences, media briefings and tours to establish credibility of the brands/products/services.

7. We manage crisis situations.
In case of bad press, negative publicity, incident, misrepresentation of views, malign attempt on the public image, controversies, threatening issues, we manage the crisis situation and fire fight to protect the integrity and the image of the brand. We also develop contingency plans, in order to meet with such incidents and are highly adaptable to the situation at hand. Crisis management can be considered as yet another very important part of our job description. Our clients’ competitors, companies and many a time even the media has their eyes on certain things the client is doing, and it is our job to project and protect the image of the client.

8. We tell the truth.
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it’s tempting to skip, make assumptions, and push the button before the facts are checked. Sometimes the client demands to do things that may push the boundary of the truth. But we are the ones who always believe in truth and promulgate it on multiple levels. Although, we might like to add a little spin to it, just to create some interest; essentially our job is to tell the truth and to tell it in a manner that would help in creating a positive vibe around the client, and also to help the general public understand what the client is trying to do.

9. We educate ourselves continuously.
PR Professionals are supposed to be articulate, well read, and deeply rooted with the subject matter they represent. We have to keep up on current events, read the newspaper, and know about what’s going on in the world. Therefore, in this dynamic age, we keep ourselves on the edge and maintain a steady learning channel.

10. We innovate and utilize new media tools.
A PR professional can do a much effective job in any industry with the help of new tools and advent of technology. PR 2.0 is one such example, where, the web and social networking sites and applications have become the new media, and are being heavily engaged by the PR junkies of the world. Our work demands constant upgradation with PR tools, case studies, techniques and innovations in the field, because when your job is to make the client look good, you need to know how to do it differently every time .

Facebook Competitions - Good or Evil?

There was a time when opening up beverages caps could win you bicycles, eating a certain biscuit brand can get you gift hampers and by submitting a wrapper could get u a t-shirt and cap. Now the time has advanced and along comes facebook. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world.

So, now what do we so called social marketing guys decided to with it? Old wine in a new bottle! Yes, remembering the fact that the largest constituent of Pakistani population is youngsters so why not apply all our tactical gimmickry over social media. As a result, we see facebook competition spring up like wild fire across the Pakistani social sphere.

Theoretically speaking, its a tried and tested effective marketing strategy yet what is it that such competitions are advocating? Cheat yourself to win an Xbox or create fake accounts and tag anonymously to get a brand new PSP. It may be getting the brands mileage but one should also consider the downside of it as well. Its a debatable topic and a pretty controversial one too, however in simple words, Fair play must be preached and made popular because the responsibility of teaching good and denouncing wrong still remains on our shoulders.

Crisis Management - PR key to surviving the tsunami

"Yes" - bad publicity, negative news, anti-sentiments, consumer grief, brand woes, competitor gimmicks can often prove to be a tsunami which can wipe your brand off the grid in a matter of days. The task is much harder and greater ordeal for Public Relations Specialists. There is no swimming around it, you can't out run it, and defending your turf - head on is only done as a last resort.

The idea is to not let your composure break down and run around stark naked in the realm of your home like a crazy yelling my brand is surely doomed. Fear is always at its best when you let it.

Quoting Sun Tzu - "A wise general is the one who is always observing", I am certain when Sun Tzu wrote "Art of War" he had no clue that his words will be applicable in modern PR warfare. The key to successful turn around in a crisis management situation lies not in haste but in intelligent maneuvering. In order to break down the "guide to surviving crisis time tsunami" we must follow the logical steps of basic human psychology.

1. Wait & Observe - Once, the possible threat is identified the key to float a top is to keep the mouth shut, be patient and observe the turn of the wave, one should silently observe the tides, calculate its strength, analyze possible ramifications for damage and use the time to devise a escape hatch.

2. Deployment of Preemptive Measures - Placement of neutralizing measures is advised to stop letting the killer wave hit unchecked. These measures once deployed at the right intervals have the ability to diffuse the devastation, a negative news carries with itself.

3. Look for Friends - Analyze and concern with friendlies in the media, people whom you have supported in the past are generally more accessible and supportive to your cause. Individual meet ups, sharing of background information can create the right sort of an opening to launch a counter-attack.

4. Flank the Hits - There are always friends, brand loyal and consumers who can be accessed and later converted into brand evangelists. Now, these evangelists do not only help promote the image but also in tough times, helps flank the onslaught.
 
5.  Develop Spokesperson - The idea is to select, train and then expose the most perfect resource a brand has on its disposal. Preferably, the ideal candidate has to be educated in the matter, smart, well-spoken intellectual with a little zest of humor and compassion. A spokesperson is the run to sort of a guy when bad press hits the ceiling, he is supposed to be well armored and must posses the skills to drive the conversation rather than being driven.

6. Look for Gaps & Opening - Even, if the brand is being thrashed badly, there still remains gaps to surface out and grab some air, look out for openings and convert them into opportunities.

7. Decide When to Strike Back - Sometimes, a counter blow is what it takes to shift the ravaging tides. Remember, it takes a lot of muscles and carefully chalked out planning as how to strike, the key component remaining is the timings as this could be the only difference between coming out as a survivor or going down in dirt.

There is no way of devising a strategy of a problem prior to its identification and in case of PR, the most common tools are the most effective ones. The real test of how a PR specialist carefully selects and employee these tools is evident only at a time of crisis management. However as already established, with PR strategies, since there is no quick fix solutions to a problem and by the very nature of PR itself, it is always slow and tedious but when doing PR always remember what they used to tell us in the hare and tortoise story - "slow and steady always win the race".

Peace Out!

Single Minded Proposition & PR Campaign

The need to understand the importance of a single minded proposition when devising a Public Relations Campaign holds the power to execute and deliver excellence, Just like a solid foundation holds a building from swaying and gives it structural strength, a simplified, clear and concise single minded proposition paves way for an effective image building.

SMP can be implied across the wide array of PR tools available but before setting a strategy, the communications team should be able to decipher the pros and cons of the brand. Single minded proposition are compelling reasons why the potential customers should believe in the proposition? - this is however, not an opportunity to include all the secondary selling points that was excluded in the main proposition.


How does a communication specialist identify and set the tone for SMP correctly? we need to review the following key points:

1. Product characteristics - can be ingredients, durability etc
2. Price characteristics like lasts longer, cheaper etc
3. Image characteristics like quality, good value, friendly etc
4. Direct comparison with competitors - owning a unique stand
5. How the product is made?

Just like the creative process in advertising, the process of devising a effective PR strategy must undergo a treatment from research to an analysis of target audience's profiling, an attempt on reading their mindsets to anticipating the reaction. Once, SMP is developed, it must be applied throughout the PR campaign to establish credibility around the brand. Consistency in communication when referencing a PR campaign is an absolute must, Communication should be designed and done in absolute coordination with the single minded proposition to yield better and quick results.
 

PR landscape - The evolution

Excerpts taken from White Paper - Courtesy of Vocus

As the gutting of newsrooms continues, it might be frustrating for the public relations professional who has put in time toward building trusting relationships with reporters. Maintain those relationships – given the odds, that journalist may end up at another media source.

Now more than ever, PR professionals need to invest more energy to get the attention of reporters, who are being asked to do more with less. In television for example, stations are willing to devote only a small amount of space to soft news and instead lean toward covering cheap and easy news – fires and crime. Since many stations are broadcasting in HD, when a PR person sends in a Broll, it should be high quality and edited to professional standards. In any newsroom, high quality news stories sent
to targeted reporters is always the best approach, while smartly crafted angles may help yield a response. If a journalist bites on your story, you need to be willing to bend over backward to accommodate them so they can easily meet their constantly impending deadline.

In the new media world, content includes multiple platforms such as photos, video and audio. Pitching an article just for print doesn’t cut it anymore. The more flexible and creative a PR professional is with pitches, the better. Think about how the story could come to life in multiple ways. For instance, journalists in the broadcast arena often have to provide Web copy or blog posts to accompany a
segment, while print journalists may produce podcasts or video. PR professionals who prepare complimentary material can be of great assistance to the media.
Keep in mind radio continues to offer PR people an effective way to get their message out there. These stations are actually required to donate a certain amount of time toward serving the community. However, with AM/FM radio growing smaller, PR professionals should look more to Internet radio, podcasts and mobile media to keep up with the listening habits of consumers.

Good advice for capturing the attention of viewers and the media is to create your own blog. According to the Society for New Communications Research, less than 20 percent of Fortune 500 Companies publish corporate blogs. Meanwhile, PR organizations that are active in social media and create enough buzz about company news may attract the attention of the traditional media.

For effective PR amid a dynamic landscape don’t forget the basics. Make pitches relevant and timely.Respect the hectic schedule of a journalist. Keep an eye on the headlines as reporters can quickly change outlets. Experiment with new platforms and content as we head into a new world.

In Conclusion:

Both media industry and PR professionals look into an unknown future as new frontiers continue to reveal themselves. It is evident that new business models will arise as the media struggles to hang onto some semblance of tradition, while cross medium relationships will continue to evolve.

Regardless, the media isn’t going anywhere and will continue to exist. However, what it looks like next year, the following year or into the next decade surely will be very different than what it was at the start of the 21st century.

Magic of PR

Modern world of marketing is full of innovative techniques, better understanding of human psychology and tough competition. Long gone are the days when marketers had limited options of showcasing the brand offering and establish brand credibility.

Pakistani marketing scene has also picked up tremendous pace after the rapid growth in the telecom sector, now the case studies have shifted from the classic beverage companies and multinational FMCG giants to unusual scenarios being created every marketing day.
The basic idea is always to develop a solid platform to base the communication onslaught. However, building brand credibility is a long and steady process and it usually become a test of patience rather than employing fast reacting marketing gimmicks in certain cases. What needs to be highlighted at this stage is that by creating a timely hype or “fads” as some might refer to is not going to last in the longer run. For a brand to continuously grow and expand, building credibility is the key to success.

Under-line Problem:

Al-Ries debates in his book “The fall of advertising and the rise of PR” of the possibility that PR has phased out advertising in the new era of marketing. One can either agree to the phenomena or might reject it based on his own experience and understanding but what one can’t ignore to notice in every successful brand is that PR, BTL and ATL cumulatively play their parts.
A lot of Pakistani brand faces the issue of building credibility and gaining trust of their target market. The usual solution we apply? Put all our eggs in the ATL Basket and start pushing the message across as aggressively as possible. The result is as expected: short term sales, zero customer retention and eventually the brand phases out.
Factors Responsible for the Problem:
If we take a closer look in to what goes wrong where when the communication fails and the brand seize to exist we might come to the conclusion that the brand failed to create the connection with the target market. Remember, it’s always the brand reputation which pays off eventually.
The pressure that modern day brand team or marketing manager faces is both internal and external. The management wishes to attain high profits in the first year, whereas the consumers crave for ultimate satisfaction and maximum value for money. This leads to unplanned campaigns and waste of resources which we hear and see all year round.

What Needs to Be Done:

For a new brand to acquire its place and position in the market that is already stuffed with both local and international brands fighting for every single percentage of the market pie, the only safe bet is to go slow, position itself out of direct competition, build the factor of association around and save guard its essence and roots.
By effectively planning the PR game, the brand can guarantee itself longer run advantages and a more comprehensive stance in the market. The solution is pretty simple and logical, the more trust worthy a brand is the more favorable response it can generate from the target market.
Point to note in this regard is that effectively employing PR is always a long and cumbersome process and it needs constant governance, if the direction is continuously tweaked and tuned the results can be without any doubts, simply amazing.
Tricky Traps to Watch Out For:

Big Events:

Publicists love big events. Events are a great way for them to charge off a ton of hours coordinating, arranging and staffing an event. And, unlike other PR activities, events have a clear feeling of success - the CEO can walk around, see the milling crowds all happily nibbling on jumbo shrimps, get slapped on the back by all of the other corporate executives as they congratulate themselves on a successful turnout, and feel "now here's a PR expenditure that finally delivered." But did it? The key isn't in the attendance, it's in the press coverage afterwards, and more importantly, in the sales that did or didn't result from the activity.

Sponsorships:

Sponsorships strike to the heart of many managers - it's a great way to give back to the community, to get your name out there for the society at large. But again, does it result in increased sales?
Remember, simple exposure of your brand name does nothing unless it's connected with powerful positioning that sets you apart from your competition. Your company’s logo printed on a 30X45 ft event backdrop and event itineraries among 28 other sponsors nobody bothers to remember at as they walk out of the event. If you want to sponsor local events because they're a way to build support for your company in your community, go ahead and do so.

Spin:

Give them news! Then your releases will get printed! Don't waste your time or money with the other stuff. Those were the exact sentences of the media manager I used to hear when I was working very closely with one of Pakistan’s most successful and leading PR agency.
See, the understanding of the media manager was very accurate. The difference alone is the objective. His is to get the news print, the brand’s to gain maximum exposure. By sending out undifferentiated media releases, be prepared to sit on a non-effective PR Campaign.
Creating Expensive Media kits and Give-Away:
Give expensive give-away to the invited media at the Press Conference or Seminars and you’ll get what you need is a very common perception. Ironically, in a lot of cases it is true as well. My question, where are the economies of scale now? I am sure if the team tries to find just hard enough, you will have plenty of economically effective, great looking options for give-away.

Safety Measures:

Handling the PR is an extensive topic but loosely it is based on the following key principles.
The effect of media coverage is cumulative and long term.
Media coverage is most effective in creating awareness and setting the agenda.
Effective media relation is based on an intimate knowledge of the media and how they operate.
Familiarize yourself with the Pakistani media scenario.
The dos and don’ts of media world
Create yourself a steady environment to exercise total control over the PR activities.
The focus should remain on the positivism because the PR tool can also prove to be lethal against the brand if handled improperly.

Conclusion:

The Pakistani marketing scenario is as fierce as ever, brands are dumping resources in the race to lead like anything. For a smart marketer to cut his way through the crowds is only to look out for unique ideas and non-traditional approaches. PR across the globe has a great presence. Brands like Microsoft Windows, The Body Shop, Star bucks are just a few case studies to quote.
The author sincerely believes that PR can do a lot for the local brands as well. The only thing which remains is the point in time where Pakistani brands and their custodians fully start realizing the true potential of these tools.