Public relations and marketing can transform a business, especially now that electronic media make it easier to tap into global opportunities. John Sanders looks at how the PR industry is changing.
Putting yourself on the map with a single press story generated by a PR (public relations) consultant could get you worldwide publicity and doesn’t have to cost you the earth.
For a small or medium-sized company, the bill could be in hundreds, rather than thousands, of pounds, says Peter Acton, managing director of Cardiff’s Blanket Communications.
And the business from that one story could easily pay for itself many times over.
Of course, PR agencies prefer to work on a retainer but, like many, Acton recognises the value of offering potential clients an easy way into the world of PR. “We have a healthy ad hoc representation and I feel it’s very important to keep that going. Very often ad hocs turn into retainers because people find that PR works for them.”
But PR is more than just media coverage. Acton believes that a PR company should work closely with a client’s management and marketing operations, since PR covers everything from corporate identity through to sales generation. “PR should not be seen simply as publicity, but an operation at the heart of the business process.”
To some degree the terms PR and marketing are interchangeable. Fiona Trappe, managing director of BDW Consulting, based in Conwy, has a marketing background, but offers a similar range of services to Blanket. She too argues that the real value of PR and marketing comes from taking a long term, strategic approach with clients.
When BDW started in 2001, convincing North Wales companies to take a strategic approach was not easy. Some businesses still think a marketing department is nothing more than an administrator sending out mail shots, organising brochures and writing press releases.
But others are coming to realise the positive difference that a PR or marketing company can make to a business over the longer term, says Trappe. “The more they work with us the more they realise that it’s not about short term, quick fixes. And it’s not just about seeing their name in the paper.”
For example, Simon Parson, project director at nuclear power station operator Magnox North, always knew what he wanted to say. But he struggled with the process until bringing BDW on board. “BDW support us with creating, developing and implementing some fantastic ideas to get my message across,” he explains.
Magnox North, whose operations in Wales include Wylfa, Maentwrog and Trawsfynydd, is an example of how wide a role PR and marketing can play within an organisation. As well as creating some “fantastic marketing information” and raising its profile with all its key audiences, Parson adds that BDW helped the company to develop proper business planning.
David Jones, managing director of Icertech – a specialist in packaging and delivering chilled foods and other products – is another satisfied BDW client. The PR and marketing agency has helped Icertech with detailed market research, strategic advice, website development (including content), plus support with advertising and publicity.
Paul Gardner, sales and marketing director of Caerphilly-based insurance broker and financal adviser Thomas, Carroll is similarly positive about Blanket Communications. “They have been a valuable and supportive business partner for many years. They have helped keep Thomas, Carroll’s public profile high, have provided valuable marketing support and increasing input in new media areas.”
Electronic media are changing the scope of PR for clients and practitioners alike. On the one hand, businesses have the opportunity to reach huge new markets through websites, e-marketing campaigns and other emerging technologies. On the other, the range of available options means that businesses need to look more carefully than ever at how they communicate with customers, suppliers, the public, and new and traditional media.
A decade ago, smaller companies could just about get away without having a website. Now a business without a website won’t be taken seriously. Increasingly, companies also need to look ahead at the next wave of electronic media innovation. And for that kind of specialist knowledge more and more are turning to outside advisers, who are themselves having to move fast to keep pace with developments.
It was the speed and scope of new media innovation that prompted Acton to change his company name in 2006 to Blanket Communications from PAPR. Increasingly clients wanted more than the old staples of press releases, newsletter and brochures. “Now we find companies come to us and they want everything,” he says, noting that communication tools increasingly include podcasts, video and blogs.
Trappe agrees that the electronic world is driving change by increasing competitive pressures. As a result, companies have to differentiate themselves from the masses and, just as importantly, sell to the individual. “The customer is far more sophisticated. They need to feel they have made an informed choice. So you have to provide them with the information that will enable them to do so,” she adds.
Despite these technological advances, choosing a PR partner is still largely a combination of finding the right expertise and striking up a good personal relationship. With no in-house marketing expertise, Icertech identified three key criteria it wanted from an external partner: background expertise linked to the pharmaceutical industry, substantial expertise in marketing, and a local North Wales company.
Magnox North wanted a local PR/marketing company too, plus fresh, adaptable ideas for its market and the ability to support its change programme and understand the issues it faces. Creativity was vital, says Parson, as was a willingness to do things differently instead of just carrying on as before.
Gardner advises anyone looking for a PR partner to choose a company which understands their business culture, traits and ethics, but is also strong enough to challenge. “If you pay for professional advice, on the whole you should accept it. Blanket have certainly provided honest advice, continually challenging us that the story must be genuinely newsworthy.”
For insurer Thomas, Carroll, that advice has clearly fed through to the bottom line, he says. “From a press profile perspective, you can see quite easily whether you are getting value for money in terms of quantity and quality of media coverage. In other areas it is more difficult to assess, but the output of my marketing team would not have been as effective without the input of the Blanket team.”
However, money is an issue when it comes to outsourcing marketing and PR, even for companies like Thomas, Carroll who see the benefits. When initially looking for support for its in-house marketing operation, Gardner was put off by the attitudes of some agencies and the size of the retainers they demanded.
In contrast, Blanket offered to work on an ad hoc basis for a smaller fee, confident that once they had proved themselves Thomas, Carroll would come back for more.
Research commissioned by BDW in 2007 confirms that cost concerns are a major reason why some companies still shy away from outsourcing marketing or PR work. However, satisfaction ratings are high among those who do outsource.
Jones at Icertech sees both intangible and tangible cost savings from using BDW. Advice and market research from BDW has helped him to avoid wasting management time developing products which are unlikely to succeed. In addition, Icertech now sees tangible financial benefits in new orders thanks to the focus and professional website provided by BDW.
Not surprisingly, BDW’s research found that larger companies are most likely to appreciate the value of PR and marketing and to have a dedicated in-house individual or team. That does not preclude them from buying in outside expertise as well. In fact, Trappe finds that companies with an existing marketing function are easier to approach.
Gardner recommends the combination of internal and external PR – as long as you choose the right partner. For him, that means a well regarded firm with direct access to the key decision makers. “This is the reason I have stayed with Blanket – that ability to speak to the proprietor at any time, someone who instinctively understands our business culture. They have essentially become an extension of our business.”