In my stint this far as communications lead with few corporate houses, I have had the experience of working with different PR firms – good and well, not so good too. Mind you, this categorisation is purely based on my personal experience.
The irony here is, now that I have turned myself into a PR advisory, which category would I fall into? I hope to put in lots of efforts to always fall in the good category. Communications becomes an absolute joy if you work with a good PR firm.
The biggest challenge a PR firm faces is that no client is willing to see their product as anything but the best. A good PR consultancy tries to put a reality check without tampering the client’s enthusiasm. It finds other creative ways to communicate the company’s brand value without compromising with the reality. I feel the more soberly and honestly we put across a story and remain realistic in our media goals, the more strategic we can be.
While writing to a reporter who covers a specific industry, we need to weave a story around a product to hook them. But the story should be to the point communicating the gist of the product in a realistic manner, rather than a long drawn story which lacks any substance. The latter practice is bad PR.
The good PR firms think beyond publicity. They try to find other ways to communicate with your audiences. They are ever evolving and going beyond the conventional ways of PR. Well, I shall be trying to go this way and may be, try being a little different thus creating my own niche.
I feel it is vital for any corporate/ brand to have a PR firm on board, and preferably on a retainership basis. This builds a long-lasting bond between the client and the PR firm and the latter develops an ownership over a period of time. This results in the best commitment.
The success of a business depends on how well you communicate with your customers. This is why we (PR firms) exist. We are always there to assist and we wear as many hats as experience permits and our closets can hold.
Good PR firms are Masters of Messaging and are excellent storytellers. Their strengths range from brand development, strategic planning and crisis communications to media relations, social media, sponsorship opportunities, talk forums and spokesperson training, article writing, so on and so forth. As good PR firms, we offer a large suite of services and our role is humungous.
Good communications start with good networking. Hiring a PR firm with a well-networked team can greatly increase chances of connecting with the media and consumers. PR is what we do all day, every day, all through the year. We are pros at pitching. Good PR firms are aware of which journalists are good for which industry and transform that knowledge into work for a client.
A PR firm usually turns out to become an extension of a company, while also providing independent perspectives. We, as a PR firm, are adept at building a brand, launching a new product or making a business stand out in a crowded market by creating the right and timely buzz. Simple business owners, most of the times, are biased to their own products and organisation. They start believing that everything about their company is newsworthy. A good PR firm can make them see logic and can present an unbiased view.
I have talked about why hiring a good PR firm is a requirement for any business and why this investment is worthwhile. I have also tried to put across few points which make a PR firm a good one. Hope this turns out to be a good and relevant read.
The views expressed here are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of Reputation Today.
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