August 2010 - Four myths about PR that every company should knowHere are four perceptions about public relations from inexperienced business owners and under-qualified decision-makers. The first is…… Most businesses will say their success is based on positive word-of-mouth and customer goodwill. But what is word-of-mouth if it isn't publicity? And if you have customer goodwill, how are you going to capitalise on that? A professional PR team isn't just about the ‘big-product’ launch. It will successfully identify and implement publicity opportunities that business owners and decision- makers are too busy to see or understand. My company is the bee’s knees - it can generate the publicity all on its own… To the rest of us mortals, building a positive press image takes the same enormous determination, passion and persistence as creating a new company, product or service. And if you're not even on the media’s radar you'll need professional advice to get there. I'm connected…do you know who I am? I can get the media to cover what I want, when I want. If you haven't been media-trained, you don't know how to play the media game - and the media will beat you. Your media interaction may not come across as you intended and no-one 'controls' the media except for the media. The public may get a very negative image of you… How hard can it be to write a press release? Gwynneth Cockcroft is Managing Director of DCP Strategic Communications. DCP is a public relations, public affairs and corporate reputation specialist. Gwyneth can be contacted by phone on 028 9040 2296, online at www.dcppr.co.uk or by email. July 2010 - Be well prepared…if you want to manage the media Television and radio interviews can be valuable opportunities to promote you and your organisation – but bear in mind that your performance will be critically assessed by the watching and listening public. Remember - the reputation of your business is at stake ! Acting as an interviewee or spokesperson can be challenging. Most people require some level of training to acquire or hone the skill of ‘managing the media’. And you need to be adept at using the media to get your own key messages across – not just at responding to a journalist’s questions. And it can be easy to get it wrong. For example, swinging in your chair, wearing a loud tie or earrings or casting your eyes heavenwards - when there’s a tv camera on you – can send out the wrong messages. Move about in a chair and you look ill at ease with the subject matter; wear loud clothing or accessories and viewers will stare at what you’re wearing and hear nothing of what you’re saying; and too much eye movement can cast doubt on the truth of what you’re saying…….. However, good media training deals with all these subtleties and also establishes the basics for dealing effectively with television, radio and press interviews. Practice makes perfect and once a good level of competency has been achieved, refresher courses should be taken on an annual or biannual basis. A credible PR company will tailor media training packages to suit you, your needs and your budget. Sometimes using a camera and playback facilities will really help. At other times, it is useful to just sit down and discuss issues, possible questions and how you will respond. Specialist training will help you understand how the media work, what journalists expect from an interviewee - and how you can really maximise any opportunities to promote your business. Felicity can be contacted at dcp strategic communication on 90 402296 or felicity@dcppr.co.uk The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute professional or other advice. The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute professional or other advice. May 2010 - Brand Management for the 21st Century Whether for its products, services, links to a charity or even just low prices - there are some brands we like, admire and buy time and time again. In the 21st century, thanks partly to new media and social networking sites, the development of individuals as ’brands’ has transformed the public relations’, communications’ and media industries. In a recent pr recruitment process for a junior post, candidates were asked who they admired most in the public eye. The majority named Katie Price – or Jordan - saying they admired her control and manipulation of the media in creating a celebrity ‘brand’. Therein lies the challenge for us all: how to use the media - including new media - to contribute to the management of an existing brand or the creation of a new brand. This can only be successful if the communication is informed by strategy. If the communications’ strategy is only about new media and social networking, then it is a case of the tail wagging the dog. While many companies and individuals have signed up to facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to name a few, the use of new media and social networking must be carefully managed and have real purpose in order to be effective. Often it is too easy to send a text message, or tweet a comment with little regard for the consequences. Individuals have lost jobs, reputations have been ruined and secrets divulged through the inappropriate or badly managed use of new media and social networking sites. Public relations’ professionals, as brand managers, are often tasked with advising clients on the use of new media and social networking in campaigns. Our advice remains the same – unless it’s part of a communications’ strategy and has purpose, think twice! Anne Monaghan is Account Director with dcp strategic communication based in Belfast. You can contact Anne on 028 90 40 22 96 or by emailing anne@dcppr.co.uk The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute professional or other advice. March 2010 - Big Bang for your Buck - How to Select a PR Consultant In today’s market, it is important to get ‘a big bang for your buck’ when it comes to investing in public relations. Depending on your business and communications’ objectives, that could be anything from regular, positive appearances about your organisation in the local media, getting the right people to a new product or initiative or having a successful two-way relationship with key opinion-formers. The right reason for opting to work with a PR consultant is when you recognise that you have a specific business objective that requires professional and skilled help not currently available within your organisation. The wrong reason is when you do not have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from using PR as part of your marketing mix. The size and estimated length of a project, as well as available budget, will all be deciding factors in whether you appoint a freelance consultant, a small consultancy or a larger consultancy. Whichever route you choose to go down, don't forget to ask for client recommendations (and do follow them up), professional qualifications, any possible client conflict of interests, and of course, check for membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. There are more than 260 members of the CIPR working in Northern Ireland and all sign up to a strict code of conduct and professional ethics. Joanne Sweeney is Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR and is a senior consultant with dcp strategic communication. DCP can be contacted by phone on 028 9040 2296, online at http://www.dcppr.co.uk/ or by email.
Public relations, used wisely, can be one of the most successful and cost-effective means of marketing a company’s goods and services. Gwynneth Cockcroft, from DCP Strategic Communications explains why it should be one of the last costs to suffer the accountant’s wrath… “It is disappointing that marketing - and PR in particular – are soft targets for the red pen when budgets are being drawn up. That seems pretty bizarre logic to me. “The only way any business makes money is to sell its products or services. Businesses can’t make money by having incredibly efficient manufacturing, comprehensive staff training, nor indeed through strict financial controls or great distribution. “They can only do it by selling. And you sell by finding out who your customers are, letting them know about your company, the benefits of your products and how they can get hold of them. “Letting people know about your company, creating a ‘mutual understanding’ between a business and its audiences is what PR does, or is supposed to do. It rarely sells – instead it creates the right environment for selling. “It helps to open doors and gives reassurance to purchasers and stakeholders even if it’s just name recognition. “Successful businesses are built on relationships with external audiences – customers, stakeholders, influencers. Cut off links to these audiences at your peril! Staying close to your customers during a recession is critical because other people will be trying hard to woo them away from you. “PR is by far the most flexible of the marketing disciplines – it works to media deadlines rather than printers’ or designers’ and importantly in the current climate, effective PR deals equally well with success as with disaster. “For example, a company makes 25% of its workforce redundant and closes a factory. Depending on the communication, that’s either a business in serious difficulties and one that could well go under, or an organisation that is reacting swiftly, decisively and strategically to ensure its long-term future. Which do you think your clients would prefer to do business with? “If you don’t control the perception of your brand and the communication of key offers or changes, someone else will. Either a vacuum will form and be filled with rumour and speculation – or your competitors will start to look for your market share through their own effective communication.” Gwynneth Cockcroft is Managing Director of DCP Strategic Communications. DCP is a public relations, public affairs and corporate reputation specialist. Gwyneth can be contacted by phone on 028 9040 2296, online at www.dcppr.co.uk or by email. Four myths about PR that every company should knowHere are four perceptions about public relations from inexperienced business owners and under-qualified decision-makers. The first is…… Most businesses will say their success is based on positive word-of-mouth and customer goodwill. But what is word-of-mouth if it isn't publicity? And if you have customer goodwill, how are you going to capitalise on that? A professional PR team isn't just about the ‘big-product’ launch. It will successfully identify and implement publicity opportunities that business owners and decision- makers are too busy to see or understand. My company is the bee’s knees - it can generate the publicity all on its own… To the rest of us mortals, building a positive press image takes the same enormous determination, passion and persistence as creating a new company, product or service. And if you're not even on the media’s radar you'll need professional advice to get there. I'm connected…do you know who I am? I can get the media to cover what I want, when I want. If you haven't been media-trained, you don't know how to play the media game - and the media will beat you. Your media interaction may not come across as you intended and no-one 'controls' the media except for the media. The public may get a very negative image of you… How hard can it be to write a press release? Gwynneth Cockcroft is Managing Director of DCP Strategic Communications. DCP is a public relations, public affairs and corporate reputation specialist. Gwyneth can be contacted by phone on 028 9040 2296, online at www.dcppr.co.uk or by email. |
