Gini Dietrich from Arment Dietrich recently blogged about Hiring a PR Firm. In her post, she shared a series of questions that Business Owners, Directors of Marketing and Product Managers should ask prior to engaging a PR Firm.
Publicists have a vital role in sharing your message with the outside world. They should be expert in Online and Off line Press Releases as well as many other aspects of the business.
Press Releases are still a valuable tool in the age of Social Media. In fact, you can reach many more potential people with Social Media than in the “good old days.” As I was editing this post I read a terrific post on the Spin Sucks blog. Gini Dietrich‘s main point was that PR is not publicity and publicity is not PR. She is correct. Many who commented on the blog, including me, agreed.
Here are 20 reasons, spread across six categories, for issuing a Press Release:
All companies seek favorable attention and mentions in the media. Companies can directly pay for ads (print or Pay Per Click) or use Public Relations to have stories written about their company.
Working With a Public Relations Professional
Editors, the gatekeepers of the various media are bombarded with Press Releases and other missives.
PR has been used successfully to “get out the message.” Many companies handle PR in house with someone assigned to the task. In smaller companies, it may be the owner or a senior manager. In larger companies, staffers in the Marketing Department or Corporate Office handle these tasks. Do you need a publicist? It is crucial to understand the responsibilities of the publicist.
Brand Identity and Brand Equity are important for the future of a company. To use a sports analogy –Would you rather be the New York Yankees or the Kansas City Royals?
Let’s take a look at what happened to some brands that have endured a crisis.
BRITISH PETROLEUM (BP)
British Petroleum re-branded itself as BP as it spread throughout the world. They played off the initials by saying “BP” stood for “Beyond Petroleum.” After, the debacle in the Gulf of Mexico the stock lost almost 50% of its value.
Expected Response: Best estimate is they may re-brand back to Amoco, which they bought in the US and rebranded to BP.
We have all heard the oft repeated phrase, a dissatisfied customer tells 10 people. What are your customers saying about you online?