Diamond polish is the quality and condition of a diamond’s facet surfaces. If the facets – which act like tiny mirrors – are clear and smooth, they reflect light well. In the same way, public relations (PR) have many facets and when they are all well-polished, they will reflect the best characteristics of an organisation.
PR strives to earn a favourable image by drawing attention to newsworthy and attention-worthy activities of the organisation and its customers. It is an important part of integrated marketing communication because it helps organisations to reinforce their advertising messages effectively and authentically. It is also a powerful management tool used to reach business objectives and build a brand and market presence.
Unfortunately, it is often neglected because companies are unsure about what PR it is and what it can do.
No matter what organisation, business, nonprofit organisation, government agency, or public figure they work for, PR professionals promote positive news while limiting the damage caused by negative events.
“If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” – Bill Gates
The different facets of PR are strategic communication, media relations, communication campaigns, community engagement, internal communication, crisis communication, public affairs, and social media.
Strategic communication means that all PR efforts are coordinated to help a company achieve its business objectives. It is imperative to understand the organisation’s priorities and to set communication objectives with relevant activities.
A good relationship with the media is needed to spread key messages to the target audience. Journalists need a consistent stream of news to fill their pages and airways, and compelling news stories about an organisation are a win-win for both parties.
Want an out-of-the-box idea to market your product or service? Unique and custom-made campaigns use various media platforms to optimise the impact of a core message, combine copy and design for new and traditional media, and distribute it across owned, earned and paid channels to reach audiences in the right places at the right times.
Sometimes a more effective means of communication is engagement with the community in which an organisation operates. For example, when a business opens a new facility, getting feedback from the local community is just as important as highlighting the benefits for the local economy.
Employees can be a company’s biggest advocates or harshest critics so keeping them satisfied, motivated and loyal is crucial to the overall success of a company. Read our article about the importance of internal communication.
It is too late to bring in the PR team when a crisis occurs. Organisations should have a clear crisis communication plan in place and strong relationships with all stakeholders, including the media for such times.
The role of public affairs is to build and develop relations between the organisation and politicians, governments, and other decision-makers. It is a distinct subset within PR and professionals who specialise in the field have a keen interest in the political and legislative landscape.
In today’s instant world of communications, it is essential that businesses have a strong online presence. Customers are increasingly turning to the internet before making a purchase decision, so online and social media communication has become hugely important.
32% of consumers check out a brand’s social media presence before checking out their website. (Animoto)
- Elevated brand awareness
PR helps to elevate the reach of a communications and marketing strategy, generating increased brand awareness. Since PR aims to communicate a brand or company’s innovative, industry-pioneering, and future-thinking ideas, the stories often receive increased levels of media attention. - Positive brand image
Image greatly contributes to a company’s market position and overall status, and PR helps to maintain a healthy brand reputation. - Credibility
Brand credibility is reinforced when someone else speaks positively about a brand. PR strategiesare developed with this in mind – to create positive talk. - Lead generation
As PR starts developing a company’s credibility and reputation, its market position will start to enjoy the added benefit of new and qualified leads. Well-planned PR strategies make a business more discoverable by sending the right messages to the right audience. - Attract investors
A PR strategy is highly beneficial when needing to secure funding from investors. Since PR aims to create credibility, it gives investors more reason to believe that a company is a lucrative investment opportunity. - Enhanced media relations
PR builds connections and relationships with journalists and publicists who are focused on your industry. The aim is to maintain good dynamics with media agents who prioritise your stories above those from your competition. - Third-party endorsement
When a third party writes or speaks positively about a brand, they endorse a company’s expertise and leadership, often creating more consumer value than paid advertising does.[box] 70 percent of people would rather get information about a company or learn something from an article or blog post than from a traditional advertisement. (Demand Metric) - PR maintains reputation
Trust is not earned overnight, and PR is a highly effective tool when considering long-term reputation management strategies. They work to nurture and maintain a positive brand reputation over time. - Educational value
Educating the public is about value creation and sharing informative content with the public. With this type of information, consumers can make more insightful decisions.
How can we help?
Successful businesses focus on clear and simple messages that are understandable and consistent. Edge Communications can help you to define your company voice, work on message development and create an implementation plan. We will take you through the steps to create a message that is coherent and tailored to target stakeholders; we help clients to keep it simple, avoiding jargon and placing a focus on business objectives
Edge Communications develop publicity and communication opportunities at national and local level, including newspapers, online media channels, magazines, blogs and other mediums. Our staff has over 116 years combined experience and as former journalists, they know how to pitch stories in a way that will maximise exposure in the press in a positive way.
We follow a synergistic approach of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) to achieve the objectives of a marketing campaign, through a well-coordinated use of different promotional methods.
You can find our full list of services here.
