I just got off the phone with a prospective client who asked that very question. Apparently she had been previously been duped by a so-called PR person who couldn’t answer the question, but could write a press release – and that was about it.

Since when do you need to work for a large corporation to have access and understanding of “elusive” services, like PR? At CMA, we are dedicated to offering marketing and communications services to small and medium businesses – and we’ll even explain what it is that we do.

Yes, PR people do write press releases, but a press release is just one of many vehicles professional communicators use to convey a message to their target audiences. Public relations is the communications side of marketing. Some marketers develop products and/or services to drive sales of a product, while other marketers figure out how to communicate the aspects of a product or service to drive sales (PR). PR people help create and maintain a company or product’s image through communication and messaging, ultimately creating a call to action dependant on whatever the organizational goal may be.

A common misconception many have about PR people is all they do is “get you on TV or in the newspaper.” While working with the news media to aid in story development is one medium, there are many different vehicles that can be used to disseminate messages. The method of communication is determined by the company or product’s target audience and desired goals of communication (increased sales, company growth, sponsorship dollars, brand recognition, etc).

There are a variety of mediums that can be used to communicate with key audiences, including:

« Web sites

« Blogs

« Print media

« Radio

« Television media

« Social media – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube

« E-blasts

« Direct mail (on a very select basis)

« Podcasts

« Mobile communication applications

« Partnerships

« Face-to-face communication

« Special events

Aside from simply writing press releases, here are a few examples of other tactics that PR people use:

« They look at a product and figure out a way to tell the key audience about how the product can help improve their lives. While doing this, the pre-determined messaging highlights the key features and aspects of the product that the company wants them to know about.

Example: Kraft Foods: When entering the company’s Web site it does not only tell readers what their products are and where to get them, but it also offers visitors resources, including a recipe builder, entertaining tips and information about healthy living. The brand is using its Web site to engage customers, offer a service that improves its customers’ lives and keeps them coming back. Because of this communication method, Kraft customers will have increased loyalty to the products and will keep the product front-of-mind when making a buying decision.

« Professional communicators position clients as experts in their respective fields. How many times have you picked up a magazine and read an article written by an expert on a particular subject? How did that person become an expert – he or she probably spent lots of years in his or her respective field, but it took a publicist to proclaim him as an expert and position him as a resource that would benefit the media’s audience.

Example: Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is a classically trained neurosurgeon, yet we see him on CNN and other television programs all the time talking about medical and health issues. Do you think one day he just randomly ran into a producer at CNN while in the OR? No, he was positioned as an expert, used his background, and provided useful and honest information to the viewers, thus creating trust and catapulting him as the expert in his field.

« PR people create events that build relationships. Be it a press conference or customer appreciation event, by giving the company or brand a venue to connect face-to-face or virtually with key audiences, customers feel more connected to and take ownership of the brand.

Example: Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day. Each year the company hosts free cone events nationwide at its scoop shops. Not only is Ben & Jerry’s telling its customers it appreciates their business, but it also gets them to taste the ice cream and come into the store, and generates brand loyalty. Ultimately, Ben & Jerry’s communicators know that this promotion will increase traffic to the stores and will drive product sales.

« Word-of-mouth or “buzz” generation is a critical element in a public relations professional’s job. Studies show that consumers rely on and trust suggestions and advice from friends more so than from media or strangers – no matter how much of an expert that stranger may be. In order to get customers to evangelize about a product on a company’s behalf, it is the PR person’s job to develop tactics to generate buzz. The growth in prevalence and popularity of social media has substantially helped facilitate word-of-mouth marketing and information sharing amongst friends.

Example: El Pollo Loco. A few employees from the El Pollo Loco corporate offices have Twitter accounts to “tweet” about the restaurant chain’s specials and deals. One account has nearly 2,000 loyal followers. Occasionally they will tweet about coupons or buy-one-get-one-free offers. When they do, followers then “re-tweet” the information, thus telling all of their followers/friends about the coupon offer. From there information runs through the channels creating potential for the company to “touch” hundreds of thousands of potential customers all through a coveted third-party endorsement.

While news media does play a huge role in a publicist’s job, it is important to remember that simply drafting a press release and sending it to a few news outlets is not an effective or strategic way to engage your company’s audience, tell them about your brand, or keep them coming back for more. Professional communicators develop strategies that give the company a cohesive voice and help formulate the brand’s image in the minds of its consumers.

For more information about communications strategies, public, community or media relations, contact us at info@consultmyagent.com.