Public Relations has the immediacy and transparency to build credibility and trust

This is vital in today’s marketplace, because tt is not enough to have a better product or service. It is not enough to have a better price. To be successful today you need to create a better brand image. And what is brand image? Brand image is a perception in the prospect’s mind. Perception is the name of the game and PR is the only way to create a better perception. PR has credibility.

So, how does PR work? PR is communication, which is basically shared knowledge. And, for any communication to work, the process requires four elements.

• An initiator – YOU!
• A carrier – could be an article in a magazine or newspaper, a news story on TV or a speech.
• A receiver - your audience – customers, prospects, stakeholders, employees.
• Feedback – making sure you’ve made an impact.

The amazing thing about this process is that it is guaranteed to move your agenda forward – no matter what. It always works.

Advertising does not build brands. PR does. Advertising is Brand Maintenance. PR is Brand Building. Why spend a fortune on advertising that doesn’t always work when you can get free advertising using great PR! It’s a no-brainer.

Our clients watch their competitors spending tens of thousands – hundreds of thousands even – on advertising that doesn’t deliver payback. Then we get them in the trade press, national and local newspapers, TV and radio – a far more powerful way to communicate at a fraction of the cost!

Advertising uses paid-for space or time in the media to convey a message, while media relations will only endeavor to inform or persuade a journalist that a story is worth publishing because it will interest the readers. Public relations is especially effective as a promotional tool because people (specifically, customers) give more credibility to what they read or hear when it comes from news sources. On the other hand, advertising messages are often greeted with suspicion.

There is no great secret to our success. We achieve good results with PR simply because we have actually worked in the media and know how to convince magazines, newspapers, TV and radio to run your story.

Ninety-five per-cent of Press Releases get thrown in the bin and most of them are written by PR Agencies who are charging their clients a fortune. This is a waste of money and a waste of time. Our success rate on press releases is very good - this does not mean to say we will achieve press coverage for every story but with our background in journalism we do have an eye for what will 'run'. It’s not an exact science but it does help if you know what you are doing - Right Message, Right Place, Right Time...

Is there a difference between public relations and publicity?

Yes. Publicity is one aspect of public relations. While both share the goal of drawing attention to your business, publicity consists of media interest and actual coverage, such as a news story, radio interview, or product review. This promotes customer awareness. When they grow aware of what you are selling or what your firm stands for, they can relate to it on many levels. Publicity can come and go, but with a solid PR campaign you connect with your audience on a long-term basis.