Much as it saddens me to admit it, some clients do not understand the nature of the PR process. As a result, PR firms must start by explaining how our process works and how we can help clients maintain as much control over their communications as possible. While PR can try to shape the message, ultimately, it is up to the news outlet to present the story. PR firms must explain to their clients that everyone gets misquoted. Stories get cut. Companies get ignored. Mistakes happen. But communications is not something you can turn off and on like a faucet. It’s a constant in business. As a general rule, the more you communicate the better off you will be. Sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option.
As indicated earlier, it is difficult if not impossible to measure the impact of a PR campaign on a company’s sales. I’m not a fan of “pay for performance” PR because I don’t think it reflects an understanding of either the editorial process or the role of public relations in an organization. Most clients know that they cannot buy editorial—they need to earn it. They know that PR leads to subtle changes, such as their visibility in the industry, the reaction from their peers, the sense that the company and its products and services are gaining recognition and acceptance among target audiences. All of these aspects have an impact on business, though it is hard to draw a direct line from PR to these outcomes. And good PR doesn’t always translate to good business; for instance, a company of ours was profiled in Forbes Magazine but went out of business nine months later for reasons that had nothing to do with public relations; there is no way to predict the future.
One challenge in PR is the small, no-name company that has no advertising or marketing. They frequently turn to PR as their primary (perhaps only) marketing tactic, because it’s both powerful and cost effective. That places a heavy strain on the PR function, since it’s difficult to create an image and a footprint around an unknown, low-budget company, particularly if it is competing with large companies with mega-million dollar budgets. Ideally, PR should be part of a marketing mix.
Interestingly, before the dot-com bubble burst, many client companies had no marketing budget and no advertising budget; they focused exclusively on PR. Case in point: one client, which was publicly traded, had us issue news releases daily, and sometimes more often than that. Day traders were tracking the stock; in that era, there was a relationship there between PR— any PR—and stock performance. Thankfully, that era passed. Most client companies do realize that PR cannot do it alone. Ideally, PR, marketing communications, and advertising work together to enhance the company’s image and sales. Good PR alone cannot save a business; it can, however, build and nurture a company’s reputation. And, when given a seat at the table by the CEO, PR can actually help companies do the right thing.
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