Public Relations
And what It Means For Your Business
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The True Measure Of Your PR Is The Perception Of People
Communicating With Your Key Publics
Should Your PR Budget Stress Tactics Or Strategy?
Promoting Relationships With the Public
Public Relations (PR) is the strategic practice of cultivating and managing relationships between an organization and its key audiences, including customers, employees, investors, and the community.
At its core, PR is about building and protecting a positive reputation. It goes beyond promotion to foster genuine goodwill, trust, and mutual understanding. For any business aiming for long-term success, a proactive PR operation is not just a good idea, it's a critical investment.
A successful PR strategy focuses on three essential outcomes:
1. Reputation & Trust: It shapes how your business is perceived, transforming it from a faceless entity into a trusted and respected member of the community.
2. Visibility & Recognition: It ensures your business is seen and recognized for its values, expertise, and contributions, making it a top-of-mind choice.
3. Community & Understanding: It builds bridges with key groups, creating a narrative that explains your business’s role and value, which in turn fosters loyalty and support.
In today's competitive landscape, a strong reputation must be built intentionally and proactively. Effective PR doesn't just manage a crisis, it works to prevent one by establishing a foundation of credibility and goodwill before it's needed. It is the essential work of ensuring your business is not only known but also known for the right reasons.
Consider your reputation a strategic asset: its integrity, transparency, and reliability are foundational to your business's enduring success. To actively build and protect this asset, you must embrace a dedicated Public Relations and continuous communications strategy. Make this a primary objective, as your long-term growth depends upon it.
PR and Marketing are distinct, though complementary. Marketing drives sales and direct business outcomes, while PR builds relationships, trust, and reputation with the groups that grant your business its "license to operate."
Public Relations stakeholders:
1. Media & Influencers (The Amplifiers)
Goal: Secure fair, accurate, and influential coverage.
News Media: Local/National Newspapers, Television News & Current Affairs, Radio News/Talk. (Focus on reporters, editors, producers)
Specialist & Lifestyle Media: Trade Magazines, Consumer Magazines, Local Lifestyle Bloggers/Influencers. (Focus on editors, feature writers)
Digital Platforms: Relevant online news portals, industry podcasts.
2. Community & Civic Groups (The Social Fabric)
Goal: Embed the business as a trusted, contributing local citizen.
Geographic Community: The Community in General, Local Volunteer Groups, Social Clubs, Neighborhood Associations.
Faith & Family Groups: Church Groups, Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs).
Recreational Groups: Sports Associations, Youth Leagues.
3. Authority & Advocacy Groups (The Regulators & Influencers)
Goal: Navigate the formal and informal rule-setting environment, build advocacy.
Political & Legal: Local City Council, Regulatory Agencies, Legislative Bodies.
Labor & Employee: Unions, Professional Associations relevant to your workforce.
Issue-Based Advocates: Charity Groups, Environmental Groups, Social Cause Organizations (relevant to your industry or location).
4. Business & Economic Ecosystem (The Peers & Partners)
Goal: Foster B2B relationships, industry standards, and economic goodwill.
Business Associations: Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau (BBB), Industry-Specific Associations.
Employer Networks: Employer Associations.
Strategic Partners: Key suppliers, distributors, adjacent non-competing businesses.
Strategic PR Engagement vs. Marketing:
To highlight the difference, here’s how a PR approach differs from a marketing approach with the same group:
Example: Parents and Teachers Association (PTA)
Marketing: Sponsoring the PTA newsletter to advertise your tutoring service.
PR: Offering your company's community room for PTA meetings, having your CEO (a parent) speak on "Skills for the Future Workforce," or organizing a volunteer day where employees help with a school garden. Goal: Build goodwill and position the company as supportive of education.
Example: Chamber of Commerce
Marketing: Buying a booth at the Chamber expo to generate leads.
PR: Your leadership chairing a committee on "Sustainable Business Practices," hosting a "New Business Welcome" event, or providing pro-bono expertise on a local economic issue. Goal: Establish thought leadership and a commitment to the local economy.
Example: Local Newspaper
Marketing: Placing a paid advertisement for a new product.
PR: Pitching a story about how your company's new manufacturing process reduces environmental waste, or proactively managing a crisis situation with transparency. Goal: Earn credibility through third-party validation and protect reputation.
Recommended Action:
1. Map & Prioritize: Plot these groups on a matrix of Influence vs. Impact on your business.
2. Define Objectives: For each category (e.g., Community), set a clear PR objective (e.g., "Be seen as the employer of choice and a community investor").
3. Tailor Tactics: Develop specific programs for each group. For Charity Groups, this might be a long-term partnership; for Political Bodies, it might be regular briefings and policy white papers.
4. Listen First: PR engagement begins with listening, monitor what these groups are saying about your industry and your company.
By viewing these groups through a strategic PR lens, you move from simple publicity to building the resilient social capital and reputation that protects and enhances your business for the long term.
Public relations is a powerful component of your marketing mix. When strategically leveraged, it builds community acceptance, enhances brand recognition, and directly contributes to your bottom-line profitability.
A prime example of this strategy is the creation of a prestigious perpetual trophy for a local or regional high-profile project. Initiatives like "The Green School Award," "Keep Our County Beautiful Challenge," or "The Friendliest School Competition", contested by high schools within your business district, are inherently newsworthy. Such programs generate positive, recurring stories about community investment and youth achievement. This consistent narrative is highly attractive to local media and, if executed with care, can garner state-level or even national coverage.
This approach does more than generate headlines; it embeds your brand within a story of community progress, creating lasting goodwill and tangible ROI.
The beauty of this type of project is its annual recurrence, delivering significant goodwill year after year with minimal ongoing cost. However, to fully capitalize on this opportunity, a strategic approach to publicity is essential. Effective PR requires dedicated effort, not only in cultivating positive coverage but also in proactively managing any negative attention. Investing in this understanding will accelerate the growth of your reputation.
For best results, we recommend assigning public relations responsibility to an experienced professional, whether an internal specialist or a consultant from a reputable PR firm.
Suggestions for Securing PR Support
Your core idea of seeking experienced, part-time local help is excellent for many situations. Here’s how to build on that strategy and understand the broader PR landscape:
1. For Local/Community PR: The "Retired Expert" Model
This is a highly effective and cost-efficient strategy for grassroots visibility, community relations, and local media.
Where to Look: Beyond retired PR consultants and newspapermen, consider retired journalists, TV producers, communications directors from local nonprofits or universities, and even seasoned marketing managers.
How to Frame the Ask: Present it as a flexible consulting role or a "mentorship" project. Many retirees want to stay engaged and share their knowledge without the pressure of a full-time role. Offer fair hourly or daily compensation for their expertise; "happy to help" often goes further when paired with respect for their professional value.
Key Benefit: They bring pre-existing relationships with local editors, reporters, and community leaders.
2. For National/Strategic PR: The Controlled & Specialized Approach
You are correct that businesses with national ambitions or in sensitive industries control this closely.
The Rationale: National messaging must be consistent, strategic, and aligned with legal/corporate affairs. A stray local quote can become a national headline.
The Model: Typically, this involves:
A Retained PR Agency: Hired on a monthly basis for ongoing strategy, media training, and relationship-building with top-tier outlets.
An In-House Communications Director: To manage strategy, messaging, and the interface between the company and any external agencies.
Specialist Consultants: Brought in for specific projects (e.g., a product launch, crisis, or major announcement).
3. A Hybrid Solution for Growing Businesses
Many companies successfully blend these models:
National Agency/Consultant: Handles strategy, major announcements, and top-tier national media outreach.
Local Part-Time Pro (Your Retired Expert): Executes on-the-ground community events, manages relationships with local business journals, and places stories in regional publications that build brand credibility. They report to the point person managing the national strategy.
4. Alternative Option: The Freelancer or "Fractional" PR Director
Consider hiring a practicing freelance PR professional or a fractional communications director. These are not retirees but active experts who work with several clients part-time. They bring current contacts, knowledge of digital/social media, and can often scale their services as you grow.
Actionable Recommendation:
Assess Your Needs: Is your goal local brand building or national attention? Your primary goal dictates the best hire.
Start Local (if appropriate): Use your refined approach to find a retired pro. They can provide immense value and help you formulate a stronger message for when you are ready for national coverage.
Go National/Strategic with Intent: If your business requires it, seek a specialized PR firm or fractional director. Be prepared for a higher investment and ensure you have a single internal point of contact to maintain control and consistency.
Final Note: Even if you engage a national firm, having an internal person (even part-time) who "owns" the PR function is critical for coordination and providing the agency with the information and access they need to succeed.
This is done to protect the reputation and good name of the business.
You should make use of this PR Consultant as much as allowed. If nothing else they can be a great sounding board.
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