Public Relations – Dutch Uncles

Unravelling the Mystery of Public Relations

DU Desk — Sun, 27 Dec 2020 18:11:34 +0000

Public Relations (PR) often gets confused with the stereotypical image of a person standing behind a podium and giving a rigid press release to the public in times of crisis. Yes, damage control is one of the roles of PR but it is just one part of the process. PR has a far wider scope and plays a very important role in the day-to-day functions of a company.

Defining Public Relation

Public relations are the process of strategically communicating with or disseminating information to individuals, organisations or the general public to build and maintain a good relationship. In simpler language, it is the process of giving out select bits of organisation-related information or communicating in such a way that people see you and your business as a trustworthy source.

Companies usually hire a PR firm or team and outsource it. If it is a smaller company, they would most likely form an internal team to handle matters. The team or individual, depending on the scenario, would draft a specialised plan to communicate messages to the public or other parties through multiple channels. This could include social media, press releases, interviews, articles and so on.

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The relationship that a company maintains with its shareholders and customers ultimately determines its success.

The Goal And Functions Of Public Relations

The main objective of Public Relations is to maintain a good reputation on behalf of the company in the eyes of the public. People invest in brands that they trust and view as honest and transparent, or at the very least values them as a customer. PR helps communicate this to not only the public but also stakeholders, employees and investors.

Public relations are not, however, advertising for your organisation. The function of it is not to write stories for the papers or push for paid promotions to get in the public’s good graces. It rather uses free or earned media like social media, magazines, news channels and TV programs like those talk shows that you see celebrities promoting their new movies on.

The Founder of Value 360 Communications, Kunal Kishore, says that it is all about staying relevant and integrating all the various multimedia and digital platforms that we have at our disposal. “It becomes about how you stay relevant in a digital economy? The entire consumption of content is happening digitally with consumers relying more and more on the Internet world…so it is about how you devise a strategy for the next 5 to 10 years that takes into account the changing digital ecosystem.”

Taking this into account Public Relation agencies or specialists analyse the public’s perception of the brand and draft up strategies to improve that image using the free media platforms. These strategies could include:

- - Writing press releases.
  - Preparing speeches for company representatives.
  - Planning and executing public outreach events and media interactions.
  - Coming up with crisis-scenario strategies for extreme damage control situations.
  - Handling the social media presence for the organisation.
  - Coordinating PR strategies with the employees of the organisation and making sure everyone is on the same page.
  - Dealing with government agencies and policies issues that may arise.
  - Handling relationships with investors and stakeholders.

Identifying Which Types Of PR, You Need

Every organisation is unique and has a variety of needs when it comes to image building. The great thing about PR is that it has a large scope to identify which ones are a priority for your organisation.

Marketing

This type of PR generally supports the advertising team and the marketing efforts so that brand awareness and brand image can grow parallelly. This could include special outreach campaigns, public awareness of any guerrilla marketing and so on. Usually takes place when a new product or service is being launched.

Customer/community

When you think of the generic version of PR, this is usually the image that pops into the mind. Handling the social aspects of the brand through community-oriented outreach programs goes a long way in strengthening the trust that people have in the business.

Things like go-green initiatives, educational seminars and blood drives help build that positive image. To successfully execute this, however, there needs to be proper analysis on the needs of a particular community or customer base.

Employee/investors

Contrary to popular belief there is such a thing as PR within an organisation. This process includes caring for the employees and hearing them out in an attempt to create a healthy workflow. On the other end, it also means making the investors happy, producing financial reports, media issues and general complaints. Think of it as greasing the wheels of the organisational beast.

Government

This is not as prevalent as the other types of PR but still an essential part of keeping the company on its feet. It also boosts the brand image if it is endorsed or recognised by the government. On another note, to operate within a country, the business has to show the government that they are fulfilling the lawful policies in place such as:

- - Employee protection and fair compensation.
  - Fair market competition policies.
  - Consumer protection

Where Is It Needed Most?

There are generally three points in a business’s lifespan where PR is crucial. The launch phase, the growth phase and the point of sustainability.

Launch phase

When you are just starting as a business, it is unlikely that you will have the industry clout to go head-to-head with your biggest competitors or have access to the audience that you are aiming for. You will generally have access to a pretty wide and varied demographic and that is okay. Just use PR to reach your intended audience through channels you know they are active on, as well as your social media and website.

This will slowly but surely help bring traction with media outlets as well, thereby boosting your industry clout and getting the brand name out into the public sphere.

Growth phase

The first phase was all about the trial-and-error approach. It was also an opportunity to gather tons of data on the audience you eventually want to target. This stage focuses on using that information to refine the targeting process. Use the information, see which channels and which demographic gave the most positive response and pour your PR efforts into that to help grow it.

Sustainable phase

Once you have achieved the level of brand-recognition you wanted and the reputation you expected, the job now shifts from building to sustaining. Being well-known as a brand is walking a fine line. It can be great for attention but at the same time, you come under tremendous scrutiny. So, at this stage, it is best to use the data that was previously collected, to keep an eye on policy trends, socio-political movements, and the needs of the customers to ensure that your brand is walking the right side of that line.

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Maintaining healthy public relations is like having a net to catch you and your business if things ever go sour financially or politically. A good reputation will often help the company get out of even the toughest of situations.

Some Things To Be Wary Of

The great thing about PR is that it offers a vast number of options and benefits when used right. For one, it helps build the credibility and reach that an organisation needs to establish with the public. A good strategy has the potential to open a business up to a massive audience base and help it branch out on a large scale. It is also very cost-effective when considering the scope of reach that it provides as opposed to traditional paid media and advertisements.

There are, however, a few bumps to watch out for on this relationship-building journey. Unlike traditional media, it is very hard to measure the level of success a message has when put out. No guarantees exist as such that a given message or strategy will work even if it had worked earlier. Even with a press release, the media outlet will only publish if they feel it is a newsworthy story. It is a leap of faith combined with intensive audience analysis and research.

It is not an easy task by any means but it sure is worth it. PR done right has amazing potential to skyrocket your brand into the big leagues. Check out our article on ‘branding’ to learn more on how to make the best of both worlds!

The post Unravelling the Mystery of Public Relations appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Expos and What You Need to Know: The Art of Networking

Kiran Kennedy — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 02:08:37 +0000

Some of the best marketing and advertising happens in person, and no we are not talking about door-to-door sales – think in terms of booths. In business studies or even in school you might have come across the term word-of-mouth marketing and how effective it can be. An expo achieves the same result, just on a massive scale. Here is how:

What Is An Expo?

The term expo is the shortened form for ‘exposition’, which is the act of publicly displaying or presenting to view. Even in the context of a business that concept stays the same. Only in this case, it is a large-scale exhibition, that is usually conducted on an international level to show off the brand and to build business connections.

Quite often, you will hear the terms expo, trade show and conference being thrown around interchangeably. Though they may seem similar, they have their subtle differences and serve their own purposes. A trade show is a business exhibition at which businesses belonging to very specific industries will gather to promote their products or services, while simultaneously building their B2B networks.

A convention on the other hand is where like-minded individuals gather in a single space to discuss or share ideas on points of common interest. A good example of this is ‘Comic-Con’. The point of it is to grow knowledge, cultivate interests and generally carry a less formal atmosphere to it. Amidst these two kinds of gatherings, expos stand simply as a healthy combination of both and on a much larger, international scale.

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An expo is a place for professionals and brands to gather under a single roof and discuss, compare and connect.

Why Do It At All?

We live in an ever-growing digital era that seems to be making the past methods of interaction more and more irrelevant or outdated every day. It is a world where we have email, instant messaging, zoom calls, social media and so many other options of reaching out to people from the comfort of a desk. So, what exactly is the need for an expo?

It offers you a chance to build long-lasting and meaningful business relationships. Yes, you can build relationships online as well, but there is something about being able to interact with another human being in a real environment that helps make that connection stronger. When people meet you in person and walk away having had a positive experience, they associate that human moment with the brand. This boosts the confidence and image of the brand.

There is also the added benefit of choosing the exact audience that you want to connect and grow that with. Raising awareness for the brand can be targeted more precisely in person. It is not about how widespread the message is, it is about how in-depth the reach is and how accurately it is done.

Going back to our roots and socialising the way nature intended us to, has its benefits. Going forward as of 2020, that could be somewhat troublesome given the whole COVID-19 pandemic. Save the expos for a safer day, but do not count it out just yet – it is still worth doing, just more cautiously later down the road when the situation clears up.

Executing The Perfect Expo

Identify the objective and the budget

Before setting up your expo booth and planning out the details of the show, you need to determine what the purpose of your business will be at the expo. Is it to increase brand awareness, generate leads and revenue or launch a new product line? Whatever the case may be, it helps to have an aim in mind so that the organising stays line with trying to achieve that. It also helps narrow down the scope of a budget to what you may require. Keep in mind, while cost-saving is appreciated by any business, it is not worth compromising the quality of the expo for a cheaper solution. A rule of thumb – you get what you invest.

Plan well in advance

It is never too early to start planning for the expo. Inform your team early on so that they can book the flights and the rooms at the hotel before the prices go up. Avoid any last-minute rush which can hinder productivity on D-day. It also helps to start early for the sake of advertising. You have to let your audience know where you are going to be. If you do it in advance, they have more time to prepare and turn up to the event.

Social media is your best friend

Speaking of getting the word out to the audience, social media will be the best way to do so. With the various platforms at your disposal, you can give your audience live updates and timely information regarding details of the expo and why they should attend. Make it an interesting message and stay consistently active till the day of the show.

Scope out the competition

Before setting foot inside the venue, check out which other companies will be in attendance, do your research and even go as far as to study the floor layout of the different booths at the convention. This gives you an idea of who is where and how you can navigate that massive crowd more efficiently. Knowing who they are helps you find better ways to quickly approach them and cultivate common ground better.

Get everyone in place

Before the expo starts, get everyone together and make sure everyone is on the same page. Give them a transparent view of the booth hours, the other businesses in attendance, the rotation schedule and potential clients to approach. Get the sales and executive team to work in tandem to pre-schedule meetings with the other businesses during the different days of the expo and coordinate it with a shared document or calendar for maximum efficiency.

Do a demo

Do not hesitate to show off your product, make a show of it and grab people’s attention. That is the point of the expo after all. It is a great icebreaker and gets the ball rolling. If it is a product, give out samples if you can, or even little goodie bags for those who stop by the booth. The more attention the more brand awareness.

If you cannot do a demo, then host a short seminar explaining your business and how it might benefit people. The audience wants to see something interesting so visual aids help.

Get down to networking

Make sure to speak to as many people as you can, but more importantly, make sure to approach everyone on that list that you should have prepared in the pre-planning phase. Do not forget to ask for their business cards and to give yours in return as well. It helps keep track of who talked to who.

Another way to keep track of your progress is to coordinate with the venue organisers and get the figures on all the visitors who stopped by your booth or simply maintain a registry of names as people come and go. Get as much contact information as you can, it will come in handy down the line.

Debrief and follow up

This is by far the most crucial point of any expo. Schedule a debriefing meeting with your team the day after the expo while the information is still fresh and cross-examine. Get everyone’s input on what worked well, what were some of the challenges they faced and how things could be improved going forward. The next step is the follow up:

Now that you have a ton of business cards and that registry of names and contacts, it is time to start reaching out. Upload all the contacts into your customer relationship management system (CRM) and start contacting people. Send personalised messages or emails thanking them for visiting the booth and giving them some additional information about your business.

You can also get their feedback on the booth and how you could improve the experience in the future. This step helps solidify the brand name in their minds and reinforces a positive experience with the business.

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At the end of the day, the perfect expo is one where you successfully build a strong business network.

Some Pitfalls To Watch Out For

Cost

Though you should never compromise on quality, it helps to be aware of what to expect. The costs for an expo would include the booth space, the design and construction of said booth, travel fair and lodgings for your staff and so on.

Competition

Despite being there to network, remember that you are competing for attention and in this sense, you will have competition. This is why research comes in handy, so you know who is coming and what you can do to stand out.

Results

No matter how much time and effort you invest in marketing, there is never a guarantee that you will get the expected amount of engagement after the expo.

Low turnouts

An expo will never guarantee a huge turnout, though it is likely. This is especially true if you are just starting out and do not have a big brand name or publicity to stand behind. The solution to this would be to work on your marketing and building that customer base before attempting an expo.

Do not let these pitfalls discourage you though, the advantages of an expo far outweigh the downsides. A great example of a hugely successful expo is the ‘Consumer Electronics Show’, which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the largest and most influential technology exhibition in the world and each year is better than the last. They bring out new and innovative technologies onto the global stage for all to see. An expo like that could propel your business right to the top if you bring something interesting to the table.

That is what it comes down to, how to navigate the world of marketing and networking. Expos are just the tool or event through which networking functions. Are you up to date with the latest and evolving trends in business networking? Check out our article on ‘business networking’ to get the full pitcure.

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