I recently read an article in PR Week which looked at what the PR industry can do to support a struggling high street. Ed Watson, director of Public Relations for Debenhams, told PR Week that “retail brands should not just jump into action around the time of the quarterly trading statement”.
The article immediately struck a chord with me as I often meet people who think that PR is an immediate fix. But, whether you are a large retailer or a small specialist engineering company, PR won’t work if it’s treated as a one-off. People often assume that if you send out the odd press release that it will yield results. It won’t.
PR is the most cost effective communications tool, but to get a return on your investment you need to commit enough of your time. If you use the right tools effectively, you will reap the rewards, but they are time-demanding.
For example, do you have good relationships with your target journalists and speak to them on the phone? Or do you just email them press releases and hope that they might print them? The ‘if you fling enough mud’ approach simply won’t work.
If you take the plunge with an agency or specialist PR freelancer, their expertise should deliver better results, in less time than if you were attempting to do public relations yourself. While they promote your business, you can re-focus on running it.
