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| At The Ideas Suite, we get plenty of questions about the PR process from prospective and new clients. Here are our answers to those we’re most frequently asked. |
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| How does public relations differ from other marketing avenues? The two most frequently used marketing promotional methods are public relations and advertising. Advertising is paid, non-personal communication specifically geared to drive sales. TV, print, radio, online, outdoor and cinema advertising and direct marketing are the most common forms. PR generates news and feature articles covered by journalists. The stories are published and broadcast at no cost. PR also engages audiences directly through events and promotions, to help increase brand loyalty. (Of course, PR covers many other areas such as stakeholder communication, crisis management, and corporate relations.) |
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| How do I know if PR is what my brand needs? There are a number of ways of communicating. Each method reinforces the other. Advertising is useful when you need to control your message, and generate brand recognition and a corporate identity. PR is about two-way communication with audiences, and gives your message credibility. There are some things that you can advertise but which you can’t publicise. To obtain media results in PR, your message needs to have some news value, you need to work to the media’s agenda, and understand that your message can’t be controlled. PR is also generally more cost-effective, simply because you are not buying media space. |
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| Do PR consultants write media articles? While PR consultants need to be skilled writers, they do not write your story in newspapers or magazines. Instead, we write press releases (or ‘pitch’ story ideas) that that are newsworthy, relevant and incisive. These are submitted to journalists for consideration. It is up to the editor to decide whether the story is newsworthy and relevant to their publication. If so, the journalist writes the story themselves. This is why a background in journalism is a huge advantage for a PR consultant: they are trained at developing story ideas from scratch, and can look at your story with a news reporter’s eye. |
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| How much does PR cost? Most PR agencies have hourly rates for various levels of consultancy. Many work out the cost of your campaign by estimating the time required to carry out the agreed work. Other expenses such as venue hire and catering for events, postage, and talent hire are additional, and are agreed upon before the PR work begins. For those seeking ongoing PR, a fixed monthly fee is the most common arrangement. The monthly retainer amount is decided by the client and PR agency together, and is usually based on the level of activities or hours required each month. |
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| How long does a public relations campaign take? Each public relations campaign is different, but three months is usually the minimum time The Ideas Suite requires to deliver good PR results, particularly when the PR is largely media coverage. |
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| What results can I expect from a PR campaign? Are there any guarantees? In advertising, space is paid for by the client and is therefore guaranteed. A PR agency generally can’t guarantee its client will be featured in a particular magazine or TV program, or on a particular date. As editorial space is ‘free’, it’s the reporters and editors who decide whether it will run and when. However, consultants in PR agencies are highly skilled at securing stories in media, and their success rates are often excellent. The level of media coverage depends on the newsworthiness of your message, as well as your public relations budget. |
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| How are the results of a campaign measured? We set communication targets with you at the start, and measure these at regular intervals. Having said that, media clippings are the most common method for media campaigns. For large campaigns, surveys also used to measure increases in awareness. |
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| Do I really need a PR agency? Can’t I carry out the PR myself? Some businesses can be successful in securing some media coverage for themselves. However, many eventually approach a PR agency because they don’t have time to sustain it, don’t see the results in their business, and don’t have the expertise or resources to drive their brand beyond traditional media avenues. PR agencies get results because they can design creative and effective PR strategies; channel your message to the markets that will have the greatest effect on your bottom line; communicate with your stakeholders systematically; they have up-to-date media contacts; their media contacts extend throughout Australia and often internationally; and they are skilled at tailoring your information to various media outlets and stakeholders. |
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| Is media the best public relations avenue? We would not recommend media as the most successful PR avenue for every organisation – and certainly not the only avenue. Some specialist B2B businesses, for instance, could find securing adequate coverage in media a challenge. This is why PR strategies that incorporate other PR specialties are very successful, as they target audiences from a number of directions. |
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