Creating the Perfect PR Buzz

Public relations is an essential marketing tool for any company seeking to raise awareness, promote products and services, and boost sales. In contrast to advertising, public relations tells a story, often produces grassroots word-of-mouth “buzz” and can be extremely cost-effective. As a marketing discipline, public relations has a few inherent advantages. For starters, media placements that are generated by a public relations program serve as third-party endorsements for your goods or services. For example, an article in a prominent magazine or daily newspaper that promotes and tacitly recommends Nike sneakers has more credibility with consumers than an advertisement in that same publication about the same product. And while there are no guarantees that you will get the kind of press coverage you wish for, a focused, respectful perseverance will give you your best shot. (For more on how to get media coverage for your company, see “Turn Your Company Into a Headliner”)

For firms that are planning on incorporating a public relations program into their broader marketing effort, it is important to keep in mind a few strategies. With the proliferation of media outlets and news programming, producers, editors and writers are in perpetual need of compelling story ideas. Most businesses or nonprofits have a unique narrative that if communicated skillfully has the potential to be a front-page story in the Wall Street Journal or a segment on the Today Show. Media professionals search for creative story ideas to fill their endless hours of programming. With the right tactics, your business story can fill that void. Here are some of those tactics:

Put a Voice to Your Company

Identify someone in your company who could become the official “spokesperson.” On its own, a company is an inanimate entity that has little to offer the media. However, with the introduction of a spokesperson, that same company is transformed into a life form that pulsates with energy. He or she must be articulate and composed and, most importantly, must project the image of a guru or expert. Companies that do not have an obvious candidate for the role of spokesperson should consider  hiring a public relations firm that can train someone to become that savvy, authoritative voice. Remember, the spokesperson automatically becomes the public face of the company, so he or she must project the corporate culture and be appealing to the targeted demographic. For example, an attractive female is a better choice for spokesperson of a cosmetics company than a chubby, balding male. Media professionals are in constant need of industry experts who are willing to appear on television or in print. By positioning clients as industry experts, we have had great success at generating bushels of media placements.

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