The title of this blog might sound slightly dramatic. You might be thinking this is an exaggeration but I kid you not it really is.
It only occurred to me at a networking event last week. I was talking to one of the other attendees about her business (she was a face painter, bubble artist, and fire breather - not your average networking event) about how she might be able to promote her business and I was explaining how sometimes people don’t recognise PR when they see it. After the discussion I figured that my networking friend couldn’t be the only person who didn’t recognise PR when they saw it, so I thought I’d give a few examples from different sectors. You might be surprised by how much of the media you consume has been set up by PR teams.
First up B2B businesses. If you’re a B2B company here are some of the ways your competitors may have been getting PR that you didn’t even realise was PR.
Thought leadership pieces
Comments on business news e.g impact of budget on small businesses in print, radio, and TV
Opinion pieces on their industry for example this year one of my clients has already been featured several times in articles on the People Management website (this is exactly the audience they are targeting).
People Management have included my client Cream HR as part of a bigger articles at least 4 times this year already.As an HR company People Management is a great place for them to be seen but this has come from regularly checking in with them and showing that the client can give expert comment quickly so they know they are reliable.
Retail
Gift guides
Pages showing fashion, and items for the home. These are often items the business or their PR people have sent in as samples or have sent cut-out images of. Don’t be fooled into thinking everything you see on the pages or the internet has been chosen because the journalist just happened to come across it and decided to feature it. Yes, the journalist probably liked the item but may not have known it existed until it was put in front of the,
Personal stories that give them a chance to highlight their business, service, product, etc
Celebs will do the rounds e.g you’ll suddenly see somebody on every TV programme and in all the magazines when this happens you can pretty much guarantee they have a book, film, album, or new brand launching. Check out the small print at the end of the article, there will often be
Influencers talking about specific products. If they have been gifted they do need to state this.
Tips and guides e.g. How to wear this white shirt (will usually be contributed to a stylist and show clothes from a variety of shops). Top 10 dating tips, will invariably be from somebody in the dating world e.g an app, relationship coach etc.
Charity
Fundraising appeals in the media
Comment in industry publications
News of events and things they are doing in the community
Success stories
Celebs going on game shows in support of certain charities
Hosting events with well-known people in attendance with photos that appear in the media
Well-known people supporting financially or as an ambassador. It is often the PR team that
Collaborations with other businesses. Years ago I organised a partnership with a big chain restaurant and a charity I was working with. They agreed to support one of our charity appeals for a weekend raising over £150,000
This is in no way an exhaustive list but it gives you an idea of the number of things we see each day that may be considered PR. These things don’t happen overnight and require a sustained effort. So, don’t believe that you can’t be seen in the same places as your biggest competitor, yes, it may take you a bit longer as you don’t have a 10-person public relations team at your beck and call but it is no way impossible.
Rebecca Slater is a PR Consultant with more than 20 years of public relations experience. She is based in Staffordshire and provides support to businesses all over the country.
Find out more at www.beckandcallpr.co.uk or email sayhello@beckandcallpr.co.uk