Understanding the Importance of PR in Retail
Public relations (PR) plays a crucial role in the success of retail businesses. It involves managing the communication between a retailer and its target audience, including customers, stakeholders, and the general public. PR helps build and maintain a positive image of the business, enhance brand reputation, and attract customers. Having worked with retailers from huge multi-store and online companies to small from the kitchen table online retailers, it’s a sector I love working with.
Competition is fierce in retail which is why customer loyalty is vital and PR can make an impact in creating customer loyalty. PR will help a retail business differentiate itself from its competitors and raise awareness.
Building a Strong Brand Story
One of the first things that a retail business needs to do is create a strong brand story. The brand story is what connects the retailer with the target audience, on an emotional level. It’s not about promoting products it’s letting potential buyers know the brands' values, mission, and USP (unique selling point).
To build a strong brand story, retail businesses can start by identifying their brand identity and core values. They should then communicate these values consistently across all PR activities, including press releases, social media posts, and marketing campaigns. By telling a compelling brand story, retail stores can create a strong connection with their customers and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Creating Buzz with Innovative PR Campaigns
Innovative PR campaigns can generate excitement around a brand, attracting new customers and increasing sales. These types of campaigns involve thinking outside the box and coming up with unique and creative ideas to captivate the target audience.
One approach to creating buzz is through experiential marketing. This involves creating immersive experiences that allow customers to interact with the brand and its products. For example, a retailer could organise a pop-up event, a product launch party, or when I worked for Bravissimo we would attend trade shows like the wedding show at the then NEC so people could have firsthand experience of the products.
Another effective strategy is collaborating with influencers or celebrities. By working with popular individuals who align with retailers' brand values and are followed by the retailers' ideal customers businesses can leverage their influence and reach a wider audience. In the past I have worked with a retailer who was selling products from home when working with influencers she was suddenly reaching 1000’s upon thousands of potential new customers.
Leveraging Social Media for PR Success
Social media has become an essential tool for PR in the retail industry. It allows retail businesses to reach a large audience, engage with customers, and create a strong online presence.
To leverage social media for PR success, retailers should start by identifying their target audience and selecting the right social media platforms to focus on. If the audience is on Instagram go there but if the majority are using X (Twitter) then the time is better invested there. Then create engaging and shareable content that aligns with their brand image and resonates with their audience.
Engagement is key on social media, so retailers should respond to comments, messages, and mentions from their followers. By interaction, a brand can build relationships with customers and also lets people know that they value what their customers have to say.
Measuring PR Impact and Adjusting Strategies
Measuring the impact of PR is vital for retailers as it enables to adjust their PR strategy to increase what is working and decrease what isn’t.
A few things that be used to measure the impact for low costs include looking at:
Is the coverage positive/neutral or negative?
How relevant is the publication to the retailer (e.g. is it something the target market will be reading)?
If the call to action has been to visit our website or visit in-store has there been a correlation between an increase in web traffic or footfall when the piece went live?
What is social media engagement like?
What is the reach/circulation of the publication?
Do the pieces include the brands' key messages?
Once the retailer has analysed the findings they can refine their messages, target different media, and so on.
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