A New Era for PR
Why Brand Marketing, Communications and Digital are now core to any PR effort
Public Relations (PR) has a long history, and it’s no secret that sometimes its story borders on the sordid. But as a discipline, it’s indispensable to companies today, and the industry is redefining itself in the digital age.
From its roots with P.T. Barnum to its portrayal by Hollywood, those in the industry recognize that PR is critical to a company’s brand, reputation and bottom line. Much like the PR field, the definition is not static and has evolved over the past decade to encompass more than publicity and earned media.
With increased collaboration between PR and brand marketing, the functions have evolved and now share a critical responsibility to promote and protect a company’s brand. PR is now the steward of trust, which greatly impacts a company’s reputation.
Historically brand marketing and PR have operated independently and combined forces on major company initiatives or announcements. Yet, that dated approach yields less impact and results.
Given PR’s increasing role and importance, it’s natural that the function has expanded to incorporate more and collaborate closely with critical functions across a company, such as marketing, strategic planning and sales.
Collaboration is key. No longer can silos operate functionally. Integration is critical for success forward. An integrated PR and brand marketing approach makes both methods more efficient and effective for the company. Integrating marketing efforts into your PR programs creates cohesivity, producing even greater results. Both marketing and PR offer the opportunity to speak directly to consumers.
When each practice is strong, integrating them makes each stronger than it would be on its own. So where does one begin when looking to integrate marketing, communications and digital into PR efforts?
In this blog, we will discuss how to integrate brand marketing, communications & digital into your PR efforts and the benefits of doing so.
1. Planning
A critical first step is to align communications goals with the company’s larger business goals to identify where a program or initiative can have the greatest impact.
From there, confirming target audiences, goals, timelines, measurements, etc., become a key piece before tactical execution should begin.
It’s also at this stage where the functions (PR, marketing, sales, etc.) should agree on which will own what measurement(s) so a comprehensive, integrated results dashboard can be shared out with internal stakeholders to ensure clarity, accountability and transparency to refine and course correct as needed.
2. Target Audiences
All brand marketing and PR must be grounded with a specific target audience. Whether you are part of a PR or marketing-focused function, you should know your customer personas, their pain points and how your organization can solve them.
You should also know your target audience buyers’ journey online and offline. Today’s buyer doesn’t want to work with a salesperson until the decision stage. They rely on digital resources – websites, blogs, videos, social media – and use mobile phones to get that information.
Defining your personas is essential to start from data, not assumptions. There are resources available (such as Google Analytics) that can help gather this specific data. A few questions you should be able to answer about your target audience’s behavior include:
How do they find information?
Who do they consider credible resources?
What blogs or publications do they read?
Which conferences or industry events do they attend?
Do they utilize research or analyst firms? If so, which ones?
How much content do they read before making a purchase?
What are the themes, gaps and opportunities?
Knowing your target audience enables you to determine how to reach, engage, persuade and prompt action.
3. Messages Matter
Knowing your target audiences is paramount to success, and what you say to them is the driving force for all brand marketing, digital and PR. Your messages clearly communicate your expertise, build your credibility and establish brand distinction by being consistently implemented across all brand marketing, communications, digital and PR efforts.
Your current and prospective customers expect relevant, compelling content that seamlessly tells a consistent brand story across all channels and stages of the research process, from awareness to decision and loyalty. They expect to access your content on whatever channel they prefer.
All messages should focus on customer benefits – how your product/service can solve their pain points, why you are the right choice for their business, and avoid solely promoting your company. Speak to what drives your customers’ success and how your company is best suited to deliver.
4. Create Consistent Experiences
Your current and prospective customers expect consistent brand experiences at every turn. Your brand marketing, communications and digital touch points must be aligned to create a cohesive experience across all channels.
These experiences must be engaging and consistent. If they are for a limited time, what and how will you extend the effort across marketing, sales or digital efforts? Explore how experiences can come to life across different channels to provide a lasting experience that evolves with the brand over time and provides a consistent touchstone for your company that further reinforces critical message differentiators.
No matter your marketing function, your metrics focus on results.
When it comes to results, consider the adage: The sum is greater than the parts.
Integrating brand marketing, communications and digital into your PR efforts is necessary to tell a consistent story and drive loyalty. The goal of any brand marketing, digital or PR campaign is to enhance the reach and prompt action, and the best way to start that process is to integrate all efforts from the start.
Still not sure where to start? Since its inception, Chirp has been running an integrated approach to marketing and digital PR to deliver results that matter to our clients. Chirp is an integrated brand marketing, communications, digital and PR agency for high-growth companies. For more information, head to our website and give us a Chirp!