What can PR & Comms really do for my business?

It drives me quietly crazy that this is still the case, and of course the PR & Comms teams and agencies continue to be marginalised budget wise because they can’t justify or build the business case for what Good PR & Comms delivers for a business.

I’ve seen the PR function ebb and flow over the years, be the favourite child and then sent to the back of the class and lose ground to ad agencies, media buyers and digital agencies. I’ve also seen the wool pulled over the eyes of many an enthusiastic and trusting client who buys into impressive terminology over complicated data or a lack of it, and just wants to be part of the ‘agency of the day’s client roster’. All too often PR loses out, because people don’t understand what we can do, how we do it and why it works. And most importantly, that PR/Comms’s leadership must be at the top table and that all output from a business needs to be joined up to really deliver the impact and return on investment from the budget. This doesn’t happen often because the agencies are vying for budget and too focused on how to meet their own targets rather than the client’s, and so everyone has their own agenda rather than the client’s front of mind. It’s the way our business institutions are all focused on hitting a financial target that perpetuates the profit driven way the world continues to turn. Unless of course you are a B Corp business that focuses on the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit and through which, a fairer, kinder world is being created.

On the other side, then I’ve also seen leaders who know and understand what, when and how to use PR and comms to amplify, expand and reinforce a message, product, or service and who as a result win time and time again. Just as many don’t know what to expect, ask for, or where to invest and as a result they leave their PR experience disappointed.

My position, learned through experience, is that it’s only when objectives are clearly agreed, expectations are communicated transparently, and issues are ironed out quickly, that success be achieved. Briefing a PR & Comms agency to deliver sales and measuring outcomes only as such, is never an achievable brief.

Whereas….’Help us build awareness, help us grow traffic to the website, help us build our social media engagement, help us get in front of potential investors, help us create an unmissable launch, help us build credibility, or help us change behaviour", are all stronger and more exact briefs.

Generating the results you need won’t come from column inches alone. It will come from identifying the problem you face, creating solutions to overcome the challenge, and then setting a strategy to make the change.

So, if all you ask for is exposure or links, then it’s unlikely that you will achieve the success you want from a campaign. Without a full understanding of what result you want to see from your communications budget and investment, sadly you are likely to fail.

PR & Comms is so much more than exposure and content. A great Comms team will deliver insightful solutions to the problems you have and work creatively in a way that will deliver the results you seek.

And just as important the question you need to agree is “What does success look like?”

For a PR and comms team, if you know you can’t achieve the target result you’ve been set, then the client must be made to know this, and know why and of course alternatively how you might solve and achieve the result they want.

As many businesses are now facing difficult crunch decisions due to increased tax bills and cost of living, then budgets are once again under scrutiny and for sure the PR investment will come under discussion.

How would I describe PR and where do I think it should sit in a business?

• Like any business function, Comms & PR needs to change as a business develops and grows. It has different uses at different business stages and should always be present but never an afterthought!

• PR and Comms is multi-faceted. It embraces and incorporates a cross functionality in business that engages with all areas and levels of a business’s operations.

• It can’t be siloed and should have a seat/representation at board level to help shape decision making.

• It’s the heartbeat, and sometimes the glue, of a good business that is working hard daily to improve its product, attract the right people, deliver memorable customer service, and communicate effectively with important audiences.

• It’s the voice and conscience of your business decisions and the broadcast channel for business.

Great PR is about a consistent tone of voice, an authentic drum beat and news feed for your business journey that engages your people in the right way.

Whatever level of Comms & PR machine you employ, it’s one that should be working in step with your business plan and your brand voice. It should talk to your audience in the right way and in a way that your people have come to expect from you.

And no, AI cannot yet deliver what we deliver and cover!

Where should PR Comms advise?

• Brand & Company messaging

  • PR/Comms should set the message in a way that reflects the brand and will engage. Whilst the core messaging should be consistent, the way you engage with your different audiences is important. PR can help guide the timing of communications, and the order of comms, as well as lead on developing the message and then translating what you need to say, identifying the right channel to deliver the communication and helping create the content to deliver that message.

    
    

• Internal Communications

  • Alongside HR, Legal and leadership, Comms and PR are essential partners – especially when it comes to less good news.

  • The people that work for you are your most important and valuable audience. They are each an ambassador for your business and initiatives and should always be treated as the first audience to consider in all decision making.

  • Careful consideration and planning are required depending on the type, topic, and impact of any strategic decisions about the direction of the business or the potential impact of job security and future employment contracts.

    
    

• Investor, Corporate Reputation, and Stakeholder Comms

  • Comms & PR, alongside senior leadership, financial and legal, are imperative partners when it comes to setting a comms strategy in this space.

  • These are critical audiences to bring with you on any journey and there are protocols and legal policies of investor relations which are especially important to follow.

    
    

• Sector & B2B Communications

  • In line with sales, operations and sometimes procurement, PR & Comms has an important role to play here and is key for many sectors. Leaders often overlook this area of PR and suffer later.

  • Influencing the sector’s important communities by engaging, educating, understanding and profiling, is essential.

  • Good PR & Comms can build credibility, authority, and an ambition amongst other leaders, investors, and opinion formers.

    
    

• Consumer Communication

  • Successful collaboration and alignment with marketing is key to success in this area.

  • It’s here that your business can measure hard data and results.

  • Measurable outputs for PR& Comms can be traffic to a website, data capture and product trial.

  • Key activity here is around building awareness, driving exposure, increasing engagement, effective messaging, and joining up activity and timing to maximise impact.

    
    

• Crisis And Issues Management

  • PR & Comms should have clear leadership authority and procedural processes in place to be able to agree, prepare and respond to issues and events that impact the business.

  • Issues monitoring is a necessary must for any PR & Comms team. It helps the organisation to be prepared for the flack when an issue hits or accelerates to become a crisis.

  • Key within this is of course to ensure alignment across all areas of the business. A rehearsed strategy and process is an essential regular exercise for larger businesses, but even for small operations, knowing in advance what you will do when impacted is important. Scenario planning, media training and crisis planning should be an agenda item for board meetings at least twice annually.

  • At time of crisis PR & Comms should lead a constant risk review with a radar for potential issues impacting suppliers, media and social media. It’s their role to manage and provide the flow of holding statements or set of statements that may be required.

    
    

If you’d like to talk to a seasoned expert about how best to embrace PR & Comms for your business, please give me a shout. I remain a passionate believer in how strong, confident, and authentic communications with a compelling narrative can take a business to new places.

Good communications can drive customer interest and engagement, build brand awareness, influence ambassadors, drive traffic to your website and social channels, fan interest from suppliers, investors, and talent alike, and ultimately improve the bottom line.

I love nothing more than helping a business succeed.