PR - Is it worth it?

PR – Is it worth it?

 In today’s' markets we are bombarded with clever advertising, all forms of communication that seemingly target us from each and every angle.

It is increasingly difficult to reach your target customers as they struggle with their growing workloads and the pressures of modern living.

Communicate with them however you must; traditional advertising can be expensive and many companies find that response rates are very low.

Additionally response rates from direct mail continue to decline, a decline aided by the massive rise in environmental issues.

The web offers us the best opportunity to interact with our existing and potential clients. Those clients must find you first however which is why Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) have become critical issues.

It helps if your client is aware of your Company. That way a general or specific name search is more likely to result in them finding their way to your site.

One way to build awareness is by regular communication with the media most likely to be read by your target market. That means regular editorials to national and regional newspapers, trade press and local magazines etc.

Publication to ‘traditional media’ however should be considered as only stage 1. There are a host of internet sites, forums and blogs that will also accept your editorial. These can be posted free of charge and should include a hyperlink out to your site. Search engine rankings will improve when relevant hyperlinks both in and out of your website are detected.
Such editorials will remain accessible within the world wide web long after traditional paper publications have hit the recycling.

Research has proven that when read this information is considered more credible than classic advertising and is printed at a fraction of the cost. These communications provide not only a direct response mechanism but facilitate the building of your brand and service in the mindset of the target.

PR is not new but that does not mean that it should be discarded when considering marketing plans. It can prove a valuable marketing tool particularly when trying to create awareness in the local market or change a Companies perception.

Read on to the following Lilac James PR case study or access: www.lilacjames.com/public_relations.html

Nilfisk in the UK 

Nilfisk Advance is international Danish Company now present in 41 countries worldwide. Nilfisk has manufactured professional cleaning equipment for over 100 years and has seen many changes both to product line and markets.

Traditionally Nilfisk was known for its' early vacuum cleaners, launching the original 'Silent Dane' in 1906.

Like many companies however it struggled in recent years to change its' perception within traditional markets. Many existing and potential clients still thought of them as solely a vacuum cleaner supplier. Products such as scrubber dryers and sweepers were often considered as strength of their competitors. Nilfisks objective in the UK was to achieve a status as a 'one stop shop' for large national account clients.

As part of their marketing plan Nilfisk embarked on a sustained PR programme to all relevant trade media. 2 press releases or editorials were released each month. Initially these were focused on either product launches of relevant machines or case studies that incorporated a range of equipment being used on interesting or challenging sites. All press releases were accompanied by a colour picture and were consistently followed up with the target media. Establishing relationships with editorial staff on target publications enabled Nilfisk to submit 'features' relevant to media topics. It also meant that press releases could be expanded to explorative markets such as road sweeping and food retail press.

Nilfisk succeeded in securing over 150 press clippings per annum covering approximately 4000 single column cm (scc) in media coverage. The total PR campaign cost was less than half of the cost of an advertising campaign to secure such space. More importantly however consistent PR assisted in changing the markets' perception of both Nilfisk and the product range it had to offer. Over a 4 year period the Floor Care Division saw almost 50% top line growth with National Account sales accounting for more than 65% of all direct sales.

Ben Quirk, Marketing Manager for Nilfisk in the UK commented; 'Our sustained PR program was both cost effective and successful. '

For more information on Nilfisk see www.nilfisk.co.uk

Sincerely,

 
Karen James
Lilac James Co. Ltd