So you want some ‘Big PR’…
What does ‘big PR’ typically mean here in the Middle East, and what should it mean? Where should our industry be heading, asks Sconaid McGeachin
What does ‘big PR’ typically mean here in the Middle East, and what should it mean? Where should our industry be heading?
We get requests all the time from across the region for help with ‘big PR’ – a big media splash for this or a big media splash for that. But what does it mean, and should it mean something else?
At the moment it means, more often than not, the distribution of a press release and securing coverage in Arabic titles of a photo of a CEO shaking hands with a new business partner or acquaintance, signing a new deal or attending a key event. We see this request time and time again. But does this sort of coverage really tell the story of that company and what it’s all about? Does it really engage and connect that company with its key target audiences and ultimately build a strong reputation and bottom line?
I truly believe we can deliver the excitement and impact companies need, but I also believe that ‘ big PR’ must mean something very new as we look ahead.
BIG PR NEEDS REAL MEASURABLE IMPACT
PR across the Middle East is still regarded by the majority as tactical media relations and unfortunately tracking that outreach continues to use outdated modes of measurement such as AVE’s. There is an over reliance on AVE’s in this part of the world to determine PR success and even if Communication Managers themselves recognise this, their management often don’t, perhaps because historically PR companies have never offered meaningful other measurements of business impact. So the request still comes through. But there is so much more to successful PR – or rather communications – than press releases, images of people shaking hands and AVEs. And this is something we advise our clients on all over the region and indeed work to help them optimise their communications and build business value.
So what should companies be doing instead of this and what should we be doing to move the industry as a whole forward? What needs to happen to really change our industry in the Middle East and align it more with other markets around the world?
HIT THE RIGHT AUDIENCES… HARD
Companies need to consider more who it is that they actually want to talk to. In today’s connected and digital world it is the public that is increasingly defining a company’s reputation – not the media. The power over the narrative has changed and people today have more direct influence – through social media and websites like TripAdvisor – so consumers are hearing about a company or organisation from other consumers and third parties and not just from carefully crafted brand mes- sages in the newspaper. This increased dialogue and exposure means it is more vital than ever to communicate. You need to embrace the public’s role in building reputation - and all your stakeholders for that matter - by involving them and making sure they know your story.
And you need to tell your story across all platforms, not just through the media or a billboard ad, and tailor your message to all your specific audiences. Different stakeholder groups require different information from you so it is important to fully understand what they need – and excite them too with the content you provide. A systematic, measurable and creative approach to communicating and engaging with all stakeholders is needed today.
Successful companies going forwards will be those that use their PR and communications teams to fully engage all their stakeholders as part of their everyday communications. They will clearly know who their relevant audiences are and have established and be managing relationships with them to discuss, inform and advance issues that shape their reputation. And by doing this they will greatly improve what the world outside thinks and says about them.
In short, proper stakeholder engagement is the foundation of a company’s reputation and what ‘big PR’ today is really all about. So analysing your complex network – from employees, to customers, to suppliers, to competitors, to critics, to media reporters, to overseeing authorities – and then setting up a fully-integrated communications ‘campaign’ involving conversations and information exchanges with them all to enhance transparency, understanding and trust.
One group of stakeholders that is often massively overlooked in a communications campaign is a company’s own employees – with external groups given precedence over internal. But this group – your biggest asset – should be where your communications campaign begins. They are the face of your company, interacting with your customers, suppliers, critics, authorities on your behalf. So it is fundamental that they understand where the company is headed and that they feel engaged and excited about what the company is doing and achieving. And people want to work for a company that makes them feel engaged and valued.
BIG IMPACT NEEDS REAL CREATIVITY
Creativity in the way you communicate with each stakeholder is crucial to make you stand out from the crowd. Adjusting to the evere v ol v i ng world of communications – by bringing the ability to communicate well and connect at all the right levels – is a skill we can all benefit from and one we continually need to work at. And for this we need a different pool of talent in our industry and we need to educate our clients that so much more can be achieved.
We need to bring in people who aren’t just good writers but are creative in the way they create and package content and tell stories. We need that talent to really champion the wider change that needs to happen. And we also need to educate our own audiences and stakeholders too. All too often communications people aren’t good at doing their own communications but this today is more crucial than ever. Fantastic creative ‘big PR’ campaigns need to be showcased to help excite and advance the industry as a whole. This is happening but it needs to be happening faster.
So the days of ‘big PR’ relying only on a press release or even a press conference are over. PR – or rather ‘communications’ – is so much more than this. The ‘big PR’ of today has the potential to engage stakeholders with creative campaigns to provide actual and measurable business impact. And I for one am excited to get the next ‘big’ brief.