Public relations is not just another box to be ticked

Creativity is not a prerogative of your ad agency only. Think of inviting your PR team to the first brainstorm for a campaign that you are organising with your creative team.

Afew days ago, I was watching an interview of a young mathematician who teaches at Harvard. When asked why most people get cold feet at the idea of learning mathematics, he said that’s because they have never been told what mathematics can do for them in their everyday life. They look at it as a chore.

That response stayed with me. Not because I am great at math. No sir, I’m very much part of the cold feet club, but I could relate to the bit about looking at something with immense benefit as a chore.

Public relations (PR) is one such discipline whose potential remains largely unexplored in the Middle East. In most organisations, PR is managed by the marketing team who view this function as a tick box item on the list of things they need to do.

Why do you want to hire a communications firm? To be seen in the press’ for media to write good things about us, etc., etc. Sound familiar?

PR is not about getting free coverage; it is about how a company talks to its clients, customers and its people. Press coverage is a means to achieve an objective, it’s not the end result. Ad hoc media visibility can in fact be counterproductive.

The new year has just rolled in and this is a great time for the regions’ marketers to re-evaluate their approach towards PR. Here are some tips to get you started:

* Your story - the credible way

Look at PR as a tool to create well thought out structured stories that clearly articulate a company’s vision; elaborate a government’s agenda; applaud a sportspersons’ achievement or even kickstart a movement. Stories that resonate with people and help bring real change.

* Set the agenda - stay consistent

Work on giving a precise brief. Agree on the objectives and the measurement parameters. Remember, an objective of securing 100 media stories in six months is a tactical objective with little strategic importance.

* Consistency is key

No matter how brilliant your PR team is, in the absence of a sustained programme, you will always be dissatisfied with the results. Short term approach = short term benefits.

* Ignore AVE’s

For some reason Advertising Value Equivalents (AVE) refuse to go extinct. Do not judge the success of your PR efforts by looking at this worthless multimillion dollar figure. Think more tangible and specific objectives as the reason to exercise PR.

Think sales, think engagement, think reputation and above all think about creating a bond with your audience.

Yes, we understand that you have to show RoI (return on investment) internally, but it is about time that a case was built to prove to the internal audience that PR success should not be measured with AVEs.

So, what can PR success be measured with? Remember the agenda? Challenge your team by setting strategic objectives.

Start by sharing with them your own mandate. Can you help us engage with the community in which we operate? What can we do to be perceived as an employer of choice? How can our technology be presented as being relevant for everybody?

* Social dialogue

I am claiming no prize for stating that establishing presence on one or some of the social channels is imperative in today’s day and age. The important thing to understand is that with a sustained social programme, your PR outreach can now deliver tangible results that will beat any AVE figure hands down.

Our PR outreach this quarter got us half a million dollars’ worth of coverage. Or, this quarter, our PR outreach enabled us to engage one-to-one with 3,000 new customers, seven key regional stakeholders and two educational institutions. What will be your pick?

* Creative idea

Look at the PR function as the initiator of a creative idea. Creativity is not a prerogative of your ad agency only. Think of inviting your PR team to the first brainstorm for a campaign that you are organising with your creative team. Campaigns developed by PR firms are getting global recognition.

So, in 2016, when you are drafting an RFP to hire a firm or looking to fill an inhouse PR position, ask yourself, ‘What do you want PR to do for you?’

The writer is Group Director at GolinMENA.