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Strategic PR: The Right Firm and Strategy for Your Business

Public Relations tactics are key for all business operations, but different operational characteristics call for different PR strategies. Is your company a start-up or has it been well-established in its market for years? Do you conduct operations in a business-to-business market or a consumer market? Regardless of which categories a business belongs to, a firm should never underestimate the potential added value of an innovative PR approach.

“Good PR can put you ahead of the pack.”




This article will cover:

• Choosing the right firm for your individual needs: Start-up vs. Established business approach
• Specific strategy for B2B markets

Choosing the Right PR Firm

Deciding which PR firm will work best for your company may be tricky, but making the correct choice can be invaluable. The first aspect of any potential PR firm that needs to be addressed is the size of the firm relative to yours. Melanie Rembrandt, owner of Rembrandt Communications, emphasizes that a small start-up should conduct extensive research into several firms and interview as many of them as possible to get a few ideas concerning how these different firms operate.

“A small business owner should look into hiring an individual expert or small firm to get the best results as cost-effectively as possible,” says Rembrandt. Since most start-ups don’t have a mountain of cash to throw at PR, this approach could likely provide your business the individual attention necessary to obtaining the early exposure that every small business owner needs and wants.

“Soon that mountain of money could be yours!”

If the same owner decides to approach a major PR firm with the same needs, it is likely that the relatively small account would not be given the priority that the owner desires. As you’re doing your research, there are specific questions Rembrandt suggests asking the firm in your process.

Rembrandt’s 7 Point Checklist: Hiring a PR Specialist

1. Whom will I be working with, and how much experience do they have? Will more than one person be helping me, or will I have one central point of contact?
2. How can you increase awareness of my small business and reach my specific goals? How long do you think it will be before I see results?
3. What services are included in your fees?
4. Do you have references I can contact?
5. Do you provide any guarantees or discounts?
6. Why should I use you instead of another organization?
7. How do your contracts usually work? Is there a trial period before making an actual commitment? Will I be able to end our contract if I’m not happy with your services?

A larger, well-established firm typically has more funding for a PR campaign and may also operate it in-house. If management decides to outsource to an external PR firm, the decision-making process involved in choosing the correct firm is extremely important. The larger firm should conduct extensive research into PR tactics and decide which aspects of these strategies could fit into their own, which to leave out, and what tactics competitors might be overlooking.

Interviews should still be conducted to determine fit between the the PR firms in question and the business that is outsourcing; naturally, these interviews should be directed towards larger firms that can handle the magnitude of business demands coming from the larger firm. Guidelines for strategic PR in the Big Business realm are more vague than for start-up companies because the local publicity on which a start-up thrives has little effect on a multi-billion dollar corporation.

Another barrier between Big Business and a formulaic PR approach is the vast differentiation across markets; some strategies that work well for selling Sony LCD TVs would likely fail if applied by American Standard to the toilet market. Larger companies therefore must conduct their own research, and possibly hire consultants, before signing a contract with a PR firm. Above all, the goal is to pick the PR firm that seems to have the most potential, or a solid historical record, of discovering novel ideas for drumming up attention in their target markets.

PR Strategy: B2B Markets

PR tactics are also different depending on the target market. A start-up attempting to gain recognition from millions of consumers needs to figure out how to obtain that publicity without dropping too much on costly advertisements. By contrast, a company catering to other businesses’ needs to discover means to avoid spending an exorbitant amount on tools to reach distributors, resellers, telemarketers, etc. According to Laurie Storey-Manseau, president of StoreyManseau PR firm, no matter what target market you are shooting for, good PR can save money and often be far more credible than advertisements.

“Who doesn’t want to cut costs?”

If you are a B2B firm, then it is very important to position yourself as an expert in your field of business. “Contributing articles to relevant trade or consumer publications and at trade shows and conferences is a terrific way to get known,” Manseau advises. Many B2B firms also need marketing services, and many PR firms are taking this to heart, providing a blend of services to satisfy a client’s needs. They not only help a client get publicity in the media, but often help the business find out where it fits in the industry.

Manseau suggests “a blend of simple, effective old-school PR and marketing techniques, leveraged by today’s technology.” She emphasizes the need to never miss an opportunity to get email addresses at trade shows and conferences, as they provide an inexpensive and effective way to use the internet for marketing purposes. Many editors and reporters are also becoming inclined to prefer email as a way to receive pitches because of the non-invasive style of electronic communication. This blend of marketing and public relations techniques provide ample opportunity for a B2B firm to find that great PR firm that asks the invaluable question: “What’s different about you? And whom are you trying to reach?”

Whether you’re a small start-up, a well-established corporation, or you operate in a business-to-business market, you need to tailor your PR campaign to the specific needs of your campaign. While there are no hard and fast rules for every situation, these tips should help orient you as you decide on the best course to pursue in public relations.

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