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The how-to-do-it e-newsletter for PR and marketing
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Doing PR when the going gets tough…
There’s an old saying: when the going gets tough the tough get going. Of course, we can all think of lots of cases in our working lives when they didn’t. But, perhaps, they weren’t tough, so they didn’t count.
What I’m getting round to here is that the age of austerity, which the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, ushered in with his first budget, ought to be a challenge for the best PR professionals.
The land flowing with milk and honey may have been put on hold for the next five years, but that doesn’t mean that PR won’t have a big role to play in business. In some cases, business may even turn to PR more to provide more marketing bangs for their depleted bucks. Especially when PR pros have sharpened their skills to take account of the new climate.
Anyway, we shall keep a beady eye on how events develop and keep you informed of what seem to be key trends. PRs who are good at thinking of new ideas will be at a premium. For starters, how about thinking of some good story ideas which work in the age of austerity. We’ve come up with 10 ideas below which you can put to use in your own or your clients’ organisations.
Chris Youett is a freelance journalist I’ve known for many years. He’s the kind of newshound who can sniff out a story in the blandest press release. In this month’s “Five minutes with” slot, he says that he sometimes encounters PR people who haven’t spotted the real news point of their story.
It’s an issue I’ve come across, too. The classic example was when I got a press release from a FTSE 100 company at the start of the recession. It was all about the firm hiring a new recruitment consultancy. (Yawn.) Buried in the last paragraph was the fact that the company planned to hire 600 graduates in the coming year. (Say that again!) And this at a time when hiring stories were making the lead in TV news bulletins. Anyway, Chris has some advice for PR people who have to pitch stories to journalists.
Of course, there are plenty of good news PR stories around, even in this age of austerity. Ian Bradley, a director at Travel PR, has a great case study – how he placed coverage at short notice in the teeth of competition in two nationals – and reaped tens of thousands of pounds of new business for his cruise company client.
And don’t forget: if you’ve got a success story you feel that others should know about, get in touch. In the meantime, enjoy the summer. (While it lasts!)
Peter Bartram
Editor
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10 PR ideas that work in the age of austerity
Peter Bartram argues that the “age of austerity” offers PR professionals a whole new basket of PR opportunities
The coalition government’s first budget signalled an age of austerity – with spending cuts and tax rises. It’s not good news. But that doesn’t mean that all PR has to be bad news. You can generate some good media coverage for your organisation or your clients if you think of stories which exploit the austerity theme.
1. Pick a bargain. A bigger part of people’s lifestyle in the age of austerity is going to be using bargain products and services. So if your firm’s (or client’s) products have a value-for-money angle, now is the time to promote it. But, remember, that a press release must have a real news angle and be more than a thinly disguised advertisement. Look for examples of real-life cost savings to mention in the release – for journalists an ounce of fact is worth a tonne of theory.
2. Austerity lifestyles. When cash is short, everybody has to cut back. So releases on how to do so – whether for individuals or companies – often grab coverage. Focus on the lifestyle pages of newspapers and magazines. Try to build the PR round real examples of people who’ve developed a back-to-basics lifestyle. Or companies that have found novel ways to save money while boosting quality of service.
3. Do it yourself. When budgets are squeezed, people look to do more things themselves – whether that’s decorating their home, servicing the car or cooking meals more cheaply. So develop ideas around these and similar themes. Again, look for lifestyle pages which carry these kinds of practical pieces.
4. Cut-back advice. Just as people want to know what’s going to happen next, they’re also hungry for people with specialist knowledge that throws light on confusing situations. So there are plenty of opportunities for relevant experts to comment on future trends in housing, jobs, the pound, the euro, travel and a dozen or more other stories in austerity Britain. Journalists favour experts who can translate complex ideas into simple quotable English.
5. Run a survey. When the world moves into unknown territory – as it’s done with the age of austerity – people like to know how similar folk are coping. So survey and trend releases work well. But focus the surveys on issues that genuinely concern people. Journalists are flooded with survey stories – and many of them are simply not newsworthy. See the June issue of PR Success Monthly for a case study on how to run a PR-worthy survey.
6. Make more money. In times of austerity, everybody wants to make a bit more money. So releases with solid stories about how to do so (legally) can catch the eye of both lifestyle and personal finance section editors. Again, examples of people who’ve done it are often the clincher when editors decide.
7. Showcase achievements. Because news is “what’s different”, companies that do badly in good times get headlines but companies that do well in bad times can, more positively, score. Now is the time to shout real achievements from the rooftops (or preferably from a well-crafted press release). But make sure that they are real achievements and that they stand up to scrutiny from cynical journalists.
8. Against the tide. Similarly, in an age of austerity, organisations which swim against the tide – defy trends – often get media coverage because (as mentioned) what’s different is news. So companies that are doing anything that shows they’re thriving despite the cutbacks and tax rises could make a good story.
9. Gissa job! In the age of austerity there will be plenty of stories about job losses. If your organisation (or client) is hiring, you’re sitting on a good news story which could win coverage, depending on the scale of the hirings. Even a company hiring a handful of workers could get coverage in local or regional media, especially in an area of rising of unemployment.
10. Have fun. Even an age of austerity doesn’t need to be all gloom. As the cutbacks and tax rises bite, people will be looking for things to cheer them up. So think about good news stunts or ways in which your organisation (or clients) can help charities while having fun. Good cause sponsorship could make good news.
Tough times need better PR. The Perfect Public Relations Masterclass in London on 26th October is for PR pros who want to sharpen their skills in the age of austerity. The practical course uses lectures, discussions and workshop sessions to show how you can get better results from PR campaigns that deliver real business benefit. See more at www.perfectpublicrelations.co.uk.
Five minutes with… Chris Youett
Chris Youett (chris_youett@yahoo.co.uk) is a leading authority on IT and its uses in business. He has edited or relaunched a number of titles – and is good at stopping circulation decline
1. What I want from PR people…
… is good service, responsiveness, being able to think like busy journalists (eg never ring up five minutes before a deadline unless it is an earth-shattering story), having pix and diagrams in the format that the commissioning editor wants, always returning calls promptly, and making the relationship as painless as possible. In return, you are more likely to get my undivided attention and more likely to see the story in print.
2. The best way to get my attention…
… is to be honest and straight to the point. Most journalists are grossly over-worked, so can’t spend the amount of time they would like to listening to their PR colleagues. I don’t have any problem, either, meeting PR account execs and their clients for informal drinks as long as this is made clear.
3. But please don’t…
… chase the rabbit in and out of every burrow, offer facility trips that aren’t likely to generate any copy, dangle invites to sports or social functions which I can’t stand (eg seeing a professional soccer match, rounds of golf or going to over-hyped restaurants in London and the Home Counties). Please remember that one of the first things a journalist learns the hard way is never to eat or drink anything which might make him or her ill. If I am off sick, I can’t speak to you or your clients!
4. When pitching a story to me…
… be truthful and to the point. If you have had difficulty placing the story, it could be that you have been approaching the wrong titles or haven’t spotted the real news point. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you tell me. I am usually very good at spotting a better news angle if there is one.
5. If you’re sending a press release…
… please check what format the journalist wants it in. I prefer hard copy printed using 14 or 16 point typeface in something like Times New Roman. This is because it takes between 50 and 100 per cent longer to read anything on screen. This is something management consultants and the military have known about for over 30 years. Most journalists haven’t got time to read even half their e-mails, so if you are sending it over the anoraknet, keep it very brief and have a link to an in-depth version. Make sure that all press releases are written in Queen’s English, not American!
6. The most successful PR people…
… tend to be good journalists, although there are plenty who are ex-technicians. I have even met the odd ex-salesman who is a good PR exec. What they all have in common is that they understand the pressures that over-worked and underpaid journalists are under – and try to make our lives easier, not more difficult.
Pitch perfect! The Perfect Pitch Masterclass in London on July 15th is an intensive half-day session which shows you how to pitch ideas to journalists successfully by e-mail or telephone. See full details and book online at www.perfectpitchmasterclass.co.uk.
How PR pushed a package deal
Ian Bradley, a director of Travel PR, which represents around 30 travel companies, tells how a last minute PR push with two nationals netted £80,000 of sales for one of its clients
Explore, a leading adventure travel brand and one of our long-standing clients, wanted us to secure instant press coverage for a number of special offers it received from its Arctic cruise supplier. But there was no special budget for the project as it fell within the scope of our day-to-day PR remit.
I immediately realised there were at least two problems we needed to overcome. Both required a swift response. First, a number of Explore’s competitors also use the same supplier. So they had access to the same special offers and would be competing for similar press coverage. Secondly, I received the information about these deals on a Wednesday. But most national travel sections, which cover special deals, are readied for publication earlier in the week.
As other adventure companies had the same offers, it became a matter of speedily packaging the offers attractively and identifying and targeting the most relevant titles. I was aware of at least one other PR company that was also putting together ideas to submit to travel editors. So I carefully chose a selection of national newspaper titles that had proven successful in the past for adventurous type deals.
Adventurous cruises have no real natural home for last minute coverage - it falls between cruise enthusiasts after a larger vessel in the Mediterranean or Caribbean and adventure travellers who typically want ground-based tours. I was confident that the strength of the offers would prove attractive despite sending the deals later than normally in the week. I just went with a succinct, non-embellished intro and highlighted the savings. Brevity and visual appeal often help your cause in getting coverage for holiday deals that tempt travellers to pick up the phone and book.
I had an immediate response from The Sunday Times which was keen to use the offer as its “deal of the week”. The Telegraph Online also contacted me to say it would use it as one of its “deals of the week”. That was great as both titles were at the top of our wish list. Within three days, Explore had taken £30,000 worth of bookings and after 10 days, £80,000, a significant return.
As a courtesy, we always feel it’s important to thank journalists for coverage. They appreciate being told when their editorial brings in business for companies they mention.
Explore was understandably delighted. The company typically secures healthy national mentions each weekend, which assist with overall brand impact, but it is unusual to have such an immediate tangible effect. Paul Bondsfield, the PR and partnerships manager at Explore, says: “This goes to prove the old maxim, the right product at the right price at the right time in the right place will pay dividends every time. The power of a PR’d offer picked up as editorial is that the reader buys into it more readily, perhaps, than if the same offer is simply advertised by the company.”
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Contents
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Diary dates:
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It’s easy to book: just click on the title of the course you want to attend.
Perfect Pitch Masterclass, London. Thursday 15th July.
How to devise article and interview pitches that journalists really want to hear. £195+VAT.
"This is the first course I've been on that has answered my need for a clear, concise 'rule book'. I think the checklists are great." - Rebecca Hirst, PR & communications executive, First Direct.
Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass, London. Wednesday 22nd September.
How PR and marketing consultancies can improve pitches to win more business. £245+VAT.
"What a great session - packed full of useful information and tips for success. Comprehensive content, including strategy and delivery, plus the chance to discuss specific issues and challenges in detail with a superb and highly experienced PR professional. We can't recommend this course highly enough. Thank you!" - Clare Elsley, director, Campus PR How to do Your Own PR . Brighton. Wednesday 29th September.
Create a workable PR plan for your organisation in an afternoon. £195+VAT.
New course for small and medium-sized oprganisations that want to gain more media coverage – but have limited budget and time for PR work. In association with the Sussex Business Times.
Writing for Publication Masterclass, London. Thursday 14th October.
How to write news stories and feature articles that editors want to publish. £195+VAT
“I write for a wide variety of reasons as part of my work as a campaigner in the voluntary sector. This includes articles for internal and external publications, web content, promotional materials and information sheets. I found Peter’s straightforward and practical approach to writing very useful, the background materials have helped me greatly since the training day, and Peter’s offer of feedback on a piece of writing was invaluable. Thank you for a great course!” - Lee Webster, senior campaigns officer, Leonard Cheshire Disability Perfect Public Relations Masterclass, London, Tuesday 26th October.
Key skills for winning press, broadcast and online PR coverage that deliver more business value. £395+VAT.
"I wanted to e-mail and say thank you very much to you and Lizz for the inspirational course last Friday. It was really helpful and positive, I appreciated the ‘can do’ approach, and the books will no doubt be of great use in the months to come." - Bryony Hitchcock, marketing co-ordinator, Evolving Systems Ltd Perfect Brainstorming Masterclass . London. Thursday 11th November.
Expert help to brainstorm great new campaigns, pitch winning ideas or inject new life into familiar work. £195+VAT.
An intensive workshop which shows you how to run brainstorm sessions to generate new ideas and when to - and when not to – brainstorm. The course is based on experience of over 2,000 brainstorm and creativity sessions. The brainstorm course is followed by a distance learning exercise in which you have an opportunity to share the outputs from your next brainstorming session and have it critiqued by e-mail.
Perfect Online PR Masterclass, London, Thursday 25th November.
How to use new media to get your organisation’s PR message in front of the people who matter. £395+VAT. “I just wanted to say I thought the course was extremely useful and it's made things a lot clearer in terms of how to apply online disciplines to PR. Both Jo and Keren were very good at explaining things through." - Sananur Meric, Adams Creative
Perfect Press Release Masterclass, London. Thursday 9th December.
A journalist’s eye view on how to write releases that make it into print.
£195+VAT "Thank you so much! I walked away feeling much more confident and I look forward to putting my training to the test." - Jenny Hogan, press officer, Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward.
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Worth knowing:
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Win that biz!
If you’re making a new business presentation here are five key points to bear in mind.
1. If it’s to be a team presentation, select your team members carefully to provide a good mix of talent and individuality, so that each person can contribute something fresh to hold audience interest.
2. If a team is to give the presentation, rehearse it together so that it runs smoothly without hesitation or confusion over individual roles.
3. Check out your prospect's team: how many will be there, what are their roles, what will they expect, how big is the room? This information enables you to tailor your pitch more effectively.
4. Highlight the benefits of each part of your proposal as soon as you can. It's known by some experts as "putting the headline upfront" - people are more interested in the outcome than in the process.
5. Ask yourself what your questions would be if you were on the other side, including those you would least like to hear.
Win more business: The Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass in London on Wednesday 22nd September is a half-day event designed to help PR agencies win new accounts. More details and online booking at www.perfectproposals.co.uk.
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