Collaboration, content and communication: Let your PR agency in!
As Henry Ford famously said: “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
This applies to the world of PR and social media today as much as it did to the manufacturing environment in the early 20th Century; the best campaigns are a result of close collaboration and shared objectives.
Today’s best marketing campaigns combine the efforts and skills of many groups, including PR, social, events and advertising. Content generation sits at the heart of all these.
Yet in order to achieve the common goals of increased thought
leadership, brand awareness, customer loyalty and lead generation, the content needs to resonate with your target audiences. There must be a clear differential message and a strong call to action, delivered in a considered, consistent and non-salesy manner. It is simply no longer good enough to talk at your audience; engagement is key.
And this is where a shared understanding between the client and PR of what the business objectives are becomes invaluable; whether you’re an owner-managed SME with growth aspirations, or an international market leader looking to drive innovation, the content generated must be aligned with the business’ strategic objectives and core messages.
So why is PR such a strong candidate for leading this collaborative approach?
1. Strategic message development
We often find that many of our clients don’t believe they have strong opinions until the kick off meeting. Suddenly, a seemingly straightforward 3-hour session talking about the business’ value proposition can uncover campaigns and ideas that have had a dramatic impact on the way in which a company positions itself.
2. Evolving messaging
Taking a quarterly approach to thought leadership content generation as part of the PR campaign allows for a regular review of the strategic messaging to continue high levels of engagement with your audiences.
3. Independent endorsement
Not only can it help you collaborate with your clients and bring your strategic messages to market through well-written press releases and case studies, it also drives engagement with journalists, bloggers and other influencers as part of your wider communication strategy.
Bringing your PR team ‘inside’ the business, sharing the vision and collaborating on the strategic messages sits at the core of a successful campaign that generates content that supports sales, marketing, and customer loyalty.
To conclude with another quote from Mr Ford: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
Find out how we can help you with your PR strategy by calling +44 (0) 1296 733 867 or emailing prworks@neopr.o.uk.
