How can you use public relations to build brand loyalty?

Yes to tell your brand story through PR, but PR is more than storytelling. PR is building a relationship, a genuine relationship with relevant media friends and strengthening the bond between yourself, the brand and the media.. Keep it simple and authentic.

- Establish consistent and positive brand messaging through strategic engagement campaigns, reinforcing brand values and fostering trust. - Connect with influencers- not just media- to showcase customer testimonials and success stories, enhancing credibility and resonating with your target audience. - Engage in community involvement and CSR initiatives, aligning the brand with societal values and demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility through PR efforts.

The biggest challenge in the past years, is how to create your own audience. Not to dive in the ocean, create the ocean. That has shown as more effective brand building, then to follow trends and the audience.

PR is a powerful tool to foster long-term brand loyalty, which can be done in several ways; ??Storytelling: Compellling stories about brand, its values and impact resonate with consumers on an emotional level ??Reputation management: Maintaining a positive public image enhances trust and credibility ??Customer engagement: Social media, press releases and events can engage customers directly, provide opportunities for two-way communication and relationship building ??Crisis management: Effective PR can navigate and mitigate crises, showing customers that the brand takes responsibility and prioritizes their well-being ?? Consistency: Consistent messaging and branding across PR efforts and other marketing channels

Yes. What better way? Be clear about your values. Act according to them! Make your track record known. Stick to your values. Repeat! That’s what the Red Cross / Red Crescent has been doing for the past 160 years.

In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, PR and communications were moving at hyperspeed. The public needed accurate information, yesterday. What I learned then was that a basic question for any professional services firm, "How can we help?" was more critical than ever. Thinking about how your company can help in times of crisis is one of the best ways to build trust. It also builds engagement, because if you offer insights and advice that are actionable, people interact, share, and use what you've offered. That's the best way to build trust through communications and PR.

It involves creating meaningful interactions and connections with your target audience to build trust, foster positive relationships, and keep them engaged with your brand. Maintaining a consistent brand voice and tone in all your communications. Sharing authentic and relatable stories that connect and help humanize your brand and making it more relatable. It is an ongoing effort that requires genuine interest and a commitment to build relationships. By actively listening to your audience, providing value, and being responsive, you can create a loyal and enthusiastic community around your brand. Effective engagement can lead to increased brand loyalty, advocacy, and long-term customer relationships.

The biggest mistake that companies can make is not making the engagement a two-way process. Far too many companies adopt one-way, broadcasts of information mistaking that for “engagement”. Companies need to find ways for stakeholders to provide feedback and feel that they are being listened to. Creating a feedback loop where companies can hear directly from their audiences what is of concern to them, respond through action and then inform them of the change is powerful stuff.

'Engage with your audience' is not an option. It is a must! It doesn't just have to be mere engagement but more importantly, it has to be genuine. At the end of the day, we deal with humans. And nothing can replace the human touch. Not even AI. This builds trust, credibility and confidence. These values in business are priceless.

I would add that the engagements need to authentic and, where appropriate, compassionate. There’s nothing worse than a “buh-bye” dismissive, elitist, corporate response. Use positive and negative experiences to create lifelong customers through real, authentic connections! (And don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and/or show your unique characteristics in any interaction!).

There is much more to issue and crisis management than a company statement. You must have a robust program that includes preparation, prevention, crisis management and continuous improvement.

It is best to be authentic and as transparent as possible. We face many challenges in PR, and it gets tricky to determine how much to disclose and the implications thereof. What matters most is to be honest with our stakeholders - it is vital. Dealing with the challenge ethically the first time around is better than having to apologise at a later stage. We are all inclined to be loyal to honest brands.

It is best to be proactive. However, what can go wrong will go wrong, and when it does, carefully decide what to say, who to say it on behalf of the brand and when to say it while resolving the issue.

I would advise consulting your PR agency or more experts before responding to crises just for the sake of responding. It's important to assess the current environment and events to ensure that a response to crises does not add fuel to the fire and is as effective as possible.

The key to issue management is being proactive. Plan for every and any possible scenario. The biggest wins I have seen in issues management were the ones that never made the news because they were so well planned for and were ultimately mitigated.

In measuring PR results, the focus should be on quality, not quantity. Of course quantity matters. Everyone wants coverage everywhere, but having 17 reprints of a press release on third tier news websites does nothing compared to having one strong feature story in a top tier outlet that is heavily viewed by your target audience. My counsel is always to focus on impact, not activity. Doing a few strategic & creative things really well will always create better results than doing a great many things in an average or "typical" way.

I once had a client that said "what isn't measured can't be improved". You might have the gut feeling that people like your brand, that they're positive about it, and that you're perceived the way you want to be perceived by the public. But, are you really? Establishing clear KPIs can help you use metrics and understand if you're reaching your targets, which can be of quantity or quality depending on what you want to achieve. Sometimes, you don't need a 100 media outlets talking about your brand or product, but 3 strong and credible platforms that vouche for you within your target audience.

It is always about quality! Getting a feature in a tier-1 media is tough but possible – free of charge and without a PR agency. In this case, like in all cases, to be honest, content matters.

Before you measure your results, you have to start with crystal clear objectives. Sometimes we focus on the quantity of clicks, likes, shares, impressions, etc. but not the quality of our objective. This is why it's so important to dig deeply at the beginning of a campaign to determine what success truly is. Is it the metrics or, for example, is it having the majority of the country know what stroke symptoms to watch for? What is the true desired outcome? PR is about educating and information your audience, not just the ROI.

The ancient Greeks attached very high importance to “oratory”, eg public speaking. They understood, as we must, the role of persuasion in complex societies of many opinions and preferences. They also understood that these arguments should be based on logic and reason. Thanks to technology, the public squares the Greeks spoke in are now a global commons. Modern public speakers—the most effective among them—are able to convey their position to drive a brand, idea, or product not only through appeals to reason, but on emotional grounds: as Simon Sinek and others note, effective speakers talk about “why” we do what we do and think as we think as much as the “what.” Our passion can make a cogent argument even stronger.

Regularly refresh and update your brand narrative to remain relevant and resonant with changing consumer preferences. Keep an ongoing dialogue with your spokespeople to ensure that their narratives align with your evolving brand identity. Engage in strategic partnerships and collaborations with like-minded brands, charities, or causes that reinforce your brand's values and mission. Co-host events, fundraisers, or campaigns with these partners to expand your reach and impact while further solidifying your brand's reputation.

Public relations provides a framework for thinking of communications; the focus is on relations with the public and building trust with stakeholders. That’s why public relations practitioners are the stalwarts of consistent messaging and behavior. Brands that are consistent in their values, quality, and messaging are more likely to earn trust and, by extension, loyalty. Brands also benefit from PR's emphasis on listening to stakeholders. The feedback loop created can lead to better products, services, and campaigns. When brands walk the talk, their messages are reinforced by actions, serving as the most significant trust builder. These are just examples that demonstrate how brand loyalty is a direct outcome of effective public relations.

Consider an evergreen pitch to journalists that positions your spokespeople as subject matter experts for future stories. Frame up company/talent strengths, how you can help (backgrounders, quotes, data checks, etc.), and how to get in touch. Being a reliable industry information partner can drive more brand building opportunities and solid influencer connections.

Experiential marketing is one of the best ways to build a strong loyalty using public relations. Develop some engagement programs and games relevant to your product/ brand / organisation/ company