Should you invest in PR as a Brand?
Well…the truth is that many businesses have made it without public relations, so you can argue if you don’t believe in the power of public relations. Even so, I’ll take a moment to give you depth about public relations so that you know for sure if it is something you’d like to ignore as a brand or business.
Public Relations is the conscious effort to create an impeccable perspective of your brand, creating a bridge between your brand and its stakeholders. The bridge is created through publicity features that give customers depth into your brand and reputation management; including social media and digital management of your brand
With the growth of Social Media, Businesses need Public Relations now more than ever, the quality storytelling of your brand and customer experiences are so powerful to a business’s growth, inspiring brand loyalty and resilience.
One key element that PR brings is credibility, as a business owner you cannot afford to look like a fraud, you have the responsibility to position your business where your customers/clients are and serve them the best way possible. When you invest in public relations, you become a credible expert in your field.
I recently worked on two national events this year, with Thikho Events, Thikho Events is celebrating its 12th Anniversary so they have a catalogue of events that are happening around South Africa throughout the year. Our first event together this year was in Carnival City, loud & proudly supported by Mzansi Magic Music, Audi Sandton, Simonsig Wines and SAB (South African Breweries); with features on Newzroom Afrika, Radio 2000 and Ikwekwezi FM, our event sold out!
Thikho Events has a whopping social media following of almost 200 000, and website visits of over 117 000 unique visitors monthly. The man behind this empire, Mr Richard Ramudzuli is an Event Mogul with 13 years of experience in the industry. As they invest in PR & Marketing Activations they can truly stay connected to their audiences. One of their long-term customers admitted to only attending Thikho Events' events, and we also had someone who flew from the USA to South Africa for our event; the Brand experience is so beautiful that even with all the hype around other brands, the customer remains loyal to their brand of choice.
The Publicity they receive increases their credibility and brand position in the events industry, attracting multiple lucrative sponsorships, that allow them to provide more value to their customers and potential customers. It is important to stand for something as a brand, and Thikho Events stands for its people.
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Public Relations provides long-term credibility and customer retention. PR does not always bring sales value, especially right away. It may take some time to start getting quality publicity but one thing for sure is it adds great value to your reputation as a brand, and that matters a lot if you’re a brand that is looking to expand beyond the current horizon.
If you’re looking for sales, invest in Marketing and Advertising but if your goal is to attract sponsorships/partnerships and increase your reputation in your industry then most definitely invest in the PR aspect of your business.
In conclusion, the value that Public Relations adds to your business cannot be subsidised by Marketing or Advertising. All of them play a unique role in the growth of your business.
To compete with the best you've got to invest in Public Relations, and take your brand seriously.?