If you’re looking to create some noise around your brand and products, consumer PR is a powerful tool not to be overlooked. It’s a great way to tell your brand’s story, create stand-out and get you noticed by your target audience, all of which can give you the edge over your competitors.
When it comes to consumer PR, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, neither is it only for major brands and large companies. The right PR tactics can seamlessly work alongside your other marketing activity to strengthen your message and audience reach, as well as helping to build genuine relationships with consumers.?
So, what’s the key to great consumer PR??
- Understanding your target audience. The first step to great consumer PR is to understand who you are trying to reach. What are their interests? What are their needs? Once you know who your target audience is, you can accurately tailor your messaging to them to get your brand noticed by the right people.?
- Create interesting content. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages every day, so aim to cut through the noise. Content needs to be interesting, informative, unique and engaging. Think quality over quantity.?
- Building media relations. Get to know the journalists for your key media. Engage with them to build trust. Remember to keep information relevant and to the point and stick to any deadlines a journalist gives you. You should aim to make their life easier by providing the information they might need in one go e.g. full story, photo caption info and images in the correct format.?
- Think creatively. Sometimes opportunities crop up that aren’t always planned but definitely should be maximised. In these cases, you should be flexible and ready to respond quickly so as not to miss the opportunity. This can be anything from a breaking news story that day, a new piece of research relevant to your brand or a celebrity seen wearing your product. Whatever it is, don’t overlook a PR opportunity.???
- Be authentic. Try to be genuine and transparent in all of your communications, consumers will always appreciate your honest approach.?
- Be consistent. Consumer PR isn’t a one-off thing, think of it as drip-feeding your key messages. It’s important to be consistent over time to build relationships and convert these into consumer loyalty.??
Ways to deliver your brand’s key messages??
This will depend on your brand, target audience and business goals but here are just a few ways to effectively tell your story and get noticed:
- Press releases
- Media pitches
- Blogs
- Social media
- Influencer marketing
- Events and sponsorships
Below are some examples of consumer PR at its best:?
- Carlsberg's "Adopt a Keg" campaign was launched in 2020 during the pandemic, when bars and restaurants were forced to close. The campaign allowed customers to "adopt" a keg of Carlsberg beer, which they could then redeem for free beers once the bars and restaurants reopened. It was a huge success, with over 1 million kegs adopted. It generated lots of positive publicity for Carlsberg, and it helped to support the hospitality industry during an incredibly difficult time.
- Lego's "Rebuild the World" campaign was launched in 2021. It featured a series of videos and images that showed children using their Lego bricks to rebuild the world in a more creative and sustainable way. The campaign was designed to inspire children to use their imaginations to create a better world. It received a huge amount of engagement, generating over 100 million views on YouTube and the hashtag was repeated over 100,000 times during the first four days following the launch.?
- Spotify's "Wrapped" campaign launches every year at the end of December. It gives Spotify users a personalised overview of their listening habits for the year. The campaign has proven to be incredibly popular, with over 100 million users sharing their Wrapped results on social media each year.?
If you’re looking for creative ways to increase brand awareness, build trust and credibility as well as driving sales, consumer PR should be on your radar.
