[Guest Post] Why should companies consider PR as part of their overall marketing Strategy?

As a new business owner, you may question whether it's necessary to allocate your marketing budget towards public relations. You might believe that your company is too small to require such a service, or you may be tempted to implement a PR strategy on your own to save money. But in reality, PR is not a luxury - it is an essential aspect of modern-day businesses. It doesn't matter what size your organization is or what stage of growth it is in, it is crucial to establish and maintain positive relations with the public.

Today, we have the honor of Hosting Georgina Woollams-Edwards , Managing Director at Katch International to understand Why Business Owners and companies should consider PR as part of their overall marketing Strategy, why is PR important? And why do companies need public relations.

PR is more than writing a press release:

Public Relation (PR) is more than just writing press releases or gaining media coverage. While news media coverage is a valuable aspect of PR, it is just one of many tactics used to build and maintain relationships between a brand and its audience. It involves a range of activities that are crucial for effective communication and relationship management. PR professionals use various strategies such as establishing media relations, crisis management, event planning, social media management, corporate branding, internal communication, community relations, and stakeholder engagement to achieve their goals. By adopting a multifaceted approach, PR aims to create and maintain a positive image for organizations. This is done by ensuring consistency in messaging and fostering meaningful connections with diverse audiences.

Essentially, PR is a holistic discipline that goes beyond mere text creation. It involves strategic orchestration of communication efforts to shape and maintain a favourable reputation. The discipline focuses on building and maintaining a positive image, fostering connections with diverse audiences, and aligning communication efforts with the overall goals and values of the organization.

Why PR is important? And why do companies need public relations?

Public relation (PR) is vital for companies to grow as it includes various strategic functions necessary for organizational success. The primary reason for its importance lies in reputation management. PR professionals work to create positive perceptions of a company by communicating its values, achievements, and contributions effectively. Media visibility is another critical aspect of PR as PR agencies aim to secure positive coverage in various media outlets, enhancing a company's visibility and expanding its reach. This, in turn, helps to build a brand and differentiate it in the marketplace, providing a competitive edge.

During times of crisis, PR becomes a crucial skill to maintain damage control. Whether addressing negative events or proactively preventing crises, effective communication is essential. PR professionals are skilled in navigating challenging situations, ensuring transparency, and preserving public trust. Stakeholder relations are also a critical focus of PR. Companies should always aim to develop positive relationships with diverse stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, and the community. This engagement fosters loyalty and contributes to a positive organizational culture.

Employee engagement is another important facet of PR with internal communication strategies being designed to keep employees informed, motivated, and aligned with the company's goals. A positive workplace culture enhances productivity and overall organizational health. Additionally, PR is instrumental in the implementation of public awareness campaigns and corporate social responsibility initiatives that not only contribute to societal well-being but also enhance the company's image as a responsible corporate citizen.

Does PR shape all business sizes?

Public Relation (PR) is a crucial factor that shapes and influences the growth of businesses across different sizes, contributing to their overall success and longevity. Whether it's facilitating the entry of startups into the market, aiding medium-sized enterprises in differentiation and industry leadership or managing the complexities of reputation and global communication for large corporations, PR's impact is pervasive. It is a strategic function that not only shapes public perception but also builds the foundation for enduring success in the dynamic business landscape.

For startups and small businesses, PR is a powerful tool that helps them establish a foothold in the market. It enables them to create brand awareness within a limited budget, build credibility, and engage with their local communities. Positive perception generated through PR efforts is especially crucial for gaining the trust of early customers, investors, and other stakeholders.

As businesses grow into the medium-sized category, PR strategies become instrumental in market differentiation. Medium-sized enterprises can leverage PR to carve out a unique identity, communicate their values effectively, and nurture relationships with a broader range of stakeholders. PR also supports these businesses in positioning themselves as industry thought leaders, enhancing credibility within their sectors.

Large corporations benefit significantly from PR on a more complex scale with reputation management being paramount when these organisations face heightened scrutiny. PR professionals play a crucial role in crisis communication, addressing issues promptly, and maintaining a positive corporate image.

Global visibility is another area where PR can contribute, ensuring consistent messaging across diverse markets and managing the intricacies of a multinational presence. Furthermore, in large corporations, internal communication becomes a critical focus, with PR efforts directed toward engaging and aligning a diverse workforce.

Challenges and Common Pitfalls in implementing PR strategies:

PR strategies can be powerful tools for creating positive perceptions and driving business success. However, they also come with challenges and common pitfalls. To navigate these hurdles, businesses must have clear objectives, conduct thorough research, ensure consistent messaging, maintain internal communication, and remain adaptable.

It's crucial to have a comprehensive and well-informed approach to PR, as there are risks associated with social media, and businesses may face negative consequences if they're unprepared for a crisis. Measuring outcomes is also important while recognizing the evolving landscape of media and the critical role of relationship-building is essential to effective PR implementation.

Benefits of Integrating PR into Marketing Strategy

Integrating PR into a comprehensive marketing strategy has a range of benefits that work together to amplify the overall impact of an organisation's communication efforts. Firstly, the collaborative approach enhances credibility and trust. PR activities, such as securing positive media coverage or engaging with influencers, contribute to building a credible image.

When integrated seamlessly into marketing campaigns, these efforts reinforce brand authenticity and are more appealing to audiences. Brand visibility and awareness are significantly heightened through the combination of PR and marketing efforts and this strategic alignment ensures consistent messaging across various channels, reinforcing brand recognition and creating a cohesive narrative. This consistency is essential for establishing a strong and memorable brand identity. Effective storytelling, a hallmark of PR, seamlessly integrates into marketing campaigns. Compelling narratives crafted by PR professionals can be strategically incorporated into broader marketing strategies, making promotional content more engaging and relatable to the target audience. Optimised media relations represent another advantage and effective collaboration between PR and marketing teams ensures that positive media coverage generated by PR efforts is strategically leveraged within marketing campaigns, resulting in increased exposure and broader audience reach.

Further to all of this, PR professionals, with their expertise in crisis communication, work in tandem with marketing teams to develop strategies that effectively handle crises, minimize reputational damage, and maintain brand resilience. Additionally, thought leadership and authority, often associated with PR efforts, are integrated into the marketing content and by positioning key individuals as thought leaders within marketing materials, it helps to establish the organization as an industry authority, influencing purchasing decisions and fostering brand loyalty.

Conclusion:

The main goal of public relations, particularly publicity, which is at the core of PR, is to establish the credibility of a person or an organization. This means that it helps to create a positive predisposition in potential customers and makes them more likely to believe in you when you approach them. Trust, validation, awareness, credibility, and animation all contribute to making it easier for a business to expand. Public relations is one of the most powerful marketing activities that can achieve all of these benefits at once.

Georgina Woollams-Edwards, Managing Director at Katch International

Georgie has over 17 years of invaluable experience in PR, marketing, and communications, working across GCC, MENA, and international markets. She has an impressive portfolio of brands from various industries, including Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel, Hospitality, and corporate management. Georgie has proven expertise in assessing a brand's current reputation and designing a tailor-made communications strategy to meet the desired targets. Over the past 14 years, she has expanded the business from a two-person agency in London in 2010 to a thriving multicultural office headquartered in Dubai. Her agency has handled the launches of local, regional, and international brands from various countries, including Russia, Shanghai, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, the UK, and more.