12:37 AM Wed 3 Dec 2008 GMT
It may be tempting to cut the advertising budget during any 'downturn in the economy', but according to the experts, smart businesses do just the opposite and, in fact, focus on PR and media relations to ride out the tough times.
Having advised the corporate sector on when and how it should communicate for more than 30 years and through a number of economic cycles, Daryl Warren, a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, says that increased communication with customers, your market and your staff aids survival and can even assist in securing new business and building a strong platform for success during the inevitable upturn.
'Consistent, strategic communication will build your business's brand and trust, now and when the good times come again,' Warren recommends.
Ben Sandman, an industry communication specialist with more than 12 years media experience, observes 'it's astonishing the first budget to be cut during quiet or tough times is the one that will actually keep a brand alive - the promotional budget'.
'It's at these times when it's perhaps most important to keep your brand in front of target audiences.'
It's a traditional approach in the marine industry to take an ad or send out a media release, hoping these will result in instant sales. But as Sandman advises: 'PR is a long-term process that will continue to reap rewards in the future. Those companies that will do well through this difficult time will be those that have focused on the importance of promotional effort over a number of years. The moment promotional activities cease, however, is the moment a brand begins to drop off consumers' radars.'
While some overheads may need to be cut, there are plenty of PR activities that can be coordinated in-house to continue to communicate with target audiences. Building databases of potential customers, keeping in contact with existing customers, sales incentives, community promotions and business partnerships are just a few.
'To not only keep afloat but to grow the industry, marine manufacturers and distributors must think outside the square - and what better time could there be to do this than in the current economic climate?' says Sandman.
As he points out, PR is 'the engine driving the world's most successful businesses'.
'Major corporates, from Kellogg to Mercedes Benz, use PR to explain their brand values and remind consumers of their products in more interesting and inviting ways.'
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Sandman came to PR via journalism, having worked with some of the country's leading marine/fishing magazines for several years. 'I moved into PR a couple of years ago, identifying a serious lack of professional representation of companies in Australia's multi-billion-dollar recreational boating industry.'
As he points out: 'It's unbelievable the marine industry, as a whole, remains very slow on the uptake of this powerful and cost-effective promotional medium.'
The main challenge, according to Sandman, is education - of the industry, that is. 'There's a battle to educate a generally 'set-in-its-ways' industry on what PR actually is, before we can even start. Much of the industry seems to believe advertising is all it needs to get its message to consumers, when really, $100,000 spent on advertising will secure $100,000 of space.
'In comparison, $100,000 invested in PR can result in many times that value in positive media exposure.'
Sandman refers to the example, where his company, Sandman Public Relations, secured over $2 million of print/online media exposure for one of its marine clients in the period January to June this year. 'Nearing the end of 2008, the total value media exposure for this one client will exceed $4 million,' he asserts.
The power of PR is its grass roots appeal. 'Today's media-savvy consumers are often hostile or immune to traditional advertising. They are far more willing to read and believe a 'story' about a product/service. The fact PR has such powerful audience impact is further reason for a balanced advertising/PR mix.'
The next hurdle is working with a consultant who has industry experience. 'Those few marine industry players who do realise the value of PR often engage mainstream PR agencies that have very little, if any, knowledge of the marine industry - or the media, for that matter.'
Journalists will tell you, a myriad of so-called media releases land on our desks, and more recently our inboxes, each week. '90% of these are not only poorly written, they are so off the mark in terms of the audience with which they are attempting to communicate, they generally end up receiving less exposure than they may deserve,' explains Sandman.
'Busy editors on deadline do not have the time to sift through several pages of information supplied as a media release by a PR agency just to dig out the newsworthy information, then re-write it as a 300-word news story so it's actually meaningful to the target audience. The better approach is to have print-ready stories and high quality images which make it more likely a story will be understood and published.'
PR extends far beyond writing a media release, distributing it to media outlets and expecting them to publish it verbatim. 'At its core, PR is about communication. Encompassing a wide range of activities, it is the most effective way to deliver a specific message to the people most likely to respond.'
The key elements to any PR/Media campaign are: 'Engage. educate. excite!' says Sandman.
'First and foremost, one of the main elements of an effective campaign is to identify relevant audiences to which a company would like to communicate. That's right, 'audiences'. There are potential customers out there beyond the immediate boating market.
'The next priority is to possess an understanding of these target audiences. This in turn, will determine the best way to engage each audience's attention; what level of detail will be required to educate each audience about the product/service; and how best to excite each audience to the point of seeking further information - or, best case scenario, immediately going out to buy it.'
Once you've established your main attributes and audiences, a plan of how and when to target each audience is the next step. 'A good plan will include a list of media outlets through which to target each audience; how to get each media outlet's attention (media releases, arrange feature articles/photo shoots, etc); suggested media/consumer PR stunts; ideas for direct communication with target audiences; initiatives to generate positive word-of-mouth; and more.'
While many PR agencies hide behind the lack of accountability that is so prominent in the media industry, Sandman believes campaign evaluation and measurement are important elements, underpinned by consistent monitoring and accurate assessment systems that gauge a campaign's effectiveness.
On the brand side, Telwater's latest recruit, Jennifer D'Aquino, PR & Communications Assistant, says effective use of PR in any industry is positive for the brand and for sales.
'I like to say Public Relations is essentially, positive relations or communication,' she continues. 'Telwater's brand reputation is crucial to us, thus the reason we focus on PR.'
The company, says D'Aquino, uses PR 'to relate valuable and accurate information to our external publics such as the media, the marine community, and our dealers'.
'We value this form of information communication as PR builds and maintains relationships through rapport, connecting people and business through networking. By monitoring and researching the media and our publics we are able to create 'pictures of their world' and their needs to generate a continuous line of communication and relation though out the community.'
The entire marketing team at Telwater gathers for daily 'huddles', weekly meetings and an end-of-month collaborative meeting to ensure accurate and effective communication is being used. 'With media exposure, we not only measure our effectiveness, but it enables us to gain industry experience and improvement through our contacts and journalists with whom we liaise. We measure its effectiveness every day by monitoring and speaking with the media, our community and our publics.'
Top tips for harnessing the power of PR:
Listen. Understand what your staff, your customers and your competitors are feeling and doing. Use your front-line staff (sales force, service staff) as a source of information. Ask them to note any feedback from customers and clients and provide a mechanism for them to share this information with you and your team to help shape future decisions for your business. Consider undertaking formal research to gauge market sentiment and identify new market opportunities.
Be consistent. The most important component of any communication strategy is consistency of message. Make sure you say the same things to staff, customers and the marketplace so that your organisation is seen to be thinking clearly and acting resolutely in what can often be a confusing environment. Consider controlling your message through direct communication to stakeholders via email, direct mail, newsletters and your website - as well as through the media.
Communicate regularly. A regular presence in the marketplace - and ongoing reminders of support for your customers and business partners - will position you as a constant in what can be a difficult and changing environment, building trust in your brand and relationships for your business.
Communicate leadership. By strongly promoting your people, your products, your business partners and your corporate successes through events, strategic sponsorships, community support and targeted promotion you can show your business is 'getting on with it'. Many of your competitors may not be as focused as you are, so you're likely to be heard in clear air.
Source: PRIA
More at www.sandmanpr.com.au
by Jeni Bone
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