Getting
the most from your PR agency
Despite
being one of the most cost effective promotional tools, PR or
Public Relations, is still widely misunderstood. It’s defined
as “relations between an organisation and the public” so
should be an integral part of every business.
Perhaps
part of the confusion is due to some bad experiences with a few
PR practitioners failing to meet their clients’ requirements
who then feel they “got their hands burnt”.
PR
should really be about getting people to take action, to buy
into your service. Advertising is generally about paying for
space to place an ad, whether in print, radio or tv. PR is much
broader.
In
recent years, smaller agencies have been invaluable in re-shaping
the PR image. Working without the overheads and bureaucracy of
larger agencies they can develop a more personal interaction
with the client and in most cases offer a more cost-effective,
hands-on service. Agencies should understand your product inside
out and be passionate about it too.
We’ve
found that many tourism businesses and destinations don’t
really understand PR or use a fraction of its full potential,
yet they are willing to spend far more on advertising, without
any guarantee of success.
Customers
can be skeptical about advertising messages because they know
they’ve been paid for and created to appeal to us. So ad
agencies have to be more and more creative, driving up costs.
We think advertising is worthwhile – but it needs to be
supported with PR.
So
what should be watchwords for PR agencies and how should you
go about choosing one? Most agencies will boast of their media
contacts and experience, but what have they done to support sales
or economy growth? Driving awareness is integral to any campaign,
but unless PR talks about revenue growth, you’re wasting
money. Tourism PR in particular can’t afford to fall victim
to the ‘one trick pony’ approach. It needs to use
different methods to achieve the ultimate goal. PR is not just
about media coverage.
These are just a few things that agencies should provide as part of a tourism
brief.
• Talking to the media and ensuring that you have a constant presence within
the target media outlets.
• Creating collaborations with third parties who can complement your service
and attract new business.
• Sourcing association with influential personalities whose notoriety can
attract attention to your service and grow credibility
• Creating event ideas that put you in direct contact with your target
audience
• Developing promotional concepts that drive people to use your service
and increase your marketing database
• Organising press trips that give journalists and business partners a
better understanding of your service
• Reactive and proactive press office that represents you and deals with
requests
• Managing the needs of your other agencies – ad agencies/web marketing
suppliers etc
• Sourcing sponsorship opportunities to assist with costs associated with
events or campaigns
• Issue regular reports to you that communicate the status of ongoing work
How
much should you be paying for PR and what should be the focus
of the brief?
There
is no minimum or maximum as it depends on what is involved. However
agencies should be flexible depending on the commitment. If you
can commit to a contract lasting 12 months or more, the fee is
likely to be more flexible than with a shorter contract.
Unless
you have supplied a specific brief, we’d expect the agency’s
proposal to cover:
1. Revenue/tourism growth
2. Positioning you in the manner which best suits your service - luxury hotel,
low cost airline, adventure destination
3. Driving awareness of your service and what it has to offer
In
the end, you get what you pay for so don’t expect to get
an all singing all dancing PR strategy for £1000 per month.
If an agency says they can, you should question whether they
are actually up to the task. Ask to see any agency’s portfolio
and coverage relating to the agency’s achievements associated
with their work on other client accounts.
PR used to be criticised for its over billing and hourly rates, but now many
agencies will happily suggest fixed monthly rates so there are no nasty surprises
with the invoice. Ask what’s included in the fee and what expenses will
be added. Expenses over £50 should be approved in advance to avoid any
disputes.
PR
is an indispensable sales support vehicle, which when used in
the right way should enable you to concentrate on developing
the quality of your business.
Brett
Gregory-Peake,
Managing
Director of Frank & Earnest
Communications
Brett@Frankearnest.com
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