Often, public relations is interchanged with similar functions of a business such as advertising and marketing. This blog will shed light on some misconceptions about public relations and some insights on how you can effectively manage your PR with the help of a PR firm.
What is a PR firm?
A Public Relations or PR firm is a dedicated agency whose service is to oversee and manage your company’s public relations tasks, particularly by building and managing your brand’s public image and building credibility around your brand. PR Firms consist of a team of content writers and planners, publicists, social media managers, spokespersons, and other public relations working in unison to execute your brand’s PR objectives.
What do PR firms actually do?
To achieve its goal, a PR firm engages in careful strategic planning to form effective PR campaigns. Though they also serve several functions including, but not limited to reputation management, crisis management, media relations, social media, speech writing, messaging, press releases, event planning, outreach, market research, media training, and copywriting.
What does PR mean?
This is where concepts often get muddled up. PR is often used interchangeably with marketing, communications, and advertising. Though they may all share similarities in boosting your brand’s visibility, image, and products to drive sales, they are all different functions. Their primary difference lies in each of their focus.
Public Relations
Public Relations or PR places emphasis on cultivating a brand’s image by nurturing and building relationships between brands and key shareholders including key figures in its target audience, and media outlets. PR’s goal is to cultivate a positive public image for the brand by drawing attention to positive media updates while mitigating any damaging coverage. Public relations is considered a subset of marketing.
Advertising
Advertising focuses on how a brand can communicate with its target audience for them to act — basically, how can you tell your client to buy your product or subscribe to your service. These are communication efforts that focus heavily on the product or service using potent imagery, emotional stimulation, and strategic placement to convince or influence a brand’s audience. Advertising is considered a subset of marketing.
Marketing
Marketing is a broader term that involves how a brand promotes its product or service to drive sales and revenue. Marketing is a systematic and strategic approach to planning a brand’s promotional efforts. It’s a concept that encompasses both public relations and advertising. Marketing makes use of a brand’s various resources and brand image and packages it for its promotional campaigns.
How are PR firms paid?
PR firms may operate using a variety of business models to generate income. The industry standard for pay in PR services is charging on a per-hour basis. Although not all firms adhere to this mold. Some firms may opt for a results-based payment scheme, while others prefer having a project-based approach to their payment terms. Payment by the client is normally given over a certain period (e.g., bi-monthly, semi-annually, etc.), but some firms may offer clients the possibility of paying for their services in advance.
What are PR firms?
Essentially, PR Firms give a brand room to grow by taking over the labor-intensive task of managing public relations, thus allowing brands to work on other functions that matter. Though many may advise that PR can be operated in-house using a brand’s marketing team, the help of a PR firm can be of great value if a brand wants to accelerate its ability to scale.
Which company is best for PR?
As with anything, not all PR firms are created equal. Certain PR firms tend to favor certain brands over others and some resonate with a particular message or personality. These are all factors to consider when selecting a PR firm. The services of a PR Firm are a large investment so it’s important to identify your goals and identify a PR firm that understands you best.
Publicity For Good or PFG, as an agency, focuses on the growth and success of purpose-driven brands that are dedicated to positive social impact. As such, if you identify yourself as a brand that values positive social change, then PFG is a firm that you can put your faith in.
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