This weather is messing with my PR schedule!

The good old days of PR when we waited for a cold-snap or a strong gust of wind are still with us, to an extent. But what’s the value in talking about burst pipes or how the snow has stopped us getting in to work – is it really worth all the effort? First off, so many companies will be fighting for that one piece in each national and there’ll no doubt be an ‘independent’ group or organisation who’ll be preferred by the media. And when you do get a one-line quote in one national, how much value does it really add to a brand? We’d be interested to know what you think.

It’s difficult to control, takes a lot of man-hours, can be swamped by the occasion and indeed other spokespeople but it does have a place for some. For instance, I grew up on a healthy diet of reactive work for uSwitch.com and it was great drafting a comment and speaking to all the nationals in the space of 20 minutes – loved it. And the results spoke for themselves but I do suspect that most of it was down to being ‘independent’. If you’re a brand selling fence insurance and this weekend’s hurricane is going to mean B&Q is to be inundated with stump requests, it’s a little harder. What do you say? How do you say it and most importantly, when?

It again comes back to the good old PR of having a solid strategy in place. What’s the goal – does the CEO want to be seen as an expert in fence development? The strategy has to reflect this and the tactics therefore follow. Reactive is important but that’s not to say you wait for a gust of wind before getting your kite out! Tactics come in to play and the good old ethos that relationships play a significant role when developing an individual’s or indeed a brand’s reactive capabilities. Relevant stories, exclusives, data sharing, insight and of course meetings throughout the year with key journalists will ensure that you’re in a good place when the wind picks up. It’s amazing how a mention in one major title will discreetly affect the way in which other publications see the individual or brand.

Let the wind blow!

Thanks

Sean Williams, Associate Director