Public Relations: FAQ

Many people in business think of public relations as something mysterious. They suspect that it can be a powerful promotional tool, even an extremely powerful one, but they may not know exactly how it works, nor how to go about using it. Most significantly of all, perhaps, many don't know how to get value for money from PR.

Here, we answer some key questions about public relations.
What exactly is PR?
What's the difference between PR and advertising?
Which is the more effective: PR or advertising?
Why would a journalist or editor want to use PR material?
Should we do our PR ourselves or use a consultancy to assist us?
What should we look for in a PR consultancy?

Further information about Public Relations can be found in our PDF Format Brochure.

What exactly is PR?

PR involves communicating a message to one or more of the different 'publics' - that is, target audiences - an organisation wishes to influence in a positive way. These audiences will typically consist of the organisation's existing or potential customers. It may also be in the organisation's interests to communicate a message to other different publics which may range from government regulators to all other types of officials, consultants and other advisers, or any other decision-makers who it is in the organisation's interests to influence positively.

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What's the difference between PR and advertising?

The big difference is that PR seeks exposure for a message in the 'editorial' sections of the media - whether these are the news or features pages of a newspaper or magazine, or their counterparts in a radio or TV programme. Advertising, on the other hand, appears in a clearly separate 'advertising' section. An equally big difference is that PR coverage is usually free of charge, while advertising is always paid for.

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Which is the more effective: PR or advertising?

The answer to this depends on what kind of product or service you are promoting. Advertising is well suited to what are known in the trade as 'fast-moving consumer goods' (fmcg) - things like washing-powder, batteries, snack foods, drinks and so on. Vendors of these kind of products need to reach millions of people at a time.

The sales message is basically simple because the products don't come bundled up with a great deal of intellectual content. The sellers don't usually have much of a story to tell, and the calibre and thought leadership of the organisation selling these products and services is usually entirely or largely irrelevant.

PR, on the other hand, is generally far more effective than advertising at selling products or services which come bundled up with a significant amount of intellectual content. Examples would be sophisticated computer software for niche business-to-business applications, all types of consultancy services, and any other specialised professional service. Advertising is rarely very effective here because the amount of information any advertisement can carry is strictly limited, and the vendors of these kinds of products and services need to convey considerable information to complete their selling message.

Another big factor is that selling these kinds of products and services is all about the vendors winning credibility, and an obviously paid-for advertisement will win very little credibility.

The kind of coverage generated by PR also enables a sales message to be fully communicated, no matter how complex. Indeed, sometimes the very complexity of the sales message can make the story especially attractive to print and broadcast editors. And because PR material forms part of the normal editorial content of a newspaper, journal, radio or TV programme it is justifiably accorded the highest credibility by the reader or audience.

But if PR material isn't paid for, how can you be certain the journalist or editor will use it?

Ultimately you can't be. PR activity plays for high stakes: inclusion in the editorial sections of top media. You can't compel journalists or editors to include your material, you can only try to make them want to do so. Our track record of getting our clients into the media we target is excellent because we write material on our clients' behalf to a level of professionalism and objectivity that wins the confidence - and delight - from even the most cynical editors and journalists.

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Why would a journalist or editor want to use PR material?

Essentially because it saves them time, saves them money and makes their job easier. The editorial sections of newspapers, journals and radio and TV programmes operate on tight budgets: sometimes very tight budgets. They are under constant pressure to improve the quality of editorial material while minimising costs: an essentially impossible undertaking. If they receive a suitable submission from a PR department or PR consultancy they have every motivation to use it.

Under normal circumstances the PR department or consultancy will not be expecting to be paid if the submission is used but will instead be motivated by wanting to obtain the exposure. The journalist or editor gets free editorial, the PR department or consultancy gets the kudos, the organisation gets the exposure. Everyone is happy.

What does 'a suitable submission' actually mean?

It means a submission that is all of the following: intelligently and clearly-written, informative, truthful, appropriate, timely and relatively objective. Blatantly self-promotional material is rarely, if ever, used.

But isn't there incredible competition to get this material published or broadcast?

Surprisingly, perhaps, there is often actually less competition than might be imagined. PR departments or consultancies too often put out material that is badly-written, inappropriate for the media being targeted, insufficiently timely or overtly self-promotional. Journalists and editors are obviously never going to accept material that lowers the quality of their editorial content.

The task of any PR activity is to generate and submit material that actually increases the quality of the editorial content of the targeted media. Any PR department or consultancy that can do this consistently is likely to enjoy a very good track record of placing material.

[ Top ]

Should we do our PR ourselves or use a consultancy to assist us?

In principle there is no reason why an organisation should not undertake its own PR. However, PR is a profession requiring distinct professional skills, and usually only very large organisations can afford to operate a quality in-house PR department staffed by experienced and committed expert PR executives. Running such a department is unlikely to cost much less than £100,000 annually.

For organisations that do not have this kind of budget, engaging a PR consultancy can be an extremely attractive alternative. The PR consultancy itself bears all the costs of running the PR resource and charges out its time at a daily rate or on a project basis. It will have a powerful built-in incentive to succeed on the client's behalf; after all, if it does not consistently win editorial coverage for the client it can hardly expect to be engaged again in the future.

Another key point here is that a PR consultancy is often able to provide a distanced, disinterested - but not uninterested - perspective on a key commercial issue that may be difficult for the organisation to solve by itself as it may be too close to the problem. PR consultancies can also furnish additional writing and media liaison resources during particularly busy times for the organisation. For this reason many in-house PR departments also make frequent use of PR consultancies.

[ Top ]

What should we look for in a PR consultancy?

Above all, one that understands your business and cares about it. Ideally your account should be managed by an executive at the consultancy who has specialised expertise in your commercial or industrial sector. The consultancy should also be able to demonstrate real writing expertise in-house, with the executives who are handling your account ideally being the ones who do your writing. If the consultancy doesn't have in-house writing expertise, there is a danger that the writing may be farmed out to freelancers who will probably not meet you and who may not have an adequate knowledge of your particular commercial or industrial sector.

The consultancy also needs to demonstrate expertise in media research and a track record of winning significant editorial coverage in the media that most matter to your existing and potential customers.

You should also look for a consultancy that provides detailed information about the basis on which it charges fees. If these are based around consultancy days devoted to the activity it will be much easier for you to monitor the effort the consultancy is putting in. The consultancy should also make clear upfront what the activity will cost you and there should be no hidden charges: as always in business, you should expect to know in advance what engaging a supplier is going to cost you. PR consultancies are no exception.

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	Public Relations: FAQ Many people in business think of public relations as something mysterious. They suspect that it can be a powerful promotional tool, even an extremely powerful one, but they may not know exactly how it works, nor how to go about using it. Most significantly of all, perhaps, many don't know how to get value for money from PR. Here, we answer some key questions about public relations. What exactly is PR? What's the difference between PR and advertising? Which is the more effective: PR or advertising? Why would a journalist or editor want to use PR material? Should we do our PR ourselves or use a consultancy to assist us? What should we look for in a PR consultancy? Further information about Public Relations can be found in our PDF Format Brochure. What exactly is PR? PR involves communicating a message to one or more of the different 'publics' - that is, target audiences - an organisation wishes to influence in a positive way. These audiences will typically consist of the organisation's existing or potential customers. It may also be in the organisation's interests to communicate a message to other different publics which may range from government regulators to all other types of officials, consultants and other advisers, or any other decision-makers who it is in the organisation's interests to influence positively. [ Top ] What's the difference between PR and advertising? The big difference is that PR seeks exposure for a message in the 'editorial' sections of the media - whether these are the news or features pages of a newspaper or magazine, or their counterparts in a radio or TV programme. Advertising, on the other hand, appears in a clearly separate 'advertising' section. An equally big difference is that PR coverage is usually free of charge, while advertising is always paid for. [ Top ] Which is the more effective: PR or advertising? The answer to this depends on what kind of product or service you are promoting. Advertising is well suited to what are known in the trade as 'fast-moving consumer goods' (fmcg) - things like washing-powder, batteries, snack foods, drinks and so on. Vendors of these kind of products need to reach millions of people at a time. The sales message is basically simple because the products don't come bundled up with a great deal of intellectual content. The sellers don't usually have much of a story to tell, and the calibre and thought leadership of the organisation selling these products and services is usually entirely or largely irrelevant. PR, on the other hand, is generally far more effective than advertising at selling products or services which come bundled up with a significant amount of intellectual content. Examples would be sophisticated computer software for niche business-to-business applications, all types of consultancy services, and any other specialised professional service. Advertising is rarely very effective here because the amount of information any advertisement can carry is strictly limited, and the vendors of these kinds of products and services need to convey considerable information to complete their selling message. Another big factor is that selling these kinds of products and services is all about the vendors winning credibility, and an obviously paid-for advertisement will win very little credibility. The kind of coverage generated by PR also enables a sales message to be fully communicated, no matter how complex. Indeed, sometimes the very complexity of the sales message can make the story especially attractive to print and broadcast editors. And because PR material forms part of the normal editorial content of a newspaper, journal, radio or TV programme it is justifiably accorded the highest credibility by the reader or audience. But if PR material isn't paid for, how can you be certain the journalist or editor will use it? Ultimately you can't be. PR activity plays for high stakes: inclusion in the editorial sections of top media. You can't compel journalists or editors to include your material, you can only try to make them want to do so. Our track record of getting our clients into the media we target is excellent because we write material on our clients' behalf to a level of professionalism and objectivity that wins the confidence - and delight - from even the most cynical editors and journalists. [ Top ] Why would a journalist or editor want to use PR material? Essentially because it saves them time, saves them money and makes their job easier. The editorial sections of newspapers, journals and radio and TV programmes operate on tight budgets: sometimes very tight budgets. They are under constant pressure to improve the quality of editorial material while minimising costs: an essentially impossible undertaking. If they receive a suitable submission from a PR department or PR consultancy they have every motivation to use it. Under normal circumstances the PR department or consultancy will not be expecting to be paid if the submission is used but will instead be motivated by wanting to obtain the exposure. The journalist or editor gets free editorial, the PR department or consultancy gets the kudos, the organisation gets the exposure. Everyone is happy. What does 'a suitable submission' actually mean? It means a submission that is all of the following: intelligently and clearly-written, informative, truthful, appropriate, timely and relatively objective. Blatantly self-promotional material is rarely, if ever, used. But isn't there incredible competition to get this material published or broadcast? Surprisingly, perhaps, there is often actually less competition than might be imagined. PR departments or consultancies too often put out material that is badly-written, inappropriate for the media being targeted, insufficiently timely or overtly self-promotional. Journalists and editors are obviously never going to accept material that lowers the quality of their editorial content. The task of any PR activity is to generate and submit material that actually increases the quality of the editorial content of the targeted media. Any PR department or consultancy that can do this consistently is likely to enjoy a very good track record of placing material. [ Top ] Should we do our PR ourselves or use a consultancy to assist us? In principle there is no reason why an organisation should not undertake its own PR. However, PR is a profession requiring distinct professional skills, and usually only very large organisations can afford to operate a quality in-house PR department staffed by experienced and committed expert PR executives. Running such a department is unlikely to cost much less than £100,000 annually. For organisations that do not have this kind of budget, engaging a PR consultancy can be an extremely attractive alternative. The PR consultancy itself bears all the costs of running the PR resource and charges out its time at a daily rate or on a project basis. It will have a powerful built-in incentive to succeed on the client's behalf; after all, if it does not consistently win editorial coverage for the client it can hardly expect to be engaged again in the future. Another key point here is that a PR consultancy is often able to provide a distanced, disinterested - but not uninterested - perspective on a key commercial issue that may be difficult for the organisation to solve by itself as it may be too close to the problem. PR consultancies can also furnish additional writing and media liaison resources during particularly busy times for the organisation. For this reason many in-house PR departments also make frequent use of PR consultancies. [ Top ] What should we look for in a PR consultancy? Above all, one that understands your business and cares about it. Ideally your account should be managed by an executive at the consultancy who has specialised expertise in your commercial or industrial sector. The consultancy should also be able to demonstrate real writing expertise in-house, with the executives who are handling your account ideally being the ones who do your writing. If the consultancy doesn't have in-house writing expertise, there is a danger that the writing may be farmed out to freelancers who will probably not meet you and who may not have an adequate knowledge of your particular commercial or industrial sector. The consultancy also needs to demonstrate expertise in media research and a track record of winning significant editorial coverage in the media that most matter to your existing and potential customers. You should also look for a consultancy that provides detailed information about the basis on which it charges fees. If these are based around consultancy days devoted to the activity it will be much easier for you to monitor the effort the consultancy is putting in. The consultancy should also make clear upfront what the activity will cost you and there should be no hidden charges: as always in business, you should expect to know in advance what engaging a supplier is going to cost you. PR consultancies are no exception.
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