By Louise Wells, Associate Director at Bubble Agency
I’ve been part of the public relations industry (PR) for 16 years, and specifically in the Media and Entertainment space for 14 years. I chose to specialise in business to business PR (B2B) because of the measurable impact it has on a business. It’s about fostering strong relationships with editors, and key industry influencers and providing them with compelling business stories, drawing a from a business’ customers as well as its partner network.
Although I’ve been in PR for a relatively long time now, it baffles me that two out of ten executives do not know what PR is, and that 40 percent do not think PR delivers good value to their business (PR Week). PR is about the management of a company’s or individual’s, reputation, as well as influencing audiences. Fundamentally, it’s about using a skillset of techniques to subtly and subversively influence someone to make a buying decision or to change / influence their attitude towards something or someone.
PR is necessary because it offers businesses and individuals the opportunity to tell a story and deliver messages in a tailored and concise way. It’s also important for brand visibility as part of the wider marketing function, for B2B especially. PR is there to ensure a brand receives exposure throughout the course of a year and not just ‘pop up’ when it has a product to launch, or a new version of its software to unveil, it must be ongoing visibility and communications.
When I first joined Bubble Agency at the start of 2017, we were working with a company in the file transfer space on a project basis around tradeshow PR. We showed the company the value of moving their PR efforts to ongoing activity, which was backed with a measurable campaign plan and has contributed to them now being the leading voice in that space, soaring above the competition.
It cannot be underestimated how external consultancy can add value to a business. It is essential for any customer facing company to have a strong profile that transmits the company’s key messaging and provides a steady beat on the company’s activities, crucial not only to secure ongoing sales results, but also in the controlling of the reactions to the messaging and providing feedback to continue refining those sales.
Having experts to rely on means companies can focus on what they do best and be assured a dedicated PR team is working as an extension of their in-house team, and is constantly in contact with the latest trends, consumer behaviours and ways of stirring a conversation. On an ongoing basis, this allows the company to stay current and active, and during a communication crisis, having the advice of these experts on an ongoing basis, will lead them to know how to react and control the situation.
If you are interested in learning more about PR, and about how Bubble Agency can assist in transforming your business with our knowledge and network, please email: hello@bubbleagency.com