 One
of the very interesting aspects of the rise of branding is the
shift in priority of the elements that constitute an integrated
branding campaign. For example, since the Internet emerged as
a powerful new medium, the development of interactive web sites
has rightfully become a standard component of the communication
line up. Creating a venue for your customers and prospects to
engage with your company 24/7 is unprecedented as a marketing
opportunity. As marketplace clutter has become denser, and print
and broadcast media have become increasingly costly—prohibitively
so for many advertisers—non-traditional communication
of all kinds has commanded an increasingly larger percentage
of the total branding budget.
Public relations has been a key beneficiary of this new order.
Where once public relations was defined as "publicity"
and was nearly an afterthought in the marketing line-up, today
public relations can be the driver in a campaign. The two
key reasons for this are the relatively low cost of public
relations and the credibility it delivers as compared to traditional
paid advertising or other types of marketing.
Examples of Successful Marketing and Branding Strategies
Protocall Technologies, Inc. is a startup company with a
proprietary technology called SoftwareToGo, which is the first
electronic delivery system designed for retail software sales.
HLD/Blankman Public Relations were initially engaged in 1999
to support the first beta test. With a very limited budget,
the company could not afford to launch a national advertising
and marketing campaign. So they relied on the team to orchestrate
a public relations program to build awareness and help drive
interest from software retailers, publishers and consumers.
HLD/Blankman Public Relations also provided the marketing
basics—logo, brochure and web site—as well as
the design for the point-of-purchase display.
The team went to work, issuing press releases, pitching editors,
developing story angles and uncovering new places to direct
these efforts to reach key constituencies. They also created
a newsletter and nominated the company for an Innovator of
the Year Award from the leading business journal in their
market, which they won. Within six months, the company had
doubled the number of software publishers utilizing their
distribution system from 22 to 44, including five of the top
10—without ever running a single advertisement. That’s
the power of public relations.
After a three-year hiatus during which the second beta test
of the system was completed, HLD/Blankman announced a national
contract with CompUSA as well as the company’s entry
into the online fulfillment end of retail software sales.
More recently, HLD/Blankman Public Relations helped launch
the company’s IPO.
In less than five years, Protocall Technologies created a
powerful new market niche and went from starving startup to
capitalized public company—all driven by blood, sweat,
tears and strategic public relations.
Another example of success can be taken from this year’s
Gold Quill Award winners. The Saskatchewan Industry and Resources
is a provincial government department that works with private
and public sector stakeholders to strengthen and diversify
Saskatchewan’s economy. The department’s marketing
and public affairs team leads promotional efforts to help
improve perceptions about the career and business opportunities
available. Due to a variety of factors, including an economic
downturn in key sectors such as agriculture, public confidence
in the future of the province began to decline in 2001. The
team established a need to increase optimism among Saskatchewan
people and increase awareness of the province's recent impressive
economic growth.
By focusing on in- and out-of-province audiences, the public
affairs team used television advertising, increased partnership
initiatives, and is planning a centennial in 2005. Through
their efforts, they generated 107 positive media items, and
in a national poll conducted in June 2003 of 1,639 senior
business people across the country, 43 percent recalled seeing
the campaign’s advertising. Out of that number, 38 percent
were more interested in conducting business in the province,
and 47 percent said their attitude toward the province became
more positive after viewing the ads.
How to Use Public Relations in Branding
The job of public relations is to get your message out in
ways that create layers of value for your target audience(s)
while stretching your marketing dollars as far as possible.
At its best, public relations is a strategic marketing and
branding tool used to accomplish a stated business objective.
Let's say you issue a press release about your new product
with a photo to a key trade publication. Now your prospects
will see your product in the context of the publication's
editorial coverage and therefore perceive a recommendation
from the experts who put out the publication. That's a giant
step better for you, both in terms of cost and credibility,
than running a paid advertisement.
Of course the difficult part is that unlike in advertising,
where you have absolute control over copy and layout, you
have no direct control over how your product will be treated
in a publicity article. That's where science meets art. You
need to reach the appropriate editor with a persuasive message
that provides a service to his or her readers—preferably
in conjunction with the publication's editorial calendar needs.
The reason the effort pays off is that editors need content.
By recognizing their needs, you have provided a valuable service
that serves you well, too.
Where are you most likely to find the reporters and editors
you want to reach? True, you can call or e-mail them at their
offices. If you're lucky, they may even respond.
But think about where the reporters and editors you want
to reach are likely to congregate—at the industry trade
shows, for instance. Have you explored all the avenues to
reach the press room (literally and figuratively)? Do the
registered journalists know who you are and where your booth
is? What are you waiting for?
Seeking public relations opportunities out in the market
is one way to go. Looking inside your company for potential
story ideas is another. There is probably a wealth of material
waiting to be mined, which you haven't taken the time or initiative
to recognize. One new marketing client was dragging their
feet in making the decision about whether or not to take the
public relations plunge. "We're a boring company in a
boring industry," they claimed. However, a treasure trove
was waiting to be found. In the first month of service, the
company landed in the most important trade newspaper covering
their industry, as well as the most important business periodical
in their geographic market. A double play in the first inning!
Many of the same public relations principles that apply to
business-to-business marketing also hold true for business-to-consumer
marketing. For example, one client's approach to marketing
was very grassroots oriented. They were very active participants
in and contributors to their community. Their advertising
reflected their community commitment as well. But the stool
was missing the third leg! Without public relations, the company
was foregoing the tremendous opportunity to tell their story.
 We
exploited every opportunity to promote the company's extensive
community relations activities, right down to the weekly newspapers
that are often the backbone of community life. Our program
became a critical foundation in their entire branding initiative
over the following five years, and set the stage for the next
phase of the company's evolution.
Public relations can also be utilized to promote acceptance
of an idea. HLD/Blankman once represented a trade association
in the segmented generic pharmaceuticals industry. The public
relations mission was to establish our client as the recognized
voice of the industry, to broaden public dialogue about the
issues and to win a seat at important congressional hearings
that would determine the industry's fate. What complicated
the challenge was that the generics industry not only lacked
cohesiveness, but was also completely overshadowed and outspent
by the brand pharmaceuticals industry. Despite the obstacles,
a focused, consistent and aggressive public relations campaign
successfully achieved all of the stated goals. The association
became a regular source of commentary in news stories about
pharmaceutical prices and was invited to give testimony in
every major hearing in Washington.
The moral of the story boils down to this. When it comes
to communication, branding is everything. Consistent, strategic
messaging that reaches your target audience(s) at the right
time, in the right place, in the right way is the only way
to fly. In deciding what tactics to employ, look at the big
picture, prioritize your objectives and put a budget against
it. Chances are, public relations can be a key contributor
to the branding mission and the business plan.You can bet
your bottom dollar on it.
Julie Gross Gelfand is Vice President & Director of Public
Relations for HLD/Blankman Public Relations, a division of
Harrison Leifer DiMarco. She has counseled clients from Wall
Street to Main Street in strategic branding through public
relations, and is an expert in creating and protecting the
branded image. She can be reached at (516) 536-6811 or jgelfand@hldblankman.com.
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