Archive for the ‘Client service’ Category

Why corporate or B2B does not have to = dull

July 27th, 2009 by Katrina

One of my biggest frustrations about our rarified profession is that corporate or B2B PR is often viewed as being less engaging, less showy, or downright less fun than consumer comms.

While broad consumer audiences can allow greater scope for creativity, ‘big’ thinking or new ideas, in the eyes of many people corporate or B2B PR tends to equate to churning out endless news releases or lengthy statements of end-of-year financials. To me at least, this actually sets the PR industry a challenge of a change in mindset. Just because you personally may not be fascinated by annual results does not mean the clients’ target audience isn’t.

And yet in many ways, if you can find a way of making it fun for yourself, as well as interesting for those you want to read or experience it, campaigns tend to be much more successful. Good examples of corporate PR may be harder to find, but I guarantee they’ll work harder for you in the long run.

[top]

The fabled 110%

July 14th, 2009 by Phil

The glut of TV talent shows has brought with it a curious phrase.  As the contestants plead for their showbiz dreams to come true, they promise to give “110%” during their next performance, in the hope that the judges’ hearts will melt, and they’ll get one step close to stardom.

Yet purists and mathematicians will argue that giving 110% is an unachievable goal. If 100% is everything, how can anyone possibly deliver anything more? 

But whether the phrase is correct or not, the sentiment is one which is increasingly championed in business.

Indeed, we always aim to deliver our clients 110%.  We do the job, and then some.  It’s going the extra mile; the cherry on the cake; going beyond the call of duty. 

More clichés than you can shake a press release at, but especially in these difficult times, as every business carefully monitors any budget it spends, being able to give that little bit extra can help to show PR as a necessary and worthwhile investment. 

It does of course mean we’re busier than ever, but the goal of giving our clients 110% (so ultimately our efforts have a positive impact on their own business objectives) is a pretty good reason to jump out of bed in the mornings!

[top]

It’s oh so quiet – or is it?

July 8th, 2009 by Phil

Summer is here, and in years gone by we’d all be breathing a collective sigh of relief.  With the kids off school and holidays abound things tended to go quiet, and we could all afford a few weeks of more agreeable working hours, spending our lunch enjoying picnics in the park, as the UK shut itself down for the annual silly season.

But in recent years this hiatus hasn’t materialised, and apart from the usual tendency for the national press to pick up the more obscure and downright obvious PR puff stories, things seem as busy as ever.  Is this a result of the recession, as we all try to deliver 110% for our clients , or is something else afoot?

Is it a symptom of the change in the way we spend our time away from work, with more of us enjoying weekends away and holidays throughout the year?  Or is it a negative symptom of the recession, with fewer people overall taking holidays abroad, instead snatching a few days off work here and there?

Or perhaps, in PR terms at least, the fragmentation of the media landscape means there are always media and marketing opportunities to be pursued, whatever the time of year. The rise in niche and specialist sites (as print publications close and migrate online) results in the potential to make PR hay while the sun shines, throughout the year.

They say there’s no rest for the wicked, but that’s perhaps a little unfair; is the pursuit of results all year round such a bad thing?

[top]

page 3 of 3

« prev