We’re all on the same side!

Looking at people’s comments online, it’s clear that some PR agencies have got a bad reputation, but I believe that clients are often confused about what role they play in the PR process.

The most successful PR campaigns happen when there’s a good relationship between the PR and the client. There’s no point hiring a PR agency then wandering off…we need your involvement and your help to make this a success.

That means:

Approving text – We plan activity to ensure that we target the right journalists at the right time. We need text and press releases approved as soon as possible so that we can meet our deadlines and those of journalists. We appreciate that you are busy, after all, that’s why you’ve hired us, but ensure your agency gives you a deadline to respond by. A quick response will help us generate more coverage for you.

Telling us when you’re going away – if we issue a press release, there’s a chance that the press will want to interview you, so give us your holiday dates so that we can schedule activity around you

Responding to phone calls – generally, if the press are interested, they’ll want to speak to you soon, so if we’re chasing you, get back to us, so that we can get you the coverage

Not putting PR at the bottom of your to-do list – Sometimes, press activity needs to happen quickly, so for example, after an event or awards ceremony we need images and relevant information as soon as possible so that we can send out a post event release to the press. Events are time sensitive and only news for a short period of time, so send us all the information you have as soon as possible

Most PR agencies thrive on achieving great PR so work with your agency, don’t forget, we’re all on the same side!

PR without wining…

Just recently I read a question on a PR forum from a PR person asking whether it was still possible to achieve PR coverage without a big budget for wining and dining journalists. I was all set to reply until I realised that if she had worked in PR for a number of years and still thought that wining and dining was the way to achieve PR success, then maybe she shouldn’t even be in PR and especially not in the ‘age of austerity’.

Since I started Cerub PR in 2003, we have worked with a wide variety of clients, but in all that time, we have been working to tight budgets and have very rarely had the opportunity to take journalists out for dinner and drinks. Instead, our work is focused on what some people call the ‘donkey work’…coming up with story ideas, writing press releases and media alerts, telephoning journalists, responding to news stories and working on behalf of our clients. If we were to spend time taking journalists out for lunch, we’d probably get a lot less coverage for our clients.

The trouble with this attitude is that it gives the impression that PR really is all about wining and dining and maybe I’ve been doing it wrong all these years, but for me and my colleagues, it’s more about getting on with the work and achieving great coverage for our clients. To prove my point, we’ve recently had coverage for clients in The Financial Times, Sky News, CNBC, Something for The Weekend, Magic radio and Real People…all while sat in the office!

Normal Service Suspended

Ok, I’ll be honest, snow was quite nice for the first few days, but now we’ve had enough! We’d like normal service reinstated now.

On a positive note, while we’re all slightly stranded in this weather and not able to carry out our normal networking and meeting duties, it’s a great chance to think about your PR activity and what you can do to raise your profile.

Look at the year ahead, look at what’s coming up. Things like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter  or even just spring/summer/autumn/winter can all be valuable in planning a PR campaign and when you consider that the long lead press (glossy magazines) can have a lead time of 5-6 months, it’s really worth looking ahead and seeing what you can take advantage of to promote your business.

So let’s say you’re promoting a beauty product. Look at the events coming up that you can take advantage of. Mother’s Day is a great excuse to promote your product as a great gift for hardworking mothers. Is it a good product for summer? Is it good for the beach or does it cool you down? Look at what’s happening 6 months from now and see if there’s an angle for your business.

If you’re more of a B2B company, when’s your birthday? Is it worth writing a press release to your local press about that? Look at events you can put on, talks you can give to local networking groups, or seasonal offers you can offer to potential clients. Even new client wins or positive case study stories can be of interest to your local business press.

Remember though, you need to consider who you need to reach. There’s little point being in a national publication if you can only service a certain area, so think carefully about who your target audience is.

There are plenty of opportunities there, so use this opportunity to step back from your business and think about ways you can use the media. Finally, don’t forget to research the media. Read magazines, newspapers, local papers, business publications – find out what they’re looking for by reading them. Start to see what stories they’re running and think about what you’ve got to offer.

Or give Cerub PR a call. We will develop a media plan to help you make the most of the opportunities and work with you to find your story.

Autumn at Cerub

We’ve had a busy few months here at Cerub PR, working with several new clients and launching our new PR workshops. The first workshop was held in August and was a great success. We’re now joining forces with Business Link to promote the next course which is in November. Contact us to find out more!

We’ve also started work with Flexa, an innovative new range of children’s furniture. The Flexa bed ranges starts with the Classic single bed, suitable for children from 3 years and as your child grows and their needs change, the bed can be customised to suit them. The addition of longer legs and a ladder will create more floor space for them to play or add some curtains, castle turrets, tunnel or even a slide and turn their sleeping space into a magical fantasy world. As they grow, the same bed can be adapted with a desk, shelves and a seating area so your teenages will have room to sleep, study and relax with friends.

Flexa is proving very popular, so you’ll see it in the press soon!

Cerub PR has also been working with Personal Impact Coach Elizabeth Kuhnke, for whom we’ve arranged interviews with Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Good Housekeeping among others.

Finally, we’ve had a great time working with the Pauline Quirke Academy on their latest launches, and with Bournemouth PQA on their version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. Students at the Academy spent their summer putting together the video and it launched at a glittering red carpet premiere at a local cinema. The kids had a great day, and the video proved a fitting tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

August Newsletter

Welcome to Cerub PR’s August newsletter.

Nearly September, who can believe it? Cerub PR is now one month into its 6th year and while we were celebrating reaching this milestone in July, we received a very nice piece of editorial from Business Monthly in the Bucks Free Press. Thanks to everyone for all their best wishes.

We’ve had a great few months filled with lots of fantastic coverage for all our clients. Anson Reed, specialists in interview techniques for employers and employees was quoted in The Daily Telegraph and also featured as the lead letter in Management Today, while Allegro, which is bringing the hit US Tiny Tillia range to the UK featured in Mother and Baby, Practical Parenting and in the next few weeks look out for an interview with the brand founder, Tiffany Lerman, in Hello magazine.

Why PR?

People often ask us why they should invest in PR rather than advertising or other forms of marketing. We don’t believe that anyone should neglect their marketing, but more that PR should be part of the marketing mix. It’s vital to keep up with your newsletter, twittering, networking and whatever else you choose to do, but PR can and should complement these activities to become an important part of your marketing strategy.

Unlike other forms of marketing, PR counts as third party recommendation. Most stories you read in the press are PR based – just have a look at your daily paper and see how many stories are actually ‘news’. You will find that most of them will be promotion of some sort or another. The benefit of third party recommendation is that regardless of the source, the recommendation is someone’s actual opinion. An advert is essentially saying ‘Check me out, I’m great’ whereas editorial coverage is someone else saying ‘Check this company out, they’re great’. Which view are you more likely to believe and trust?

Another reason why PR is a great way to promote your company is because your money will go a lot further. If you pay £1000 for an advert, you will only receive £1000 worth of ad space in your chosen publication. When you spend £1000 on PR, you are likely to generate tens of thousands of pounds worth of publicity as a client of ours can now attest.I In the last two months and for their fixed monthly minimum fee, they have received over £5000 worth of publicity in publications read by their target audience and there’s lots more to follow in the next few months.

Workshops
Cerub PR’s first PR workshop took place earlier this month and eager attendees found it to be a very worthwhile experience. If you’re interested in attending a future workshop where you will discover how to identify your story, write press releases, pitch to the media and take advantage of opportunities within the press please contact us by e-mailing workshops@cerubpr.co.uk or calling 01494 463911.

Places are limited to 5 per session and at only £95 per person, the sessions will revolutionise your approach to promoting your business. Please contact us to find out more.

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Cerub PR is 6 Years Old!

I’m pleased to be able to report that Cerub PR, the company I set up from our spare room is 6 years old today. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun!

It’s been a great 6 years with lots of changes, from starting out alone in our little flat, hiring staff and moving into our house then finally taking the plunge and taking on premises. Just goes to show, when you start out, all you need is some determination and hard work. Some of the funniest few weeks were completely un-work related, but were when we got our kitten Eliot, who used to go to sleep on my desk and in between used to nibble the computer wires. Unfortunately, he’s not allowed to come to work any more!

We’ve had a great few years, have worked with some fantastic clients and have a fabulous team here.

We’ve taken on some new clients over the past month, including Delightful Footnotes, a range of gorgeous pedicure products, Charlotte Reid and Troop, great new ranges of bags and we’ve got some great prospects lined up to come on board.

We’re also launching seminars for smaller companies who want to do their own PR which start in July. To find out more, call us on 01494 461784.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Networking Launch Success

Last week saw the launch of the High Wycombe Connections Club, a new networking group launched by Cerub PR and several other local companies, including Selleck Testing, Flackwell Financial Services, HSBSG and the FSB.

Our first meeting was on 21st May, and with over 96 people in attendance, it was a huge success. Mike Clare, founder of Dreams was our first speaker and he was, as always, very entertaining and inspirational. We were thrilled that so many people turned up and it just goes to show that PR works, and people really do pay attention to what’s in their local media.

We also attended the launch of L’Ortolan along with Mary Flavelle and Cindy Cameron in Reading last week, which gave Ceri the chance to make a souffle with their head chef and we’re pleased to report that she stepped up to the challenge and made a delicious dish, with a hand whisk no less!

Stories keeping our attention in the media are the ongoing saga of MPs expenses, which is making our blood boil and the shocking state of children’s teeth in the UK. A report recently stated that only one in three parents ensure their children brush their teeth twice a day, which is a story we’re working on with our client Appledore Dental Clinic, trying to educate parents about the importance of their children’s dental health.

We’re pleased to say we’ve just started work with a brand new client which is very exciting! More details to follow…that’s all for now!

Newsletters, Discounts and Coverage

Newsletters…I’m having a debate with myself as to whether they’re worth doing. I currently get about 50 newsletters a week, most of which are a waste of space. All my marketing friends tell me that they’re an essential way to communicate to current clients and potential customers but I’m feeling a bit bombarded with them now, so am wondering whether I want to add to the bombardment. Something to think about! Let me know what you think…

At the moment we’re working on launching the Discount Voucher Toolbar, a new offering from our client Dominic Hayhoe, which, when you download it, tells you when there are discount vouchers available at each online store you visit. Genius! We’re expecting a lot of interest in this and if you’re interested in checking it out, visit www.discount-voucher-toolbar.co.uk.

Elsewhere, this month, we’ve had lots of coverage for our clients including features in The Evening Standard, You and Your Wedding, The Sunday Mirror, Bella and The Daily Express, not to mention some great radio coverage!

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