Realising the power of B2B PR through integration

Apparently you’ve got to see something 7 times for it to register and magically pervade. That’s quite a big number for marketing campaigns to aim for; particularly with straitened budgets all credit-crunched up.

PR is ever popular, possibly because of its reputation as being more cost effective than advertising. It’s seen as a cheaper way to achieve that level of visibility and may do so more powerfully. It’s true that yes, it does offer third party endorsement, and can put across arguments persuasively.

However to offer a maximum return on investment, when little is being spent, it’s more important than ever to integrate and coordinate activity to ensure maximum impact. PR can often be a passive medium; it delivers information, builds brands and offers reassurance, but it doesn’t have a compelling call to action, which if companies are looking for a measurable return by way of increased sales volume, can often disappoint.

Tight integration and then good internal communication can help overcome this. If the sales team doesn’t know when coverage has appeared in key trade magazines, they can’t use it in sales situations. If direct mail is at a tangent to the messages broadcast through PR, then a potential opportunity for reinforcement may be lost.

If clients really want to get the most out of their PR, they need to work with the agency not only on how external messages will be conveyed, but how the campaign will be plugged back in to the organisation so it can be used to most advantage for impact on that lucky number 7.