Public Relations is a vital part of the overarching strategy of the management to build a clean and competitive brand of the company. PR is, in many ways, different from marketing. Although in most companies, both of them fall under the same department, the objectives of these two are different.
While the marketing team is more interested in making a sales pitch for the company’s product and services, the public relation team will be more interested in building a professional relationship. The objectives of both these appear different, but there are several overlapping similarities for which they are placed under the same department. Both marketing and PR complement each other but it doesn’t mean PR can be substituted by marketing. Your company needs PR, and here’s why.
The main focus of Public Relations is different
Public relation focuses on enhancing the brand image of a company. The brand name of a company is very important as it not only helps in increasing sales pitch but also for the overall sustainable development of the company. A strong brand is very important for a business because:
- It improves the recognition of your company
- A good brand generates trust in the mind of customers
- A good brand is essential for a strong advertisement campaign
- A good brand also has a strong financial value
- People love to work for a reputable brand
- It attracts new customers and build loyalty among the existing customers
Considering the importance of brand, public relation has becomes essential for the success of your company in the marketplace.
What makes public relation indispensable for a company?
While every management team knows about the importance of forging good professional links with other companies and media group, their energies are mostly directed towards the running of day to day function of the company. Therefore, it becomes important that a part of their business focuses on creating new relations and improve on the existing ones. This is the job of the public relation department where it regularly interacts with other companies and individuals who are important to the company and nurture their relationship. This they can do by regularly calling them or sending them invitations for an event organised by the company.
What are the tools that a public relations expert uses?
A PR expert has several tools in her kitty to effectively do the job. Some of these are:
- Crafting press releases
- Managing media relations to improve the brand image of your company
- Placing advertisements in the newspaper
- Using social media to generate awareness about the company’s brand
- Publishing newsletters
- Distributing brochures and catalogs among prospects and customers
- Organising business events for your clients and business partners
- Offering sponsorship to improve the brand image of the company
- Improving employees and community relations
A public relations expert uses all of these tools effectively to talk about the brand of the company and the product or services that the company is offering. In short, they are creating a narrative to further their agenda of brand building.