PR AGENCY DIARIES: INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS - THE POWER OF A 360-DEGREE APPROACH

Once upon a time PR was all about press releases, product placements and a few parties thrown in for good measure. ‘Twas a simpler era when public relations and marketing teams worked alongside one another on different paths but ultimately towards the same goal of selling a product, service or idea.

The seismic changes in our industry over the past decade have forced PR agencies to innovate or evaporate. Those who tried to stay in silo have struggled to survive, while those that have transformed their offering have thrived (well, at least some of them).  

With people consuming info via a plethora of platforms, a single-minded approach will only get you so far. Notwithstanding the fact that people need to hear or see a message at least seven times before they’ll take action, making campaigns multifaceted is a must.

Budget, as always, is the main consideration. Total clarity upfront is essential - there’s no point planning a blue-sky campaign with all manner of mediums if the client tells you after the fact that there’s only $10k to spend. 

Start with what you’ve got, evaluate the objectives and then map out your strategy with earned, owned and paid media components:

·         Earned media is what we PR peeps are typically known for – generating publicity through promotional efforts rather than paid spend. If your relationships are strong, ways are wily and creative thinking canny (insert any Undertow team member name here) then this will be your bread and butter. Consider all appropriate platforms and outputs that fall under this umbrella from interviews with spokespeople on broadcast TV to contra influencer gifting in exchange for social share, editorial articles on websites and product placement in print to speaking opportunities for talent at industry events

·         It goes without saying but there’s no point in pursuing earned media if customers have nowhere to go to find out more about your brand - owned media is essential. First and foremost, your brand better have a banging website and super slick social channels, but beyond that, do you have a pool of content to keep things fresh, diverse and interesting? Content is king so, if you can, invest is a roster of creative partners who can swiftly and skillfully translate you brand to the language of digital

·         Back in the old days paid media was about big TV commercials and shiny print ads - not so now. While these pieces still have their place across big budget campaigns, it’s now more likely you’ll be looking at targeted ad sets on social, influencer collabs, podcast partnerships, sponsored content and radio plays. Figure out whose audiences align best with yours before reaching out and make sure you negotiate added value upfront as part of any spend

Navigating the best course can be a bit of a minefield so partnering with a good PR agency to steer you in the right direction is key. We know how to make every dollar matter by leveraging our existing relationships with editors and on-screen talent to create effective content and added value – beats chatting only in bucks with the sales team every time. 

Ready to launch a campaign but don’t know where to start? Get in touch and we’ll sort you a roadmap to get things humming.