Questions

I run a UK based jewellery company specialising in bridal jewellery. We have a turnover of circa £4m per annum. We advertise using Adwords, Youtube, and run active facebook campaign. However, we don't do any proper PR activity, so it is an obvious gap in our marketing strategy. I realise I could engage a PR agency, or I could advertise in the PR press and look to employ our own PR person. However, I am not clear on what my PR 'objectives' should be. I also don't know what a good result would look like, or how much I realistically need to budget for. So far, I have been skeptical of the value of PR. Realistically, we are not Coca-Cola or Panasonic, and I am not sure I have the appetite to afford the size of campaign to try to build a large scale 'brand'. Hence to date, I have focused on direct response marketing with adwords etc. Some possible avenues which might work and which I would include in the PR category is; * Celebrity endorsements * Featured products in bridal magazines * Press releases (I realise these don't generally work) * Events * Local awareness campaign in local papers As you can see, I am bit confused on the best way forward. So I am looking for an expert in PR, who I can pay to give me some guidance on this topic. Once I find a PR expert I can trust, I would like to discuss with the the following questions; i) Can PR generate a measurable increase in sales for our business type and niche? ii) What is the minimum amount I should budget to test if it works? iii) Should I employ somebody or use an agency? iv) What is the right PR strategy I should set from the start Thanks for reading!

It's always best to figure out what your goals are first.
Do you want to increase revenues? By how much? Increase brand awareness? What's your time frame for these goals?
Public relations is communication with your target audience - who are your customers? How engaged are they with your brand? Do you receive word-of-mouth referrals from them?
Measuring ROI always comes back to your goals and whether you're meeting those goals...and of course sales are the ultimate benchmark.
A few more tips to keep your MarComm budget in line:
- Leverage your partnerships - social media reach and awareness campaigns
- Grow through alliances with vendors
- Tie into a rising trend to generate media buzz and mentions
- Keep a sharp eye on your reputation. Is your customer service something that customers rave about? If not, then correct that.
Good luck!
Lisa Avedon


Answered 9 years ago

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