In order to sustain and thrive in the market, a business organization needs to have a favorable image amongst the public.
Public image has a much larger role to play in the success or failure of a business than it is given credit for. It stimulates choices and influences opinions regarding a specific brand. Driving this opinion is what PR is all about.
The essence of PR lies in its name itself, Public Relations. PR is necessary for a business house, irrespective of its scale of operation, to spread awareness about itself and stimulate public opinion in a favorable manner.
This dynamic task of establishing an image in public is often outsourced by brands to specialized PR agencies.
So, what is a PR agency?
What Is A PR Agency?
A PR agency is essentially an organization that takes up the responsibility of creating and propagating specific messages regarding their clients in the public domain. Its job is to establish a favorable image of the clients in the public directly or indirectly associated with them.
However, the work of a PR agency is slightly different than an advertising agency. In the case of advertising, the concerned brand directly pays for using a specific channel to propagate a message through the advertisers. Here, the audience clearly knows who the advertiser is.
On the other hand, PR makes use of “free media”. Here, the promotion and propagation of messages are not directly paid by the concerned brand and the audience might not clearly know who the promoter is.
Answering the question, “what does a PR firm do,” a PR firm chooses the right platforms to spread pre-decided information regarding their clients. This can be done by organizing press conferences, writing blogs or articles, conducting interviews, organizing events, and other relevant activities.
As clients, a PR agency might handle businesses and brands, celebrities, or any other legitimate entity in the public domain. In return, the agency is paid by its clients in multiple ways:
• The client can pay on a monthly basis for a specific term,
• The client can pay on the basis of the project assigned to the PR agency, or
• The client can pay on the basis of coverage secured by the PR agency
In India, the role of a PR agency in the success or failure of a brand is significant. There are many efficient and reliable PR agencies in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, and other small and big cities, helping their clients drive public opinion.
Now, what services do PR agencies offer in specific?
Services Offered By PR Agencies
The services offered by a PR agency vary according to the client they are handling, the audience they are targeting, and the location where they are operating.
For instance, if you own a PR agency in Pune handling IT companies, your approach and services will differ from a PR agency in Mumbai handling celebrities.
However, certain common services are provided by all PR agencies across the board to all their clients. Here are some of these services you can expect to avail from a PR agency:
1. Developing Strategies
You can never get your PR project successful without an iron-clad strategy. Just like advertising, a PR agency helps its clients in building a goal-oriented and extensive strategy.
These strategies involve every small and big activity to be performed over a stipulated period of time. They are developed keeping the strengths and weaknesses of the clients.
These strategies act as blueprints of the course of action to be taken, the messages to be conveyed and the media channels to cover over a specific period of time.
It is this development of strategies that give the clients a sense of direction and ultimate goals to be attained.
2. Media Relations
This is the most important and sought-after service provided by PR agencies. As the name suggests, media relations involves the optimum use of media platforms for getting specific messages regarding the client across.
PR agencies are constantly interacting with prominent media houses to cover stories, host events, and broadcast the same to increase the reach and popularity of their clients.
Some of the major activities that fall under the umbrella of media relations are:
• Press briefings
• Press conferences
• TV, magazine, radio, or online interviews
• Media events
A good PR agency will always have an impeccable understanding of the media, helping their clients to have their word out in the most efficient manner.
3. Deciding The Messaging Style
More than what a message is, the manner in which it is conveyed is important. PR agencies give utmost importance to the style of messaging that goes out on behalf of their clients.
A PR agency essentially conveys messages on behalf of its clients. They discuss the core message to be propagated and the style in which it would be propagated.
Depending on the audience they are catering to and the cause for the propagation of the message, a PR firm would handle communication in a smart and effective manner.
When it comes to messaging, PR agencies not only help their clients in communicating with the external public but also with the internal public.
For instance, if your brand was forced out of the market due to faulty reasons and you are now making a comeback, instilling a new faith within your employees is as important as reassuring your customers.
4. Content Marketing
Nothing stimulates public opinion more than a well-crafted piece of content. Content marketing has always been one of the most crucial services provided by PR agencies.
Content marketing serves the purpose of advertising and makes it even more wholesome. It is one of the most direct forms of conveying the right message at the right time to the right people.
PR agencies often have a team of skilled writers to write content for websites, blogs, or magazines for conveying the client’s message to the intended audience. Writing product reviews, a summary of an event, and online articles are some common examples of content marketing.
A well-created content marketing campaign helps brands to increase leads and improve their image in the market.
5. Social Media Marketing
Every micro, small, medium, and large business has a social media presence. Social media has emerged as a highly engaging and influential media platform. Such nature of social media has resulted in PR agencies utilizing it for promotional purposes.
A PR agency would help its clients create and maintain a social media account effectively. They ensure that regular posts are made on the account and effective communication takes place at every point in time.
PR firms also use social media for increasing engagement and getting more leads to clients. Depending on the client being handled and the message being conveyed, PR companies choose the most suitable social media platforms for marketing.
6. Influencer Marketing
With the exponential rise in the popularity of social media, the popularity of influencers has also increased significantly. PR agencies tap into this popularity and use the same to promote their clients.
There are several influencers on social media, be it bloggers, vloggers, or other relevant content creators. PR firms get associated with these influencers to market the products/services of their clients.
For instance, an influencer may be called to try a particular product by a specific brand. They may also be asked to talk/tweet about the products and services of a brand, which would act as a strong means of promotion.
However, influencer marketing is not limited to social media. PR agencies also get in touch with television/movie stars, sports celebrities, politicians, and other strong opinion leaders to promote their clients.
7. Experiential Marketing
This is one of the most personal and first-hand experiences provided by PR agencies to the target market for promoting their clients.
Here, a brand is promoted by letting the customers experience its services and/or try its products. Even a simple observational experience can result in generating leads for a brand.
Exclusive events and exhibitions are the most common examples of experiential marketing.
For instance, if a PR agency is handling an instant noodle brand, it would organize an event where different variants of the product will be available for the audience to taste for free. They may purchase the product if they like it.
Similarly, PR for automobile and real estate companies involves exclusive exhibitions, where the potential buyers can come, have a look at the variety of options available to them, enquire about them, and make bookings if they are convinced with what they see.
8. Creating Press Releases
This is technically an extension of media relations. Here, the PR agencies pitch to prominent media platforms and journalists to cover a particular event and/or to write about their clients in their tabloids.
It is the PR agency’s job to convince the journalists, prepare press kits and get the required message of their clients across.
Therefore, PR agencies are experts at multi-tasking and being proficient in each of the tasks performed!
