7 days ago
5 Essential Strategies To Build Value With Your Story
Jenna Guarneri, Founder and CEO of JMG Public Relations, an award-winning PR firm for innovators and their mission-driven startup companies.
Today's world is more media-saturated than it has ever been. With the myriad of products, services and information that the average consumer is presented with, brands find themselves competing not just for product quality but for the attention of the audience. The traditional paradigm, where brands focused their energy on product development and then built their marketing strategy as an afterthought, can now be considered a thing of the past.
Today, it's not just the product that is the product. It's people's perception of the product that is the product. One major component that drives perception is public relations (PR). Contrary to popular belief, PR is not just about getting media coverage, issuing press releases or managing crises. Modern PR is much more proactive and creative. It is an engine for shaping the narrative around your brand. If your business is not putting PR strategy at the center of your product promotion efforts, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to highlight your true value in this media-saturated market. Here's why PR is your most valuable asset and why the smartest businesses are taking their narratives more seriously than ever.
Why PR Is Now A Strategic Investment
In the past, businesses invested more of their time and money into research and development (R&D). Product quality is the core of gaining a consumer's trust and loyalty.
However, the truth that the most successful businesses have unlocked is that even the best product in the world can be ignored if not presented to the world in a strategic, attractive way.
Beyond product quality, you need a loud, clear and consistent brand voice. It's PR that helps your company build that voice, attracting the attention of your target audience. With excellent PR, you establish social and emotional relevance, allowing you to position yourself front and center in important conversations within your industry. This directly leads to tangible results: networking with investors, attracting top talent and growing your customer base.
5 Ways To Build PR Like A Product
Paying the same attention to PR as R&D will get you further ahead. More than organizing one-off events or interviews, PR should be seen as a long-term asset that develops as your brand grows. Here are five things you can do to improve your PR.
1. Think about PR from the get-go.
Startups can get so caught up in product development that they put off their PR, and that is a missed opportunity. A PR strategy should not be activated during product launch or right after a public crisis. If your product development plans are carefully laid out from inception to execution, your communications strategy should be treated with the same amount of care. From the start, you should have clear answers to questions such as "What does your company stand for?" or "How do you want people to react when they hear about you?" Getting your message sorted from the start helps you ensure that your narrative is clear and consistent, so that future customers or investors are interested when they do a deep dive into your brand history.
2. Think of PR as ongoing narrative development.
Your communications strategy should be proactive, not reactive.
When you have a consistent message, brand values, mission and advocacy, you're able to participate in the cultural moment more effectively. If your industry faces a crisis, create articles or speeches with confidence that will allow you to participate as a thought leader in the discussion.
Once you launch a new product, you're able to present the product as a point of growth, allowing both customers and investors to cultivate a deeper trust in you after seeing steady development.
3. Adopt a people-focused approach.
Brands that appear to be "business as usual" all the time often fall short in creating meaningful connections with their audience.
At the end of the day, people want to connect with people. It cannot be denied or ignored that emotional connections are at the core of human interaction, whether that be in the boardroom or on the sidewalk. That's why it's important for a brand to make leadership visible. Founders, executives and key team members should represent the brand personally. Everything from podcast interviews to written online content allows them to build those emotional connections.
4. Rely on data at all times.
For a growing business, the effectiveness of a PR strategy can be measured through data research, surveys, social media metrics, website visits and more. In the same way that you pay close attention to product usage after your product is launched, you should also keep a close eye on how your message is being received by the public. From there, you're able to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
5. Invest in a thorough, targeted communications strategy.
Even though your brand narrative is not a tangible asset, it's an asset nonetheless, and it is arguably just as important as the product itself. If your brand narrative is what draws eyes to your business in the first place, then it is worth investing time, energy and resources in.
Dedicate time for planning, work with the right PR experts, and gather the technology needed to make good PR happen. Most importantly, devote time to internal training, briefing key brand representatives and team members on your strategies. This will allow you to delegate brand stewardship from top-level executives to team members in all departments.
Perception Drives Value
While great products often speak for themselves, they need to be given the opportunity to take the stage. It's your brand narrative that creates those opportunities. In a market that overwhelms people with information, brands that stand out are those that are smart, prepared, intentional and human-centered with their approach to communications. They understand that PR truly is the new product.
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