For many small businesses, public relations (PR) is easier said than done. With the right plan, budget, skill sets and tools, PR campaigns and programs will maximize the marketing momentum and ROI (return on investment). With these elements in place, dare to be memorable, different, and creative.
We found motivation from John Unger’s 10 Unforgettable PR Campaigns, a guest post featured on allbusiness.com.
A great PR campaign can accomplish many things. It can restore the damaged reputation of a celebrity who was caught doing some misdeed; it can save a company from ruin; it can make a fledgling company a huge success. A great PR campaign can even salvage a political campaign.
Unger’s list holds noteworthy lessons for those who seek to engage target markets and stand apart from competitors. Let’s put the list to the test? See if your memory serves up immediate recollection. You’ll find the answers at the bottom of this post. Read Unger’s guest post for additional details and more trivia.
- This campaign transformed the reputation of a city from a crime-infested, intimidating, metropolis to a welcoming place to visit.
- This agricultural campaign started locally but became a nationwide hit. It successfully combined celebrity and humor to tout the benefits and encourage consumption of a dairy product.
- In 2010, to stem the tide of decreased ticket sales, organizers of a prestigious horse racing event tapped into the celebrity of Zenyatta, a championship racehorse, by giving it a Twitter handle.
- You can credit a public relations guy, not a dietitian, for this breakfast combo staple. In the 1920s, he convinced a survey sample of doctors to endorse the nutritional benefit of starting the day with these two products. Then came Dr. Seuss.
Cookie-cutter PR campaigns or programs, frankly won’t cut it – they must be tailored to target audiences, as well as, media contacts. Here are a few suggestions to help your small business and brand stand out.
- Know your audience and customers. Revisit and update your buyer personas.
- Discover and embrace your differences. What makes your business or brand unique in the eyes of the audience. Can you create a campaign based on the difference (think of the Avis 50-year old campaign, We Try Harder)?
- Don’t sell, educate. Make the audience smarter.
- Connect your business or brand to a cause your customers care about in their lives and communities?
- Identify emotions associated with your business or brand.
- Don’t tune out the news cycle; there may be newsjacking opportunities for your business or brand.
- Monitor and manage your online reputation. Don’t turn a blind eye to reviews and comments – they’re great tools to engage with customers and gain invaluable business operations insight.
- Tap into your creative genius. Once you do, here are more than a few ways to keep the momentum going.
For more motivation and inspiration, check out the following posts: You Can Do This! Public Relations, Part 1, Part 2.
How do you dare to be memorable, different and creative? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
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GB O’Brien
LGK
Answers:
- I Love New York
- Got Milk?
- Breeder’s Cup
- Bacon and Eggs