Put in the simplest of forms, PR is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. It is all about reputation- the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.
Unlike the old days when PR was perceived as frivolous and unnecessary ‘spin’, it is now acknowledged to be a fundamental part of every successful and intelligent organisation's strategy. PR creates awareness and improves reputation and trust. It creates a point of difference, it educates and reassures. When the going gets rough- in the event of a major issue or a crisis- the public relations function is crucial to the survival and recovery of organisations. One thing is for sure, you can’t ‘choose’ to have PR or not. A company can either choose to take control and develop a well thought out programme or sit back passively and leave PR up to chance.
This is one of the most asked questions that people have about these two industries. In a nutshell, advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. You have total control over what goes into the advertisement and will know exactly when and where the ad will air or be published.
Public Relations takes a somewhat more subtle approach. It allows you to tell your story indirectly through third-party outlets, primarily the media. Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behavior.
Despite their differences, advertising and PR have been working hand in hand for many years and the most effective marketing campaigns use a combination of both disciplines. When public relations is used first to educate the public about your product and the need for it, advertising is much more cost effective and valuable.
It all starts with a meeting between you, the client, and Boyes Public Relations to determine what you would like to achieve and to discuss our range of services. We then follow this meeting up with a proposal, tailored to your specific needs, outlining how we would meet your objectives. The proposal would also include a selection of budget options and an evaluation plan.
We enjoy working in close partnership with all of our clients in order to both really understand their business and to offer an exceptional service. We like to have regular catch-ups and visits to your offfice/factory/shop so that we can keep involved in and close to your industry.
We also like to evaluate the public relations programme frequently so that we can ensure that it is working as hard as possible for your business and garnering truly excellent results.