Business and Investment Center

Review your overall marketing strategy and objectives to make certain the PR complement one or more of the areas you want to impact. This process is a challenging one when you are working to change something that is intangible. Attempting to quantify your objectives whenever you can add focus and will reinforce your investment in this area. Let’s return to our example. The measurable objectives for “Upper Crust” might include the following.

1. Have at least one of the stories about their products or the store itself picked up by the local newspaper or radio.

2. You may be able to leverage this exposure by co-sponsoring an event to a community group comprised of one or more of the target markets. Presenting the contribution to representatives of the cause may offer additional exposure.

3. Expect to receive comments from at least 10 customers regarding the exposure.

4. “Test” for a 10% increase in revenues within 14 days of the initial exposure.

The more specific you can be with your goals and objectives, the more targeted you will be in designing your public relations campaign and the more objective you will be in assessing your impact. Future action: Repeat successes and modify or discontinue the failures based on your results. Another part of an effective public relations strategy is identifying a “champion” that will design and manage the public relations promotional activities. Who is going to be responsible for implementation? Is it incorporated into the marketing milestones and on the marketing calendar? These are important questions that must be addressed and the answers will play a key role in the success of the public relations activities.

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A word of caution is in order. When you move to new ways of working and develop new business models, there will be confusion by those who must execute the changed processes. Part of why your story is confusing is that you send mixed messages. For example, in yesteryear the name of the game was to beat the competition at every turn, by every means. So do with the image of your business. How you are viewed by the world is important—very important. That image influences what you can and cannot do. Image is a resource on its own merit. It can be shaped, managed, and manipulated. Probably the best use of company image is as a springboard to attract more customers and generate more profits. For example, if you are an American, what comes to mind if you read or hear the name Burberry? Americans immediately think of $800 raincoats with special plaid liners and the metal loops on the belt that trigger the alarms at airport security gates.

The image of status doesn’t seem to stop buyers. In fact, it seems to attract a certain market segment. Admit it. Don’t you flash back to the movie Casablanca every time you put on your gabardine trench coat? Are you willing to pay the price to be connected to a certain image? Image, as a resource, is a perfect fit if your focus is to be a payoff- driven organization. If your focus is something else, you still must account for your image. Either way, your image can be used as a strategic tool. Capitalize on it with customers, employees, and the general public, and then make image part of your story.

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