You need to run a PR campaign, but where do you start?

Who do you want to talk to? What do you want to say? Why do you want to say it ? Why now ? How do you want to say it ? Where do you want to be seen saying it ? 5W & 1H - These golden principals still stand. Answer the above Qs as the first step that will help you identify and articulate your goal for the PR campaign. Then the rest will follow...

The three questions I ask myself to hone in on the message before every PR campaign: - Who am I trying to reach? - What do they most need to know and what's the most dynamic way to share that info? - What action do I want my intended audience to take as a result. That offers a great starting point for honing a message, but sophisticated messages and strategy have to be uniquely tailored to the campaign goals, the urgency of the moment, the tools that best reach your audience and data on past messages, strategies and tactics that have either succeeded or failed for similar campaigns. Don't be tempted to succumb to formulaic approaches -- that lack of authenticity or creativity shows in the outcomes.

He visto decenas de campañas fracasar por no tener una estrategia sólida detrás. Definir la campaña de PR antes de empezarla es la mitad del trabajo. Tenemos que saber que las fechas donde vayamos a realizar la campaña son propicias (no hay ningún evento relevante del sector o algo que cope el interés general, como unas elecciones por ejemplo). Tenemos que quitarnos el ego y analizar si lo que vamos a contar es importante e interesa (no a nosotros, sino a los periodistas y al público en general). En caso afirmativo decidir cómo lo contamos (yo abogo por la mayor sencillez posible, qué, quién, cómo y por qué); y a quién se lo contamos (no dar palos de ciego e ir directamente a aquellas personas que sabemos que pueden tener interés).

To kickstart your PR campaign, begin by defining your goals, objectives, and the outcomes you aspire to achieve. Is it the amplification of brand recognition, the cultivation of a favorable public image, the successful launch of a new product, or the adept handling of a contentious issue? Subsequently, pinpoint your target audience by grasping an understanding of their demographics, preferences, and motivations to calibrate the messaging that will reach them. This approach will empower you to craft messages that are not only persuasive but also adept at striking a chord with your intended audience.

First you need to ask: 1. Who is my audience today, and who do I want it to be tomorrow? 2. How does that audience see me today (if it does) and how do I want them to see me tomorrow? Then, you define the main strategy for the campaign by aligning the target set in the 1st question, with the answer to the 2nd one: 1. If not seen - activation 2. If seen (neg.) - rebrand, restore 3. If seen (pos.) - retain, reward/fidelize and grow This will set the ground for self-conscious external communication in your company. An organic reflex that impels the decision-maker(s) to leave their corporate bubble and scrutinise their strategy from the client’s perspective. - A profitable deal has to have somewhat of a ‘genuine’ and ‘relatable’ look to it

Identifying your audience is an important step which should come before crafting your pitch, so you can effectively write your emails knowing who you are talking to. Ask yourself which publications would you like to see your campaign featured in and find the best contacts most likely to be interested in receiving your pitch.

You start by putting yourself in the position of the audience you are targeting. What are the keywords, storytelling techniques or overall content you will see that will keep you very much engaged? From there you have the tips to map out your strategy!

Unlocking PR success starts with pinpointing your target audience. Here are key steps to identify and connect with your audience: 1. Market Research Matters: Dive deep into market research to understand demographics, preferences, and behaviors. This data lays the foundation for tailored communication. 2. Define Personas: Create detailed audience personas – fictional representations of your ideal customers. This exercise humanizes your target group, aiding in more personalized messaging. 4.Social Listening: Monitor social media conversations related to your industry. Understand what topics resonate and the tone of discussions to refine your messaging. knowing your audience is the bedrock of impactful PR.

Dependiendo de tu entorno puedes o no contar con información de mercado, estudios con consumidor, tendencias, usa todo lo que tengas a la mano para construir un target objetivo. Recuerda que la edad, sexo, gustos, todo importa. En mi experiencia el tomar una línea de tiempo y pensar en todo el día lo que hace mi consumidor me ha ayudado a detectar nuevos momentos de consumo o de publicidad. Ya has pensado que hace tu consumidor desde que despierta, cuándo se prepara el desayuno, cuando va camino al trabajo o la escuela, qué transportes usa, se mueve en un entorno rural o más urbano Todo eso funciona.

Be merciless in honing your message. Make it as short and compelling (to your audience, not you/your boss) as you possibly can. Ask yourself 'so what?' and 'why?', then ask again.

Ahhhh the art of storytelling— a powerful tool for any PR campaign. In my opinion, the three key elements for creating a narrative that resonates and makes an impact are: engaging your audience; evoking emotions; and conveying your brand’s message in a compelling way.

Creating a compelling message is key to running a successful PR campaign. Consider keeping your message simple to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation. It's equally important to communicate clearly why your product or service is best and worthy of people's attention. So, your message has to resonate with the specific needs of the people you're targeting. Visuals such like videos, infographics, testimonials, etc. can give your message attractive. Then, end of your message with your call to action, i.e. what do you want people to do? What action should they take as a result of this message?

La regla del 7x1=0 y 3x3=1, es fabulosa. Si tienes multitud de mensajes y los sueltas aislados y en una o dos ocasiones, a quien quieres dirigirte no se quedará con ninguno de esos mensajes. Sin embargo, si eliges dos o tres mensajes y los exprimes bien para colocarlos en diferentes impactos tu público, como mínimo, se quedará con uno.

One important step is missing. We have defined objectives and assessed the audience. This should lead to a human insight. A need, a challenge or an aspiration, something that really matters to the audience and helps us create a powerful campaign. For example, HP's fantastic 'Less Hated' campaign is based on the insight that everyone hates their printer, no matter what HP says. Once the human insight is defined, it's time to think about the creative idea. A unique and powerful way to address the human insight. This is not only relevant for advertising, but also for PR. It is the only way to cut through the noise and create awareness in an age of constant information overload.

Something I always keep in mind when telling a story is the need for tension. A smooth story isn't a captivating one. The best stories leave room for conflict, internal or external, and exploration before there is a resolution.

In today’s multi faceted, multi platforms, and multi audiences it is critical to have a mix of owned, paid and earned. Influencers are now found in all categories and industries so think about who they are and add them to your mix.

There is never a generic or standard format for an effective plan. It always begins with a goal and then an examination of the right approach for how to achieve it.

There is a missing step here, for earned media. That is, you’ve understood your audience, you’ve understood where they go for information or entertainment and now you must build an understanding of the media and their needs and wants. Once you can find or create a match between audience needs and editor or media needs, only then should you design your campaign and execute.

A well rounded approach using owned, earned, shared ans paid media. Utilizing owned channels provides control over content and allows direct engagement with our audience. Shared media, involving social platforms, fosters community engagement and encourages audience participation through shares and interactions. Paid media, encompassing advertising and sponsored content, ensures both wider reach and targeted exposure. The best platforms and mediums depend on the audience demographics, preferences, and the nature of our message. An integrated strategy across these media types can maximize message delivery and engagement with our target audience.

It is important to note that the execution phase is far bigger than one part of the plan. Great PR is not something that can be turned on and off instantly. Instead, it starts long before a campaign with long-term media relations and continues long after. Once you get to this stage it is important to make a detailed plan with multiple hooks and strategies to give you the best chance of success. Finally and perhaps most importantly campaign execution is about pivoting quickly and effectively to align with the ever-changing news agenda.

Not everything is PR worthy. New research that elucidates a problem or provides noteworthy data is news. That you hired a new VP of Sales isn't. It is important to help your organization or client understand the difference.

Never copy plans. Provide tailored solutions for every project, study the USP of a client or project. Build ideas on it and then execute,this will lead to a trend setting PR campaign.

When executing your plan, set time aside for media training for spokespeople. Oftentimes, we go through the work of setting goals, choosing the right channel, and booking the interview, but we forget to prepare our clients. This part is crucial because, if the person being interviewed doesn't feel comfortable or prepared they won't deliver. I always prepare talking points in advance. Then I go over them with clients. I provide a tip sheet for who they will be interviewing, the environment (zoom, in-person, phone call or in-studio), and all the parking and location instructions so the client feels the utmost prepared. I also, accompany them or listen in on the phone call or interview, just to make the client feel supported.

The best-laid plans can sometimes take a deep dive. Timing, weather, unforeseen events or a sudden shift in leadership can be catastrophic. Prepare for that, and have it built into your plan, or be prepared to pause until later or even a full reset. Never assume because you started pointed a direction that you will land there. Staying stubbornly on the path you picked may guarantee only failure. Constantly look at your plan from different perspectives, while anticipating the impact of changes in your team, community, timing and media on your project. Never over-plan, as you will become locked into details which may not be present at the time, be nimble and adjust to opening and closing doors.

Communication only has value if the objectives were clear at the outset. These must then be measured. If the goal was a high reach, that counts more, if the goal is community building, then the focus is on the engagement rate. Whether a campaign is a success can never be determined per se by figures if these have not been defined in advance. In addition to quantitative goals, which are easy to measure using the platform's own resources and external tools, I am a fan of qualitative goals. Their measurability requires more work, but they are worth their weight in gold.

Was ich immer wieder erlebe: Wir wollen bessere/stärkere/tollere Ergebnisse sehen. Aber kosten soll es nix, weder Zeit noch Geld. Wenn wir an einer PR-Kampagne arbeiten, fangen wir mit Zielen an - die müssen klar definiert sein. Und am Ende wird die Erreichung dieser bewertet. Dazu müssen ganz konkrete und messbare Metriken verwendet werden. Zum Start der Kampagne, nicht am Ende. Für bestimmte Themen muss bereits dann ein Ausgangswert vorliegen. Wenn ich bspw. die Bekanntheit messen will, sollte ein Vergleichspunkt oder eine Nullmessung durchgeführt werden. Wenn ich Reputation verändert will, braucht es ein geeignetes Messverfahren dafür. Und das sollte von Anfang an kalkuliert werden - um eine gute Basis für weitere Schritte zu haben.

A performance-based plan allows you to make data-driven decisions to impact real-time conversations. Reporting and evaluation shouldn't just happen at the end of your campaign but at each step along the way. Within that evaluation, consider your campaign outputs to track touchpoints, outcomes to gauge the audience's knowledge or opinion about your brand or product and business results. Be sure to consider results outside your typical placements and impressions to truly understand the impact of your efforts. Additional tracking measurements could be share of voice, employee sentiment, ton of voice, and more..

One thing I've found helpful is keeping a record of pitches and pick-ups. This can be as rudimentary as a spreadsheet tracking conversations/emails with media, dates, pitch notes and outcomes, or as robust as integrated analytics from your Cision, Meltwater, or other PR tech. Regardless of your tech stack, you can glean a lot of insights by simply tracking what you've pitched, to whom, and whether the story ran.

I'd also recommend integrating advanced analytics tools specifically designed for digital campaigns. These tools can provide deeper insights into customer behavior and campaign performance, enabling more targeted strategies in future endeavors. Constant iteration based on data is key in the evolving landscape of digital marketing.

A tried and tested approach I have found useful is to adopt an inquisitively curious growth mindset-inclined approach with ''Why'' as a first question instead of ''How''. Picture this: Your stakeholders have looped you into a meeting and opened with a "We should have the PR team lead this initiative/campaign/movement, and we want a lot of media attention when it goes live!" As the PR & Communications subject matter expert, proceed with this mental checklist: 1. Why is the brand doing this, and how will it move the needle across the various functions? 2. Why will various stakeholders across the ecosystem ie. media, partners, users/consumers be interested in it? 3. Why is PR spearheading it, and what are the markers of success?

The objective is to craft a memorable campaign that makes your brand stand out in the market. Upon receiving the brief, conduct thorough research on the topic. Poll the media, partners and other stakeholders to identify how your brand is perceived in that space, to identify the emerging trends and gaps in ongoing conversations. Subsequently, construct your campaign and position it within these gaps. This step (research) is crucial as there's no value in repeating what other brands have already shared or discussed.

Before you even start with defining your goals, messages etc. you need to know if what you are about to embark on is even relevant to an external audience. Why should I care (as an outsider) should be the first question you ask! And it should be grounded in research not opinion or speculation! So, first and foremost, do your homework!

I believe that the RACE strategy is well-suited for the development and run of a PR campaign. When considering where to begin, the RACE model suggests commencing the PR campaign with thorough research. Research is instrumental in elucidating various facets of a problem, enabling a clear understanding. This clarity sets the foundation for subsequent steps, such as accurately defining the message, identifying the target audience, and selecting the appropriate communication channels.

Sometimes those who conceive the campaign are not ready, willing, nor able to help it succeed. I always like to sit with those people, INDIVIDUALLY, do the SWOT and a deep dive. Oh, what you can learn when the cameras and mics are off! (i.e. the city councilwoman who complains at a meeting that we don't have a high enough profile at community events. You sit with her and find out that she has NO appetite for participation, doesn't want to be contacted on the weekends, won't participate in promos or photos, etc. NTS, the campaign to engage our officials more in the community has to exclude the person who thinks it was her idea. Lol. Fictitious but plausible example!) See what they REALLY want to accomplish.