ARE YOU TOO SMALL FOR PR?

When is the right time to appoint a PR agent?  When is a retainer with a PR agency worth the investment?  Interesting questions that I’ve been asked more than once over the course of my career.  Let me be really clear, PR isn’t right for every company at every stage of their business.  If a PR agency says that they can make you a household name, but you are still working out of your bedroom, they might be more interested in taking your money than in building your brand.  Many bedroom entrepreneurs make it – Wordville itself enjoyed a few months in ‘duvet land’ before we got our office, built a team and created a proper organisational structure.  But start-ups survive or flourish because they don’t run out of money by spending their hard-earned pennies on things they don’t really need.

PR is not free/cheap advertising.  If you can’t afford advertising don’t think that PR is a less expensive alternative.  PR is a professional service and the skills of the agents, whether in a company or as individual consultants, are sold to you by the hour.  PR agents charge for the effort it takes to devise a plan, create content, find a suitable target and reach out to the press with consideration and persistence.

If you’re a young business and you really feel that being in the media will have an enormous impact on your business’s credibility and success.  Here are the questions to ask yourself:

1.     Do you have a website with contact details (email address and phone number) that people can find if they want to get in touch with you once they’ve heard about you in the press?  Seems obvious – but, believe me, lots of individuals put effort into launching a product or project without the wherewithal to record interest or sell.

2.     Do you have a spokesperson who is available, lucid, well-informed and can speak to a journalist about your company, its products/services and its clients?  If you don’t have a spokesperson how are you going to answer a journalist’s specific questions?  A reporter is going to want to personalise any company news to appeal to their own audience and will very likely want a quote that touches on a particular topic that relates to their area of interest.  If no one has time to help with this – or no one is happy about ‘putting their head above the parapet’ – then avoid PR for the time being.

3.     Do you have a client who you can reference, name drop, or call in to support what you say?  Approximately 600,000 businesses are launched in the UK every year.  Many never win the clients they need to go onto their second year.  The press is understandably cautious about featuring any business that might not be around in a matter of months.  They like to see you have credibility and you get that from the people who buy your products/services. 

We love working with start-ups and always have.  We are inspired by the energy, sense of purpose and flexibility of small business leaders.  So we’re always intrigued when a start-up approaches us with a request.  But we’ve worked long enough with established brands and newly-founded companies to know that to succeed in PR you’ve got to have the basics or you just can’t get in the press. 

If you’re reading this and thinking ‘oh no, I was expecting PR to help me sell products’ – then you probably need to go back to your business plan and look again at your route to market.  Eventually PR will help you grow your business – it’ll will amaze you how much PR can help – but once your business is ready to be helped.  

by Lucy George, Mayor of Wordville

picture souce: Ryan Jorgensen 

Wordville wins UK PR & Marketing Company of the Year 2016

Well, we're celebrating at the little village of Wordville after being told that we've won an award for outstanding work.  The bunting is out, the brass band is tuning up and the Mayor has had her hair done.  Thanks to all those who nominated us.  

Sponsored by the International Business Innovation Association, The Innovation & Excellence awards recognise businesses that have transformed over the past 12 months setting clear industry trends and advances.  

The judging panel at Corporate LiveWire considered the strengths of each shortlisted candidate, setting its sights firmly on the most innovative, groundbreaking and client-focused firms, teams and individuals who have transformed the way in which they do business. 

This year’s winners include Google, Uber, Airbnb Inc, Microsoft, and Wordville to name a few.

The full winners guide can be found at: http://www.corporatelivewire.com/innovation-and-excellence-awards.html

If it's a Show-Off Society, how are you getting your share of the stage?

The business world, despite the best efforts of best practice, doesn’t always reward those who put their heads down and get on with the job.  The best can rise through the ranks, climb the corporate ladder or get picked for the dream job – but they have to be spotted.  It’s not just about being creative, hard-working, conscientious.  It’s about being all those things and being seen to be.

The Mayor of Wordville, Lucy George, has written a book with business coach Barbara Greeenway, that outlines some of the principles of PR that can work for anyone.  Called 'Don't Work Harder - Just Get Noticed', the book is for individuals who are looking to be promoted.  Jobseekers looking to be selected for an interview.  Hardworking folks who are getting a little bored of sitting around waiting for the break because surely ‘it’s their time now’.

Championing the unsung, who suffer colleagues taking undue credit, the book incorporates positive ideas, and motivational stories. Don’t Work Harder helps frustrated executives focus on what they want to be famous for, guides them to the evidence to support their personal brand, and offers tips on the next step. It’s not about burning the midnight oil, or suppressing your own beliefs. It’s getting noticed that makes the difference.

Lucy and Barbara will be giving a sneak preview at the IAM Group on Wednesday 30th March in London.  To buy tickets for the event visit http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/charity-drinks-networking-dont-work-harder-just-get-noticed-tickets-18551354601

If you would like to pre-order Don't Work Harder - Just Get Noticed (published autumn 2016) please email dontworkharder@wordville.net

Happy Birthday, Wordville

What can marketing managers learn from Kim Kardashian?

From an outsider’s point of view, Kim Kardashian’s domination of the world’s media is a mystery, probably an irritation and very often dismissed.  But being ‘famous for nothing’ is harder than you think.  Although I can’t call myself a fan, I don’t like the monochrome kiddie clothes and haven’t even watched the reality TV show, as a PR professional I have to take my hat off to Mrs West for how she captures so much editorial attention.  So, if there’s something you want to share – you might actually have done something amazing that it’s worth being famous for – then you too can learn from Kim’s campaign:

1.     Produce shareable content – It’s not just social media that is hungry for videos and pictures that people can comment on and share.  More media outlets than ever seem to be snapping up the snaps from paparazzi, members of the public and Instagram.  Have you got a way of showing off that can be recorded quickly, is entertaining, and might be shared by strangers?  Don’t make it difficult to understand – the first glance has to say it all.  Don’t expect to be an internet sensation from the first attempt.  Short, frequent, popular content will help move you up the social media hierarchy.

2.     Always on brand – Whether she’s stepping out in Paris, pottering around in LA or home with her family, Kim’s clothes seem to be a very strict uniform of black or white – perhaps a beige colour but always monochrome.  It’s like she has some pretty serious brand guidelines and is committed to a small handful of Pantone colours. It means that her ‘look’ is recognisable and sparks debate. Does every piece of marketing you share have your own ‘look’? If what you’re sharing is very similar to other brands in your market then your lack of originality isn’t doing you any favours. 

3.     If a strategy isn’t working – change it.  According to my hairdresser, Kim Kardashian had her blonde hair for a total of three weeks.  Not every strategy works.  And it can be difficult if you’ve spent time working on a year-long marketing plan and securing senior management buy in, to admit that you’re not getting the results you wanted and need to revert to an old method.  Think Kim.  Take a good hard look at the evidence and go back to the drawing board.

4.     Whatever you have flaunt it.  Don’t be shy.  Really.  I mean it. We sometimes get informed by potential clients that they are nervous ‘putting their head above the parapet’ in case their ideas get stolen, they get criticised in their industry or their own staff object.  I'm afraid in any one of these cases the company is not ready for PR and should probably spend a little more time sorting out their internal communications and market relevance before worrying about fame.  However, if you have a business you’re proud of, if you are connected to your industry in a way that means you have a view on its future success, and if your staff are right behind you, then start speaking.  We’re living in a show off society and those that can’t ‘pull a Kim’ now and again to get noticed and stir things up a little, won’t just lose their reputation, they’ll lose their market share.

by Lucy George - Mayor of Wordville (not shown in this picture)

Brand ambassador or brand agitator?

It’s no surprise that 888poker reviewed its relationship with Luis Suarez after his latest, questionable behaviour at this year’s World Cup. Endless memes have graced our screens over the last month, including McDonald’s and Snickers (above) jumping on the bandwagon to make light of the situation. But with so much risk attached to a famous brand ambassador, how can brands tell if the famous face they are about to attach to their name to is going to deliver?

Over the last few years there have been many ambassadors I’m sure brands would like to forget. Tiger Woods’ personal affairs led to him being dropped by AT&T and Accenture, whilst Kate Moss’ drug allegations ended up in H&M dropping the model from its ad campaigns.

In my opinion, there are some that seem the perfect match. Angelina Jolie’s work with the UN over the last ten years has been inspiring and nothing but beneficial to the brand. Earlier this week, the UN

appointed Emma Watson as a Goodwill Ambassador for women’s equality. It’s an exciting and positive move that I think will see more young people interested in the work the UN does and, in the process, skyrocket the actress’ career and popularity.

When it comes to consumer-facing brands such as Coca-Cola or L’Oreal, it’s unlikely the celebrity has any involvement in the product development but choosing an ambassador that fits with the brand’s values is desirable. However, it’s a constant battle between what a brand pays for a celebrity endorsement and the return on investment. If your ambassador’s behaviour – good or bad – increases sales it seems money trumps saving face. 

By Stephanie Rock 

Who needs a business mentor?

Everyone should have a mentor – someone who is not too close to your day to day working situation, with the experience to offer insight and counsel, who can support you with an outsider’s view.  And the higher up the corporate ladder you climb, the more you need a behind-the-scenes business sensei.  But finding the right mentor isn’t straight forward.  Where one mentor can inspire and motivate, another can treat you like a disappointing pupil.  If your mentor is sharing their words of wisdom for the love of doing it – and the occasional cup of coffee – then they obviously have an instinctive urge to teach.  But, dangerously, they might just have an instinctive urge to hear the sound of their own voice.  Opening up about your working issues and ideas is a revealing exercise and unless you trust that your mentor is genuinely motivated to help, a mentor session can feel more like a TV crime drama grilling than a supportive catch up.

My own mentors found me.  Two are ex-clients who I advised on PR, corporate positioning and communications.  Things changed and we all moved jobs but we stayed in touch.  And our informal meetings changed from chit chats into in-depth discussions about business, management, finance and life.  The focus switched from a two way catch up to a focussed assessment of my business and ‘therapy session’ into my working challenges.  I relish the opportunity to run things by them and often do make decisions with a nod to ‘what would my mentors do’. 

I’d say ‘what’s in it for them?’ if I wasn’t also a mentor myself.  I recognise the satisfaction and reward of sharing knowledge and the feel-good factor of helping someone with some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way.

So if you haven’t got a mentor, then keep your eyes open and try to cultivate one.  The perfect mentor doesn’t prescribe the solution to your business challenges, puff you up in a sycophantic way or reprimand you for getting in tricky situations.  They encourage, advise and illuminate opportunities.  They hold a mirror up and help keep the focus clear.  After a good meeting with a mentor you look in the mirror and like what you see.   

By Lucy George