Ni Aug09 PG10-11.PASSED:NOV_08_p.6-13_News_legal.qxd 23/07/2009 09:15 Page 10
Ni Voice
Raising your profile in the community
Amber Steventon, Managing
NI: Why are some of your clients so popular at retail?
We’re really fortunate in that, for the most part, our clients immediately notice
Director of Azaria PR, speaks to
an increase in sales following a piece of well positioned publicity. However, as
much as possible, we do try to tie up any media drives with any other
us about the importance of PR,
marketing activity that our clients have planned, such as point of sale impulse
buys, advertising and events etc. We recommend that our clients have a joined
and how to make sure a
up thinking approach to all marketing and PR activities.
campaign is successful.
NI: How do you make sure PR is reaching the right people?
A: If you know your target audience this should be relatively simple – and
don’t fall into the trap of thinking this is only journalists. One thing we offer
our clients is a chance to have their products presented to focus groups made
up of new mothers. We offer this service free of charge and our clients have
NI: Who needs PR?
found it a really valuable for getting feedback, and ensuring their products are
A: In a word, everyone! You don’t have to have all-singing, all-dancing,
appealing to their core audience. Not only does it get the products into the
expensive PR campaigns. What’s important is ensuring your brand is out there,
hands of their target customer, but our focus groups say what they really
is being talked about, and is as well thought of as you think it should be. It is
think too!
the easiest way to boost your profile, create a buzz and attract new customers.
NI: What makes an interesting story for the press?
A: Anything newsworthy. The press want a story that resonates with their
NI: What effect can it have on a company?
readers, whether it’s the results of a new survey, a new product or service or an
A: Good PR can make a difference between obscurity and success. We’ve seen
interview with the founder of a local company. We secured our client KoziKidz
sales significantly increase for our customers with just one piece of well
a double page spread in The Sheffield Business Monthly all about their reasons
positioned publicity. Word-of-mouth recommendations are the best way to
for setting up the business and what they were hoping to achieve. It really
generate interest, and get footfall through the door.
worked. You can also use current news stories either in your local area or, if
applicable, national news to base a press release on. As well as news,
Community based stories will usually be of interest to local media, so if you are
NI: What do you need to get started with PR?
supporting a local campaign, helping at a school or raising money for charity,
A: A good idea of who your customer is, and what they want is vital. Once
be sure to mention it. This sort of story ensures your press release is relevant
you understand that, you can target specific publications and websites. We’ve
and topical to the journalist and it’s easy to do. Just make sure the press release
found that more and more parents and mums-to-be read and trust online
is sent to relevant titles that will be interested in the story – there is nothing
product reviews from other parents, so we’ve spent time targeting specific
more irritating to a journalist than receiving stories that aren’t relevant to them.
websites to ensure our clients’ products are in the hands of the right people at
the right time.
NI: What about your local media doing profile pieces on a company?
A: We’ve found this to be a very useful marketing tool. In our experience,
people are genuinely interested in a brand’s history, and the ‘faces’ behind the
NI: What about if you are a well established company, do you still need
story, as well as hearing about the products themselves. We had a fantastic
PR then?
interview in Woman and Home Magazine with one of our clients, Hillary Irving
A: We firmly believe that you are only as good as your customers think you
who had set up her own web company, CozyMole, which retails outdoor-wear
are! New brands come on to the market all the time, so it’s vital that your
for the family. The readership absolutely fitted CozyMole’s customer profile and
brand, however well established, maintains that ‘buzz’ around it.
they had an excellent response.
NI: Do you think awards are important?
A: There’s no doubt that consumers trust brands that have received accolades
over those that haven’t. And therefore awards do help to boost sales and raise
the profile of your brand. However, ultimately, your products and services of
course need to speak for themselves.
NI: What would you say is essential for a successful PR campaign?
A: A strategy. It sounds very boring, but rather than dip in and out with ad hoc
activities and reactive opportunities, create an overall plan which everybody is
working from. In basic media coverage terms, this means targeting specific
publications, whether national, on line or regional, at specific times of the year
with news worthy stories that will get you coverage. It’s as simple as that.
NI: What about the recession, shouldn’t we be tightening our purse
strings at the moment rather than spending on PR/marketing?
A: Just the opposite; now is the time when you have to do more PR than ever!
But it doesn’t have to be expensive. Just building relationships with key
journalists over a cup of coffee can make the difference between your product
being featured and someone else’s. And get creative. If you have no new
products to launch, think of a really good, newsworthy case study that can be
interviewed.
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NURSERY INDUSTRY
•
AUGUST 2009
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www.nursery-industry.co.uk
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