Brand building small businesses: look for a partner in PR

While small to medium sized enterprises (SME) are regularly recognised as the engine room of South Africa's economy, media headlines are more often than not dominated by big business. Powell has just launched two new offerings tailored for small business - Public Relations in a Box, and Brand in a Box.

"Not many small companies have the budgets to host extravagant press functions and hire armies of communication experts. But by using the services of a specialist agency with careful control of even a modest budget, smaller companies can get their share of press coverage," she states.

"There's a common misconception that editorial coverage remains the preserve of big business. This is certainly not true but the misconception creates the proof - as long as smaller companies believe that they can't get into the headlines, they won't," she adds.

Instead, says Powell, an effective public relations (PR) campaign that secures media coverage can deliver substantial value. "Although advertising is an important element of brand building, a PR campaign can be far less costly and successfully executed, can elevate the company's profile in the public eye; with the right partner, an SME can start the process rapidly and achieve encouraging results," she says.

Noting that SMEs in particular demand demonstrable value for money and consequently look for more creative and more effective ways to spend their marketing budgets, Powell explains that her company's products are specifically designed to provide rapid and measurable results, while collateral created can be used as a sales tool in addition to fulfilling the marketing and publicity role.

"Material generated as part of a PR campaign often makes a great sales tool. More than just something sent out to the media, press releases become a multi-purpose instrument that can add value to existing and potential customers, and distributed internally to keep staff members informed on company successes," she says, observing that PR is not just communicating with the press but building a brand with an integrated offering. "This includes assistance with many activities, such as letters to customers, setting up workshops and seminars, and staying alert for publicity opportunities for the client at all times."

3D Global's PR in a Box and Branding in a Box product sets give SMEs access to a complete branding solution at affordable pricing. "Many public relations companies are in the habit of charging exorbitant fees even for a simple press release; the reality is that it should not cost a great deal to generate and distribute a good press release," she elaborates.

Powell advises companies seeking to improve their exposure to look for a partner that is a specialist in a particular area, such as technology, the financial sector or agriculture. "Good media relationships and a proven track record are also essential; companies must check out references and ask for examples of their prospective partner's writing capabilities and the resultant coverage received from distributed releases. Additionally, the chosen partner must be able to commit to strategically supporting the objectives of the business."

More important perhaps than for large companies, the PR partner must have a close cultural fit with the SME, which is in itself often a business built through relationships and trust. "A good PR company should understand the client's business plan, business objectives and fit in with the client's corporate culture. PR partners serving the SME market need to be more focused, more creative and deliver more impact for companies seeking a bigger return on their marketing investment.

"We believe that these smaller clients need more attention than larger businesses, and at 3D Global, we are prepared to go that extra mile to build success together," she concludes.