Know your media

Azelle Evans, Head of ChilliBush PR

For the PR consultant, the journalist is the only route to credible publicity for the client. Also, the PR consultancy is usually an uncomplicated means to information and guaranteed access to a desired and credible spokesperson. Therefore, it should not be a dependent relationship for either side, but an interdependency that will reap benefits for both.

To nurture a good relationship means it is crucial for PR consultancies to only approach media when they are confident and knowledgeable about the relevance of the information they have to offer. For the PR consultancy, it is also vital to get the messaging and material in line with the publication's requirements.

This means that you not only need to know your media, ie what the publication is looking for from a content perspective, you also need to know your client's business extremely well. Having this knowledge of your client's business ensures that you can provide the publication with the correct information, and it enables you to identify suitable publicity angles and opportunities for your client.

The strength of PR lies in the agency's ability to negotiate exposure on behalf of the client, the PR consultant's tactical decision-making ability (which will result in a return on investment for clients), and the writing ability of the consultancy.

As it becomes increasingly recognized, both locally and internationally, that it is in fact PR, not advertising, that builds brands, the credibility offered by publicity becomes ever more valuable. As a result, PR should form the core of any marketing campaign, from which the advertising, direct marketing, internal communication and other tools should spin off.

This is not to say that PR is all that is needed. Rather, it plays the essential role in building the credibility of a brand and influencing perceptions. Where advertising affects the bottom line of any full-scale marketing campaign, PR maintains and even enhances the company's reputation. With strong media relationships in place, the PR consultant is well set to achieve this.