MATCHMAKER

×

Looking for a Public Relations Agency? Use our Free matching service to find the right agency for you.

User login

PR for industries – how to make it work

There are key techniques for running an industry public relations campaign, to ensure it is successful in achieving its objectives and commercially fruitful for its sponsors.

1. What are the objectives - really? They must be achievable and practical and not expect to turn the world around in a few weeks! Ideally there should be a three-year vision so that all parties are aligned.

2. The programme should undertake activity that an individual company or competing brands cannot deliver as cost-effectively on their own. In the food sector, for example, this could include communication of nutrition/health benefits where industry messaging may be more effective than branded activity.

3. It must be properly and equitably funded – proportionate to the size in the market and with sufficient investment by all players to achieve impact and progress over a defined period of time.

4. It must be structured with a representative industry committee and a strong well-respected chairman to keep everyone in check!

From the communications agency's point of view it should have;

*clear reporting guidelines. For example access to the chairman and/or other senior industry spokespeople hour-to- hour and day-to-day. This is essential – particularly in handling critical issues for an industry, as the response to the media or the public cannot wait for committee meetings.

*a bank of data and research which is constantly updated for good news dissemination and the bad news protection.

*a "panel" of independent experts who can advise on scientific, technical and nutritional subjects and actually represent the industry position to the media and the public over the issues that are most relevant – again good or bad.

The establishment of expert panels is something Nexus has pioneered and we now have the most comprehensive "expert communicators" in the United Kingdom on all food, drink, nutritional, technical and medical matters.

*Reporting criteria – derived from the original objectives. An appropriate proportion of time must be spent reporting back to the industry regularly, covering developments, threats, advantages and progress. Value for money is what subscribing members are looking for and this must be presented to them regularly and appropriately.