9 Reasons Why Every Company Should Invest in PR

25/06/2018By scandinaviancomContent Marketing, Management Communications, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Strategic Communications

By Anne A. Buchanan, President of Buchanan Public Relations

Public relations has long been a powerful marketing tool for companies. In today’s digital environment, its impact is greater than ever.
Here are nine reasons why every company should be investing in PR:

1. Allows a company to own and manage its narrative. Companies that fail to invest in PR are essentially ceding their narrative to others – the media, unhappy customers, investors, and competitors, among others. Why would you want outsiders to fill in the blanks of a story you should be authoring yourself?

2. Helps an organization amplify its message. A robust PR program typically includes a media relations component. Working regularly with journalists who cover your industry ensures that your company is receiving its share of earned media, a powerful way to share your message.

3. Is custom-made for content sharing. Long before “content creation” became a buzzword, PR professionals were mining company assets to find newsworthy stories and opportunities. If you think your company isn’t doing enough content creation or sharing, start with your PR team. It knows, better than most marketing professionals, how to identify content that will resonate with stakeholders.

4. Permits a company to build authentic relationships with stakeholders. Unlike traditional advertising, which is often a one-way dialogue between a brand and its customers, PR is built around creating and nurturing two-way relationships.

5. Complements a company’s sales efforts. Nothing is more powerful in cinching a sale than an objective, third-party endorsement of your company, which is what earned media gives you. There will always be a need for sales materials and programs, but they become more powerful when PR is used to amplify the message.

6. Helps with recruitment. With a significant portion of the boomer workforce poised to begin exiting, the war for talent will only intensify. PR allows companies a way to brand themselves as employers of choice and to communicate the type of work environment they cultivate.

7. Puts capital in the bank for a future downturn or crisis. You don’t want your first interaction with the media to be when your company is at its worst. Investing in regular public relations ensures that crucial relationships are already in place when you might need support.

8. Enhances a Company’s SEO. Online earned media can have a powerful impact on SEO and keyword rankings. PR teams that work to optimize the content they are sharing can significantly contribute to their organization’s SEO efforts.

9. Forces a company to continually refine its message. Companies that invest in PR are ensuring that their story is constantly being reviewed and refreshed. Not only is that attractive to customers, prospects and search engines, but it keeps an organization sharp and continually thinking about the messages it is sharing with stakeholders.

Buchanan Public Relations is our partner agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). Article originally published at PRGN.com

Why PRGN works

07/03/2018By scandinaviancomChristina Rytter, Management Communications, PR, Public Relations Global Network, Scandinavian Communications, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder of Scandinavian Communications
President, Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)

Throughout my all-most 20 years in the communications game, I have been participating in many business networks – national as well as international. These networks have contributed to many learnings and business connections, but also to some important realizations. These became particularly obvious, when I became active in the leadership of Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) four years ago, and learned how much the activities in PRGN differ from those in other international networks.

In other international networks, I have often had the experience that partner agencies have discussed and articulated the network and its members to clients. But that there rarely has been a real knowledge exchange or corporation between agencies across the globe.

Consult one agency and get back-up from 49 others
In PRGN it’s quite another picture. Our many – and frequently used – online discussions groups, chats, teams and best practise debates combined with our semi-annual global face-to-face meetings lead to an in-depths professional knowledge sharing. As well as to lifelong friendship between agency owners and leading employees. Our global meetings strengthen knowledge sharing and sharing of best practice at the highest level possible. Furthermore, we also drive our knowledge sharing technologically. Amongst other things in form of a confidential database of client cases from all over the world, from which we can all draw.
This combination of our digital and face-to-face interaction provide our clients with the worlds best advisors from 50 agencies when consulting one of us.

I have previously experienced that partner agencies in other international networks have not taken advantage of the opportunity to real corporation cross national or regional borders, thus not enabling creation of real international network value for their clients.
In PRGN, I don’t have a shadow of a doubt that our clients around the globe receive, what they’ve been promised, when they choose an agency that prides itself for international networks, experiences and acquaintances.

I’m so proud of what we have created in PRGN in the past 25 years – and today can offer to our clients; A real international network with a team of passionate communications experts from every corner of the world, working together to take PR, communications and marketing to the highest level possible. Creating amazing results for our clients.

As President, my goal is to continue to support and work to strengthen this amazing and real international network. However, as PRGN is a shining example of, the best results are gained by cooperation. Therefore, I would like to use this post to invite you to participate with suggestions, new ideas and thoughts which can help continue and develop PRGN, so we can proudly continue to call ourselves “The Worlds Local Agency”.