In the last century, I ran a PR agency for nine years. We made lots of companies and brands famous in their marketplaces, via media relations. I was often asked whether local press coverage was worth it. My answer then (and indeed now), is that “yes, it is”. Stories can be picked up from one media property (i.e. a local paper) and appear in, say, the national press. Journalists move around and it is great to follow them as they do so. With the advent of the web, a story in a local paper or radio station may well appear within their website – so you receive the double benefit of printed and internet coverage.
Here is an item in this weeks’ edition of The Maidenhead Advertiser, regarding a LinkedIn seminar we held last week (see image). The piece mentions my name which is the brand name I wish to generate awareness for.
This all started with an email to the business editor of The Maidenhead Advertiser quite some time ago, which invited him to the event and included a press release.
I followed up with a phone call, which led to call from a colleague of the business editor. She spent half an hour interviewing me on the phone. She requested high res photos which I always keep on file. Voila! The editorial appeared with several messages that I want to get out locally (i.e. we are going to launch a local Maidenhead group for The Marketing Compass).
Remember that PR is primarily about awareness and it supports the rest of your promotional mix.
