Articles - Whiteoaks PR

Navigating the world of marketing and PR presents a unique set of challenges for CEOs and founders of B2B technology businesses. Not only do they have to shoulder the responsibility of steering their companies through rapid growth phases but also the increasingly crucial task of enhancing their visibility within the industry. This dual mandate stems from pressures exerted by investors and the board, who recognise the vital role brand visibility plays in attracting investment, building long-lasting partnerships and driving market influence.

CEOs and founders of scale-ups in particular frequently find themselves wearing multiple hats, with PR and marketing among them, but often taking a back seat to more immediate operational demands. This is exacerbated by the fact that their professional backgrounds rarely lean towards marketing communications. And that’s perfectly fine. After all, not everyone wants an academic degree in PR.

However, every business owner in a competitive B2B tech landscape should understand the critical role of PR as it directly contributes to business growth by supporting lead generation, attracting investors and opening doors to new partnerships and collaborations. Positive media exposure, thought leadership articles and endorsements from reputable sources help to establish credibility and trust among target audience, industry peers and stakeholders.

Don’t let skills gaps put investors off

The repercussions of the PR and marketing skills gap are far-reaching, particularly when it comes to attracting investors and establishing industry visibility. A study conducted by ScaleUp Capital found that a substantial 63% of companies fail to secure funding due to perceived deficiencies in their sales and marketing capabilities. Investors rigorously assess a company’s market visibility, brand reputation and strategic messaging when evaluating funding opportunities. Without a robust PR strategy in place, CEOs and founders may struggle to effectively convey their company’s value proposition, potentially missing out on critical investment opportunities.

Recognising these challenges, many CEOs and founders initially attempt to manage PR internally. However, they soon realise the resource-intensive nature of effective PR campaigns and the specialised skill set required to achieve meaningful results. This is where partnering with a specialised, performance-driven PR agency can make a significant difference and unlock new opportunities to propel growth.

Improving brand visibility with a Performance PR agency

An experienced PR agency like Whiteoaks brings a wealth of industry-specific knowledge, established media relationships and a track record of delivering measurable outcomes. By outsourcing PR activities to experts who understand the intricacies of the B2B tech industry and market dynamics, CEOs and founders can optimise their time and resources. This strategic partnership not only enhances the company’s visibility and credibility but also allows its leadership to focus on core business functions critical to driving growth and innovation.

But how does a Performance PR agency help to improve brand visibility?

Strategic messaging and positioning: A Performance PR agency works closely with CEOs and founders to craft and refine its key messages and brand narrative. By identifying a single-minded proposition, industry trends and competitive advantages, the agency ensures that the company’s messaging resonates effectively with its target audience and reinforces its brand positioning.

Content creation and distribution: Using a single-minded proposition as a guiding principle, expert copywriters develop engaging content such as press releases, thought leadership articles, case studies and blog posts that highlight the business’ innovations and position key executives and subject matter experts as thought leaders within the industry. The agency will strategically distribute this content, which includes core brand messages, across various media channels and platforms to maximise engagement and enhance the company’s credibility and authority.

Media relations expertise: A Performance PR agency leverages its established relationships with journalists, editors and media outlets to secure high-impact media placements. By pitching compelling stories, expert commentary and company news to relevant publications, the agency ensures that the tech business gains visibility among its target audience and industry influencers.

Social media and digital PR: In the digital age, online visibility is crucial. Consistent messaging in organic and paid online content makes it easier for the target audience to recognise and remember the brand. A Performance PR agency utilises digital PR tactics such as SEO content, social media engagement, online reviews management and influencer partnerships to boost the business’ online presence and manage its reputation effectively.

Measurement and analytics: A Performance PR agency employs robust measurement and analytics tools to track the impact of PR efforts, including the volume of media coverage and message penetration. Metrics such as media impressions, website traffic, social media engagement and sentiment analysis provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of PR campaigns. At Whiteoaks, we use KPIs to measure campaign performance against a business goal. Our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model is designed to deliver tangible outcomes and positive return on investment.

Ultimately, the decision to partner with a Performance PR agency isn’t just about filling a skills gap. It’s about unlocking new opportunities, shaping industry perceptions and achieving enduring success in a competitive market.

At Whiteoaks, our performance-driven approach will help to elevate your company’s visibility, inspire confidence among the board and investors and pave the way for future business growth and innovation.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your next campaign.

Without the necessary local knowledge and contacts, entering a new overseas market can seem like a daunting prospect for B2B technology companies.

It isn’t as simple as replicating the strategy and tactics that have worked so well in the UK. Instead, B2B tech brands need to consider the potential language barriers, cultural nuances and broader technology landscape in the region.

Yet, all too often we see organisations making the vital mistake of opting for a one-size-fits-all approach to international PR.

This can leave international PR campaigns falling flat and unlikely to yield the results firms desire.

After all, brand messaging that resonates with audiences in North America might not have the same impact in Asia due to cultural and linguistic disparities. All it takes is one crucial word in a brand’s key messaging to not translate to change the entire sentiment it is trying to convey.

Consequently, a tailored approach to international PR is needed to ensure companies see return on investment and achieve brand resonance in the markets in which they wish to make headway.

An agency-agnostic approach to international PR

B2B technology companies can take the uncertainty out of international PR by engaging with the experts on the ground. One lead B2B tech PR agency can act as the gateway to a network of trusted, performance-driven agencies in key regions to deliver global reach. This is the agency-agnostic approach.

Access to this network enables B2B technology companies to develop bespoke PR strategies that align with local expectations, yet stay true to the global brand identity. From the outset, organisations can choose the relevant agencies that reside in their target regions. These local partners provide invaluable insights into cultural expectations and etiquette, preferred communication channels and key thought leaders or industry events that can amplify a brand’s message effectively.

Consistent practices and reporting

B2B tech companies needn’t worry that this approach would result in engaging with various different points of contact across agencies. Instead, the lead agency engages and manages agencies across all key regions to ensure consistent processes and effective practices for international success.

Every local agency in the network is held accountable for content, delivery systems, effective ways of working and reporting. Detailed region-specific reports provide clarity as to the results being achieved in each country. Companies can quickly see the ROI across individual regions and as a total figure, alongside market dynamics and consumer behaviour.

Collective strength under the unified standard of an agency-agnostic approach allows technology businesses to seamlessly scale in new markets as needed, with the ability to review and replace PR agencies in any country. This can all be facilitated with one simple contract with the lead agency, removing the constraints of traditional and inflexible global PR contracts. Multiple local agencies within the global network can even be combined to collaborate on a multi-region major campaign.

Extending into international markets

Our agency-agnostic approach to international PR allows B2B tech companies to maintain a unified brand identity while adapting messages to resonate on a regional level. By embracing this approach, B2B tech firms can overcome the challenges of entering a new market and effectively tailor their PR efforts to meet the unique demands and sensibilities of each target region to drive impact.

Looking to find out more about our approach to international PR? Discover more here.

Rapid growth and quick market recognition are the holy grail for B2B technology scale-ups, but the journey from zero to hero is usually fraught with challenges.

Limited budgets and staffing constraints can hinder scalability, and achieving brand awareness in a crowded market is often difficult. On top of this, customers and investors may be risk-averse when dealing with a company that has yet to establish its credibility.

But none of these hurdles will ease the expectations among founders for the business to achieve rapid growth, particularly where significant capital has been invested to get the idea off the ground.

This is where targeted, performance-led PR campaigns become essential. Here’s why:

Differentiate your brand

For scale-ups to make their mark and ultimately achieve their growth objectives, it’s vital they clearly communicate their key differentiators. What makes them stand out from the crowd? And why should their target audience care?

We work with scale-ups to devise their single-minded proposition (SMP) – a punchy, memorable descriptor of their promise to customers. Alongside compelling narratives and positioning, this can help scale-ups differentiate their brand against competitors to become disrupters and cement their brand identity.

Establish credibility

Building credibility is an important for any business, as we discussed in our recent blog on the subject, and scale-ups are no exception.

B2B buyers need to know that the company they are considering engaging with is reputable and trusted. We help scale-ups to develop this much-needed credibility by building up a portfolio of customer case studies and press releases as new clients come onboard. These assets serve as endorsements for scale-ups, providing tangible proof-points for potential prospects.

Maximise resource efficiency

Working with a B2B tech PR agency provides scale-ups with a team of PR and marketing experts to draw on, without sacrificing the budget required to hire for these positions internally. This approach allows scale-ups to access the exact level of support they require at each stage of their growth journey.

We also ensure that all campaigns are tailored to our clients’ unique needs, with all activities aligned to getting the right results, whether that’s focusing on building media relations and obtaining coverage, building up an online community or increasing brand awareness among target audiences. That brings us on to our next point.

Demonstrate the impact of PR

We work with scale-ups to set transparent key performance indicators (KPIs) at the beginning of their PR journey. This ensures they can measure the impact of their PR investments, see how it is driving them towards their goals and achieving tangible results.

These insights not only reveal the campaign’s effectiveness to founders and key investors, but also provides the intelligence needed to adapt and make informed decisions moving forward.

Undeniably, scale-ups have a long road ahead of them. But by embracing Performance PR, they can overcome many of the common growth challenges they are likely to face along the way, build credibility, maximise resource efficiency, and importantly, achieve the desired results.

Our strategic approach to Performance PR not only helps in differentiating the brand but also in measuring the impact of PR efforts, ultimately driving sustained growth and success for scale-ups in the competitive B2B technology landscape.

Are you a scale-up under pressure to achieve rapid growth? Get in touch to find out how we help you on your journey.

Are you sceptical of anyone who claims they can guarantee results? It often sounds too good to be true.

But that’s what Performance PR is all about; guaranteed results or your money back.

Our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model, bolstered by robust KPIs and offer of a formal service level agreement, means if we don’t hit the targets we’ve agreed with you, you don’t pay for them. It sounds bold, wild, and perhaps even a little risky (on our part) but the truth is it offers transparency and accountability, a return on investment for you, and success for us; because your wins are also ours.

You’re waiting for a ‘but’…

Well, there is no ‘but’. There is, however, an important discussion about how we set those agreed targets; the process, working out what is achievable and understanding how they relate to your overall business objectives. But how do we go about doing that?

Working with you and for you

We specialise in collaborating with B2B tech brands, so we already have a comprehensive grasp of the tech PR landscape. The more intricate process of devising campaigns and setting outcomes goes a little like this:

We forge an intimate understanding of your business; your positioning and your commitment to your customers.
We extensively analyse your target audience; what are your customer pain points and their aspirations? Which communities do they congregate in – where can we target them?
We understand your overarching business objectives; are you interested in building brand awareness or generating brand loyalty, for example?
We look at your timelines – what do you need to achieve and by when?

All this informs the strategy and helps us craft the narratives underpinning the campaign; we want them to cut through the noise and drive meaningful results.

Why agree on outcomes?

Results can only be reported objectively and quantified if measured, which lies at the heart of Performance PR. We’ve written comprehensively on our approach to measurement.

We use KPIs to measure performance against a business goal. KPIs can include traditional media coverage volume, website traffic, social media engagement, and more. We recommend tracking just a few important KPIs, and only those that are relevant to what you’re trying to achieve.

Agreeing on the campaign’s targets or its outcomes is important because it provides clarity for all parties, it defines the scope of a campaign and is important for managing expectations.

And when those KPI targets are hit – and they’ve been aligned with business objectives – demonstrating ROI becomes straightforward and makes justifying the investment in performance PR to your senior management team a piece of cake.

Deciding and reporting on targets

So how do we set KPIs targets? The slightly annoying answer is “it depends” because the truth is, of course, every client and their goals are unique.

Setting targets in PR requires a delicate balance between ambition and realism. Budget constraints and timing play significant roles in determining what is feasible within a given campaign. And it’s essential to establish clear milestones and delivery stages, allowing for iterative adjustments along the way.

For a business seeking to enhance brand awareness, our reporting would likely highlight metrics such as the volume of media coverage, total media impressions garnered by the campaign, and the audience’s association with key messages (message penetration). We could compare these statistics before and after the campaign to illustrate the impact and changes achieved.

For a business working to build brand loyalty, trust, and credibility, we’d report on metrics showing the content’s effectiveness at engaging your audience and sentiment. Agreed KPIs would include ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on social media platforms, or clicks through to a webpage, comments, messages, and enquiries.

For a business aiming to enhance brand consideration, we could focus on measuring the percentage change in brand perception before and after a PR campaign.

Fixed fees for fixed outcomes

By understanding the nuances of each client’s business, setting realistic targets, and maintaining accountability through robust reporting, we can help tech brands cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive landscape.

At Whiteoaks, we devise campaigns aligned with those goals right from the outset. Our Performance PR model is designed to deliver tangible outcomes that directly support your business objectives and deliver ROI.

We guarantee results, for a guaranteed return on investment – it’s as simple as that.

If you’re interested in finding out how investing in Performance PR can help your brand get results, reach out to us today.

Hook, Hampshire, 23 May 2024: Whiteoaks International has been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation for the sixth consecutive year.

The accreditation follows a comprehensive and successful audit and moderation session that examined areas including business planning and development, client satisfaction and campaign management.

James Hewes, CEO, PRCA, commented: “Congratulations to Whiteoaks for maintaining their CMS accreditation for six years. Their processes have become highly refined. Numerous examples of best practices were observed in client and campaign management, and diversity was thoroughly assessed as part of the CMS best practice standards.”

The CMS accreditation is founded upon the pillars of the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, making it a distinctive hallmark within the PR and communications industry.

“Celebrating our sixth consecutive CMS accreditation is not just testimony to Whiteoaks’ unwavering commitment to excellence, but also to our unique identity as an employee-owned business,” says Whiteoaks Managing Director, Suzanne Griffiths.

“Our performance-driven approach to PR is ingrained in every aspect of our operations, ensuring that we consistently deliver impactful results for our clients. This accreditation stands as a remarkable acknowledgment of our team of specialists’ dedication to client satisfaction and exemplary campaign management.”

In a bygone era, success in PR was crudely measured using Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs), a method that inadequately equated media exposure to advertising expenses. This approach, much like measuring success in column inches, provided little context and understanding of the impact of media placements.

At best, the outcome would be a mention in a national tabloid, but the genuine results and business impact were unclear.

Today, with rapid advances in technology, PR has undergone a profound evolution.

The evolution of PR

Print is but one of the myriad channels at the disposal of PR today – from online articles and social media posts curated by influencers, to immersive real-life trade shows and conferences. This array means narratives and messaging can be crafted, disseminated and amplified across multiple channels. The number of touchpoints available to brands to engage with their audience is both diverse and abundant.

The internet hosts pockets where niche communities congregate, and with strategic messaging and compelling narratives, PR can identify and hone in on these targets in a way that was never possible before.

With ever-evolving tools and capabilities to monitor and track, campaigns can be designed to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) that align to business objectives. This approach ensures campaigns yield tangible outcomes – from increased sales and enhanced visibility to heightened customer engagement.

Modern PR in business growth strategies

So we’ve seen PR has changed but how can it really help shape and drive business growth? If we think of PR as a bridge between brands and their target audiences, we can begin to see how it plays a key role in growth strategies.

Be seen

Business growth through PR can only really happen when you get the balance right between the complex interchange of values; visibility, credibility, and authenticity.

Being at the forefront and generating visibility is paramount for brands to attract attention, acquire customers, and secure business opportunities. However, visibility lacks substance without the additional layer of brand credibility.

While visibility serves as the initial hook, it’s only when the brand is perceived as credible by its audience that it truly solidifies its position and nurtures enduring connections.

And believed

Credibility doesn’t come from spouting well-meaning sentiments as part of your campaign. It doesn’t come from paying a premium for a stand at a fancy trade show. Nor does it come from speaking about topics that you think should be discussed because they’re trending on TikTok.

Credible brands speak on subjects which matter to their audience. Credible brands talk authentically – potentially about the challenges their audience is trying to solve or the opportunities they want to seize. Authentic narratives add value and demonstrate why their audience should pay attention. Acknowledging when a topic isn’t within the domain of a brand also reinforces this credibility.

PR wields the ability to shape perceptions, making it a potent instrument for driving business growth when visibility, credibility, and authenticity harmonise. When a brand is not just visible but is also trusted, it becomes a compelling choice for consumers to engage with and purchase from.

Where experience matters

And herein lies the importance of selecting the right PR agency. Being able to craft those authentic narratives is born from a deep comprehension of audience needs and extensive experience in calibrating messaging and measuring outcomes.

A skilled PR agency will adeptly pinpoint compelling narratives to cut through the noise, amplify reach, and ensure they consistently serve your brand’s goals, time and time again.

Business growth for B2B tech

For the past 30 years at Whiteoaks, we’ve dedicated ourselves to refining this approach working with B2B tech brands. With tech-savvy clients and a cynical media, the urgency to distinguish your brand is more pressing than ever before.

While consumer brands excel at this, B2B is still playing it safe, making it increasingly challenging to break through the noise. And this is where we come in – crafting messages which offer a fresh perspective; steering away from the generic and sparking conversations that challenge norms or elevate discourse to new heights; we’ve uncovered the secret sauce to standing out amidst a crowded marketplace.

A strategic approach for business growth

As PR continues to evolve, its measurable impact on business goals and growth cannot be dismissed. Modern PR practices enable the demonstration of ROI, making investment in this strategic approach more convincing than ever before. It’s no longer solely about who can shout the loudest but about being visible, trusted, and persuasive.

If you’re interested in finding out how your brand can cut through the noise and use PR as a strategic approach to grow, get in touch: https://whiteoaks.co.uk/contact/

For B2B technology companies, the launch of a new product is a critical moment. With vast amounts of money and countless hours invested in research and development, ensuring that these innovations don’t merely blend into the background against established competitors is crucial. Yet, even the most innovative products that offer significant benefits to customers can face the risk of poor market performance if they don’t make a splash at launch, which can curtail further innovation and impact profitability. The key to preventing this lies in strategic partnerships with specialised B2B tech PR agencies. These agencies excel not just in traditional public relations but in constructing a unique solution proposition, supported by compelling narratives, which resonate with the target market.

The Role of Specialised B2B Tech PR Agencies

B2B tech PR experts focus on gaining an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape and are highly-skilled at highlighting the unique elements of a new product or service. By positioning it not just as another entry into a crowded market but as a pioneering solution to a real problem, they set the stage for market disruption or even the creation of new categories.

Looking Beyond Features

One significant advantage of employing specialised PR services is their ability to shift the focus from the features of a product to the solutions it provides. Instead of just promoting technical specs, which can get lost in translation for the decision-makers, PR strategies emphasise how the technology addresses specific customer challenges. This approach not only makes the product more attractive to potential buyers but also enhances its perceived value and relevance.

Driving Visibility

For a new product to make its mark, it (and the brand) needs to be visible and credible. Visibility comes from expertly crafted content such as thought leadership articles, insightful blogs, and informative whitepapers that can be shared across different channels, whether that’s on the company website, social media, or the media. These pieces capture the essence of what the new innovation stands for and what it means for the end users and allows the brand to target the right audiences by speaking their language.

Creating Credibility

The credibility factor makes a real difference. It’s not enough to talk the talk, prospects need to see that the business they’re considering engaging with is capable of walking the walk, too.

By using case studies or press releases to showcase real-world applications and testimonials from beta users, PR can demonstrate the practical benefits and reliability of the product. Alongside this, quotes and endorsements from respected industry figures can boost credibility and attract attention from a broader audience. Finally on this point, recognition from industry-relevant awards can significantly enhance the product’s profile and serve as a testament to its innovation and impact. All of this third-party endorsement acts a sign of credibility to prospects and helps to give new product launches extra clout to stand out from competitors.

Ultimately, when B2B technology companies leverage the expertise of specialised tech PR agencies, they ensure that their innovative solutions are not just another drop in the ocean. Instead, they stand out as solutions that address real-world problems, backed by strategic storytelling and robust market positioning. This not only elevates their offerings above the fray but secures a competitive edge that drives both current profits and future innovation.

If you’re wanting to make sure your next product launch stands out from the crowd, get in touch to find out how we can help.

Achieving top-tier media coverage is a key goal for B2B tech brands aiming to elevate their market presence and assert differentiation. Whether it’s an op-ed piece in a national title, or an in-depth thought-leadership article in industry media, featuring regularly in publications that your target audience reads is important to build your brand’s reputation, foster trust with stakeholders, and drive business growth and success.

However, the landscape of media outreach is complex and time-consuming. Journalists are up against tight deadlines, filtering through hundreds of emails a day to find the perfect story. Securing media opportunities in a competitive industry can be difficult, even if you’ve done thorough research on pieces a journalist you’re trying to reach has covered in the past. Even if your content offers a unique viewpoint on a trending topic. And despite your pitch having an eye-catching headline. So, what is the best way to ensure successful media outreach?

The right tools and strong relationships – the winning duo

While media intelligence platforms like Gorkana and Roxhill have long been the secret weapons of PR professionals, the absence of such resources can create a significant barrier to achieving media milestones. Without access to comprehensive databases, real-time insights, and journalist contact information, even the most compelling pitches can fall on deaf ears.

Most importantly, however, to ensure a steady stream of impactful media opportunities, you need deep-rooted relationships with journalists, analysts, and influencers. Although they are inundated with pitches and press releases on a daily basis, having a pre-existing relationship can significantly increase the likelihood of your content being noticed and considered for use. Having a rapport with journalists helps you to gain valuable insights into what topics resonate with them, the formats they prefer, and the types of stories they’re currently working on, ensuring successful placements.

These relationships can also open doors to collaborative opportunities beyond traditional media coverage, including co-creating content, participating in industry panels or webinars, or research projects. By working together, you can amplify each other’s reach, leverage each other’s expertise, and create mutually beneficial outcomes that extend far beyond a single media placement.

Refine your content strategy

Crafting a compelling story that resonates with both journalists and your target audience is key to capturing media interest. At the core of your content strategy lies the concept of defining a single-minded proposition (SMP) and supporting messaging. This involves honing in on the key positioning you want to convey and ensuring consistency across all communications. A clear and concise SMP serves as the foundation upon which the media outreach efforts are built, guiding the creation of narratives that are impactful and memorable.

Armed with SMP and key brand messages, it’s important you identify areas where your brand has unique insights or expertise and leveraging these to add value to the conversation through unique perspectives. By focusing on topics that align with your brand’s strengths and interests, you can position yourself as a credible voice in your industry, increasing the likelihood of media coverage.

Make an impact in the media landscape

Achieving top-tier media coverage requires more than just luck – it needs a strategic media and content approach, access to the right tools, and a team of seasoned experts with the right relationships dedicated to your success. By partnering with a performance PR agency that understands your industry, embraces best practice, and prioritises results, you can fast-track your growth and position yourself as a thought leader in your field.

With over thirty years’ experience in B2B Tech PR, unrivalled relationships with journalists and analysts, and a dedicated content team, our Whiteoaks’ experts leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing impactful media placements. With a focus on measurement, we’ll provide you with valuable insights into audience engagements, campaign performance, and ROI to demonstrate clear value of coverage to stakeholders.

So why settle for mediocrity? Choose performance PR and watch your brand soar to new heights.

Across all facets of promoting your business, whether it’s sales and marketing or advertising, measuring a campaign’s success and its impact is elementary.

Modern PR is no exception.

Just as we track sales and analyse marketing data, PR has its own set of metrics. But to effectively gauge the success of a PR campaign, it’s essential to identify which metrics to track, and set appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs). And these should always align with the goals the business is trying to achieve.

PR Measurement 101

Metrics are the tools that measure PR activity. KPIs, on the other hand, measure performance against a business goal. In essence, metrics are how you track and report on KPIs. KPIs can include traditional media coverage volume, website traffic, social media engagement, and much more.

KPIs and business goals

As a performance-led PR agency, Whiteoaks doesn’t pluck KPIs from thin air; we ensure they are aligned with what you are trying to achieve in your business overall. This enables us to create a PR strategy that gives you tangible outcomes.

We work closely with you to understand your business objectives. This could be anything from increasing brand awareness to improving reputation or driving sales.

Based on our agreed objectives, we design PR initiatives to support you. We pinpoint the most significant KPIs, essential for tracking the campaign’s progress and ensuring the attainment of the objectives.

Aligning KPIs with specific business goals is critical to ensuring that PR efforts generate a positive return on investment (ROI).

Whiteoaks’ approach to measurement

When we report on our PR efforts, we group KPIs into three distinct categories: visibility, engagement and impact. This audience-centric classification ensures our clients gain a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes of our campaigns.

►Visibility

Visibility measures how the PR activity has reached the defined target audience; it is the exposure generated through coverage and social reach. The key thing about visibility is that it only matters if it’s reaching the right audience via the right channel of communication – not just any old crowd. Quality over quantity definitely applies.

Naturally, visibility directly impacts brand awareness and customer acquisition. It also lays the groundwork for growth by expanding your audience reach and fostering credibility.

In practical terms, visibility can be measured through metrics such as media coverage volume, media impressions and key message penetration. Aligning visibility to business growth involves leveraging these metrics to expand brand reach, attract potential customers, and ultimately drive brand consideration.

►Engagement

Engagement goes beyond visibility. It signifies how the activity has resonated with the target audience, whether good or bad. While visibility gets your brand or content in front of the right people, engagement measures whether they interact with it. Was the content engaging enough to make them act?

In real terms, engagement appears as ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on social media platforms, clicks through to a webpage, comments, messages and enquiries.

Fostering meaningful interactions and connections with your audience sets a solid foundation for brand loyalty and advocacy. Even if it doesn’t directly drive sales at this stage, engagement is a great measure of your relevance to your target audience.

►Impact

Impact – otherwise known as the Holy Grail of PR measurement – represents the effect the activity has had on the target audience. It can include improvements in brand consideration, perception change, leads generated or partnerships forged.

Measuring impact, and attributing it to a PR campaign is more involved than some other marketing areas. It requires planning, tracking and monitoring, to be able to connect leads to a touchpoint, such as a piece of PR content.

There are various methods to measure impact, from direct audience research, CRM platforms, Google Analytics and call tracking. Also, not forgetting to monitor how leads that engage with content progress through the sales funnel.

Fixed fees for fixed outcomes

At Whiteoaks, we prioritise measuring our campaigns to demonstrate ROI on our work for you. Our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model means if we don’t hit the agreed targets, you don’t pay.

Your success is paramount to us, and our model ensures absolute accountability every step of the way. We understand that this approach may differ markedly from what you’ve encountered with other PR agencies – but here at Whiteoaks, we’re all about rewriting the rules and delivering results that defy expectations: we do PR differently.

If you’re interested in learning more about how our deliberately different approach can help you achieve your business objectives, get in touch: https://whiteoaks.co.uk/contact/

Business spokespeople have a key role to play in any PR programme, as a bridge between the company and the public, shaping public perception and influencing brand image through their communication skills and expertise. In essence, they act as the public face of the organisation, communicating the company’s message to various audiences, most prominently through the media.

In harnessing spokespeople effectively, however, timeliness is key. That is why the ability to quickly mobilise and present the right spokesperson can be the difference between seizing a media opportunity and missing it entirely. For PR directors and managers, one of the most frustrating challenges is the struggle to secure time with the right internal spokespeople.

Identifying and preparing the right spokesperson who is knowledgeable, articulate, and aligned with the company’s messaging goals, and doing it at short notice, is difficult and many often fail to meet the challenge.

This can significantly hinder a brand’s ability to respond to media enquiries, engage in timely conversations, and ultimately, secure valuable media coverage.

Partnering with the right PR agency can offer a strategic solution to the spokesperson accessibility issue, ensuring the brand remains responsive and competitive in the media landscape.

Moving forwards

Agencies can equip team members with the skills to handle media engagements, thus broadening the pool of potential spokespeople within the organisation. By training a broader pool of team members for media engagements they ensure that the organisation can present a range of perspectives and areas of expertise. This diversity can enhance the business’ credibility and relatability to different audiences.

Moreover, the right quality training helps create skilled communicators who can articulate the company’s mission, values, and products effectively, helping to build a strong brand image. They can engage with the audience in a way that resonates and builds trust.

Agencies serve as a vital intermediary between brands and the media, facilitating opportunities and equipping spokespeople to optimise the impact of each interaction. Drawing on well-established relationships with journalists, editors, and media outlets, agencies can adeptly secure coverage for clients while also providing invaluable support in content creation. Through their understanding of the brand and its audience, they can craft concise messages and prepare briefing materials, including Q&As and key discussion points.

Additionally, agencies can create a bank of rapid response comments for spokespeople, enabling swift and effective communication with journalists to capitalise on urgent requests.

Together, these agency-delivered services help company spokespeople to deliver consistent, confident communication, even at short notice, maintaining the brand’s narrative and enhancing its image across various platforms.

In crisis situations, agencies can swiftly mobilise trained spokespeople, adept at navigating negative press, to manage the narrative and mitigate damage. The agency implements a crisis communication plan, aligning messages across all channels to ensure consistency and control.

By proactively addressing the media and public, offering clear, transparent responses, agencies help maintain trust in the brand. This rapid, strategic response not only protects the brand’s reputation but can also turn a potential PR disaster into an opportunity to demonstrate the brand’s commitment to accountability and customer care.

The agency advantage

The authentic voices and deep expertise of your internal team members are the foundation of your brand’s public persona. Their insights into your company’s services, solutions, and core markets are invaluable, yet the challenge lies in mobilising these voices swiftly to capitalise on media opportunities. This is where the strategic partnership with a PR agency becomes crucial.

Drawing on the expertise of an experienced PR agency ensures that your brand can effectively navigate the fast-paced media environment. By training a diverse pool of your team members and preparing them for media engagements, agencies help your organisation present a wide array of perspectives and expertise, enriching your brand’s narrative and engagement with various audiences.

Engaging with a seasoned PR agency allows your brand to navigate the complexities of media relations with confidence, ensuring that every communication opportunity is optimised to strengthen your brand’s presence and reputation in the market both today and in the future.

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