“Football is a simple game, complicated by idiots.”
While quoting a Liverpool FC legend might be an odd way for me to begin this latest Whiteoaks blog, it was a cause for discussion earlier in the week.
The summary is that there really is a huge amount of waffle written about B2B PR strategy. “You must do this or you must do that or else you aren’t strategic”. Really, that school of thought is a vain attempt to confuse something that should be very simple.
Our 360PR approach simplifies PR strategy. We start with business objectives, as that is ultimately what PR is there to support. Yes, we are a cog in the marketing machine, but ultimately we must be aligned with what the business as a whole wants to achieve.
From there we look at the target audiences we need to engage with and the behaviours we need to elicit from them, which enables us to create desired perceptions and messaging.
And that, we believe, is it.
If you understand those four key areas, you can consider yourself the proud owner of a PR strategy.
This is not a flippant approach, I should add. It is of crucial importance in B2B technology, where the buying cycle can be particularly long, complex and varied.
The tactical plan to meet those original business objectives can also be wide ranging, but must always have a purpose. “Doing PR” for vanity purposes or paying a monthly retainer so that you can say stuff is happening really offers businesses nothing.
We at Whiteoaks do not try to bamboozle our clients by muddying the water in this way.
So here is to clarity. Happy weekend all.
