Public relations is a critical piece for all brands whether they are in a start up phase or have reached full maturation as a household name brand. Legacy brands like the latter are realizing for the first time in a long time that all the effort is paying off big time now that we know AI utilizes earned media for a whopping 84% of citations (according to several reports).
The way people discover, research and talk about brands has changed dramatically with the development of new tools like social media and AI. Each time there is a new tool, there are more places for consumers to find information, compare options and form opinions. For Gen Z consumers, we’ve learned their attention is fragmented, and a brand that has been trusted for decades can suddenly find itself competing with companies that didn’t even exist a few years ago.
That’s where public relations will always win.
One of the biggest misconceptions about PR is that it’s just about getting media coverage. While securing an article and tv segment can create visibility, that’s never really the end goal. Public Relations is about building relationships between brands and the audiences they serve. For an established brand, PR is about maintaining conversation and continuing engagement. People want to be aligned with brands that share the same values, and a strong public relations campaign not only gives you an opportunity to tell your story, but it gives your community an opportunity to stay passionate about what you are doing right alongside you.
Each campaign starts with answering the right guiding questions. A brand can have decades of experience and still struggle to answer: Why should today’s consumers care about us? Answering this becomes more important as younger generations become a larger part of the consumer demographics.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are a growing group of consumers who prioritize their loyalty independently from their parents and in unique ways. These new consumers demand more transparency. They look for alignments and in general want to know more about what these companies stand for and their social responsibility campaigns.
We think some of the best opportunities for legacy brands come from going straight to the heart of an organization and looking at the true connection between where a company has been and where it’s going. Sometimes the Why today is different than the Why in the beginning. Leaning into the core values of the brand can lead to discovering new ways to nourish connection: for many brands, products and services don’t have to change… maybe they have always hand inspired values and just maybe they need a new approach to sharing that story.
At Olive Public Relations, we say we love working with the goodest of the good. We aren’t interested in making something great or trendy sound, we are obsessed with illuminating the greatness that already exists. As storytellers, we want to share authentically. With a fresh perspective, the goal is to re-inspire and re-ignite the very essence that brings brands to life – and into someone’s life.
And let us tell you… PR Works. Here are some of the key benefits of PR that have never gone out of style:
- Telling your story helps people to truly connect with who you are as a brand.
- There is nothing better than a referral from a trusted resource. Third party endorsements just land differently.
- Public Relations delivers a high return on your investment. Buying ads has its place but when you are working with a skilled team like Olive, you are guaranteed a campaign that far exceeds a pay to play format, giving you an opportunity to land many placements for the cost of one regional ad.
- PR is an extraordinary tool for educating consumers – if you are changemakers, you can truly create a movement with a strategic campaign.
- At Olive, we have so many incredible relationships after being in business for almost 18 years and our founder has been at it for 26 years. Sometimes all it takes is a powerful collaboration or a creative activation to move mountains.
While we are at it, let’s make sure we are on the same page about PR. As we mentioned, it’s a heck of a lot more than media relations, but that’s part of it too. PR is:
- Securing trusted and credible media coverage
- Strategic social media campaigns that generate consumer engagement
- Social media influencer campaigns
- Creative promotions
- Mutually beneficial partnerships
- High impact, targeted events
- Internal communications – positive relationships with your team
- Corporate Social Responsibility programs
- Ambassador programs
- Thought leadership campaigns
- And many other fun activities that result in other people talking about your company in a positive way
The days of all pr is good pr is not a thing… if it’s not good… it’s bad in today’s transparent tech world.
We would love to help you re-evaluate your vision and strategy for the future. Here are some questions to get through thinker thinking:
- What is your grandest vision?
- What are you doing when you are doing your best work?
- What is possible for your brand if you had nothing to lose?
- What would you do differently if you could do anything?
- What could change everything in a positive way if you just did what?
Sometimes we are just in too deep to pause and get creative. We love to induce creative states of joy and excitement. At Olive, we know that inspired strategy followed by action leaves a trail of profit and an unforgettable legacy.
Let’s be joyful together. Contact us at info@olivepublicrelations.com if you would like to discuss your challenges and opportunities for a fresh new beginning.
