Putting PR In Its Place, Part II

If you read the first piece in this series, you know that PR has a place at the table, but it does not deserve a spot at the head of the table.?As I stated earlier, distribution is the first order of business for a fledgling company. But once distribution is in place, the fun is just beginning. That?s where ?Putting PR In Its Place, Part 11? comes into play.

Now that your products are in?a wholesale distributor?s catalog, your steps can be somewhat ordered, in that there is a fairly definable course of action.

1. Build a rapport with dealers.?Don?t make the mistake of thinking that because you have distribution you no longer need to market to dealers. Remember, catalog space does mean your products automatically wind up on dealers? shelves. You need to reach out to the dealers, either via phone or through in-store visits, to establish a relationship and gain valuable feedback on your product and it?s role in the market. Most important, your task is to ascertain how you can make his life easier. Ask about the dominant fishery in the area, what techniques are popular, who his core customer is, how often they visit, what a typical purchase looks like. Then ask how you and your product can help increase his business business, which could take the form of coordinated giveaways, sponsored promotions or similar efforts. Also, ask about key guides and media members/outlets they?ve successfully worked with in the past. Get names, addresses and emails.

2. Advertise?to dealers.?Though I list this one second, it should actually be first. However, I realize that many small companies, squeamish about the need to buy ads, will attempt to get a foot in the door with retailers before making the leap to advertise. Select at least two national trade advertising vehicles and purchase small ads that should run monthly for at least six months, preferably a year. You don?t need large, expensive ads, but you do need your ads to run for more than a month or two. So don?t make the mistake of thinking you?ll buy an ad, then sit back and reap the revenue. Ads are part of the exposure game: The more they run, the more folks are exposed to them, so their effectiveness takes time. The goals are to (a) get as many dealers? eyes as possible on your products, (b) highlight to distributors and retailers that you will do your part to market your company?s products and (c) increase overall awareness of your brand.

3. Use feedback to shape message. Now that you?ve talked to distributors and retailers, and have begun the process of reaching out to guides and media members, honing your message is a priority. Take the high points from all of your talks and use the responses to carefully craft your marketing message. All ad copy, web content, marketing materials and blogs should play up how your product solves key problems for anglers. Drop the ?This is the best product?? for ?Product X puts more fish in the boat by ?? These efforts must align with your brand messaging.

4. Connect with media: I know many of you are already rolling your eyes, thinking ?This guy is crazy! Connecting with the media is the first thing any company must do.? Try telling that to the hordes of small companies who lost a fortune when a big competitor found out about an idea from a media member, then brought a similar product to market. Media relations is very important. However, it should never be placed before building a rapport with the trade. What good is it for a small company to have media folks talking about a product they cannot find? When reaching out to media, your efforts must be targeted. Using the suggestions from retailers, distributors and guides, make the connection via a release or email, then follow up with a phone call. But instead of immediately launching into ?Can I send you samples?? find out what he?s working on and how you can help. The goal is to establish a relationship, not pitch your product. Once you?ve established a rapport, ask if he?d like to try your produst, and if so, would he be willing to provide feedback. More important, make him aware that if any future trips he has planned for editorial coverage could make use of a product such as yours, you would like to be considered.

A small company that successfully completes these four steps is ahead of 80 percent of the competition?and finally ready to begin a PR campaign. Most small companies miss at least two of the steps, and the majority of the rest do a poor job in the execution.

In the next post, I?ll touch upon successful initial steps for a successful PR campaign.

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Source: http://ronellsmith.com/the-tackle-insider/site/putting-pr-in-its-place-part-ii/

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