Expectations Versus Reality Edition
If you’ve been keeping up with the Push the Envelope PR blog posts, you’ll see all the benefits of working with a PR agency like us to get your brand the momentum it deserves. However, as necessary as PR is, it is often misunderstood and oftentimes expectations might be poorly managed. We got your back! PTE is here to give the real, real and bust any myths that you might expect when investing in PR.
EXPECTATION: OVERNIGHT RESULTS
REALITY: PLANT SEEDS, WATCH IT GROW
Instant gratification is a common misconception around investing in PR. Making the investment doesn’t equate to being a viral sensation. The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. When you invest in a PR agency, there is strategy, learnings and planning around how to cultivate the best harvest for your brand. Instead of virality being the goal, think consistency. Ongoing, consistent effort gives the best outcome and the sweetest crop that is sustainable and harvests an abundant bounty again and again with brand integrity and trust for years to come.
EXPECTATION: PR DIRECTLY GENERATES SALES
REALITY: PR BUILDS BRAND CREDIBILITY
If the intention of investing in PR is to immediately boost sales, you might end up disappointed in your investment. If you want sales, push an ad. A PR agency is in the business to attract clients and build the credibility of the brand and its products through editorials, influencer marketing and many of the strategies that are available to promote the brand. When it’s done properly, the sales become a side effect.
EXPECTATION: PR HAS A TRACKABLE ROI
REALITY: ROI ISN’T THE ONLY MEASURE TO ASSESS PR’S VALUE
Nowadays it’s easy to measure a lot of things and in the PR world, getting data and numbers from a PR campaign is getting easier to gather over time. Tracking media placements, likes, reposts, are great ways to measure the reception of a campaign, but it’s not always the key indicator of how the program in whole is doing, nor is it going to tell give you a full picture of your investment. When you are only focused on the ROI of the smaller pieces, you’re ignoring the bigger picture. PR is all about the long ball and the endgame is for your brand to be seen, known, and trusted within your industry – something that likes and reposts can’t ever measure.
EXPECTATION: ANY PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY
REALITY: IMAGE IS EVERYTHING
The main intention for PR is to build brand awareness and get your story and product out there in the best light. Having the mindset of “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” can spark a lot of red flags. Surely, PR is designed to help in times of crisis management, but when you work with an experienced and reputable PR agency, the hope is you never have to cross that bridge, EVER. PR is all about creating a healthy, trustworthy image and leading with your brand’s message with full integrity.
EXPECTATION: I CAN EASILY DO PR ON MY OWN
REALITY: YOU DESERVE EASE BY HIRING A PR AGENCY
Of course you can do anything if you put your mind to it but when you partner with a PR agency you are getting back your time and energy by letting experts help. There’s a sense of ease when knowing someone will have a strategy and playbook that can fit your needs and having client lists and editors ready to chomp at the bit at your latest launch. Time is the most precious resource, so give yourself that time that you deserve by bringing the ease of a PR agency to do the legwork for you.
Now that you’re aware of the realities of how a PR agency like Push the Envelope can help kick your brand into gear, we’re ready to chat and also put any concerns at ease. At PTE, we have over 15 years of experience, award-winning clients that can share with you have their reality in partnering with us have created lasting, successful wins for many of their launches. From award-winning best-of lists, editor buzz, to influencers sharing our clients’ products to their followers, we love showing our clients the reality they can expect when partnering with us. Shoot us an email here to learn more and see how we can partner for your brand today.