Branding and PR have been called the “invisible investments”. Many business owners are unsure whether they need branding or PR and if you’re not sure what the ROI is, paying for these services may seem superfluous. However, businesses need BOTH branding and PR to get their name and product out to the market effectively.
Why does PR need Branding?
PR, public relations, publicity. Many people are confused by what PR encompasses. I describe PR as having other people talk about your business (whereas marketing is you talking about your business). This can be in the form of getting on a podcast, in a news article (online or in print), on television, or on the radio. When I first heard the term publicist, I immediately thought of celebrity publicists. While there are many types of publicists, the idea of a celebrity publicist is familiar to many. They arrange for their star to be on certain talk shows and do media training to help articulate a clear message. We’ve seen a publicist step in a time or two if the star isn’t saying the “right thing”, or if some bad press comes out.
How do you know what is the right thing to say? That’s where branding comes in. Branding is the experience you want your clients to have. It’s every interaction that clients and potential clients will have with your business. It goes far beyond a simple logo design. It includes your values, mission, and personality. When you have a clear understanding of those things, your brand story and voice, messaging, your values—dictate how you deal with the public or even in customer-facing situations. A law firm will present itself differently than a daycare. On an individual level, a lawyer will act differently at home than they do at work. When you’re in your business or work environment, knowing your brand and your client can create that consistency to understand how to show up for the public.
Branding also helps with knowing what publicity is right for your company. Knowing your customer’s journey from introduction to sale to customer loyalty will dictate what placements will be the most effective for your brand. Do you need to be on podcasts? Or in print? What bias is attached to the media you’re in? Does it lean left or right? You will get a better return on your PR when you can be strategic about where you’re getting placements. You can only be strategic if you have a deep understanding of who you are and who your dream customer is.
Branding also makes you look really good. When these outlets have dozens if not hundreds of people to choose from, having a concise and professionally done brand (visuals and messaging) will allow you to stand out from the others looking for those spots. It allows anyone vetting your business to tell immediately that your brand values match theirs. PR is meant to build your credibility, but you need to show up with as much credibility as possible to land placements. Having your business show up as professionally as you do personally is imperative.
Why does Branding need PR?
Do you know anyone with a fancy car that they have never driven? That’s a brand without PR. You can have the most gorgeous, succinct, well-thought-out logo, visuals, and messaging but if it doesn’t appear anywhere… Nobody is going to find you.
Branding and PR are a great pairing. If you have recently rebranded by changing your name or logo, people will lose the familiarity they had with you. Even if the brand is for the better and will connect better with the target market, people don’t like change. Using PR as a tool to bridge that gap can make the transition easier.
Your brand can look great and make an emotional connection with your customer, but it also needs credibility. PR can help hugely with credibility because it’s other sources talking about your business. You can ask about yourself all day long on social media, but a heartfelt testimonial can be more valuable. A word-of-mouth recommendation goes so far! We’re always asking our friends for the latest and greatest. What if that person talking about you is a local TV host… or a national TV host? Not only does it add trust, but it broadcasts you to potentially hundreds of thousands of people at a time, people that might not typically get to hear about you through tough social media algorithms, Google searches, or just plain ol’ word of mouth.
Speaking of Google searches… PR can help skyrocket your results because other places are talking about you. The more backlinks on your URL the more likely you will rank on Google. If no one is visiting your website, it doesn’t matter how well branded it is. If you are wanting to drive traffic to your website, publicity placements can be a phenomenal way to do it.
Next Steps
Serving your customers well and making money at your business is the goal. Visibility and credibility are two important steps on the path to getting potential customers into paying customers into loyal customers.
Pairing a well-crafted brand with a killer public relations strategy can build an emotional trust that will get customers in your door and keep them coming back.
If you are interested in branding and PR, book a call with us today to get started!