It’s very possible to run a company with or without a PR department in Kenya.
Most business owners actually prefer outsourcing for PR professionals only when the need arises. Others have opted to merge it with other departments. For instance PR and marketing or digital marketing.
It does not just begin at the job sector, even our own learning institutions have gone ahead to combined PR with other courses. For example; Mass communication & PR, Marketing & PR, etc. Their key goal with this is to give a value-add to an existing course. Which is one way or another, makes a lot of sense. Instead of one having to pay for one course, you get two at the cost of one. Great deal right?
We all have different marketing approaches but is it really possible to make PR an independent entity? Can we make it such a “Big Deal” that more people start perceiving it as “very essential”? How do we start differentiating Public Relations from Marketing?
Public relation is an area that can change the future of your business. As a business owner or someone looking to get into the PR industry but has just a slight idea about what it can bring to the table, here is what you need to know:
Public Relations and Marketing are different
These two work hand-in-hand and are always mistaken for each other. As a business, you cannot market a product and expect the public to automatically like your offering if you haven’t done a little bit of PR. PR somehow butters customers up and makes it easy for you to penetrate a market.
Understanding the roles of each will help you develop smart strategies. Here are some highlights:
- The key role of PR is to build and maintain lasting relations with the public and other stakeholders. Whereas, marketing is focused on making sales and profits.
- PR professionals measure their KPIs in terms of business relationships developed with other organizations. Marketers gauge their success with the number of sales made or return on investment.
- PR creates buzz while marketing reaps profits from the buzz.
- Marketing has the power to attract customers PR has the power to convert or influence buyers’ consideration.
PR can Impress Potential Investors and Draw them closer to you
The easiest way to lure investors into your business is by strategically painting an image of how great your brand is. This will not only attract potential investors but also customers. A PR specialist will help your business achieve positive media exposure. As well as, assist you in telling the right story with well-crafted media pitches and the right media placement strategies for your brand.
For your business to impress investors, you need to first show the results of your work. Step one is to build a clientele or fan base then use PR to place the right information and products where your investors are most likely to be and show them the value.
PR Boosts Conversions
PR campaigns are a nicer way of getting the public to notice your brand and want to be associated with it. Positive perception can help improve overall effectiveness by demonstrating the company’s ongoing successes. That is why as a PR strategy, brands partner with celebrities to influence potential buyers to choose them over competitors.
For instance; OPPO, a mobile phone company, signed Mohammed Salah as their 2020 brand ambassador. This was an initiative to show their target audience that the brand is associated with perfection.
According to Ethan Xue, the President of OPPO Middle East and Africa, “Mohamed Salah is the perfect person to represent OPPO, as both he and our brand are known for breaking new boundaries in our respective fields, for striving to achieve perfection in everything we do. This is an exciting time for us to extend our reach across the region, and potentially support local football talent in the future, too.”
Share any other benefits that PR might have impacted your business in the comment section or let us know if you would like to learn more about PR and become a Chartered PR Practitioner.
