Shock PR Logo w/ banner
Shock PR Newsletter )
February 2008
In this issue
  • Don't Wait to Start Up!
  • Shock PR Franchise News
  • PR Tip
  • PR in a Box
  • Shock PR Contact Information

    		•

    Dear Dick,

    It's leap year -- an appropriate time to address how you can leapfrog over others in the market by launching a PR program for your company, or client's company. Yes, even with the economy in the doldrums, the timing is right for companies to elevate their presence in the market and capture mindshare among the audiences they want to reach. In fact, SCORE - the Service Corps of Retired Executives - says on its website, "Many businesses mistakenly see marketing as a luxury when money is tight. The truth is that this is the time you need marketing most. Along with reassuring your current customers that you are still there to serve them, marketing can help you reach new markets that will sustain your business now, and facilitate its growth in the future." So, if your company is on the fence about starting, or even continuing, a PR program, jump off that fence and into the public eye today. It'll pay off tomorrow.


    Christine Shock

    		Don't Wait to Start Up!

    Launching a company with PR doesn't have to be an onerous undertaking. But, because "you only have one chance to make a first impression," it is wise to engage an experienced professional to help in making that impression a good one.

    Someone experienced in PR has the ability to help a company develop its outbound messages, identify its target audiences, research a media list that includes those who focus upon a market space or topics that relate to the company, and, finally, knows how to reach out in ways that will elicit positive responses from the media and generate public recognition for the company.

    A typical, basic PR launch plan consists of the following steps:

    • Conduct interviews with company executives to obtain background and information about the company and its products, services, or solutions so the company will be well-represented by the PR person executing the launch program.
    • Articulate the company's main messages about who it is, what it does, how it helps customers.
    • Research and develop a target Media List. This includes identifying individual contacts at print, online publications and broadcast media that cover appropriate topics as well as those that cover the company's geographic area.
    • Create a press release announcing the company launch.
    • Offer advance notice of the announcement, along with offers of company interviews, to key media contacts and industry influencers, like bloggers, before the press release goes public. Request their reactions/feedback.
    • Distribute the press release to each media contact individually on the Media List and post/submit the press release to appropriate websites that reach the company's target audiences.
    • Additionally, distribute the press release by a newswire service, like Business Wire or PRWeb.com, to capture a broader audience and secure more widespread online coverage and pick-up.
    • Follow up with selected media contacts to further build relationships with them, ensure the best visibility for the launch, and position the company for future PR outreach.

    A PR launch begins the process of a company being recognized as a player in its market. It gets the company on the public's radar screen. But, as a well- known PR practitioner, Regis McKenna, said, "PR is a process, not an event." Visibility diminishes after the initial splash of the launch and a company can quickly fall off the radar screen. You need to maintain visibility by continuing to contact the media with different kinds of news and information, all of which should provide value to all parties -- journalists, their audiences, and the company. So, after a launch, companies should consider at least a small ongoing program until the company has built up the resources and revenues to conduct an even more effective, comprehensive PR program.

    		Shock PR Franchise News

    Starting this month, we're making it easier than ever to join our PR franchise organization, Shock PR International, Inc. We've reduced the initial franchise fee so that earlier-stage PR practitioners, including those just starting out in PR and those just graduating from college, will be able to join the first PR franchise of its kind and get the help and support of experienced PR professionals as they build their own businesses. We offer full training, mentoring, help with lead generation, and provide all the tools and materials you need to run an independent PR agency from your own home or offsite office. Contact us by phone at 508-743-9993 or visit our website to find out more:

    http://franchise.sh ockpr.com

    		PR Tip

    As you conduct your PR programs, don't forget to express your gratitude to those you help you do your job. This includes customers who agree to share their stories with the media on behalf of your clients, members of the media who write a great story about your clients, and also your clients, who trust you to advance their brands and protect their reputations. Thanks can be a simple as an email, but taking the extra time to hand-write and mail a card (even a postcard!) will really be noticed and appreciated.

    		PR in a Box

    PR in a Box is an easy-to-read guide that tells you everything you need to know about PR in order to run a program yourself or manage a program. It's very reasonably priced at just $49.95, and is available from the Shock PR website page: http://www.shockpr.com/html/pr_in_a_box.html

    		Shock PR Contact Information

    Our address and phone numbers are: Shock PR, Inc. P.O. Box 3174 Bourne, MA 02532 T: 508-743-9993 F: 508-743-9566

    Copyright © 2007 Shock PR, Inc. All rights reserved.


    phone: 508-743-9993