Shock PR International is a new franchise concept for public relations professionals who want to have their own PR businesses, but also want to have the benefits of a quick-start, turn-key operation, a support network of other professionals, and national branding. The newly-launched franchise system is based on the successful Shock PR agency model, in operation since 1992, which will continue to service clients as a separate entity.

A Shock PR International franchise is designed to eliminate the fear and risk of starting a small PR firm of one’s own. All the business systems have been developed specifically for an independently owned and operated PR firm, and have been tested and proven in actual practice.

Shock PR International offers franchisees a proprietary three-level PR service system, developed by Shock PR, and provides specially-developed written PR materials, workbooks, and templates.

Christine Shock, vice president of Shock PR, International, a PR veteran with more than 20 years experience, and founder of Shock PR, Inc. noted, "We’ve launched the Shock PR International franchise to help fellow PR professionals realize their dream of being their own boss and having some flexibility in their lives, yet having a support network and other experts they can count on to help and guide them every step of the way. They can be on their own, but not be all alone."

Shock PR International’s president, Richard Shock, explained how the concept originated. “PR professionals leaving the corporate world or agencies due to downsizing or burn-out are very knowledgeable about how to do PR, but have little or no knowledge of how to run a PR business. And, since they are used to having a support network, they are often afraid to be on their own. We realized that through the experience we’ve gained at Shock PR, we could help PR pros get a jump-start on establishing their own successful businesses.”

The three-level PR service system developed by Shock PR addresses the specific informational needs and budgets of franchisees’ clients at different stages of their growth:

* Level I: PR in a Box, a product for those wanting basic PR information in a Do-It-Yourself kit format. * Level II: Project-based offerings for start-up companies and those just starting up PR programs for the first time. * Level III: Full-service PR that encompasses all the elements of PR, and that is conducted on an ongoing basis for maximum visibility and effectiveness.

All Shock PR, International franchisees receive one full week of training at Shock PR International headquarters outside of Boston, MA, follow-up web training and refreshers, a detailed manual covering all business operations, written procedures, guidelines and templates for all PR services provided to clients, their own dedicated page on the Shock PR International website, a subscription to an industry-standard media database, national advertising, ongoing support from Shock PR International, and the ability to network with other franchisees for informational purposes or to expand their own capabilities.

More information and a franchise application can be found by visiting www.shockpr.com and clicking on “Franchise Information,” or by calling 508-435-0900.

Building credibility and developing positive relationships with the press are essential for getting coverage in top industry publications, according to Joanne Godfrey, Director of Marketing for Shunra, which is headquartered in New York City and Israel, with offices in the UK, India, and Singapore.

The company’s products have been reviewed on a regular basis in such major industry publications as Network World, InfoWorld, and Network Computing.

“We have tremendous confidence in our products and the reviews have been outstanding,” says Joanne. “And considering Shunra does not use print advertising in its public relations or marketing programs, the effectiveness of media coverage is measured in positive customer response and overall sales," she says. “This has contributed to the company’s consistent revenue growth since its inception in 1998.”

The key to building good working relationships with the press, she says, is to contact the appropriate journalists with real news. “We don’t pitch fluff – we only pitch stories, complete with products, customers, and analysts,” she says. “We provide all the ingredients that they need.”

Joanne credits Shock PR for shaping the company’s successful media strategies and building relationships with the right journalists. “Over the past five years, they’ve done an amazing job of getting us reviews in print and online publications,” she says.

When it comes to choosing the most effective public relations strategies, “It depends on the company and what you’re trying to achieve,” Joanne says. “We’re a fast-growing, high-tech company, so product PR works best for us.”

However she is quick to point out that implementing a comprehensive PR program is necessary to give a company visibility in a competitive and fast-changing market. From updating media contacts, to assessing customer reference lists, to positioning executives to speak at conferences, all components of a PR program work together to bring results, she says.

In today’s highly competitive high tech industry, she says, “PR is an extremely valuable tool.”

About Shunra

Shunra’s solutions empower organizations to address service level and performance concerns up front – before deployment. The Shunra Virtual Enterprise solution provides accurate, highly granular insight into how networked applications will function, perform and scale for remote end-users. It creates an exact replica of the production network environment, enabling IT professionals to safely develop, test and experiment with applications and infrastructure before rollout, and effectively plan for growth and change. Tailored for networking, performance and testing professionals, and software developers, the Shunra Virtual Enterprise facilitates collaboration across IT disciplines so IT organizations can quickly and more efficiently uncover and resolve problems before they impact the business. Over 1,500 leading enterprises and technology vendors worldwide are using Shunra’s award-winning solutions including 3M, Boeing, Cisco, Dow Chemical, EMC, FedEx, General Electric, General Motors, JPMorgan Chase, Kelly Services, Merrill Lynch, Motorola, Nestle, Pitney Bowes, and Vodafone. Shunra’s headquarters are located in New York City and Kfar Saba, Israel, with worldwide offices in the UK, and India. Shunra is also supported through a global network of channel partners. For more information, please visit www.shunra.com.

Visit Shock PR International at the PRSA 2005 International Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, from October 22 – 25 and find out how a PR franchise might be the way to go for you! We’ll be exhibiting in Booth 17! For more information about the conference, or to register to attend, visit www.conference.prsa.org.

1stWorks, a real-time web collaboration and conferencing provider that developed hotComm, an application that enables anyone to meet anytime online and share audio, video, and documents in a virtual meeting. www.1stworks.com.

Longwood Software, developers of TagTeam, a marketing resource management system for companies wanting to reduce the cost of managing their marketing materials library and streamline the process; and ForFile, a web-based large file transfer service. www.longwoodsw.com.

Fall is the time that new Editorial Calendars are published for the coming year. Research your target publications now so you won't miss contacting editors about topics related to your company, products, or market space.

email: rshock@shockpr.com

phone: 508-893-9933

web: http://www.shockpr.com