FAQ

Why public relations? Why not just advertise?
From start-up to more established firms, there is no question that public perception is of the utmost importance to the livelihood of any business. Many of today's largest and most well-known corporations were cultivated by third-party endorsements—the media and word of mouth. We know that a positive brand perception does not come from internal sources such as advertising or sales efforts—it comes from public opinion.

It is often said that public relations builds the brand while advertising maintains it. PR and targeted media relations works to build your brand and position you as a leading expert in your field. Our job is to establish your firm’s brand and your value proposition with your customers, prospects and targeted media, who will think of you when they seek out authoritative information.

Is the PR Road Map™ really enough? Don’t most firms have a PR agency on a monthly retainer?
Yes and yes. We have designed the PR Road Map™ to give you the benefit of our experience. The first half—the PR Basics—walks you through all of the essential information you need to figure out how to harness the power of PR, as well as determine which tools to use at what time. This is the Cliff Notes of PR. The second part of the PR Road Map™ is completely customized to your business. This is the information that we, as a PR agency, run on all of our clients, but usually progressively and the information is kept proprietary. This is fine in most cases as clients just want to know that it works, not how it works. These are the tools—press releases, media pitches, editorial calendars for target publications, contact information and tips for key reporters, editors and producers covering your beat, etc.

However, we have found that some businesses already have a smart, savvy and highly capable internal staff that is not only able to carry out a PR campaign, but is extremely willing to do so. Many firms have an internal PR or marketing Director/Manager/Coordinator. Some may even retain the services of a PR agency for strategic consulting, event planning or large-scale projects. Our goal, for those firms, is to provide an internal resource with all of the information and tools that we would use to carry out their PR campaign here, while remaining a reliable, silent partner to the firm. The best part? This can significantly reduce your PR costs, which drives up your bottom line! Another note – while we have forged strong relationships with members of the media across the country, there are some reporters who would much rather take a call from an internal company source than from a PR agency.

I’ve never even done a phone interview before? How do I know if I am ready for PR?
Everyone has to start somewhere. The PR road map™ covers the phone and broadcast interview tips and tricks of the trade, as well as interview dos and don’ts. We can review all of these when we present and review your road map with you. If you are still nervous (and everyone is at first…many are after hundreds of interviews), then we can set up a media training day where we focus solely on enforcing your message points, your delivery, directing the conversation…even what to wear when doing a TV interview. Another option is for us to be on the phone, as a silent participant, during a phone interview to take notes, provide feedback and review any necessary “hot spots.”

It takes time for many people, even CEOs, to get used to the interview process. The key is believing in what you do and what you are saying and realizing that you are the expert—the reporter is there to learn from you.