Summer is upon us, and with it, the annual rite of passage for our team and many of our clients: 2H PR planning.
You know the story. You started off the year with a foolproof plan, complete with flashy campaigns, major launches and big company milestones. For some of you, those plans went off without a hitch. For many others, for one reason or another, life got in the way. Everything from delayed product development timelines to changes in market strategy or even unexpected company announcements shifted your plan’s path.
For those of you in the latter group, with <6 months left in the year, how do you get back on track and execute a PR program that delivers? Here are three things you must consider:
1. Do Our PR Goals Make Sense? No PR plan should be without its goals; however, realize that goals can–and should–evolve alongside the business. Perhaps you started the year intending a heavy focus on thought leadership, only to find that your spokespeople were less than willing (or available) to provide their support. Or, that major funding round that was supposed to close in March is not going to happen until Thanksgiving at the earliest. Because circumstances often change, mid-year is the perfect time to re-evaluate your PR goals against the realities of the business.
2. Do We Need a Measurement Overhaul? Another thing to consider is PR measurement. Even in 2019–with all the fancy PR and marketing tools out there–too many companies are still relying on basic, quantitative metrics and measurement. I can’t say this enough: volume alone will never prove the value of your PR program or its impact in the market. Instead, companies need to focus on the qualitative, identifying ties between PR results and business outcomes. While this requires closer collaboration between PR, marketing and sales, the results will be stronger and more indicative on what’s working and what’s not.
3. Who’s On Our Tail? Our tech and healthcare clients work in highly competitive industries. The landscape is constantly changing, whether it’s from the arrival of a shiny, well-funded start-up, or a competitor’s acquisition by the 800-pound gorilla. Inevitably, the companies vying for your market share are also those competing with you for press. Re-evaluating the competitive landscape mid-year is often a helpful exercise to determine how your organization is tracking against both known and emerging competitors. Conducting a share-of-voice analysis can also unearth areas of opportunity to stand out in the media in the second half of the year (and beyond).
These are just a few of the things to consider when evaluating your PR program for the remainder of 2019. Interested in discussing some of the above? Give me a shout at bbevacqua@affect.com.
