About the author:

Elinor Selame, President of BrandEquity International, is a nationally recognized expert, author, speaker and consultant on brand asset management and visual communications strategies. She has written numerous articles and monthly columns on branding strategies that have appeared in publications such as Business Age, Chief Executive, Marketing News, Public Relations Journal, Brand Marketing and Trademark World.

Ms. Selame has also co-authored three classic texts on corporate identity, brand identity and visual marketing. One of these books, Developing a Corporate Identity: How to Stand Out in the Crowd, was chosen as one of the best business books. Other books include The Company Image: Building Your Identity and Influence in the Marketplace (John Wiley, 1988) and The Corporate Identity Audit: A Company Self-Assessment (Strategic Direction Publishers Ltd., 1995).

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Public Relations: The Soul of Your Firm

By Elinor Selame

I've been in business for more than 30 years developing my career and attempting to win attention for my company in the press. Over the years, I've learned a simple truth: Public relations is a vital part of your overall business plan.

"Well, of course," I hear you say. "What's your point?"

Public Relations: The Great Equalizer

Public Relations is reality. It is the great equalizer. My company often competes with much larger firms. PR has helped us get to this level and also keeps us there. The first rule of PR is "manage what people think about you and your business."

Although we are in challenging times, revolutionary changes are happening in the design industry. This article offers advice to design firms looking to fine-tune their marketing and public relations skills--skills that will help you increase your awareness and visibility as leaders in the design field.

My firm, BrandEquity International, uses refined communications techniques that can be transferred to almost any specialty and should help both the novice and the seasoned veteran develop their PR efforts.

In short, I have found that every design professional attempting to practice public relations must understand and practice two basic concepts: creativity and consistency.

Of course, I've taken for granted that the company you're promoting has some unique stories, a quality product and/or service and a philosophy that can be expanded upon to separate and distinguish your message from others. This becomes the basic foundation underlying all of your publicity messages.

Creativity

First, let me explain what I mean by creativity. You can add some sizzle to the steak of your story by using clever ideas. Craft a compelling headline. You might use a startling statement, a provocative question or an alarming statistic to grab the reader's attention. Creativity is necessary to develop a hook that makes a reporter take notice of an unusual angle that you've developed. The hook then leads into the messages that you weave into this opening.

This creativity is usually what you can use in a pitch letter to the press, suggesting they take an interest in your particular story. It is up to your design firm to create innovative projects and to win vibrant brand assignments with their implicit promise of quality that will promote your unique stories, quality products and services.

If you're creative with an idea that has basic merit, your select media list will be more receptive of your ideas. If you send 10-15 queries, assuming you've researched the publications and your story fits their audience, you'll do well to have one or possibly two acceptances.

Consistency

The next important concept is consistency. This is extremely important because a reputation takes time to build. Good reputations aren't created overnight. Consistency has a lot to do with reinforcement. If you're going to say that you do something, do it! All the time!!

Repetition of a company's unique selling proposition is key if it is to succeed. You have to talk louder than the next guy and if the message isn't delivered with frequency, it's not going to penetrate. Find your unique selling proposition and always weave it into your articles and messages. The more it's read, the more it's remembered.

If your company has a strong point of view, an important piece of research that you can annually update, or a strong personality as a principal, you can build on these elements to create a presence that distinguishes your company in the minds of others. Once you have established your company's philosophy and identity, it can be quite difficult to change it. BrandEquity always recommends to its clients that they consider all the facets of the brand identity they select before they make a commitment to it.

Here are some other techniques that have proven to be successful for our firm and that I believe to be appropriate to most marketing efforts.

Tools and Tricks

To keep our business current, BrandEquity International works hard at marketing and understanding the business climate in which our clients operate. Marketing is a process. It requires a plan and consistent long-term implementation.

Here are a few marketing tactics that keep BrandEquity on the front lines. If implemented correctly, they can strengthen your credibility, enhance your image, develop goodwill, and best of all, influence your targeted audience. You may choose to implement all or a few. Which ones will benefit you depends upon several factors-your objectives, the size, type and location of your organization, the characteristics of your clients or audience and your budget.

Before you begin, you must master effective marketing and sales methods. The arts of writing letters, making convincing telephone calls and developing presentations must all be mastered. The best sources for learning about effective marketing and sales methods are found in books, articles, and courses relating to product marketing as well as from marketing specialists or consultants. Draw freely upon these resources, but tailor them to your particular needs and service.

Cold Letters

I can hear you moaning already. I know this is a task already on your to-do list, but you might keep putting it off. It can prove to be very profitable if implemented consistently. Cold letters will uncover hidden opportunities. Plus, it is definitely a proactive approach. Cold letters can lead to an appointment or a referral to another company or contact. Executives don't take time to go through all of the cold letters that are sent to them. Your letter will receive greater attention if you provide a good attention grabbing reason for reading it.

A few final hints: keep letters to one page and just four or five paragraphs. Write it then edit it, cutting out anything that is not directly helpful to the purpose of the letter. Allocate time, either your own or an employee's, to researching a company and learning who the best contacts are.

At BrandEquity International, we do not buy lists. I am a firm believer that is not only a waste of valuable time but valuable money as well. We use the Million Dollar Directory, Hoovers, trade publications, as well as regional online business newspapers. We only mail to those that look as though they need our services.

Cold letters take a great deal of time. Accurate information on contacts is essential. Call companies and ask. Collect business cards at trade shows. Look for referrals. Whatever it takes, get actual names, and make sure they are spelled correctly.

Finally, it is perfectly all right to include a brochure with a sales letter. Remember, you must follow up with a phone call. Persistence is key, since most likely it will take more than three attempts simply to reach the person. In the end, it will be worth it. We get five to seven clients per year from this tool. That's a lot of revenue.

Publicity

Publicity involves communicating who you are, what you do, why you do it and how you make a difference. As professionals, we pride ourselves on our writing ability and spend a lot of time agonizing over every word to ensure the message is exactly right.

Publicity happens at many levels: what we see, what we hear, what we feel. The writing is only half the equation. That's an important consideration, given the difficulty of targeting and communicating with today's splintered, information-weary audiences. You should strive to communicate a feeling: change, technology, safety, hope, knowledge, creativity, success-whatever your organization needs to say to its audience.

It's quite possible to come up with beautifully written and designed material that absolutely, positively, does not accomplish what it's supposed to. That's why it's crucial to retain your objectivity, no matter how much you may swoon over a particular design or turn of phrase.

Publicity is 99 percent hard work. Most of this work is routine and consists mainly of developing contacts, with only a nominal amount of time remaining for creative planning and for negotiating and closing business arrangements. The ability to handle this disproportionate work mix represents a technique that is difficult for many professionals to master.

More Methods

You are more than likely familiar with brochures, direct mail and Web sites. There are other tactics that can boost your bottom line. Consider how you use these tools in your existing business strategy and how to maximize their effectiveness.

Publicity includes a variety of methods to contact and give information to the media: news releases, press kits, media advisories and press tours. I like to send out news releases every four to six weeks. These include new hires, promotions, new clients, trend releases, and awards.

I also believe in the power of direct mail. Direct mail is a valuable part of our services. Each approach, from personal letters to mass mailings, must be tailored carefully to the prospect's needs. Newsletters provide frequency but may not be appropriate where the stronger appeal for a full-color brochure is needed.

Whatever the approach, the information should be pertinent and carefully tailored to the client's business. For example, bankers are not usually interested in what you have done for manufacturing companies, and food and beverage executives may not be impressed with the biotechnology client you have just completed.

Speaking

For consistent long-term implementation of this key communications strategy, BrandEquity International has hired a specialist to aid us in this important aspect of business. It's imperative not to drop the ball. An unbiased outside perspective can bring real added value. It takes a minimum of four proposals to get us one invitation. We aim for 12 speaking engagements a year. That should tell you how involved this process needs to be.

It is also a process that is not instantaneous. We are currently working on proposals to speak in late 2002. It takes time, but this is an excellent way to share your expertise with a large number of potential prospects. You become exposed to prospects with whom you otherwise wouldn't have any contact. As you travel around the country giving seminars and keynotes, you have an extraordinary opportunity to capitalize on this nomadic way of life.

For professionals determined to raise their visibility to the fullest, speaking is one of the many ways to establish credibility. Speaking engagements establish you as an expert. Include feature articles mentioning you, interview pieces, and articles you write in your speaking proposals, in media kits, everywhere!

With a bold publicity campaign, any speaker who lacks money can make up for it with enthusiasm. Visibility is the key. The more visible you are, the more your prospects begin to trust you and open up to you. You build your firm as a brand by constantly being in the public eye. If done correctly, speaking can become an integral part of your business. In most years, speaking accounts for 25% of BrandEquity International's new clients and projects.

Referrals

I think the importance of referrals is fairly obvious. But I will admit this. We love referrals. Referred clients are preferred clients, special clients. We give referrals top priority because someone else gave us a glowing review. We not only have to make ourselves look good; we also have to live up to their expectations.

The bottom line is that your name has to be well known, and to do that will take a lot of work and good business relationships but in the long run this will pay off. Just make sure always that your delivery lives up to your promises. Remember, negative comments by word of mouth can lose you 10 times as many customers as it will gain.

In times of uncertainty, you will know what is fundamental to your business. Don't give up on PR and marketing. They are processes that deliver sales. My company has passed through four decades. We have learned to adapt, grow and evolve--not only in our craft but also our approach. The intangible nature of our field puts a particularly heavy emphasis on these assets and the techniques required to support them.

While my focus in this article has been on just a few specific points, your main objective should be to place the marketing and PR efforts on an equal level with the delivery of your design services. When these two activities are properly coordinated, a healthy revenue stream can be the end result. Annual analysis shows that controlling our marketing activity results in rather consistent percentage of revenues from various efforts.

The present and future, in other words, belong to design firms that master the concepts of marketing and public relations. With that, I leave you with the following tips.

Final Tips

• Set marketing goals every year and track progress
• Work on one marketing element every day
• Keep in touch with clients and prospects
• Create a database and send out mailings
• Offer your customers and prospects as many reasons as possible to stay with or choose you
• Networking and word-of-mouth referrals are important channels for new business.
• Do quality work
• Do whatever it takes to get the job done
• Be nice to everyone

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We'll be adding new articles on an ongoing basis. Read past articles in our archive:

• Top 10 Tips for Growing Your Graphic Design Studio with Direct Mail Postcards by Martha Retallick
• Do You Have What it Takes to Survive the Dot-Com Bomb? by Martha Francis
• Don't Knock Opportunity: Go Grasp It! A Good Press Success Story by Doug Fuller
• Warming Up to Cold Calls by Doug Fox
• Know Your Rights: Intellectual Property Basics by Jean Perwin
• The Path to the Podium: An Insider Shares Her Secrets for Scoring Prime Speaking Slots on the Competitive Conference Circuit by Lynn Wolff
• Growing Your Business: The Most Exciting Event in Your Life by Herbert M. Meyers
• Are Consultants in Your Future? by Emily Cohen

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Design Management Resources
Post Office Box 423
Thompson, Connecticut 06277 USA
Telephone 860-377-9696
E-mail: Linda@designmanagementresources.com
www.DesignManagementResources.com