The very nature of the phrase "public relations" implies relationships. PR includes relationships on a variety of levels – with the media, consumers, potential customers and even your own employees. Consider WhirlWind Creative your personal relationship builders. We can help mold the perception of your brand both internally and externally with the masses. While public relations and publicity are not one in the same, the goals of effectively executed PR can include gaining maximum positive publicity and increasing public awareness for your brand, product or service.
Pinpointing an exact definition of public relations is a difficult thing to do. One easy way to form a better definition of PR is by highlighting the differences between PR and advertising.
While PR and advertising could both be classified under the marketing umbrella, and the lines between PR and advertising have blurred in recent years, there are still fundamental differences between the two.
Advertising typically consists of paid placement of your message through various forms of media, whereas effective PR leads to "free" visibility for your message via new stories. Paid advertising has its advantages in that you completely control the message, what it says and when it runs. Effective PR places your message in front of relevant media outlets, reporters and writers, who then (hopefully) place your message in front of relevant consumers. There are no guarantees that your story will be picked up, but when it does, that story creates instant credibility and awareness for your brand. Think of it as almost a third party endorsement for your brand.
A key component of good public relations is working with the media. From writing compelling press releases and distributing them to appropriate outlets to market research and developing rapport with media members, WhirlWind Creative has a proven track record of effectively positioning and pitching our clients to local and national media outlets. Our team has an understanding and mutual respect for media members drawn from our own experiences working in and with the media. WhirlWind Creative possesses knowledge and insight into how the media operates and will work to position your story favorably to all relevant media outlets.
Instead of asking 'What is PR?' perhaps the more appropriate question is 'What can PR do for my company / brand?' This is where the 'P' in PR becomes a bit of a chameleon. PR helps position your brand in the most positive light possible by highlighting past achievements, promoting positive reviews of your business or helping develop philanthropic campaigns to get your company involved in the community.
All of these PR tactics have one common goal – molding the perception of your brand. One of the key benefits of utilizing PR is to shine you and your brand in the most positive light possible, creating invaluable top-of-mind awareness to potential consumers.
PR goes beyond just dealing with public perception. To maintain the consistency desired throughout your brand, it is important your PR campaign starts at the top with good corporate communications. WhirlWind Creative can develop materials to help you strategically communicate your message. These materials can include something as simple as key words, phrases and statements to appear consistently throughout your marketing material, to more complex solutions such as corporate newsletters, memos and special events held to generate public interest in your brand or campaign.
“These days, the website is your first impression to potential customers. The ability to capture the essence of who you are on that first impression isn't easy. WhirlWind Creative went beyond my expectations with TheWhiskyRiver.com,” said JR Rhodes, Director of Entertainment at JR Motorsports. “It's an amazing design that incorporates perfect interactive features and easy navigation. Our site is everything you want a first impression to be – appealing, innovative and functional.”
- JR Motorsports