PAGE 29 Edit Directory 6/12/06 14:29 Page 1 Public Relations Feature Part 2 HOW TO MAKE PR WORK FOR YOU by Tony Bradley, FCIPR, President of the CIPR We established in the last issue that your organisation’s reputation is key to business success and that it should be entrusted to PR professionals who have the right level of training and experience to manage it. But how do you find the right public relations advisor? Do you employ a freelance practitioner; PR consultancy; or in-house practitioner? How do you ensure the money you spend on PR is money well spent? When businesses run into PR teething troubles it’s often because of misunderstandings about the role of PR and what it’s expected to achieve. the most significant thing you can do to ensure you get the best from your PR is to be very clear on why you want to use public relations in the first place. So, brief your PR provider on your needs and expectations, and together set clear and measurable public relations objectives that are aligned to your business goals – do you want to change attitudes, raise awareness or increase sales? That way, you’re both very clear about the results you want from your PR. Put PR at the centre of your business strategy and decision-making processes. As expert communicators, public relations professionals are ideally placed to advise you on how different audiences feel about you and how they will react to your business strategy. They can play a crucial role in identifying emerging issues and handling them before they become crises. And it’s much more effective to take advice and deal with potential problems early. Don’t wait until things go • • • wrong before calling on a PR professional to help to sort it out. It’s unfortunate, but true, that many businesses only really wake up to the true value of PR once a crisis is looming. Make sure you’ve got the right professional with the relevant training and experience for the job. Ask what continuous professional development they’ve done to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Ask to see evidence of their achievements. Above all, check they are members of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and have signed up to the CIPR Code of Conduct. Finally, make sure the ‘chemistry’ is right – that you feel comfortable working with this person and you are happy to trust them with confidential business information. After all, you’ll be working closely together and they’ll be managing one of your most precious business assets, your reputation. To help you find the right PR professional for the job, the CIPR offers a ‘match maker’ service. For more information about this and the CIPR visit www.cipr.co.uk • • • Tony Bradley, FCIPR, President of the CIPR Tony Bradley FCIPR is President of the CIPR and a partner in Newcastlebased Bradley O'Mahoney Public Relations. Public Relations Directory Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Regions Covered Louise French Communications 0113 242 4999 www.lfcomms.co.uk [email protected] Business to Business PR - specialists in the Property sector Based in Leeds - UK Wide Pebble Communications 01322 624535 www.pebblecommunications.co.uk [email protected] CIPR member specialising in PR for SMEs. Fixed price packages. UK ISIS Communications 01737 248 300 www.isiscomms.com [email protected] Specialists in Business to Business, Shipping & Transport Surrey - UK Wide Niland PR Ltd 01772 768706 www.nilandpr.co.uk [email protected] Successful & cost-effective PR, newsletter & copywriting service tailored to your needs & budget North West- UK Wide WSK Marketing Communications Limited 01622 840011 www.wskmarketingcommunications.com [email protected] Attention grabbing - It's what we do for all our Description clients! Regions Covered Kent/UK-wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Lea Graham Associates Ltd 01444 235475 www.leagraham.com [email protected] 20 Years of Professional PR & Marketing Services Description Regions Covered Sussex - UK Wide - International Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: The PR People 0161 976 2729 [email protected] Media campaigns, news releases, features, brochures, internal or customer magazines. Regions Covered Manchester & Cheshire - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description In-house Associates Ltd 07748 770103 www.inhouse.uk.net [email protected] Description Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Event Management & Mystery Shopping Regions Covered South West - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: LBW Communications 01295 275079 www.lbwcommunications.com [email protected] Specialists in PR/internal communications/writing Description and writing training Regions Covered Thames Valley - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Media Outcomes 0845 058 9429 www.mediaoutcomes.co.uk [email protected] Description Listening, engaging & delivering bespoke PR solutions for small businesses Regions Covered Northants/ Leices - UK - International Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Description Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Urban Telegraph Public Relations 01829 771020 www.urbantelegraphpr.com [email protected] Offering press coverage, lead generation, product/company launches, ad-hoc or fee-based. North West England, The Midlands and North Wales. Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Simply MarComms Ltd 0870 199 4044 www.simplymarcomms.co.uk [email protected] B2B PR/Marcomms – big results from small budgets! Coventry - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: AM Communications (CIPR Member) 0131 445 7334 www.amcomms.co.uk [email protected] Practical Public Relations and Communications Training Packages for SMEs. East of Scotland - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: CreAD Media Ltd 01379 870876 www.cread.co.uk [email protected] Description Creation Assembly & Delivery of Business Communications Regions Covered East Anglia- UK Wide- International The Words Workshop Ltd 01908 695500 www.thewordsworkshop.co.uk [email protected] Description Save money on advertising with a well-managed PR campaign Regions Covered Nationally RGPR 01765 640736 [email protected] Focusing on corporate & business 2 business media relations programmes. Regions Covered Yorkshire Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: David Winpenny Public Relations Ltd 01765 607641 www.winpennypr.co.uk [email protected] Description Experts in the written word for media relations Regions Covered North Yorkshire - UK Wide REDPEAR 020 7033 9990 http://www.redpear.co.uk [email protected] Description Public relations to help you achieve your commercial objectives Regions Covered UK and International Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: Howard Dobson Press & PR 01677 450518 www.howarddobson.co.uk [email protected] Press releases, distribution to key press, features, web Description editing, newsletters Regions Covered Yorkshire - UK Wide Company Name Tel: Website/ Email: 24 Cameo Communications 01442 878588 www.cameo-communications.com [email protected] Description PR for B2B and B2C SME’s. CIPR Accredited Practitioner Regions Covered Hertfordshire Cargo Cult Communications Ltd 0207 292 3610 www.cargocult-communications.co.uk [email protected] Description Cargo Cult Communications is a fashion, interiors consumer PR agency. Regions Covered London - UK Wide www.businessnetworkmagazine.com • December/January 2007 29