INTEGRATED MARKETING NEEDS TO INCLUDE PR BEFORE A CRISIS HAPPENS

Public relations as a communications discipline is changing – for the better.  Like other marketing and communications techniques, PR can no longer function in a vacuum or as a silo, isolated from other channels.  To maximize the power of PR, and be able to measure its outcomes, you must use it within the entire ecosystem of marketing + communications + technology.

Today’s modern approach to PR is integrated – it speaks with the same voice as all other marketing and communications – and is unified, which means it functions best within a system in which every channel plays its part in moving an audience along a path from awareness to conversion to advocacy.

And, of course, today’s PR is driven by technology.  See, for example, the story of Amy’s Baking Company of Scottsdale, AZ. After a less than flattering appearance on Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsey, the owners of Amy’s went to Facebook to attempt some brand reputation management. 

We won’t rehash the entire debacle, but it’s not hard to find the evidence of the lack of crisis communication planning, reputation management strategy, public relations strategy or even common sense of how to utilize social channels to drive business objectives. Needless to say, Amy’s reached out to a PR agency FAR too late in the game. That’s the biggest lesson to take away from the story. When you’re involved in communicating with a customer, whether it be through marketing initiatives, social media or face to face, you need to “plan your work and work your plan.”

Integrated, unified and digitally-driven may be buzzwords within the industry, but they’re nothing new at Gage.  For more than 20 years, Gage has taken a multi-channel approach to driving audience behaviors.  PR plays a vital part in this strategic mix of paid, earned, owned and shared content, all of which Gage can deliver.

Give us a call today, and let our PR team help you unify your marketing, communications, and public relations strategies.