Public relations defines how a company communicates with people — customers, partners, journalists, philanthropists, politicians, and the general public. All businesses need public relations, regardless of their size or industry.

Why? Because, nowadays, customers want to trust the brands they do business with — and nothing builds and fosters trust like public relations.

Public relations and marketing are similar in their actions and tactics, but their goals are quite different. The main goal of PR is to boost the reputation of your brand. On the other hand, the main goal of marketing is to drive sales.

PR is an ongoing, iterative strategy — not a one-off task. (In fact, the best PR involves multiple tasks, tactics, and strategies.) Just like marketing, it can take a while to see results.

But with a solid strategy and a commitment to spreading the word about your company, you’ll soon see more mentions, backlinks, and general buzz. And that’s a great way to build a memorable brand.

With a host of journalists, writers, press advisors and PR professionals working with us, we have the means and tools to support your Public Relation strategy today

Unfortunately, getting a news outlet to cover your brand requires much more than simply sending out a few generic emails to the newspaper or digital publisher of your choice. Journalists receive dozens (if not hundreds) of pitches every day from small businesses and brands asking for coverage. How, then, can your brand stand out from the crowd in order to successfully obtain positive media coverage?

While a full-length feature on The Guardian website or on the front page of the Daily Telegraph would certainly be nice, most brands know that starting with smaller press contacts is much more likely for success. For low carb food brands that plan on marketing regionally, your local newspaper, radio or TV station would be a great place to start. Selling your “brand story” will give that news outlet a unique angle that will allow them to feature your business from a newsworthy perspective, and not just as a marketing ploy.

Getting quality news coverage for your brand will take a little bit of research and investigation on your part. While some brands might get lucky and receive a response after simply filling out a few pitch submission forms from large media outlets, a better strategy would be to target individual journalists who have shown a tendency and inclination to covering topics in your niche.

If no specific journalists come to mind, a simple Google search for sites related to your product or brand niche will help you find websites, blogs, journalists and influencers that will be most likely be more open to receiving a pitch.  

One of the best ways to waste your time is to send out a generic email to hundreds of different media outlets. Even if you try to personalise the introduction, journalists and media outlets know how to spot a generic email and will most likely simply ignore you.

Take the time to craft a custom email for each journalist or media channel that you decide to contact. Do your research on their previously published content, and explain why your product or brand might fit with the values and priorities that they want to cover.

If you’re wanting media coverage to coincide with a product launch, offer a free product sample and any relevant information about what makes your product stand apart from the competition. Of course, include your phone number for them to contact you to follow up if they are interested in pursuing a story.

Securing positive press coverage isn’t easy and requires a bit of work and effort.  However, a diversified media profile for your brand is a great way to build trust and brand authority without breaking the bank on advertising budgets.

 12 NOV ACADEMIA GROUP CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH QPR FOOTBALL CLUB

Posted at 16:28h in News by Brad Chuck

The Academia Group is delighted to announce it has agreed on a new partnership with Queens Park Rangers Football Club.

By continuing as the Official Technology Partner for the EFL Championship club based in West London, Academia and its connected Group Partners are proud to support QPR in their drive to get back into the premier league.

As the Technology partner, Academia will be providing the Loftus Road Stadium with some of the best in hardware and software solutions from our partners at Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Zioxi, whilst working closely with the QPR in the Community programme to help educate and innovate about the latest trends in Technology.

As part of our sponsorship, The Academia Group will be actively working with the social media, match day hospitality and QPR analysis, academy and media teams on a regular basis. The partnership will also see the rebrand and relaunch of the learning centre at the QPR ground that will offer local schools the opportunity to experience classroom of the future technology on specialist event days.

Academia shall also be running a number of competitions and technology giveaways to the QPR fan base and will be on call to answer any lingering questions about the use of Technology in sport, as our partnership will help us connect with the fantastic fans of the family-friendly football club.

 https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/qpr-and-academia-extend-partnership/