PR provides a platform to build brand credibility whereas advertising can build brand awareness. Third party endorsements, one of the favoured ways to create credibility, used to be the sole domain of the PR Department, but then the ad guys thought they'd do the same. You see these ads with testimonials all the time now, but you can't get away from the fact that the company paid for the ad to be there. With PR, the endorsement is run by the media source who has checked (we hope!) the statements and publishes at their expense because they think it is a good story. So on the credibility stakes, PR wins hands down.

PR is also ahead when it comes to free editorials. Of course, the story has to be newsworthy for it to make it but when you consider the cost of a full page advert for the same space, you can see the benefits. Quite a number of publications now offer advertisers free editorial for running an ad and DON'T put advertorial on top of their editorial, which is a bit deceptive. I believe this will eventually diminish the respect their readers have for the magazine, as the editorials become just like a page from the company brochure without any news content at all.

Advertising provides control: you get what you want and what you've paid for. This is crucial if you have an event and want to promote it ahead of time. Advertising is guaranteed and if done correctly will generate leads or members or visitors or whatever you want to attract. PR can be provide some degree of control: for example, if you have a magazine or newspaper sponsor an award or event, they guarantee to cover it before, during and after.

Advertising can be expensive whereas a PR program is usually much less. However, advertising does allow a company to get really creative in its approach, whereas PR relies to a major extent on the medium it is using to communicate its messages. And of course advertising can continually promote brand imaging, whereas this is much harder with PR. But that's where creative PR photography can be employed.

I've only just touched the surface on this and would welcome any comments you have.
 

Walking the talk is not always achieved so it pays to do the research. Check with customers on their experience with the said person or company, preferably speaking to them, not just via an email.

As a Public Relations Practitioner in a competitive environment I am always happy to provide referrals to prospective customers. Hearing first hand from a third party about our PR services and successful campaigns always carries more weight than me spruiking about our own services.

It doesn't matter what industry or business you operate in, walking the talk will always generate more interest and customers.

An example of someone who does walk the talk is Steve Davidson, a bird watching tour guide who runs The Melbourne Birder. If you are going to pay someone to see specific birds then you want to know they have the expertise to help you achieve this.

I'm pleased to say that Steve achieves this. And what happens when someone does walk the talk is that they receive recommendations. And that's what I'm doing here. If you want to go on a bird watching trip to see lots of birds or just some specific ones you haven't seen before, I suggest you check out www.themelbournebirder.com
 

Having a website requires an ongoing responsibility to maintain it. For most companies it is their most powerful marketing tool, so it seems logical that it should be the best it can be.

Let's assume it is easy to navigate and you keep track of the number of visitors to each page, how long they stay, where they go after landing on the site, etc.

Providing browsers (customers!) with the information they are seeking is pretty simple and you'll find it all within your organisation. It is just a question of having someone who can pull it all together and present it professionally. This is a role easily handled by the company's PR Officer or external PR consultant.

Firstly, provide facts: on your products and services. Any upgrades or variations should be communicated as they are released.

Where possible include photos, particularly in-situ photos that show off the product in its ideal environment – be that industrial, commercial or residential.

Provide a blog. This could include entries from more than one person in the company and invite comments.

Include white papers and other technical data sheets that add value to your offering.

Provide a photo and short bio of the managers.

Have a news section where you can place the latest media releases and photos that can be downloaded by the media as required. You should also include published articles on this page.

FAQs are still ranked highly in terms of page visits, so consider adding a Q&A page of the most frequently asked questions.

Product pricing is important even if you don't have an online shopping basket. Include the RRP if you can and include a link to the seller's website.

Videos are the latest must-have, not just for Google rankings, but because visitors to sites want to see how a product operates, what new information they can learn, what the plant/factory looks like, etc.

If appropriate, provide a page of links: include distributors, dealers, retailers, industry associations, affiliates, etc. This type of page needs to be checked regularly as links can be broken for many reasons.

For the contacts page, make sure there is at least one email address for enquiries. Needless to say this should be checked at least twice a day and the enquiry methodically processed. An automatic response email is a good idea saying the enquiry has been received and a response will be forthcoming within a certain time period.

PR Tip 1: consider international users when presenting information, especially currently and dates. Write out the month so there is no confusion: 8/7 means August 7 in the US but 8 July to Australians and Europeans.

PR Tip 2: make it easy to print anything at your site including press releases, blogs, bios and product information.
 

Believe me, there is considerable effort in publishing a professional newsletter that is interesting, attractive, error-free, is actually read, and works on all levels.

While e-newsletters are more typical these days, there is still a place for hard copy newsletters.

As part of the planning process, some important questions that you need answers to are:
 

1. Do you have a database of customers, prospects and other stakeholders or can you create one?
2. Could you buy an opt-in mailing list to add to this list?
3. Do you have someone to manage its production?
4. Can you source enough new information – and photos – for every issue?
5. How often do you want it come out?
6. Have you got a budget for it?
7. Is the web infrastructure in place to allow for feedback?
8. What statistics are required to check its success and is management supporting it?

If all these answers were positive and the reward for a successful newsletter will be beneficial, then you are probably ready to make further investigations.

Other aspects to be part of the planning process include:

* A name of the newsletter.
* A template that complements corporate graphics.
* Someone to research and write articles and edit others.
* Is this person good at catchy subject lines and keyword placement for SEO.
* Sourcing a photo, graph or illustration to go with each story.
* Appointing someone responsible for its production and meeting deadlines.
* Who will do the graphic design/web uploads/hosting?
* What web analytics software will you use?
* Who will be responsible for list hygiene?

I realise there are a lot of questions to be answered, but producing a monthly newsletter is not easy unless you have a reasonable budget and staff with time on their hands. If this isn't the case you could consider a bi-monthly or quarterly newsletter, which still requires staff time and a financial commitment.

Having hard copy newsletters are great for handing out to customers and prospects, suppliers, new staff, attendees at workshops or seminars, the media and any other stakeholders.

There is a lot more that has to be covered before a newsletter can get off the ground, but these are the basics that need to be addressed first.

Extra Tip
Wondering what stories could be included in the newsletter? Here are some ideas:
* new products
* product enhancements/upgrades
* interesting end user applications
* special offers
* exhibitions & trade show participation
* new orders/contracts
* profiles of relevant people/companies
* videos
* export successes
* new applications
* tips
* survey results
 

Complete Insite Solutions will partner with Fusion Broadband to supply bonded broadband in regional NSW.

Fusion Broadband has appointed Complete Insite Solutions to provide and support Fusion Broadband's unique broadband bonding technology in regional New South Wales.

Fusion Broadband's bonding solution allows businesses to bond several standard broadband connections to achieve a single, faster, more resilient and stable virtual broadband connection. It is also considerably more cost effective than the alternatives.

Complete Insite Solutions specialises in providing IT, communication and cabling services in western regional New South Wales.

"Fusion Broadband's solution has been implemented in a number of customer sites and everyone has been delighted with the result," John Oomen, general manager of Complete Insite Solutions said.  Read more in the full media release.

Download the full media release in Word Document (296 Kb)

HR plays an important role in maximising the return on investment in employees. This involves recruitment, training and development, industrial relations, workforce management, record keeping and change management, amongst other functions.

Public relations also has a distinct role in employee communication while there is also some coming together of HR and PR functions on specific issues, such as industrial relations. One of the key reasons for using PR in employee communication is to foster good management/employee relations.

Knowing that one-way communication is of little or no value at all (ie management to employees) it is important to have mechanisms in place that allows the free and flowing transfer of information between all parties, particularly from the bottom up.

If you think that setting aside an hour each week where senior management and employees sit around a table eating company-bought sandwiches and talking about work issues, think again. This probably won't cut the mustard these days. Staff aren't going to raise an issue with the thought of being singled out as a troublemaker.

As employees are the people who usually have good ideas about how things can be run better, perhaps it is better to have off-site facilitated workshops on a team-by-team basis, without senior managers present. This is more likely to highlight problems in the workplace and provide suggestions on how they can be resolved.

In our arsenal of tools, PR practitioners can be instrumental in conducting attitude surveys, producing newsletters (electronic and hard copies), maintaining intranets/private websites, running employee competitions, producing videos (by the CEO giving a company update, for example), implementing staff recognition and reward programs, and using the web and social media to establish and maintain a sharing of information and two-way dialogue.

Also, if your organisation hasn't done a communication audit, plan for one to be done – both formal and informal. Management need to know what is working well, what isn't and what could work better.

Employee communication is just one of the many roles undertaken by the PR professional. Check the website at http://www.wmcpr.com.au/services for the other functions we can provide.

Senior educator in RMIT’s School of Engineering (TAFE), Bruce Kendall, said Industrial Ethernet was a rapidly evolving technology for networking and communication.

“It’s vital to a range of industries, including oil and gas, metals and mining, water, food, road, rail and air transportation, power, manufacturing, and building automation,” Mr Kendall said.

Download the full media release in PDF format (50Kb)

Download the photo in JPEG format (219Kb)

Whether you want information from existing customers, potential customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, community groups or other stakeholders, surveys are an excellent tool to gauge statistics and opinions.
 

The information gained can not only be used to help your own organisation plan for the future, but also used to create media announcements to help promote your business.

Would you like to know the answers to these questions?

Q: Do your customers know exactly what your organisation does?

Note: You may be surprised to know that some customers know you for one thing only and have no idea that you offer other products/services.

Q: Are your customers satisfied with the products and services you deliver?

Note: If customers are not returning, perhaps there is a specific reason that you can address easily and quickly.

Q: How well is your brand known in the marketplace?

Note: If 1000 people were given the names of five similar products, where would your brand be ranked?

Q: What do your employees like and don't like about working for your company?

Note: Unless you know, you can't do anything about it. Being an employer of choice means you attract good staff and having good staff gives you a competitive advantage.

Q: What do you know about your customer or potential customer?

Note: If you provide product service and support, it would be beneficial to know the average age of equipment in use in the industry.

Other standard surveys include exit or post conference surveys, course evaluation surveys and "made up" surveys.

What is "made up" I hear you ask? The results of these surveys appear regularly in the daily press and online media. It's where a company has commissioned a large survey on a subject that is relevant to their business and published the findings.

Here's a simple example, ABC Recruitment conducts research (through a reputable organisation) to ascertain the percentage of employees who are happy in their job. The figure could possibly be quite low, which would have implications for the broader business community to lift their game and provide a better workplace and more suitable job positions. It could even be linked to increased depression in the community if an independent authority provided added analysis. Result: ABC Recruitment gains considerable coverage, linked to a survey that it created to achieve this desired objective.

Look forward to your comments on surveys and general public relations in general.
 

• Six new project management products have been launched that achieve a new standard in project delivery. The products help Protegic deliver its services in a more beneficial and efficient way.
Word doc 50KB

• Protegic's Melbourne office has moved into new larger premises at 480 Bourke Street, Melbourne. The new space is compatible with the company's ambitious growth plans over the coming years.
Word doc 50KB

• Janiene Ayre has been appointed Product Development and Marketing Manager at strategic project management company, Protegic. Her previous experience includes partner with MLJ Consulting Group and ten years in local government.
Word doc 48KB

It is important before a PR program starts that the senior staff involved or responsible for the PR program give their expectations of the PR outcomes. This will assist in determining the evaluation methodology to be employed in generating a "return on expectation".

Assessing the value of something can be a subjective measure, which relates to personal measures of expectation, worth and importance. However, a return on investment is a quantitative financial measure that relates expenditure with business results. Of course, research is essential to prove both value and determine the ROI.

In order to evaluate the success of a PR Program, various criteria can be applied and research undertaken. I have listed below some of the more common measurement tools.

It is important before a PR program starts that the senior staff involved or responsible for the PR program give their expectations of the PR outcomes. This will assist in determining the evaluation methodology to be employed in generating a "return on expectation".

Assessing the value of something can be a subjective measure, which relates to personal measures of expectation, worth and importance. However, a return on investment is a quantitative financial measure that relates expenditure with business results. Of course, research is essential to prove both value and determine the ROI.

The following measures of PR performance can be used:
·    Quality completion of projects
·    Number of media contacts made during the month
·    Column inches of coverage received
·    Quantity of independent authoring & commentary
·    Comparison cost of coverage vs advertising
·    Potential readership audience
·    Media demographic audit (detailed analysis)
·    Quality of written material
·    Adherence to budget
·    Media content analysis (analyse tone and nature of media coverage, eg. positive, negative, neutral)
·    Message tracking
·    Timely reports
·    Awareness surveys (before and after – there is usually a minimum of 12 months to evaluate awareness and effect on an audience)

One should note that most of these measurement activities do require a dollar investment. It is best to decide on which methods will be used when the PR Program is being developed.