Maximising your PR for free

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Maximising your PR for free
Presentation first given at theWinning Business
2006 ExhibitionSandown Park13 June 2006
Jonathan SteffenManaging DirectorThe Corporate
Story Ltd.
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What does PR mean for you?

• Public relations is about creating understanding
  through knowledge it is also about effecting
  change.
• Frank Jefkins, Planned Press and Public
  Relations, Blackie Academic Professional 1977,
  reprinted 1986, 1993
• Put more simply, public relations is about
  connecting with your audiences via your story

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Making your story work for you

• Three key premises
• Your business is of value to someone else
• You therefore have an interesting story
• The way you tell you story will help people
  understand how you can help them

WHAT MADE YOUR COMPANY WHAT IT IS TODAY?
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Who are your audiences?
SELECT KEY AUDIENCES
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Tailoring story to audience
Example top 5 audiences
ANALYSE TOP 5 AUDIENCES
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Using your story to effect change
PLAN EACH SHIFT IN PERCEPTION
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The story of your company
Roof Your over-arching strategy
Windows Your objectives
Location Position in market
Driveway How customers get to you
Garden Your appeal
BRAINSTORM THE HOUSE OF YOUR COMPANY WHAT
DOES IT SAY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
Foundations Your principles
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Finding an angle

• Why was your company founded?
• What has been its greatest achievement to date?
• What is a successful day for you?
• If you could start again from scratch with the
  same company/product, what would you do
  differently, and why?
• If you wanted people to understand just one
  thing about your company, what would it be?

THINK OF MORE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ASK ABOUT YOUR COMPANY IF YOU WERE A JOURNALIST
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PR checklist - Strategic
REVIEW REVISE REGULARLY
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PR checklist Operational
PREPARE KEEP UPDATED USE FOR PRESS
RELEASES, BROCHURES, WEBSITE ETC.
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The 30/3/30 approach

• The medium is no longer the message
• Develop a story that will work in all contexts
• 30-second pitch
• 3-minute explanation
• 30-minute presentation

DEVELOP FOR THE TYPICAL SITUATIONS IN WHICH YOU
ENCOUNTER YOUR AUDIENCES
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Summary

• You have a story
• You have audiences that are interested in that
  story
• If you shape your story properly, it will work
  for you across all contexts

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Questions ?
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About Jonathan Steffen

• Jonathan Steffen is Managing Director of The
  Corporate Story Ltd. He has specialised in
  corporate communications for twenty years.
• A graduate of Kings College, Cambridge, Jonathan
  holds an honours degree in English language and
  literature. Since graduating, he has combined his
  interest in writing with his interest in
  business.
• Before establishing The Corporate Story,
  Jonathan held directorships at several major PR
  agencies. He has worked in-house in corporate
  communications (at Hoechst AG) and also lectured
  in communication studies (at Heidelberg
  University).
• Jonathan has advised companies as diverse as
  Royal DSM NV, Norwich Union Life, Rentokil
  Initial PLC, Shell European Oil Products, Shell
  Solar, Johnson Johnson, Canada Life, Cargill,
  Inc., Air Products, Inc., Citigroup, Novartis,
  BASF, GlaxoSmithKline, EUROFORUM GmbH, Energizer,
  Yahoo!, SAP AG, Henkel Teroson GmbH, Messe
  Frankfurt GmbH, Carl Freudenberg and Cargolux
  Airlines S.A.
• Jonathan frequently publishes and speaks on the
  subject of change in the workplace. His writing
  has appeared in Business Age, Strategic
  Communication Management, Journal of
  Communication Management, Knowledge Management
  Review and Journal of Change Management, among
  other titles.

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Contact details
The Corporate Story Ltd. Larchmont Office Wych
Hill Rise Woking Surrey GU22 0ES United Kingdom
Tel. [phone] Fax [phone]
755176 Email info_at_corporatestory.co.uk Website
www.corporatestory.co.uk