PUBLIC RELATIONS NUTS AND BOLTS
As I shared in my last post, public relations (PR) is one of the most powerful and under-utilized tools available to Concrete Promoters.
Defined as free communications about your company or industry, generated from your actions, PR can include articles carried by newspapers, newsletters magazines and web sites; reports on radio, TV, web logs, or podcasts; or information shared in formal or informal networks by word-of-mouth or word-of-mouse.
News about construction is especially interesting to media gatekeepers, because – based in part on the success of This Old House and other home improvement shows – the gatekeepers believe every media consumer is a “sidewalk superintendent.”
As concrete placement is often the first visually-interesting activity on a construction project, print, television, and web-based media outlets are especially open to PR advances from Concrete Promoters.
When I worked for Alby Materials, our dispatch teams kept me informed when they were supplying concrete for high profile local projects or the first home in a new subdivision. The photos I took and supplied for local media were almost always published, featured our customers (who appreciated the free publicity and rewarded us with additional work), and informed residents important work was underway in the community.
Amazingly, one of our shiny, clean, front-discharge transit-mixer trucks was always prominently showcased in the photo, with our company name clearly visible on the mixer drum.
Key to Success: Generate Real News About Your Company
Key to wielding the power of PR as a marketing weapon for your company is tapping into your creativity and imagination to generate real news about your company. This puts off many Concrete Promoters, with claims they aren’t creative. But their technical wizardry, problem-solving skills, and (for contractors) craftsmanship spotlight their imagination and belie their claims.
Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of Guerrilla Marketing, in his book, Guerrilla Publicity, maintains there are ten ways to generate real news:
- Tie into the news of the day – with potholes a major problem in the 53172 delivery area, savvy concrete promoters can use this timely problem to extol the virtues of concrete pavements.
- Stage an event or seminar – Our Alby Materials customer seminars were well publicized by the media, in part because media gatekeepers liked the way we packaged the seminars (“Alby University,” “Concrete for Breakfast,” "Humaneering," etc.).
- Release Useful Information – When work was ready to begin on major community projects in Waterford, Alby Materials would let the local media know when truck traffic would be heaviest, and provide safety tips for drivers and spectators.
- Give an award or scholarship – The Ron Alby Memorial Scholarship always received solid coverage in Northwestern Racine County media.
- Offer business predictions – Because Alby Materials nurtured good relationships with Southeastern Wisconsin media, our senior management team was often interviewed in late December regarding construction prospects in the New Year.
- Celebrate your business anniversary – When Alby Materials opened the gates of its operations to the general public for its 25th Anniversary, the press celebrated, too, with great human interest stories about the company, ready-mixed concrete, and the world of career opportunities in construction. The picture of the Lake Geneva trolley on the north berm of our operation was most memorable, as were the numerous interactive events. The 25th anniversary was the inspiration for Kids’ Day, an annual, interactive community celebration and construction adventure, which John Hilbrink and other Alby Materials employees planned and executed with passion and inspired attention to detail.
- Do something incredible – In the 1970s, Terry Alby created the world’s strongest concrete, and, with the help of PR, established and maintained for decades a company reputation for innovation and technical excellence.
- Volunteer to serve on a committee – Alby Materials generously shared its technical, leadership, and communication expertise with industry and community organizations, and generously benefited from the free publicity.
- Give something away – Alby Materials often donated materials for local community projects … or gave away materials at trade shows … and reaped positive publicity from these donations and give-aways.
- Make a speech – I often garnered strong publicity for Alby Materials by sharing my presentation activities with local media.
On Balance
Public Relations is a useful marketing tool for any well-planned marketing effort. With a little creativity and imagination, it is easy to generate real news about your company or organization.
PR is the power tool in your marketing toolbox. As Jay Conrad Levinson maintains, “A marketing plan excluding public relations from its marketing mix is not going all out.”
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Next Week: Sharing Your Stories with the Media