In principle, of course, every organisation should have an active PR programme. In practice, though, it’s not so straightforward. While most companies will gain from an investment in PR, there’s some circumstances where ROI is likely to be minimal. Usually, these circumstances apply only to smaller companies, but it’s not always the case. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself before making the leap.

Can we sustain ongoing activities?

It can be tempting to think that a brief burst of PR activity is better than nothing. And, yes, it can be. Much more often, though it’s a waste of money. The wheels of the B2B PR machine are powerful, but they grind quite slowly, and one-off projects can come and go without notice (except by you!). PR campaigns which maintain steady activities over a period of time are much more effective.

Are we a one-product company?

If you are, it doesn’t mean that PR can’t work for you. There’s every chance it can. But it can also mean that you – or your agency – will have to show real imagination and drive to keep the news flowing over an extended period. You need to make sure you’re working with a PR partner who can think laterally and act proactively to engage the press over the longer term.

Can we support activities other than press releases?

Press releases are an important part of any PR campaign. But, except in unusual circumstances, press releases alone are unlikely to get you the quality coverage you want. For this, you need to be able to supplement press releases with other activities – customer-led stories, opinion pieces, press briefings…to name just a few.

Are our customers press friendly?

It doesn’t matter how jaw-droppingly innovative your solutions are - if your customers won’t open up about how they use them, you might (though it’s not always the case) that you reach the end of the PR tether pretty quickly. PR campaigns which can bring pull-techniques (application-led stories) to bear are much stronger than those which can’t.

How much IP are we prepared to put into the public domain?

Many companies have Intellectual Property which they want to protect. This is perfectly reasonable. But if your business is IP-centric, you might find that PR is counter-productive. On the other hand, of course, by not talking about your IP, you’re also not telling the market that you have a differentiator! It’s a decision only you can make – but we can help you weigh the balance.

Do we have a long-term view?

There are times when PR can be, and is, effectively used in a tactical, short-term role. More often, though, it’s power is associated with strategic objectives; reputation management over the longer term. This is particularly true in the B2B environment. We’re happy to discuss one-off projects with you, and advise on the impact of any such exercise, but we’ll be even happier to talk about a campaign which extends over the medium or long term.