PR DILEMMA
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28)
If your PR needs require large-scale support, hiring a reputable PR firm instead of a one-person freelance consultant
may be best for you. “When looking to hire a PR firm, it is
important to find one [with] experience and expertise in the
industry or ancillary industries in which you work. At least five
years of experience is recommended as PR is all about relationships and building a track record. Then identify which category
within the industry would be the ‘right match’ for your business. Location and or locations may play an important role for
a large international business. In all cases, we have found that
even the best PR firms need the guidance of spa experts to do
their job efficiently,” Glover says.
Because hiring a PR firm requires a substantial financial
investment, Matheson suggests honestly looking at your
budget. “Whether your company is small, medium or large, PR
is an investment and the real measurement is in sales,” she
“Publicity is like ‘the Good
Housekeeping’ sign of approval
from a trusted source.”
—Kimberley Matheson, president of Natural Resources Spa Consulting Inc.
Questions
to Ask PR
Consultants
Before
Signing the
Dotted Line
says. She recommends partnership with vendors for support.
Some firms, she says, may also be willing to sign a tiered
payment agreement and start with a lower fee, escalating as
your business grows. “Consider [partnering] with a small PR
company that is willing to give your project that extra time. If
you’re not in a position to launch a full-blown national campaign, it may be in your best interest to stay in your own
backyard doing a regional campaign, doing four press releases
per year rather than monthly,” she says.
In the end, whether you choose to hire in-house or partner
with a large PR firm, what is important is to realize that public
relations does not happen overnight which is why Glover suggests setting up benchmarks or ways to evaluate performance
and track the results to ensure that the PR measures taken are
directly affecting your business in a positive way. “After a short
time, you can quantify these results to determine if the measures taken are worthwhile,” she says.
Most important though is to realize the crucial role of PR to
your spa or business. With customers turning more and more
to TripAdvisor, Yelp, and other consumer review websites, it’s
critical that you or someone in your PR team keeps an eye on
these comments and resolve immediately any less than ideal
reviews that may affect the brand. “Publicity is like the ‘Good
Housekeeping’ sign of approval from a trusted source,”
Matheson ends. ■
• Who are your media contacts and how extensive is
the contact list?
• In which media markets are your contacts located?
• Do you have press releases, PR kits and other
sample works from previous clients?
• Do you have client references?
• Are you familiar with online media?
• What web strategies and tools have you used?
• Do you have existing clients that may be a direct
competitor and possibly cause conflict of interest?
• What is your typical creative process when putting
together a PR pitch or campaign?
• What is your usual lead time when producing a
press release or PR plan?
30 PULSE
■
March/April 2012