media update’s Aisling McCarthy unpacks the importance of choosing the right PR firm to represent your brand.

PR affects reputation management

Reputation management is at the heart of public relations – ensuring that consumers see the brand in the best possible light.

Justine Abrahams, celebrity publicist at African Star Communications, tells media update that reputation “plays a huge role [in PR]. It is based around reputation as it builds the credibility of a brand.”

On the FleishmanHillard website, reputation management is described as a fundamental part of any organisation. Despite this fact, numerous businesses tend to see it as something that is separate from their brand.

“A disconnect between brand and reputation creates a barrier to success and growth – and, in some cases, a destructive force. It’s the central issue every business must address today, as organisations can no longer afford to have brand and reputation as separate entities,” the website reads.

However, Alishia van Deventer, MD of Starburst Artist Management & Promotions, says that reputation is everything – and that includes the reputation of a PR firm you may consider hiring.
“People talk and people buy from people. You are also only as good as your last successful campaign or project. That is, unfortunately, how the entertainment business is. We protect our reputation with everything we have. A bad reputation can make clients feel ashamed to be associated with you. They will leave and they will tell people. You can kiss your business goodbye!”

Take caution when considering PR firm

It is imperative to use the right PR for your brand and image. As with any business decision, choosing a public relations firm is not something you can take lightly and without consideration.

Although there are no actual steps to determining which PR firm is the right fit for you, Abrahams suggests that the reputation of the firm is an important part of deciding which firm to go with.

“[You have to] make sure that they have your best interests at heart … Your publicist needs to be like your best friend that you are able to tell everything to. The minute either of you keep a secret, it has a negative effect on the work. So as a client, listen to your instincts, you know what works for you and what doesn’t.”

When it comes to picking the right PR for the job, Van Deventer tells media update that the most important thing to do is to research them and to identify their specific area of expertise to ensure that it matches what you are hoping to achieve.

“It is not difficult to research and also do reference checks. Phone a couple of the clients that the PR represents and obtain references. Look at the PR’s portfolio in order to determine if you will fit in. By doing this, you will already get an idea of whether the PR will be right or wrong for you.”

Once you have done your homework about some public relations firms, set up some meetings and see how the meetings go.

“You will instinctively know after a first meeting whether it is going to work or not,” says Van Deventer.

Know how to tell the right PR from the wrong one

In a blog post, Popkorn Communications says that the difference between good public relations and bad public relations lies in the PR’s ability to set the right tone for their customer.

“Good PR kick-starts brand positioning efforts and puts forth what a company stands for. PR pros say that brand image decides the entire course of action for a business.”

Added to this, Abrahams says that good PR “is proactive and projects a positive image of your company, establishing you as a force in the industry.”

Van Deventer defines a good public relations firm as one that knows what is going on in the lives and business of their clients, through establishing a good level of communication. She adds that social media is a wonderful tool to keep an eye on clients and their businesses.

“A good PR communicates the good and the bad with the client and never forces them to do something they do not want to.”

Bad public relations, on the other hand, is driven by no strategy, plan, or purpose to solve, according to Popkorn Communications, and the misconception that bad publicity is better than none at all.

Abrahams supports this, saying that bad public relations has “no plan, strategy or real purpose. It doesn’t build a credible image of a brand, and, therefore, it is a waste of both time and money.”

The wrong PR can cause a disconnect

Having the wrong PR can lead to a huge amount of damage to your brand, which can be hard to recover from.

Van Deventer says that choosing the wrong PR to represent your brand can lead to a disconnect between you and your desired target market.

“If you do not choose a PR that understands your brand and target market, you will run the risk of being marketed and promoted to the wrong crowd of people and on the wrong platforms. Your connection with the outside world is your PR. If your PR is wrong for you, your brand will not make it.”

She also asserts that the ethics of the PR you employ should match your ethics, as the media and public will associate your brand with the PR’s brand.

Abrahams seconds this, asserting that the wrong PR can often lead to unnecessary crises.

“Having the incorrect PR can be extremely damaging to your brand. Your PR team is meant to see the bigger picture and put a strategy into place on how to get you there. Having the incorrect PR could align you to the incorrect brands or people and create a lot of unnecessary crisis management that will eventually jeopardise your brand and credibility.”

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More often than not, PRs know what they are talking about – so you should trust their advice. Read more in our article, PR advice: Why you should take it