6 reasons for adding a PR company to the mix
It can be tough to know when the time is right for bringing a PR company into your team’s stable of trusted partners. For organizations that navigate complex regulatory landscapes and have an ongoing need to foster community support, like the utility or clean energy infrastructure and land development sectors, public relations is pivotal. It drives strategic, empathetic engagement to transform public perception, remove barriers and drive project success. In other situations, the role and need for PR may not be so obvious to the outsider. So, below is an iceberg tip of scenarios and needs where PR best practices can guide companies in building robust, trustworthy communications for project and organizational success.
1. Establish a Strong Brand Identity
Your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room, and a well-defined one distinguishes a company from competitors and attracts stakeholders through positive associations. Developing a strong brand involves:
- Clear Mission Statement: Articulates your day-to-day commitment to your industry positioning as, for example, the market leader, price leader, quality leader or innovation leader.
- Consistent Messaging: Ensures uniformity across all communication platforms, including websites, social media, and press releases.
- Educational Content: Provides professional and informative materials that inform stakeholders—from your own employees to your customers and more—about your services and impact.
A PR company can assess your existing materials and research gaps and alignment, refresh your brand or develop strategies for bringing your brand to life for all stakeholders.
Example: The H.G. Fenton Company, a century-old real estate developer in San Diego, partnered with (W)right On to maintain and build relationships with tenants, employees, and communities. By reinforcing its brand identity through consistent and transparent communications, the company sustained its reputation as a trusted community builder and well positioned for their next century of success.
2. Leverage Thought Leadership
Positioning your company as an industry authority builds credibility and trust. Strategies include:
- Publishing Insightful Content: Share blog posts, white papers, and case studies that offer valuable perspectives.
- Industry Engagement: Participate in webinars and conferences to showcase expertise.
- Expert Commentary: Contribute to industry publications and media outlets.
Sharing your expertise in a manner that engages your target audience and working with partners to amplify the reach of your content is a core expertise for a contemporary PR company.
Example: Zenobē had grown its electric fleet, network infrastructure and second-life battery solutions in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and was ready to grow its business in North America. With thought leadership being a key program element, (W)right On was engaged to provide PR for electric fleet solutions and battery storage projects to build Zenobē’s U.S. reputation and support deal flow in the Americas.
3. Maintain Clear and Transparent Communication
Transparency is crucial, especially concerning regulatory issues and projects affecting local communities. Best practices include:
- Timely Updates: Keep stakeholders informed about project milestones and challenges.
- Accessible Language: Use clear language that resonates with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Dedicated Channels: Develop FAQs and ensure there are communication platforms for outward information as well as to listen and respond to your audiences where and when they are.
A PR company keeps a finger on the pulse of your industry and major developments while distilling information into materials that stakeholders of all backgrounds can digest.
Example: When land development threatened Oceanside’s agricultural heritage, city tourism leaders enlisted (W)right On to demonstrate the value of agritourism. Through a strategically integrated program of transparent communication and community engagement, we garnered support from residents, visitors and singer-songwriter Jason Mraz.
4. Engage Stakeholders Early and Often
As my agency colleague noted, proactive engagement with stakeholders, including government agencies, investors, and communities, is essential. Strategies involve:
- Early Identification: Recognize key stakeholders and their concerns during the planning phase. This is essential for building supportive constituencies and anticipating issues needing mitigation.
- Open and Targeted Dialogue: Facilitate public forums, surveys and advisory panels and address the unique needs of each group.
- Community Partnerships: Collaborate with local organizations on causes relevant to key community groups.
Example: The E3 Cluster in Encinitas, a group of local nonprofits, needed community support for its traffic calming plan. We facilitated outreach resulting in open dialogues and developed targeted messaging, winning support from residents and city leaders alike.
5. Embrace Digital Marketing and Social Media
A robust online presence enhances visibility and engagement. Effective digital strategies include:
- Optimized Website: Create a user-friendly and SEO optimized site with comprehensive project details.
- Social Media Campaigns: Highlight milestones, sustainability initiatives and community involvement on platforms where your audiences are. Be sure that you’ve earmarked supporting funds for content boosting that’s essential for visibility.
- Email Marketing: Keep stakeholders informed and engaged through regular updates.
PR agencies today focus on stakeholder relationships as well as search and social media algorithms to ensure content is found and engages the right audiences.
Example: For South 8, our team refreshed its brand and website, managed its social media, secured award and speaking opportunities, handled media outreach and launched it all at a major industry trade show.
6. Foster Strong Media and Government Relations
Building and maintaining relationships as appropriate with local, regional and national media and government officials is essential. Media will amplify solid messages and help you keep abreast of the tone and content of conversations. Concurrently, effective government relations are essential to understanding obstacles and developing strategies to overcome them, from both the elected and bureaucratic aspects of government. Collectively these can lead to:
- Positive Media Coverage: Enhance public perception through favorable media stories. For example, as recently covered by national media about 80 percent of the investments tied to the Inflation Reduction Act have gone to Republican congressional districts that are fueling a push to retain this funding.
- Political and Regulatory Support: Smoother approval processes by elected officials who have different agendas than the bureaucracies they steward and that have lower risk tolerance.
- Brand Credibility: Aligning the media, elected officials and bureaucrats is a strong optic significantly increasing the chance of programmatic success.
A PR company often brings media and elected official relationships to the table and, if they don’t already have them, they know how to build them and ensure that your story is communicated to these influential audiences.
Example: Tri-City Medical Center is a public healthcare district overseen by an elected board. (W)right On helped its C-suite foster close relationships with city councils in Vista, Oceanside and Carlsbad and attracted media coverage that demonstrated the importance of its role providing quality healthcare close to home.
A PR Company Makes Sure Your Story is Told Where it Matters
Any land developer will tell you that bringing a project from concept to fruition is no easy feat. Just ask 1HWY1, the group that’s behind the $3.8 billion redevelopment of San Diego’s Seaport Village now in its second decade of development without a shovel in the ground. Effective marketing communication in the development sector requires a multifaceted approach that blends transparency, creative thinking and savvy stakeholder engagement.
Given that stakeholders’ perceptions matter as much as the developer’s technical capabilities, strategic marketing communications can be the key to organizational success. If it’s not a core expertise of the development team, then it’s time to add a savvy PR company to enhance reputations, secure stakeholder trust and drive long-term success. Like a quart of oil being essential to a smooth-running engine, strategically integrated communications will be among the least cost and greatest ROI available for project success.
Author Grant Wright is CEO at (W)right On Communications. Not sure it’s time to call on a PR company for help? Let’s have a conversation at (858) 886-7900 or info@wrightoncomm.com.
Grant Wright
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