Effective PUBLIC RELATIONS Strategies

Selecting the right public relations (PR) firm for a specific venture is probably one of the most difficult of the many initiatives PLI takes for its clients.

As PLI stresses to all its clients, particularly those from countries other than the U.S., PR is much more that mere advertising, promotion, merchandising, or direct marketing. Also, for the best PR coverage or attention, a well designed and well organized website is a must.

PLI educates all of its clients about how a PR firm should be selected and at what stage it should be brought in. As the PR profession has matured, agencies have become more specialized, which only adds to the difficulty for companies unfamiliar with the science of the industry. Over time, PLI has worked with many PR firms for different clients with varied challenges, and retains a number of PR firms to meet the ever-changing needs of its clients.

PLI utilizes PR as a cost-efficient and credible means to "get the message out there." But nothing lends itself to great PR better than having an "issue" to talk about. So the PLI team members work hard to identify and exploit issues that have bearing on existing client needs. Getting a share of voice in today's media playing field can be expensive, but when a good PR initiative gets the attention of the media, it's probably because there's an "issue" at hand.and not just another product mention.

Once that first press release gets well-placed, the next challenge is to manage the success and responses from the newly generated publicity. With this in mind, the PLI team is always on the lookout for great PR firms that recognize the value of capitalizing on strategic alliances, creating channel partners and co-promotions. If you are connected with or in contact with a great PR firm, feel free to call us or have the firm contact PLI. We are most receptive to adding additional company profiles to our existing bank of talent.