PR Ain’t No Charity Gig

 
This is a guest post from Marc Lawn, Chairman of Camp Quality UK & The Business GP. If you would like to write for the Bright One blog, simply email blog@brightone.org.uk.

Running a charity, using the funds efficiently & effectively is clearly the aim of any business in the 3rd sector. Yes I did say business! Okay so it is contentious in the eyes of some to call it a business but the reality it is.  Third sector organisations are businesses where the profits are reinvested for the benefit of certain causes or groups. It forms part of a different blog topic really but the quicker we all embrace that the better it will be for our service users.

Running a business brings with it some key challenges. One of those is about marketing it effectively for the benefit of all concerned. The objective of marketing in the purest sense is about making the ‘product’ front of mind for people.

Many see PR as cheap advertising. This is a fatal mistake. Clearly an element of it is about having a clear set of messages that you would like to get across to the readers, viewers or listeners BUT the most critical thing that makes a successful PR campaign is preparation, and that preparation focuses on three key components:

1. The message(s) you wish to communicate
2. The flexibility and confidence to have an opinion on matters affecting your specific ‘subject area’
3. A clear brief, and an open partnership with your PR company

When choosing any media, a marketing professional will say three words to you – Message, Audience, Media. The same level of clarity applies to your PR campaign. Understanding who you are trying to target with what message will ensure that you choose the right ‘avenues’ to send the message out. Ironically, the press warm more to organisations who are prepared to have a strong opinion and conviction in that cause so make sure you are comfortable with that.

The final critical element in any campaign is the choice of agency to work with. Most importantly is the fact that you must realise and prepared to be led by them and you must feel 100% trust for their judgement. With a very clear brief and a clear sense of trust you will seize the opportunities that come your way. You have to remember that this is a dynamic and potentially lightning fast market. A nominated contact who is prepared to be available whenever & critically backed up with media training is an invaluable asset for the business, and they will perform their internal duties with renewed confidence.

PR is a great source of awareness building, just understand you cannot control it, but with the right preparation and the right partner you certainly can ride the crest of a wave in perfect harmony.