With the New Year upon us it is a good time to sit down and take stock of your business and set some goals and resolutions for 2009. How will you communicate with your current and potential customers? What areas of marketing should you be focusing on to get the best return on investment?
Despite the forecast of economic doom and gloom I have observed that the PR industry has taken a slight hit but nothing too drastic. Brand Managers are realising that PR is an essential part of the marketing mix in order to gain the attention of their consumers in a very noisy and crowded market. The clever ones know that an economic downturn is the perfect time to continue or accelerate their PR activity. While the competition is tightening the purse strings and staying silent, a forward thinking brand manager has the chance to communicate to the media and public. Studies consistently show that companies that continue or boost their PR and marketing efforts during economic downturns outperform their competitors who cut their marketing spend during this time.
As you think about your own business and strategise creative ideas that will put your business in the spotlight I thought it would be an opportune time to focus on some memorable PR campaigns that were really successful.
A campaign that really sticks in my mind is the opening of the Apple Store in Sydney in June 08. The pre-opening queue wound around three city blocks and was made up of more than 3000 people. Half an hour before the opening the crowd practiced their cheers with Apple retail senior-vice president Ron Johnson. The crowd were handed commemorative T-shirts as the doors opened. This store opening received a great deal of media attention that was not paid for – a great example of brilliant PR!
Another good example is the stunt that Havaianas created and carry out on Australia Day. They are inviting water loving Australians to head off-shore to form the longest line of thong-shaped airbeds in Australia. The main stunt will be situated at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach however the challenge is also taking place in St Kilda, Noosa, Fremantle and Glenelg. It will be sure to capture some wonderful airwaves as they make a scenic splash on the beach.
Lastly the McGrath Foundation has done a wonderful job this year in encouraging both cricket players and spectators to wear pink. What an effective way to reinforce the message of the importance of breast cancer prevention through research.
You might read this and tell yourself that achieving publicity of this nature is impossible. You may be making excuses such as the fact that you have a limited or no budget, you are too busy working in the business to create hype about it and it’s just all too hard. I’d like to invite you to think big. All high profile brands started off as small businesses and they got to the where they are today through creative marketing and some wonderful PR activities.
