Building a Balanced and Impactful Integrated PR Campaign

Sometimes, when a brand or personality wants to get a message out, they start by asking the wrong questions. In today’s fast-paced, internet-saturated world, it’s tempting for people to think “all digital” or “all web” is the way to get the most return on their investment. That may be the case in certain circumstances, but that doesn’t mean assuming the answer is ever the right idea. Instead, consider all your options and build the best integrated advertising and PR campaign for your message and market.

Depending on the brand, the application, the market, and the timing, your campaign elements may not be completely balanced, meaning they may not be split evenly among multiple different forms of media. However, considering applications that make the best use of all available media is the right first step in the process. Once you determine “where” your message will be going and what you will be investing in each aspect of the campaign, it’s time to answer a few key questions to measure the potential effectiveness of the campaign as a whole.

Consistency Matters

How consistent and complementary is your message across all platforms. While it’s true you should tweak your message a bit in length, scope, and tone based on the media and application, each separate message should both complement and reinforce the core message.

Get the Story Straight

One of the best ways to build a loyal fan base is to have a great story. Just make sure your story matches across your entire platform. If you are out doing press appearances sharing one version of your story, but people watching at home find a slightly different feel or approach on your website, that creates brand confusion.

What are You Asking?

No one wants to be “told” what to do or how to think. They want to be drawn in, compelled, attracted, and, yes, enticed. Your message should include emotional connections that create questions or curiosity in your audience. If they’re not leaning in, something’s missing.

Limit Your Assumptions

One of the best ways to invest spectacular amounts of money and see very little return on that investment is to begin with a series of unfounded assumptions and start throwing money at them. Now, you may be thinking “I would never do that,” and that may be true, but it happens every single day. It’s not enough to be cute or trendy, you need to understand how your market or your audience thinks… otherwise you could find you have miscalculated, and badly.

Be Ready to Respond

You’ve done the work by building a truly impactful campaign, but are you prepared for the response? The PR road of good intentions is littered with brands who made a splash… then they “became the headline” because they weren’t prepared to deal with the success of their message. Remember, knowing what you will say next, is just as important as what you say first.