5 Ways You’re Not Using PR, and Should Be

4_PR_pendulum_post.pngWhether you’re a public relations novice, or have been using PR as part of a marketing strategy for years, we’ve got 5 ways to create publicity that often go missed. We’ve seen that a fully integrated marketing campaign with these components leads to significant, long-lasting results.

  1. Local Media Outreach – If you’re participating in a local event or have something that could be considered newsworthy to a certain region, then you should absolutely be taking advantage of local media outreach. This doesn’t just mean the local newspapers and news stations – if your celery is being featured as a snack at the Cubs game, then local bloggers, event journalists, and magazines should know as well.
  1. Media Visits – Any time you have new products, it’s a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with the editors who write for the major food and health publications. This allows them to try your product, ask questions, and build a relationship with the brand. This also gives you an opportunity to talk through their needs for content, which often provides insight into trends and upcoming pitching opportunities.
  1. Blogger Partnerships – This is one of the most effective ways to get your product noticed by a large audience who already wants to know more about food. Partnering with bloggers goes so much further than having additional branded content. The role of a blogger is to be an ambassador for the brand, which means new and unique content + personal recommendation of your brand based on their experience with the quality and people behind the brand.
  1. RD Partnerships – The power of registered dieticians as media influencers is astounding. We’ve seen how RDs are able to positively influence an audience based on their role as a trusted source for nutritional information. And the good news? RDs LOVE talking to their clients about fruits and veggies – remember, your products are easy for an RD to love. So, make sure that, when an RD does a store demo or is asked what his/her favorite snack is for BuzzFeed, that they want to celebrate your brand and not just celery in general.
  1. Influencer Events – What. An. Opportunity. If you want to take your relationship with bloggers and RDs to the next level, then bring them to your fields and show them what it’s like to be a member of your brand family. The experience leaves a lasting impressions that results in support of the brand far beyond the paid partnerships you have with them.

Something that we have to remember is that every single fresh produce brand has a unique story to tell. And, if you’re relying solely on traditional press releases to tell your entire brand story, then you’re limiting your audience to retail and foodservice customers. Think about the possibilities if you started speaking to a wider consumer audience and created a demand for your product in stores, to the point that buyers were coming to you because their shoppers asked for more of your products. THAT is the power of PR.

Have a thought or question about PR? Comment below or tweet us at @thecoreblog and @bethatkinsonpr!