Invest in Your Image with Good PR.

Publilius Syrus couldn’t have said it any better if he’d said it today. Be it e-commerce or retail, in the world of business there is nothing more valuable than your reputation. Building and keeping a good reputation is good PR, or Public Relations. Because of the value it ultimately brings to a company’s bottom line, Public Relations should be a part of every business marketing plan.

Public Relations is the practice of managing the awareness of an organization within one or more groups. It can be as simple as increasing the public awareness of a company’s human side, or as complicated as dampening the bad publicity surrounding a breaking news story about the company. Image counts, and good PR puts that image in its most positive context.

One example of a famous public relations crisis was the Tylenol crisis in the fall of 1982. Extra-strength Tylenol had been laced with cyanide, causing seven people from Chicago to die. When the story hit the media Johnson & Johnson had to launch a public relations campaign in order to save their reputation and their company. They launched a line of tamper-proof containers, and made sure their improvements received prominent coverage in the news. As you can tell by the shelves at the local pharmacy the PR worked, and Tylenol still covers the shelves in the pain relief section.

Everyone from Johnson & Johnson to your local mom and pop store use public relations; no matter what they may call it. Large companies have problems with the public saying the wrong things; small companies have problems getting people to say anything. We’re all trying to get our message out and have the public like us.

Fundraising for charitable or non-profit organizations is a superb form of Public Relations; your company can generate positive news headlines by helping worthy causes. For example, have your company hold a talent show to raise money for the local hospital. This shows care and concern, and will make people think more positively about your business. Other ways to create positive PR are via sponsorship of other non-profit organizations, and/or sponsorship of scholarships.

Community awareness is essential to any campaign designed to improve your community image. No matter what you are selling, you need to communicate one thing; that you are contributing to the community. This should be a subtext in all of your advertising and the main thrust of your PR efforts.

Another way to raise public awareness is by placing your company representatives at various events that dovetail with the services your company provides. If you have a chance to increase the awareness of your company, it’s a good image investment. Selling diamonds? Look into bridal shows. Selling sports equipment? Find a local attraction, like high school football playoffs. Selling car parts? Look into car shows. Even brochures and fliers, done well, will increase your company’s awareness. If you can combine a demonstration about your product with your fliers, you can vastly increase the awareness in your company.

When you first started reading this you may have thought: “I don’t have the time for PR; that’s for Fortune 500 companies;” or, even, “I can’t afford public relations.” Don’t think of PR as an expense; think of it as an investment in something invaluable: your reputation. You see, even all those years ago, Publilius Syrus was right!