The Strategic Approach to Effective Media Relations Campaigns
As client managers at AM O’Sullivan PR, Mark Harrington and Clara O’Mahoney work across a range of media relations campaigns and understand the importance of taking a strategic, proactive approach which is tailored to each client’s unique goals and needs. Working towards client objectives is core to our philosophy, particularly when developing and executing impactful media relations strategies.
Understanding and Leveraging Client Goals
Our approach to media relations stands out due to its strategic foundation. The first step with any client is to ask, “why?”. Understanding the underlying goal of their desired media engagement is crucial. Whether it’s an interview, or a targeted press release, we guide our clients to the best strategy to maximise the effectiveness of any media relations campaign.
Building Long-Term Client Relationships for Greater Impact
At AM O’Sullivan PR, we aim to forge long-term partnerships with clients, leading to more effective media relations. Through ongoing collaboration, we gain a deeper understanding of a client’s tone of voice, interests, and objectives. This relationship allows us to anticipate needs, offer timely advice, and craft strategies that align with evolving goals and trends. By developing a strong, strategic partnership, we enhance our ability to deliver impactful and relevant media campaigns for our clients.
Crafting Proactive and Targeted Media Campaigns
We pride ourselves on being proactive. If we identify an appropriate opportunity for a client, we seize it. Early involvement in a campaign allows us to shape key decisions, develop compelling messaging, and execute on media opportunities. Our expertise in coordinating with photographers and videographers ensures that every visual element of a campaign is executed seamlessly.
Adapting to Evolving Media Trends and Maximising Impact Through Preparation
The role of PR agencies is evolving, and staying ahead of media trends is crucial. We prepare comprehensive media packages that include diverse formats such as images, video, and audio to maximise opportunities for securing impactful coverage. Our familiarity with media trends, combined with our strong relationships, allows us to navigate the ever-changing media landscape effectively. Preparation is key; the more time we have to plan, the better we can tailor campaigns to meet our clients’ needs.
Measuring Success: The Value of Strategic Evaluation and The Barcelona Principles
Effective media relations require not only innovative strategies but also robust measurement and evaluation. Our team has engaged in PRII-accredited training on The Barcelona Principles to maximise the effectiveness of our campaigns in terms of planning, strategy, and evaluation. We follow The Barcelona Principles to assess the effectiveness of our campaigns. This involves setting clear objectives, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate outcomes, and continuously refining our strategies based on these insights. By focusing on strategic evaluation, we ensure that our media relations efforts deliver measurable results and drive ongoing success for our clients.
Client-Centric Approach: Strategic Partnership and Strong Media Relations
Our role is to make our clients’ voices heard in an authentic, strategic, and impactful manner. We do this through a client-centric approach that combines our expertise, deep media relationships, and innovative, customised campaign strategies. By understanding our clients’ unique needs and adapting to media trends, we deliver comprehensive media relations that are both effective and meaningful. We live this commitment every day, focusing on the long-term success of our clients and the continuous evolution of our media relations practices.
As strategic media relations partners to our clients, we not only develop bespoke campaigns, but also provide expertise and counsel every step of the way to help create the most effective media relations campaign possible.
Conclusion
Every client is unique, and so is our approach. We base our strategy on understanding an audience and the messages that need to be conveyed. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all perspective; our media relations strategies align with each client’s unique objectives, audience, and messaging. This allows us to maximise the effectiveness of all our media relations campaigns, and, through this, helps our clients achieve their business goals.
This blog is co-authored by Mark Harrington and Clara O’Mahoney.
