21st August | Freya Westerman back

5 REASONS WHY A FIRST-CLASS PRESS OFFICE IS A MUST HAVE

A busy press office has been the bread and butter of a PR agency for years and years (and years!). And for good reason – it’s the window into your business, so it’s vital to get right. Even though times are changing and the way media operates has streamlined, it’s more important than ever before to make your press office fit for purpose and smooth running. As a PR and social agency of well-seasoned press officers, specialising in consumer communications, here’s our top press office tips and advice. Let’s dive in…

CREDIBILITY, AUTHENTICITY AND QUALITY CONTROL

We all know credibility is key. It’s the bones of a company’s success. Brands need to maintain a high level of trust in order to stay relevant. And this isn’t just important where products are concerned, the campaign execution as a whole also needs to be authentic and carried out in a way that fits the brand book. It’s a press office’s job to use its expertise to do this but to also push boundaries to create campaigns that stand out in a very competitive field. A well-oiled press office will field enquiries, bring consistency to comms and ensure things are running smoothly throughout.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

The way we work might’ve changed over the last few years – from five days in the office, to fully WFH to the new normal of hybrid working. One thing that hasn’t changed? PR & journalist relationships. Yep, journalists rely on us, too. This works two ways – a mutually beneficial relationship. We need journalists to secure coverage for our clients, equally we are the eyes and ears on new products, trends and insights that journalists rely on so heavily, so there’s really no denying that an experienced press office is desirable to both journalists and press officers. The common theme? Building up strong relationships through media experience.

EXPERIENCE

Speaking of experience, at R&T we’ve been doing this for 94 years, so it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about evolving with the times. The key ingredient when juggling new opportunities, newsjacking, trends and even crises? A killer press office (clears throat) that can be reactive, unjaded but also balanced in its communication to deliver the best outcome. That means knowing the media inside out (which we do!). This includes: being aware of the total media landscape, being familiar with slots and opportunities – and being on first name terms with key journalists, so that they come to us with requests for information, products and samples, just as we pitch to them.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

We hope crisis management is not something a brand ever has to face, but unfortunately, it’s inevitable that sometimes they do, so it’s always best to be prepared and well equipped to handle the situation. Whilst there are agencies that purely specialise in crisis comms, it’s desirable to have this handled by a team of experts that already know the brand – and live and breathe it each day. And that’s exactly what we do for a whole host of our clients.

STILL SCEPTICAL?

Okay, it’s probably about time we address the elephant in the room: AI. Investing in AI is probably cheaper than hiring a whole team of real people to write press releases, right? Perhaps, but don’t be fooled. Yes, AI is the hot topic of the moment but we’re still a long way off this mirroring and topping human talent, emotions and experiences. Details are missed, the narrative can be off, and the storytelling elements don’t always land. And don’t get us started on the American spellings…! Ultimately, the human element of PR – the building of strong relationships and understanding, is the foundation of public relations. We’re a long way off AI taking over, so we shouldn’t underestimate the power of the modern-day press office.