.
“Speak well, speak badly, but speak of me!”. Among the possible interpretations of this old and famous phrase, the one that interests us is the one associated with being in the spotlight, the importance of always being remembered, or more appropriate for our purposes, being the subject of news.
And to have this protagonism, an activity fulfills an essential function – the press office!
What is press office, what roles it plays, benefits and contributions it can give to companies, as well as other related issues, is the subject of this conversation.
What is a press office?
In the most generic and, at the same time, simplest definition, press consultancy is the action or effect of assisting someone – individual or legal entity – on a variety of issues involving press agencies.
This was at least the case when its creator, the American journalist Ivy Ledbetter Leedecided to use his professional experience to provide information that could be relevant from companies to the local press.
As communication expanded, evolved, became more and more globalized, especially with the advent of the Internet, as well as Marketing gained importance in companies, the press office work was also expanded and became even more important. .
Yes, because the Internet and Marketing, each in its own way, due to different means and motivations, were important radiators of information, democratizing its access in the case of the first and qualifying it in the case of the second.
The press officer – the professional who performs this work – has the main objective of transforming his client into news of public interest.
It is a job that depends on your experience and relationship with the press, whether formal and traditional, as well as with every communication vehicle that plays such a role and that can be a classic content portal, or a site specialized in certain content and whose news content interests its consumer public.
Or it could even be a digital influencer!
But as we said, the worldwide computer network greatly expanded the dissemination of information, for example, eliminating the need for a traditional press channel, such as newspapers, for example. Since then, a company’s own institutional website can be a means for this, so much so that several have a news area.
If, on the one hand, there is much more information and it is increasingly accessible, this ended up being a complicating factor, after all, at the same time that there are a lot of people to “speak well or speak badly”, it is not possible to speak about everyone.
That’s where PR comes in, identifying the appropriate channels and connecting them with what’s relevant and interesting about your client.
What is the role of the press office?
Although from what we’ve talked about, it’s apparent and intuitive to imagine what roles or responsibilities a press office might have, not all possibilities will necessarily come to everyone’s minds, especially those who are just getting to know this job.
The list of roles played by a press office is closely related to what is intended and how far one can go, after all, it is not possible to compare the possible performance of an entire department dedicated to the area, of a large business group, with a job from a freelancer to a small regional company.
With that in mind, the possible responsibilities of a press office are:
- Networking – create and maintain a wide and good network of relationships with the media and their professionals (journalists, editors, content producers, etc.), in such a way that you have a variety of possibilities to disseminate relevant and interesting information about your client ;
- Relevant/interesting information – identify and produce information that, in addition to being important, is interesting for target audiences and/or personas, as well as which channels are most appropriate;
- Communication – to fulfill your objective, communication needs to be effective, which is not always achieved by those who are not in the area. The advisory professional knows how to choose the most appropriate language for the public, when and how to use the terminology of the area (technical jargon) and even which parts of the information to highlight and which ones can or even should be omitted;
- Customer orientation – if for the business owner, everything related to him is usually interesting, for the final public, not. It is your responsibility to guide the client in this regard, even to work strategically on the production of content that arouses interest. For example, a sporting event that has the company as a sponsor, as important as the information about the event, are the images (photos and videos) of the same;
- Production – it is the advisor’s responsibility to produce and/or monitor the production of all types of material that will be used by the different media to report, company presentation (release), other texts (eg press release), press kits (press kits), media containing images, samples, in short, all kinds of material that contribute to enriching the news;
- Planning – it is up to the advisor to develop communication strategies and which vehicles and editorials should be prioritized in the dissemination of various information from the company;
- Crisis management – not everything is rosy and therefore, sometimes they also “speak badly” about a company, a brand. In the most difficult moments, it is the advisory professional who establishes the most appropriate line of communication so that a problem or noise can be reversed, without major damage to the image of the advisor;
- Media training – it is the advisor’s job to guide and train the company’s spokesperson. It is he who sets the tone that should be given to the interview, the statement, the speech, according to the agenda and the desired objectives. In addition, briefings, key messages, speeches and media analysis contribute to the preparation of those responsible for speaking for the company;
- Spontaneous media generation – by being attentive and in tune with the market and doing a good job of disseminating releases, suggesting topics and sources, while offering quality information to journalists, it institutionally promotes the company’s brand, being it is possible to guarantee space in different means of communication, without having to pay for it;
- Internal communication – not infrequently, professionals in the area also take care of communication with internal customers, whether directed at employees, with outsourced professionals and freelancers, or with partners and suppliers.
What are the benefits / advantages of press relations for a company?
Although at least some of the many benefits that a press office can provide to a company seem evident, it never hurts to be explicit about what they are:
- Organic visibility – the phrase that opens our discussion, is one of the main advantages. Efficient advisory work makes the brand always visible. Even better, because in the eyes of the final public, this visibility is more natural than advertising, therefore, it is organic;
- Reputation – proactive work contributes favorably to the process of building the company’s reputation and image, reinforcing the work of Marketing, precisely because, as we saw above, it is more natural/organic;
- Combating misinformation – work aimed at bringing broad, diversified, clear and objective information, in addition to providing end customers with greater knowledge of the brand, is also a combat against misinformation and, in extreme cases, fake news, which, as we have seen with certain frequency, can severely impact a company;
- Credibility – another direct consequence of organic disclosure is the credibility that is usually associated. Naturally people tend to believe more in what is spontaneous than what is paid for;
- Interest – an institutionalized work in the area, usually boosts Marketing actions, such as product launches. Many famous brands use this type of expedient very well;
- Cost reduction – advertising cost reductions can and often are significant;
- Efficiency in communication – in times when the presence of companies on social networks is increasingly intense, having content presented in an appropriate language is essential for this presence to be effective.
Which companies need press relations?
There are those who think that press relations are a privilege only for large companies, either because they are the only ones capable of producing a good volume of information and/or that are of public interest.
However, as we mentioned, even small companies can benefit, as long as they seek advice that works by jobs (jobs) or by projects.
When you leave the big urban centers, it is common to see a variety of regional events that are sponsored by small companies that operate only in that region.
A well-planned and executed advisory work amplifies the return well beyond the disclosure of the company’s logo in the event’s publicity material, both because the event itself can attract a larger audience, and because it will have visibility in different media.
Even individuals can benefit, as in the common case of athletes who aim to become professional and get sponsors.
That is, it is a job that does not depend on the size of the institution or the segment in which it operates.
Conclusion
The press office work aims to give companies of different sizes and segments the maximum opportunities that globalized communication offers.
.
