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Consumer Public Relations is basically B2C PR, specifically how the communication to potential customers in the public. Usually this is defined by positive brand building or promotion of services, products or goods.
Consumer PR is just part of the overall marketing strategy, which should always have brand awareness campaigns running, even though success is often impossible to directly correlate with results. Regardless of the lack of quantifiable data, having an influence over consumer decision to purchase your product over a competitor is priceless.
So whereas marketing is usually driving revenue, public relations can be considered to be purely building brand profile and reputation in the market place. Consumer PR strategies can be a powerful tool to improve customer loyalty, create a positive reputation, and increase brand awareness and recognition, which all ultimately drive sales and word of mouth recommendation which builds growth.
Usually this requires the assistance of a professional Consumer PR agency, where successful campaigns through media relations enable businesses to establish themselves as reliable sources of quality information or products within their respective industries. using PR professionals means they already have the contacts, knowledge and knowhow to increase brand awareness both online and offline efficiently.
You can do this in-house though without a PR agency, especially if you have contacts within the media. Alternatively you can focus on improving increasing brand awareness via social media presence through organic reach and paid ads.
Working with many start-up brands in fashion, it was never more evident of how using the marketing budget wisely was make or break for early success. Companies should be gaining valuable insights into their target audience by monitoring consumers’ reactions to various campaigns and initiatives, particularly with direct access via social media channels. There is no-one better than the target audience to give feedback on the product, especially if you are going to invest heavily manufacturing high quantities of product to resell.
Companies that engage in meaningful interactions with their customers tend to maintain strong relationships with them over time, which promotes additional sway when mistakes happen. This includes responding to inquiries promptly, offering helpful advice or assistance when necessary and providing discounts or incentives whenever possible. This helps build trust between the company and its customers but also encourages repeat purchases in the future, plus the essential recommendations to peers.
Considering these points, it is clear that investing in consumer PR offers numerous advantages for any company looking for success in today’s competitive market landscape. A vital tool for businesses to gain visibility and establish trust with their target market.
Consumer PR campaigns can take many forms, from traditional public relations tactics such as trade campaigns and press releases to more modern approaches such as leveraging a brand’s website, social media or positioning a company as a thought leader in its industry.
Traditionally though, channels associated with PR are advertisements, editorials and advertorials in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Measuring PR success is loosely based on improved sales after these run.
Leveraging Social Media For Consumer PR
With 16-64 year olds spending on average 147 minutes a day on social media in 2022, it’s clear the go-to platform for effective and successful consumer Public Relations campaigns. With its ability to build relationships, reach larger audiences and have an impact on public perception, using social media for consumer PR has become increasingly important to brand growth. It is essential to understand how to use various platforms effectively to make the most of such campaigns.
Firstly, it is essential to consider the target audience demographics and objectives to decide which platform is most appropriate for reaching them. Facebook is declining and TikTok is the growth channel for the younger market. Different platforms offer different opportunities, from creating engaging content to responding quickly to customer queries or complaints. In theory, all should be tested for clear metric based decisions, and you can use the same material for this, just adjust sizing for best results. Obviously best results are obtained using dedicated tailored content for the target audience’s preferences.
Success comes from creating engaging content that resonates with the target audience. Through storytelling or visual elements such as videos or photographs, brands can develop narratives that increase their visibility and reputation amongst consumers. Content should also be tailored towards each platform; for example, using shorter posts on Twitter rather than long pieces of writing on LinkedIn.
Researching popular hashtags and trends within the chosen platform can help understand what type of content works best when constructing campaigns. If you are not confident in content creation, you might be able to tie in with an existing social influencer in your space, who not only will be adept at making great content will also have followers within your target marketplace.
Consider all aspects of the brand profile
You cannot control all aspects of your business, including quality of the product and deliverables where a 3rd party is used. What you can manage though, is how you handle the aftermath, which is how you can be fairly judged.
Brands must consider how quickly they respond to customer queries or complaints to maintain a positive public image. Responding promptly and accurately while being courteous and ensuring you investigate and resolve, shows customers that their concerns are taken seriously. It is a relatively simple process that is often failed with negative repercussions.
And the expected timeframe to respond with social media has dramatically cut down to borderline unreasonable levels. The standard Monday to Friday working hours response with a 24 hour turnaround each time is not good enough any more, the consumer demands more.
There is no point spending huge money on attracting new customers when you don’t retain the ones you have. It’s also critical to success, with customers quicker to spread bad publicity than good. Plus social proof, trust signals, and the importance of genuine reviews on herd mentality all help convert new business through consumer PR campaigns.
Examples Of Successful Consumer PR Campaigns
You may recall the successful Consumer PR campaign from by Coca-Cola in 2014 producing bottles with people’s names on them, creating an emotional connection between customers and the product. This allowed Coca-Cola to engage directly with its consumers and increase sales by 7%.
Nike’s #justdoit hashtag which was used to promote their ‘Just do it’ slogan. Using the hashtag on social media platforms allowed Nike to reach their target audience quickly and effectively, resulting in increased brand awareness and recognition.
Finally, Amazon’s Prime Day event has also proven to be an effective consumer PR campaign. As well as companies offering discounts on products, Amazon also promoted their Prime subscription service and own branded products like Alexa and Ring, which resulted in increased membership numbers and subscribers to their services worldwide. The event also generated positive media coverage, further increasing Amazon’s positive reputation among consumers.
In conclusion, engaging in consumer PR provides numerous benefits for businesses looking to increase their market presence and attract more customers. Companies should carefully plan out campaigns by determining their goals and budgeting accordingly to get the most out of their efforts. By doing so and adhering to ethical standards, companies can nurture relationships with customers through successful consumer PR initiatives that ultimately lead to increased sales and brand recognition.
