It’s no secret that during tough economic times marketing budgets get tighter. Whether or not reducing spend is right can be debated for eternity, but what’s important is that if budgets are cut, what should stay or go?  

During a recession, businesses everywhere can be seen doing everything in their power to maintain customer relationships, and PR must remain at the centre of this ambition.

No other form of marketing can deliver consumer trust in the same way that good PR can. When carried out strategically, PR creates awareness and visibility for your brand, and additionally is the greatest tool available in influencing a brand's public perception.

When executed well, PR will reap huge rewards for your brand, at a fraction of the cost of many other marketing channels, delivering a perceived value of four fold that of advertising. However, a campaign that isn’t strategic and is ill thought out can damage a brand, so we’ve outlined some top tips for consideration when planning a PR campaign:

• Before you start planning, take a good look at your brand. PR is a substantial investment, not necessarily in budget, but in time and resources, and so fully understanding the position and perception your brand currently holds is absolutely vital, before you can ever hope to influence or change it.

• Identify your target audience. Before you can influence your brand’s perception, make sure you’re getting in front of the right people. If going through the trade press, target the right magazines. If your brand is better served by an online presence, know where key decision makers spend their time online and target accordingly.

• Understand your message. A relationship with the key press associated with your chosen targets needs to be carefully managed. Needlessly bombarding them with information that’s of little interest will only damage your cause. Work closely with them, and maintain a dialogue to understand what they want to hear about, and what will be of interest to their readers.

• Be prepared for a slow burn! Being perceived in a positive light by your target audience is always the result of targeted messaging over a period of time. Be patient, and you’ll soon see a return on your hard work.

• Don’t be tempted to appoint yourself as the company press officer. Just as you entrust the accountant with your financial matters, charge a professional PR to manage your reputation.

By adopting a strategic approach, supported by a carefully structured calendar of activity, momentum will be maintained and consistent brand exposure ensured.

In an increasingly competitive market, you really can’t afford to gamble with your communications strategy. For information and advice on how The Hub can add value to your business through clear, concise messages and effective communications, call today for an informal consultation.

For information and advice on how an integrated email marketing campaign can add value to your business, and build upon your relationships with both customers and prospects, call The Hub today.

Have a read of our fifth journalist interview with Sheila Eggleston, the deputy group editor at Dewberry Redpoint.

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Blogging may be something that you want to think about for your business. We don’t want to sit here and write you an essay on the topic, we’ll let other agencies do that, but take a look at a short introductory video here that should help. Check out The Foodie Hubbub blog here.

This month we were amused by:

Vanishing cars, business card extraordinaire, melting glaciers and dogs that ride ponies.