You will be writing many press releases during a year's work. Many press releases are poorly written, irrelevant to the newspaper or journal to which they have been sent, often are mailed to the wrong person on a publication, and are incredibly boring. So learn to think creatively about your product before writing about it. Books about journalism will show how to go about constructing an interesting article. Such references can be an excellent foundation for correctly writing press releases.
You will rarely make 'hard news' that is factual reporting of an event but there is an increasing number of pages devoted to articles and features about the background to events and matters of general interest in all publications. These provide an excellent opportunity for press relations work. Schools, polytechnics and universities all have magazines and newspapers on which you may gain actual experience while still a student.
As public relations, and hence press relations, becomes more professional and expert, and as journalists need more ideas and information, so there is growing a greater recognition by media of the role public relations can play in a positive way to help them. Contributing to this attitude is the recognition that public relations are a growth industry serving a wide range of interests in our society.
Information bureau and services
A favorite but much over worked vehicle for public relations is the information service or bureau for a manufacturer. The idea is that, say, a Domestos Hygiene Advisory Service, a Clarks Health Education Service, or a Butter Information Bureau, all channel information efforts about a product through a focal point, thus gaining better attention from the media, lending an increased air of respectability to what is being done for commercial reasons, and acting as a voice on behalf of the area of expertise in which the manufacturer operates.
Award schemes
There are now so many awards sponsored by so many consumer interests that the mind boggles. Soon everyone will be able to win an award and, as Andy Warhol predicted, we will all be famous for fifteen minutes.
However, awards can be an excellent means of creating interest and building image for your client's company and products, especially by a particular group in society whose goodwill your client wants. For example, the client's 'consumer' might be the catering industry where workers must follow rigid health and safety rules supervised by health authorities, and so approval of your client's cleaning products (however passively given) by Environmental Health Officers might be a decided advantage. So an award by the company to the catering industry, which was approved by the Health Offices, might help achieve your goal. Giving awards also means holding a ceremony and this too can attract the attention of the media.
Exhibitions and trade shows
Exhibitions and trade shows work well when they are carefully mounted and the reasons for attending are commercially sound. You need to set down at the start what you expect to achieve. Press relations activities must go on during the exhibition with media who attend or may be interested.
Having decided with your client that he should be at a particular exhibition or trade show, you will embark on a number of activities.
You must recommend the size of his exhibition and prepare a budget for it. When approval is given, you start planning his stand and displays. Planning May well involve other experts such as designers, display construction and removal contractors. You will submit a design for approval to your client and put this in hand with builders. Space must be booked and you will recommend how the exhibition is to be staffed. You will be on site for the mounting of the exhibition. In fact, you are most likely to have brought armfuls of leaflets and boxes of information sheets with you, as well as shopping bags of product samples. Control of the staffing and generally overseeing the smooth and successful operation of the show is necessary. For some events your clients may participate in a trade show or exhibition and simply ask that you take care of press relations during it and help look after important visitors. Exhibitions and trade shows are expensive but good ways to promote a message or an image and are often used for direct selling. Timetables, transportation, advertising, publicity, staffing and administration of the exhibition, travel and accommodation of yourself and staff and perhaps the client, as well as printing and production of suitable literature are just a few of the many items comprising your work when you recommend an exhibition be undertaken.
From time to time, consultancies must organize not just a display by a client but must organize an entire exhibition or show for many exhibitors are on behalf of their client. This is a major undertaking and constitutes a special project in terms of budgeting, staffing and timing. There are a number of companies who specialize in mounting and running exhibitions. While these may take most of the burden from the public relations officer's shoulders, there is still work that can only be done by you.
Exhibitions and trade shows work can be great fun there is a chance to meet many new faces, stay in good hotels, have jolly meals with new found colleagues and for a few days live in a different and, almost always, pleasant if busy world.
