14th May 2014
PR: A ‘Luxury’ Your Business Cannot Afford To Live Without
Think PR is a luxury? Ignore it at your brand’s peril… You’ve heard it before, PR is important for building your brand. What you probably haven’t heard, is that a lack of brand visibility can have a serious impact on your capacity to raise capital for your business. If you have already allocated your company budget for the year ahead and have not included PR spend it may cost you more than your realise.
Are you:
A) Looking for investment for your business?
B) Seeking to get your product stocked in major chain-stores?
C) Planning the exit strategy from your business?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions and do not have PR representation, you risk delaying or stopping completely the actualisation of these objectives. Jessica Huie, Founder of JH Public Relations explains why the myth that PR is a luxury is holding so many business owners back.
When an investor or venture capitalist decides to invest in your enterprise they are investing primarily in you, the entrepreneur at the helm of the business, not the business itself. Successful businesses have figureheads, and if you are seeking to raise money then you must behave like a figurehead for the duration of your business life. How do you behave like a figurehead? Through thought leadership and taking ownership of your expertise. PR is the ideal method to realise these objectives, it allows you as an individual to share your business values, perspective and experience more easily than ever before. Venture capitalists are bombarded by investment opportunities.
By creating a strong visible profile, you can stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself from other commercially viable and investable opportunities. You as the figurehead, your management team and your vision are all key – not just the numbers, which will speak for themselves. Public relations needs serious PR, and part of the problem with its reputation is that the benefits of an increased profile are not truly recognised.
The global financial crash caused a shift in factors that investors recognise as valuable when deciding whether or not to invest in a business. Qualitative currency has become as valuable as quantitative, and a business with a strong figure head and management team who exhibit a commitment to the core business values and vision, make for a powerful commodity, hence the importance of messaging which is communicated best, through an effective PR campaign. If investors are looking for opportunities which have an exit strategy in place and a means to them recouping their investment, major buyers are looking for product which sells itself. Again, PR is a powerful tool in securing the interest of buyers inundated with requests from potential suppliers.
Prove you have a ready-made audience through media coverage and you are steps ahead of your competitors. PR must be viewed as a strategic part of the business journey right from conception. Getting your product in the media read or viewed by your target audience is just a starter, the kudos, recognition and ultimate saleability of your business as a result of its increased profile is the true meat on the bone. www.JHPR.co.uk
JH Public Relations representing inspiring individuals, disruptive entrepreneurs, innovators and brilliant Startups.
Startup Star of the Month: Meredith O’Shaughnessy
Ohlala founder Meredith
Our Startup Star for the merry month of May is Meredith O’Shaughnessy of Meredith Bespoke and Ohlala Macarons. Heralded as the ‘First Lady of Macarons,’ Meredith first reached success in planning creative and innovative celebrity events, before starting up Ohlala Macarons, which has fast become a favourite with luxury fashion brands such as Vivienne Westwood and Lulu Guinness.
Having devised the UK’s first macaron and martini making workshops, indulging attendees in the art of macaron making and martini shaking, Meredith’s fresh, modern take on creating the french delicacy, essentially caters to the cravings of London’s elite, one set of tastebuds at a time.
Visit Meredith’s website here: www.ohlala-macarons.com
Visit us at the Makegood Festival of Entrepreneurship
Are you ready to take your business to the next level?
If you want to discover the secret to making sure your business is the first one to come to mind for all the right reasons, book your ticket now for the Makegood Festival of entrepreneurship.
Come and talk to us about PR for your business at the Makegood Festival 30th May-1st June, Old Selfridges Hotel
Jessica will also be speaking on the importance of PR for business on Sunday 1st June.
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