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Digital vs. Traditional – it’s all in the mix for PR agency selection

By Danielle Stagg on 3 September 2013

The rise of social media is undeniable with a growing body of statistics that is hard to ignore says Caroline Beswick, Managing Partner of Trinity Public Relations.

In 2012, 33 million adults used the internet daily, compared with 16 million in 2006 according to the Office of National Statistics. One of the most popular online activities in the UK is reading the news. Almost half of adults (48%) now use social networking sites and for the younger age group (16-24 year olds) this leaps to a massive 87%. While social networking is lower amongst the older generation – it is by no means an irrelevant figure with just one in ten over 65s using social networks. So, it would seem that social media use now spans generations, demographics and professions.

Don't undervalue PR's worth

Many leading brands across the world utilise social media extremely effectively and it’s fair to say that for most companies, social media is now a critical component of an effective marketing strategy. The potential audience reach is undoubtedly appealing, particularly if you’re heading up a new marketing drive for your company or appointing a PR or marketing agency and want to be able to attribute these types of figures to your campaign.

So, we’re agreed - social media does indeed give clients and marketing agencies a new “playground” to communicate in and the potential to reach – and crucially interact with - a huge audience. However one word of caution - it would be unwise to see social media as a total replacement for other PR and marketing tactics. In our experience, it is important to keep an “open mind” in particular at the brief and pitching stage and consider social media (networks such as Facebook and Twitter) as a package alongside so-called traditional communication routes (e.g. a double page spread in Good Housekeeping or the headline interview for the company spokesperson on Radio 4’s Today programme).

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Get your content calendar sorted - PR advice for marketing agencies

By Danielle Stagg on 29 August 2013

PR has long faired as the golden child of the marketing mix, but marketing agencies could take a pointer or two when it comes to their planned activity, says Victoria Evans, Account Director at Social Media, SEO and PR agency, Punch Communications.

Sometimes it can be challenging for brands to generate their own news content for a number of different reasons. These can range from budget to partner approval, to lack of relevant product or service news taking place, and therefore capitalising on external goings on is vital. A great PR tactic for marketing agencies to develop is to research what is going on in the wider world and piggyback on topical occurrences with comment and feature ideas.

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PR Agency Search and Selection

By Danielle Stagg on 19 November 2012

In many ways, selecting a PR firm is a lot like selecting a life partner. Companies must select a firm in which they have confidence to operate with good judgement as their proxy.

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PR Agencies for Start-ups

By Danielle Stagg on 31 July 2012

Advice for technology start-ups by Cordy Griffiths, UK General Manager, Ballou PR (www.balloupr.com)

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Marketing Agency Differentiation in the UK’s Cluttered Industry

By Danielle Stagg on 24 July 2012

According to some counts of late, there are over 16,000 marketing and communications agencies in the UK. And as someone who spends most of every business day speaking with, reading about and selecting agencies to be put forward for client briefs, I’m continually disappointed by how many marketing agencies neglect marketing themselves.

I find myself in conversations with clients daily to the tune of ‘Believe me, they’re a good marketing firm with talented people onboard…they just aren’t great at marketing themselves.’ How sad.

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Managing an Online PR Crisis

By Danielle Stagg on 21 June 2012

by Guest blogger Ronelle Bester, Managing Director, Red Ribbon Communications

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