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Five tips for a great PR brief

Often referred to as a ‘dark art’, PR is a complex but critical element of the marketing mix. By engaging media, influencers or appropriate spokespeople smart PR campaigns drive an implied endorsement that generates credibility in spades. 

But how do you get it right? There’s no doubt that a clear, actionable brief is critical to success. Don’t sweat over a 20-page document – that won’t help. Keep it short and results focused. If you are clear about what you want the campaign to achieve, a talented PR person can fill in the gaps and make the magic happen.

Here are five tips for preparing a great PR brief:

1.  Be honest

Don’t PR your company to your PR consultant. Be candid about your strengths, weaknesses, fears and competitors. This will help your consultant to get to the crux of the issues immediately.

2. Be clear about the results you want from the campaign

Should the campaign goal be to drive sales? Or build the brand? Engage customers? Think hard about what you want to achieve – but leave the consultant to recommend the best way to do it.

3. Be open about money

Most companies know how much they can afford to spend on their communications and PR campaign. Share that with your consultant. Let them know what you need to achieve and how much you can invest. Being open at the start saves the consultant preparing an inappropriate plan.

4. Be open about your PR and marketing history

Include a section which outlines what you’ve done in the past – what has worked and what hasn’t and an explanation of why if possible.

5. Be involved

Preparing a PR brief is not a junior role. It must be the job of the CEO and/Marketing Director. Investing time at this stage will result in a much stronger response from your PR consultant.

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Karen Tearney

Karen Tearney

Karen Tearney is the founder of Public Relations freelancer agency,<a href="http://www.republic-pr.com">Re:public PR.</a> Re:public is a unique proposition - it is the only agency in Australia that is totally dedicated to supporting the growing freelance PR community. The company's driving goal is to match talented PR freelancers with SMEs seeking a PR boost - without an expensive agency price tag. Karen has over 15 years' Public Relations experience in both the UK and Australia. The former General Manager of tech PR house Upstream Australia, she is now championing PR freelancers across Australia.

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