Consult or Merchandise?
Are we Consultant or Merchandiser, merchandise newsletters? Enrolled in PR line, we are dancing on a balance beam; we are compelled to make all these in harmony.
We want to be a director, to engage in researching, auditing, planning, implementing, appraising and emergency handling, etc. We prefer to value-added service, though sometimes some clients only need the press being exposed widely and positively.
Shall we only do the basic and routine job such as copywriting and publication, while without other value-added service? Considering profitability at the time when a PR firm is at a scratch line, it is necessary, while in the long run, it will make us less competitive and rusted. We shall position in consulting, suggest more value-added proposals, create more creative tools and methods, foresee beyond the horizon. We are consultants to merchandise ideas.
Pay or No Pay?
It is funny question, as you see, nowadays in China, we seldom find anything free of charge. But, comparing PR and AD conceptually, pay or not pay make them different. AD is to change the perception of target audience through media with payment, while PR traditionally is not to pay for being reported, this is why the public believe in the media, this is why the media gain their public confidence.
In china, it is common for reporter to get pay from PR firms or enterprises. Proactive Dissemination, one of PFT communication tool which debuted recently, call for buying columns and publish the propaganda writings covered with news-alike veil. Pay is the keyword, though the public may not have the expertise to notice it.
The enterprises often hastefully ask their PR agency to pay for more positive news exposure in essential newspaper; though an attractive news angel may be more important for a newspaper, though unilateral enterprise-perspective newsletter may make the public doubt its conviction.
Frequent pay-for-report deeds will ruin the base on which a PR firm co-operate with the media, it will also debase the prestige of a PR firm. Currently, rewarded report is only one of the PR methods, it shall be adopted with other tools in harmony, such as unearth news angle for the media, communication proactively, routinized media visit system and high-level media relations maintenance.
Payment Criterion
Theoretically, as intelligence highly concentrated Industry, we shall collect our fee on project and hour basis, but practically; many local enterprises prefer calculating by characters quantity. How can characters quantity judge the value of professional intelligence?
For those clients, the possible choice is to collect monthly remuneration and guarantee a fixed percentage of clipping quantity simultaneously. Extra charges shall be requested if we are fully engaged in event management, besides normal charge for media management affairs.
Effect Appraisal
It is not easy to judge the outcome of a PR campaign quantitatively, appraising effect is a common problem for service Industry, AD firms encounter the same question.
Newsletter publishing quantity is a common standard for appraising, but it is external, we want to look deep inside, from the outside in, to find the power of influence derived from those newsletters. The enterprise may suggest regard sales volume as a benchmark, but there is a lag between PR job finish and volume statistics, besides, it is dangerous and unfair for a PR firm. We may inspire interest, convince target audience to consume, but whether they buy or not buy, it is beyond our ability to control.
Qualitative research is suitable for PR effect appraising. For example, we may select a group of target audience as our focus group to test their response for products or brands by two phases, prior to the PR campaign and after the PR campaign. The difference between time span will make difference.
As for those PR campaign which have close connections with SP, Sales Volume may be looked as a standard, hence it ask the PR firm set up a system which is mainly consists of periodical information exchange meetings with clients.
Media comments on communication job of PR firm can also be set as a appraise standard.
Another good evaluation system for PR effect is to score the newsletter published, by calculating those elements, such as media circulation, picture, key messages covered and headline etc. It may easer, since we do not consider consequence arisen