Visibility plays a key role in the growth of the lifestyle brands. The recognition of a particular brand gives it a wider spectrum and it reaches out to a larger audience. The goals may differ for each brand; for example one brand might be launching a new line of clothing or the other might be promoting a new fragrance but the basic concept of creating greater visibility for the brand remains the same. It is very important that lifestyle products or for that matter services too are promoted and presented in a proper manner so as to catch the eye of the prospective customers. Building up a relation is a very slow process which needs to be followed up by continuous communication. And these channels of communication are provided by Public Relation firms. There are many firms that specialize in Lifestyle products and brands. The main focus of these firms is to create such lifestyle Public Relations Programs that would capture the eye of prominent companies that deal in consumer products, clothing, fashion et al.
But the big question is “What does a Lifestyle PR Firm exactly do?” and are they any different from the Advertising Agencies? The answer lies in the affirmative. There are multiple differences between the two.
Creating Public Relation strategies by PR firms are diametrically opposed to the strategies adopted by the advertising agencies. The PR firms reach out to the target audience through articles or stories appearing on the websites or in the newspapers and magazines and also through a multitude of TV programs. On the other hand Advertising agencies pay for the advertisements and the space that those ads take in the magazine or the newspaper.
The aim of both the advertising agencies and the PR firms is basically the same; projecting and promoting their clients as successful, honest backed with integrity, exciting and adventurous etc as the need be. But the path leading to the clients differs widely. Advertisements sometimes draw out skepticism amongst the followers as it is paid for by the client. But articles appearing in newspapers and magazines or focused appearances on Television are viewed with lesser apprehension.
Then there is also the question of creative control. You pay for the ad and therefore dictate terms for the place and duration of time the advertisement is going to appear. But with PR you hardly have that option in your hand. It will solely remain the editor’s prerogative as to when he thinks your article should be printed.
The next important difference between a PR Firm and an advertising agency is the shelf life both the mediums have. Advertising gives you a chance to project your product or the brand over and over again since you have paid for it. But with PR, you cannot do that. You can publish your press release only once; ask the editor to print your product details only once and that too at his own discretion.
Writing style and the presentation of the product or the brand also differs in both the mediums. While giving out an advertisement you have the control over the content and the language which is going to be published. On the other hand, in a Public Relation write up, you are almost at the mercy of the media as to how your article or the press release is going to be worded and printed.
Maintaining contact with the customers is a must for any Public Relation program which is not necessarily a case with the advertising agency. Visibility matters a lot in creating a positive Public Relation.
Given all these differences, creating Public Relations Programs for any lifestyle product is a very creatively challenging task as it directly affects the clients. Creating PR strategies for lifestyle products include the latest couture, apparel for both men and women, jewelry to go with these apparels and also the accessories needed. There is a need to consistently attract strategic media focus on the client’s product in the lifestyle space. One needs to keep them updated with the latest trends so that the customers are always aware about the changes taking place around them. This can be done through print or electronic media both. This gives the client a chance to build and promote their product, the brand and bring about an increase in sales thereof.
This is where good communication skills play a major role. Communicating your intent to the customers is a magic that not all can achieve. You really need to know the pulse of all the stakeholders to get your viewpoint across in exactly the same manner as you have conceptualized and visualized it.
We can make a list of all the major functions that a Lifestyle PR firm needs to do while drawing out a publicity program for its client.
- Distributing press releases
- Conducting market researches to get an over view of the peoples’ thought process about a particular product
- Creating and executing special events to showcase the product and reaching out to a larger audience
- Personal Networking
- Using blogs as a technique to share your product details
- Sending articles to the journalists about the product that you plan to promote
These are some of the means that a Lifestyle PR firm can engage in to get the best results for their client. And in keeping with this line of thought, Full Scale Media is doing just that. It is no wonder then that the firm is looked upon as a leader in the field of Lifestyle PR. We strive to help brands, personalities and projects grow and thrive through building influence in the traditional, broadcast, print and online media space and among trendsetters and bloggers. The lifestyle public relations professionals on our PR team are adept at scouting and executing effective public relations opportunities for our clients. The expertise of our PR professionals in launching or redefining a brand or public personality is enviable and often emulated by other PR professionals in our industry.