iNHouse PR Guides

Improving your PR

This guide is designed to give you food for thought about your existing PR set up. We can come in and audit what you do and provide suggestions on how you can improve, but in the meantime this will give you some simple ideas for starters.

Team building

  • Do you have a close knit team?

  • Do you socialise together once in a while to chat over issues and identify problem areas? Just getting people out of their day-to-day environment can encourage more creativity.

Get to know the organisation better

  • Do you really understand what the organisation does? Is everyone aware of the Corporate Strategy or Business Plan?

  • Do you understand what other departments do? Often there are really interesting stories and people right under your nose.

  • Encourage members of the organisation to spend time with your PR team and send your team out to other departments - silos are never good in any organisation.

Streamlining

  • Are you trying to do too much and therefore sending out too many press releases or too many mixed messages? Some of the most successful organisations work on a small number of issues but really define them as their own with clear simple messaging and creativity.

Planning

  • Are you really looking at the right time to target the media or hold an event? It is no good hosting a conference on a big public policy issue, two days after the Government's consultation ends. You need to be in while the story is still alive.

  • Do you have a calendar of relevant external and internal events?

  • Do you regularly meet with key informers and journalists to keep on top of new thinking or planned announcements?

  • Do you have a good bank of case studies or third parties lined up to offer support to your product or argument?

  • Are your distribution lists up to date?

  • Are your spokespeople media trained? Have they had refreshers?

  • Do you have photos or footage ready for anyone that may need them?

  • Do you have a database of facts and figures which journalists could use?

Reinforce

  • Are you working across communications disciplines? Does the Chief Executive reinforce key messages in his speeches or meetings with Ministers?

  • Are you regularly looking for issues to write letters on or offer comment on?

Creativity

  • Get an ideas box or regular session in the diary where everyone gets away from their desk to think up new campaigns or approaches.


Contact: jo@inhouse-pr.co.uk