Reputation matters!
It’s the reason why so many agencies invest time in promoting their work and sharing their point of view across the media. Increased visibility ultimately helps build reputation, which in turn attracts the right people and increases internal budgets.
In-house creative teams tend to be more reserved when sharing their stories more widely, both internally across the business and with an external audience. But we know there are plenty of stories that could be told and the media is eagerly waiting to hear them.
Lack of time, self-doubt, and uncertainty about what stories to tell and how to pitch are all common barriers to gaining the internal and external recognition your team deserves.
So, here are a few tips on what you could share with the media in order to promote yourself and your team’s creative work, culture, and approach.
To start with, look at what you could share:
- New work – Your latest projects or aspects of a project
- Old work – Case studies – reporting on the impact of a past creative project
- Expertise and options – Do you have a fresh opinion or unique experience to share?
- People – Movers and shakers, new hires, individual profiles
- Your news – Professional or personal, that could resonate
Ensure each story or POV is:
- Fresh
- Valuable
- Ownable
- Evidence
- True
- Timely
- Useful
PR Channels
If time is of the essence:
- Look at who could be interested in picking up your story? Do some research and select a few credible publications, events, or podcasts that you could connect with.
- Test the waters – Contact a journalist who might be interested in your idea, pitch it, then go and write it when you know they’re on board.
- Use the robots to help you start your messages, but then add your human touch.
- Start small and react to and join the conversations – share your point of view on platforms such as LinkedIn, and any relevant professional communities there.
- Be consistent and post your work, stories, and POV once a week. You will build a following.
Make award entries work hard:
- Enter your work into an industry award. The creation of your entry will help articulate your stories, your work’s impact. This can form the start of some internal communications or larger external PR pieces.
- An award shortlist or win, creates an instant good news story and positions your creative team as one of the very best. It keeps your team engaged and motivated, and is great for getting the attention of the C-Suite.
You do have stories on your team that people will be interested in! If you invest some time into telling those stories, it will transform your ability to communicate the value your team brings.
Claire Blyth is the founder of the design-focused PR agency Red Setter, where she lends her expertise in the design industry to some of the world’s leading brand design teams on how to grow and shape their reputations. She is the host of the ‘My Life in Design’ podcast in partnership with the Design Business Association and a co-founder of the Creative Industry Alliance, which is campaigning to save art and design in state schools, underling how negativity affects the economy, diversity, and our cultural identity. Claire is also the Co-Founder of Flock, Brighton’s regular design meet-up. Through it all, she is a passionate and vocal advocate for the value that brand design brings to business and society.
Red Setter is the PR agency for the world’s brand design pioneers. We amplify the voice and value of design, to help the world’s most ambitious agencies and in-house teams achieve the recognition they deserve; attracting business and talent, building their brand, and staying relevant in an ever-changing world. We’ve built an expert team of journalists, media specialists, and PR strategists who share an unrivalled understanding of the brand design industry and the media. It’s insider knowledge that sets us apart, so we can set our clients apart.
