THE FIRST MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO PRing ANYTHING//
The single most important thing to establish before you PR anything is the WHY. Without knowing the WHY of the business you can’t pitch anything with great value or diversify the story.
Without the WHY you can’t execute PR thoughtfully, strategically, or sustainably. Without the WHY you’re hanging around with fluff and bubble. Without the WHY your PR is doing you and you’re not doing PR.
The WHY statement of a business is its purpose and greater cause beyond making that business more profitable. And simply to be ‘seen being seen’ by way of publicity because publicity is wanted to tick a box or feel better (recognised and reassured).
When you know your WHY…
- You create a filter for your entire business and every decision within it
- You are saddled in purpose and in the service of others
- Your content is guided by providing value to your community
- Your ideal tribe can find you, see you and join you more easily (shared values)
- You have clarity on how you communicate across every touch-point
- Media are more compelled to support you because you’re not trying to sell a commercial message
- It motivates you and your team to push through any curve-ball or career misadventure beyond keeping stakeholders happy
- It helps you weed out clients who are misaligned to you because you’re not speaking the same language It brings more joy and makes life better because you have clarity on where you’re heading even during a pandemic
Finding a WHY for a business is not Pollyanna or up in the clouds. It’s the fundamental first step to being great at PR.
The ‘WHY to buy’ is very important.
When you’re not clear on your why…
- Media don’t trust you because they don’t know what you stand for. They move away from your pitch because it’s all too hard and Calamity Jane.
- They don’t consider you for future opportunities because the messaging wasn’t seeded in a way that they would remember.
- They don’t tell their colleagues about you because they’re not sure what it is you do in the first place.
PR PRos have the very difficult task of creating something out of nothing and PRing all sorts of things that don’t naturally have compelling stories to share or that are same, same and not really different. Knowing the WHY of a business is what helps us (anyone!) to differentiate one business from another. Because the WHY story only belongs to them. Then how it’s brought to life visually and anecdotally is also unique to that business; the WHY anchors all communication and its what attracts better clients and builds brand.
Words by Jade Roberts
raraPR Founder and Creative Director
raraPR is above all the sum of people who together help build brands and share stories. We are present in our determination to make a positive difference to the world by representing individuals and businesses that are doing good. We are an extension of the personal stories within us, those that we exist for and those within you that need to be heard.
PRBYYOU is an interactive DIY tools and templates PR system created by raraPR. The Why To Buy Discovery Product Includes:
- Product Instructions PRBYYOU Companion
- A PDF Ebook version of the product
- A link to a fully interactive version accessed via Canva
- An overview of the why to buy process
- Guidance and prompts along the way
- x36 A4 pages of professionally designed facilitators
- Guidance on defining your vision and mission
- Aligning with a cause facilitator
- Support with creating a WHY statement
