As time goes on, the eco-friendly movement just keeps growing bigger and bigger, emphasising your need for an ethical PR agency. Whilst this market continues to grow, many of its elements are already becoming overcrowded. What’s more, popularity surrounding the desire to enter this market isn’t showing any signs of slowing. With this in mind, it’s important you are acting now if you want to become a market leader.
Since opening our doors in 2009, VerriBerri have been fortunate enough to help a multitude of eco-friendly brands. From bamboo toothbrushes, right through to ethically produced jewellery, we’re confident taking on almost any project. Whether you’re at the start of your journey as a sustainable brand or several years in, our team are here to lend a helping hand!
What is PR?
For those of you who don’t know, PR is a way for brands to improve their relationship and the way they communicate with their consumers. In other words, this is how you manage public perception.
There are a few different routes you can take with your PR strategy. For some brands, you may want to explore the possibility of implementing an influencer strategy. For others, you might be focusing on press. In addition to this, another side to PR that lots of people overlook are the opportunities that can arise among other mass media outlets. For example, on the television, radio, or on popular podcasts.
Another huge part of PR is crisis management. No business is can ever stop issues from arising. Having said this, not every crisis you run into needs to have a catastrophic impact on your reputation. When you seek help from an ethical PR agency, it’s their responsibility to help minimise the fallout of any negative press.
How can PR boost my brand?
As we trust is relatively obvious, one of the biggest advantages of PR is visibility. A successfully executed strategy is a great way to tap into unchartered territories. Stories should shine a positive light on your brand, attracting both new and existing consumers.
In addition to catching the attention of new customers, being featured in the press should also drive more traffic to both your website and social media channels. Providing you have spent time developing these areas too, this should result in higher sales. What’s more, even if a reader doesn’t necessarily buy your product, positive press is sure to get them talking. A strong PR strategy can lead to a great deal of word of mouth, expanding your reach.
Unfortunately, some people hear ‘ethical’ and immediately start questioning your integrity. Throughout the years, many brands have given themselves this label only to be part of a huge scandal a few years later. This of course highlights the importance of credibility. Through PR, you can share your own message, building authority along the way.
Important stats you need to know
In all honesty, we could sit here all day telling you about how important PR is for brands, but don’t just take our word for it. Below are a few important stats you need to know before investing in your strategy…
- In 2018, around 69% of the UK population admitted to downloading a newspaper or magazine.
- 65% of news readers consume stories via the internet.
- 70% of young people trust influencers over conventional celebrities.
- In the UK alone, over half of adults use TV to keep up with the news.
What does a PR agency do?
Now you know what PR is all about and why it’s so important, you’re probably wondering whether hiring an agency is really necessary. When you own a business, it’s only natural that you become the best at finding ways to cut costs. This being said, when it comes to your communications strategy, a specialist firm really is a must-have.
The bottom line is, going it alone with getting your brand featured in the press can be expensive. In fact, this is usually way more costly than hiring an agency in the first instance. When you contact an outlet directly, anything they write for you is typically done on an advertorial basis. Comparatively, through our long list of valuable contacts, we can gain you exclusive opportunities on an editorial basis, without additional costs.
If we’re being completely honest, it’s likely you’re going to struggle getting your strategy off the ground unless you know who to talk to. As your ethical PR agency, it’s our job to reach out to journalists and seek potential opportunities on your behalf. From here, we’ll begin pitching and writing the articles that are picked up by publications.
Why you need a professional team
The coronavirus pandemic was a huge setback for lots of brands, especially those of you who are small. Typically, ethical products cost more money than those that are made of less sustainable materials. With many households being left without as much disposable income over the last 24 months, your business likely took a huge hit.
Now people are beginning to get back on their feet, the market is beginning to flourish once again. This provides plenty of potential for your brand to capitalise. If you’re keen to take full advantage of this surge in demand, utilising an ethical PR agency is the best way to make some noise.
As we touched on earlier, the eco-friendly market is growing at a rapid rate. With the pandemic challenging many of us to take a closer look at the brands we’re using, many people are now keen to support more ethical organisations. Now is the time to be pushing your brand and spreading awareness. If you’re not taking full advantage of this increase in demand, you may run the risk of falling behind the crowd.
Contact our team!
The bottom line is, bringing onboard an ethical PR agency now could just be the best thing your brand ever does, providing they are credible of course. If you would like to know more about VerriBerri and the work we have done previously, why not get in touch? You can reach one of our professionals by clicking here!