“The role of imagery has always been central to PR”

That line comes from the recent rising power of images article on PRWeek.com and those ten little words have given me much food for thought over the past few days.

It’s safe to say that images have had a close relationship with many communication disciplines over the years: not just PR, but marketing and advertising too; semiotics has always played an important role in influencing public opinion and reinforcing brand recognition.

In fact, here’s a quick pop quiz to reinforce that point. Take a look at the following images – I’d eat my hat if you didn’t get all of them correct.

What’s more, with the advent of social media, the bond between images and public relations has grown even stronger. It began with Facebook and Twitter as the sharing sites of choice, but as consumers’ need for simplicity has expanded, so has the number of platforms available with Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest fast becoming big contenders in the ‘content is king’ boxing-ring.

But “what does this mean for PR practitioners?” I hear you say. It means now is the time to become even savvier when spreading the word - or sharing the picture. We’ve all heard about the rise of the citizen journalist, but what about the rise of the citizen paparazzo? According to The Daily Telegraph Picture Editor, Matthew Fearn, “Ten years ago, The Daily Telegraph received about 5,000 images a day. Now, it can receive up to 50,000 on a busy day”.

This speaks volumes about the public’s need to interact and be a part of the news stories that are generated on a daily basis. PR practitioners need to embrace this and realise the benefits of having an even bigger capability than before to spread awareness about a particular brand or product.

This is something that we at Target PR have taken on board and used as a PR tactic for our client Specsavers in a competition called ‘Life Thru the Lens’. The competition, which has been running for many years, sees both print and online newspapers across the country teaming up with Specsavers to invite members of the public to capture the essence of their hometown - whether it’s the sun shining on a local landmark or simply capturing the local hustle and bustle – entries continue to flood in year on year, with a host of prizes up for grabs for the cream of the crop.

So, as you can see, there is huge room for added authenticity by engaging the public, but the onus is on PR practitioners to provide the credibility while ensuring imagery remains the focal point of this marvellous mix.

Zainab Rahman

Account Executive

P.S. Logo answers: L-R Reebok, Nike, BMW and Levis. I hope I don’t have to eat my hat!

It's a dog eat dog world

HMV 1908 – 2013, read it and weep.

But first, let’s rewind some 105 years to the birth of a brand that went on to establish more than 400 stores worldwide and provided a hub for music enthusiasts to unite through their love of lyrics.

The origins of the brand name ‘HMV’ were founded upon the title of a painting ‘His Master’s Voice’ which pictured a dog listening to a wind-up gramophone; it was this image that later became synonymous with the brand among loyal customers who devoted their hard-earned money to purchasing CDs at their local high street store.

Fast forward to the year 2000 and, ironically, it was those customers who became savvy to the cost-cutting ways of online downloads, fuelling a digital music revolution and leading to the demise of the master and his dog.

But why was this allowed to happen? Why didn’t someone take a long hard look at the business model and realise that buyer behaviour was evolving in the same way man has done since time began? With the advent of the internet HMV’s alarm bells should have been ringing as the battle for survival of the fittest had begun.

The downfall could have been prevented with a strong stakeholder management strategy supporting the organisation’s overarching mission to sell music, while creating positive relationships both internally and externally. Unfortunately for HMV, 80% of the public pipped them to the post as customers’ attitudes towards online downloads had made the transition from latent, to aware and then active. The public evolved, while HMV sat and watched.

Just as we highlighted in last week’s Starbucks blog post: the golden rule of reputation management is to always listen to your publics and tailor your message accordingly – the same can be said for any business model.

From telegrams to texts, books to ebooks and blogs to vlogs; the world has evolved and it’s time for brands to listen and adapt or get left out in the cold.

Let’s hope that future business models hit all the right notes.

Zainab Rahman
Account Executive