Hey team,
How are you?
It’s Callum.
I’ve got the flu.
But here I am writing a PR masterclass for you.
Not all heroes where capes 😉
This is Andrew Bloch:
Don’t recognise him?
He co-founded one of the UK’s top PR agencies Frank.
He sold it for an eye-watering 8 figures!
He’s been Lord Alan Sugar’s PR advisor for the past 23 years.
He’s a PR genius.
This is everything I learnt from him:
1/ Don’t wait until you’ve crashed and burned
Lots of people don’t view PR as a necessity.
But why?
Any brand can tap into PR.
Why should you be using it?
2/ Cut through
It’s never been easier to reach people.
Especially with the rise of paid social.
But competition is tough.
“With the click of a button you can reach millions of people,” says Andrew.
“But that doesn't mean that your message is going to get through.”
How do you get past all the mindless doom scrollers and create something impactful?
3/ Create Controversy
Good PR has talkability.
One of Andrew’s biggest PR stunts happened 19 years ago.
But people still talk about it today.
This legendary HP Sauce campaign flew high.
Why?
Because people wanted to talk about it.
When it comes to your next PR stunt, think about:
What will people take away from it?
How would a stranger break it down to a friend?
What’s the hook?
4/ Use PR to solve a problem
What’s the biggest pain point your business is currently dealing with?
Use PR to tackle it.
Here’s an example of how Andrew helped the UK’s biggest insurance comparison website to dominate.
What can we learn from this?
“PR should always have a business impact,” says Andrew.
PR isn’t for vanity
If you don’t know why you’re doing it, you will probably fail
What problem are you aiming to solve?
How will you measure its success?
Compare the Market no longer compete on Pay Per Click.
They’ve built a defensible brand with a moat.
This campaign saved the company.
5/ Create a feeling
What’s one of the best PR stunts of all time?
It has to be the 2012 Red Bull skydive.
They wanted to pull off the highest altitude skydive.
Aussie daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from over 24 miles above the Earth.
This was a whopping $30 million project.
Was it a price worth paying?
Yes:
The secret to their success?
They created a story
We became invested in their mission
We watched as they made history
They created a feeling of togetherness
Every piece of content you make should set out to create a feeling.
6/ “Comfortably uncomfortable”
Great PR can feel risky.
You might worry about people’s reactions.
But remember: you need to spark conversation.
If you’re willing to pay for a PR team, you should be willing to trust them.
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
Can you use:
Humour
Controversy
Sex
Humanity
Surprise
Messages travel faster when harnessing them.
Ok… that’s a wrap!
Hope you found this useful?
What PR campaigns have stuck with you over the years?
Let me know.
I read every reply.
Want some more?
Watch my whole conversation with Andrew on YouTube:
Hope you have a great week.
Callum
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