For most of our clients media relations is at the core of their PR campaigns and it is the core of our business. We have a very different approach to most agencies in our media outreach. We – like our clients – won’t settle for presence in just the specialist press. Our consultants are focussed on achieving regular coverage in broadcast, national, business and vertical sector media. To achieve this we have to be very creative, pro-active and aggressive.
We help our clients prepare for their role as media spokespeople, offering an array of training courses from introductory sessions to sessions on interview technique and crisis management, and working with the trade and business press to broadcast media training sessions. We work alongside journalists from consumer, business and trade media to ensure messages are tested, and techniques are honed in ‘real-life’ interviews.
Organisations regularly need to launch or re-position their corporate, product or service brands to accelerate their business performance and growth. We have proven methodologies to help with corporate identity, brand values, positioning, proposition and message development. Brands2Life employs a specific methodology for developing a set of key brand messages and proof points, which form the foundations of all PR activity. These messages help a company present its brand values, products and achievements to the media in an interesting way, which sets it apart from competitors.
The introduction of a new company, brand, product or service needs to deliver maximum impact to all audiences, especially the media. We create and manage attention-grabbing launches of all sizes every week of the year. We can handle the whole process from positioning and planning through the chosen launch vehicle to follow-up and measurement. We know how much a launch matters to the company involved and our clients can be reassured we will pull out every stop to ensure it gets off to the best possible start.
In order to build their brands at a corporate level, organisations often need to align themselves with a topical, societal or business issue for which they can provide all or part of the solution. We can find that issue for organisations, work with them to find the right way to create a perspective on that issue, find appropriate partners such as business schools or research companies and then communicate to all audiences through events, conferences, media relations and direct mail.
When companies hit a problem – redundancies, a product recall or a negative media programme – then they need expert advice to ensure they get through the crisis with their brand unaffected. We have extensive experience in helping clients prevent, manage and recover from crises of all descriptions.
Over 40% of our work for clients incorporates an international element. We work with global and regional client functions to develop plans, create content and run multi-country programmes across the US and Europe. We know how to manage multi-country agency networks on behalf of clients that generate results month-in, month-out. In many cases our work generates the core sales and marketing message that is used across all marketing and PR programmes.
Gaining the endorsement of a market analyst firm can make the difference between closing, or losing, a high value contract with a customer, partner or investor. At Brands2Life the goal of our market analyst relations service is to leverage the potential of analyst relations for our clients and integrate this into their overall marketing mix.
We provide clients with an entry point into analyst relations, whether an analyst briefing capability or an end-to-end market intelligence service is required. When executed properly, market analyst relations creates sales and partner leads.
Brands2Life has a dedicated speaker bureau team entirely focused on gaining high-quality, 'free' speaking opportunities at the top conferences in Europe for our clients. Our researchers work with over 200 conference organisers on a daily basis to ensure we know about new opportunities first and can help to create the agenda. On average our team places over 300 conference speaking slots for clients.
Case studies: 3i, Cisco Systems
Over the last ten years our staff have been responsible for the media exploitation of some of the highest profile sponsorships in Europe – EURO 2004, World Cup, Champions League and BT Global Challenge to name but four. The ability to optimise limited availability and strict exploitation guidelines to ensure maximum brand visibility for our clients is a core strength of ours.
The media landscape is evolving at breakneck speed. Over the last few years we've seen the meteoric rise of blogs, the spread of internet radio and television, the growth of citizen journalists and user-generated content and the viral power of social media. At the heart of all this change is a fundamental shift in how people 'consume' media - we are receptive to a greater variety of voices, demand interactivity and two-way conversations, and our lives require more flexibility in how and when we receive content.
What does all this mean for your brand and its messages? How can you produce consumer or business campaigns that are impactful in this changing media landscape? Do you target a blogger as you would a journalist, or do different rules apply? Does it make sense for a b2b brand to place films on YouTube? What makes a viral message spread like wildfire rather than fizzle out as a damp squib?
Interact is Brands2Life's consultancy arm that helps you answer these questions and get interactive in a way that makes sense for your brand. We can help you decide which of the new channels work for you, including blogs, podcasts, viral video/games, and much more. And because we understand 'traditional' media we can ensure that these elements either spice up or integrate with your existing campaigns.
In today's business environment, the UK's political and regulatory arenas can be a real minefield and barrier to successful PR and communications programmes. Brands2Life's clients therefore need to engage with the political process to drive reputation, brand and issue awareness; and they need to create supportive campaigning networks and understand how the political links to the media agenda.
B2L Public Affairs offers clients a cost-effective one-stop shop for integrated PR and public affairs programmes. Our campaigns:
- secure targeted political, stakeholder and media support for client activities and issues;
- raise the profile and visibility of clients - and their goods and services - in the UK's various political, regulatory and news media arenas; and
- influence the development of public policy and regulation, to improve the business and consumer environment in which our clients operate.
Whether providing strategic counsel, political contact and communication programmes, stakeholder engagement, or media relations, Brands2Life's integrated PR and public affairs programmes deliver real impact and results for our clients.
B2L Public Affairs is a member of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC). Membership of the APPC is contingent on consultancy being carried out within a strict ethical framework. www.appc.org.uk
