The most important ingredient to good PR.
DIFFERENTIATION
Yep, this is more important than a great product, service, experience or logo. They absolutely all matter too but put it this way; ‘contrasting’ will ensure you’re not ‘competing.’
Being different allows you to compete in your own paddock.
Being different allows you to be known for something.
Being different generates word-of-mouth publicity
Being different creates stories people care about and remember
Being different helps your ideal customer see you more clearly
And so the most important strategy in the PR mix is to unearth your ‘different’ and share that with the world. Finding your different is the fun part of PR and it’s how we unlock stories worth sharing and remembering. Sameness is a race to the bottom in PR and business.
What do you do that your competitors don’t?
Work that out and amplify that as the linchpin of all communication. Being the best is irrelevant. Providing quality is not a PR message. Being different in a category of sameness IS the best approach to managing PR well for anything.
Here is more context on how differentiation fits into our top-line recommended approach to strategic PR:
One – know your customers
Two – know how to speak to them
Three – know what you’re going to say
Four – know your point-of-difference
Five – know where you’re going to say it
Collectively these PR ingredients help build community, customers and brand.
While PR builds connection and community through aligned values; the differentiation is what helps the business to stand out and be seen being seen. Differentiation is what brings your people together making sure your story matters.
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.
