The objective of this article is to emphasize how good PR can be developed. Young brands and companies are in a hurry to get noticed. PR is definitely one good tool to bring your brand into daily conversation. However there is a difference between PR and a short burst of activity or mentions in popular mediums (press/ TV/ radio). Sometime a young brand asks for PR measured by “How many mentions will I get in 30 days?”

Notice the word relations in public relations. Relationships are not built in short time frames. Often the most valuable and cherished associations built on trust authenticity and respect take months if not years to build.

Does your brand have that patience?

Remember that your customers have a very short memory. This is good news because it allows your brand to evolve without disconnecting from the consumer. This also means that brand building is a series of conversations over an extended period of time with your customer.

Put in other words giving your customer one new message for 10 days and expecting him to remember it on the 50th day is not practical. You have a better chance of the consumer remembering one message repeated over 50 days.

Consumers are repeatedly bombarded with messages everyday from many different mediums. Social media/ Print/ Radio/ TV- it doesn't end. Repeating a message over a period of time is the only way we have learnt to retain key messages. The same is true of your consumer.

Building authenticity comes through behaving consistently over time.

Getting published in social media is always great news but is it retainable?

Something new I hear today from 10 different people will not make me remember it too long. Tomorrow 10 other people will give me another message and so on everyday. But if our brand was to share one message everyday and repeat it over time, I would retain it. The fundamentals of PR.

You need time to build trust with the right mediums. To get the right mentions. Credibility cannot be bought and sold. Only sustained messaging supported by actions that demonstrate the words, build authenticity and hence deep and relevant public relations.