Articles > Survive the downturn: Why PR beats a duvet
In challenging times it’s tempting to do the business equivalent of hiding under the duvet. It may feel good in the short term to curl up and hope the bad stuff goes away, but it won’t get you very far on the road to recovery.
Recovery needs action, and that means reminding your customers who you are and what you do. Public Relations is the natural way to do this. It doesn’t need a big budget to do the basics, just a little creative thinking and consistent action.
What type of PR works in a downturn?
Some of the simplest PR activities will help keep your business in the limelight: speaking at conferences and seminars, or providing comment pieces to a key trade publication or online site. Don’t forget to adapt your message to suit the times, and make sure what you offer is tailored to meet your customers’ current needs.
PR can be at its most powerful when times are tough. It’s often not the situation, but the way your business handles it, that will be remembered. Take an example highlighted by Anthony Hilton, City commentator on London’s Evening Standard. Fund managers were asked by the media to comment on how stock market investors should behave at this difficult time. Most declined, preferring to keep a ‘low profile’.
Hilton argues that it is precisely at these times that businesses need to keep communicating with their customers. I agree. And it’s not just your customers you’ll be reaching. Whatever the final outcome, being prepared to talk when things are not going so well will also build credibility with another important audience – journalists.
Simple PR tools to use when the going gets tough:
- Speaking opportunities at conferences and seminars – enhances ‘expert’ status and builds profile for your business.
- Media debates and regular columns – well-constructed opinion pieces or comment on issues affecting your industry give you profile and will be appreciated by trade media editors looking for interesting content.
- Case studies – showing real life examples of how your business works, transforms a sales pitch into something that tells a story.
- Relevant news stories related to your business activities. Be careful to stick to genuine news only.
Good points–maybe as one of the resources on this site you could point us toward directories (online or off) of conferences and seminars that might be open to speakers?
This is an interesting topic and very relevent to the business community. I too would like some further reading suggestions if possible.
thanks for these comments. A few suggestions of where to research speaking opportunities below:
Specialst trade media – both online and off is a good place to start. Most list forthcoming events and seminars and may welcome new speakers. Try industry forums and trade and professional association sites also.
Chamber of Commerce groups often welcome guest speakers with something of interest for their members. See
Finally – speakers usually get booked well in advance of an event, so start your research early to increase your chances of success.