For PR's sake
How can you generate positive publicity yourself and when should you call in the professionals, asks Humayun Hussain
The often-quoted adage of "any publicity is good publicity" may ring true in theory, but in reality it carries little or no merit. If an accident occurred at your pub and made the local or even national news, the business would gain exposure for all the wrong reasons. PR, or public relations, is about sending out a positive message to the media, thereby elevating public interest.
Not that pubs have traditionally had to do much in the way of PR. Scores of pubs are popular local institutions that needn't consciously do anything to promote themselves. Then again, remaining a thriving community pub does take work to retain customers - particularly as post-smoke-ban pubs start to set out their stall to a new breed of customer.
"Once it was a case of pubs just being there," says Mark Hastings, director of communications for the British Beer & Pub Association. "Now it's a case of getting out there. Pub owners are waking up to their need to get adventurous in how they market their pubs.
"Whether that is via their food offer or the fact they are becoming more family friendly, they need to get their message across.
"Smokers need a reason to still come to the pub, along with non-smokers, who have traditionally been put off by smokers in pubs, but will want to go to pubs now. These are the groups that need to be targeted, and that requires a PR and marketing touch."
The smoking ban aside, during the past decade the UK's eating and drinking scene has also changed. We are now eating out more, with the pub-food market alone worth an estimated £6.7bn - but it is a lot more competitive.
Whether you employ the services of a PR company or decide to promote your pub yourself will depend very much on your business offer, your expectations and how confident and media and marketing savvy you are.
Play to your strengths
If you have a talented chef with good credentials and high-quality cooking, consider approaching a PR company familiar with food journalists nationally. Alternatively, you can rely on word of mouth to build up, though that can take longer than employing a PR company.
A focused approach, targeting customers through marketing activities and perhaps the local paper, rather than seeking column inches in food magazines, is also a good option. Promotion of your business isn't just dependent on top-notch cooking. Your pub's unique selling angle can be anything from a great selection of real ales to a beautiful setting with amazing views, an olde worlde interior, or even a vast beer garden.
Taking the route of using a PR agency, it's vital to select a reputable company. Ideally, it should be one recommended by other pubs or even restaurants rather than just one being chosen at random from the Yellow Pages.
The best PR companies will tell you upfront whether they can take you on as a client or not because they are experienced enough to know whether a pub is offering something worthwhile. An unscrupulous PR company is more likely to immediately say it can assist and even make false promises about doubling your business in a few months. Take a close look at its credentials to see who its past and current clients are and then speak to some of them about their work with the company.
Charges can vary, but minimum charges will usually start at £1,000 a month. Usually, companies will take on a client for a minimum of three to six months as it can take that time frame for publications with long lead times, and for food critics and journalists to give coverage.
After that, should a client want to continue employing the PR's service, a monthly retainer fee is payable. Generally, a PR campaign will be "hooked" into a particular aspect of the pub, which, aside from a launch, can be about a new chef, a new menu or even a refurbishment.
Tailor-made campaigns
Kate Lester, from Roche Communications, a PR company that has several London pubs as its clients, says: "Each campaign is tailor-made and based on the pub's identity, product offer, location and target market.
"We undertake the creation and implementation of a promotional calendar focusing on seasonal and media hooks, as well as slow periods, to increase awareness and drive sales. We also do direct-marketing campaigns."
A press release is where it all begins. The hooks that have been devised by the agency will form the basis of the information that will be sent out across various media. Bear in mind though, reviews or any other coverage or editorial isn't guaranteed, as journalists will often take their own sweet time to come around.
After initially doing some advertising with local glossies, and with little or nothing in the way of return, Tom Kerridge who, along with his wife, Beth, opened the Hand & Flowers in 2005, decided to use JRPR after a recommendation.
"We knew our food and service was excellent," says Kerridge, "and we were in Marlow, a very affluent and well-known town, so the chances of getting media reviews were strong. We were proven right and JRPR has done a
superb job of promoting us.
"There is a lot of weight taken off our shoulders. JRPR handles all the media enquiries so if journalists want to interview me, or find out about any developments such as a new menu launch or longer opening hours, JRPR will deal with all those aspects. That leaves Beth and I to run the business without having to worry about all the external concerns, especially as we now have a very-high profile."
Whereas the Hand & Flowers may be a high-end gastropub that has done well out of PR, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Chris and Alison Wittwer, who have run Punch pub the Royal Oak, in Exminster, Devon, since 2005, have made a success of their business purely through their own marketing activities.
"Chris and I wanted the pub to achieve a high profile in the community," explains Alison. "We introduced live bands and singers, pool competitions, quizzes and karaoke. We built a customer database and introduced loyalty-cards. I send mailshots when customers' birthdays are due, with special offers.
"I also called the local paper. So far we have been in it more than 20 times for one thing or another, which has been great for us. Owners forget how much they can achieve themselves with a little bit of imagination, rather than having to pay someone to do their PR."
Do it yourself PR tips
l Be clear in your mind what your unique selling angle is. Are you opening a new pub? Introducing a new chef or menu? Planning a beer festival or a new extension?
l Build your own media list using relevant food, drink, and listings magazines and newspapers. Do the same with the annual food and drink guides such as The Good Pub Guide. Or just call the publication and ask who their relevant reviewers are. But be realistic. If you are a neighbourhood venue with run-of-the-mill pub grub, national titles are unlikely to pay a visit. Once you've got a list of names together, write to them using your letterhead and invite them for a meal
l Try phoning the relevant writer on your local paper's leisure section to tell them about what's going on in your pub and invite them for a complimentary meal for two
l Send a short press release to your media list, saying what you are doing differently to other pubs. Follow it up with a brief phone call a few weeks later. Offer to re-send the release and ensure you have the correct email address
l Remember, PR isn't just about attracting the media's attention - marketing can also play a part. So be active and hold regular events. Once you have built up a customer database, send out a monthly newsletter.
