PR ON THE GO October 22, 2023

Thinking Outside the Box: Unique PR Strategies That Delivered Results

In the fast-paced world of startups and creative industries, standing out isn't just a goal, it's a necessity. In this expert panel, we delve into the innovative realm of public relations and marketing.

We reached out to seasoned PR and marketing professionals and asked for their secret weapons in the battle for attention. The result? Ten inspiring tactics shared by PR Consultants, Marketing Managers and VPs of Marketing, all designed to ignite your creativity and fuel your next PR campaign. So get ready to break away from the conventional and embrace the extraordinary as we embark on a journey of unconventional insights into PR campaigns.

• Create A Free Digital Magazine
• Start A Product Integration Campaign
• Use Stickers for a Fun, Brand-Centric Strategy
• Put Empathy in the Heart of Content Creation
• Harness User-Generated Content for Authenticity
• Make Differentiation the Key to Social Media Success
• Try Shared Pain Points as an Unconventional Approach
• Align Seasonally to Resonate with Audience Rhythms
• Be Selective with Endorsers
• Achieve Authenticity Through Customer Storytelling

1) Create A Free Digital Magazine

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, R Public Relations

"One unique strategy that yielded success was creating a free digital magazine for a client in the food industry. We recycled educational articles and recipes that we previously published, edited them to make them better than before, and added some new bonus content. Then, we packaged the content in beautiful graphics and redistributed it across all owned channels to celebrate the client’s 15-year anniversary. This low-lift, high-yeild strategy allowed us to make old content feel extra special without taking up too much of our team’s valuable time. Plus, the content acted as an added value for the client’s loyal audience, who can now download and revisit the magazine often."

2) Start A Product Integration Campaign

Rakesh Bisht, Gleexa

"For one particular client, we identified a highly influential social media personality with a substantial following, whose values and style resonated with our target demographic.

Instead of pursuing traditional media outlets, we focused on a comprehensive product integration campaign. The strategy involved creating bespoke content that showcased our client's product as an essential component of the influencer's daily routine. By organically integrating the product into various aspects of their life—such as morning routines, workouts, meals, and travels—we were able to form a genuine connection between the influencer and our client's brand. The campaign unfolded over several weeks and reached millions of followers who regularly engaged with the content.

Throughout the campaign, we implemented data-driven optimizations by monitoring user engagement and continuously refining our approach based on analytics. We also capitalized on cross-pollination opportunities by inviting other influential personalities within our targeted industry to provide their own endorsement of the product. This unique PR strategy ultimately led to a significant boost in brand visibility, consumer engagement, and ultimately sales for our client."

3) Use Stickers for a Fun, Brand-Centric Strategy

Katie O'Dell, YellowDog

"Stickers! It sounds simplistic, but as a company that offers marketing, design, and print services, bringing these things together into a super-fun, locally inspired, custom-illustrated sticker sheet was the perfect encapsulation of our brand, community values, and the quality of our work. The lesson is to keep it relevant. Every facet of every campaign is an opportunity to tell your unique story. If you can, always try to incorporate your brand's work into your marketing."

4) Put Empathy in the Heart of Content Creation

Marissa Pané, Pané Marketing

"The best success comes from sharing empathetic or relatable content with your audience. I've tested the exact same copy on social media campaigns, but altered the visuals from being an informative "how-to" headline on a branded graphic to a humorous video poking fun at my audience's current mistakes, and the results were a night-and-day difference.

Simply providing helpful insights to your audience doesn't cut it anymore. There's so much content on the internet that a typical message can get lost in the abyss.

When you get crystal clear on your messaging and understand how your audience prefers to consume content, the results from your content will speak for themselves."

5) Harness User-Generated Content for Authenticity

Jessica Shee, iBoysoft

"Utilizing the power of user-generated content (UGC) to develop brand authenticity and trust was a unique tactic I employed in a highly successful campaign. We encouraged our customers to share their experiences with our product on social media using a designated hashtag and then highlighted the best user-generated content on our website and in marketing materials.

Others can learn from this strategy the tremendous impact of peer-generated, authentic content. Additionally, it fosters a sense of community around your brand. By actively engaging with your consumers and highlighting their voices, you establish a strong bond and a level of trust that traditional advertising cannot often achieve. However, it is essential to have a well-thought-out UGC strategy, obtain the appropriate permissions, and monitor the quality and consistency of the content. When executed properly, UGC can transform your marketing efforts."

6) Make Differentiation the Key to Social Media Success

Jason Vaught, SmashBrand

"Differentiation is a critical component of success when creating social media content. One strategy I use is performing a competitive analysis for whom our audience follows to see their specific strategies. While most are looking for the "best performers," I'm looking for ways to differentiate our content from everything else our followers see. It's had a significant impact on our engagement and has increased the amount of new followers we get each month."

7) Try Shared Pain Points as an Unconventional Approach

Rehana Aslam, Instantly API

"I recently ran a successful marketing campaign for my business that utilized an unconventional strategy. The goal was to increase brand awareness. Rather than trying to beat our competitors with aggressive advertising tactics, we focused on the shared pain points between us and those competitors. We used organic social media posts as well as targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., to reach their audience.

The results have been incredible; not only did it create a buzz about the brand, but it also got more qualified leads. It's one of those approaches that you don't always think of when thinking about marketing strategies but can provide fantastic results if done correctly."

8) Align Seasonally to Resonate with Audience Rhythms

Hilary Kozak, LivSmooth

"A successful strategy that has yielded positive results in our campaigns involves aligning our messaging with the year's natural rhythms. By tailoring our content to the changing seasons and holidays, we can tap into the collective consciousness and resonate with our audience on a deeper level.

This approach allows us to create a sense of relevance and urgency, encouraging our customers to engage with our products or services at specific times of the year. When executed effectively, this strategy can lead to increased customer engagement, higher conversion rates, and improved brand loyalty. Others need to recognize the value of this approach and adapt it to their campaigns, as it provides a straightforward way to connect with audiences and drive desired actions."

9) Be Selective with Endorsers

Marco Genaro Palma, TechNews180

"One of the unique strategies we've employed in a successful campaign revolved around using endorsers with a genuine alignment to our product and message. We’ve used “faces” recognized in a particular setting in the industry but not overtly known in the mainstream.

These endorsements brought trust and credibility without overshadowing the message or looking like we were relying on the familiarity of the face alone. The most impactful endorsements come from those who align with your message rather than just the well-known names."

10) Achieve Authenticity Through Customer Storytelling

Ranee Zhang, Airgram

"In a recent campaign, a "Customer Storytelling" strategy was employed. Rather than solely focusing on product features, authentic customer experiences were showcased. Real-life success stories were collected and shared, highlighting the benefits the product brought to customers' lives.

This approach not only built trust but also created an emotional connection with the audience, leading to increased engagement and conversion rates. The key takeaway for others is to harness the power of genuine customer stories to make marketing campaigns more relatable and impactful."

#PRontheGO

This expert panel was published in collaboration with Featured.