Contrary to popular opinion, developing an effective public relations strategy is not only about media relations. A PR strategy is both a long-term plan and an agile tool that helps a company, brand or organisation achieve its business goals.

In today’s always-on, 24/7 social media age, any useful PR strategy is an ‘integrated’ strategy, comprising media, social media, physical and virtual events and more. An integrated PR strategy has to encompass all forms of paid, earned, shared and owned media, in line with the industry-wide accepted ‘PESO model’.

An effective PR strategy helps to build, establish a business or brand’s reputation through a deep understanding of the impact of the convergence of paid, earned, shared and owned media on the organisation.

Effective, proactive and well-informed media relations is at the core of any productive public relations campaign. Successful PR in today’s always-on 24/7 news cycle encompasses paid, earned, shared and owned media. With media relations focusing almost entirely on generating positive and valuable earned media coverage: establishing and improving the relationship between a company or brand and the media.

In order to tell your company’s or brand’s story well, a targeted and well-executed media relations campaign is essential.

Proactive and strategic crisis communications and expert reputation management are both increasingly essential in today’s always-on news media landscape. After all, as Warren Buffett famously said, “it can take 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.”

Potentially damaging news, leaks, rumours or other sensitive business information travels faster than ever in todays connected social media world. Which is exactly why businesses and brands need crisis communications experts and reputation management specialists to maintain a high level of trust and credibility with their customers, investors, business partners and other members of the public.