I sometimes encounter almost a begrudging mindset among prospective construction and real estate public relations clients when deciding to engage in a program. To some extent, I can understand this, especially if they’ve had previous experience working with an agency. They were probably sold a program that never really considered what a construction, architecture, or engineering firm actually needed, especially if the agency they engaged with was historically a consumer-oriented PR firm.
First of all, A/E/C firms need a partner that specializes in, or at least has a thorough understanding of, B2B public relations. There’s a unique style that goes along with pitching the media that covers business topics, and additionally, there’s a process for extracting information from the client that is necessary for both content creation and B2B PR. I’m willing to bet most agencies that A/E/C firms initially engage with have little to no understanding of how to work within these confines.
Not to thump my chest, but one of the best things our agency does is get in and get out, quickly, with all the information we need to produce the client’s desired outcome. I recently spent roughly half a day with a cleanrooms builder in support of a content audit, and I’m happy to report we produced a roadmap that was better than 95 percent of what they had envisioned, for a considerable amount less than the previous firm that missed the mark. Unfortunately, they had already spent that money to essentially acquire a bad product.
Another layer of this is the distinction between public relations and public affairs. The former, if you’re reading this blog, you already know what it is. The latter is a bit more nuanced. Public affairs is the practice of inserting your brand or company into the crosshairs of public officials or agencies you wish to engage with. This could be because they are an awarding agency for a project, or they are close to someone or something that is. Public affairs lives in a space between lobbying and PR, and has the distinct benefit of making introductions for your leadership without the cost implications (or crazy billable hours) of a traditional lobbying firm.
Public affairs plan is a service that Pedigree PR is uniquely qualified for. Your average consumer PR agency that pitches mommy bloggers most of the time doesn’t have a clue how to do this. Trust our years of experience in the A/E/C world, along with over a decade in high-tech PR, venture-backed industries, and global corporate public relations programs to get your firm both the media coverage and the influential introductions it needs to win more business.
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