Making the Most of Corporate PR

News is everywhere in business and a good PR firm will know exactly where to look to find the stories that will trigger a good, sustainable PR campaign. Whether it's the retirement of a long serving member of staff or the fact the firm has won a prestigious industry award, every piece of news can be used to maximise PR.

Company news - whether it concerns hirings, retirements or promotions - is a good way to secure positive coverage, particularly in the business press. Publicly recognising the achievements of staff members will also help boost morale and, very likely, spark interest among competitors in the daily workings of your business.

One notable case study involves a Watford-based firm called Telehealth Solutions, which specialises in technology to boost remote patient care. The firm spearheaded a ground-breaking telehealth project on the remote Isle of Bute in which patients with chronic lung conditions were given small HomePods to monitor their condition from home.

After a year, hospital admissions had been cut dramatically and patients were delighted with their new pods, so the project was hailed a success. Telehealth Solutions, along with its project partners NHS Highland, was subsequently given a national health award in November last year.

This achievement not only triggered an immediate news story but acted as a catalyst for a much wider corporate PR campaign, which secured substantial media coverage for the firm throughout the UK and Europe. It also raised the possibility of follow-up stories with national broadcasters once the evaluation of the project was published.

This illustrates how one event can trigger a series of PR opportunities, all of which keep the corporate name in the public arena and, crucially, ensure firms are viewed as 'clued-up' and media savvy leaders in their areas of expertise. In short, always look below the surface for the story, as that is often where your unique PR trigger lies and, beneath it, an untapped goldmine of publicity.