We all have certain products we are loyal to: a type of gum, a particular kind of soap, or even a specific brand of electronics. Think of Apple for example: many people own the brand’s laptops, phones and tablets. Although we rarely think about it, there is something about our favorite products and brands that keeps us coming back for more– regardless of their similar (and perhaps less expensive) counterparts.
In today’s marketplace, having a well-designed product is often not enough to create a bond with customers. People must be aware of your product and understand how it will be of value to them before it can become their favorite go-to item. As Kathy Cripps points out in a blog post for the Council of PR Firms, it’s not just about getting information out there—it has to be useful information. Oftentimes, this is where a well-orchestrated product PR campaign can help. Positive publicity can give products a competitive edge and build customer loyalty.
So what exactly is product PR? Typically, product PR refers to placing product reviews or generating news coverage of a specific product. Comparative reviews, stand-alone expert reviews, or customer reviews frequently found on retail websites, such as Amazon.com, often have a significant impact on adoption of products and services.
PR professionals must take a “product perspective” before embarking on a campaign. This entails identifying the business problem the product is solving, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the product, learning about the key features and functionality of the product, obtaining compelling data and statistics about the product, and navigating the competitive landscape. It also is necessary to develop credible, memorable and useful messaging to ensure the product you are promoting is easily described and understood.
We have recently been working on securing reviews of Mobidia’s application called, My Data Manager. This application allows Android and iPhone users to monitor their mobile data usage. The app shows consumers how much data they are using and sends alerts to them before they breach their monthly data thresholds to avoid overages and bill shock.
To help journalists understand how this app compares to other ways of checking data usage, we developed the following table.
Taking a product perspective can also be useful for initiatives or campaigns that don’t involve a product because it can refresh the way you think. Since it is a presidential election year, it is easy to see how this product approach might be applied to a politician by his or her campaign team. Smart campaign managers should think through the following:
- How does the candidate measure up against the competition? Where does he win and where does he lose in relation to others seeking votes?
- Are his or her messages easy to understand, memorable and credible?
- What are the areas of weakness that need to be mitigated before they are detrimental to the campaign?
As you can see, approaching non-product initiatives from the product perspective can be extremely useful. Think about educating yourself in some of tenets of product PR. You may be surprised how helpful this approach may be.