As a clinic or brand owner in the hyper-competitive aesthetic, beauty, and wellness industry, it’s not enough to be a great practitioner or to sell a great product or treatment – you need to promote what you do! Why? When your target audience is aware of and engages with your brand you can generate revenue to sustain and grow your business. Many brands wisely invest in PR and marketing to help raise brand awareness and generate sales but as there are many methods and tactics to consider knowing where to focus can feel overwhelming. At Kendrick PR we are often faced with great beauty PR FAQs from our prospective, new, and long-term clients alike!
In this article, we answer the beauty PR FAQs posed by brand and clinic owners to our team of beauty PR experts. Please continue reading to learn more about the principles of PR and how it can support your business for the long-term.
What is PR (Public Relations)?
“PR represents what other people say about your brand when you’re not there.”
PR is all about reputation and for brands in the aesthetics, beauty and wellbeing industry reputation is everything! A PR strategy or strategic approach to PR for your brand can help to influence the following:
- how others (customers, employees, the general public etc.) see your brand
- what people hear about your brand from others
- what people see in the media about your brand
- and much more!
When you come to devise a PR strategy for your brand the first question for you to consider is “how can we influence the conversation about our brand when we’re not in the room?”. Popular and effective PR tactics include securing media coverage, collaborating with social media influencers, and hosting engaging press events – all of these have the potential to influence how others perceive and talk about your brand.
What is marketing?
“The action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”
By definition, marketing is broad and refers to any actions a company takes to attract an audience to the company’s product or services through high-quality messaging (i.e. advertising, email marketing to their customer database). In contrast to PR, marketing is what you say about yourself or your brand. For example, when you create an advert for your brand you have total control over what you want to say and feature in it.
What is the main difference between PR and marketing?
We are often asked this question and the simplest way to explain it is that:
- PR is focused on building and maintaining a positive reputation for a brand which in turn stimulates demand and drives sales
- Marketing is focused on promoting and selling a specific product or service.
When we discuss marketing we often refer to the marketing mix which consists of four P’s: product, price, promotion, and place. These are the key factors involved in introducing or adding a product or service to the market. PR sits firmly within the promotional component of the marketing mix and presents a broad range of benefits vs advertising which we will discuss next.
What can PR do for beauty brands?
PR plays a vital role in promoting and fuelling the success of a business throughout its lifecycle, and can add many tangible benefits relating to a brand’s reputation and it’s revenue. The key benefits of PR include:
- raising brand awareness amongst target audiences across key media and digital platforms
- building trust and credibility with everyone who touches your business from prospective and existing customers to suppliers, the media, and even employees
- helping your brand standout amongst the competition in a crowded and competitive industry like aesthetics, beauty and wellness
- increasing sales and or bookings, which in turn can improve profit
- maintaining a positive reputation, even during or after a crisis
- and more!
What are the key PR tactics available to brands:
When it comes to devising PR strategies for brands there are many methods and tactics to master and choose between, they key is to focus on the areas that will reap the most important rewards. An effective PR strategy will combine traditional and digital PR tactics, which may include:
- Press and Digital programme outreach and management
- Press, product or launch events
- Influencer marketing
- Brand ambassador management
- Brand profiling
- Brand development & strategy
- Reputation and crisis management
- Industry research and reporting
- And more!
How is PR measured?
Before you begin any PR activity it’s wise to list the objectives or KPIs that you want it to deliver so that over time you can measure and benchmark success. For example, you may wish to increase your visibility amongst a specific target audience or receive a glowing testimonial from a key influencer or editor.
Below are 3 popular types of good PR that our clients often consider a ‘win’ and want to attain:
- Positive press coverage in relevant consumer and trade publications (i.e. being featured in The Style List of Stylist, a profile piece in Aesthetics Journal.)
- An award from a high-profile consumer or industry events (i.e. Glamour Beauty Awards)
- Fantastic buzz from social media influencers, brand followers, journalists, and the general public (i.e. positive posts on social media, product reviews, quotes)
How much should I spend on PR?
It is recommended to assign an annual PR budget as it is now a pick up and drop activity, the best results are reaped from a long-term and consistent approach. However, more budget does not necessarily mean better results. The key is find and appoint the right PR consultant or PR agency who will devise a bespoke PR strategy for your brand, and who have a solid reputation for delivering great results in your niche industry. For example, Kendrick PR have a wealth of beauty PR case studies published on our website from our enviable portfolio of clients which demonstrate our expertise.
When should I invest in PR for my beauty brand or clinic?
If you’ve got big ambitions for your business then there is no time like the present to get started with PR! PR is a long-term activity which requires a consistent and professional approach – it’s not a pick up and drop activity if you want to see great results. To secure great media coverage and see your reputation and marketing position grow takes time, effort, and skill.
Ideally you will invest in PR ahead of your launch so that your brand receives buzz from day one. Following this a savvy brand will deploy creative and engaging PR tactics consistently at timely intervals throughout the year to remain visible in the media and on the radar of it’s target customers.
Tip! Book a complimentary discovery call with one of our friendly beauty PR experts today and learn how PR could add value to your brand.
What are the risks of no PR and marketing?
Without an effective PR strategy in place brands in the aesthetics, beauty and wellness industry are at risk of fading into the background whilst their competitors take centre stage in the market. If your target audiences don’t know what you do or how well you do it then it’s difficult to grow your business and shine.
Should I hire a PR agency?
A good PR agency with an excellent reputation for great results will have spent years nurturing relationships with key editors, journalists, influencers, VIPs etc and will have a valuable list of influential contacts. Their ‘little black book’ of contacts can be your fast ticket to securing key media coverage and the many benefits of good PR!
When you appoint a PR agency they are responsible for building a positive reputation for your brand amongst all stakeholders from customers to suppliers and everybody in between. By outsourcing to PR specialists, you can divert your valuable time and resources to building and growing your business whilst your PR experts build a glowing reputation for your brand.
Tip! Before your appoint a PR agency ensure that both parties are aligned with your expectations and budget.
How do I get started with PR?
If you’d like to explore what PR could do for your brand, clinic, or business, then it’s time to start a conversation with a PR expert in your field. At Kendrick PR, we thrive on creating winning formulas of strategic and tactical support for premium beauty brands, aesthetic clinics, practitioners and entrepreneurs. We lead with our values: passion, professionalism, and authenticity!
Founded in 2015 by award-winning communications expert Julia Kendrick, Kendrick PR are an experienced and passionate team who thrive on creating tangible success for every client. Since launch, we have delivered outstanding results for some of the industry’s most innovative brands and exciting entrepreneurs, such as ALLÉL, Debbie Thomas, The Private Clinic, Oxygenetix, and Medik8 – and we’d love to support your brand. Please do get in touch to book your complimentary discover call with our expert team and let’s discuss how PR can fuel the success of your beauty brand or aesthetics clinic.