Public Relations and Publicity Strategy, Development and Professional Training Services
The Blanco Group understands the vital role public relations and publicity play in the success of any enterprise—from the development and execution of a campaign to the ability to quickly shift gears in a crisis. And then there’s the human factor—maintaining the optimism of one’s staff during those “tough sell” projects. Even the best publicity machines—the publicity department of a major company, a well-known PR firm, a seasoned free-lance publicist—go through “productivity cycles,” when their strengths are eclipsed by their weaknesses.
We know securing media placements is never easy, especially, when the majority of those entrusted with this responsibility often find themselves at the sharp end of unrealistic expectations. No matter how creative and talented the publicist, there will be moments when the brilliant angle eludes them or the pitch, no matter how carefully crafted, doesn’t snare the interest of the press. Let’s also not forget the young, new publicists just entering the work force—their raw enthusiasm may be a shot of adrenalin to a campaign, but they have to master the skills to get the job done, such as: think beyond the obvious; turn that “no” into a yes; communicate clearly and confidently with media and clients; and recognize the warning signs when they’re being strung along or misled by the press.
The Blanco Group provides specialized knowledge and tools to conquer these public relations challenges. We are not publicists. We are consultants who bring our problem-solving savvy to circumstances that demand incisive evaluation, swift action, and practical solutions. If you’re a professional publicist, the head of a PR or marketing department, or a company interested in improving the results of its marketing and public relations divisions, we’re the consultants who can help.
We offer tailored consulting and training services in such areas as campaign strategy and development, assessment of a department’s weaknesses and strengths, media research, campaign logistics and operations, press kit writing, innovative “side-door” pitching techniques to increase media placements, client expectation management methods among other functions crucial to the execution of effective public relations.
What if you’re not the publicity professional, but the business owner or executive launching a new product or service that requires publicity? Perhaps you have a public relations person in your office but they’ve never done this type of campaign before, like the Director of Publicity for a cosmetics corporation asked to spearhead the media for a book written by its CEO. Should you let her do it or hire a free-lancer or firm that specializes in book promotion? We can help you too, providing consulting services either to train your existing staff to take on the new assignment or assist you in finding and hiring the right firm.
Maybe you’re the president of a promising new company and want to assemble an in-house PR department. How do you determine budget? What qualities should you look for in potential candidates for hire? What is the most effective way to organize this new department, monitor progress, and assess its success? Or perhaps you’re the entrepreneur with a venture you’d like to publicize yourself and need someone to write the publicity and marketing strategy and coach you on the implementation.
Whatever your public relations or publicity hurdle, The Blanco Group would be honored to explore with you how we might be of service.
