WHY SMALL-TO-MEDIUM ENTERPRISES NEED PR TO STAND OUT
As lockdown restrictions ease to a greater extent under Level 1, thousands of small-to-medium businesses (SMEs) will be vying for consumers’ attention. Sarah Martin, Agency Director at The Lime Envelope public relations and events agency believes that the antidote to a crowded marketplace is the magic of great PR, and is launching a specialised new service to bring out the best in SMEs.
“South African entrepreneurs and business owners are finally emerging from lockdown after a difficult six months. They have survived and are ready to thrive again,” says Sarah. “But standing out is going to be quite a challenge as everyone pushes for business. So, The Lime Envelope team put our heads together to formulate a ‘cure’ to the clutter that is specifically aimed at SMEs, who don’t have the PR budgets that corporates do”.
The Lime Envelope’s SME PR in a Box solution offers smaller businesses an affordable six-month campaign that is strategically geared at getting maximum exposure in the COVID-19 economy.
The package includes one press release a month; a monthly Google Ads/Keyword campaign to improve SEO; four social media posts every month, and a monthly email campaign to existing and potential customers.
Sarah continues, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. But they need all the help they can get right now and we are aiming to give them more of a fighting chance at making their businesses thrive. SME PR in a Box allows them to employ their own PR/marketing department in the form of our team at a fraction of what it would normally cost to have such a department in their business. And we have incorporated all the key touchpoints that make consumers stand up and notice.
“Now, more than ever, PR is a must-have for every SME communication strategy. PR shapes the image of a brand, giving it its own unique voice and face in the eyes of its target market. Effective PR comms speaks to the desired customer in language they understand and relate to, creating a personal connection between brand and consumer.
“People are becoming more resistant to traditional selling techniques. PR is less about direct selling. It is about connecting interesting, relevant content to your brand that makes people stand up and notice.
“At its core, PR is about crafting the ongoing story of your brand in the hearts and minds of your customers, encouraging them engage with your business willingly – no coercion or convincing needed. With this approach, your brand becomes a credible choice that the customer interacts with”.
The Lime Envelope’s SME PR in a Box solution officially launches on 01 October and is now available for any SMEs that would like to gain traction in Lockdown Level 1.
As lockdown eases, we celebrate 18 years of being part of so many amazing public relations and communication campaigns, media relations and events. We’d love to share some of these partnerships with you in our recent show reel. Looking forward to another 18 years of this rewarding journey with special clients. Thank you to our clients – present and future – you have helped fulfil dreams and create jobs!
For more info please email sarah@thelime.co.za
The Roger Federer Foundation required localised PR. The Public Relations was used to generate awareness for the Match In Africa 6 exhibition match and for the breaking of a world record. The agency worked with the International Communication team as the South African representatives.
This included:
- the drafting and issuing of press releases,
- setting up of media interviews,
- liaising with local and international media,
- media accreditation,
- media centre management,
- management of the various media events including press briefings,
- mixed zone interviews,
- Q&A’s with key spokespeople,
- management of media photographers and briefings,
- exclusive Dubai international media one-on-one interviews with Roger Federer,
- social media management,
- website management and
- reporting.
The challenge was successfully met with a record breaking 51 945 spectators/fans watching the match live in the stadium; with the event raising a total of USD 3.5 million (approximately R54.6 million) for the Roger Federer Foundation. The PR resulted in a total AVE (ZAR) across all platforms (broadcast, print, online & social media) of over R921 million, which equates to a total AVE (USD) of $61.5 million.
Visit https://www.match-in-africa.com/multimedia/ for more images from this spectacular iconic event.
Visit our Facebook page to watch the highlight video.
The 2019 Rand Show needed PR to generate awareness for the existing offering and to gain maximum exposure for the new on trend content introduced in 2019.
The challenge was successfully met – effectively communicating with traditional audiences and media while also attracting new media and audiences to the event.
The result? Over R 40 million in coverage (AVE) with 2 957 articles and mentions across online, print, broadcast & social media.
- 128 Broadcast (TV & radio)
- 170 Print
- 457 Online
- 2 202 Social media
Watch the video on our Facebook page here.