What are the Merits of "Collaborating with Different Industries" as Public Relations? (Introducing the Flow and Method of Implementation)

While conducting public relations activities, there are not many spokespersons who are struggling with the lack of information to be disseminated, such as "the launch of new products and services are difficult" and "there is no material with media value". 

It is desirable for public relations to keep disseminating information constantly in order to gain recognition and fans of companies and their products and services. In order not to say "I can't make a call because I don't have any material". It is also the role of public relations to plan measures to disseminate. 

One of the projects is a " cross-industry collaboration " that carries out public relations measures together with other companies and organizations in different industries . In this article, it will introduce the merits of "collaborating with different industries" as public relations/PR, and the flow and method of implementation.

Three merits of "collaborating with different industries" as public relations / PR

What are the benefits of conducting "collaboration between different industries" in public relations? 

Merit 1. Increased topicality

The first merit of collaborating with different industries is, you can increase the topicality. By collaborating with different industries, it can provide material that cannot be produced by ourselves, so it is possible to raise the interest of the media and the world.

In addition, if the company / organization which you collaborate with has a higher recognition and brand value than your own company, you can expect that by working together, you will be able to raise the topicality compared to transmitting it by yourself. In addition, it will be recognized by the public as a company that deserves collaboration, and will contribute to increasing the brand value of its own company.

Merit 2. Expanding media to attack

By conducting "collaboration between different industries", you can also attack the social media of the collaboration destination.

Not only building relationships with media that could not be attacked until now, but also getting to know your company may lead to the possibility of acquiring coverage in the future.

Merit 3. Raise awareness of new customers

The third merit of collaborating with different industries is to raise awareness of new customers.

Existing customers and fans of the enterprise are keeping an eye on the latest news of the enterprise. Therefore, it will be an opportunity for customers and fans of the collaboration destination to know about the company and its products and services through the news of "collaboration between different industries". From there, you can expect to become your own customer.

Flow of collaborating with different industries as public relations/PR

What should we start with in order to realize "collaboration between different industries" with various merits? There are 5 Steps :

Step 1. Creating a PR story

Let's start by assembling a PR story . The important thing in creating a PR story is to think about what you want to convey as public relations. If the axis is shaken, the purpose of the public relations policy will be unclear.

Be sure to clarify the purpose and create a story about what you are collaborating with in different industries.

Step 2. Selection of collaboration destination

Next, we will develop the best collaboration destination to effectively convey the PR story .

For example, if your own transmission is not convincing, look for a company that offers a service that fills that persuasiveness. If the axis of your PR story is to increase the value of your company's products and services, consider whether you can expect that when you combine it with the products and services you collaborate with.

In short, the key to selecting a collaboration destination is whether or not a synergistic effect can be created by collaborating.

Step 3. Proposals for collaboration destinations

After selecting the company to collaborate with, we will make a proposal to the collaboration destination. In addition to the outline of the project, it is important to present the purpose and benefits to the other party by collaborating in the proposal . Let's show that each other is a win-win project.

Step 4. Information disclosure at press releases and press conferences

After deciding to collaborate, we will disclose information to the media and the public.

There are various methods of disclosing information, but the basic methods include joint press releases. Be sure to disclose information jointly with the collaborator so that it is not regarded as a project of only one company.

Step 5. Effect verification

After disclosing information to the media and the public, we will verify the effects such as media exposure, response on SNS, and impact on business such as lead acquisition and sales .

Share the results with the collaborators who cooperated and see if you have achieved each other's goals. If you get a positive result, it can be persuasive material to show the merit of collaborating with other companies in other measures.

Three things to keep in mind to choose a collaborative company that can be expected to have public relations / PR effects

If you want to carry out "collaboration between different industries" and you want to maximize the effect of public relations, of course, PR stories are attractive but the effectiveness can be influenced by the companies you collaborate with. Here are three things to consider when choosing a company to collaborate with, which is expected to have public relations and PR effects.

Attention 1. Does it have an affinity with the PR story?

"Planning" in public relations / PR is a "means" for delivering the PR story you want to tell. The main premise is to make a plan that suits what you want to convey and the purpose of implementation. Therefore, when choosing a company to collaborate with, select a company that has an affinity with the PR story you want to convey. 

It is good to judge by the products and services provided by the collaborating company, and it is also good to judge from the corporate attitude such as the corporate philosophy, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and the contents sent in the representative interview.

Attention 2. Is there a name value?

Companies that collaborate should also check the name value and name recognition. By collaborating with a company with a name value, you can increase the topicality.

It is also important to be in a large company and have a high degree of corporate recognition, companies that are No. 1 in a specific market or have overwhelming expertise, etc. One of the options is to choose a company that stands out in a sharp field.

Attention 3. Are you collaborating with a competitor?

Make sure your collaborators haven't collaborated with your competitors in the past. It is important that public relations and PR are unique projects .

It is essential to check the trends of competitors so that you do not have the impression that you have done something similar in the past.

Three points to note when collaborating with different industries as public relations/PR

Lastly, there are three points to keep in mind in order to comfortably carry out public relations and PR planning with collaborating companies.

Point 1. Make a plan so that the other party can feel the benefits

When collaborating with different industries as a public relations measure, it is easy to focus on the merits and public relations effects of the company. If you concentrate on producing your own results, the other company may feel that it is being used or there may be a temperature difference.

In order to increase the motivation to participate in the project of the collaboration destination, it is not a project where the topic is concentrated only on the company or the effect after that is monopolized. Make a plan that is beneficial to both your company and the company you collaborate with.

Point 2. Separate the media to guide between the two companies

It is also important to share the media to guide in order to maximize the public relations effect of both companies with limited resources.

When approaching media such as press releases and invitations to press conferences, it is a good idea to discuss in advance which media will be approached so that the same reporter will not be approached more than once. It is GOOD if you can create a media list to be approached and visualize which one will contact.

Point 3. Comparing FAQs between both companies

Don't forget to squeeze the expected questions and answers from the reporters at both companies in case of inquiries from the reporters after the press release is announced, or questions and answers at the press release.

In particular, inquiries from reporters may not always be received when both companies are in the same place. Even if your company and the collaborators have to deal with each other, it is safe to create a list of expected questions in advance and share the answers so that there will be no discrepancy in the answers.

Conclusion

Collaboration between different industries is an opportunity to gain topicality and recognition!

In public relations, "collaboration between different industries" is a method that we definitely want to adopt because it allows us to create projects that we cannot create by ourselves, and the media that we approach further expands. However, make sure to think about what you can offer to the collaborating companies, and then select a collaborative destination so that the project does not have a merit only for your company.