What is Consumer PR?

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Consumer PR is something many ambitious brands use, particularly during hyper-growth or product launch phases. Consumer PR is the reputation and awareness building brands do to improve their image to the public. This is in contrast to B2B PR, which seeks to improve the reputation and awareness of a company within a particular business vertical. Brands know new customers buy faster and existing customers buy more often from brands they can feel good about. Consumer PR can take on many sub-forms of public relations, including:

  • Community Relations: building relationships with community stakeholders.
  • Product Public Relations: Product reviews and placements in consumer publications.
  • Purpose-Driven PR: Proactive values that incorporate social, cultural, and environmental issues.
  • Experiential PR: Opportunities for the public to engage directly with the brand in-person.
  • Integrated PR: PR campaigns that use paid avenues to create media coverage and word of mouth.

Why do companies engage in consumer product PR?

PR is the most trusted form of awareness building. Consumers trust reviews more than any other type of product awareness, like advertising. Reviews can come as online reviews, and even from influencers and bloggers or can come from media outlets. Media outlet coverage is particularly coveted because not only does it have powerful sway, it adds extra brand cache and it sticks around for a long time online. For DTC and e-commerce brands media coverage also improves SEO, a really important ingredient in online sales. Investors also like to see a brand in the media, it provides valuable social proof.

Why would companies engage in community relations? 

Anytime a company needs its local community’s support, community relations matters. Sometimes brands want to be good community partners because it makes recruiting for top talent easier. Or maybe they want to expand, and they need City Council approval on a piece of land they’re eyeing. Or perhaps the brand simply values being a good neighbor to the communities in which it operates. 

Why would a brand engage in Purpose-Driven PR? 

Brands engage in purpose-driven PR for a variety of reasons. One can certainly be to improve their brand image in the eyes of their customers. You will often see purpose-driven brands publish an annual report. Not only does this report track its own progress, but it also provides the public with the progress as well. We tell our clients that strategic purpose-driven PR should be systemic, and externally virtuous, but meaty and measurable.

Why would a brand engage in experiential PR? 

When you think of cutting-edge sports, what brand comes to mind? It’s probably RedBull. RedBull became a household name through events. That’s because RedBull’s brand is inextricably tied to cutting-edge sports. Their support and engagement of some of these sports basically gave legitimacy to the X Games because competitors could finally focus their efforts entirely on their sport. In fact, RedBull created the first international kiteboarding competition. RedBull’s commitment to extreme events and competitors keeps them at the forefront of beverage brand awareness. Experiential events can be expensive, but when you consider the ROI both in advertising dollars saved and PR and brand affinity, experiential events are powerful tools in the PR arsenal.

Why would a brand engage in integrated PR? 

The best integrated PR campaigns use many marketing PR levers to make an impact. An example of this would be Coinbase. In 2022, they purchased a Super Bowl ad that was nothing but a QR code. Millions of viewers stared at their screens in awe that a brand would purchase one of the most expensive ads in history and do nothing but float a QR code across the screen. But that was the entire point. In fact, for many consumer brands, the reason to purchase a Super Bowl is the added PR coverage around Super Bowl ads. Weeks before the Super Bowl, consumer brands release their ads, either to the press or the wider public on YouTube, to ensure their creative ad gets the free press it deserves.

 

Brands that build loyalty and love through PR grow faster and have higher customer retention and consumer PR improves other initiatives such as fundraising, that are vital to a thriving brand If you’re interested in consumer PR, contact us. We’re a top-rated consumer PR agency.

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3 Types of Cyber Insurance You Need to Know About

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If you’re a DTC company or work in a highly visable emerging industry, you’ve no doubt seen headlines about cyber breaches like malware and hacks that demand millions of bitcoin. In fact, 46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees (source). As the world becomes more digitized and cybercrime increases, the need for cyber insurance is something businesses should not overlook. If your company sells online, handles, transmits, or stores sensitive data, you need to know about these 3 types of cyber insurance.

Cyber insurance protects businesses from the monetary and reputational losses arising from a cyber incident that could jeopardize their future. It covers financial losses caused by events such as data breaches, cyber theft, ransomware, rogue employees, and simple mistakes and it covers crisis PR, up to a point.

Since most businesses often lack the resources or budgets of big corporations, cyber insurance can provide critical financial protection in the event of a cyberattack, helping them recover quickly.

Although insurers may have their own specific classifications, cyber insurance can be divided into three broad categories:

Cybertheft insurance

With more and more businesses storing sensitive data online, the risk of cyber theft is more prominent than ever. As a result, adequate insurance against this growing threat is critical. Cybertheft insurance protects businesses from financial losses caused by digital theft. This type of insurance can cover a variety of cybertheft scenarios, including first-party cybertheft, embezzlement scams, payroll redirection, and gift card scams.

Businesses of all sizes can be victims of cybertheft, and no business is too small to need cyber theft insurance.  Cyber incidents are so common, it’s not a matter of if, but when, your company will experience an incident. What will you do if your data or digital assets will be stolen? That’s why cyber theft insurance is so important for your business.

Cyber liability insurance

Cyber liability insurance includes third-party coverage for damages and losses, data breaches, regulatory penalties, credit monitoring, and lawsuits. This is an important type of insurance if you’re a DTC or e-commerce brand.

Cyber liability insurance is a vital tool for small businesses like yours because the financial ramifications of a cybersecurity breach can be more severe than you can handle. This does not mean you should panic right now; it simply means that having cyber liability insurance can help your business recover and move forward, even after a breach, without being stunted.

Planning is critical for reducing your data and brand liability with a security breach.

Cyber extortion insurance/ransomware insurance

Cyber extortion insurance protects businesses against ransomware attacks. Cyber extortion attacks often come with a clicking clock, so it’s important to have a plan. This type of insurance can help cover the cost of ransom payments, recovery expenses, business interruptions, and more. It can also provide access to a team of experts who can help with cyber extortion negotiations and forensics.

Keep in mind that an attack could still succeed even with the right cybersecurity solutions in place to protect your business. That’s why it’s critical to have cyber extortion insurance. It can help you recover from a ransomware attack and reduce the financial impact.

While you’re looking, keep these types of cyber insurance in mind. Cyber insurance is a complicated and ever-changing industry. Many factors can influence whether you qualify for a payout in the event of a cyberattack, and trying to remain compliant with your insurance policy can be difficult. Working with an IT service provider can help you better understand your options and ensure that you have adequate security in place, increasing your chances of receiving complete coverage.

Cyber insurance provides critical peace of mind, but you will still need to be prepared in case of an incident in order to have a successful claim. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Ignite Solutions to provide you with a risk analysis and cyber attack plan that ensures you get through the first 48 hours. Our cyber incident planning service protects your data AND your brand. 

 

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How Small Independent CPG Brands Use PR to Compete

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If you’re a smaller consumer brand, it might feel impossible to compete with the big guys. But according to Nielsen, in the United States “manufacturers outside of the top 100 have contributed to 52% of their region’s annual fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) growth,” that’s an incredibly promising trend for any consumer product, from skincare to cannabis. But the challenges to increasing market share aren’t imagined. In some categories, especially consumables, over 50% of consumers have no brand preference. This underscores the importance of small, independent CPG brands to invest in branding with awareness and loyalty strategies. Neilsen IQ has done some fantastic research for small, independent DTC and CPG brands.

Nielsen Chart for Consumer Product Brand Loyalty

 

 

 

 

 

69% of consumers are actively looking for new and trendy CPG products. Tapping into current trends is a key way to appeal to this audience.  Whether the brand is launching, or already launched, there are always PR opportunities to increase sales by driving awareness and loyalty. The key takeaway on all the most recent Neilsen data: premiumization is absolutely key for small, independent CPG brands. 

Driving Awareness for Small Consumer Brands

When Snapple tea was a small independent brand, it relied on PR, including crazy stunts with two ambitions in mind: acquisition and sales. When they were acquired by Quaker Oats, the PR stunts stopped and sales decreased. In fact, PR is often responsible for trends that drive consumers. Before CBD, a wellness ingredient that almost everyone now knows was allowed to advertise, it relied on firms like Avaans Media to create PR campaigns that educated consumers and created awareness for their brands. PR is almost single-handedly responsible for launching CBD into the public’s general knowledge. Other wellness products have benefited from PR, including melatonin.

Independent brands often turn to PR because while PR is an investment, it’s still more affordable than many other branding initiatives such as advertising, especially when you include videography costs. Facebook is famous for launching thousands of new DTC brands, but of late, many independent CPG brands are finding Facebook’s advertising to be less effective. Ambitious consumer product brands are turning to PR in ever greater numbers to reach consumers, and stay in front of buyers. A PR campaign can reach hundreds of billions of annual impressions. Is it any wonder that everyone from new consumer products to old standbys is moving dollars to PR?

New CPG brands can use PR to validate the brand. An upfront burst of PR is a powerful trust indicator. Many consumer brand startups showcase PR wins on their website and in advertising as a way to increase consumer trust. Independent boutique products use PR to nail their launch because they need to appeal directly and immediately to their consumer. As Nielsen notes in small brand, “There is little room for error in small launches. Nailing your activation requires planning and strategic execution. Whatever your differentiation—hitting your target, justifying your premium or communicating a new usage occasion—it must land, and land well,”

 

Driving Loyalty for Independent CPG Brands

If your consumer brand isn’t exactly new, but also isn’t a household name, then using PR to increase loyalty and awareness is effective. 25% of consumers are mainstream followers who sometimes try new products, but don’t seek them. This is a critical audience to penetrate. If you’re broadening your audience to this important, but slightly elusive group, you want to make sure your customer product reviews are solid, and that your early PR had at least 1-2 tier 1 press hits so you can use the ever-so-important social proof to lure this audience in.  Good PR also allows existing customers to have their choice validated and is a great opportunity for them to sing your praises to their friends.

But that’s not the only way PR helps early and mid-stage CPG brands. PR helps your customers see you understand who they really are. Bob’s Red Mill used PR to improve its already stellar reputation through purpose-driven storytelling. Not only does PR help new consumers find your product, but it also reinforces the good choice your current customers have made. A good PR firm will help you identify ways to differentiate and to secure brand-improving earned media.

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Consumer Mindsets According to Google for Fall 2022

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We’re just about to round the corner to a key consumer buying season: the fall. And about the only thing that’s certain is consumer uncertainty; but consumers aren’t giving up on conscious consumption. Nothing shows that more than the latest consumer trends from Google Searches. What do Google searches have to do with PR? Consumer media outlets keep a strong eye on consumer trends, and usually respond with seasonal content that matches the customer’s mood. Fitting into that season content is key to earning digitally savvy PR during the fall. There’s another important reason to get it right this fall: you’re likely to have a larger share of voice for any of your marketing efforts as some competitors will pull back, so if you’re not pulling back, or you’re jumping into the market now, it’s great timing because research shows that brands who stay with marketing during economic downturns, get ahead.

What does this mean for consumer brands?

It gives you insight into key themes you can use in your PR and marketing this year. While some of these facts seem contradictory, put these in context with what you’re seeing from your customers.

Searches for “specials this week” is up 60% year over year / Searches for “designer outlet” have grown 90% globally year over year

Keep in mind, that consumer spending remains strong, so this is about the consumer feeling the need to feel like they’re getting a deal. 31% of consumers say they are still rewarding themselves by buying things they want. Consumers haven’t stopped loving name brands, they’re just in need of a discount. They also want to feel their brand choices are premium choices.

Luxury and premium brands with strong brand affinity should lead to smaller, more affordable items for the masses, rather than discount the brand. Premium consumer brands can use this mindset with bonus gifts.

Align your brand with premium publishing outlets by getting an early start on your consumer PR and ad re-targeting. Have your programmatic and PR teams talk before they launch their respective campaigns.

Consumer brands should publish any kind of black Friday promotions well in advance, and use competitor pricing as a benchmark (25% less than a comparable brand), to anchor value.

Now is also the time to focus on loyalty for existing customers. Don’t make your customers search you out. Be there during the key buying triggers for your customers. If your customers tend to buy on Fridays, be there on Thursday with the bonus giveaway or loyalty reward.

Searches for “say no to plastic” have grown globally 200% year over year

Consumers want brands who want what they want. This new purpose-driven alignment applies to all consumer brands. Even if you can’t get around plastic packaging (yet), now is the time to celebrate your sustainability efforts. What’s comforting to consumers right now, more than anything is brands they can trust. So if you’ve been working hard on building consumer trust, now is the time for you to celebrate the efforts in a way that reinforces your consumer’s choices.

Consumers want personal content

87% of consumers said they want personal and relevant content. Keep this in mind with your email marketing and social media. Use your own data to ensure your delivering the right message to the right audience. Consumers want to see themselves in your content – by the way, editors know this trend too, so positioning your brand clearly allows editors to follow this content expectation too.

One of the most notable attributes of “relevant” content is content that is emotionally resonant. Your consumers want to know that you understand them. Note that during previous times of uncertainty, nostalgia and comfort messages surge. Very often, this means consumers would prefer to stay with their favored brands, but that favored brands need to continue to provide the experience customers have come to expect.

More than ever, having digitally savvy and data-informed PR, branding, and advertising will make a difference in your seasonal marketing. Now is the time to dig deep into your customer insights and give your agencies the information they need to supercharge their efforts this fall.

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The Importance of Product PR During the Holidays

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As the holiday season approaches, product PR becomes more important than ever. Competition from major brands, standing out from the crowd, and capturing people in a buying mood are all great reasons to do product PR during the holidays.

 Now you might ask, “which holiday season do you mean?” The answer: whatever holidays are most important to your company or brand.

There are a few key reasons why product PR is so important during the holidays, and why Avaans is now offering Product PR Holiday Sprints.

Competition from Major Brands

Most of your competitors won’t invest in holiday PR, but if you do, it gives you a considerable edge when people search for your brand or product.

You simply can not outspend the major brands with advertising, but using PR evens the playing field a bit, especially since a lot of journalists prefer to showcase smaller or boutique brands, or at the very least want to include one as an alternative to more well-known brands. It’s also an opportunity for smaller brands to showcase diverse founders too, something big brands just can’t do.

Ever since iOS14 rolled out, which allows consumers to opt out of allowing apps like Facebook and Instagram to track browser history, CPG and DTC brands have seen a considerable decrease in ad effectiveness. And to make matters worse, the massive brands have far more data and the ability to buy ads on a multitude platforms, so it’s nearly impossible to compete during the holidays when digital advertising costs surge.

In contrast, when you secure PR beside major brands in holiday gift guides, your brand receives a trust bump, so you’re benefitting from all the brand recognition of the larger brands, alongside the brand recognition of the outlet.

People are in the Buying Mood for Product PR

First, people are generally more receptive to marketing and advertising during this time of year.  Holiday PR is an ideal way to capture people when they’re in the mood, and in the moment.

The average person spends $1,463, during the holidays (Deloitte Holiday Survey)

There are a few things that contribute to this increase in spending. First, people tend to travel more during the holidays and spend money on things like gas, hotels, and food. Second, people buy gifts for their friends and family, They’re also more likely to be thinking about gifts for loved ones, which means they’re more likely to pay attention to products that might make great gifts. . And finally, people tend to spend more on themselves during the holidays – maybe they buy a new outfit for a holiday party or get a massage to relieve stress.

Less than half of consumers are worried about higher prices on discretionary purchases (National Retail Federation)

Stand Out from the Crowd with Product PR for the Holidays

The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, so standing out from the crowd is essential. And that means meeting your consumer where they’re at. Consumers are searching for gift ideas and they value gift guides because they trust journalists to test the products (they do).  99% of products never receive any press, by simply securing press, you’re already standing out. And you can leverage your press all year long.

Avaans Media now offers PR Product Sprints. Designed for CPG and DTC brands, these micro PR campaigns are perfect for brands with ambitious plans, but not ambitious budgets.

 

 

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Product PR for Holiday Gift Guides

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Whether your product is beloved or brand new, it will benefit from PR during elevated buying seasons. Yet, not all consumer brands want long-term contracts. That’s exactly why we’re reinventing PR with our Sprint Packages –  Product PR for Holiday Gift Guides.

These PR sprints are a consumer brand’s dream: consistent press coverage during key buying seasons without long-term PR contracts.

We’re breaking all the rules with these packages, and we’re doing it so it’s easy for consumer brands get the coverage they need to grow their brand without long-term contracts.

Our product PR for holiday gift guide sprint packages includes our extremely successful history of placing consumer products in lifestyle publications as diverse as Rolling Stone, Self, Popular Science, Engadget, and even the Today Show. 

FAQ:

What are the Product PR Sprints?

They’re special because they offer micro contracts alongside competitive pricing to give DTC and CPG brands a competitive advantage during the most important consumer buying seasons.

When are the Sprint Seasons?

Our DTC and CPG sprints center around two key buying seasons: holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday) and spring (Easter/Passover/Ramadan, 420, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Pride), with even shorter add-on sprints for mid-winter (New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day) and mid-summer (4th of July, Back to School, Pool/Beach Season).

What’s Included in Product PR Sprints?

We will pitch an unlimited number of products to an unlimited number of lifestyle and consumer magazines that your target customers are reading.

 

These packages are easy for you to implement and give you the lasting results that come from your product appearing in media outlets your customers are reading! The added benefits are countless: SEO, visibility to investors, and best of all – coverage that never goes away. And you can maximize these PR wins with our simple recommendations.

Editors and journalists plan content months in advance (yes, even in the digital world), so it’s never too early to plan for your most important buying seasons.

Request More Information on Product PR Sprints Here

 

 

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