“PR has also benefited from the changing media landscape. The withering of many traditional media outlets has left fewer journalists from fewer firms covering business. That makes PR doubly important, both for attracting journalists’ attention, and for helping firms bypass old routes altogether and disseminate news by posting press releases on their websites,” the article states.

According to the piece, spending on public relations consultancy will surpass $8billion by 2013 in the US alone. They quote Miles Nadal, chief executive of MDC Partners as saying that investment in digital PR accelerated during the recession “and will go forward in perpetuity” because clients became more focused on measuring the impact of their efforts.

“The internet offers various yardsticks, from traffic to cheerleading websites to numbers of Facebook fans, whereas the number of people who see a conventional advertisement is much harder to gauge.”

Needless to say, I agree entirely

According to the report 65.6% of marketers admit they do not have adequate knowledge on how to use social media correctly in marketing. Given that 86% of those taking part in the survey acknowledge that social media is now here to stay, this strikes me as something of a problem.

It’s not as if the industry hasn’t had fair warning. The inexporable rise of the online media has been apparent for many moons now, yet I’m continually encountering agencies and individuals who just can’t seem to get their heads around engaging with the world of digital PR.

The trouble is that they’re running out of time. A generation of consumers is growing up with social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter, and businesses must come to terms with the fact or risk losing touch with their markets. Either that, or hire someone who can  ;-)

A heavy workload and an old typewriter injury prevents me from tagging along myself, but the Revolver team will be cheering from the sidelines and preparing our range of bespoke blister remedies. You can support Maggie’s too, by donating a few quid online.

Talking of interesting new PR concepts, it seems my train service is experimenting with a bold new rolling arrivals time policy. As I type this I’ve just heard the 3rd different estimation of when we’ll get to Euston (none of which have matched what it said on my booking sheet) without a single acknowledgement that we’ll be getting there late. I know that sorry seems to be the hardest word, but surely it wouldn’t hurt to dust it off occasionally.

What’s this? An unscheduled “special stop” at Crewe? Oh Mr Branson, you really are spoiling us …

Similarly, for companies out there, we’re more than happy to come in, look at your firm and carry out a one-day PR MOT. That way you can get advice on what your current firm are doing right (and wrong). Think of it as a way of getting peace of mind about your service.

That’s a core ethos here at Revolver and what we’re going to do – we’re not all talk and swagger. Anyone can shout from the rooftops but it’s about backing that up with results – and those results come from having a good team who understand what you want and where it’s going.

I suppose I should say a little about me: I’m Jim Connor, based in Glasgow and I’ve got 20 or so years experience in PR and marketing working for a lot of brands you’ll have heard of and few you haven’t. I’ve kept a low online presence as I believe it’s important to let the work speak instead of the people, but in an age when every person is a brand, I’m spreading myself out there.

Enough about me though, what about Revolver? What is it that makes the team and offering here different from the other thousands offered in the UK and elsewhere?

When we sat down to create the Revolver concept, everything was up for grabs – should it be online PR only, should all releases fit in a Twitter (be a bit of a USP that would) – what would make us stand out?

And then the credit crunch came along and gave us that USP.

It has long been a challenge for growing companies to obtain a first rate PR service at a reasonable cost. It’s even harder to find one with that combines frontline press experience with leading-edge understanding of the value of digital press & content distribution

Revolver PR was established to address that gap in the market, and that makes us different in four crucial ways – and, as befits our tech loving background, one last thing (as Steve Jobs would say):

Cost effective: We’ve stripped away most of the overheads normally associated with the PR industry, dispensing with the outsized offices, service charges and fat expense accounts to leave a highly-mobile, motivated team of experienced media professionals.

Results driven: Because we believe that modern press and public relations are ultimately all about return on investment, every Revolver campaign is built on a set of key deliverables and backed by a transparent reporting system that shows exactly what you’re getting for your money.

Journalist led: All Revolver projects are directed by experienced, award-winning national reporters. With decades of experience working across the full range of the UK’s most prestigious news outlets, our team creates effective, savvy campaigns that work.

Tried and tested: Our team are experts in press and online media, and ensure that all print & broadcast activity is accompanied by an appropriate multi-platform digital strategy that effectively doubles the reach of our clients’ PR.

One last thing…

On the matter of cash and fees, one of the things that make us stand out is this: no client-fee markup or add-on. I’ve worked in companies where the add-on for some services – hiring photographers, video teams, booking adverts – has been anywhere from 10 to 35 per cent. That’s not on. If you accept that we are spending our time on finding you an advert or getting a photographer instead of pushing you in the press, then that’s fine and it’s part of your fee.

We challenge you to go to your current PR firm/agency and say to them: show me the receipts from everything you buy for me. You may be lucky and receive no extra charges, but most of you will.

Surely for that reason alone, it’s worth having a look at us. There’s other reasons and we’ll come to them over the coming days, but that’s the Friday piece of advice – ask your current firm if they markup work. They may say no. If so, what’s the harm in asking them for the receipts moving on?

See, we may have already saved you cash.

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