Alex PRA
helping clients to improve the return on investment in PR and marketing communications
What we do
How does Alexor work with clients?
There are three prerequisites for achieving an optimum return from a public relations investment:
- STRATEGY: having the right programme approach
- STRUCTURE: having the right resources, relationships, systems and budgets to deliver that programme
- KNOWLEDGE: having the right level of client-side understanding of audience behaviour and PR techniques, to ensure the programme is managed efficiently and its results are evaluated correctly.
Alexor works in six areas to turn these prerequisites for PR programme success into realities for clients.
1. PR cost : effectiveness reviews
Using our unique OPeRA process we undertake an in-depth review and assessment of a client’s public relations and marketing communications strategies, activities, systems, resources, results and evaluation practices. A comprehensive and transparent analysis of cost to benefits is provided along with recommendations for improvements that will enhance efficiency, positive business impact and value for money.
For clients using external agency support, this process can be used to enhance a relationship by redefining clearly, and from both perspectives, achievement expectations, priorities, working practices and assessment criteria.
Where the OPeRA process identifies the need for a realignment of, or change to, the existing PR support structure, Alexor helps clients manage the transition process.
2. Customer insight research
If you don’t know who you’re targeting, and what they are thinking, time and budget will be wasted on fruitless PR activities. To fill knowledge gaps, we undertake qualitative and quantitative research against business and consumer audiences. We ensure the needs and motivations of customers are fully understood so that communications can be better targeted and tailored.
We run offline and online quantitative-based surveys, focus groups, depth interviews and customer perception studies. This specialist research also creates pre-campaign benchmarks that allow PR outcomes to be measured more effectively.
3. Communications audits
A PR programme will not achieve maximum efficiency without the support of the media. An Alexor Communications audit assesses how an organisation is perceived by the media, how good its relationships with journalists are, and how well those journalists understand the client’s issues. We then provide recommendations for improvement together with a set of benchmarks for future measurement.
Communications audits have traditionally been conducted by incumbent PR agencies or by competitors in pitch situations. With the best will in the world there is always a strong possibility that the implementation and analysis will be undermined when an agency is, effectively, judging its own work or that of a competitor. As such, it can be like a student marking their own exam paper!
To ensure a Communications audit is as accurate as possible it should be conducted by people who have no vested interest in the outcomes. Only then can the results be relied on to form the basis of a future public relations strategy.
The old adage, ‘if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well’ is particularly true when considering how to run a Communications audit.
4. Creative content consultancy for integrated campaigns
Integrated online and offline communications campaigns increase budget efficiency by leveraging a common creative idea. They achieve higher levels of message delivery, reach and frequency to change target audience behaviours and attitudes faster.
We facilitate the creation of creative ideas for exploitation by a client’s own agencies or in-house team. We will work closely with you to support the creative process and make the best use of all communication channels.
5. Independent strategic PR planning
Either as a result of the OPeRA review process or due to a separate identification of changing PR needs, a shift in strategic PR direction may be required.
In this situation, Alexor can conduct a fully comprehensive strategic PR planning process, producing a highly focused and directional brief for creative development and implementation.
Clients using this service benefit from a subsequently enhanced quality and relevance of response from their PR resource; and from lower costs which reflect the fact that professional strategic planning has already been completed.
6. Client PR management training
With greater understanding of the capabilities, relevant applications and measurement potential of PR activities, clients can manage their PR resource more effectively. To achieve this, Alexor offers PR training workshops for clients at varying levels of seniority and experience. Areas covered include: an introduction to public relations; the role for PR in brand building and reputation management; audience messaging and channelling; how to evaluate PR results against business objectives; and the working structure and practices of PR agencies.