"PR shouldn't be a loner"

Mareen Eichinger, looking back, what development was particularly important in PR?

Mareen Eichinger: The answer is quite clear: the Internet, or rather the digital revolution. Today, online PR is an integral part of the communication strategy for most companies and brands. With the onset of digital PR, the possibilities of previous press relations were blown up. In the past, press and public relations was often separated from the rest of marketing, but today it is an essential element. For me, PR is the supreme discipline of brand communication.

Nevertheless, the topic of press relations or public relations is often underestimated. What could be the reason for this?

There are people who think: It can't be that difficult to write a few lines about a company or product and then send it to journalists. The craftsmanship, the technical know-how and the years of building up contacts, precisely what we do as PR consultants, is often underestimated. What I then find at the beginning of a cooperation with the customer are advertising texts that have been distributed indiscriminately to the media by e-mail, not a single placement or no clippings in the media and perplexed faces. Public relations is not advertising and is simply done on the side.

What is your recommended course of action in such a case?

I'll tell you a story. Let's turn the whole thing around. Let's put ourselves in the position of a journalist. Every day, she is on the hunt for exciting stories or the latest trends - depending, of course, on the medium for which she works. She will hardly be able to tell the editor-in-chief that the content of her article consists of the fact that Meier has launched new black socks on the market. And let's think about it again: Who wants to read something like that in the newspaper on Sunday morning at the breakfast table? But what if the Meier company has been around for 100 years, a family business with a lot of charm and tradition, and for the first time in the company's history it dares to produce black socks? There is potential in such a story, but less in the black socks.

In contrast to classic PR work, strategic online PR focuses on the Internet as a communication channel.

Yes, the Internet has changed everything and is now our most important tool for us in the agency in the context of PR work. In B2B, print media still play a somewhat larger role, but in B2C, we focus 90 percent on online. Young brands or startups in particular focus almost exclusively on online PR. They want and need to attract the attention of their target group in order to earn money quickly. This can be achieved through online media. I deliberately say "can," because the competition here is fierce. Editors are inundated with messages - they receive up to 500 press releases in their e-mail inboxes every day.

What particular strengths do you see in online PR?

Online PR, unlike traditional PR, is less focused on corporate news. Here, much revolves around content and how the company wants to position itself. As I mentioned earlier, the main advantages of online PR are speed and efficiency. We can create a story within hours, prepare it and send it to the media. It often happens that the first placements are made just a few minutes after sending it out. That is, of course, the best case scenario. And don't forget that content can also be communicated directly to the public via channels such as social media or the company's own website. But online testing or online reviews in product PR by editors, bloggers or influencers are also incredibly valuable. They have a high information content, are positive in the best case and have an enormous trust factor.

When do you personally talk about successful PR?

I've experienced it all in the past. We had a client where three minutes after sending out the press release, four news agencies called me, followed by radio and TV productions, and we couldn't save ourselves from print and online clippings. Reporting took days and the media service ended up costing the client a fortune. Something like that doesn't happen every day, but it was a great feeling and I knew at that moment why I love my job. But that doesn't necessarily happen in B2B or product PR, but rather in business or political topics, when the story is so good that it ends up on the daily news and virtually everyone is talking about it. Still, success is always in the eye of the beholder and is often defined by the client. There are PR projects that I considered successful because, as an expert, I know what's possible, but the client didn't see it that way. He had other ideas and was difficult to satisfy. Most of the time, we part ways and look for a new agency, where things usually work out similarly and only then does the client have the "aha" moment.

What PR tip would you give to startups or SMEs?

I find the topic of CEO PR and personal branding super exciting at the moment. People want to see faces, read stories, feel values and feel connected to brands. That's why I especially recommend founders to "show their faces". But this also applies to CEOs and executives who have been around for a while. Most of them are experts or specialists in their field and can therefore do a lot for the external perception of a company or a brand. In addition, as a public figure, which is what every CEO is, it is important to show a clear stance, to speak out on social issues, and not just to act hidden away in the closet. The younger target group in particular attaches great importance to transparency and committed action. They no longer just blindly buy products, but want to feel close to the company.

Which topics are currently relevant for PR managers and will be in the coming year?

There are various developments that will accompany us in the coming months. I see it as extremely important to keep up with progress here as a PR agency, but also as a press office within a company. Great potential lies above all in digital technology and tools such as ChatGPT, which can already create texts with the help of AI. In addition, sustainable and socio-political positioning of companies is becoming increasingly important. This requires effective communication and, of course, sufficient substance on the part of the company.

What other aspects are there?

PR and marketing need to pull together even more. An integrated communications approach is extremely important, because PR should not be a loner. Everyone should be allowed to dance at a party. PR experts must continue to be on the lookout for new creative channels to place messages, such as podcasts or their own YouTube formats. Companies and brands must remain agile and constantly question themselves anew in order to be truly perceived.

* Mareen Eichinger founded the agency for PR and Digital Macheete in 2011 and has since then implemented the conception and realization of communication campaigns in the areas of brands, products, people and lifestyle. Born in Mecklenburg, she has lived in Berlin for 16 years.