Manufacturers – is your PR strategy losing you money?

According to The Manufacturer, manufacturing makes up 11% UK GVA,  54% of UK exports and directly employs 2.6 million people.  The UK is the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world (according to The World Bank and Wikipedia).

So why, WHY, is the general assumption that we’ve not got a manufacturing base in the UK any more? My belief is that it’s because we don’t talk about these companies. Manufacturers, it would appear, are a coy lot.

If your PR strategy is to say nothing… then you’re missing out

What is most astonishing, is that if we, the general public, haven’t heard of a particular company, then there’s a high chance their customers won’t either. Because we don’t just build a reputation in the hours 9-5.  Manufacturing customers are as susceptible to hearing about a company outside their working hours as everyone else.

Think about say, JCB. When did you last need to buy an earth mover? I bet you’ve heard of them though, know they have a great reputation, know they’re a large company.  What about (if you’re in Lancashire) Tetrad Furniture, or Veka, or Spiroflow or Accrol Papers, or Graham and Brown? These are companies who understand the power of having a good reputation.

So I have a plan. Manufacturers out there… stop being so shy and retiring. People can’t buy from you if they don’t know about you. And they need to know good things.

Have a good think about what you do that is newsworthy. Stuck for ideas? Here are just a few:

• Won any orders?
• Employed any new staff?
• Taken on an apprentice?
• What about new bits of kit? If it cost £100K upwards, it’s a news story.
• Invented a new process?
• Solved a tricky problem for a customer?
• Moved premises?
• Celebrated 10/20/100 years in business?
• Got an opinion on cashflow/ exchange rates/ logistics challenges?
• Raising money for charity?
• Are you environment-conscious?

And if you don’t know where to start, or want help turning those newsworthy ideas into copy that will be read, give us a call on 01254 851 680.

 Image courtesy  Deising, David Related names:  Benz, Sue, transmitter [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons