Why Food and Drink Manufacturers need PR
With a wider range of products than ever before available in stores and online, there’s no wonder food brands focus most of their time and budgets on reaching consumers with their marketing campaigns, but what about the b2b side of food manufacturing?
There’s no doubt the Food and drink industry is very competitive, but did you know it is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, contributing £28.2bn to the economy annually and employing 400,000 people...? So, whether you’re an ingredients supplier trying to sell your products or a contract packer trying to sell your services, it’s important to stand out from the crowd.
Working with a reputable Public Relations agency that has experience in your sector to create a strong PR and content marketing strategy is still one of the most effective ways to do this; here’s just a few reasons why.
Showcasing you as an expert within the industry
Working with a reputable PR and content marketing agency is key if you want to get one step ahead of the competition. That’s because, a good PR company will not only raise awareness of your products and services but can also use their skills and expertise to draft technical, topical and authoritative articles that will position you as experts within the industry. This strategy builds a positive image, adds credibility to a brand and reassures customers that you are not only reputable and aware of wider issues within the industry, but also the go-to food manufacturer for advice when it comes to developing new products that help to meet the latest trends.
More effective than placing an advert
Investing in a PR campaign not only makes potential customers, both UK and internationally, aware that your business and its services exists but it also works out a lot more cost effective than placing an advert. When you pay to place an advert, it appears for the length of time you have budgeted for and then it’s gone, however as magazines are likely to feature press releases and thought leadership articles online as well as in print, they will be around for people to read for many years.
It is also widely reported than a feature or article is seven times more effective, as more people are likely to pay attention to and engage with it than they are an advert which appears in print or online.
Boosting and maintaining your presence online
PR is also about maintaining a good reputation online and with an increasing number of buyers sourcing new products and suppliers over the internet, this is more important than ever.
A good PR agency will draft keyword enriched blogs and case studies for use on your website as a staple part of your PR and content marketing strategy. These are vital for improving SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and keeping your website ranking high above other businesses on Google and other search engines.
Keeping it social
Social media channels, especially Twitter and LinkedIn, really do enhance and optimise the impact of a PR and marketing campaign, plus they also make a company more visible to potential customers, and when the content is authentic and engaging will direct more traffic to a website. This will also improve your SEO, as Google will often recognise that your site is gaining traffic from other websites and see it as being a reputable source.
General press office management
As well as drafting content, a PR agency also takes away all the hassle of dealing with media and advertising enquiries, freeing up more time for your marketing team to concentrate on other areas within the business. Here at Dragonfly PR we do this by working as an extension of our client’s team rather than an outside representative to liaise with the media, while always delivering your messages clearly and subtly and managing your reputation. We also build and maintain key relationships with journalists in your sector to ensure that your company is the first port of call when they are looking for an industry representative/expert for a story.
So, if you’re thinking of investing in PR to support with press office management, develop a full public relations and content marketing campaign or to help launch a new product or service call 01143 495345 or email hello@dragonflypr.co.uk.
For examples of our previous work in food manufacturing PR, visit https://dragonflypr.co.uk/casestudy-food.
About Dragonfly PR
Dragonfly PR is a Sheffield-based PR and content marketing agency that specialises in media relations, event management and organic SEO for construction, manufacturing and food companies. We are a friendly bunch of Public Relations and digital marketing experts with more than fifteen years' experience working with companies based throughout Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the North West.
Our team has years of experience in creating bespoke b2b public relations strategies and drafting articles that are guaranteed to build brand awareness of your business and regularly achieve coverage. With a background in writing high quality content for white papers, articles and thought leadership pieces, we are one of the leading professional PR agencies in Yorkshire.