What is Public Relations and how can it help my architecture practice?
There are many different disciplines within marketing and communications that will bear fruit for your architecture practice, and Public Relations can help you to build brand awareness and position you as an expert in the media and among prospective clients, if you commit to regular and sustained activity.
The key to doing PR well is to create a strategy – I outlined how to do that here; and to use your PR efforts to connect with future clients. I’ve also shared some great insights from Kirsty Volz, whose first interaction with the media was pretty confronting. She told me how she learned a few techiniques and now uses the media to great effect to elevate the profession and her architectural peers.
So what actually is Public Relations?
HOUSES is one of the most sought after publications for architects, because it brings in new clients. (I wrote an article on Celilo Springs in this issue, #151). Cover image: Merricks Farmhouse by Michael Lumby with Nielsen Jenkins. Photography by Tom Ross.
Before the age of social media - which enabled an easy, two-way dialogue between brands and audiences for the first time - Public Relations was the communications discipline that involved pitching stories to the media. Its purpose was to create awareness among a defined audience about a brand, product or service.
PR professionals did this by:
creating media releases, or individual pitches to editors;
building relationships with journalists and editors; and
making sure that their clients were top of mind when journalists and editors were looking for expert sources to contribute opinions or facts to news articles and features.
Public Relations is a close cousin to Journalism, because they both use similar communications methods and story-telling techniques.
Nowdays, because social media has flattened the hierarchy of media and made it easier for brands to connect and engage directly with their customers and prospects, PR has diminished in value somewhat. But there is still much to be gained by having your practice and projects featured in the media – it conveys what’s now called “social proof” - which is essentially an endorsement from a third-party for your brand or service.
The blogs I referenced above explain why print publication is still a very useful channel for architects - and why it should be the highest priority in your PR strategy - and this article will describe PR methods, and how to employ them effectively in your practice.
What are the main elements of a good architecture PR campaign?
First you need a story (which might be a recent project, or an angle on a topical and newsworthy issue, such as social housing) and then you need to convey that story to your chosen media outlet, in the hope that they will publish it and distribute your message to your intended audience.
If your story is a recent project, you should start by creating a publication strategy (see the link above, which also explains why I recommend you approach editors one-by-one, rather than en masse). Then, you need to collate your materials and approach your pitch them to your chosen media outlets.
Step one: Create your media kit
To save you time and effort, it’s useful to collate and store all the materials that you are likely to send to your preferred editors in a single location they can access, using generic file names that are agnostic from any single publication.
On Dropbox or a similar file sharing platform, set up a new folder for PR purposes, titled [the name of the project and your firm name] – eg Prospect Hill House by ABC Architects. Then add the following sub-folders:
Hi res images (publication ready shots if you have them) – remember to include any photography and styling credits that you want to appear with the article;
Low res images for editors to quickly review (you should also attach your 10 best shots to your pitch email!);
Drawings – plans, sections and elevations if you want to share them, remembering that many non-designers can’t read drawings, so that often floor plans are sufficient;
Schedules or lists of the main materials, products, finishes, furniture that can be seen in your images. Print magazines especially need these for captions, and other types of publications may find them useful too.
Text in the form of an architects statement or description of the project that gives an overview of client, location, brief, design solution, any particular challenges, how you overcame them and any innovations that may be of interest to the publication’s audience (so think about who will read your article, and what you want to say to them, directly, and avoid using archi-speak or industry jargon);
Details of any awards that have been bestowed on the project;
Client testimonials in the form of direct quotes if you have them, and if not, you may wish to download my client questionnaire template (you’ll have to sign in/up to access the free resources if you haven’t already) to help you gather them in future.
This collated set of project info - including text, images, drawings and references - constitutes your media kit for this project. Once you have it place, you’re ready to make your pitches. Grab the shareable link for your Dropbox (or other folder) and include it in the email to your preferred editor.
Step two: Draft your pitch to the editor
It’s best to keep this initial pitch short and to the point. Depending on whether you’ve been featured in the publication before, you might have an introductory sentence or two about your work, or start by thanking the editor for any previous coverage you’ve enjoyed with that publication.
Here’s a couple of examples (these are called ‘swipe files’ in marketing circles!):
Option 1 – a cold pitch
Dear [insert first name]
We haven’t met but I’m an architect and founder of [insert practice name] and I’m sending you a recently completed [house/school/workplace etc] for your consideration for [insert magazine title here].
We were engaged by [client] to [design/build/deliver/renovate/extend/masterplan] this [typology] which had [problem number one] and [issue number two]. Our innovative approach involved [insert clever design solution here] and the clients are really happy with the result, which has changed the way they [live/work/play/educate] by [insert benefit here].
I’ve attached a selection of low res photos for your consideration [include the 10 best shots], and you can access the full media kit – which contains hi-res images, drawings, client testimonials and product credits for publication - here [link to media kit].
It would be great if you could let me know if this is of interest for an upcoming issue. We’re offering it to you exclusively in the first instance, and our client is happy for a reshoot and to be interviewed for the story [obviously you should confirm this with the client BEFORE sending the project to any editors].
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email me or call on [xxx xxx xxx].
Thanks and best regards
[signoff]
Option 2 – a warm pitch
Dear [insert first name]
I’m sending you our recently completed project for your consideration for [insert magazine title here]. We really liked the feature of our [previous project] that you included in your [month/year] issue, and think your readers may be interested in our latest [house/school/workplace]: the [project name].
We were engaged by [client] to [design/build/deliver/renovate/extend/masterplan] this [typology] which had [problem number one] and [issue number two]. Our innovative approach involved [insert clever design solution here] and the clients are really happy with the result, which has changed the way they [live/work/play/educate] by [insert benefit here].
I’ve included some direct quotes from our clients in the media kit, which is available to download here [link to media kit].
Please see a selection of low res photos attached for your consideration [include the 10 best shots], and the media kit also contains hi-res images, drawings and product credits for publication.
It would be great if you could let me know if this is of interest for an upcoming issue. We’re offering it to you exclusively in the first instance, and our client is happy for a reshoot and to be interviewed for the story. [obviously you should confirm this with the client BEFORE sending the project to any editors].
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email me or call on [xxx xxx xxx].
Thanks and best regards
[signoff]
Step three: Find the editor’s contact details
Sanctuary magazine #51 - the ‘Design for a changing climate’ issue. Cover image: Rosedale Beach House by Thomas Caddaye Architects. Photography by Ross Caddye.
There are several ways to find an editor’s email address if you don’t already have it. You should definitely start to build a media distribution list in a spreadsheet, and track when you sent projects to which editors, and any feedback they provided about your pitch. This will help you see patterns over time, and to refine your future efforts.
The best place to start looking for contacts for print publications is to obtain the magazine’s PDF media kit, which usually contains really valuable data including readership numbers and demographics; advertising profiles; any planned features for the next year; and other info that may help you tailor your pitch to each publication.
You can often find these media kits online by Googling “[Magazine title] 2020 media kit”, or failing that, look for a link on the magazine’s website to request one by email (look for the terms Advertise or Submissions at the bottom of webpages).
Another useful way to expand your media database is to read magazines in hard copy or online – preferably titles that you know your ideal client is reading! – via the RB Digital app (you need a local library account to get free access to a huge range of titles). Most magazines include an email address for the editor or editorial co-ordinator in the publisher’s panel, which usually appears just after the contents and editor’s letter at the front of the magazine.
If neither of those methods yields results, you can call the publication directly and ask for the best email address for editorial submissions. However, it’s likely you’ll be given a co-ordinator’s details rather than the editor’s, which may slow down your response times as your pitch filters through the system (and back!). It’s usually better to send directly to the person who is making decisions about content if you can.
Some editors make a decision on the spot and will reply the same day; others put new submissions in a pile and look at them once a month, so it pays to be patient during this phase while you wait for a response.
Depending on the frequency of the publication, feel free to follow up with an email or phone call after one full editorial cycle has passed (so in a month, for a monthly magazine; or after a week for a weekly publication, etc).
Step four: The editor agrees to publish: what next?
If an editor likes your submission and agrees to publish your project, they’ll probably assign a writer, and perhaps make arrangements to have the project reshot. Your job now is to make sure you convey the information that you’ve considered and prepared to that writer, so that your key messages land with the eventual audience. I outlined how to do this in an earlier article that you can find here.
For print publications, it can take weeks or months, or occasionally a year or more, for your project to appear in the hard copy magazine, so there are a couple of ways of managing what seems a never-ending lag between submission and publication.
Firstly, ask the editor which issue it’s likely to appear in, and also clarify whether they want you to withhold the project from your other channels – such as social media and your website – during that time. Depending on their answer, you might be able to promote the project across other channels before the publication is released.
Hopefully, your story won’t get bumped into a later issue, but that can happen, and if it does, just check back in with the editor and ask again when it is likely to appear. If it’s subjected to lengthy delays and several bumps, you’ll need to reconsider whether it’s worth your while to continue waiting for that particular print publication; or whether you’d rather approach a different title, or pursue online platforms instead.
Remember though, that once it’s been published online or in several places, you’re unlikely to have a chance at one of those coveted print publication features.
Step five: My print publication is lined up; what about online platforms?
In terms of approaching online publications, you can use the one-by-one approach again, or send your pitch to multiple platforms at the same time (not in a group email though – no editor likes to feel they are being offered content that will be widely available everywhere else in a hot minute!).
The Architect is the WA Chapter of the Australian Institute' of Architects’ magazine. Cover image: Inlet Drive Residence by PTX Architects. Photography by Bo Wong.
So send individual emails to multiple editors in the space of a week. As I explained here, the lower barriers to entry for online publication mean that there is often less insistence on exclusivity than for print publications.
What about Issues-based architecture stories?
The process of pitching issues-based stories – on topics such as affordable housing, sustainable design, procurement methods, advocacy for a building or place, interest groups such as Architects Declare – is slightly different from pitching project-based stories.
Usually, issues-based stories occupy a different section of the magazine or newspaper (or radio or television program), so it pays to understand where your proposed story will sit (including which section, or regular feature or column) and how it will benefit the audience.
More than ever, journalists and editors are time and resource-poor, so in order to secure publication of an issues-based story, you need to make it easy for them to put your story on the page (or airwaves, or screen).
That usually means creating a media release – a one or two-page document that includes the 6 Ws of Journalism, that outline the story and your angle on it. These are:
Who – is this story about? You the architect? Your client? A subset of society? the residents of a particular suburb or town?
What – is the main angle you want to convey? What’s the newsworthy event or hook that will entice readers to consume this content?
Where – did or will this story happen, or what community will it affect or impact?
When – is this a future activity or event, or something that’s already happened? The key to news and issues-based stories is timeliness, so make sure your pitch is timely and relevant
Why – what were the circumstances that led to this story? What is likely to happen next?, and
How – what structures or actions or policies or regulations led to this event or activity? Is reform needed? What’s your proposed solution?
The best way to write a media release is the same way a journalist writes a news story – with the main points – the most important 2 or 3 Ws – in the first few paragraphs, and the less important information – the remaining Ws – further down.
In news terms, this is called an inverted pyramid, and news stories were traditionally written this way because the editor would cut excess text from the bottom, leaving the most relevant and timely facts intact at the top.
So plot out your 6 Ws and then prioritise them in order of importance. Write short and concise sentences (less than 25 words is ideal) to explain the issue, and include quotes attributed to you or the key spokesperson. Remember these quotes may be lifted from the media release and placed straight on to the page (or airwaves), verbatim.
Few journalists have time for lengthy interviews or conversations over coffee anymore (more’s the pity!), so bear in mind that the information you put in your press release may well end up in front of your audience, unchanged (this applies to the media statements you include with your Awards entries too, so they deserve equal care and consideration).
It’s essential that you make the points you wish to convey clear from the outset by:
using simple language (no archispeak!)
spending sufficient time to formulate your position (what do you want to get out of this? Is there a broader public benefit to this story as well?)
defining your target audience, and conveying your story in terms that those readers / listeners / viewers will readily understand.
Once your media release is ready, you can email it to the publications and media outlets that are most likely to reach your target audience. You can do this en masse, because usually with an issues-based story you’re looking for maximum coverage across multiple outlets.
Depending on the timeliness and relevancy (is your story about an event that will take place one week from now; or an issue that arose last week?) you should follow up with a phone call to ask:
a) if they received it, and
b) if it’s of interest for that publication.
If it’s not of interest, ask if you can contribute to future articles, or submit a different pitch about another topic, and reiterate that you are a willing spokesperson on your nominated area of expertise or issue.
You can also register on SourceBottle as an expert for media interviews, and receive ‘Drink Up’ emails with current callouts from journalists on the issues you nominate.
Is PR a quick fix for my architecture practice?
One of the main things to remember if you embark on this type of activity as part of your overall marketing and communications strategy is that Public Relations takes time, and effort, and consistency. Unlike traditional advertising, you won’t necessarily see tangible results in short time frames, and sometimes you won’t be able to discern them at all from your overall marketing activities.
The impacts of PR are often hard to pinpoint; but done well, it creates broad-based brand awareness and helps to position you and your practice as leaders or experts in a particular field.
The best way to approach architecture PR – like any form of marketing or outward-facing communications – is to establish a clear strategy with defined goals, and then implement that strategy with regular activities over time.
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