With all the talk about digital and social media taking over PR, it’s easy to forget about the power of good old media relations. But NKPR’s media outreach for RW&Co.’s latest campaign shows that a good story still goes a long way.
The PR shop has been RW&Co.’s public relations agency of record for the past four years. It promoted the retailer’s first-ever collaboration with Canadian actor Hayden Christensen, who designed a limited-edition line of menswear for the fashion retailer.
NKPR negotiated a number of high-profile media pieces, including a 30-minute special on the E! network that airs Nov. 7, the launch date of the collaboration; the cover of the fall issue of Men’s Fashion; a full page in Elle Man; an editorial spread in the November issue of LouLou Magazine; a feature in The Globe and Mail Style Advisor; a Canadian Press story that was picked up nationally; and a national spot on Citytv’s Breakfast Television.
“Although there’s advertising to support the collaboration, we felt media relations was going to deliver on what the measures of success were, which are telling the story of [the collaboration], showcasing the products and positioning the brand in a way where they’re fashionable and the clothing is comfortable, but it’s very Hayden,” said Natasha Koifman, president of NKPR.
Koifman said part of the reason for the success of the media outreach strategy was the access to Christensen that NKPR provided. The E! network, for example, was given access to the early days of the collaboration. Christensen was filmed pinning the rise he wanted on a pair of pants, trying the clothes on and talking about his life on his farm in Uxbridge, Ont., since the collection was inspired by his lifestyle. “It’s really about getting to know Hayden and understanding how the collaboration came together,” said Koifman.
Koifman added that because there was a lot of interesting content, the agency was able to secure such “amazing” pieces of coverage. “I love the media relations part of it and I feel sometimes it’s lost because of social media because we all communicate in 140 characters,” she said. “But it’s nice when you have something that is so rich in content that you are able to negotiate those types of deals.”
While much has been said about the “death” of media relations, Koifman believes it’s still an important part of the PR mix. “I really believe in the written word, I believe in telling stories, I believe in connecting through telling those stories,” she said.
“Social media is important, but what social media does is help increase awareness. Telling a story or reading an article actually helps you connect with the brand or the person or the product because you’re able to do so much more.”
