Front Page Communication, is a new PR company in Lebanon, serving the region.
Its mission statement is clear: creating long-lasting integrated communication campaigns that combine public relations and publicity, media relations and events, product placement and brand contact points strategies, with the aim of building and maintaining reputation and image, developing notoriety, increasing awareness, strengthening market positioning and raising the level of consumer recognition. In this interview, CEO and media veteran Camille Menassa delves deeper into the company's mission, the advantages of this newly established PR agency, and why its approach is unrivalled in the region.
ArabAd: How would you define the advantages of your recently established PR agency Front Page Communication?
Camille Menassa: First of all, let me note that Front Page Communication is one of the few independent PR agencies in the country. The PR landscape in Lebanon mainly includes PR companies existing either in the form of sister agencies to an advertising network or as a department within an agency. Front Page Communication, in addition to its specialized team dedicated to giving the best PR strategies and services, has the ability and flexibility (when the communication strategy requires an advertising campaign for example), to deal with the best talents in town without any constraint and to join efforts with the advertising agency that best serves a specific job, in order to achieve optimum results.
AA: What effectively distinguishes a PR agency, such as Front Page Communication from a classical advertising agency?
CM: PR is the aristocracy of communication. In saying this, I mean that, while advertising aims at ensuring immediate profit and boosting sales, PR's objective is to build a positive image for a given brand, company, or individual. It is a long-term process that does not produce results overnight, but builds the notoriety on solid grounds.
Front Page Communication is concerned with creating a direct relation of trust between the company and the public. In other terms, while advertising creates desire and emotions, a PR agency like Front Page Communication gives facts and builds credibility and confidence.
AA: Do you mean that PR and advertising have different objectives?
CM: Advertising and PR are rather complementary to one another, since they both work towards achieving one goal; in fact, they are often part of one integrated campaign.
Nevertheless, one of these disciplines may be dominant to the other depending on the situation or the needs of the concerned company or product. Hence, we usually have two main scenarios:
An exclusive PR strategy: in this case, PR is the leading discipline. Although applied in specific cases, such strategies are particularly beneficial when for example, there is a need to address a professional niche, or to perform lobbying, or when personal relations play the major role in the relevant situation. In this strategy, there is no need for above-the-line material (advertising).
An integrated communication strategy: this is when PR and advertising complement each other, with one dominant to the other according to the situation. Such strategies are important when the main objective is to establish credibility and trust, build corporate image, launch a new brand or corporate identity, etc...
AA: There is a general perception that PR is mainly about Media Relations. What is your view on that matter?
CM: Media Relations are just one aspect of the PR services. In fact, they come as the final step in every PR program or event organized for a given client. Media Relations are indispensable in relaying to the audience every piece of information regarding the corporation or its operations. Yet, although this is a final step in implementing PR strategies, you first need to have a (story to tell) to the media about this company.
This story can take various aspects and forms: it could be a seminar, a sponsoring operation, a big event to launch a new product, or even an emergency reaction to a crisis that the company is facing.
As a PR agency, Front Page Communication is involved in all the phases of a program: from planning, organizing and implementing the event itself, to ensuring maximum positive echo in the media. The new definition of PR goes far beyond merely ensuring a timely press release in the newspaper. It has rather become a full strategy that aims at efficiently upgrading the image of a company, brand or individual, and developing a relation of confidence and trust with the different audiences: consumers, suppliers, opinion leaders, public authorities, etc.
AA: How aware is the Lebanese market of the importance of PR services?
CM: The emergence of independent PR agencies and the increasing weight of PR departments within the communication agencies stand as scientific proofs today that the business community is gradually realizing the importance of PR and the necessity of including this communication component in their strategies. Certainly, PR in Lebanon has not yet achieved its full potential as in Europe. Studies for the year 2004 in France, for example, indicate that almost 68 percent of communication budgets for that year were allocated to PR, Below the Line, and Direct Marketing activities.
We may still be far from that figure, but Front Page Communication is certain that embracing PR in its wider dimension and working at the corporate, political, and social level will empower it to draw the attention to the importance of PR in achieving the best results and maintaining a solid reputation.
AA: How does Front Page Communication operate?
CM: Front Page Communication is first concerned with addressing the real problems facing the client. This is done through research that evaluates and monitors the perception of key audiences towards the client.
Results may call for straightening out any risk-bearing misconception, correcting any existing critical inaccuracy, or tackling harmful rumors. In all situations, we follow an integrated process in order to reach the intended goal. First, we need to define strategies towards the set goals and create a perception where there is none, change the existing perception if needed, or reinforce an existing positive one.
We may need to create an efficient corrective language. Persuading an audience with your point of view is no easy task, and thus calls for compelling, persuasive, credible, clear, and factual choice of words. This is a prerequisite if you are to correct a perception, since you will be soliciting your audience to share your views and thus directing it towards the desired behaviors. In this regard, communication specialists at our agency will help deliver the relevant message in such a way as to achieve maximum impact and persuasiveness.
The next phase involves selecting the communications mechanisms that are most likely to capture the attention of your target audience. Fortunately, these mechanisms are quite abundant. They include speeches, facility tours, emails, brochures, consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings, and many others. Progress reports come as the last phase and are performed in due course. This probably suggests that the client's communication team and Front Page Communication's PR team will have to return to the field for a second perception-monitoring session, using many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. They will carefully observe those signs that tell them that their communication mechanisms have performed and that the negative perception is being reversed in the proper direction.
AA: What is that distinguishes Front Page Communication's approach as a PR agency?
CM: We believe that PR is an integrated and aligned strategy, vital to the success of any communication campaign or program. This vision requires a special approach aimed at delivering compelling, persuasive, credible, factual, and understandable messages that will influence the audience's perceptions and ways of thinking. We have adopted a threefold strategic approach to optimize the efficiency of our combined work.
Comprehensive communication strategies marked by extensive understanding of your target audiences and market environment, with the necessary know-how to build on your company's strength and reach the required levels of performance and efficiency.
Integrated counsel and working methods to operate with your team as one coordinated entity that is able to combine the composite components of a successful communication and marketing strategy, and to develop and implement systems, processes, functions, and tasks beyond conventional approaches.
Aligned and consolidated management creative routines that will drive extensive results from regular press communication to socially responsible image-building programs, and from tactical internal company events to especially designed public events.
AA: How does Front Page Communication deal with the media?
CM: One of the main objectives of a PR agency is to maintain positive relations with the media for the benefit of the public. PR news are first of all "news" that report relevant information to the public. Furthermore, let me note that our relations - as a PR agency - with the media are never occasional; it is rather a continuous process that seeks to create a climate of confidence and cooperation with the journalists and the media. I can confidently say that Front Page Communication is empowered in this domain thanks to its experienced staff. Nevertheless, it is important to note that new media are emerging today with the everyday spurge of new technologies.
Therefore, one of our main objectives is to monitor and grasp every evolution step to best use these modern utilities and help our customers capitalize on new technologies.
AA: Does a well-established, highly reputable company still need to promote its image?
CM: Promoting and consolidating image is an everyday task. No matter how good the corporate or brand image is, it needs constant maintenance and nurturing to keep the audience aware of the image equities that make this brand, company or person.
By Staff Reporter
© ArabAd 2006
