Why a Solid PR Message Starts with “Why” and “How” – Not “What”

In PR, we talk a lot about messaging. It is woven into press releases, blog posts, website collateral and whitepapers. We share it with press and we use it to tell the world about our corporate values and goals. But, where does this messaging come from?

When asked about their messaging, many companies will start with what they do. For example, a smart home service provider will explain the nuances of their platform and what they do differently than their competitors.

This is not worthless information – the sales team probably finds that many of their leads are very interested to hear what this smart home platform does better or differently than others in the industry. But, very rarely will this become a news headline.

Companies must probe more deeply to find truly valuable messaging. Think about these questions:

• Why do we do what we do?

• How are we changing our industry and leaving an impact?

Why, How, What

You’ll find that the answers to ‘why’ and ‘how’ are very different from the answer to ‘what.’ They also probably force you to think about your company in a new way.

Take the same smart home company again. This company’s answer to ‘why’ is that it wants to encourage more intelligent energy usage in homes to offset global warming. With its new platform, the company is creating an ecosystem that furniture and appliance manufacturers can plug into and contribute additional energy efficiencies, dramatically changing how homes are built in the future (that’s the ‘how’). Now, THAT is a good headline.

There are many examples of companies that do this phenomenally well. Apple has condensed the company message into two powerful words: “Think Different.” The company has pioneered some of the most cutting-edge and technologically sophisticated devices on the planet, yet the outbound messaging is focused around creative thought, innovation and beauty. This is a great example of building a PR message around the “why” and “how”, not the “what.”

Take a look:

So, ask the question: what’s your company’s ‘how’ and ‘why’?

---

Want to learn more about building an effective PR message? In The Evolution of PR, Content Marketing and Blogging , we cover:

- The ongoing changes in the world of PR

- The principles of content marketing for tech companies

- Important blogging strategies

- How to use press releases for more than just brand-building

Download

Why a Solid PR Message Starts with “Why” and “How” – Not “What”