In the spotlight: Clare Graham, founder of Advantage PR
Sponsored
Clare Graham, founder of award-winning business, Advantage PR, launched her company 23 years ago.
Since then, she’s worked with businesses all over Scotland, and in England, showing them how PR can further raise the profile of their company and strengthen the impact of their marketing activity.
Clare has built up an extensive ‘little black book’ of media contacts over the years, which she puts to good use, to generate press coverage for her clients. She also prides herself on going the extra mile for her clients and building strong relationships. She believes this approach has contributed to the longevity of her business.
We’ve shone the spotlight on Clare, to find out more about Advantage PR – and we’ve learned just how quickly she got it up and running, why clients choose to work with her and why perseverance is an essential part of her business toolkit.
Tell us a little about the business and what you do.
I run Advantage PR which offers consumer PR and marketing support to clients in the food and drink; property and construction; and hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors.
My job is to provide effective marketing campaigns, which sometimes involves performing the role of an in-house marketing and PR manager, over a longer campaign or providing a bespoke service in the short term, to gain immediate results.
What inspired you to launch Advantage PR
I started the business in 2003, after a career break, due to a bereavement. I made a few calls, targeting housebuilders initially and soon had my first client. I was up and running, consumed with a passion to build a business and future for myself and my young family.
What makes your business different from others in your sector?
The PR sector in Scotland is dominated by a number of very large, successful, fully integrated agencies, whereas my business entirely consists of me, my contacts and my reputation.
Who are your typical customers or clients, what do they come to you for and
why do they choose you?
Over the last 23 years, I’ve worked with just about every type of business you could think of, from start-ups, through to large corporates, and with both public and private-sector organisations.
Clients come to me for results. They want things to be simple and straightforward. They want to know what PR can do for them when used in conjunction with other types of marketing, or as a standalone service, especially if they’ve never used it before.
One of the reasons why clients choose to do business with me is that they prefer to have only one point of contact – a senior professional, who is not going to delegate the work to someone else. Last year a client chose to appoint me, in the face of some significant competition because I was a female founder, just like her. That meant a lot to me.
What are you most proud of achieving since the business began?
I’m proud of having won the Best Independent Practitioner PR award, from the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) two years in a row.
I’m also proud of having built a business that allows me to spend all my time doing what I love – writing and selling in stories to journalists, meeting my clients and chasing press coverage.
What do you think has been the key to the success of your business?
Perseverance has been key to the success of Advantage PR. With certain clients, it took me years to win them over, whether to win their PR business or to encourage them to try PR for the first time. I got there in the end.
I’ve never been afraid to pitch against the ‘big boys’, as we are offering the same service: gaining editorial coverage for our clients.
I’ve always been myself, have never over promised and I’ve ensured my business is focused on clients and the coverage. I don’t usually promote myself – this is the first time in years!
Versatility and a ‘can-do’ attitude have stood me in good stead too. Although PR is my main service, I have had to get on board with social media, as many clients request my help with this.
I aim to ensure that my campaigns fully integrate with other campaigns that they have running, so that everything is aligned and I’m happy to collaborate with other agencies that clients are working with.
What is the biggest misconception people have about what you do or your
industry?
People sometimes think PR is about spin. It’s not.
If a business approaches me with a story that I don’t think has potential, I will be honest and tell them.
What trends or changes are you currently seeing in your sector?
Since I launched, social media has become a huge marketing tool, but PR still has its place. It’s there to protect and promote the reputation of a business.
What are your ambitions for the business over the next couple of years?
I’m planning to reach at least 25 years in business, which I will celebrate, as I did when I hit 20 years. I have no plans to stop, and as long as businesses keep seeking out my services, I’m happy.
What is the best piece of business advice you have ever been given and how
did it help your business?
There have been three: don’t sell yourself short; there’s nothing you can’t achieve; and get a good accountant to help you out. If you don’t get payment in on time, you won’t have a business.
Comments