There are three main things that determine which PR partner you should choose when promoting a home design brand’s PR: industry-specific media connections, successful experience with comparable brands, and the ability to know how to tell your story from both a design perspective and a press-pitching perspective.
A good agency will never treat your brand as a regular client. Your brand story will be told just like a design editor would do that. Here are the criteria you should follow before signing a contract.
Why Does Your Home Design Brand Need a Specialty PR Agency?
A living brand isn’t like any startup or consumer goods company; a couch, light, or bathroom accessory isn’t sold based on technical merits but on the emotional appeal and quality craftsmanship of the product, as well as the name behind it. A general PR firm that covers everything from fintech startups to F&B companies wouldn’t be able to understand this completely.
The importance of specialization comes into play here. A specialist PR agency that deals only with the design industry knows all the editors covering furnishing products, architecture, and living products. They know which outlets will be most relevant to launching a luxury sanitaryware brand or a mass-market furniture company. This kind of inside knowledge can’t just be made up off the bat.
What to Look For in Your Home Design Brands PR Agency?
Prior to selecting an agency, consider the following checklist, which will help you differentiate between those who only pretend to have design expertise and those who really offer it:
- A proven track record of working with interior design, architecture, or home living brands, rather than a wide variety of different industries.
- Connections with design and lifestyle media outlets, not just a media database.
- A team of PR professionals who understand the design and architecture business, as they can communicate with your customers on their terms.
- Reporting on the actual value and ROI of media coverage.
- More than just issuing press releases – social media management and influencer outreach included.
- Campaign experience in multiple markets or regions, if your brand operates internationally.
By choosing an agency that checks most of these criteria, you can be sure that you are getting valuable coverage, not just a couple of meaningless mentions.
How Do You Judge an Agency’s Media Connections?
Asking a prospective agency to provide some concrete instances of coverage they have obtained for design clients in the form of press placements, rather than asking for media connections, is a must. An honest agency will give you names of outlets and brand names where they managed to secure placements for their clients. If they do not have any names to mention, it is best to take your business elsewhere.
It also works to ask about the length of the relationship between the agency and its clients. A longer relationship of up to five or six years means that the agency is consistent in delivering something to its clients and not just scoring one lucky hit. It is the tenured agencies that have the respect of editors to read every email.
Which Services Should a PR Partner of a Decor Brands Company Provide?
An effective decor brands company PR partner is not limited to press release writing and distribution. A good agency will develop a well-rounded communications strategy for you. A good partner should offer such services as:
- Developing a PR strategy and corporate communications.
- Press release writing, seeding, and media pitching, including follow-up
- Crisis management in sensitive situations.
- Social media content writing and management on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Selecting and managing relationships with influencers.
- Coordinating regionally for expansion to new markets in Asia and beyond.
All of them under one roof guarantee that your message remains the same across all channels of communication.
How Can You Tell If an Agency Knows Your Industry?
Take note of how the agency addresses your product within the presentation itself. Are they asking questions regarding the source of the materials, the level of craftsmanship, or what inspired the designer in the first place, or are they asking only marketing-related questions? Agencies that know home decor brands’ PR well will ask questions that are more appropriate for design journalists because they require that element to construct a great story.
Another good way of gauging whether the agency knows your industry well is to take into consideration the quality of brands they’ve worked with in the past. Agencies that reputable brands of furniture, lighting, sanitary ware, and luxury fittings trust have already demonstrated their ability to work at a professional level.
Which Red Flags Should Be Avoided When Choosing a PR Firm?
It is vital to avoid hiring any public relations marketing agency that assures you of guaranteed media coverage in top-tier publications before learning anything about your business. It would not make sense for an agency to assure you of guaranteed media coverage if the newsworthiness and the relationship have not been assessed.
Additionally, avoid hiring any PR firm that is not able to explain to you how they assess their performance. It would be difficult for you to know whether the results were achieved if a firm does not give you a chance to analyze their reports. The agency should always be ready to provide you with numbers.
Bringing Your Design Story to Life with the Right PR Partner
Selecting a PR agency to work with is not only about choosing the best possible company for your business but also about getting someone who will appreciate your products as the designers did.
Ambience Public Relations has been representing companies working in the field of interior design and home living for many years now. We have established strong connections with media and designers within this area. Our company has had the pleasure of working with brands such as Tempur, Kohler, TOTO, Roca, Fritz Hansen, and King Living, and we have successfully executed various PR campaigns across public relations, social media, and influencer activities.
Let us help you get the recognition you deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the expected time frame to start seeing results from a PR campaign about home design?
Usually, agencies need between eight and twelve weeks to establish a baseline for media momentum, because editors plan their feature articles ahead of time. Results tend to grow over several months’ time period, while relationships are building and the brand becomes known to appropriate journalists.
Should PR or advertising be done first in the context of a home design brand launch?
PR adds to the brand’s credibility through the use of external validation, and this approach usually has more impact on buyers in the design industry than ads. Many brands notice that the use of earned media actually increases the effectiveness of paid advertising, because the audience gets familiar with the brand name through editorial coverage.
What should I bring to the first meeting with a PR agency?
You should be prepared with brand narrative, product points of difference, visuals, and previous media coverage. Agencies will be able to develop a solid pitch strategy much faster if they get acquainted with the positioning and design philosophy of your brand right away.
Is there a way for the regional PR agency to work on campaigns in different countries?
Yes, however, it can happen only if the company has its offices, contacts, or partnerships in the corresponding regions. Designing PR campaigns that target several markets at once means knowing the media and consumer culture of the region, which is why agencies with the actual regional presence always outperform their counterparts who work from one office.
What additional metrics can PR agencies use to evaluate the efficiency of their work apart from press mentions?
Good PR agencies usually monitor metrics like earned media value, coverage reach, website traffic generated by media coverage, and social content engagement. Don’t hesitate to ask potential partners about the specifics of the report format they will generate for you.
