PR isn’t what you think it is
Odette Barry is here to fill you in on what small business owners need to understand.
Words and photos: Anna Hutchroft
Can you tell us about how you ended up in the wild and ever-changing world of PR?
It’s been a windy ol’ road getting to where I am. For so long, I fought the pull of PR because that’s what my sister does, and I figured two PRs was enough for one family! But here we are.
Early on, I was working in corporate events and comms for one of the Big Four banks. It wasn’t for me. I decided it was time to go back to uni. At the time, I was obsessed with social media. I kind of still am!
After working in various comms roles and craving a change in lifestyle, my family and I moved to Byron Bay. Like so many others who moved here pre-pandemic, I realised I’d have to create my own opportunities if I wanted to be gainfully employed!
With a jack-of-all-trades kinda background in communications, PR and marketing, I started my own agency– working on everything from brand strategy to social media management.
After a few years, I came to realise what really set my soul on fire (and what I was exceptionally good at) was PR – and telling people about it. Almost four years ago I pivoted from being a broader comms agency to teaching small businesses how to do their own PR.
Who are your role models in the media space? What do they do and how do they do it so well?
I’m spoilt for choice, there are so many highly intelligent folks in the media landscape. But if I had to choose a few…
Angela Priestly, Founding Editor, Women’s Agenda. Angela leads with integrity and ethics. She’s created an amazing platform and I admire how Women’s Agenda is fearless in covering the range of the issues women face.
Pru Chapman, Podcast Host, One Wild Ride. I am obsessed with Pru’s poddy that champions businesses working to improve our planet. As a trained psychologist she’s incredibly skilled at asking the right questions and fronts up to every interview extremely well prepared.
Schwarz Media, Publishers of The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and 7am. This team is jam packed with talented journalists and their investigative journalism is unparalleled. The 7am podcast is expert in breaking down the issues of the day in a way that’s insightful yet accessible.
With sensationalist headlines, commonly cited inaccuracies, and murky agendas, public confidence in “The Media” seems to be in steady decline. But it can’t all be that bad, can it? Give us the scoop on the value of media.
It’s definitely not all bad out there! You only have to look at Covid, when across the world we turned to the press to keep us up-to-date and informed, to see that the media still plays a really important role in our everyday lives.
This is also reflected in what’s going on in the industry at the moment: digital subscriptions are on the rise, we’ve seen the diversification into audio and podcasting and publications such as The Guardian have doubled their audience.
There are incredible publications alongside The Guardian like Dumbo Feather and The Saturday Paper that invest in beautiful storytelling and fact-checking in order to avoid publishing sensationalist news that’s really just a race to the bottom.
Do you have any tips to share about how to better consume “The Media” and navigate a healthier relationship with it?
Unfortunately we’re living in the age of misinformation and fake news so we have to look at everything we read, watch or listen to with a really critical eye rather than accepting it on face value.
This means asking yourself: why has XYZ publication chosen to cover this story? What makes it relevant to the broader conversations taking place around the issue? Who has the publication chosen to interview and what does that say about their take? Once you can take a step back and look at the media through this critical lens, it becomes easier to form a healthier relationship with it. And not be constantly outraged.
Lastly, we should all make it a priority to get across media ownership in Australia. Task yourself with knowing who owns what and invest your eyes, ears and time accordingly.
What are some common misconceptions people have about PR? Tell us about the work that you do with Odette & Co and the mission behind what you do.
That only celebrities or companies in crisis mode need a publicist!
The truth is, most of the time the media won’t come knocking on your door. While you may be an amazing business out there in the world doing amazing things, you’ll only get that coveted cover feature when you shout your business from the rooftops. Up to 80 percent of stories that you read, watch or hear about have only happened because someone has pitched for it.
However, not everyone can afford a publicist to do their bidding. At Odette & Co we run courses that help purpose-led founders and entrepreneurs learn the necessary PR skills to supercharge their businesses.
I’ve heard you speak on your podcast, the Hack Your Own PR podcast, about the power of great storytelling. What do you think great storytelling has the power to do?
Great storytelling has the power to change the hearts and minds of audiences, customers or voters.
If you look at an contemporary Australian issue like gay marriage; much of that inspiring grassroots activism was amplified by PR storytelling. Through storytelling, emotional connections to the issue were formed which then drove action.
It’s also relevant to business. Outland Denim harnesses the PR power of its origin story to create jobs for women escaping the human trafficking trade while one of my Hack Your Own PR graduates, Thrivalist Sobriety, was able to generate $70k in business off one feature article in MamaMia.
What creates a compelling story?
A compelling story needs a hook that makes your story irresistible to the journalist you're pitching to. You want something that’s going to make them immediately stop scrolling through the 300 odd pitches they receive each day.
It needs to be timely and answer the question,‘why should the audience care about this particular story right now?’
Lastly, you’ll need evidence in the form of data or statistics that back up your angle and ground it in facts rather than theories.
What are some things that small business owners could start doing right now that would help them tell better stories and get their businesses out there?
Become a voracious consumer of media. Figure out where you’d like to get featured and read the magazines or listen to the podcasts to really get under the skin of what they’re about.
Research your favourite journalists and start making notes of what they’re beat is.
Get your digital presence squeaky clean. When you have a PR win, the last thing you want to do is send your audience to a shonky website or inappropriate social media handle.
What’s keeping you busy at the moment? We want to hear about what’s in the pipeline for Odette & Co for the rest of the year!
I’m currently leading the final cohort of Hack Your Own PR for 2022 where I’m teaching a bunch of switched-on small business owners how to nail their own PR.
We’ve recently launched the Hack Your Own PR programme into Singapore and are making moves to expand into the UK and New Zealand next year. So that’s keeping me pretty busy at the moment!
On a personal note I’m looking forward to getting stuck into my favourite publications and podcasts by the beach. That’s if it’s not pouring with rain…Le sigh, La Niña!