Many organisations only need to deal occasionally with the media and don’t need full-time press officers. But they still need to portray a professional image to the outside world, maximise opportunities for positive publicity and be able to deal with difficult enquiries from journalists if the unexpected happens.
A cost-effective way to do this is to outsource the function so you only spend money on what you need, when you need it.
An outsourced press office comprises a team of experienced education PR professionals who work remotely to build your profile, deal with incoming enquiries from journalists, or advise you if your school is facing a crisis.
We are offering the basic infrastructure of an outsourced press office for free. These are a press office email address and telephone number, along with a call answering service. These contact details can be published on your website to ensure you are ready for media enquiries, including out of office hours. We cover the set-up, admin and maintenance costs of this. Any actual PR advice is chargeable.
The telephone number will be an 0203 number. This includes email address will be [email protected] We use these contact details for all clients on this basic package.
Yes, we do not have automated answering.
Yes, you can have your own dedicated telephone number and email address [yourschoolname]@schoolpressoffice.com for just £90 per month.
It depends on the level of service you require, whether the matter is urgent and when you want us to deal with it. We charge in 6-minute segments at an hourly rate of £195 for non-critical enquiries. Rates are higher out of hours and for crisis PR advice. We will send you a full schedule of fees with our terms and conditions.
We will make clear when the chargeable work starts and you can make a decision about whether to proceed. Also bear in mind that we charge in 6 minutes segments so your monthly invoice, if any charges are incurred at all, would start at just £19.50. We will give you an estimate of how much time will be spent on your matter and keep you posted on what time has elapsed.
For those wanting certainty, we also offer fixed retainer agreements. These start at just £245 a month for our popular Reputation Toolkit service.
We offer a range of additional services:
If you’d like more information or need help with an incident, enter your details and an expert will be in touch. If you need urgent help, call us on 020 7692 5675.
How you deal with journalists’ questions can have a major impact on the way your issue is reported, and therefore on your reputation.
In the age of 24-hour media, there are no second chances so it is essential to be prepared.
Social and digital media monitoring is an essential reputation management tool in the 24-hour media age. We will monitor your school’s online reputation and advise on rapid action and counter measures that can be applied if necessary. This means that negative sentiment can be nipped in the bud and you can quickly control the narrative behind any breaking story at any time of day.
Learn moreHas someone been accused of a crime? Is your school involved in a dispute? Have allegations of professional negligence been made against you? Or perhaps you are taking legal action and require some well-judged publicity and a watertight communication plan.
Learn moreWhen they happen, they come quickly and can do lasting damage to reputations if not handled properly. But they don’t have to be a fatal blow. Effective crisis PR requires cool heads, an instant but well-judged response, and expert damage limitation.
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