Icon Agency 2019: A PR year in review

From launching islands to promoting Australia’s fastest-growing unicorn, Icon Agency’s Account Executive, Robyn Rigoli, reflects on an action-packed year in the fast-paced world of public relations

2019 has been another great year for Icon Agency! As we gear up for the next decade, we have taken the time to reflect on what we have achieved in the past year for our proactive PR and publicity. Icon has worked on campaigns from product launches to election advocacy campaigns across a diverse range of client sectors including consumer, government, not for profit, finance, fintech, tourism, property and energy.

Media Coverage

One way of measuring the success of PR is media coverage and the impact that has on the client - both in terms of bottom line and share of voice in the media.

This year we managed an astronomical audience reach of over 2,315,417,894 (that's right – 2.3 billion).

This number represents a combined total of all client coverage secured throughout the year. It shows the potential number of impressions that a client is exposed to which in turn impacts their ROI.

PR has this amazing ability to be able to reach every corner of society with different emotions, messaging, announcements and campaigns through different streams of media and connectivity; print, digital, social, broadcast and more.

These results are also a testament to our storytelling ability and our commitment to getting the best for our clients, always.

Leveraging our extensive relationships with the Australian media we managed to secure 3,044 articles in over 702 publications. This makes an average of approximately 60 articles secured a week reaching different audiences with a lot of different interests.

Strength in our media relations

Whether it’s the launch of a new city square or a relaunch of an iconic Queensland island, we are able to diversify and tell the stories you need to the world.

Some of 2019’s highlights include:

  • Supercharging Australia’s fastest-grown unicorn, Airwallex

  • Launching Dunk Island and Mission Beach, Mayfair 101

  • Raising awareness for Miracle Babies fundraiser on behalf of Mayborn, Tommee Tippee

  • Launching Prahran Square, City of Stonnington

  • Shining a light on solar in both a B2B and B2C space, Q CELLS

  • Launching a UK based children’s skincare range into the Australian market, Childs Farm.

Awards and shortlists

Being recognised for our work in the PR industry is rewarding and a key indicator that we are doing work that matters.

It has been a stellar year with Icon Agency being commended for the following work:

  • Icon's 'After Hours Care' campaign for North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network won an Honorable Mention, 2019 Golden Target Awards, PRIA

  • Icon’s Community Safety Campaign for Yarra Trams won Marketing winners for Social Change, 2019 Victorian AMI Awards

  • Icon's campaign for 'Stay Smart Online Week' on behalf of the Australian Cyber Security Centre won an Honorable Mention at PRIA’s 2019 Golden Target Awards and was named a national finalist in the Best PR Campaign category, 2019 B&T Awards.

Public relations in 2020

Moving forward, our prediction for the PR industry is that while the sheer volume of content and noise will continue to rise, PR will remain unrivalled in its ability to build trust and reputation.

Over the last 12 months, we have witnessed considerable success using a more targeted approach issuing content to smaller lists of outlets with a higher focus on relevance. As full-time newsrooms dissolve, knowing and engaging freelancers who can help leverage content across a number of outlets will become the secret weapon bringing an end to ‘spray and pray’ tactics.

Of course, we understand that as the industry evolves at a rapid pace it’s important that we are able to offer agile solutions - this places us in great standing to implement trends at their inception. We’re no stranger to the rise of digital influence and positioning our clients in this space; whether it’s an integrated digital, PR, social or a SEM approach.

And that’s what we expect more of in 2020 - the continued shift towards digital platforms, increased demand for genuine stories and further focus on sharing that news through a variety of digital tactics.

But one thing remains the same: PR is, and always will be, a crucial feature in the success of your business.

Icon Agency is a Melbourne-based, digitally-native, integrated communications agency.

Contact us today and start your 2020 with a bang.