Introducing Cannon PR

How we work

Cannon PR provides practical, effective advice that delivers genuine results and is based around the premise of clear and transparent fixed fees.

• Fixed fees

Does a bill from your PR agency fill you with dread? We believe day rates are an outdated way of costing public relations work, which is why our campaign work always has, and always will, be based around clear outputs. This provides a fairer deal for clients and our work is always underwritten by a very simple promise: If we don’t deliver what we say we will, we don’t expect you to pay.

• Flexibility

We understand that few businesses work 9-5, and neither do we. We work to meet the needs of our clients, including evenings and weekends at times to suit you.

• Media monitoring and intelligence

We are proud to be the eyes and ears of our clients. This enables us to respond quickly to maximise opportunities surrounding breaking news stories, providing our clients with the opportunity to contribute to, or debate surrounding issues affecting their businesses. 

On a daily basis we receive media requests from journalists who often look for businesses to comment on breaking news stories. Unlike many of our competitors, this is always delivered as part of our standard service – not as a costly add on.

• No hidden expenses

We do not charge our clients for travel expenses or attending contact meetings. All administration work is included within our proposed schedule of costs and similarly, we do not charge for producing contact reports or evaluating our work at the end of the month. It’s all part of the service!

• Results, results, results!

We believe results should be at the heart of every public relations campaign. That’s why we have always rejected the traditional agency model. Our work is closely aligned to helping you achieve your own business objectives.

Delivery

We take pride in what we do and never settle for second best. Here’s how we work:

In the beginning:

As public relations professionals, it’s our job to ensure your business is engaging with others in the best possible way. Communications goals should always be closely aligned to your business goals. We establish clear aims and objectives, ensuring you will always get the best return on your investment.

Planning & Research:

We take time to understand the current market position held by your business. As part of this process we undertake a communications audit, assessing the current market position your business holds, competitor analysis and examining how you currently communicate with others. We assess the performance of social media channels and the frequency with which your business generates news, as well as assessing the effectiveness of your current communications activity.

Implementation:

We assume full responsibility for the delivery of your campaign – ensuring all agreed work is delivered on time and on schedule.

All proposed activity will be identified and collated into an ongoing media plan. Using a traffic light system, progress is monitored and assessed on an on-going basis, ensuring campaign objectives are met whilst providing the flexibility to be revised at short notice if required.

Monitoring:  

In addition to planned media activities, we understand the importance of being able to respond quickly to new opportunities when they arise. We monitor the media on a daily basis, as well as keeping a close eye on your social media channels, to ensure any questions or comments are responded to quickly and proactively.

In addition to this, we receive daily media requests from journalists asking for comment, case studies and opinions. This provides further opportunities to secure additional awareness of your business, where relevant.

Evaluation:

Our results are monitored and assessed on a monthly basis. The impact of every press release issued is assessed based upon key messages conveyed in the media, audience reach and numbers of articles published. Social media metrics are collated into monthly reports which evaluate audience growth, reach and engagement.

Our motto is substance with style – an ethos which goes right to the heart of everything we stand for.

Standing out from the crowd means thinking differently. In recent years we’ve helped our clients to celebrate Yorkshire’s most romantic workplace, launched Sheffield’s first ever lager, and acted swiftly, proactively and decisively in order to protect the reputations of our clients.

We don’t believe in creating puff or hype, simply for the sake of grabbing column inches – our approach is always closely aligned to helping our clients achieve their own business goals. It’s an approach which is always underpinned by strategy, creativity and delivery.

The need for effective communications has never been greater and the way in which we all access and digest our news is constantly evolving. However, when it comes to engaging with others, the rules have changed very little.

Effective media stories strike a chord with those for whom they are intended. They should prick up the ears of listeners, engage through video, or encourage people to hit the share button.

Public relations isn’t simply about sharing good news or protecting reputations, should a potential crisis scenario emerge; it’s a partnership built upon trust, collaboration and mutual respect.

As an independently owned business, we firmly believe companies should support the communities they serve: where possible we support the local economy by procuring products and services from local, independently-owned businesses, as well as giving back to our local community. We provide resources for our staff to explore their own interests by providing time to enable them to give back to the local community.

We are proud to have been able to use our skills to help charities, not-for-profit businesses and community led organisations. Examples of this work have included doing our best for Rotherham District Scout Association and Rotherham’s Gallery Town initiative. We actively support local sport in our community through our support of Rotherham District Sunday League Football, and we are proud to count ourselves as patrons of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

Cannon PR was born in 2011 when we recognised a need to re-think the way traditional PR services are delivered.

We have always rejected the traditional agency model, replacing standard day rates with a fixed fee payment structure which is underpinned by transparent, output driven delivery. This ethos remains as important to us today as it was on our first day of trading.

Since 2011 we’ve come a long way, proudly supporting small and medium sized businesses throughout the UK, as well as supporting local authorities and the NHS.

Our significant milestones:

2011: Cannon PR opens for business (1st September 2011)
2012: Company is incorporated on 25th June 2012
2013: We relocate to premises at 32a High St, Rotherham – overlooking the town’s historic Minster
2014: Founder, Matthew Ridsdale is named as Yorkshire & Lincolnshire’s Outstanding Freelance PR practitioner of the year by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the first and indeed only time this prestigious accolade has been presented to a South Yorkshire-based PR practitioner. We also welcomed our first member of staff to the team.
2015: Matthew is nominated as Business Person of the Year by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce
2016: Cannon PR wins its first competitive public sector tender bid
2017: As part of our commitment to upholding professional standards and practice, Cannon PR joins the Public Relations & Communications association (PRCA).
2018: Cannon PR is appointed as a patron of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. We were also named as one of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s best small agencies by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the sole representative from South Yorkshire to gain recognition in this category.