Getting information about companies or their products printed in trade magazines is not an exact science. Many companies and PR agencies are frustrated when their best efforts don’t get published. No PR agency including ‘on-the-line’ can guarantee success because the final decision on whether or not to publish lies with journalists or editors who, whilst not beyond influence, will have a mind of their own. A good analogy for this is fishing, it is quite common for anglers to stand patiently on the bank all day, using considerable amounts of expensive bait - all to no avail – the fish are just not biting. The reason for this failure is normally a lack of knowledge. The successful fisherman knows which bait to use, where to fish and when to cast to suit the conditions prevailing on the day.

Similarly when it comes to trade communications, knowledge is the key to cost effective and successful editorial coverage.

on-the-line  has a  well documented track record of producing results in the grocery trade press.

The agency's main strength is my own market knowledge and industry contacts. I have twenty years’ experience in the food and drink industry, eight of which were as Northern Advertisement Manager on The Grocer. on-the-line specialises in grocery and does not operate in any other market sector.

There are many benefits to this type of operation. Most PR agencies work on a food account one day, an engineering account the next, cuddly toys the week after and so on – their expertise is in writing not in the market. The advantage that we have is that as industry specialists, we are in constant contact with, and are well known by industry journalists.

This means that any information submitted is relevant and is tailored to the journalists requirements. The importance of this can not be overestimated as journalists like the rest of us are measured on the quantity and quality of the work they produce. Consequently a press release written by someone who understands their needs makes their job easier because it requires less editing, and as such is less likely to end up in the dustbin.

We don’t believe in waiting for our clients to come to us with a project - we do believe in encouraging our clients to submit press releases on a very regular basis. This results in the ‘drip’ effect which keeps your company image and products in the consciousness of your customers.

With our existing clients, we also plan and buy their media. This allows me us take a ‘joined-up’ approach to their communications, because, with on-the-line, the right hand really does know what the left hand is doing. This integrated strategy enables us to obtain the maximum exposure possible for my clients’ money.