It's not just politicians who want to get their policies in the newspapers or celebrities who court publicity, nursery chains are increasingly using the art of spin to get into the spotlight.
Many chains are now employing specialists to handle their press relations on a national level and training nursery managers to become media savvy and promote their work locally.
'Jigsaw's doors are always open to the media and as an organisation we are ready, willing and happy to talk,' says Josie Jordan, Jigsaw Day Nurseries director of marketing and sales.
'To this end we are in the process of relaunching Jigsaw to all its target media and are encouraging our staff to develop relations with their local media. The kind of media coverage we look for ranges from a profile of Mike McKechnie, Jigsaw's new chief executive, in Director magazine, or a feature on childcare, learning and development in a national newspaper to a photo of a sponsored toddle in the Leicester Mercury.' Good newsThe importance of this positive exposure cannot be overestimated. 'The more publicity we get then the more interest we receive in us as an organisation,' says Fiona Starbuck, marketing manager for Leapfrog Day Nurseries.
'Our nurseries do monthly PR initiatives such as Lefthanders Day or American Independence Day with photo calls and target the local press. On a national level we have had 'a day in the life of' features published in the women's press.
'We are opinionated as a company and the managing director, Sue Husbands, likes to be involved in issues that she feels passionate about. She was recently quoted in The Times on the Criminal Records Bureau because we wanted to highlight the fact that it was affecting nurseries and not just schools. We will be vocal when it is an issue we have expertise on.' Nursery chains can gain credibility by commenting on current issues and it can reinforce to both parents and staff that the company is perceived as a strong player in the childcare sector because it is worth listening to.
Asquith Court Schools' company directors are happy to talk to the media, which group marketing manager Marcia Viccars believes emphasises the chain's desire to be open and approachable.
This is a policy others also follow. 'Through our media coverage we want people to know that we focus on quality, a strong educational element and provide a good service. It can maximise a parent's decision to use us for their childcare,' says Teddies Nurseries' executive director Carole Edmund.
'It can also create a positive image for us as an employer. For example, we got coverage in the last issue of Nursery Chains about our shared accommodation for nursery nurses which showed how we look after our staff. This knowledge could influence someone's decision to apply to work for Teddies rather than someone else. Good media coverage is certainly influential in building a good reputation within the market place.' In a spin How nursery chains deal with the press and spin a good story varies. Some, such as Jigsaw and Leapfrog, employ external PR agencies whereas companies including Busy Bees and Kidsunlimited prefer to handle media relations in-house.
'We decided to retain a consultancy to bring in the skills, professionalism and contacts that are not necessarily available to us in-house,' comments Jigsaw's Josie Jordan. Leapfrog's Fiona Starbuck believes an external PR company can give the professional approach that the chain wants to portray.
But Jean Pickering, marketing director of Kidsunlimited, says, 'By doing it ourselves we may not be as slick as a PR company but we still get good coverage of what we do. If what you have to say is good then people will listen and we are the best promoter of what we do because we believe in it.
'We used to have our PR handled out of house but we brought it back in because of expenditure. It was a question of where to invest our money and with salaries rising we decided to put our money into our staff.' Busy Bees managing director John Woodward says they have always tended to 'just get on with it ourselves' because it is difficult to find a PR agency that understands the childcare sector. The company also places importance on each nursery having an individual identity so nursery managers make their own media contacts with the support of head office.
Nursery chains that do not retain an outside PR agency do occasionally call one in when they have a large event they want to publicise, such as a decision to float the company on the stock exchange.
Teddies is a part of BUPA and Carole Edmund believes this is an advantage because the nurseries have access to a large dedicated corporate communications department. 'BUPA puts a lot of emphasis on having good relations with the media and has put a lot of investment into creating an in-house PR department so we tap into that rather than go out of house,' she says.
'Teddies has got two people in the department to oversee childcare and deal with general enquiries. They understand our business, the childcare market, the issues and have been to visit our nurseries while also being experts in public relations. They know how to respond to enquiries from the media on our company and can deal with the wider issues including MMR and meningitis.' Going to press Coverage can often be gained by issuing a press release to relevant publications, for example, notifying the business press of a merger, launching a new curriculum to educational and early years titles, or holding a fun day photo call for local newspapers. Press releases should state what the event or special occasion is, where and what time it is being held and contact details.
Jean Pickering of Kidsunlimited also puts importance on making contact through a brief telephone call, especially when contacting the national media, as press releases can get lost, overlooked or simply thrown in the bin.
Asquith's Marcia Viccars says, 'I think it is important for nurseries to build up a relationship with key journalists in their areas so they can try to communicate their message through them. A picture of the nursery children with a nice caption can say an awful lot more than an advert that we have paid for.' Local media can be proactive at getting in touch with nurseries to ask what is happening. Jigsaw Abbeymeads in Swindon recently received coverage on its local TV station, HTV, as part of Road Safety Week. The nursery was approached with a request to film staff walking children from their breakfast club to school.
Leapfrog's Fiona Starbuck stresses the importance of giving nursery managers media guidance. 'Our nursery managers are made very well aware of the potential pitfalls of dealing with the press. They are trained to guard children's privacy with their lives and they always ask for parental permission. But the parents love it and most nurseries have a PR file in their receptions showing the publicity they have received.'
Above all having a high standard of provision can speak volumes and translate to column inches. 'If we are doing something interesting then we make the most of it but generally we are active and just get on with it, rather than make fantastic claims about what we are going to do in the future,' says John Woodward of Busy Bees.
'From the start we felt we needed the credibility of opening nurseries, developing the voucher scheme and making profits. Rather than saying what we plan to do we wanted to report on activity. Ultimately the best way of marketing the nursery is by providing good quality childcare.'