How to find communication niches?

A communication niche is a media area in which the information about a managed brand is never featured or is featured less frequently compared to the competition. The reasons for this may differ and include the failure to reach some media with the information, unrealized use of cliché communication patterns or simply better cooperation of a PR specialist with journalists. The identification of these conditions is the first step in the fight for the customer’s attention.

WHERE CAN NICHES BE FOUND?

First of all, among the authors of publications, i.e. journalists who write about the brand most often, specialize in a given field or who have so far omitted the researched brand in their communication while addressing topics related to the competition. Interesting conclusions can be provided by the analysis of the structure of publications in individual media – which sources discuss the topic broadly and which only mention it. The value of materials can also be taken into account as the media reach or size of the feature are reflected in the ratio of the number of publications and their advertising equivalency.

WHO CAN FIND SUCH AN ANALYSIS USEFUL AND WHY?

Knowing that some journalists are interested in a particular topic, product or service helps those responsible for communication take carefully planned actions. They might lead to an increase in the number of publications, the expansion of their reach, an increase in the advertising equivalency or the publication of materials of a specific sentiment. The analysis of communication niches also makes it possible to identify brand ambassadors.

Defining communication niches takes the form of an advanced media research that compares the communication effects for specific brands in individual media.

The report on communication niches shows differences in the effects of communication both through the prism of publications in individual titles and the authorship of specific journalists. It is mainly used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of communication.

One of the ways of identifying communication niches in the scope of cooperation with individual media. The table presents the number of pieces of information on each of the entities in the most active media titles. The colour pink indicates a strong presence of the brand in a given media outlet and the colour blue means a weak presence.