The Evolution of PR

Mark Twain once said, “The report of my death is an exaggeration.”

The same can be said about the PR business.

The latest death knell can be heard in a great discussion going on in Linked started by Rick Vargas, who asked: “Social Networking: Is the death of Public Relations on the Horizon?” 

Most of the commentators have rightly answered the question in the negative, saying that social media in fact has reinvigorated PR, emphasizing that PR was never just about media relations.

Still, the fact is that the death-of-PR-type questions get raised all the time.

I think that has to do with a fundamental misunderstanding of PR. And, perhaps, we as PR professionals have no one but ourselves to blame for this.

Ask the average business person what PR is and I bet the person will say it’s all about press releases. And while PR professionals still write press releases – to get an idea of the seemingly bottomless pit of them check out prnewswire.com or buseinsswire.com – that is only a small part of what PR does. As a number of the commentators on LinkedIn also indicated, it doesn’t require an advanced degree to write a passing press release (though it does take some training to write one that is readable!).

Where PR professionals can add value is when it comes to setting the overall messaging strategy for a company. While marketing should lead the charge, PR should be a key part of the process, helping craft messages so they resonate for media, bloggers and the average client.

PR’s evolution is a natural extension of the changing purchase funnel. Much has been written about the fact that the traditional purchase funnel of Attention, Interest, Desire and Action is no longer applicable. Online search has changed the funnel making it more of a loop than a funnel as consumers consider more brands as they get closer to making a purchase.  

Here are ways PR can be even more useful during this expanded consideration phase:

·        Provide Accessible Content:  Prospects when they’re first getting started want easily accessible information. PR professionals can create FAQS, introductory videos, enewsletters, blog posts, tweets – and yes, press releases.

·        Provide in-Depth Content.” Prospects as they dig deeper want more engaging content. PR professionals can create articles, white papers, thought leadership videos, case studies, testimonials and demos.

·        Provide Post-Sales Content. After the sale, PR professionals can instill further customer loyalty by continuing to provide engaging content that educates and adds value. Think about offering free educational webinars and other content to make your products and services more valuable.

By Wendy Marx, a PR and Branding Specialist, Marx Communications