PR Professionals Can Excel as Strategic Communicators

13 Aug PR Professionals Can Excel as Strategic Communicators

Posted at 02:00h in PR, Reputation, Social Media by Paul Sutton

#FlockFriday: an ongoing series of weekly interviews with progressive, intelligent, knowledgeable and insightful communications professionals who want to address the issues in the industry and make a real difference to its reputation and its future. 1 topic, 6 questions, a number of thought leaders…

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The word ‘guru’ is vastly overused in social media circles, but Deidre Breakenridge is without doubt one of the global leaders in the evolution of the communications industry. The author of several books on the subject, including PR 2.0 and Putting the Public Back in Public Relations (co-written with Brian Solis), she is widely regarded as one of the top strategic PR though leaders and speaks regularly about how organisations must embrace new technologies and combine these with market knowledge to become today’s superlative communicators. Deidre blogs at DeidreBreakenridge.com and is the co-founder of #PRStudChat on Twitter, the highly successful platform for answering questions and educating tomorrow’s PR pros. She’s also one of the most down-to-earth, helpful and friendly people you could ever meet. It’s an honour to have Deidre here on Tribal Boogie.

Q: PR/comms always used to be about building relationships with the media and with influencers; as client demands have increased, has the industry lost that ability and become too competitive and too task focused?

A: You pose an interesting question. At the heart of public relations is relationship building, whether it’s with the media or any of a brand’s target public(s). And, yes, client demands are increasing and we’ve also seen shrinking budgets. Many have questioned whether the shift in the media landscape and the manner in which consumers want to drive and control their own communication (the rise of the citizen journalist) will negatively impact PR and the role of the professional. I’ve heard everything from ‘is PR dead?’ to ‘who owns social media?’ and ‘where does PR fit in?’ leaving professionals concerned about the changing landscape. There are significant pressures to adapt to these changes or lose a seat at strategy table, as other areas of an organization look to ‘own social media’.

However, through the shifting landscape, the changing face of media and mounting pressures from clients, there is an opportunity for PR professionals to excel as strategic communicators (being less task oriented) and to become better relationship builders. The shift in media consumption, advanced collaborative technology and the ability for brands to connect directly with influencers, causes a great need for more listening and strategic thinking. Professionals who understand how to create and humanize stories, monitor the brand’s reputation (being proactive) and build meaningful relationships will be greater assets to their organizations.

PR/Communications has increased in scope and responsibility, securing that spot at the boardroom table. We have a much stronger focus on strategy and planning of both traditional and social communications and we will increasingly blend the best of both worlds to help brands reach all stakeholders, where they reside in the market.

Q: Is fear and/or a lack of understanding or knowledge responsible for the PR/comms industry not fully embracing new digital marketing tools such as Twitter and Facebook? And if so, what are we scared of?

A: Change is always difficult to manage and it appears that many of the changes in consumer behavior and technology appear to be revolutionary rather than gradual, which is not always an easy adjustment. With respect to change, I believe that the best of traditional PR/communications practices and our core values allow professionals to adapt to the new digital and social media landscape and to enhance brand communication. Whether we are using Twitter, Facebook or some other new realm of collaboration, PR can rely on targeted communication, understanding critical communications issues and how to reach people with meaningful content, all while keeping the brand humanized.

I’m not sure if we’re scared, or if it’s just difficult to learn a new approach and process. And, even if PR and communications professionals embrace the changes this doesn’t necessarily translate into our organizations embracing as quickly. Perhaps, it’s a complacency that we are used to in our communications process. Unfortunately, an older approach and process doesn’t safeguard the brand for today’s fast paced conversations, but rather could be to the brand’s detriment.

Today, it’s critical for communications professionals to understand that the social landscape requires changes that will enhance relationships and value. At the same time, a social approach will help to build community and prepare the brand for any negative and/or miscommunications on its behalf. Changing the approach and process of communication, and realising that PR has an increased role to play, may be a challenge. However, it’s probably one of the most exciting times in the history of PR and communications, as we are reinventing and reinvigorating our industry.

Q: Digital media is changing the face of the communications industry and yet many CEOs and MDs in PR/comms agencies seem unwilling to learn the evolving skill sets needed to drive the industry forward. Do you feel that the onus is falling on individuals to take personal responsibility for their own learning and development in this area and, if so, is this a good or a bad thing?

A: I think it’s critical that we advance our own knowledge and learning and take the time to become educated on digital media. If a communications professional is committed to helping a brand, then in order to advise or counsel on strategy, you must roll up your sleeves and experiment and experience new methods of communication. It’s imperative that PR people get up to speed on new media and technology. From learning and embracing a social approach to the collaborative technology platforms, today you will find communications professionals who understand how to build blogs, upload videos to their YouTube channels, work in back end content management systems, and create social media releases.

As we learn to use these new platforms and tools, and understand how technology has the potential to facilitate great conversations, then and only then, we can move forward to educate our brands. And, when it comes to those professionals who don’t understand, it’s up to individual champions to bring the best of digital and social media to their colleagues, showing positive results and value. If you understand the changing face of the communications industry and learn to speak a new media or social media language, then you can instruct and help others to learn too. If a CEO in an agency doesn’t understand that a new skill set is needed, then his/her staff has to be even more committed to showing value. A few good, new media or social media champions, including any higher-level executives you can recruit toward change, might turn this situation around.

Q: The ‘new generation’ of PR/comms professionals, which is embracing the social web, appears to be far more collaborative and supportive than the more competitive and guarded old school. Do you feel that a chasm is emerging within the industry between the online community and those who are less progressive? And if so, what are the effects on the industry as a whole?

A: The new generation of PR/Comms professionals grew up with technology, unlike my generation which didn’t have computers in grade school let alone the college classroom. The Internet may have been in development, but certainly not accessible to my generation. It’s amazing to watch Gen Y embrace the social web with ease, making them a true asset to communications within any organization. However, with younger professionals being adept at technology and learning at a rapid rate through their own usage, a large chasm may form, if more senior professionals do not learn and embrace the same technology.

We must all keep in mind that managing and traversing technology with ease doesn’t always translate into a market strategy. Senior professionals have spent years cultivating their ability to plan and strategize for their brands, based on an understanding of business and the market landscape. The best possible scenario is to close the chasm by educating up and educating down. If senior professionals have the business and market knowledge and younger professionals understand the technology and tools, then collaboration in the middle will lead to outward facing communication that creates advocacy and more loyal customers for the brand.

Q: The PR/comms industry has a poor reputation for being ‘spin doctors’ and PR flacks. Who do you feel is best placed to build credibility, educate business owners and consumers, and change this reputation, and how do they go about it?

A: Yes, there are those that believe that PR is spin and hype, and that PR translates into ‘spinning’ a story that lacks credibility. For me, PR is creating and engaging in strategic communications that build relationships with the public, change consumer opinions, create a greater good for the community and result in valuable outcomes for an organization. The people best suited to build credibility and educate the public and those poised to change this reputation, is the PR /communications industry itself.

As a united front, we need to band together through our industry associations to show the value of good strategic PR and communications. Case in point, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) launched its Business Case for this very purpose. The Business Case educates CEOs and senior level executives in organizations as well as the public on the value of PR, by highlighting our key roles and outcomes, and by demonstrating strategic values (the very opposite of a spin doctor).

I also believe that through social media we are changing our reputation by being more open, transparent and human in our communications. After all if we’re instructing our brands to operate in this fashion, we must do the same for ourselves.

Q: With regard to the competition between PR agencies, specialist digital agencies and full service marketing agencies, how do you think things will play out over the next five or ten years? And what will happen to the PR/comms industry if things don’t change?

A: The competition is fierce as different areas of communications and interactive media look to secure their place at the social media strategy table. I believe that there is a spot for each discipline, as we must work together with respect to integrating our communications approach. Social media goes across the company and engages different groups within an organisation. As PR professionals, we realize that we cannot work in a vacuum and as we interact with stakeholders in web communities and also proactively monitor the conversations and brand reputation, we will need to share important intelligence with other groups. Not only will we work with marketing and the digital creatives, but we will also interact with sales, customer service, web, HR, etc.

The question shouldn’t be ‘who owns social media?’ because I don’t think anyone can own it, similar to email or IM. Rather the question should be, ‘what do we need to do as strong coalition to create a social media program together that’s in the best interest of the brand?’ In this scenario, each group or department knows their rightful place, is interacting with unique human voices and collectively we are all creating a better customer experience through social outreach. Over the next five or ten years, we will see PR and communications become more integrated into other areas of communications, as our roles and functions will expand to help guide and monitor all communication across an organisation.

Keep track of this series of posts on The Flock Facebook page or by following the hashtag #flockfriday on Twitter.

Recent #flockfriday posts: Adam Vincenzini, Beth Carroll, Darika Ahrens, Kerry Gaffney, Chris Hall, Lauren Fernandez

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