So much of this blog discussion has been surrounded by Social media topics, that I am beginning to wonder if media documents, sponsorships, events, interviews and product placement are all void tactics in a world of social Public Relations. Surely this cannot be the case, there needs to be a point of convergence, we cannot rely, solely on social media to reinvent Public Relations, or Public Relations will eventually die, when the public find something else to latch on to.
I guess what I am saying is Public Relations needs to be a Chameleon, we need to blend into the media that the Public is exploring changing to adapt to new forms, whilst keeping to our original shape.
So lets look at some traditional Public Relations tactics, how these have been previously used, and how we can develop them to appeal to the publics of today.
Media Documents – These have always been sent to the gatekeepers, PRP’s are taught to write these documents in accordance with the style and requirements of the journalists of the media we are seeking exposure in. We are told a press release should have a newsworthy value, be timely, and have an interest to the readers. (Wilcox and Cameron 2009). But is this still relevant with the decrease in newspaper readership, should we be reconsidering the way we send out our releases, this idea is supported by various PR bloggers (Mullen, 2009; Warner, 2008 and Rogerson, 2007). Maybe it is time for a revamp, maybe instead of writing for the journalist we write for our consumer, we learn, what it is they want to read, how they want to read, and adapt of media releases to suit this format.
Events – The aim of events has previously been to gain media coverage for a product or brand. Guests included key journalists, industry spokespeople and other key celebrities who may have an affiliation with your brand. However when your consumer isn’t reading the paper, and they really don’t care who was at your event cause they weren’t what is the point of holding an event? This idea is echoed by the author of 101 Public Relations (n.d). Maybe the way around this is to invite your key consumers, open communication with them, give them the opportunity to provide you with feedback, interact with your brand or product and talk about their experience with their friends.
Sponsorships are another just another tactic that falls on deaf ears. Unless your organisation is truly aligned with a certain cause or activity, it is pointless spending thousands of dollars to have your name printed in random and ineffective arenas. Consumers are personable, so if possible donate to organisations that are of strong interest to your organisation. This will resonate with your consumers and urge them to follow the same cause.
It is quite clear that old PR tactics are not yet redundant but PRP’s cannot continue to distribute releases, and hold events like they have been for many years. There needs to be a change and re-evaluation of our consumers, we can not ignore that the audience is changing and in a industry dominated by publics, then public relations should change and mould with them.
Bianca Agius
101Public Relations (n.d) The five stupidest PR tactics almost every company tries. Don’t waste your PR budget on these money pits. Accessed from http://101publicrelations.com/blog/the_five_stupidest_pr_tactics_almost_every_company_tries_dont_waste_your_pr_budget_on_these_money_pits_000229.html
Mullen, S. (2009) End Game PR “10 Dead or Dying PR tactics” accessed from: http://www.endgamepr.com/blog/2009/03/18/top-10-dead-or-dying-pr-tactics/
Rogerson, M(2007) Reina Communications. “Social Media Press Releases: Not your grandfather’s press release, or Ivy Lee’s for that matter. Accessed from http://reinacommunications.biz/category/pr-tactics/
Warner, R. 2008. Content and motion “Why the ‘Old PR’ Game is Broken. Spend Wisely – Online PR Rules…” Accessed from http://www.contentandmotion.co.uk/social-media-pr-blog/why-the-old-pr-game-is-broken-spend-wisely-online-pr-rules/
Wilcox, D and Cameron, T. (2009) Public Relations Strategies and Tactics. 9th Ed. Pearson. USA.
Hi Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI really like the metaphor of PR being a chameleon. It is true that we as PR professionals have to go with the new wishes and needs of our customers, and develop new tactics according to new technologies. Anyway, you are right with saying that it´s not all about social media.
We just have to use it as another tactic in our PR portfolio. Subsequently, social media is just another skin color of the PR chameleon, another facette of communication in today´s world.
The trick is to integrate it thoroughly in the overall communication strategy: regarding the purposes, the chances and also the risks of new media.
“While the simplicity of social platforms can enable rapid growth, it can also create a false sense of accomplishment for those who don´t create a focused plan to leverage the power of these platforms for real business goals. Now is the time to take a moment and think about your overall business strategy and what role social media might play in hitting your objectives. The bad news, if you don´t currently know where your business is heading, than social media might just be an express ticket to nowhere.” (North venture partners, 2009, p. 3).
Reference:
North venture partners, llc. (2009). Nine ways your business could be using social media, but
probably isn’t. Retrieved, March, 29, 2010, from, http://www.slideshare.net/NorthVenturePartners/9-ways-your-business-could-be-using-social-media-but-probably-isnt
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ReplyDeleteShebley said..
ReplyDeleteBianca..this is certainly a great topic to talk about... If I may direct your attention to the actual setting of Public Relations/Corporate Communications Department (PR/CCD). Metaphorically, PR/CCD is the “heart” of the organization besides the HR Department. This is the department which handles internal and external communication and corporate image building/branding for the organization. This is also the department which is able to uphold the good name of the organization to its stakeholders (i.e. investors, shareholders, stakeholders, clients, media members etc). Therefore, the right candidate with the right PR knowledge and skills should be leading the department and not just someone who is only good in verbal communication but do not have the “right” ability and skills to brand the organization with the right PR brand.
In the current PR field, some of the organizations end up by hiring the wrong candidate to work at the PR/SSC…the worst thing is they also end up by hiring the wrong candidate to be the head of this department. Ironically, they are hiring the “wrong” PR candidate to be at the “right” department! But what happen if that particular organization is facing a crisis? Can these so called “PR staff” able to handle the crisis with excellent damage control rather than damaging the image of the organization? Do they have the knowledge and skills to overcome the situation? Will they know how to handle the media’s enquiries on what info should be disseminated and what not to be revealed to the media at that particular point of time?
Generally, each and every country have their own active PR institute for those people who don’t have the opportunity to learn about PR or Communication at the university level but are interested in acquiring the right PR trainings such as Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) www.pria.com.au, Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM) www.iprm.org.my, The London School of Public Relations Jakarta (LSPR) www.lspr.edu, Institute of Public Relations Singapore (IPRS) www.iprs.org.sg etc. These PR institutes are interconnected between one another and provide the latest training programs and information in order to equip those young PR Executives in handling the global PR industry. Therefore, the so called “wrong PR staff” should have their own initiatives in acquiring the right PR knowledge from these institutes because; the knowledge that these institutes can provide is priceless and might not be available in the textbook.
The rule of the game is HARD WORK! Let me share with you guys a speech delivered by Dato’ Sri Professor Dr. Syed Arabi Idid to a group of PR students during the AGM of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia Student Association (IPRMSA) – IIUM Chapter in 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weKTU1g7FZY) In his speech, he mentioned on the issue of ‘barriers’ and challenges which will be encountered by the PR students in the ‘real PR field’ soon. Dato' Sri Professor Dr. Syed Arabi Idid was the former President of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM) and currently, he is the Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)...He is my mentor and the one who has groomed me with the right PR attitudes for the past years. I am certainly his “product”.