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Archives for March 2011

She Says No Need To Define PR for Grandma

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Davina Brewer of 3 Hats Communications writes a snappy blog chock full of opinion and pizazz. Here, in her comment (with permission) I extracted from my blog post “Should We Define PR for Fifth Graders?” Davina shares her thoughts on this debatable exercise. Thanks, Davina!

Davina Brewer, 3 Hats Communications

Davina Brewer of 3 Hats Communications Says:

1) No we should not define PR or public relations for a 5th grader or grandparent. Not at the expense of oversimplifying or limiting the scope of PR. Yes I spend most of my days in front of a computer; so do lawyers and accountants and therapists and lots of other folks; that doesn’t define what we do, merely illustrates a little of the mechanics of how we do it.

Maybe for this group, we ask “when was the last time a brand or company impressed you and why?” Maybe the company comped a deal, maybe a brand offers extraordinary service, maybe the answer may have to do with an overall branding strategy that includes good PR and then we can reply, “that’s what we do.” But I don’t know many 5th graders, so not sweating it. ;-)

2) We do need to make the meaning of PR more transparent, less oblique. It’s not a bad thing, because the barrier to me is the talent and ability to do it right, to do it well. Not everyone can be a copywriter, design ads, plan commercials, or orchestrate complicated media buys; those concepts aren’t clear but they aren’t vague to the layperson who at least ‘gets’ a little about advertising.

Public relations practitioners can write well, research and identify stories that others can’t; just met with some reporters a couple weeks ago, one mentioned that in a general interview w/ a biz exec it wasn’t until the END of the meeting that he let slip something good, something really newsworthy. Now it was a deal that maybe needed to be under wraps for a while but it also hinted at me that maybe this company needed some media and PR training per so many of these definitions that cover ‘story telling’ and how PR uses that to communicate.

We can identify the different audiences important to a company, how to communicate effectively with employees and investors, how to manage a crisis, how the HR team needs to work with sales, with support, with customer service, which brings me to:

3) We do need to play nice with the other kids in the sandbox. Integration is one of my schticks so while I don’t like defining PR against other aspects of the marketing mix, I don’t mind putting it in context that strategically integrated PR works to support branding, advertising, social media and other promotional activities to help companies communicate with their target audiences. In terms of publicity, it’s earned vs. paid for media; maybe it’s data mining the R&D or customer support departments, figuring out how high the referral rates are, what a great story that is to tell and how it’s best to tell it: ads, social media, events, etc.

I’ve written one post on this, kinda come back to making it relatable. I asked for examples – something in context that yes friends and family can ‘get’ and that clients can understand and appreciate, per their business goals and objectives – but at the end of the day what matters most to me is that:

I know what GOOD PR is.

I k now how to do my job well.

I can effectively educate my clients on what PR is and is not.

I know when the definition of PR is obfuscated or trivialized in the media, it is important to address the error, correct it.

FWIW

She’s In New PR; Are You?

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Jenn Whinnem brings wonderful style and insight to my blog; I’m happy to have her today fitting nicely into my series on defining PR. Thanks, Jenn, for letting the public relations profession win you over; welcome aboard!

Jenn Whinnem Says:

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the restaurant blogger who slammed the PR industry in the New York Times (no more link love from us). You can read that here if you’re so inclined.

What followed from that post I could not have predicted. While I merely wanted to point out the contradictions in the guy’s post, it was a seemingly throwaway comment that captured everyone’s imagination: I said I was not a PR person. This led to quite a few people discussing “what is public relations, anyway?” which led to Jayme spearheading the charge of redefining PR with her first of 11 blog posts in the series to date launching with “What Is PR?”

Many tweets and comments followed – and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this quest. My participation was minimal, because I felt I was here to learn. I read everything and said little.

Then, this past Friday, I went to lunch with my co-worker, M, who is a seasoned PR pro, to talk about how we will work together (I’m new, you see). I asked her straight up, please tell me what you do! As she started to describe her media strategy, the plans that resulted, her various tactics…well what do you know, Jayme was right.

I could see how she considered me a PR person. While I had yet to provide an executive with talking points for a radio interview, I had provided an executive with talking points for a meeting with stakeholders. I had strategized on messaging, selecting the appropriate channels for those messages, etc., etc.

While I was considering all of this, I read Elizabeth Sosnow’s fantastic and thought-provoking “5 Ways that PR is Evolving In Spite of Itself.” Elizabeth discusses the impact of digital on PR, and asks “Why are PR folks so happy to embrace social media, but so shortsighted that they can’t recognize the larger opportunity and threat of digital?” (Fellow PR pros, you owe it to yourself to read her post and consider what you’re offering your clients).

This got me thinking – perhaps the reason I didn’t recognize myself as PR is because I’m new PR. My communications career has been solidly focused on the digital, and much less on the print side of things. I’ve never worked on a campaign that didn’t include email or a website. I know about ten different content management systems and some HTML, have a grasp of SEO principles, and am a big-time web-based tool geek. Print, television, radio – that was PR. Not what I did.

But Jayme and Elizabeth are right: PR has expanded into the web and now includes me. As it continues to expand, the rules of the game continue to evolve. And this leaves me with questions: PR veterans, how has the game changed for you? How are you bringing your clients along for the ride? Are they understanding the importance of social? Recent PR grads, how are you finding that the world differs from what your professors taught you?

Nevertheless, I’m happy to join all of you in PR.

(image credit: TopRank.com)

Should We Define PR For Fifth Graders?

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Before late last week I truly was seeing the dim light at the end of the tunnel; now I’m not so sure. My journey to define PR with the most recent post “” now has me off on a tangent. At the end of that post, I tossed out a written-in-three-seconds  definition of public relations, but it was this descriptor that prompted many comments.

And, so, we’re here today to try this from yet another angle — should we define PR for a fifth grader, grandma, and anyone else who just doesn’t get what we do?

I just have to say — I’ve always liked it when the rest of the marketing mix didn’t know what it was I did; that way they knew they needed me yet couldn’t do it themselves. It was sort of like a protective barrier, you know?  (But, that was back in the silo days; now we’re all playing happily in the sandbox — well, once we stop fighting over ownership of social media and who !)

And, so, I will provide credit where credit is due and see if the school of thought that says we need a simpler definition for the masses can agree upon nonjargonesque wording to define public relations:

I help my employer build authentic relationships with all of the people who help them either succeed or fail in business. ~,

I tell stories about people; I make people look good. ~,

Public relations builds goodwill among businesses, customers and community using an approach that makes people feel actions and opinions are valued. at

Public Relations is the practice of communicating to the public and other audiences. ~

Public Relations helps people say the right things to the right audiences at the right time. ~ (that’s me)

Public relations (uses technology to) creates relationships with everyone, everywhere. ~Jayme and “like” by of

So, who’d like to start…? (IMHO, this does NOT replace the need to define PR for PR; right Patty?)

She’s A Copywriter; Is That PR?

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After yesterday’s post, I must have more thought provocation (kidding), and I turn to (and thank profusely) my new tweep Taqiyyah Shakirah Dawud (you can address her as Shakirah because I asked), for this guest post on her talents as a copywriter. Is that PR?

Shakirah Dawud says:

I’m a copywriter. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. My elevator speech: “Hi, I’m a freelance copywriter.” (I know it needs work, thank you.) My byline: “Shakirah Dawud, copywriter.” I’ve been happy that way for nearly 10 years. And then Jayme started giving me ideas. Illusions of grandeur. I may be something more. Or something less, as Gini Dietrich found some believe. Depends on your experience, I guess.

Anyway, I know what I do: I write copy. But what does copy do, exactly? Well, let’s take for example a brochure. It briefly takes the reader on a tour of a business’s offerings, lists facts, adds stars to the special bits, and makes an offer, leaving the reader wanting more. It does this for all who care to read, but weeds them out line by line until only the interested and qualified customers are left at the end, looking for the phone number or website.

How about copy on the back of a package? It’s even more brief, sandwiched between prerequisites like ingredient and component lists, instructions, and those mystifying recycling codes. It specifically explains what it is, what it isn’t, and all but snuggles into the reader’s arms, getting as comfortable and unforgettable as possible.

And then there’s the press release. Done right, everyone is talking about its subject, seeking the related brochure and reading the package copy right through to the end. They’re forming opinions, debating the outcome, and causing a money-making stir.

I thought for a while that this third piece was the only real “PR” in my line of work. But when you think about it…

  • All three types of copy face outward, get in the faces of prospects, and offer further means of developing a relationship.
  • All three constitute variations of what could be the first impression of any company.
  • All three should be current or at least avoid being dated.
  • And all three must be planned, strategized, fact-checked, and choreographed into the right places to elicit the right reactions.

I tentatively decided after reading Jayme’s post about the definition of public relations that I, marketing copywriter, probably fit in there somewhere. What I’m certain of is that neither PR nor marketing could possibly live a happy life without the other.

What do you think the relationship is?

(Image Credit: ConversationMarketing.com)

Is Defining PR Just Jargon?

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We are so close (in this phase) to defining public relations. Thanks to everyone who has taken time and thought to comment and provide insight. As this is my first attempt to garner consensus via a blog (called crowdsourcing, I believe), I’m thrilled with the interactivity. I also thank the silent readers taking this all in who offer a comment on occasion, as well. Everyone is valued and valuable.

As a back story, on this blog there are a series of posts in the last three to four weeks leading to today’s. I hate to repeat myself, but need to so those coming for the first time are aware of what we’re up to. If you’re interested in the prequence (I often coin words), here are some posts (comment scanning is a must to get the true level of conversation) to reference:

(by )

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A Wrench

Before you see the variations of the working definition peeps have come up with (we’re close on consensus), let me throw out this wrench courtesy of of and , the 50th ranked blog on the (congrats!).

Gini just weighed in a few minutes ago to say:

“I think this is still too intangible and full of jargon. If I sent this to my parents, they’d still have NO IDEA what I do. My six-year-old niece tells people I work on a computer. Perhaps we should start there?”

Let me also share that of provided insight on these definitions suggesting “It’s still too vague, oblique.” (Guess we still have some work to do?)

Jargon-filled PR Definitions?

Public Relations Is:

A strategic discipline responsible for communicating to and with diverse audiences and organization stakeholders in order to build human connections; clarify perceptions; influence and manage reputation, brand and culture in order to better align with business goals.

A strategic, (holistic) discipline aligned to business goals that builds, nurtures, and masters human connections and perception; influences and manages reputation, brand and culture while communicating messages across mediums.

A strategic discipline responsible for communicating messages across mediums to diverse audiences and organization stakeholders with the goal of building, nurturing, and mastering human connections and
perception; influencing and managing reputation, brand and culture in promotion of overall business goals.

A strategic discipline aligned to business goals that builds human connections; influences and manages brand reputation and culture while communicating messages across mediums to diverse stakeholders.

OK, peeps, challenged by Ms. Dietrich, are these words just jargon (there were many comments about “masters” and “mediums”), or can you identify with them in your respective daily lives? Should we just say:

Public relations uses technology to create relationships with everyone, everywhere.

What do you think? That just may be our home-base message on the .

(image credit: swordandthescript.com)