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PR V Marketing: Same Goals, Different Tactics

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(This post is going to have too many first-person references for my liking, but it’s a relevant discussion and one I can’t make well in the third person; my apologies in advance!)

When I discuss differences between public relations and marketing, I cause trouble. People have a difficult time understanding what all the fuss is; I’m not here to exacerbate that, I’m trying to clarify. The best way I can do that is via my experience.

I have worked in PR 27 years as an agency brat (18 years spent in Chicago) my entire career.  After a stretch, PR began to evolve; practitioners knew that marketing was where the profession was integrating. I made it my goal to become more marketing-esque, and when a recruiter from a large PR firm told me my resume looked more marketing oriented, I was happy (she wasn’t).

In a recent conversation I had with Scott Quillin of New England Multimedia, he made a spot-on statement. I have to share: In order to understand the differences between marketing and PR, you have to have solid experience in both. Indeed.

I work as chief marketing officer for one client and as a brand marketing manager for two others. The core of what I deliver each day, however, is derived from public relations — my profession.

I caused a bit of trouble recently over at Shakirah Dawud’s house in a guest post in which I suggested marketing writers and PR writers offered two different styles of writing. That article was re-posted twice on Ragan.com, and the comments were intense.

A commenter at Shakirah’s said, “Personally, I think we should stop talking about marketing vs. PR in regards to…pretty much anything.”

I respectfully disagree. I do so because my feet are firmly planted in both disciplines working every day in both. And, I asked my new client several days ago, “Which hat do you want me to wear for you, PR or marketing?”

Because the deliverables are different; the thinking is different but the outcome is the same. Regardless of whether you work in PR or work in integrated marketing, the end game is ROI, measurable results, business goals, sales, leads, and more.

My approach to get there is what may be a tad different, depending on which side of the aisle I’m walking (the right, the left, or in the middle). Do these examples below help or hinder an explanation?

A software developer wants to push its software to accounting firms.

As a PR person, I would:

  • Hit the product team to find new features about the software that differentiate it from the rest of the industry
  • Hit the industry to find data and research to support my new product
  • Interview the chief spokesperson for a really good quote
  • Draft a news release/story
  • Identify some outlets that may cover my story
  • Pitch my news with industry trends.
  • Distribute an online press release to further news distribution.

As a marketer, I would:

  • Invite a client to join a panel on a webinar
  • Invite attendees to this free event by an email marketing campaign, newsletter, or a LinkedIn group announcement;
  • Interview a consultant or other client to draft a white paper for download and lead gen on a website
  • Prepare spokespeople for the upcoming tradeshow event to meet customers during a breakfast.
  • Polish the product literature and deliver it in time for booth training at the tradeshow where we will hawk our software to prospects.

While these lists may not sound so terribly different, in the corporate sector, each is the purview of a separate department. I do both and I tip my hat in either direction because my core training drives my deliverables.

Have I caused more confusion or per chance was this helpful?

 

Blogging In A Safe Community

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This is a great reminder that blog posts get seen by the whole world. It’s easy to forget that when we’re blogging in our safe communities. Let me share a story that may help you edit a little more, or less, given the topic…

Shakirah Dawud is one of the most fantastic writers I know, and her blog at Deliberate Ink covers a bunch on writing, words, copywriting, and other topics. She asked me to guest post on a topic I couldn’t address, and it took me weeks to stretch my thinking to come up with a topic relevant to her audience, her blog’s theme, and something I thought I could speak to.

The post I wrote was along the lines of whether marketing can write for PR. It’s not something I ever think about, but I stuck my neck out to write in Shakirah’s safe community and promoted it within my network.

The post was well received with in-depth discussion in the comments, lots of questions, lots of friendly debate, and more RTs than I’ll ever see at my house. (Very cool.)

Then, an editorial assistant from Ragan.com sent an email at the end of the day asking to re-publish my post. Ragan Communications is a national company delivering PR, marketing, writing and other content, products, workshops, training courses, etc. to our industry.  I gave my approval, and the post went live at 5 p.m. last week.

The next morning, the first two comments were negative from anonymous folks, called trolls, who are keen on negating most of what they read but never add their name to their statements. That didn’t feel good, but I thanked each for their heartfelt negativity and said something like “all comments welcome.”

The next eight or so comments were more in-depth; some negated the writing, the concept, the “blanket statement” and even argued, in not so many words, I was full of it. A professor of public relations made some decent remark in a neutral way.  I took my time responding to each person and thanked them for their comments.  All the while, I was hoping for no more responses.

Why?

That community on Ragan.com had no idea who I was, had never seen me, didn’t know my qualifications, had never seen my blog, etc., etc. It was really easy for them to negate me, rag on me, call me stupid, or whatever, because they didn’t know me.

Think about that…when you write a blog, people in your community begin to get to know you, your traits, quirks, personality, tonality, and they form opinions. They determine whether to come back and keep reading or whether you truly aren’t the flavor of the month. When a post is published as a one-off in a community accustomed to who knows what and there’s been no prior engagement, the opportunity is ripe for the bombs to fly. Not saying I got bombed over there at all, but I can say it felt uncomfortable, for sure.

What I learned from this experience:

>>I am more grateful for YOU, this community we’ve developed.  When people disagree, it’s obvious, yet daggers aren’t sharp and pointed.

>>When you launch a blog, there’s safety in obscurity. Don’t hope for stardom before you’re ready; in fact, I’d like to hide under my rock a bit longer (not that this single blog post is going to change my life).

>>The tonality and ‘raderie are what make blogging fun for me. Upon reading those comments from complete strangers, I was cringing, although no one really fired any bullets. It was just uncomfortable, and I wasn’t used to it!

>>The content we write as bloggers can go anywhere — on portals, on other blogs, on ‘zines, be fodder for reporters/media, employers, and more. This story is a reminder that anonymous eyes read our material.

>>I’ve lurked on a few occasions when a guest blogger writes malarkey on a national business blog, like Forbes or Fortune. I watched as she/writer was taken to task so strongly that I felt badly although I agreed with the comments. The funny thing was the writer was nowhere to be found…she never responded to anyone’s comments.

If you’re going to take a position in your writing which could be construed as other than mainstream, stand up for your beliefs. It’s more damaging to let commenters control the message than it is to be front and center engaging people in comments as you protect your brand.

Thoughts?

 

 

 

2011 Social Media PR Woman Of The Year

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So, I’m a few days late with this post, but it’s gonna be a goody, and you’ll be happy you read along to the bottom; promise.

I sat across the table from Gini Dietrich in Chicago just before Christmas at the Southport Grocery (you can eat there, too, with blue-eyed waiters to flirt with), and the poor dear had all she could do to get out of her chair to jog down and keep our meeting.  (She’d been on the go for about three weeks in December speaking on a killer circuit while tweeting, blogging and FB’ing in sync with the jet engine reverberations.)

Then we hit the streets to find a bench to do Gini’s first guest video post (with moi, ahem) which we had to repeat and giggle through. It was after that that I knew Gini was a special someone I loved to be with (and so, too, does everyone else), and I wanted to gift her with a little something in return.

Gini Dietrich is the 2011 Social Media, PR Woman of the Year. (Normally, I’d stop there with a #RockHot and #ThatIsAll, but this time I’ll share why. Oooh, it feels good to blog again after two weeks off.)

>>No one keeps a schedule like she does, and no one has the pulse of PR and social media CONSISTENTLY.

>>She is a mentor to the young PR peeps up and coming, and she works hard to network and land everyone a job.

>>She’ll take time to listen to a business problem and offer solutions and tips to get you out of the trench.

>>She is the author of a new book with Geoff Livingston, called Marketing In The Round, set to publish in spring, and you can pre-order just as I did on Amazon by clicking the link here.

>>She is always accessible with banter, friendly commentary, snark, and giggles.

>>She caters to public relations and social media peeps with content oriented to tools, techniques, and training.

>>Her smile, personality, humor, and love for dogs and bikes know no boundaries, and her energy is ebullient and effervescent (oh, that’s so smarmy, but true!).

>>She gives gifts every Friday; read these posts here and here, for her popular Follow Friday series.

>>She is committed to the cause – changing the perception of public relations and encouraging practitioners to become more marketing-esque with knowledge of financials, business, analytics, and more.

>>She is the consummate social media leader for all things new including channels, gadgets, and tools. She throws the punches where they need to land, and stands tall to take the heat when it comes.

>>She is an A-lister, dammit, and she’ll deny this forcefully…but when her blog, Spin Sucks, sits in the top 35 spot on Ad Age Power 100 for months, and the peeps ahead of her are blogging communities, then why the heck can’t I call her an A-lister? I wonder if that’s a negative…? She’s a leader, and Spin Sucks Pro (her paid platform) is soon to launch for real; she’s taken content marketing to revenue-generation mode (something few have done successfully).

What other reasons besides these can anyone share? I’m sold; hope you are, too!

Love ya, Gin Blossom! I’m a proud twinster!

 

Is Pointing, Yelling Free Publicity or Just Awareness?

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Today’s guest post comes to you from my dear colleague Shakirah Dawud, a highly prolific writer I admire greatly for her style, creativity, features (in writing), and genuine interest in provoking thought. She writes for Deliberate Ink, and you can connect with her here and here.

Shakirah Dawud Says:

This article was going to be much different than it is. I was going to name a campaign whose unscrupulosity (yes, I made the word up) totally blew my mind, the reasons it did, and raise your hackles about it as much as I could, too.

But I stopped because I wondered (as I often do about these things), when does pointing and yelling raise awareness, and when does it become the business’s use of my ire to play made-you-look?

Businesses and other public entities love publicity. They like getting in the news because people pay attention to them. Most of them prefer positive attention, but a few don’t mind negative attention one bit.

I have to make a decision: do I spread their news for them or do what I can to avoid giving them the clicks they’re seeking? More often than not, I choose the latter. If I see a need to mention it publicly, I usually limit it to an indirect reference. I don’t imagine it has much effect on the world at large, but it’s always been my policy to ignore people who do outrageous things only to get attention. I wonder if I’m alone.

My respect goes to people who speak up loudly when something untoward happens according to public record.  These people’s perspectives are bold, well reasoned, and well written as often as they are coarse emotional rants. I’ve read and written both types with gusto. But how much awareness is raised in these cases?  By the time I’ve found out about a controversial issue or event involving a business or public figure, it’s usually already a trending topic.

But my gratitude goes to people who research and provide information about the things happening right under our noses that most of us haven’t noticed–the patterns of activity, observations of interactions, and statistical trends that, as it has been famously said–“they” don’t want us to know. That’s more than adding a voice to the crowd of tsk-tskers.

As a PR professional, Jayme is an awareness raiser. I want to know–from her and from you–where the line is.

Is it futile to keep your silence on an issue you feel strongly about but refuse to provide free publicity for?

How would you raise awareness if you decide you should?

What factors do you look at when deciding to give someone or something a spotlight for your crowd to gasp and point at?

And since I have your ear, what do you think of the short-lived “Unhate” campaign?

Shakirah Dawud is the writer and editor behind Deliberate Ink. Based in Maryland with roots in New York, she’s been crafting effective marketing copy as a writer and polishing many forms of prose as an editor since 2002. Clients in many fun sizes, industries, and locations reach her through the Web.

We’re Defining PR Again

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I know you saw the news that PRSA determined the timing is right to modernize its definition of PR. I was ecstatic about this (and life got in the way of my ability to blog quickly), and I’ll tell you why.

For those of you in the community who’ve been faithful followers, you’ll recall our endeavor to define PR in spring 2011. Not sure why I embarked on this journey, but it was amazingly frustrating and rewarding at the same time.

The culmination of the experience of some 15 blog posts by global input (including many, many insightful comments from PRSA, mind you) is this post right here, “We’ve Defined PR, By Jove!” Upon reading it fresh this morning, I am happy to say that I like/love the definition we toiled to create:

PUBLIC RELATIONS HELPS PEOPLE

SAY THE RIGHT THINGS TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCES

AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IN THE RIGHT WAY.

What do you think? Does this still resonate with you?

Throughout the entire intense series we tackled, one of the posts was about the very un-modern and archaic definition by PRSA of public relations. I directly admonished them, and others whole-heartedly agreed. May we take some credit for nudging PRSA to the edge on redefining our profession? I’m saying YES! (Makes me a proud practitioner to have had a hand in helping push this.)

Now, how can you help?

Make it your responsibility to be accountable to your profession. The original blog post at PRSA (although, strangely, comments require moderation) is here where you can see the campaign launch announcement.

Go directly to PRSA here and submit your definition of PR by Dec. 2, 2011. (Interestingly, and I fully agree, a commenter suggested this was a failure by PRSA to announce the campaign so close to and during a holiday week; indeed, timing is a bit odd.)

A word cloud is forming now on the PRSA website and tweets are being captured at #PRDefined with all the key words we’re coming up with.  While I didn’t use a word cloud to help us come to somewhat of a consensus, I know how hard we toiled to make our definition as general and as  specific as we could with respect to the purists and the integrated marketers in our midst.

Will be fascinating to watch what comes of this project. Anything is an improvement over what we’ve had for decades. Stay tuned!