The Intersection of Online and Offline

I have been waiting for a post like this to comment on, but in PR Squared’s “Cut the PR Agency? Are You *Sure* About That?” — Todd Defren points out his first client casualty due to the economic uncertainly of the bad economy.  Todd writes:

It happened today.  The economic angst whacked our agency upside the head.  We now have our first example of a client who’s asked to terminate our contract “strictly as a precaution driven by economic uncertainty.”

It seems Sequoia Capital’s “Mandatory All-Hands CEO Meeting” last week, with its gloomy slide deck, has tech CEOs skittering for cover.  But folks who rely solely on the VCs’ slideshow to make crucial decisions do their companies a disservice: it seems there was a lot of other valuable conversation happening throughout the Sequoia event.

It goes without saying that if you are chasing dollars in the relations world right now — either internal or external — now is the time to really “sing for your supper” and proactively and consistently ensure that your value is evident to those who control your dollars, yen or scheckels.

Now I am not a CFO, nor can I really even balance my own checkbook, it it often seems that company bean counters take a dim view of public relations in a economic downturn.  Besides cutting back on internal communications, this is about the dumbest thing that you can do.

Todd sums it up pretty well:

“It is well documented that brands that increase (marketing) during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”

This is a great, succinct argument, but as someone who worked on the agency side for many, many years (the first to be axed in a bad economy), one that often falls of deaf ears.

I’m curious to know others’ thoughts when it comes to the value of public relations in a economic downturn.  How do you establish and promote its value?

Mark

..and what it’s like to do it for a living.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night.

Mark

I hear a lot, both in the online and offline environments, terms that confuse the fundamental role of public relations with other similar communications functions.  Terms like “marketing public relations” certainly does not help clear up any of the confusion.

In my mind, to be a good public relations practitioner, you have to understand the fundamentals of what you are doing.  You are not shoveling information down people’s throats, or probing their subconsciousness in an attempt to get them to buy that new Mercedes.  If you are blasting our press releases by the thousands, you are not practicing good public relations.  Really.

My three favorite definitions of public relations come from:

• Cutlip, Center and Broom (text): “Public relations is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.”
• Webster’s – “The art and science of developing reciprocal understanding and goodwill.”
• Public Relations News – “Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”

There’s a lot to like in these definitions like “publics upon whom its success of failure depends,” “reciprocal understanding and goodwill,” and I really like the last one that classifies public relations as a management function.

What is common in all of these is the two-way nature of the relationship.  Sure, you might be talking, but you damn sure should be listening as well.  Think about the companies that have depended upon us for the societal license to operate (tobacco companies, chemical companies), that, due to public pressure, have changed the fundamental way that they do business.  So the important part of either online or offline public relations is the reciprocity:  if you are not talking to the your publics — and listening — and responding or acting — you are not doing it right.

P.S. - Just to stir the pot a little, I have listed a group of associated items that public relations, — in its purest definition –  IS NOT.   Feel free to comment early and often.

• Marketing
• Lobbying
• Spin
• Advertorials
• Publicity

Mark

For all of Georgetown students, below is a sneak peak at this Wednesday night’s lecture.

See everyone at 7:40 in Walsh.

Mark

While most of this blog discusses the intersection of online and offline, I still believe that good offline communications has its roots in online. But in a town where I know more non-practicing lawyers (those with law degrees who decided AFTER that they got jobs in law firms that it was not a fit), I’ll offer my humble assessment of what life is like in a variety of positions and organizations within the world of public relations.  Some of this is sourced from PRSA’s “Careers in Public Relations,” but I am writing this with the understanding that PRSA is not likely to write a piece that says “Working in PR is Hell.”

So here goes:

Where you work

You have a few different options if you want a career in public relations.  You can work for an agency (where a lot of younger people get their start), or you can go in house at a corporation, non-profit or even the federal government, which is surprisingly, the nation’s largest employer of people working in a public relations or public affairs capacity.

What You Need to Bring to the Table

There are three items that I think set people apart in the field of public relations:

1. The ability to write well, telling a story and in a convincing fashion
2. Intraprenuerialism - I made the work up, but you need to operate in an entrepreneurial fashion within an organization; and
3. Intellectual curiosity -   Asking the right questions at the right times sets people apart.

The Pros and Cons

Working in-house at an organization

Here are a few ideas about comparing “in house” vs. working for an agency. Working for the government, private sector or non-profit, you will have:

• One client  - or really one employer and one issue.  You may have multiple “internal clients,” but you are likely to have only one major issue to work on.
• Advice-giving:  You will be responsible to provide advice, counsel and support to a relatively small number of people, compared to an agency.
• Involvement: Unlike when you work in a big agency and can float in and out of projects, you will likely be involved from start to finish
• “Corporate” environment - some argue that this is less stressful than an agency, but it depends largely upon the issue that you are working on.
• Slower advancement.  If you are in a good position in-house, you may be a staff of five people or less.  This creates less opportunities for advancement.
• Lower pay.  This varies region to region, but my own experiences have taught me that the agency life demands more, thus pays more.

Working for an agency

• Multiple clients - expect to be working for multiple clients (I once had 14 at the same time), and all of which want to think that they are your most important client.  The variety is interesting, but this can be extremely stressful.
• Responsible for firm’s primary objectives; contribute to firm’s growth.  A lot of people get so involved in client work that they forget who writes the paychecks:  the agency.  If you work for a PR agency, you are responsible for accomplishing their primary objectives, which are mainly delivering good client service and growing the business.  The higher up you go in a PR firm, the more pressure there s to develop business and keep the pipeline of business going.
• Long-term, project or retainer work - since you don’t have “one client,” most of your work will have a beginning, a middle and an end.  Then you’ll get five minutes to take a breath and you will be on to the next assignment.  There are some people who thrives on this and there are other people who prefer less “variety.”
• Advancement - PR agencies are bigger than most in-house PR shops.  Bigger places means more room for advancement.
• “Combat pay.”  Since the work is stressful and demanding, you will likely earn a better salary at an agency, but don’t forget that when a client or major project goes away, your job could go with it.
• More “figure it out” - especially at a junior level, most of the people who thrive at an agency at those who can apply critical thinking skills and just plan figure things out with minimal instruction.

There is a LOT that I could add to this, but I am more interested in hearing others’ perspectives.  Please chime in early and often.

Mark