Overall, this trend represents good news for the public relations industry. In a recent column published by the Council of Public Relations Firms’ blog, Weber Shandwick President Andy Polansky cited one recent forecast that spending on marketing services will rise by almost five percent through 2015, with public relations and word-of-mouth marketing the fastest-growing disciplines.
“Public relations is fast becoming a more prominent component of integrated marketing campaigns,” he wrote. “Clients and prospects clearly seem less concerned about which discipline to work with; it’s all about who brings the best thinking and the most innovative ideas.”
These shifts are also spurring the Public Relations Society of America to launch a new effort to develop “a
modern definition for the new era of public relations.” The effort began on November 21 and solicited suggestions from the public along with public relations professionals, academics and students through December 2.“Finding a new definition for public relations is ‘a process we know is overdue,’” said Rosanna Fiske, the chairwoman and chief executive of the public relations society, in a November 20 piece in the New York Times.
From our perspective at Weber Shandwick, it is easy to understand how PR has earned a more pronounced role as part of an organization’s overall communications and marketing strategies.
The rise of social media has prompted more companies to focus on new ways to engage with their customers. More companies are focused on reputation and how it relates to valuation and to purchasing decisions. Also, preparing for crises and navigating how issues affect marketing decisions have taken on more importance in an increasingly complex world. Lest we not forget, public relations firms have always been good at storytelling and engaging multiple stakeholders to communicate about substantive issues. The web lends itself well to such engagement and PR firms are ideally positioned with the corporate strategic insight and technical know-how needed to build online communities and advocacy.
To meet these needs, Andy called for a continued focus on the following key priorities:
- Intellectual capital: While Weber Shandwick continues to hire people with specialized backgrounds in digital, advertising, and strategic planning, it isn’t uncommon to see our teams comprised of lawyers and public policy experts, financial communications professionals, and/or PhDs who understand and explain the science behind a new drug coming to market.
- Integration: Clients aren’t just looking to partner across disciplines; they want partners capable of understanding the whole marketing mix and who can collaborate, including globally, with others outside the traditional “PR” function.
- Innovation: The speed of communications and vast array of available communications platforms has created an ever-expanding media environment, and we need to adapt quickly. And we must continue to lead in social media. It’s our sweet spot given our storytelling heritage and our experience in driving conversation.
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