Lindsay Olson

What’s in a Name? Do We Work in PR or Communications?

This is a post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.

Last month Paul Holmes blogged about the difference between public relations and communications. He argues that PR, and building relations with various publics, is more than just communicating.

Paul’s blog was in response to another one by Richard Edelman in which he explained why he is not in a hurry to re-brand his PR firm as a communications agency despite the evolution of PR to encompass digital, research, media planning and content creation.

Holmes and Edelman are both great defenders of PR and good at explaining the strategic importance of the practice and why it is aligned so well with the needs of businesses in the future.

However, here are some alternative schools of thought:

Broaden the name to go after a bigger piece of the (budget) pie: Holmes says he, met ‘with the senior staff from a PR agency—one I respect—that had recently been recast as a “communications” firm, and so I pushed back, gently, asking them why they had decided to narrow their focus from PR to “just communications.” The answer was the one I expected, which is to say that while there are people like me within the industry who define public relations broadly, most clients—and particularly those clients with the biggest budgets, most of whom are to be found in marketing departments—don’t see it that way. They view public relations pretty narrowly, as “part of the marketing mix,” the part focused on earned media. Some of them are reluctant to allow PR firms to work outside that narrow box, on brand strategy—in some cases, even on digital and social media strategy.’

PR is a sub-set of corporate communications, not the other way around: although Holmes says communications is a just a tool in the PR strategy kit, there are others who believe the reverse is true, that PR is subsumed within communications. Richard Bailey points out that, in universities, public relations courses and degrees typically fall under the communications discipline.

PR has a tainted reputation, so it’s best to use another term: some people, when they hear PR think of ‘flacks’ who ‘spin’ the news. Others are tired of arguing that PR plays a strategic role and is more than just media relations. By dropping that moniker and employing the term ‘corporate communications’ they can avoid having to re-brand public relations.

What do you think? Do you work in PR or communications?

Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.

Date: May 17th, 2011 / Author: Lindsay / 2 Comments »

Posted in Public Relations /

7 Benefits of Starting Your Career at a PR Agency

This is a post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.

I started my career at a PR agency and have yet to work “in-house,” so I’m a bit biased about this topic: the top reasons it’s beneficial to start your career at a PR agency:

Agencies are great places to learn the ropes – The agency structure is very conducive to learning and growing. Although most employees work at essentially the same job, i.e. their clients’ PR programs, there are multiple levels on each account team. With frequent performance reviews, lots of mentor options and opportunities to hone skills, talented entry-level PR pros are constantly being groomed for the next level.
Birds of a feather stick together – Unlike working in a corporate setting where you may be the only PR person or may be one part of a small marketing team or department, in a PR agency you’re surrounded by other PR people. This means you have access to plenty of folks who’ve experienced what you’re experiencing and can either help, cheer you on, or commiserate with you about your work.
Careers really get launched – At an agency, most folks work typically work on multiple client accounts or projects at a time. During your tenure at an agency you will typically experience working for many clients, sometimes in multiple industries. Aside from keeping things interesting, this means you have an opportunity to learn a lot more in a shorter amount of time.
Agencies are helpful for forging a professional network – I don’t have statistics on how long most agency staff stay at their firm, but from my experience it seems as though they move around quite a bit. After working at an agency, many people transition to in-house positions, move on to other agencies or to start new firms. That means they could be transitioning to new roles as your future client, boss or employee.
It’s a good way to learn business basics – Not only are PR agencies great places to learn the craft of public relations, they are also good opportunities to learn how to run a service business. Most agencies involve employees at every level in the work of pitching new business, planning programs against a budget and managing accounts, clients and other staff.
You get to see the forest, not just the trees – In an agency/client relationship, you’re one step removed from your client’s business, which of course has both pros and cons. On the plus side, you can view their business and its challenges and opportunities more objectively. You also gain perspective by being able to compare it with other clients.
Taking an agency job allows you to keep your career options open – Although some of us study public relations in college, not many of us know exactly where, or in which industry, we want to practice PR in our careers. Working in a PR agency can be a good way to continue exploring your career opportunities because you’re exposed to different types of clients, different industries and sometimes different disciplines of PR.